FirstBark
Prior to getting our dog, I saw Jesse walking down Michigan Avenue with 4 dogs (3 off leash, 1 on leash). In total amazement we stared as these four dogs followed his every move—when Jesse stopped at a cross walk they all stopped and sat, when he walked, they walked. I joked th…Read full reviewClose full review
Prior to getting our dog, I saw Jesse walking down Michigan Avenue with 4 dogs (3 off leash, 1 on leash). In total amazement we stared as these four dogs followed his every move—when Jesse stopped at a cross walk they all stopped and sat, when he walked, they walked. I joked that we had just spotted the “Chicago dog whisper!” Months later we got Keenan, a 12 week-old Irish Retriever (1/2 Irish setter-1/2 Golden Retriever). I had grown up with English Setters and had even had one as an adult, so I was familiar with the challenges of training this; high energy, stubborn, prey driven, and oddly sensitive breed. I immediately started training Keenan off leash so he could explore, hunt and run—at a time when he could still easily be caught. By the time Keenan was nine months old, people frequently stopped me in Chicago and commented on “how well trained” he was. However, despite every attempt we could not squash Keenan’s propensity to pull, zigzag and dart forward while he was on a leash. Over a six month period we worked diligently to address that behavior through; collars, treats, abrupt turns, gentle leaders, harness, clickers, whistles, high value treats, pulling back, stopping, I read several books on dog training, watched countless YouTube videos, and even went to a seminar where a different Chicago dog trainer discussed “Loose Leash Walking”—nothing had a lasting effect. To intensify our frustration Keenan started to go through his second “fear stage”. During this time our once sweet, shy puppy, changed into unpredictable and reactive dog—barking, growling and snapping at random dogs (sometimes in response and other times for no apparent reason). I knew it was time to call a professional when I no longer trusted or knew how Keenan would react in particular settings. We met with Jesse (Canine Perspective) in late November 2014, we were immediately impressed with his insight into Keenan’s personality as well as his philosophy and plan for addressing it. I am so thankful we invested our time and money into hiring Jesse. Everyday new situations arise; some I know how to address because of Jesse, and others I still need his help with. Life is stressful enough, I want my time with my dog to be fun & relaxing—Jesse has taught us how it can be!