Why The Missing Link?

Well, meet "Link"!

Becoming a dog owner is a fantastic experience! Children are thrilled to the idea of having a best 4-legged furry friend that loves to play fetch, cuddle and sleep with. Adults are mostly occupied with ensuring the new addition to the family is the right fit to their busy lives. Dog walks, feeding times, scooping poop etc. And, yes, admittedly, the thought of having your best pal lay on your lap while watching your favourite TV show compares to nothing!

At the age of 28, I joined my millennial friends and adopted my terrier-cross knotty-haired-looking dog. I named him Link...yes, after the Legend of Zelda.

Link was the typical playful pup. Full of energy! Always excited to go out for walks, barking at strangers from the window, patrolling the fenced yard, obsessed with squirrels etc. Link was great to travel with and, we had many adventures. He potty-trained in weeks and was not a big chewer. I loved that dog... but Link was far from perfect (no dog is, actually).

As Link became old, so did the novelty of owning a pet. Our walks became less frequent and fun due to pulling, barking and over excitement. My oldest son stopped playing with Link and, instead, avoided him because Link would nip at his feet for no apparent reason. We had great neighbours who never complained about little Link's behaviour, but one day our dog sitter caring for Link called to inform us he had killed a bunch of her chickens! In my head, this was a normal behavior for a rambunctious little dog . I thought "maybe he's just bored" or needing a bit more attention, so I made a point of spending more time with him.

If you've asked me if Link looked up to me as his parent, I would have unequivocally responded "Yes!". After all, Link would stop when I told him and I had no problems feeding him or playing with him. Hey, he would even roll over for me on command!

My wife at the time had a daycare and one day I came home to find Link locked in a room. Surprised, I asked "why?". Link had attacked my son and tried to nip at some of the kids at the day care. As months went by, Link began to spend more and more time away from the kids for fear of him hurting a kid, and some of his privileges were taken away due to his behaviour. Dogs are pack animals, so Link was miserable. This devastated me. THAT IS NO WAY OF TREATING A DOG!

I tried everything to help him. Trainers, obedience classes, days at the dog spa, You Tube videos, you name it. But nothing worked. Simply put, Link felt the need to be the king of the castle.  

Shortly after, I decided to learn about dogs, how they think, what makes them behave and act in a certain way. Was there something I was doing that made my dog behave the way he was behaving?

One day, Link decided to escape, like so many other times before... as I saw him running faster and faster away from me when called ( remember that recall I thought I had mastered?), there was no doubt in my mind that he was no longer my dog. I had lost Link.

It took us weeks to find Link. Luckily, he got picked up by a lovely retired couple that lived in a nearby farm. We decided it was best for Link to live with them after a long and hard discussion, and it was one of the hardest decisions of my life.

Fast forward a few years, in my search to become a better owner, I bumped into this amazing and unique training method.   It applied principles of dog psychology as a foundation to training. It blew my mind how powerful and easy it was! So, I decided to learn it , study it and get certified . That's how I became a dog behaviorist and trainer. It has made the world of difference with my other dogs and dozens of other dogs I've trained!

There is not a single day I don't think about my missing Link.  If I only knew then what I know now, I know things would have been different. I would have been able to understand where he was coming from, he would have been happier and calmer... I would have been a better dog owner.

I now take comfort in knowing I am able to make a difference with other dog owners, by simply following this easy 5-step method! Its the foundation to all my training consults. Its like a calming code for dogs-no gimmicks, scare tactics, no aggression, choke collars or forceful actions.

When you are able to talk in your dog's language, your dog will choose to listen.

Let me help you find your missing link!