We adopted Daisy from a local shelter last July. At the time, she seemed like the perfect dog for us. She was very sweet, cuddly, and mellow. When we brought her home she seemed very content to lie on the bathroom floor while our cats sniffed at her through the door. It wasn’t long before we realized that her mellow-ness was a sign of sickness. Despite powerful antibiotics, Daisy was admitted to VRCC with severe pneumonia. She spent five days there, hooked up to oxygen and fluids. When we got the call that she was healthy enough to come home, we were relieved. We drove there as fast as we could and couldn’t wait to bring Daisy back home and begin our lives together.

It wasn’t long before we realized that Daisy was a different dog after returning from the hospital. She barked and lunged at our cats, barked at our neighbors, was a pain to walk, and worst of all was very aggressive toward other dogs.

I found Wag & Train through the internet and called Kari to set up a private session in our home. It was amazing to see Daisy respond to Kari immediately. Kari taught us about pack mentality and how Daisy needed to learn that we were the leaders, not her, in order to decrease her anixiety. We began to see some progress; Daisy was beginning to accept her role in the family. We enrolled in Basic One and although Daisy did graduate, her aggression toward other dogs on leash was still an issue. We were all getting frustrated with each other and Daisy was slowing moving her way back into the Alpha role. We weren’t sure what to do next and after a tearful email to Kari we got a response that changed everything. Kari told me she was starting a new Reactive Rover class and it seemed to be just what we all needed. The class was built around basic dog language, and Daisy needed to learn how to interact with other dogs in a positive way. By being surrounded by other dog owners who were also facing what we were was the best support we could have gotten.

The change didn’t happen overnight, and it was a long road, but Daisy did have a breakthrough during her SECOND Reactive Rover class. We were ecstatic with Daisy’s progress. She was actually able to play with other dogs after learning some basic dog language. Daisy just finished Basic Two, and everyone in the class was amazed at how far she had come during the six weeks. Daisy was able to play with the other dogs before and after class and didn’t have too many outbursts during class. Daisy has just completed her second full day of daycare and was invited to come back! She has even made a new friend in the neighborhood and had a play date at her house.

We can’t stress enough how lucky we are that Kari has come into all our lives. We can not imagine where we would be without the guidance and patience of Kari. Kari’s ability to work with both dogs and their owners is truly a gift.

Owners: Sharyn Kline and Dave Oliver