Dog Training in Fairfax, VA: Bona is a newly adopted two-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer – and boy, does she have a lot of energy! Until her adoption, Bona lived in a kennel most of her life. She is a dog that was part of the TSA training program. Unfortunately, she only lasted six days in the program because of her inability to stay calm and focus.
Her new owners loved her immediately. But they called me struggling with leash manners, lack of boundaries, jumping on them and their kids as well as counter surfing. With two younger kids and an older dog in the house, Bona was causing a lot of chaos.
Many newly adopted dogs take over the house. They are trying to figure out where they fit in and who will give them what they want. We also tend to relate to them with lots of excitement or, sometimes, we feel bad about what their past may have been. Doing this can set up our dogs for failure. Overexcited dogs tend to get into more trouble. Dogs that don’t have any boundaries tend to keep pushing the line and they don’t feel bad about it. The more we can get our dogs to slow down and think, the calmer they will be. And an added plus, thinking will wear your dog out much faster than physical exercise.
I showed her owners how to make her think and be more thoughtful. Thinking will keep her calm. All of this was accomplished without any commands, treats, or painful collars.
She did fantastic during our lesson! She’s very sweet too.
If you have any questions, would like to sign up for training, or are struggling with a newly adopted dog, please contact me!
