Needed-Dog Behaviorist
I need help ASAP. We rescued a sweet dog almost 3 months ago and he was an angel.
Lately, he's settling in to being territorial and aggressive toward some people who come over. He's developed "Elevated Aggression Issues" and has bitten twice. If I can't find a Behaviorist to help ASAP, my husband will force me to give him up, since he was one of the people bitten.
This pup has a ton of potential, and can be very affectionate, and I don't want to surrender him, but this is our last ditch effort to help him so he can stay.
Any help ASAP would be greatly appreciated!
Call Pam Dennison - Positive Dogs in Washington NJ.
(908) 459-5244
She is very well respected, and specializes in aggressive dogs.
I second the recommendation of Pam but she is not a veterinary “behaviorist.” Having trained my own dog with her and know of many others that have as well, she is, however, an excellent trainer with many accolades and would be a good place to start.
www.pamdennison.com
I third the recommendation for Pam. All of her methods are based on positive reinforcement and not only can help you address severe issues like aggression but truly build a positive bond and mutual respect between you and your dog. Just keep in mind, like most things that are worth it, it takes effort and is not an overnight cure.
Good luck and I commend you for doing everything you can before surrendering him!
I applaud someone wanting to take the time (and cost) to help the dog learn as opposed to just blaming the dog and getting rid of it.
Naturally, and some people don't understand this- training is not only for the dog but the owners as well.
I learned a LOT by taking my dog to trainers every week- for over the first year of it's life. It changed my interaction and understanding of other dogs. Yes, it is not quick, easy or cheap.
We saw Pam- but chose Top Dog in Flanders and had great results.
At the risk of tooting my own horn (by proxy), my wife is a certified professional dog trainer right here in downtown Hackettstown. Worked for veterinary behaviorist Dr. Emily Levine at Animal Emergency & Referral Associates (AERA) in Caldwell for five years before we moved to Hackettstown (which made the commute to West Caldwell untenable).
suzy@suzysdogtraining.com
908-509-1314
http://www.suzysdogtraining.com
I had Pam come to my home after we had similar issues with our dog. I wasn’t impressed. She didn’t seem knowledgeable about dog aggression. We hired Heike Frattalone. She watches our dogs too. She completely changed how my dog is. http://www.chessievillebay.com/
I do not recommend Pam. Her way of approach did not work for us and was rather aggressive itself.
Dog aggression in dealing with a trainer or behaviorist is different than dog training for sit stay come etc. Dogs that have fear aggression have a good chance to overcome that with a good trainer however dogs that are just downright aggressive I’m sorry to say there’s no fixing that.
Again, it feels kind of awkward for me to say so because I don't intend to use this forum to drum up business. But for what it's worth, my wife has many years of experience dealing with aggressive dogs, using *only* positive training methods.
Best bet would be for Dogmom to meet with either one or both professionals mentioned here and then decide.
https://www.angelstailwaggintraining.com
I've used her in the past and was very happy.
https://gardenstatek9.com/
Mike is a K-9 handler in Morris County & won America's Top Dog on TV.
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