Ohio State K-9 College

After calling many training schools, I came to Joe at the Ohio State k-9 College.

My son's father was breeding 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱𝘀, and my son asked if he could have one, so his dad allowed him to choose a 𝟲-𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸-𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆.
His father instructed him to keep the dog in a 𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗲 at all times whenever he was not home. My son was attending school and often worked after school, so the dog remained in the 𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗲 for 𝟯 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. One day, while taking him out to 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝘆, 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 attacked a neighborhood child who was riding his 𝗯𝗶𝗸𝗲.

Until the issue was resolved in 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁, our son placed him with a 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱, unsure what would happen or how to handle him. The dog stayed in an 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 for 𝟯 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀. The family friend could not get him to obey 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀, and his 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 only worsened.

𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 was heartbroken and developed severe 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 from not being with my son.

𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 would not 𝗲𝗮𝘁 for the family friend during the first week, so my son had to go over to 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱 him. Eventually, Smokey had to be returned to my son.

My son still did not know what to do, so he kept him in the 𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗲 at all times for the 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 of the other household members, since 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 no longer trusted the other people in the home.

They later moved to 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱, where 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 was kept in the backyard on a 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 with a 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 for over a year.

He got 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 several times, breaking 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀, and once 𝗯𝗶𝘁 a man walking down the street. Fortunately, the man did not report it to the 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.

Soon afterward, my son called me 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 and extremely stressed, not knowing what to do anymore, begging me to help Smokey.

I told my son I would come pick up 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆, and I did.

After 𝟯 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 of working with Smokey, I realized that even with a 𝗺𝘂𝘇𝘇𝗹𝗲 on, he was still very 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀.

I first tried to 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 him with people, but Smokey would not allow it, either inside or outside. In fact, while inside my home, Smokey would try to go through the 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄 when he saw people.

Although I can now get Smokey to allow 𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 to come into my home and sit on the couch if he has the 𝗺𝘂𝘇𝘇𝗹𝗲 on, they must remain very still. Smokey will walk up, 𝘀𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗳 them, and then watch them 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 until they leave.

Before this, he would 𝗹𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲 at everyone, trying to 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗲 them.

I now realize that Smokey desperately needs 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 from a 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗥, so my son can learn how to properly train and handle him.

I spoke with several people and became exhausted trying to find a 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿 who would work with both my son 𝗔𝗡𝗗 Smokey. I even contacted 𝟲 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, and they told me I could leave Smokey at their 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 for 𝟰–𝟲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 so they could train him to obey their staff.

Then they would give my son 𝟭 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 of training for $𝟱𝟬𝟬𝟬.

However, what they failed to explain were the 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀 they would use to train Smokey.

While searching online for dog trainers, I eventually found the 𝗢𝗵𝗶𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗞-𝟵 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 website.

After reading through the website, I realized that 𝗝𝗼𝗲𝘆 was exactly the person we desperately needed to get Smokey 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱.

I was also surprised when I called the 𝗢𝗵𝗶𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗞-𝟵 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 and was able to personally speak with 𝗝𝗼𝗲𝘆 (𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗢), who actually answers his own phone.

I honestly cannot remember 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 speaking directly with the 𝗖𝗘𝗢 of a company in any industry before.

After speaking with Joey for 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟮 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀, I realized he is like an 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 of 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 and 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, not only for the 𝗱𝗼𝗴, but for the 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 as well.

He reassured me that he could 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 for my son.

I cannot thank him enough for his 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽, and all the 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 he provides to his potential 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦.

After reading 𝗝𝗼𝗲𝘆’𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲, I now clearly understand that his strategy begins with training the 𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧, because that is the 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 part of training the dog