Griffo Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 (edited) When i took my shepherd to see steve, she was pretty out of control. she had (in my opinion) severe people and dog aggression...I went to see steve as i was at my wits end...i was even contemplating having my girl PTS because i thought she was unfixable. I was worried she would hurt a person or get into a severe dog fight one day soon. Luckily before it was too late for Ellie and I, we went to see steve. It is the best money i have ever spent, and the best money i continue to spend. I can remember one of the questions steve asked me on my first visit..."what are you willing to do?" - my reply..."anything i have to do!!" And i have to tell you, it did not get fixed over night. It has been 6 months since i first visited steve. Slowly but surely my dog has began to trust me and we now have a strong relationship which continues to get better each day. I had a lesson with steve today, and i just wanted to share with you a moment that i will remember for a long time.....here is Ellie, the dog aggressive german shepherd.... I just wanted to say thank you so much steve, words can not say how much your help has meant to me. edited to update pic file link Edited July 23, 2007 by Rachelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 That's Brilliant news, I remember reading your posts sometime ago that you were having some issues with your girl. It looks like you've worked bloody hard to get to where you are, keep up the great work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RottnBullies Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 Well done Rachel, It just goes to prove what can be done with dogs with aggression problems, with hard work and dedication, and of course a trainer who knows what they're doing :D In many cases dogs are being PTS and not even given the chance to see if the problems are Workable! It seems to be the easy way out! Unfortunately Great to see how Ellie has come a long way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayGee Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 Oh that's just wonderful news Rachelle. Isn't Ellie a good girl. You will look back on each stage on Ellie's development with absolute amazement. As you reach each new goal, you just go "wow", couldn't have done that 6, 8, 10 months ago!!! Never lose sight of where you have come from, and enjoy those little emotional moments when you see your girl accept just one more dog. We've just celebrated two years of Jeddah being in our family. We drove to Sydney July last year to see Steve, after having met with him in Brisbane. She is an entirely different dog to the girl who we adopted. Thanks to Steve and our continuing work with Jane Harper here in Queensland, we now have a happy, more relaxed dobe. If you'd asked me if that was at all possible two years ago, I would never have believed it. Would that be a photo of superdog Kane with your Ellie? Poor Kane, Dad brings all these crazy, fearful, aggressive dogs home and expects him to be the perfect doggy host.......which he is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamuzz Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 Would that be a photo of superdog Kane with your Ellie? Poor Kane, Dad brings all these crazy, fearful, aggressive dogs home and expects him to be the perfect doggy host.......which he is! Yes the look on his face when he met our Robbie was priceless. Robbie gets very excited when he sees another dog. Pulls on his lead; bounces on the spot; barks and yips; just about works himself up to foaming at mouth. We thought this was aggression but Steve saw it as excitement + no socialisation skills. Kane just took look at Robbie's performance and you could see him thinking "are you supposed to be a dog - you look more like an IDIOT to me". He didn't move a muscle - just watched Robbie carry on like a pork chop. Way to go Ellie & Rachelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffo Posted December 11, 2006 Author Share Posted December 11, 2006 thanks for the comments guys, i really appreciate it!! i am still stoked from saturday. i am amazed at how far she has come and how quickly it has happened. she really is making me very proud It was not that long ago when i wouldn't let ellie out of the yard for fear of her acting aggressively. Now she can come almost anywhere with me and is a positive addition to the family. I hate to think what her quality of life would've been like if we hadn't met steve. We still have work to do, but i would say we are almost there. And yes, i dont think that anyone will be surprised to hear that Kane was a perfect gentleman...although, i think he might be just a little 'over' meeting random dogs lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffo Posted December 11, 2006 Author Share Posted December 11, 2006 Oh and JayGee, i have read Jeddah's story on K9's website (about 10 times lol) and it is a wonderful story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haven Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 Well done Rachelle, it's always great to hear a happy ending as a result of an owner's dedication to their dog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 R: I just wanted to say thank you so much steve, words can not say how much your help has meant to me. K9: Your very welcome, all those smiles from you guys at the lesson was thanks enough though.. SAS: It looks like you've worked bloody hard to get to where you are, keep up the great work! K9: yes, & thats the thing to remember, Rachelle has worked hard, it isnt about what happens on my training field, its the strengths that are built when the dog is with the owner.. Each session is about me testing her & seeing how far she has come & then making program adjustments to work on at