Leaps and Hounds Behavior

“Brian was the third trainer or behavior consultant that we met with about Willa’s behavior. We brought our doggo home at 8 weeks old, and while we loved her and thought we were doing a lot of things right, as first time dog owners we were clearly missing something fundamental. Willa had growled and snapped at visitors and bit family members and our vet. We could tell he really cared about the whole family, and helped us find practical and safe solutions. He worked with us to identify realistic goals, provided excellent resources and support during and in between sessions, and offered patience and encouragement. He helped each member of our family grow confidence and competence in safely sharing a life with a dog. Our four-legged family member is so much happier and able to communicate her needs to her hoomans in more healthy ways.“

“We at Ruff Start Rescue believe in positive behavioral training techniques, and we are committed to partnering with trainers that share this same philosophy. Upon meeting Brian, we were very impressed by his knowledge and kind demeanor. We really feel he has the animals’ best interest at heart. His training methods and client-centered approach allow the handler and dog to create a strong positive bond that we feel is so critical - especially for dogs that have had difficult pasts. We will continue to reach out to Brian for assistance with our rescue dogs, and hope to maintain our relationship with him for many years to come.“

“You CAN teach an old dog new tricks! We were worried that our newly adopted six-year-old rescue, Jack, couldn’t learn to stop lunging at other dogs. We live in the city, where sidewalks can be crowded with lots of other dogs. But within minutes of meeting Jack, Brian was able to calm Jack down and divert his attention elsewhere. Better yet, Brian was patient with us humans too, teaching us how to work with Jack. We saw immediate improvement, and now enjoy calm walks throughout our neighborhood.”

We adopted Jax at 13 weeks old. We immediately started seeing resource guarding and reactivity. We were lucky enough to have early recognition and recommendations from a trainer during puppy class. We started working with Brian. I am so happy we did! Brian gave us a lot of information on resource guarding and anxiety. He showed us how to communicate better and build a stronger relationship with Jax. Since working with Brian we have also learned how to manage and diffuse situations before they become a big deal. And we’ve been able to help Jax feel more secure and have created a happier life for him. One of the reasons I feel we have made so much progress with Jax is Brian looks at the whole picture. He even takes the time to say hello and goodbye to our other attention craving dog Noelle who just loves it!