Diesel is a four-year-old Beagle/German Shepherd mix that we adopted five months ago.  When we first got him, he was very nervous around strangers or in crowded areas.  We live in an apartment building, and Diesel would sometimes refuse to get into the elevator if someone else was inside.  He was especially nervous around men, and if we had any friends over that were male he would bark at them and back away if they tried to approach him.  He also pulled on the leash and would stop and zig-zag whenever he wanted to.  At first, we thought he just needed some time to adjust to his new surroundings, so we didn’t consider training right away.  However, his nervousness around strangers did not improve.  When maintenance workers in our building came into the unit, for example, Diesel would bark the entire time.  We did not want this barking to become an issue with our neighbors, and we also wanted to be able to have people over to the apartment without stressing out our dog.  We decided to contact Mango Dogs seemed to really emphasize behavioral modification.  Since working with Mango Dogs, Diesel has become so much more confident.  We’ve learned how to better train our dog and how to feed him properly in a way that strengthens his training.

Diesel has learned to listen to commands outside in distracting, public places and to keep focused on us.  We have also learned how to teach him new commands and make positive associations with strangers.  Diesel’s confidence around strangers has really improved, and he doesn’t even hesitate anymore when getting into the elevator with strangers.  Also, his leash walking has completely changed.  Diesel stays by our side and even sits when we stop.  Another big change has been in our own confidence in training Diesel.  We know what to do and how to communicate with our Dog, which helps Diesel feel more confident and helps him understand how he should act.  Now, we can have a friend over to the apartment and Diesel will want pets from him within minutes.  We have also taught him to control his barking.  It’s amazing to be able to help our dog be happy and actually enjoy the company of others.  We would absolutely recommend and thank Mango Dogs for all the help he’s given us!

Daniella, Josh and Diesel