Thank goodness for Sidewalk Dog Training!

Every dog owner needs to hire Sidewalk Dog Training including experienced dog owners! After our two 14yr old furbabies passed away, we decided to attempt to fill some of the void by fostering. We've been around all types of dogs and our dogs were rescues from unfortunate circumstances so I felt confident about our abilities to be effective fosters. Unfortunately, this was not the case. We did not learn that our first foster pup was super aggressive until we brought in a second foster dog. The second dog is timid and gentle, and our first foster became very aggressive and territorial. His behaviors were challenging and became scary. He started getting aggressive toward us when we tried redirecting him from his negative behaviors. After he attacked and bit the new foster dog on the face and neck, we knew we had to get professional help.

Thank goodness for Sidewalk Dog Training and David! David was reassuring from the start and approaches his work with an asset-based mindset. He is incredibly knowledgeable and loves what he does! David was patient and took the time to answer all of my millions of questions. He quickly identified our dog's needs and what is causing him to be aggressive and anxious. We learned how our body language was miscommunicating expectations which exacerbated our dog's behavior. He demonstrated skills and had us practice them. Everything was broken down thoughtfully with the reasoning behind the action. David provides resources including his book, visuals, and breed specific activities and tools, as well as regular check-ins and communication with additional resources. I could go on and on about our experience...!!!

THE RESULTS: Truly miraculous! You would've never known our foster dog was aggressive. He is super loving and affectionate. He plays and goes on walks with his foster brother, and they can ride in the car together for regular outdoor adventures and road trips. He no longer views his foster brother as a threat. Consistently utilizing the skills we learned from David has eliminated any signs of previous behaviors. If any negative behaviors start creeping back in, we are able to reflect and identify our behavior and inconsistencies that may be triggering it so that we can quickly address it. Also, David is always willing to provide additional support as needed!

A massive weight has been lifted from our shoulders! It feels empowering to be able to support our foster dogs and ensure they feel secure and loved... So much so that we made the decision that this will be their furever home!

As someone who did extensive research and had multiple conversations with dog trainers in the area, I can confidently tell you that David is who you need to hire. Don't hesitate because it will drastically improve the quality of you and your furbabies life just like it did ours!

Jul. 09, 2018