Todd’s Success Story —

We are so happy that we joined RRP.

After trying previous in-person training with little progress after the sessions ended, it felt like we needed to try something different. The RRP was great to find. It gave my husband and me structure and very manageable steps to practice. We learned why we were practicing certain things with Todd and how to see and listen to how Todd is feeling about the walk. We’ve learned to be more patient and give him all the time he wants to sniff, and now we’re seeing some new signs of bravery. We’re not ready for busier times of day yet, but we’re really happy he doesn’t feel like he needs to bark at everyone he sees, can do something else while people pass, and occasionally sit and relax in a field. He knows he can tell us when he wants to go home and he seems less stressed during the day in the house. The walks are feeling less stressful for Todd and for us, and I worked my way back to walking him on my own again.

Our dog Todd had been showing increasing signs of reactivity and some aggression and we felt we needed help. We had previously engaged a trainer but had not experienced the progress we wanted. The RRP seemed focused on addressing our main needs and was delivered online and gave us the opportunity to participate more actively in training our dog, which was helpful and made us accountable.

Going into the program we were all a bit stressed by the walks and came back tired and upset a lot of the time. We also didn’t realize how much we were directing him and how impatient we were to move along. The RRP showed us there other ways to take him outside, even for those that live in a city apartment. We still have days that are stressful, but we have some tools to make the less walk less stressful now. For example,

• We learned how to watch out for Todd’s signs of distress which helps us take steps to protect him. In particular, we learned that its ok to cut walks short if Todd doesn’t feel comfortable. 

• We learned how to let Todd lead on walks, sniff as much as he wants, and provide him the right feedback to disengage from triggers

• We learned, and are continuing to try, new trick and activities that make Todd happy inside and outside the house. Sometimes this means jogging and sometimes this means sitting and watching things go by

Overall, we feel Todd trusts us more and that has made him more comfortable in taking walks with us and in generally being braver while out. As we work on this, we now have to work on inside the house 

J: After taping his sessions I realized some of the ‘incidents’ that really upset me weren’t as bad on video as they felt in person and Todd had usually disengaged from the event faster than me. Seeing this gave me the confidence to try again and having the RRP tools helped me not repeat the same mistakes and build more confidence in Todd

V: I think acknowledging that this is a journey with easy and tough days and understanding how to deal with Todd after a tough walk were big takeaways for me. I didn’t realize how much of a tough walk experience he retained and how to watch for signs of that retention. I feel better equipped now to react to his comfort level so that we don’t get into a cycle of tough walks.

Specifically, I really loved training Todd on engage disengage. I can now get him to look at me for reinforcement and we have level set in that if he doesn’t disengage, he more than likely needs an LGOH to create distance.

This program really teaches you the skills to understand your dog and help them feel safer in the outside world. Even after going through previous trainers, I didn’t know why I was doing certain things and how to progress. The training also never really stuck, like this one has. It keeps you accountable, made me less stressed on the walks, and I really think it’s built a lot of trust between me and my dog.