Soon, she would whine for attention when the phone rang, begged at the dinner table, jumped on the furniture, slept on my bed, and led me around on her walks nearly pulling my shoulder out of the socket whenever she’d see a squirrel.  When the doorbell would ring, she barked loudly, and when our guests crossed the threshold, she was right there jumping all over them.  Not so adorable, as their stockings snagged and their clothing became covered in fur…  The final straw came when a friend gave me a kiss and a hug, and Bella just went crazy!  We realized then that her behavior was out of control. (Of course we had not yet realized that WE were the ones out of control!)   I had thought about dog obedience classes many times, but always put them off thinking that I should be able to handle this 20-pound bundle of joy on my own.   Then after reading about Canine Magic in the Bedford Minuteman, I decided to give Terry a call.

Bella and I went for a consultation when she was 2 ½ years old.  I guess we passed Terry’s entry criteria, because the next thing I knew, we were in training!  As Terry so kindly explained to me, I was in training too.  Training to be a PACK leader!  HAH!  Just what I always wanted to be…but to my surprise, it worked!  Tone of voice and confidence… Not Bella’s, but MINE!  That was the key!  The collar and commands were simple, and we quickly got the hang of it.  Although Bella was quicker then me…  Terry helped us become a team, and Bella and I are so much closer now than ever before…and now I understand how much she needs her pack leader. 

Her temperament is now even and relaxed; she sleeps in her own bed, stays off furniture, heels on walks with a loosely held leash, goes to her place at mealtime, and now waits patiently as I chat on the phone.  She would still prefer to be the center of my universe, but we have certainly come a long way…

We recently moved to downtown Boston, and because Bella had learned to socialize with the other dogs in training class, much to my relief, she has adjusted well to all the new dogs we meet on our daily walks through the Public Garden.  We are just getting settled in our new condo, and she has adjusted to the new sounds and activity much better than I had expected. 

Terry and Canine Magic transformed our world!  Bella continues to be my side kick and my shining star, but now we are a team!  Thank you Terry!

Sue Pepin
Boston, MA

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