When I contacted Koru K9, I was at my wits end with our 7 year old Shepherd Mix, Brodie. I had lost all trust and confidence in my relationship with him. We had Brodie since puppyhood, but as he matured and after the passing of our dominant German Shepherd five years ago, his behavior and personality began to shift throughout the years. Brodie is very intelligent, an independent thinker, but it was becoming more obvious his obstinance dictated his listening skills and how he behaved, it was on his terms.
Although he is not dog aggressive and lives with two other German Shepherds, he became increasingly leash reactive to other dogs. Our walks became stressful and not enjoyable; the environment was over stimulating and controlled unwanted behaviors, preventing him from staying focused on me. His recall was non-existent and he could not be trusted off leash, especially in front of our home. All in all, I saw this as a recipe for disaster unless I got help, which lead me to Koru K9. The owner, Bridget Murphy, connected me to one of their trainers, Samantha Lee.
Samantha came to our house to discuss the areas of concern and evaluate Brodie. During the evaluation session, I saw immediate results with her working with Brodie, including his aggression to other dogs while on a short neighborhood walk. She educated us with his body language, “when to” and “how to” apply the proper correction during his heightened state of mind. She was a miracle worker in the two-hour period. I liked what I saw and without hesitation, I was excited to start training with her.
I have always been an advocate for prong collars and found them to be an effective training tool when used correctly. However, Brodie is one of those dogs that required the use of an E-collar. Before I incorporated the E-collar into our training, Samantha taught me how to use it properly, and the results have been amazing. Surprisingly enough, Brodie gets excited to see the E-collar and sits for me to put it on him. He knows it is time to work, loves it and I love working with him.
Fast forward, I have completed four training sessions with Samantha and beyond pleased with the outcome. Samantha was my navigation system when I became lost. She was an integral component to reinforce proper leadership and respect between me and Brodie. Brodie no longer fills in the blanks on his own, and when he does, I help him make the right choices. We are still work in progress, but my relationship with him has transformed 180 degrees beyond words can describe. Brodie was only going to be as good as I was. Samantha was the key to our success, training me to help bring out the best in Brodie. Her wealth of knowledge and dog training skills is truly invaluable.
Over the years of being a dog owner to German Shepherds, I have used good trainers, but I have to say Koru K9 training philosophies and Samantha are at the top of my list. Anyone who does not get the proper training and guidance is really doing themselves and their dog a disservice. My only regret is I wish I would have contacted Koru K9 much sooner. Thank you Koru K9!