How Project Fred Dog Training Came To Be

After 26 years of federal service, I'd been looking for a new direction to launch in and have always loved working with dogs. I toyed with the idea of getting into dog training and then Fred entered my life when he was 6 1/2 yrs old from a local rescue. From what was shared, he'd had the same owners since he was a puppy and around age 2 yrs, his former owners decided to put a shock collar on him to keep him off the couch. Vet records showed a happy, well adjusted puppy, then adolescent and the beginning of a happy dog becoming an adult. Once the shock collar started being used, records showed an increase in all sorts of digestive, skin and behavioral problems. Until one day, Fred tried to bite grandma and his former family surrendered him to a local rescue.

When I met Fred he was over excited, past threshold, had such a severe startle he would jump almost three feet in the air and he would snap at anything near him. He was exhibiting PTSD-like symptoms. He had several behaviors I recognized from my over 20 years in law enforcement when sentient beings are sleep deprived and on constant alert scanning for threats.

And so I adopted Fred to rehabilitate him from his shocking past. For the first four months Fred never hit R.E.M. in his sleep. He "slept" with one ear up, rotating constantly listening for threats. I had to leave his harness on him for four months because I could not get anything near his neck or over his head without it triggering full on snapping with a mouth full of sharp teeth.

He was highly reactive to ALL dogs and most people, particularly delivery drivers in uniform and would latch on to cardboard boxes and rip them to shreds if he got near them. When he would see a dog, no matter how close or far away he would rear, scream and use all his might to try to get at the dogs before they could get to him. Walks were extreme tugging feats performed by Fred to go in whatever direction he wanted to go. His fear and anxiety levels were extreme.

I worked with a positive reinforcement only trainer and behavior consultant before I adopted him and weekly for his first six months which was primarily focused on looking at his behavior and addressing his over wrought nervous system. Eventually I even had to medicate him.

After four months of a calm environment where he was never punished and no harsh words or sudden movements and with a whole lot of patience Fred slept deeply and hit R.E.M. for the first time. At month six, the real training began. It was clear he knew the basics and he was calm enough now to train. Eventually he was weaned off his anti-anxiety medications except for special circumstances.

18 months later, Fred could walk on a loose leash, pass by most dogs without lunging. He would no longer scream. His body completely relaxes and he sleeps soundly through the night through all three levels of sleep.

Fred inspired me to become a positive reinforcement only trainer to help others who are dealing with the fallout from the use of shock collars, prong collars and choke chains. Dogs deserve to be taught in a force-free, pain-free and fear-free manner and never punished. Pain and discomfort have no place in training methods.