If you clicked on this one, there's probably a reason.
You know the reason very well. Your dearly-loved puppy or dog is displaying what seem to be signs of demonic possession.
If it speaks disparagingly in Latin about your dead relatives, run and don't look back.
But if it's levitating, take heart. Its feet only SEEM not to be touching the ground. If it's spewing green stuff out of its mouth, it has probably gotten onto the counter and found your avocados or deodorant. If it's making your bed shake, making unearthly noises or destroying your home, that's OK. We can help.
In fact, your situation is not unusual. All dogs are wolves - albeit funny-looking wolves in some cases - and are hard-wired to act like wolves. Just think how much training human babies need to become functional family members: years... and they're HUMAN. The amazing thing is not that introducing a carnivore to your house can upset things, but that with a little initial puppy training, or a medium-to-large amount of training for a problem dog, these carnivores can become better family members than human teenagers at a fraction of the expense.
KCC offers puppy counseling and training, and there are many resources out there - if you had a decade or so to spare, you could find out a lot of the stuff you need to know right off the internet. But the reality is that most people either 'impulse buy' a cute puppy at a store, go get a breed they have seen in a movie or 'heard good things about', or adopt a dog from a shelter or humane society. (and BRAVO to these last folks!)
Unfortunately, unless the dog you pick out is an utter saint, or has been well-trained by the previous owner, you will have problems. Lots of problems. Housebreaking. Growling. Territoriality. Destruction. Nuisance barking. Fears of getting sued. The peace of your household broken by loud human yells at a dog who ignores them. Unacceptable aggression. Neurotic behaviors. In other words, in these cases the dog has been the trainer and has taken control, filling a leadership vacuum. It's what wolves are evolved to do. But it's not in their interest, either, because it winds up with them at odds with their humans, restrained much of the time, and unsuitable for doing civilized recreations with the family. Your arms may be sore from the dog yanking to the end of its leash, your throat may be sore from yelling at the dog. By the time you think about actually paying an expert trainer, you are often in crisis, and the dog is in danger of being destroyed. (Make no mistake, problem dogs are usually destroyed if not trained).
The amazing thing is that even many of the WORST of these so-called problem dogs can - and will - make HUGE changes IF you invest the time to make them happen. That's where we come in.
The power of price compels you: here's a reality check: any good trainer you find, other than a rich eccentric, will charge by the hour, and it is 'WAY harder to train a dog out of neuroses and fixed behaviors than it would have been to train little Fluffy correctly in the first place. We are not cheap; we cost about what a discount plumber does. So you'll spend some money to save your dog's life and your sanity. And hopefully, spending that money will help keep YOU honest about being consistent between training sessions... because it's your behavior which controls your dog's. In order to get your dog living in a human world, you have to understand a bit about being the leader of a wolf pack.
And by the way, congratulations on reading this. It means that you care enough about your dog to NOT want to send him or her to their deaths without a fight. It means you are taking responsibility for your family. We salute you.
But good intentions aren't enough. Here's a hint: unless your dog is deaf, there is utterly no reason to raise your voice when giving a command. You could whisper, or just make a gesture with your hand. What you are inadvertently training, if you are yelling, is that that any command which is NOT yelled doesn't count. Most people, by the time they get desperate enough to call for help, have been sending mixed signals to their dogs for quite awhile. It is always amazing to them to see their 'little monster' fall into line when handled by a professional trainer. And soon YOU will know what you need to know to make the many years of your dog's life happy ones. And not just for you - do you think your dog actually LIKES being yelled at, tied up, spanked, etc? Of course not. Once a dog learns its boundaries it is MUCH happier and can be trusted in a lot more situations.
SERVICES "MY OBNOXIOUS TEENAGER PUP!"
For pups 16 weeks and older. You will learn techniques for taking control back from your pup. While not all pups will be little hellions, yours probably is or you would not be reading this site. Do not despair! These are the most fun to work with. The transformations from devil pup to mischievous but "under control" is so fun to watch. Be warned: Sue does not believe in taking away the pup's natural confidence - just tempering a bit his belief that he is the leader of his universe. While this comes as a shock to many a pup, they get compensated because now they get to go all kinds of fun places with their owners who are no longer cringing at the thought. If you follow her advice, the pup will still be a smiling, wagging, busy guy/gal who tries to get away with stuff- very much a teenager. But one you are amused by.
"MY NEUROTIC RESCUED/ADOPTED DOG"
"A newly adopted dog may initially be on its best behavior or its worst behavior. It helps to know how to make that dog feel secure and to understand that it has found its 'forever home'. Sue provides the insights and techniques to help make the transition successful."
In all cases, you will sign a standard contract prior to receiving services, releasing us from all liability, and a bunch of other stuff like that. Any truly professional trainer will require the same. The contract protects us and it protects you.
Comments by Susie White, Head Exorcist:
Has your toothy little carnivore taken over your household? Are you at wit's end in dealing with your puppy? Are you wishing you'd just bought a stuffed dog at the toy store instead? Are you committed to your dog but wondering if you should have been committed to the funny farm for bringing him into your home? If so, you are not alone!!! There is nothing to be ashamed of in admitting that you need help with your dog - but it is very shameful to do nothing about it. Nothing is worse for a dog than to be emotionally neglected. But this happens all the time - especially when a family becomes so frustrated with his behavior that they toss him out in the back yard - alone - miserable, confined, bereft of friends and loved ones. Maybe he is finally taken to be destroyed. . He deserves better than that. And so do you. That is why folks turn to the Kealolo Canine Connection and the "Puppy Exorcist" training. To find ways to establish the canine connection - that wonderful, mysterious bond of love, respect, affection, and joy that develops when you and your dog truly connect.
While it seems unthinkable to some, the following is true! Dogs are a different species. They are NOT born understanding English and are truly baffled by the seemingly arbitrary and silly rules that humans impose on them. If they were in a wild dog pack, the rules would be quickly and unambiguously explained to them by more dominant dogs. But pet dogs are in a human environment and must learn rules of behavior that keep them and those around them safe. Humans have a talent for not being able to look at things from a dog's point of view or having any sympathy for a dog who does not have a clue what the human wants. Dogs get conflicting signals, punished when they have no idea what they did wrong and (from their point of view, often praised and punished for the same behavior.) And yet they love us, forgive us and keep trying to make us happy. They are Amazing!
