Meet Jemma (bottom right photo in the screen shot)! I rescued this sable girl from a bad breeder situation at 14 months old, in 2010. She was bred to be a working dog, but when she was a little shy and didn’t sell as a puppy, was left to be extremely under-socialized and untrained until I found her. The first two years of our relationship were pretty rocky, until I found Off Leash K9 Training. The last 2 years have been incredibly rewarding.
Jemma was my first rescue dog, and I had no idea what I was getting myself in to. She had a severe case of separation anxiety, but was also afraid of people (including me). Leaving the house for 20 minutes could, at any time, result in a tornado-style disaster and leaving her in a crate wasn’t an option because she would bloody herself trying to break out of it. The photos above are just a sampling of her handy work during those first two years.
Even more frustrating was Jemma’s fear of people and complete lack of confidence. Prior to me learning about and working with Off Leash K9 Training, she would hide in the backyard for days if a stranger rang the doorbell at my house. She couldn’t be lured in for food, tricked or chased into the house, even if it was blazing hot or freezing cold out. When I managed to get her inside she would slink from room to room and rarely seek affection/attention. I consulted a number of trainers in the area at the time and they all told me to take her places and have strangers give her treats….how could I do that when I couldn’t get her out of the backyard?
Add to all of this that Jemma was an escape artist, and you have the perfect storm of dog issues! The bottom left photo above is of the locked gate that had also been zip-tied and bungee-corded shut – opened without any sign of how or why. Once out of the yard she couldn’t be called back or caught…all I could do was leave the gate open and wait for her to come back.
After ONE lesson with Off Leash K9 Training, Jemma was approaching me and the trainer when we called. After FOUR lessons I was determined to become a trainer with OLK9 myself, because of the remarkable change in her that I saw – she’s continued to improve over the years, and I have to look at old photos to remember how our life has changed.
photo was taken about a year ago, at a busy park on a sunny afternoon. She’s off leash, happy, and obedient with distractions. I can take her anywhere now, and it has been 2 years since our last shoe, pillow or textbook casualty.
Confidence building is a core part of each lesson we teach, and, when combined with the clear communication and fair approach to training, can help even the worst cases of under-socialization and fear. After successfully rehabilitating Jemma, I began to foster the fear and anxiety cases that would come in to Southeast German Shepherd Rescue and rehabilitate them, one at a time. There is absolutely nothing more rewarding than saving a dog’s life through training, then watching it meet the family that it deserved from the start.
If you aren’t seeing any Portland Dog Trainers of these issues in your young dog, awesome! Prevent them! If you’re already struggling with them, email me at cassie@off1eashk9training.com.
Jemma was my first rescue dog, and I had no idea what I was getting myself in to. She had a severe case of separation anxiety, but was also afraid of people (including me). Leaving the house for 20 minutes could, at any time, result in a tornado-style disaster and leaving her in a crate wasn’t an option because she would bloody herself trying to break out of it. The photos above are just a sampling of her handy work during those first two years.
Even more frustrating was Jemma’s fear of people and complete lack of confidence. Prior to me learning about and working with Off Leash K9 Training, she would hide in the backyard for days if a stranger rang the doorbell at my house. She couldn’t be lured in for food, tricked or chased into the house, even if it was blazing hot or freezing cold out. When I managed to get her inside she would slink from room to room and rarely seek affection/attention. I consulted a number of trainers in the area at the time and they all told me to take her places and have strangers give her treats….how could I do that when I couldn’t get her out of the backyard?
Add to all of this that Jemma was an escape artist, and you have the perfect storm of dog issues! The bottom left photo above is of the locked gate that had also been zip-tied and bungee-corded shut – opened without any sign of how or why. Once out of the yard she couldn’t be called back or caught…all I could do was leave the gate open and wait for her to come back.
After ONE lesson with Off Leash K9 Training, Jemma was approaching me and the trainer when we called. After FOUR lessons I was determined to become a trainer with OLK9 myself, because of the remarkable change in her that I saw – she’s continued to improve over the years, and I have to look at old photos to remember how our life has changed.
photo was taken about a year ago, at a busy park on a sunny afternoon. She’s off leash, happy, and obedient with distractions. I can take her anywhere now, and it has been 2 years since our last shoe, pillow or textbook casualty.
Confidence building is a core part of each lesson we teach, and, when combined with the clear communication and fair approach to training, can help even the worst cases of under-socialization and fear. After successfully rehabilitating Jemma, I began to foster the fear and anxiety cases that would come in to Southeast German Shepherd Rescue and rehabilitate them, one at a time. There is absolutely nothing more rewarding than saving a dog’s life through training, then watching it meet the family that it deserved from the start.
If you aren’t seeing any Portland Dog Trainers of these issues in your young dog, awesome! Prevent them! If you’re already struggling with them, email me at cassie@off1eashk9training.com.
