Just when you think you know enough - life hands you a puppy like no other!  I once heard that you don’t get the dog you want, you get the dog you need and I believe that to be true!  Stella is the dog I needed to propel me into this new chapter of my career and to help put the missing pieces into how I want to serve pet owners.

After over 25 years of serving pets and their owners, I felt like I had seen it all.  I am well educated and have experienced hundreds of success stories with conventional training methods.  These are the gold standards of dog training from top experts in the world. So, needless to say, I was very confident that I was well equipped to train my new 8 week old puppy that I purchased from a breeder.  I could not have been more mistaken!

When I picked Stella up from the breeder, she was terrified.  Fear is expected when a pup leaves its mom and litter ,but her fear seemed quite extreme. I confidently brought her home and had everything all set up to start her off in her new home beautifully.  It didn’t take long to realize that in spite of the fact that I was doing everything absolutely correct, Stella was not responding or settling in.  I immediately knew that I needed to modify my methods and closely observe her to learn everything I could about her personality.  I also took her for a Veterinary assessment and enrolled her in puppy classes.  

Getting Stella out the door to puppy classes was nothing short of a nightmare because she was terrified of the vehicle.  She was also not able to transition through doorways so it took far too long to enter the building where puppy classes were held.  Once Stella entered the classes, she was so overwhelmed with fear, anxiety, excitement and exhaustion and her behaviour became what appeared to be hysterical.  

Needless to say, she was not learning anything and acting out during the entire class.  The trainer advised me that perhaps I needed to work on my training skills with Stella at home more.  

When I expressed that I was very concerned about Stella and that I was using proper training methods, the trainer was not able to further discuss this because she was getting ready for the next class.  I understood that the hour of puppy class was up and I did not want to hold up other classes, so I left and emailed the trainer.  I explained that I was sure Stella was struggling and needed specific training and behavior support.  The trainer replied with the same training tips that she offers in class and suggested that I use peanut butter in a squeeze bottle as a continual reinforcement for Stella.  

She also recommended over the counter sedatives that she had available to purchase if I felt Stella needed to ‘calm down’.  I was quite appalled at this advice and felt that the trainer was not recognizing that Stella was struggling and needed some additional support.  I was also very concerned that this is the advice that well meaning new puppy owners are given which could lead to very unhealthy consequences for their puppy.

I decided to do further research and hired 2 other trainers for Stella. One claimed to have a specialization in behaviour challenges and the other offered online classes which I signed up for since getting Stella out of the house was so traumatic for her.  Although both these trainers also offered solid, standard training advice, neither had the time or knowledge to identify Stella’s exceptionalities and neither were able to offer any alternative methods to help Stella.  I also found hundreds of online resources, books, podcasts and videos with excellent training tips - but unfortunately, Stella was not responding to these. 

In addition, I contacted Stella’s breeder (the first week I brought her home and again after several weeks).  I was hoping the breeder could offer me insight about whether any of Stellas litter mates, parents or distant relatives had demonstrated any of her challenges.  Unfortunately the breeder offered no help and to make matters worse, made dangerous recommendations for when to spay Stella, what to feed and what vaccines to ‘avoid’.  

Needless to say, I was quite alarmed at the mis information and advice that I was given by these many pet ‘para professionals’.  I was seeing first hand how a well meaning pet owner who is trying to follow the best advice for their puppy can be so mislead.  This reinforced in my mind that there is such a disconnect between the Veterinary profession and other pet industries.  It’s no wonder pet owners struggle with their trust and confidence in Vets when they are given such conflicting information and advice from so many other pet workers. 

I then took Stella to a Veterinary Behaviour Specialist who diagnosed Stella with ‘Hypersensitivity, Hyperreactivity Disorder’ - which comes with high anxiety, lack of focus, excessive fear and frustration.  This also came with health issues that Stella had been experiencing.  As a result, she needed prescription medication for life and a unique training plan to work with her unique personality.  Although this totally explained why she was not responding to all of the standard training methods, it was also a devastating realization for my family and I.  

The expense and work involved in living with Stella has been extremely challenging and there have been many  days in her first couple of years that we were not sure we could continue.

Fast forward to today… I am thankful to say that Stella is 3 ½ years old and thriving.  

I am a very persistent woman and overly committed to my pets (LOL)! The name ‘Your Furever Friend’ sums up my pet ownership commitment because as soon as they are in my arms, they are mine and I will do everything that I can for them to have a wonderful ‘forever’.  Stella continues to be supported by her prescription medication and her unique training plan.  She is a quirky girl that takes loads of patience. I will admit, raising Stella has been very hard for my family, and they have been the most difficult pet owners I have ever worked with! LOL!  But they have persisted and believed in me and they do admit Stella has benefited greatly with the work that I have done. 

Stella has taught me far more than I ever could have imagined.  She has allowed me to step out of my professional role and experience the confusion that pet owners are subjected to when dealing with multiple ‘pet professionals’.  I know there are many  pet professionals doing the best they can with the knowledge they have and I believe there is a place for everyone.  However my experience has shown me that there is a need to align recommendations and services so that pet owners are getting solid, well researched, science backed advice from professionals who are educated and qualified to offer it.  

It is my mission to support pet owners who want to raise the happiest, healthiest pets who fit their lifestyle and budget perfectly.