My husband and I adopted an adorable rescue named Foxie. She had been picked up from a non-profit rescue after winding up at a Modesto kill shelter and unfortunately, they were not honest about her needs. Foxie had scars on her face for a reason, she had clearly fought for resources and depended on her teeth for survival. I’ve had rescue dogs my entire life and never had any extreme type behavioral issues, I was not equipped to handle it. After bringing her home, and weeks of severe separation anxiety (she’d cry and howl for 8-10 hours straight), we hired a ‘positive-only trainer’ which is what the bay area really pushes. As weeks advanced, Foxie showed us leash aggression and it quickly went from bad to unbearable. Neighbor’s were staring and we were desperate for help. The positive only trainer’s solution was to hide behind cars and other exercises that resulted in no improvement. She learned to sit however, the aggression built and only got worse, it ended up in her attacking a dog who got too close. As devastated as were, we knew this positive only trainer was not remotely qualified to help and we cut our losses at week 7.
After hours of google research, we chose Koru K9 as a balanced trainer and it was our last shot at keeping our little rescue. We were matched with Heather. The training worked. We chose the 3-week board and train and Heather warned us it’s a commitment but works. We are now 5 weeks out and Foxie is a different dog. It has been a commitment to learn how to train and how to mold her towards a different way of life and together, we’re doing it. We love her and are so so proud of her. Listen to the podcast, read the recommended books, and DON’T GIVE UP. I can’t imagine my life without this little soul. She was fixable…. And that was thanks to Heather! Heather beats with a dog heart, she shared a personal story with her background that resonated with me. She see’s hope in the not easy dogs – and I’m convinced there are more dogs with issues than non (like humans). It is truly remarkable to see a dog with severe issues turnaround, it simply takes a good trainer. I am forever indebted to her for believing in our furry and showing me the potential too. I love my little Foxie. If you deal with leash reactivity, please know I almost gave my dog away over it – traumatizing for me. . . and I am so glad I didn’t. If you’re on the fence, feel free to reach out to me directly. This was worth every penny. None of Koru’s or Heather’s practices made me (the biggest animal advocate ever) uncomfortable, I’d actually argue it saved our rescue’s life. We couldn’t recommend Heather more and truly thank her. Foxie saw 9 dogs today on a walk without a reaction and after training finally has an appetite! She’s turned into a dog and we couldn’t love her more.