Meet Kirby

Meet Kirby!

What was the reason you contacted Stephanie for training?

We were referred to Stephanie by Kirby’s littermate’s, Newton, owner. We had similar issues with resource guarding and reactivity issues after Kirby turned about 1.5 years old. We had also recently moved so we thought there might have been just too much going on for our little loaf.

Kirby had previously attended Puppy Kindergarten training at a local training facility as well as the beginner and intermediate classes at Petsmart and worked with an additional trainer for private lessons. However, his behaviors weren’t changing.

How has training helped Kirby?

Kirby has been working with Stephanie for a little over a year now and we’ve seen so many amazing adjustments to his reactivity. Lessons with Stephanie have helped us build up Kirby’s confidence along with our own as his protectors and advocates. We’ve learned how to step in for him when out in public, demonstrate us taking charge and checking on things when he goes into alert mode, and making sure he also knows it’s okay for him to just be a dog and relax a bit.

We’re so grateful to have been recommended Stephanie, Kirby absolutely adores her!

What’s the most valuable training you and Kirby have received from Stephanie?

I don’t think there’s a single lesson we can pinpoint as the most valuable because we’ve learned so much from Stephanie. I think one of our big “ah-ha” moments were when she explained pack structure to us and how Kirby took on the role as the protector, which fueled his reactivity and nervousness. We’ve also learned the importance of repetition and consistency. Before, Kirby would get worked up and go into panic mode when something scared him, which caused him to charge at his brother Archie, or us. With daily reinforcement, Kirby is now able to place himself into a settle on his bed when something works him up.