Joey Luke's Dog Training
2024-08-12T17:42:41.000Z
We got our Australian Cattle Dog puppy Riley at 9 weeks old. We sent her to Joey Luke's at 5 months and today she is 9 months old.
Riley was a challenging puppy, and with two kids at home under 5, we found very quickly that she was going to be difficult. Her herding instincts and nipping made things very stressful for the first couple months. We were able to do some research and found some tips and techniques that she responded well to and were able to move past that difficult stage. All was well until she started showing resource guarding and food aggression. She had assigned particularly high value to the kids' stuffed animals and would steal them, hide under the table, and growl at anyone who tried to take them back - even snap at anyone that got too close. It got to a point when she was about 4 months old that we had decided that she was too much of a risk to have around the kids. Our fear was that the kids would be unaware she was guarding would end up getting hurt. We decided that she either had to change, or we would have to find a new home for her.
We reached out to several trainers and were impressed by Joey Luke after the first call. Some of the other trainers we reached out to had managers that handled the consultation. One in particular was about 40 minutes late to our phone consultation, was clearly taking the call from the road, was unable to answer any real questions we had, and would not put us in contact with the trainer directly for us to get further clarification. Joey Luke was professional, knowledgeable, and assured us that we would be able to get in touch with him or his team at any time, even after the training was complete.
We had one additional face to face consultation with Joey and Riley at Joey's home where we were able to get some additional questions clarified, as well as see Joey interact with our puppy.
We decided to do the "board and train" program which was a 3 week program were Riley stayed with Joey for intensive training. Our main concern was the food aggression and resource guarding, but we were also interested in general manners, recall, walking on leash, etc. I can say that even though I liked Joey, I was skeptical as to how a dog could be transformed in only 3 weeks, especially with something like aggression.
All I can say is that Joey and his team exceeded all expectations.
We got regular updates via social media and text. At the end of each week, we got a personalized video of what the trainers were working on and how Riley was progressing.
At the end of the 3 weeks, we went to pick Riley up and got our own course on how to keep up on the training. In all honesty, it was bit of a learning curve for us as well, as we tried to remember the commands while simultaneously holding the leash, and the e-collar remote. By the time we got home, we already had questions on how we were supposed to continue the training and were able to get in touch with the training team right away for clarification.
One thing about the training is that it is an ongoing thing - you as the owner need to keep up on the training and continue to practice or else the dogs may fall back into their bad habits. Having an open line of communication with the training team makes that aspect much less stressful. It also helps that with the board and train, you get two in home training sessions with Joey or his team where they come to your house, can see the dog in its normal environment, and provide additional feedback on what to do to ensure your training is effective.
The most impressive thing that the team was able to do was to teach Riley the "out" command. If she has anything she shouldn't have, like a stuffed animal, all we have to say is "out" and she not only drops it, but walks away from it so we can safely remove it. We can give her steak in her food bowl and say "out" and she will walk away from it and leave the room. At first the out command was a means to avoid situations that might lead to aggression. At this point, after months of reinforcement, the aggression is a non-issue.
Walks are an absolute pleasure. Riley walks at our heel, doesn't pull or get distracted, and can even walk off leash with us.
Recall was also an important ability. We can play in parks or hike in the woods off leash and Riley will come when called every time, from any distance.
The entire process has been great, and no one was more skeptical than me. The board and train seemed pricey (although was in line with what other trainers were charging) but I can honestly say I would do it again in a heartbeat. When you consider the average lifespan of a dog, it comes out to a couple hundred dollars per year, for an excellently trained dog. When you look at it that way, it's a no brainer.
The real takeaway I can provide is that the training is a fast track to set a good strong foundation with your dog, but it isn't a magic bullet by any means. Riley is still a puppy and still gets into things she shouldn't sometimes. The difference is that we have the tools and techniques to correct her, and she has the strong training foundation to respond quickly. Training and reinforcement has to continue from the owner side but even 4 months past the board and train, the amount of correction we have to do is incredibly minimal.
I just want to thank Joey and the team again for the wonderful job they've done, and assure anyone thinking about using their services that they are the real deal, and will continue to be a resource for the life of your dog. They truly saved our relationship with Riley, and set our whole family up for success throughout her life. She is really a part of the family now, and we couldn't imagine things without her.🥰