Leash Reactive Great Dane Transformation

TESTIMONIAL FROM FURY'S OWNER:
If you are reading this, chances are you've realized you need help. I needed help. Luckily , I found Karen. Night Fury was a typical puppy, & we thought we were set for success in the beginning. We've had experience with Great Danes as well as puppies. We brought him to all the typical pet store training classes & continued what we had learned from previous dogs. Around 13 mo of age his behavior began to change, it was little by little and we were not equipped, and did not take appropriate or quick enough action. He started dominating the couch, being in our faces, & poking everyone in the butt. He seemed overly skittish and was unpredictable. Then the unthinkable happened, my retired parents came for a visit and within 10 minutes, Fury bit my father in the arm causing puncture wounds. I felt guilty and helpless. I was up most of the night researching dog trainers & narrowed it down. After speaking with all three my answer was clear. Karen was the perfect fit not only because of her experience with big dogs but because she did not give me any promises or absolutes like the other trainers did. In fact, she gave me a reality check of what the future may look like with and without training. Even with training, she told me some of my goals may not be realistic. It has been 4 months since completion. Is he perfect? No, but neither are we. We continue to follow the rules and homework. Night Fury is still skittish, but now we anticipate possible stress points and act as his advocate. He is calmer, and more predictable. My one regret is not reaching out to Karen sooner. If you are reading this, you have questions, and likely need help. Karen IS the answer. Don't wait for issues to escalate. I have no regrets.
UPDATE EMAIL FROM NIGHT FURY'S OWNER:
It has been 20 months since Night Fury attended a 2 week board & train with Karen at DDTAZ. Have you every been lucky enough to have the dream dog that was easy going, easy to train, confident and you didn't have to pay a significant amount of attention to? Night Fury is NOT that dog. Karen helped us to realize he may never be that dog; she was right. I'm pleased to say Night Fury is so much more in many ways. It is a different type of experience when your dog needs you and not the other way around. Night Fury needs us to be the strong and confident leader. He depends on us to anticipate his needs. Karen taught us how to provide an environment that is safe, enjoyable and routine. When life got busy and we were not consistent Fury let us know; a jump here, barging out the door there & dominating the couch or pacing. For a brief moment I thought he may need a tune-up session. Then I quickly realized it was us that needed the tune-up. In short, the place commands and routine are what keep everything in sync. It was a quick turnaround and we haven't looked back since.
The place command has been very useful to us as well as giving him a job that keeps him calm. We use place command when trimming his nails, when pulling burrs out after a hike or providing him other medical attention. Our other favorite command is "out". Great Danes can be a little intimidating and even when he is confident and wanting to sniff visitors - if we do not like the vibe of the human we say "out" & he makes a 180 and walks away. Brilliant. Watch Night Fury's story and read my testimonial. He has gained many inches and 30lbs since then, but we have had zero incidents. My parents came for a visit and were amazed at the difference in Night Fury, what they didn't "see" was the difference in our behavior or routines, and that is fine. The credit should go to Karen & Night Fury. --Elizabeth & Bao, Phoenix

Dynamic Dog Training AZ LLC is owned and operated by Karen Harrell, an accredited IACP dog trainer that offers both in-home, and board and train services for obedience training and dog behavior modification. Karen confidently resolves a host of dog behavioral issues which is not limited to aggression, anxiety, and fear. Karen teaches basic dog obedience, such as proper leash walking, "sit", "down", and "come" to puppies and adult dog's alike. She also trains off leash advanced obedience with modern low level remote collar training. DDTAZ services the Phoenix Metro area (including Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Glendale, San Tan, Maricopa, Fountain Hills, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Dewey, Kingman, Flagstaff and Tucson).
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