To: Those who have lost hope for their aggressive dog From: Someone who had almost lost hope for ther aggressive dog Cap and I's journey and experiences with Jessica cannot be summarized through this one review. Cap (GSD) is a dog-reactive, human-reactive, and extremely aggressive (high-bite-risk) dog due to his rough puppyhood. Therefore, I know Cap is a special case and needs to be trained by an experienced and knowledgeable trainer. Before working with Jessica, I spent a considerable amount of money with several other dog trainers but didn't achieve any of my goals. Before I reached out to Jessica, I researched and contacted several places to board and train Cap because my new job requires travel. After my first over-the-phone conversation with her, I didn’t feel hesitant to schedule a consultation session because Jessica is someone who speaks based on science and has many years of experience. Jessica showed no signs of fear or hesitation after her first intensive lesson with Cap. After the first session, I didn't feel hopeful for Cap because he was too aggressive, and I began to worry about the safety of those around me and his own safety. Jessica always wanted me to understand that changes take time, and I needed to trust Cap. Not only did Jessica help Cap a lot in a short time (less than 2 months), but she helped me become a better dog owner and handler. I can take Cap for a walk with a better mentality because Cap has improved significantly, even though our journey with Jessica has only just begun. I am blessed and grateful for her dedication, kindness, passion, patience, and commitment to helping Cap improve his quality of life. I cannot express enough to anyone reading this review of mine. If you feel there is no hope that your aggressive dog can be trained and improved, you need to contact Jessica. To truly understand my story and experience, you need to watch the videos about Cap's journey that Jessica puts together.
With our methods based on true academic science and decades of experience in their applications, Legacy Nicely Trained Dog can bring solutions tailored to your dogs’ needs. Upon a functional analysis, we will review all aspects that can cause the dogs’ behavior, including health and nutrition. The analysis is to find the antecedent (trigger) for the behavior and see the best way to change the antecedent. Change the antecedent, you change the behavior. This often involves changing how the owner interacts with the dog. It is not uncommon that the behavior directly results from something else involving the owner or family members.
There are many trainers now who claim to be behaviorists. A true behaviorist has at least a MS(Masters degree) in Behavioral Science from a college or university. As stated in the FAQs many have “certifications” but there are no local state or federal regulations on these certifications. One of the most commonly seen certifications is CBCC. There is no “passing” score but rather this explanation below from their own website.
“The passing score for the exam is figured using generally accepted psychometric principles and methods to determine what constitutes a competent dog behavior professional. Each candidate is measured against this standard, not against the performance of other individuals taking the examination.” Certified Council of Professional Dog Trainers.
“SCIENCE-BASED” is the catchphrase of the industry of late. However, not all “SCIENCE BASED” trainers are using the same science or science at all for that matter. Legacy Nicely Trained Dog has been using academic-taught science in their training since the late 90s, long before it became the extremely widely and improperly used “science” that exists today. Additionally, knowledge of science is useless if one does not have the experience to read the dog and owner and know how to apply it. LNTD has 39 years of hands-on training experience and uses science to guide what behavioral program is used for the problem behavior.