Holden, Cream English Golden Retriever, East Bridgewter, MA
Holden’s mom contacted me, because it was breaking her heart how scared he was to go in the car. You see, they got Holden in November of 2020, right in the middle of Covid 19, so they didn’t take him anywhere other than the vet for booster vaccinations. As a result, Holden only knew the car as a negative experience. It got so bad that he wouldn’t even enter the garage. He was panic stricken.
I explained to his mom and dad that the natural window of socialization for any dog is between 8-16 weeks of age. Since we had already passed that, now all we could do is desensitize Holden with the car. We had to create happy experiences for him in order to change his perception of what the car represented. So we got to work.
After a combination of obedience training and desensitization, I am happy to report that not only is he well behaved but he jumps right in the car eager for their next adventure.
Holden ended the summer of 2021 enjoying graduation parties and showing off what a well behaved boy he has turned out to be.
So happy for you guys. All your hard work paid off. Nicely done!!
