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 What
our clients say about It's Pawsible
 Meet Sparky
It all started the morning after we picked up our
puppy. As I opened up the wire door to her kennel, our
Dalmatian puppy went into reverse! She was very timid and
shy and had to be dragged out of her crate. This had one
advantage, Sparky never jumped on people but that was the
only advantage. My husband and I learned that we had what
is called a fear aggressive dog.
We learned that because we had picked her up late from
the breeder, she missed a critical socialization period.
We now had a problem that could escalate into having a dog
that bit people and that ultimately could result in us
having to euthanize her.
Realizing that we needed help, I picked up the phone
and called Certified Professional Trainer, Beth Ostrowski-Parks.
She with the help of her husband, Wayne, runs a "State of
the Art" dog training center called It's PAWSible! Dog
Training Center.
The three of us soon discovered that Beth and Wayne
were also state of the art. Beth had said that
private lessons were available but Sparky really
needed to be in a class so she would be exposed to more
people and other dogs.
Classes began. Sparky did well because we did our
weekly homework, never missed a class, and because she was
afraid to do anything else! Beth purposefully ignored
Sparky. She never used her to demonstrate an exercise. She
never even made eye contact with our dog. Although at
times it was painful to be ignored, we wished our "kid"
could be more sociable like the others and not be the dog
to avoid. But we knew that this was in Sparky's best
interest.
After a few weeks, Sparky began to improve. She no
longer always walked with her tail clamped tightly between
her legs and with her head and her ears lowered.
Occasionally, she would lift her head, her tail would
relax, and we would get a glimpse of the dog that she
would become.
At other times, I would be crying inside as I watched
the other dogs in class work from a sit-stay. When the
command, "Come" was given, they would bounce across the
floor to their owners with their tails wagging. My dog
would crouch, pull back, and be afraid to cross the room
to get to me. It was pathetic to see. But both my husband
and I kept working with her.
After a few classes, Beth scheduled a
private session for Sparky. When we arrived, the
Training Center appeared larger than usual. Beth was
seemingly minding her own business and sitting on her desk
top in the front of the room. She instructed me to turn
Sparky loose and to join her on the desk top. Initally,
Sparky ran around sniffing everything, but was equally
careful to ignore Beth. While she ran, Beth asked me all
kinds of questions about my dog, her background, and
behavior. Finally Sparky came up and sniffed her. Beth
commented that the dog was trying to figure out if Beth
was safe to be near. The next time Sparky approached her,
Beth carefully tossed her a training treat. Finally Sparky
took food from Beth's hand. Then the two of them played
fetch. I sat on the desk and smiled. Sparky was
interacting in a positive manner with someone else!
At the end of the session, Beth had given me many
instructions including to try to take her where there were
people and lots of activity. She cautioned me to be
proactive as Sparky met people and explain to people how
they should be when engaging with Sparky.
Over time, it worked! Now Sparky goes to horse shows,
walks on crowded city sidewalks, and lately enjoyed
watching a parade. Usually she wags her tail and holds her
head up high. Occasionally, she becomes fearful, but that
is the exception, not her daily behavior. People that knew
her before she completed the Basic Obedience training
can't believe that she is the same dog and have commented
on the positive personality Sparky has developed.
We are currently enrolled in
Beginner Agility at It's PAWSible! We know now that it
is pawsible to correct difficult behavior problems!
We look forward to class each week.
My husband and I believe that Beth saved our dog's
life. Thank you Beth! Thank you Wayne! And thanks to all
the staff at It's PAWSible! For making Sparky the star
that she is today.
Suzi and Wayne B,
Westhampton, MA
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