Miriam and her boyfriend work in the theater industry, and their busy and sometimes unpredictable schedules prevented them from getting a dog. But after Miriam learned her boss would welcome her dog to come to the office with her, Miriam headed off to a local shelter to find their new best friend.
When Miriam met Gus, a young shepherd mix around the age of 1, at Animal House Shelter in Huntley, she knew that he was the one. One more visit to the shelter for her boyfriend to meet Gus sealed the deal. Gus became a part of the family.
“We knew that Gus was going to have to have excellent obedience skills since he was going to be coming to the office with me 3-4 days per week,” recalls Miriam. “Fortunately, we had the chance to meet Marcus while he was volunteering at Animal House and we started thinking of Dog Training Now as a real option for us.”
It’s true, our very own Trainer Marcus is an active volunteer at Animal House Shelter! Once Miriam called Marcus to set up a consultation, “it was a no brainer decision,” laughs Miriam. The quick results and practice that our Day Training Camp offered, along with the kindness and knowledge that Trainer Marcus exuded, sealed the deal.
Gus leaned and practiced obedience commands during his ten days in the studio. But Miriam noticed that he was getting so much more. “Gus was a great dog when we got him,” she recalls. “But he had a tendency to be a bit skittish when people got a little too close to him. Thanks to all of the socialization he got, from all the Trainers and visitors who come to the Dog Training Now studio, he became more calm and confident around strangers.”
Miriam had lots to learn each day of training as well. Our Trainers worked with her and Gus every evening during pick up to demonstrate the command Gus worked on that day and then give her a chance to try it out. “They gave me tips and let me ask lots of questions,” remembers Miriam. “It made me feel more confident and helped me know how to practice his new skills at home.”
Nowadays, Gus is an office superstar. He is confident around office co-workers and visitors, and he can hold his commands like a champ – even in a distracting environment. Even better, Miriam is confident that she can control Gus, and the two of them have a bond that continues to grow.
We loved having the chance to work with Gus and Miriam! How can we help your dog become more obedient and make your relationship even better? Call us to set up a consultation!