Bruno is a two year old beagle. His owners contacted me realizing that they needed to change their relationship with him. As a couple they considered rehoming him, but decided that they really never put any effort into helping him become an excellent companion. Bruno's owners work all day. He isn't housebroken, barks constantly, paces in the house and escapes his fenced yard whenever possible.
My first instructions involved a strict schedule for walking and training, enrolling him in a dog daycare twice a week and to purchase a small pen for their kitchen. On the days Bruno is not at daycare he will be penned in their kitchen with plenty of chew toys and a Kong to keep him happy until he is completely housebroken. His owners needed to realize that on the days when he is home alone all day that his day only starts when they returned from work! With much better structure and in just a week Bruno is calmer, quieter and much more affectionate with his owners. I see that they are finally bonding with him and they can move forward to higher goals now that Bruno isn't in survival mode anymore.
Bruno will now be learning obedience commands. He is typical of his breed, smart but independent. Luckily he is very fond of physical praise and is food motivated. This will help tremendously. I'm very happy that his owners gave themselves and Bruno a chance to connect by incorporating him in their lives.