Kelly
Kelly was at San Antonio Animal Control, then Gold Ribbon Rescue. There were several foster homes, but despite her sweet nature, no one could manage Kelly’s amazing energy level. She paced constantly and was never, ever still. After several months, we realized that she was not a typical “high drive” dog—Kelly’s behavioral issues were far more serious and complex.
We took Kelly to her first obedience class, and the instructor warned us, “Don’t expect too much from this dog.” Kelly disrupted our entire household with her hyperactive behavior, fear aggression, and pack order issues. Kelly guarded everything—toys, food, even poop and vomit. If another dog got sick, she attacked them to get the vomit. She was an incorrigible poop eater. If we tried to pick up behind her, she would rear up on her back legs, growl and glare at us menacingly so that she could get at it. Kelly’s favorite game was “keep-away”–especially with laundry. If we dropped a sock or some other small item, she would run away with it. And, if we tried to retrieve it, she would swallow it whole just to keep us or the other dogs from getting it. Kelly also fought with some of our other dogs and would go crazy in her crate during feeding time if other dogs were anywhere around.
It was clear to us that Kelly needed both medication and behavioral modification or she would not survive. We were desperate for help because we could not face the idea of having to euthanize this otherwise sweet, wonderful dog. Fortunately, we found Dr. Haug, who is uniquely qualified, to work with us. Initially, we were concerned about working with a behavioral specialist that was a 3-hour drive away, but the working relationship proved to be extremely successful. Dr. Haug followed our efforts and Kelly’s progress with genuine interest and concern. Every telephone call and e-mail was promptly answered, and we always felt that Kelly’s needs were met.
Dr. Haug helped us to understand Kelly’s lack of impulse control and her hyperkinetic behavior. She taught us calming techniques and how to work towards modifying Kelly’s erratic behavior. She also prescribed the proper medication to assist Kelly in becoming calmer and more focused so that she could learn. These efforts along with time, patience and love, have resulted in Kelly becoming the best behaved dog in our household.
The improvements in Kelly’s behavior have also allowed her to reach her potential as an outstanding canine athlete. She is a regular participant in dog agility competitions and has now earned AKC’s highest agility title, Master Agility Champion (MACh.). This accomplishment would not have been possible without Dr. Haug’s help. But most importantly, Kelly is a safe, loved and very happy dog.
~Kathy and Angie
Jolie (“Bean”)
I consulted with Dr. Haug about a 6 months ago regarding my dog who panicked when there were too many people or dogs moving around. She also started to shy away from people she knew. In classes she started to shut down and I eventually stopped taking her to class altogether.
However, even taking her out of ’scary situations’, I did not make progress with straight behavior modification and decided after a year and a half of failed attempts on my own to work alongside a veterinary behaviorist. I chose Dr. Haug because she has experience with pharmacology plus practical experience with behavior modification and training.
Needless to say, her consult and choices for my ‘Bean’ were so right on I can only say I have a ‘different dog’ altogether. We started her on a drug regimen that supported behavior modification.
She is once again the puppy I brought home at 9 weeks. She is 90% better in crowds and has started to play and look for affection from me and solicits attention from people again. Now we are successful with training!
Dr. Haug was always available for questions during the whole treatment which helped me make effective choices along the way! Thank you so much. I have my little ‘Bean’ back again.
–Elissa
Tulip
REMARKABLE is the one of the many words I use to describe how different Tulip is.
She has gone from barking 3 x Thursday night, 2 x Friday night and only once last night. And the barking periods are MUCH, MUCH shorter. I have had the best sleep in months! Actually I feel like I have a new lease (or should I say leash) on life!!!! I know it has only been 3 days, and I know it will take long term consistency, but the REWARD of well-behaved dogs has changed our entire household and my sense of well-being.
….Remarkable, remarkable, remarkable….I don’t ever want to go back to rude dogs!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!”
~Faith
Cole and Dex: BFF
When Coletrane and Dexter came to live with us in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston four years ago, they were two sweet puppies about ten weeks old. Along with their beloved older “sister” Sweet Pea the beagle, Cole and Dex played together, completed obedience classes, and weathered an energetic adolescence.
When they were about a year old, however, Dexter began exhibiting a frightening aggressive streak aimed at his brother Cole. If Cole bounced into his space too energetically, or seemed even mildly interested in his food or raw hide, Dex would lunge aggressively and threaten to attack. And while the exuberant Cole usually deferred to his brother, he would occasionally respond in kind, especially if his adrenaline was up. The result was some pretty frightening fights, with Cole usually getting the worst of it. Although they were good friends most of the time, the unpredictability and ferocity of the fights provoked high anxiety in both us and the dogs.
