Payton, the Corgi/Dachshund mix

Jill Collins and Sean Doran
Boston, MA 

Our sweet rescue dog Payton (a corgi/dachshund mix) immediately became part of our family, and we could not imagine life without her. That is why were desperate for help dealing with her severe anxiety and aggression. We did not know Payton's background, but immediately after we adopted her, we realized that Payton had some severe behavioral problems. Payton's anxiety manifested itself in excessive barking, pacing, and even destruction when we left the house. Payton also exhibited fear-motivated aggression and territorial protection issues. We had tried everything to deal with these issues on our own (a thundershirt, a DAP infuser, calming treats, and, at our vet's instruction, even mild medication). We also went to twelve weeks of dog training classes to work on her manners and her comfort with other people in our presence. But, nothing really helped. We were desperate because Payton was lunging at people on the street who approached us, barking aggressively at anyone who visited, and refusing to walk without both of us present at all times. We did not know what else to do, so after significant research, we called Pet Behavior Change/Holly Byrd.

We are so grateful that we found Holly; we could not have asked for a better person to help us work through Payton's anxiety and aggression issues! Holly showed an immense amount of patience in working with Payton and helped equip us with the skills that we needed to (positively) correct many of Payton's more harmful habits and to reinforce her positive improvements. She also showed us things that our friends and family could do to make Payton feel more at ease. After several weeks of working with Holly, Payton was like a different dog! She's still a work in progress, but her behavior around people has improved significantly, and she rarely lunges at people during our walks. And, for the first time since we adopted Payton, we are finally comfortable with friends and family coming to visit our apartment without the fear of Payton continually barking aggressively at them. We can finally be happy and relaxed at home with guests! Holly helped us so much, and we cannot say enough good things about the Pet Behavior Change model. We highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for some help and reassurance working through behavioral issues with their dog.