This is Cooper, our German Shepherd St. Bernard rescue that we adopted 3 ½ years ago.  He is an exceptionally smart being, but over the past couple of years his need to guard the family led to an incident where he bit a 7 year old girl with no warning.  While it was inconceivable that we could ever live without him, I realized that we could not trust him with any non-family member in the house.  I told my kids that there was a distinct possibility that we would have to euthanize him, which would leave an enormous hole in our family.  My vet suggested that I contact Kari, but to be honest, I didn't believe that we would ever be able to trust Cooper again.
 
Kari's first meeting with Cooper allowed her to see just how out of control he was, and I was afraid that he would bite her.  I was truly amazed as she used her skills to first calm him, then reward him, and then start to unwind his overwhelming anxiety.  She left Cooper and me with a specific training plan, and suggested food changes and privilege limits for Cooper.   I must admit that I didn't get them all accomplished, but the ones that I did made a profound difference for him.  Even before she arrived for his next session, Cooper's anxiety diminished and his original temperament and unconditional love reappeared.  We're continuing to work everyday to maintain and advance his confidence and will always stay in charge of the situation when a stranger arrives or approaches him.  But I now believe that will be with us for the rest of his life.

Mary Wild