Testimonial 42 - Pepita

I had Pepita less than two months when I received complaints from neighbors about her constant barking for hours when I wasn’t home. At three years old, her foster owner was muzzling her to keep her from barking even though she had company from other dogs. Unfortunately, her behavior was no different after she came to live with me. Diagnosed with separation anxiety, her veterinarian prescribed Prozac and other calming aids, but nothing seemed to help. With her behavior only getting worse, I was worried I couldn’t keep her or would have to move out of my apartment. 

That’s when I found Mary. Just talking to her during the session I felt like I had a much better understanding of what Pepita was going through, and moreover, had the actual tools to help her (and me) work through it. After a full week of training with either 1 or 2 sessions a day, each time, she showed progress. When some sessions seemed better than others, Mary was there for feedback and reassurance. 

After following Mary’s training advice for a couple of months, I got to the point where Pepita was used to me being separated from her when I left the house. She really improved with her barking, settling down, and not peeing/pooping when I left. I filmed her about a month into the training, and it was truly amazing! She was pacing a bit and whining at the door for about 5 minutes after I left, but then quickly settled down.

I really can’t thank Mary enough for her help thus far. I plan to work with her again on Pepita’s reactivity to people and with being more settled on walks. She is also terrible with other dogs. After pretty much beating separation anxiety, I’m confident Mary can help me with any of Peptia’s behavior problems. 

Amy R. from Washington, DC