Fear on one leash, excitement on the other.
Lola pulled hard, tucked her tail and was “hyper vigilant.” On walks her owner would shorten the leash and apologise to passers-by while Lola panicked at the end of it. At home she barked at visitors and then ran to hide, and she would not go near water.
Archie was the opposite: “super excited,” jumping on people, with a loud whine-bark. His trainer’s first read was that he would be “relatively easy to train.”
The confident one helps.
The family planned to send only Lola. Christian suggested sending both. Kelton later explained why it worked: “Archie’s good for her clearly… because Archie’s confident, happy to be alive and see people.”
From under a chair to against a leg.
On her first day Lola ran circles round the room and wedged herself under a chair. The furniture was moved so she could not hide; by the end she was lying against her handler’s leg. Her early sessions were short, with few repetitions and no obedience drills.
Archie learned fast: after one low collar tap on a missed recall, the next recall worked on the word alone. Halfway through the program, the family’s verdict was already “10 out of 10. Highly recommend.”
A hike that worked.
At the second owner lesson, by a lake, Lola held a down while a group of dogs passed with nobody holding her line. She made a noise, took a verbal “uh-uh,” and settled back. The owners then ran a recall themselves. “You guys did that on your own… no trainer involving on that one,” the trainer said.
Lola launched into the lake after a duck and was recalled straight back. Her trainer said it was great to see her be a dog, and also that chasing ducks had to stop, then left the choice of how to handle it to the family. Watching her by the water, an owner put it simply: “She’s a dog now.”
Teaching the family not to undo it.
At handover the owners learned collar fit and a clear plan for the first week. In the yard they ran long-line recalls themselves with the trainer silent, and by the end Lola was coming in and staying with them.
The rules were tailored to each dog: correct Lola, then make it fun; don’t drill her; mark before you correct. Her trainer noted that Lola no longer circles and barks at visitors, and that Archie was “just chilling.” The owners’ own summary: “you teaching us what to do to not mess it up.”
Their trainer’s plan for home: a strict first week, the backyard before the hikes, short fun sessions for Lola, and a quick “nope” for Archie if visitors get him excited.
