Can anyone recommend a local trainer good with rescue/shelter dogs with behavior problems?

[Feoh]

Folks;

I've gotten some great Somerville dog related info here before so I
thought I'd try again

We've recently acquired a long term house guest (member of the family
on my wife's side) whose dog was originally a shelter dog and has some
rather severe behavior problems (constant screech like barking,
snarling and lunging at us sometimes, and hostility towards guests no
matter what we do to make it clear they're welcome friends).

Needless to say, this is rather eroding our quality of life, and we'd
like to help both dog and owner by engaging the services of a trainer
to help mitigate some of these behaviors.

Does anyone have any actual experience with anyone nearby they can
recommend?

Thanks so much!
-Chris

[Kerianne Crandall]

from my experience with this.. make sure its a trainer that will come to your house...

my dog was an angel at lessons... then a holy terror back at the house where he felt he had to protect everything

There are trainers around that work independently who would be willing to do so

Ker

2009/10/6 Feoh <cpa...@gmail.com>

[Pat Dains]

I would try Zen Dog Training.  Gordon and Melissa are terrific!

[big...@cape.com]

Marjie Alonso at City Dog Training (Somerville). She honestly knows her
stuff (I work with dogs, too, so that's not just an empty referral). She
stays current with the latest findings in canine behavior and utilizes
positive methods to reach the dog in a way that (s)he will best respond
to. Of course, that's NOT to say that all problematic behavior can be
extinguished.

Anyway, Marjie is awesome. It's just an added benefit that she's also
local. ;)
617-501-8383

Nancy A

[Michele Biscoe]

I second the recommendation for Marjie Alonso at City Dog Training at
321 Washington Street in Somerville. I've been fortunate not to have
ever needed a behaviorist for Strummer, but I have gone on a behavior
consult with Marjie: http://www.somervilledog.com/weblog/2008/04/how_to_stop_a_dog_from_barking.php

She really knows dogs and how to work with their owners to help them
have a happy relationship with their pets in their homes.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Michele
with Strummer (standard poodle)

[beagles02144]

I second the Zen Dog recommendation. Although I haven't used Zen Dog
myself, I have spoken with Gordon several times and was impressed.
He worked with my neighbors' dachshund, which exhibited many of the
behaviors you describe, and I observed great progress/improvement. My
only caveat is that you need to remember that the training is just as
much for the people as the dog. If the humans aren't committed and
consistent, success is likely to be limited. I'd also suggest a dog
obedience class, as well as in-home work. When I fostered recycled
dogs, I found that one of the best ways to help the dogs bond and sort
out his/her place in the home. But sounds as if you need to focus on
the major behavior issues first.

Good luck,
Renni