I adopted a Shar-Pei mix many years ago and I admit that I did not socialize him as well as I should have. He grew up to be a very aggressive dog who terrorized my friends and was making a good headway in destroying my house. I fenced my yard in order to avoid having to do the midnight walks with him--and yes, midnight walks became the norm because he would growl and lunge at any other dog (and sometimes people!) that he sees in the walk. Needless to say, we spent our first seven years together in relative isolation from other dogs and other people.
Michael first impressed me during the free evaluation he offered for me and my dog. Within the first thirty minutes, he was able to bond with my dog--the same dog that other private and group trainers have told me to either medicate or even put down due to his people-aggressive and dog-aggressive-nature. In the next four weeks of intense training in his boarding program, I was at the Dog Academy of NC almost every other day as Michael trained both me and my dog how to properly interact with one another.
What I loved about the program: a) Michael Ward--the trainer. He has a very hands-on training approach. I can't believe I previously paid other trainers to help me with my dog and some of them wouldn't even get within three feet of him! Furthermore, Michael has an intuitive grasp of my dog's (and I would say all dogs') psychology. b) The emphasis on owner-responsibility. Michael was adamant that if I wanted to rehabilitate my dog, I would have to have some major changes in the way I interacted with my canine companion. He worked almost as much with me as he did with my dog. He spent hours with me and my dog on each lesson, making sure that I grasp the correct tone or body language to give my dog. c) the use of other methods besides the ""treat"" method. I know that it is more PC to use treats and positive reinforcements to train dogs these days. However, due to the high level of aggression displayed by my dog, Michael had recommended that I learn how to correctly use a prong collar and an e-collar. Properly using these tools was one of the most difficult things I've had to learn, but in the end, I believe it to be most appropriate.
After all the hard work by me, Michael and my dog, I got back a dog who I am now able to take to various Dog Parks or Dog Events in the Triangle. In fact, he has been rehabilitated to the extent that I have been able to adopt another dog to be a part of our ""pack."" And yes, we both signed up for Michael's Puppy Kindergarten :)
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