So, here I am, with this dog that I have no idea how to control, a dog that my vet says could be a real problem, for himself and for others. What have I gotten myself into? How much does dog training cost, how will I pay for it? What to do?

N&L adopted a troubled dog a year or so in the past, what had they done?

“Oh, we went to this wonderful woman, Julie Daniels, in North Sandwich. We spent an hour with her and she taught us a lot. After a year of hard work we have a much better dog. She’s pretty expensive, but it was well worth it.”

So, I took this lady’s contact info and dropped her an email, explaining my situation. After asking me if my dog had ever used his teeth to break someone’s skin (the answer was no), Julie agreed to meet with us.

This is an aside, but an interesting one. Dogs, it turns out, have a very precise understanding of exactly how hard they are biting down on something, hence their ability to use their teeth to do everything from carry puppies to tear out the throat of a prey animal. Asking if Chico had bitten anyone was one question, asking if he had broken skin was another question. Thank goodness I had the answer that showed her he was a troubled dog, not a dangerous one.

Our first one hour session with Julie lasted two and a half hours. I can no longer remember exactly what I learned that day about clicker training Chico, but I do remember the last five minutes.