That anxiety has been greatly alleviated by our consultations with Dr. Haug. Under her guidance, we and Cole and Dex have built on our obedience training with rituals that teach the dogs to look first to us for instruction rather than act on impulse. Various kinds of relaxation protocols have helped them learn how to be calm even at moments of high excitement. Since we began consulting with Dr. Haug five months ago, they’ve not fought even once and are behaving much better on a daily basis. Thank you, Dr. Haug!
~J. and Lynn
Cooper
We have been working with Dr. Haug for about 6 weeks now to deal with Cooper’s aggression toward us and other dogs. We can’t get over the change that we have seen in our dog, Cooper. By following Dr. Haug’s patient, consistent approach to training and behavior modification, our dog’s personality has changed dramatically. He is much calmer and much more responsive to our direction. It’s amazing! We look forward to continuing our work with Dr. Haug. We can’t wait to see what else Cooper will do.
Cortney
Max
We believe in what Dr. Haug is doing and I would highly recommended her services to others struggling with baffling doggie behavior. If it hadn’t have been for her help, we have no doubt that Max would have had to be destroyed. The issue in our house was not so much the poor doggie’s problem, but rather that we humans were miscommunicating. Dr. Haug taught us how to listen and to watch for signs we had not previously been picking up on. We thought that the correct way to address our Maxi’s growling (and eventual biting) was to exert our dominance as pack leaders. NOPE! This does NOT work with a terrier. Our poor fellow thought we were going to eat him on a routine basis. Several hours with Dr. Haug helped us understand our dog and ourselves! Through work and trust building, we now have a companion who loves us and who trusts us, and we are better pet owners because of her wisdom and expertise.
~Katherine
Miloh Adams
We have raved about your service to friends since coming home with Miloh! You are very passionate and professional about what you do and how you approach things. It showed during the appointment. The time you put into the “discharge note/plan of action”, and certainly with all the follow up consultation since then. During the initial consult in your office we felt like you knew Miloh. It was obvious you cared enough to thoroughly review the application before the appointment. That meant a lot. And so has all the time involved with follow up correspondence. We have utmost confident there will be more success with Miloh as we continue to work through the treatment plan you so diligently laid out. We will also recommend your service to anybody that mutters the words “separation anxiety” or “behavior problems!” The price for your service is indisputable.
~Vicki and Sherri
Pepper and Morgan
Pepper and Morgan are two of my furbabies, whom I love dearly. When they got into a knock-down, drag-out fight back in June, I was terrified by the display of aggression between two dogs that have known each other and lived together for years. After the fight, the dynamic in our household changed. There was more tension, some of which came from me, I am sure. I was worried that they might fight again, and that the next time, the outcome might be drastically different. I knew we could not continue to live in such a high-anxiety/high-stress environment. It was not healthy for anyone. I consulted with my regular veterinarian because I knew I would need help in properly handling whatever issues were behind the unexpected display of aggression I had witnessed and was unable to stop. She recommended I take Pepper and Morgan to be evaluated by Dr. Haug.
Although the fight was the catalyst for me to seek help, it was by no means the only problem that needed to be addressed. Pepper struggles with anxiety and nervousness and is quite the barker inside the house. Morgan is reactive to dogs who are not in her pack, especially when she is on leash. Both have varying degrees of resource guarding issues.
At this point in our training, I am happy to report that there have been no subsequent fights or displays of aggression between Pepper and Morgan. We are currently working on learning basic cues as well as “let’s go” when out walking on leash. (Pepper and Morgan are notorious leash pullers—just ask anyone who has seen me walking them!) They are both improving and seem to enjoy the training sessions.
We are working on generalizing these skills to other environments and with increasing distractions. This aspect of our training is a work in progress, but we are definitely moving in the right direction, learning from each other every step of the way.
Soon we will begin working on the Down-Stay protocol. Both girls are getting close to mastery of the down and stay commands, and I am excited about implementing the Down-Stay protocol. It has been a lot of work getting to this point, and I know we still have a long road ahead and other issues to address, but I owe it to Pepper and Morgan to give them skills that will help them live calmer, safer, and hopefully, happier lives. Isn’t that what every dog (and cat) deserves?
~Dorothy
