Dog Training Success Story Testimonial
Mabel came into our lives about two years ago when we adopted her from The Bond Between (fka Secondhand Hounds). We don’t know much about her former life in Alabama, other than that she had at least one litter of puppies. She was heartworm positive, and likely spent her whole life living outside. Her journey to us began when a good Samaritan saw her being thrown from a moving car, and after locating her owner, Mabel and her litter of puppies were surrendered. Then, the whole family was relocated to Minnesota to be adopted out.
Amazingly, Mabel was very sweet-natured when she came to live with us. After her puppies were adopted, the first few months were all about making sure she felt safe in her new home, while going through heartworm treatment and working on her potty training.
While very affectionate, Mabel has always been very anxious. Separation from us would send her into a panic, and she always felt the need to be on guard. Because her separation anxiety was so bad, we relied heavily on dog-sitting services. But, after a negative interaction where Mabel felt the need to protect one of her sitters from their own pet, we realized we needed expert advice on how to help her with her anxiety. Enter Kari.
Kari’s methods are uniquely holistic, rather than just command-based. Within our first session, we learned that changing Mabel’s diet could boost her confidence, what supplements would decrease her stress, and how events in her past contributed to her anxiety in the present. After making some changes to Mabel’s routine, we immediately saw a difference. She started spending time by herself. Darting critters didn’t derail our morning walks anymore. Her mood improved overall — it was amazing.
We learned so much in the three sessions we had with Kari. Her psychological and physiological approach to pet wellness gave us an entirely new perspective on how we interacted with our dog. Our household is much more peaceful now that we know how to help Mabel with her anxiety. We’re all less stressed, and we have Kari to thank for that. And we’re very proud of our Mabel. She’s come such a long way.