My dog Panda had extreme reactivity to anything that moved. We started seeing signs of a problem when he was about 4 months old. At 5 months, he ran to and bit our sweet and understanding neighbor with no provocation. We realized that we had a serious problem developing. Over the course of the next 7 months, we went through several pure positive trainers and training methods. This works for many dogs, but for Panda's extreme anxiety, it did not. He continued to escalate and when he turned 1, I broke down in tears as I was losing this boy by degrees.
We went through several trainers, hundreds of training hours (with trainers and personally), and thousands of dollars trying to help him. It was so bad, I even considered having his teeth removed (I know, crazy). Almost every trainer at that point had said we either needed to put him down or that "he is just a dog that needs to be locked up when people are around and kept at home away from the public."
Thats like going to an Oncologist and having them say "Well you have cancer, so go home as there is nothing we can do".
DeepWater has changed our lives. Panda leads a full life. We can run off leash, we can enter crowded areas, we can pass playgrounds and dog parks without issue. We love the weekly group outings. It gives Panda a chance to challenge his skills and gives me the security of having experts on hand for advice. Plus its just nice to get together with like minded people :)
I advocate for these trainers fiercely because they saved our beloved dog and gave us the training and tools to share a wonderful full life with Panda. Without them, we were in unbelievable despair.
Many dogs like Panda are put down or relinquished to shelters with no positive future in sight. It simply does not have to be. If you have a troubled dog, you need to contact these trainers immediately. It will be the best decision imaginable. read more