Ken’s Comments: I met Archer, his mom and his dad a while back. He is a lovely boy who will greet you excitedly if you are calm and do nothing to set him off. He is goof ball. I remember meeting him and it was an instant connection. His mom and dad reported him getting more and more fearful around other dogs and certain strangers. I set them up with a behavior modification plan focusing on counter conditioning strategies, desensitizing him around other dogs and people and on building his confidence. Classes, the walks and socialization opportunities have been key with his progress.
I am proud to report Archer is now a couple of weeks away from finishing advanced obedience. He is a regular on the walks, has made some friends…both with strangers and other canine companions and is doing remarkable. His mom and dad have put a lot of work and time into this and the results are showing. Archer always greets me with a serious butt wiggle, accompanied by some whining and licks. It is amazing to witness the dog he is turning into.
Here is Christine’s Story:
Archer, a big, stubborn, high energy Chesapeake Bay Retriever has been a handful since we got him at 8 weeks old. As a puppy being house trained, he would pee on the floor while staring me in the face, challenging me to do something about it. He's now four years old, and while he can be very challenging at times, he is the most fun, loving dog and we love him to bits. In the last year Archer has been developing fear and nervousness around strange dogs and people. When on leash he was quite reactive, however, he's a completely confident dog when let loose, or with people that he loves. When his nervousness grew, we contacted Ken for a one on one. Through our meeting, our group walk, agility classes, and joining up to do obedience at Topsailstar, Archer is turning over a new leaf. While he still has nervousness at times, he loves doing the group walks, and is making new friends. I was soooo proud a few weeks ago when he let a man on the walk give him rubs, all the while staring up into the man's face and grinning. My bud is a work in progress, but we are so pleased with the progress he has made, and we're all looking forward to seeing what progress he makes in the future. He is a perfect example of a dog who is both challenging, loving, and gives so much joy to us every day.