My husband, Brandon, and I thoroughly appreciate all the incredible and life changing work and dedication Alexander Sands, put into our young 2 year old pup, Ellie. Ellie is our Boxer-German Shepherd who prior to training was growling, snarling, lunging, and barking at any stranger and dog who came near her or us! Just to give some background information.... We bought Ellie in October of 2013 when she was just 6 weeks old. Throughout the first year of her life we took her EVERYWHERE with us, to friends homes, to family gatherings, community activities, and (unfortunately) to the dog park. Ellie had always done fabulous at the dog park, running around with the other dogs, playing with them peacefully and being a normal dog; however, the second to last time we brought her to the dog park, she had been trampled by this other dog who would bully her and be mean, to the point that her collar would be forced off. Needless to say, this is when she began to be nervous around strangers and other dogs, running over to me and my husband anytime another dog would be around and jumping on the table, claiming it as her own. By the time Ellie was a year and a half, we no longer could take her to the dog park or anywhere for that matter. In January of 2015, Ellie was unruly and her behavior was not manageable whatsoever! Her aggression was present but had not yet been our major issue as much as her jumping and hyperactivity was. She would growl at strangers but then would stop after a short bit so it wasn't really a major concern... My grandma stated that she had her dog trained through PetSmart and it had done wonders for her in regards to learning basic commands. We took my grandmas advice and signed her up for a 6 week training course. Long story short, she had learned all her basic commands, but it sparked her aggression even further and had made her even more anxious due to being exposed to very high distractions when she was clearly not ready. By April of 2015, we were no longer a "normal" family with a "normal dog". We were the couple with the unruly, aggressive, out of control dog that people were complaining about. It really got to the point that we would start sweating and would put on her lead harness when strangers wanted to come over to our home or even taking Ellie for a typical walk because we were afraid she would try to lunge, snarl, and growl at people or other dogs! Our last straw was when I had a mother of a friend of mine over to visit and Ellie literally jumped on her, scratched her up pretty bad, and pushed her out the door, all the while still barking and lunging and going insane! I was completely embarrassed and ashamed.
In September of 2015, I made a phone call to Lorenzo's dog training team head quarters to schedule an appointment with Alexander Sands due to my husband and I being at our whits end with Ellie's behavior. It was by far the best decision, in regards to our Ellie, that my husband and I had ever made! From the very first assessment visit in our home, Ellie responded so well! She was in a down-stay and would not move (anyone who has received professional dog training from Lorenzo's Dog training team knows exactly what the down-stay is, including the dogs! lol.) My husband and I were convinced that this was the answer to all the issues we had been facing! Ellie began training in the Surprise Park in November of 2015 and took some time to get used to training, even showing some aggression toward Brandon and I as well as Alexander due to her not wanting to give up her Alpha role. Now after two and a half months of training & providing her with consistency and structure, she has completely submitted and our lives have never been the same, in a good way! We still have our goofy Ellie Bell but instead of her living with anxiety 24-7 and fear aggression, she now lives peacefully and knows that Brandon and I will protect her and are the Alpha's in the home and anywhere we go. And the most exciting part about it all, is that Brandon, Ellie, and I can enjoy meeting new people and dogs and not be completely anxious! Ellie has even joined us on a trip to California that prior to training would have never been close to an option! We plan on also taking her to a family reunion come this July 2016. So to complete my novel, Brandon and I just want to thank Alexander Sands as well as Lorenzo's Dog Training Team for changing our lives and totally investing your time and energy to make us a success story! We will always be grateful to this company and would recommend Lorenzo's & most importantly, Alexander Sands, to anyone who is looking for a miracle in regards to inhibiting their Dog's negative behavior. Sorry for the novel, but a life changing experience deserves a lot of recognition! :) Maybe our story can in some way help someone else make a positive decision for them and their dog's life!
-Becca & Brandon Nichols, & Ellie. read more