We remember firsts for many things. When I opened up Love Wags A Tail Dog Training, my first call was from a woman needing help with her Doberson. She was one of those people who had met up with a couple of unconscionable dog trainers who knew little about behavioral science and a lot about cruelty. By the time I met her and her Dobie, Harley, she’d tried choke, pinch, and shock collars and was also squirting her beloved dog in the mouth with Bitter Apple. Why? Because when she paid those trainers, she thought they were giving her sound training advice. But instead and because there is no mandatory credentialing of dog trainers, she followed advice that made her dog worse than ever. They took her money and left her with a dog who was more broken than before she hired them.
But Harley’s mom wanted to make it right. She did everything I told her in big fashion, and soon after our first meeting, she saw improvement in Harley’s dog-dog leash reactivity. We worked together on outings and she worked hard in between our lessons. She was soon taking Harley to some pretty dog-crowded events including a Sunday jazz brunch held downtown once a month.
I enjoyed our lesson time and especially loved the progress Harley and his owner were making as a team. Harely was learning to trust the world again, and his owner proved to be an exceptional dog trainer.
We’d not seen each other for almost a year when Harley and my first client joined my tricks class at the end of 2014. It was a sad time for me because I’d lost my own Dobermann, Luigi, just after the second class, so seeing Harley come to class was comforting to me. But Harley was fighting his own health battles and sadly, just three weeks after I lost my Doberson, my client lost hers. Of course I was devastated for her and me. I was still in the deeper parts of mourning at the time, and even till now, hadn’t been able to bring myself to say a proper farewell to Harley.
Harley was a magnificent and proud Dobermann, who survived the streets of Miami as a puppy, found himself in rescue, and luckily for him, into the loving home of my client. Harley walked proudly, zeroed in on squirrels with radar-air horn precision, and loved to learn. He especially loved the training food his owner baked and cooked for him week in and week out. Those treats were so aromatic, I was tempted to try them. Harley would have shared.
When I met Harley as my first client’s dog, I never in a million years would have guessed he’d also be the first of my client’s dogs who’d reach out to cross over the Rainbow Bridge. Two firsts on such completely opposite ends of the spectrum. Happy to sad in such short time. It’s yet another reminder to enjoy each day with those you love. And those of my clients reading this are the type of people who love their dogs as family members. Love wags a tail goes both ways.
This was the last class and last time I saw Harley. I’ll always cherish the happiness he found in succeeding in ringing that bell.
God bless Harley. He’s still watching over his people. And we miss him.
Helen Verte Schwarzmann
Certified in Training and Counseling
Certified Pet Dog Trainer-KA
Certified Trick Dog Instructor
Your Dog Trainer for Weston, Plantation, Fort Lauderdale, Davie, and Hollywood in Broward county south Florida
By Helen Verte
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