home, the pic shows the results. We only started working on the dog aggresson at last consult (8 weeks ago), previous to that it was the aggression toward strangers.. These guys have come a long way in 8 weeks.. Just to add some detail here, I can take a dog on the leash & lets call it, "over work" the dog in obedience so that I can get it near another dog with out aggressive outbursts, & this is very valueable because it is therapy for both the owner & the dog. But this last lesson, I didnt handle the dog at all & there was no work at all in obedience, Ellie was quite relaxed after being introduced to my dog, choosing to lie down in the shade next to him, wag her tail etc etc... Once she was relaxed they were let off leash & she remained the same, nice & relaxed for the remaining hour. Rachelle never slacked off or lost sight of her goal & what was quite a serious problem is on its way out the door! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayGee Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 Oh and JayGee, i have read Jeddah's story on K9's website (about 10 times lol) and it is a wonderful story. Thanks Rachelle, I still get teary myself when I read that story. We keep reaching our little goals, and can't believe where we are today. My husband has never been able to handle the lead with Jeddah, as he has back problems. He's used to be wary if we "met" another dog on our walks, if he'd be able to physically handle her. Well, he's actually to a stage where he can now walk Jeddah on his own, and last week met two SWF who were both OFF LEAD. James just put Jeddah into a drop and stay, while SWF's lady owner was galloping across the park, calling her dogs who were determined to rip into the doberman. Fortunately she managed to get them back on lead, while Jeddah behaved perfectly. So that's our latest achievement, particularly as small dogs are her least favourite!!! :p I look forward to reading your future successes with Ellie, it's all upwards and onwards from here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayGee Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 I hate to think what her quality of life would've been like if we hadn't met steve. There's always someone in our family who makes this statement at least a couple of times per week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 Excellent Rachelle, well done, keep in touch and inform on further progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison1474 Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 What wonderful news !!!! Huge Congratulations Rachel and Ellie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flames_Daddy Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 It's wonderful that such progress has been made Rachelle You, K9 Force and Ellie all deserve a collective thumbs-up for such excellence and an example to us all. Ellie is a sweety! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoiboy Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 What a great thing to read. I am so proud of both you and Ellie!!!!!! Go Rachelle!!! I look forward to the next 'milestone'. Also a special thank you to Steve for the hard work he has done as well!!!!! Cheers Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry's Mum Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Great story - Steve is fantastic - he really helped me with Perry who is now a very different dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blissirritated Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Okay, so when will this Steve be cloned and sent to Tasmania to help with my big girl (who is 'dog aggressive' in the sense that she is as socially inept as I am)?? Hrm??? *pouts* Or does his clone already exist down here in the form of some other trainer who is close to the Hobart area? [please, take this as a small thread hijack and pm me with a trainer recommendation down here as I can't quite find what I'm looking for :D ] That said, (and I don't know what she was like to start with, but if she was anything like Gypsy, then) Woah. That's excellent. I'm sitting here beaming for both of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaywoman68 Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Great news Rachelle!!!! ;) Certainly a HUGE change with Ellie. You must be so proud of her :p Steve, will you ever consider doing a session in Canberra?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 K9: I would love to come to the ACT in 2007, I have so many asking for a workshop etc, I guess it will have to go on the drawing board. When I am there I would of course run a few consults.. Thanks for the kind words, but I really mean it when I say the owner makes the difference... I have built some all but air tight programs for curing aggression, but they arent worth my breath if they arent put into place a home... Like I said, I asked Rachelle to do some things with Ellie at home, those things have all to do with leadership, trust & communication. Nothing to do with dogs... Then when I get he dog back here, I can use those strengths to push the envelope with the dog, at best its a team effort.. The praise should go to her, she listens to every detail & puts them into place. Her goals were also realistic. I have been doing this a while, this is her first time....we have to remember that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakti Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 (edited) Excellent work Rachelle!! It is so great to hear that your lovely dog can now start living a much happier stress-free life - yay for you!! Steve is the best but a teacher can only impart as much as a student is willing to learn so hats off!!!...to all three of you! Edited December 13, 2006 by Brooke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now