"Two dogs. Two paths. One journey.

In early 2021, we took on two Australian Shepherd foster dogs, Remington and Loki. We foster-failed—in other words, we adopted them, a story unto itself.

Both had reactivity issues. Remington became reactive to almost everything, but especially dogs: on the road, in houses, in backyards…everywhere. And golf carts, bicycles, loud trucks. I would take him for long walks in an effort to tire him out—and I ended up equally tired out. His manners going in and out of the garage and doors were non-existent.

Loki was reactive to other dogs, but to a lesser degree than Remington.

When “the boys” reacted together, a small “circus” ensued and some injuries were incurred…time for ACTION.

Enter Animal Smart Training and Kacie. We had several one-on-one sessions with each boy.

Within short order, we had a regimen for going in and out of the garage. We had lessons distracting both dogs from their reactive stimuli, most importantly, how to keep the dogs “below threshold” and NOT out of control.

What I didn’t realize at the time is that we weren’t so much training the dog as training the human to manage the dog. Distraction tactics were developed, engagement activities were added—ultimately, we were bonding. Bonding involves trust, rewards, and affection all rolled together.

Our group training sessions dramatically reduced the boys’ dog reactivity—they sought Kacie’s or Joree’s attention, they watched Kacie or Joree as she would direct various interactions, they watched other humans and their dogs…we also worked with Andrea and participated in her remote/video training sessions.

We had dramatic improvement within 6 months and have progressed steadily during the subsequent three years. Remi still has his moments, but they are much less dramatic/traumatic. Loki still likes to “police” Remi whenever Remi is reactive, but that is also reduced.

Best of all, the boys are clearly more bonded with us. They want their walks several times a day—filling their “sniffer” (nose) with stimuli is critically important to them. Recently, we have been going to the dog park (almost) daily for 30 minutes of fetch and rest sessions. We go camping and go for long hikes amidst all manner of animals—Kacie helped us train them to avoid snakes and improve “emergency recall” behaviors.

Loki trained easily and quickly—on most things and REALLY wanted to please his human. Still, however, he won’t ring the bells to go outside. We cannot figure out why, but he does come grab me with his LEFT paw!

Remi was a slower slog, probably more the result of stubbornness than a lack of smarts. He wanted to please himself more than his human until he learned the latter could be more rewarding.

They both came with a largely unknown history. Loki had spent 18 months crated before we fostered and adopted him. Remi was “kicked off the ranch” (along with his brother) for herding the ducks and geese and came to us at less than a year old with lots of puppy tendencies and lack of discipline.

Two dogs. Two different backgrounds. Similar challenges. Similar training. Customized paths. Positive reinforcement only, time after time, building the bond, enhancing the trust.

Today we enjoy a truly wondrous relationship WITH our dogs. They vie for our attention and affection. They share toys, play fetch together, and interact peacefully with other dogs at the dog park.

THANKS, Kacie, Andrea, and Joree!"