Client Spotlight - Koko
Client Spotlight - Koko
"I adopted Koko at Stray Rescue of St. Louis and she was approximately one year old. As anyone who has adopted a dog knows, to paraphrase Forrest Gump, dogs are like a box of chocolates, you don't know what you're going to get. She came with a sweet and loving personality and good disposition. Koko got along great with my other adult dog, a goofy lazy coonhound. They were complete opposites. She also got along great with my siblings' dogs (8 other dogs). No problem with the kids either (babies to adults and lots of them). We are a large family and move in a pack so gatherings are frequent, loud and typically somewhat controlled chaos, also no problem. She did great with a group of friends and their dogs that I hike with. Everything was great... for a while.
I started noticing a problem about a year after I had Koko. She slowly started getting aggressive and developing a pack mentality towards random dogs. So I stopped going to dog parks and slowly stopped introducing her to other dogs. It didn't work to solve the problem and obviously wasn't a solution. My other dog is just chill, he has no issues with other dogs so he would do the meet and greet while I held her back. Her first instinct was to attack and give a nice, quick bite. The last straw was when she lunged and "attacked" a senior dog, a threat to no one. It completely freaked me out. I wondered what I did to turn this dog, "dog aggressive" and would it escalate to being aggressive towards the kids. That would be a deal breaker. What happened to my sweet girl?
I knew I needed professional help. I've used dog trainers in the past and had great success. I'm no wallflower, but this was different, beyond the basics. I researched a lot of different options and interviewed several training services. Casey Ray become my clear choice and I'm so grateful to them. They are dedicated and fully committed to teaching you how to read, correct and work with your dog. By using your dog's strengths to train, nurture and guide them. We've been going a year now and the results are pretty darn impressive, beyond what I expected. We started out with the introduction classes which are one on one. These trainers are fantastic and most importantly, patient. After successfully completing these I knew we needed more. The problem wasn't resolved and we needed more training, this was going to take time. So I signed up for the Lifetime Group Classes, and it's been money well spent. She is a different dog and I'm a better owner. She actually played... PLAYED... with a couple of dogs the other day in class. She's more relaxed on our hikes and doesn't lung or show aggression towards unknown dogs. That wouldn't have happened a year ago. I'm so grateful for the trainers at Casey Ray, the services they provide and the encouragement they give. They know their stuff and in my opinion are the best choice if you are looking for a trainer. No harsh corrections or yelling, just calm, positive reinforcements. They even helped train and transition Koko from a leash to an e-collar, giving her more freedom and for me, piece of mind. Their daily camps are fantastic and affordable. Best of all, they are flexible and will work with you to figure out the best solution for you and your dog.
I highly recommend Casey Ray because as they like to say, "Sit Happens."
- Edith Campbell & Koko
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