Zoey Learns to Trust
When we set out to rescue a dog little did we know the adventure that lay ahead. We had experience with dogs and knew the investment and commitment needed and were ready to jump in and begin our search for the perfect dog for our family. We found a 3 to 5-year-old female Cane Corso and began researching the breed. We took our time, talked to the foster parent, and planned to meet the dog. February 24, 2018, Zoey joined our family.
We had no background information about Zoey except she did arrive with a broken back foot. When she healed, we decided to take her on a walk. That came to a screeching halt as she was terrified of the front yard, the street and the sounds of cars. Her fear reached beyond that to fear aggression. We committed to Zoey but realized we needed help. The organization where we rescued Zoey gave us the name of a trainer, Kasey Herrera at 2SpeakDog.
Kasey is an expert on behavior and worked with us, our children and Zoey. We started with private lessons so Kasey could see and work with Zoey in her home environment first. Kasey developed a plan which we followed. Finally, Zoey was ready for basic training. She has completed Basic Training l and ll. We are now in Intermediate l with plans on continuing with 2SpeakDog through all levels. Zoey is a large dog and the fear aggression was a huge concern for our family. 2SpeakDog saved Zoey.
Zoey was a dog who wouldn’t go into the front yard, near the street, allow anyone in the house or get in a car. Through training, Zoey is now walking in a pack with 2SpeakDog, walking in our neighborhood with proper leash etiquette, allowing the doorbell to ring, and riding in our car. She loves sitting in the front yard with her human and watching the UPS delivery person walk up to our house! She has gone from no tail wagging to greeting with tail wags and rolling on her back for her stomach to be rubbed. She no longer cowers but holds her body high. She loves to run in the yard and play fetch. She follows a feeding ritual, basic commands, and is learning more with each class.
2SpeakDog is a place for every dog in whatever stage of life from puppy to senior. 2SpeakDog is a place for every dog owner from new owners to seasoned owners who want to gain their dog’s respect through trust and relationship building and not fear. Thank you, Kasey for supporting Zoey and our family through the ups and downs and pushing us to believe that Zoey can do it even when we were scared for her. Kasey has taught our dog to be a dog and enjoy a dog’s life!
Recently, we took Zoey on a day trip to Williamsburg to socialize. She did fantastic. We walked around with people, little kids, other dogs, food, buses, and cars! They even shot the cannon and she didn’t freak! She kept her cool and was having a great time. A couple come up and asked if they could pet her. Zoey easily went into position, waited while we greeted the people, and was released to meet them. She allowed both of the people to pet her under her chin and was so awesome!