Ripley Changes Her Spots!
Last September our lives were turned
upside down in an instant when our adorable, loving, timid 4 year-old
Dalmatian, Ripley, attacked the neighbor dog. Fortunately the neighbor
dog would make a full recovery, but in the meantime we had a problem.
Through a complex Internet search I found Leader of the Pack’s website and felt
optimistic that I’d found the help we needed.
I called Mark immediately. I’ll never forget the first thing he said to me after I told him why I was calling. It wasn’t a sales pitch. It wasn’t a promise. It wasn’t judgment. It was genuine empathy. He said he understood how traumatic it was and how much shame is involved when your dog bites. Shame. That was exactly how I felt and it was exactly what I needed to hear. Mark knew I was hurting and he made me feel the best I’d felt in the few days since the attack.
Mark came out the next day. His confidence with dogs is astounding. They are like putty in his hands. He was able to open our eyes to things we couldn’t see about Ripley. We had a bad mix going on. On the one hand we had a very timid, fearful dog, which we knew. On the other hand we had a dog who thought she owned the house. The end result was a highly anxious, nervous little animal. Mark left us with new house rules and hope.
I know it sounds cliché, but Ripley responded to the rules immediately and behaviors we didn’t even know were problems started changing. Once Ripley realized the house wasn’t hers and that she didn’t have to protect it because we were in charge, she relaxed. Seriously. She used to vomit bile if her meals were late. We thought she just got super hungry. As soon as her anxiety started to subside so did her bile buildup. She doesn’t vomit anymore, no matter how late dinner or breakfast is. Amazing.
Not only can Mark read dogs, but he can read people. Most of the work and corrections when walking with Ripley are for me, not her! Mark has been able to help me relax when walking Ripley instead of being worried about what will scare her next. I’m (slowly) becoming a confident leader!
We’ve also sent Ripley to live-in training twice. If you’re considering it, but aren’t sure -- do it! You’ll love the dog you get back. It was 2 weeks of intense training for her, training we’d already started at home and more. Just remember, while you get a new dog back, your work isn’t done. You still have to keep up with the program because believe me your dog will test your commitment!
It is fun watching Ripley become the dog she is meant to be. We owe it all to our neighbors for being open minded enough to give us the chance to rehabilitate our dog instead of destroy her and, of course, to Mark.
Thank you Mark, Lia and Rodeo for leading us on Ripley’s journey.
Gretchen S.
West Linn, OR
I called Mark immediately. I’ll never forget the first thing he said to me after I told him why I was calling. It wasn’t a sales pitch. It wasn’t a promise. It wasn’t judgment. It was genuine empathy. He said he understood how traumatic it was and how much shame is involved when your dog bites. Shame. That was exactly how I felt and it was exactly what I needed to hear. Mark knew I was hurting and he made me feel the best I’d felt in the few days since the attack.
Mark came out the next day. His confidence with dogs is astounding. They are like putty in his hands. He was able to open our eyes to things we couldn’t see about Ripley. We had a bad mix going on. On the one hand we had a very timid, fearful dog, which we knew. On the other hand we had a dog who thought she owned the house. The end result was a highly anxious, nervous little animal. Mark left us with new house rules and hope.
I know it sounds cliché, but Ripley responded to the rules immediately and behaviors we didn’t even know were problems started changing. Once Ripley realized the house wasn’t hers and that she didn’t have to protect it because we were in charge, she relaxed. Seriously. She used to vomit bile if her meals were late. We thought she just got super hungry. As soon as her anxiety started to subside so did her bile buildup. She doesn’t vomit anymore, no matter how late dinner or breakfast is. Amazing.
Not only can Mark read dogs, but he can read people. Most of the work and corrections when walking with Ripley are for me, not her! Mark has been able to help me relax when walking Ripley instead of being worried about what will scare her next. I’m (slowly) becoming a confident leader!
We’ve also sent Ripley to live-in training twice. If you’re considering it, but aren’t sure -- do it! You’ll love the dog you get back. It was 2 weeks of intense training for her, training we’d already started at home and more. Just remember, while you get a new dog back, your work isn’t done. You still have to keep up with the program because believe me your dog will test your commitment!
It is fun watching Ripley become the dog she is meant to be. We owe it all to our neighbors for being open minded enough to give us the chance to rehabilitate our dog instead of destroy her and, of course, to Mark.
Thank you Mark, Lia and Rodeo for leading us on Ripley’s journey.
Gretchen S.
West Linn, OR