Ellie’s Story

When my 14 year old Great Pyrenees, Lacy, passed away in August of 2009, I wasn’t sure when I would be ready for another dog.  However after a winter that was far too quiet and lonely, and having a house that was far too clean (no dog hair, biscuit crumbs or toys scattered on the floor), I decided I needed to have another dog in my life.

An opportunity came up for me to “foster” a 3 year old Saint Bernard that had been found in very bad condition – emaciated (only 68 lbs) with very dry skin and coat.  So “Ellie” came home with me – and totally bonded with me.  I got her weight back up, her skin cleared up and her coat came back in thick and soft.  She seemed to fit into my life so completely, almost as if she had always been there.  So, as you can guess, I decided I just had to adopt her.

However, I became aware of a problem she seemed to have with strangers, more specifically, strange men, especially if the were of larger stature.  When walking her, she would give a low growl when she saw someone she was apprehensive about.  While I suspected that she may have possibly been mistreated in the past and that there were reasons for her behavior, I knew the danger of having such a large dog with fear based aggression issues.  I wanted a dog that I could take places, walk anywhere with, etc.

So, I started considering trainers/behaviorists.  I had picked up a brochure for Sit Means Sit.  I set up a free demonstration at my home.  Well Ellie was having none of it.  Strange men in her house, apparently spelled DANGER to her.  If she weren’t muzzled, she probably would’ve bitten Nick.  He worked with her for a while and suggested a plan to teach that she would be safe and that I would not let anything scary happen to her.

We enrolled in Anger Management classes and sailed through those, with nary another growl.  Then she graduated to the regular classes where she would approach strange people with the goal of getting petted and Ellie loves to see Nick and all the other trainers.

And a couple of weeks ago, she passed the Canine Good Citizen test!  A wonderful achievement, especially considering where she was a year ago.  Now we continue with the classes because they are fun, and a great way to spend more time together improving on her skills.

A big THANK YOU to Nick, Amy, and all the trainers at Sit Means Sit.  I now have a wonderful, big lug of a dog with a great personality and confidence!

~ Mary Wagner, Madison Heights