In the spring of 1997, I purchased a 7 -week old very, very cute, affectionate and intelligent little Shih Tzu puppy. Her breeder gave me a book entitled: "How To Train Your Puppy in Just Two Weeks." Well, was that ever a misnomer. It would have been more aptly entitled "How to Make Your Dog Fear You in Less Than Two Weeks!"
My little girl was essentially a very well behaved, well-adjusted and affectionate little puppy. However, in less than 10 days, I managed to make her cower and hide under the furniture every time I came near her. She continued to eliminate in the house and jumped on everyone who walked through my door, almost knocking people over on several occasions.
After several sessions in various classes I enrolled her in, and despite a private trainer, I came to the sad decision that I was going to have to give my puppy away or lose my mind. Instead, I finally admitted to myself that I needed help. One evening, in sheer frustration and in tears, I plopped myself down on the sofa to watch the 6:00 PM news on Channel 8. I happened to catch an interview with Karen who was called upon to testify as an expert witness in a case involving a pet owner who was trying to convince a jury that her dog, rather than she, was sexually molesting her child. I watched and listened to the entire interview in total amazement and was extremely impressed with Karen and realized immediately, that this person really knows what she is talking about and that I needed to contact her.
That was on a Friday night. Early the following Monday morning, after having researched Karen's credentials (which included the many articles she had authored and had published), I wasted no time contacting her. From the moment she answered the phone, my frustrations were allayed and I was convinced that I had made the right decision in contacting Karen to help me correct my puppy's unacceptable behavior. Just by talking to her for a few moments, her genuine concern, pleasant demeanor and the positive attitude she exuded further re-emphasized that I had made the right decision and taken the first, and very important step, to the road to obedience.
I had wasted valuable time enrolling my dog in countless dog training sessions at various institutions, and even hired a personal trainer to do one-on-one training with her. One trainer actually used a technique of squirting my dog in the mouth with vinegar when she did not respond properly to a command.
The first and probably the most important lesson I learned from Karen was that my puppy was not born a monster, but rather that I had made her that way. I needed connection, as did my dog, if not more so. After just one session, Karen was able to identify our problems and quickly implemented the appropriate steps that needed to be taken to turn my little girl into the most well behaved little dog I have ever owned. This was all done with positive reinforcement, infinite patience, a lot of TLC, and totally devoid of any negative techniques such as choker or electronic collars.
By the end of our last session, I had the most adorable, well-behaved little girl I have ever known. She came to trust me again and we became closer than ever. Owning her was a joy and she was no longer the little monster I had almost tuned her into. I swelled with pride when friends or family visited and complimented me on how well behaved my Kahlua was.
Sadly, I lost her in early 2007 from liver disease. In the spring of 2008, I brought home my new little 7-week old Shih Tzu puppy Miso small. Needless to say, I was on the phone with Karen the very next day, and a week later, we began her lessons.
I cannot strongly enough emphasize the importance of training a puppy early on and correctly, but I feel it is tantamount to have this accomplished by the most experienced person possible, and I know for a fact, that the one person who can virtually work miracles with dogs, and their owners, is Karen Arnoff. I am proud and pleased to have had the opportunity to work with, and still work with, Karen and the furry little members of my family. She is easily available, and does not disappear once the training sessions are completed. I am truly grateful to her for working wonders with my "girls".