Testimonials, Reviews & Success Stories
Recommended by other Trainers!
Words from 20+ year Veteran Dog Trainer and owner of
Socratic Canine
Words from our clients!
Cosmo was adopted through Florida Giant Dog Rescue after being rescued from a hoarding situation. This early under-socialization unfortunately led to reactivity, which escalated to a bite incident.
His loving family had experienced similar challenges before and was determined to find a positive path forward for Cosmo! They contacted Florida Giant Dog Rescue, who advised them to reach out to Salt Dragon Farm for a behavioral evaluation. From our initial assessment, I was confident there was hope for Cosmo!
We specialize in understanding and addressing these complex behaviors, and Cosmo's family decided to send him for Boarding & Training.
Initially, Cosmo was quite reactive, barking at everything from horses and goats to, most notably, children. Here at Salt Dragon Farm, we specialize in creating unique environments that directly challenge dogs in a safe and supportive way. Our goal is to help them build confidence and reframe their perceptions through positive experiences and careful counter-conditioning.
We asked to worked with this South African Boerboel, an immensely powerful dog suffering from a severe noise phobia. Boerboel translates to “Farm Dog”. These dogs are bred to confront and protect farms and homes (in South Africa) from lions, leopards, hyenas, caracals and human intruders. These are massive, extremely powerful dogs that have the ability to confront apex predators.
Now, imagine that same dog so terrified of a loud noise that he’ll do anything to escape—including jumping through a glass window during a storm while at another trainer's facility...
That incident resulted in an ER visit, dozens of stitches, and deepened his trauma. His panic attacks to environmental noises such as during thunderstorms or from a car backfiring became so catastrophic that his owner, understandably became afraid of what he was capable of when he was in that state of terror. It was only a matter of time before a tragedy or severe injury to himself or his owner. The situation was critical. Veterinary intervention and medication did not solve their problem and his owner was desperate for help.
After a phone consultation and a comprehensive evaluation and lesson, we focused on giving them the tools to work through the panic and shutdown events. During our session, a loud bang could be heard from nearby construction, triggering the exact response they came to us to address. We saw him start to shut down and attempt to meltdown. But this time, using skilled techniques, we guided him back. The change was immediate! He was able to recover instead of escalating. We implemented specific techniques designed to interrupt a behavioral shutdown and help him recover in real time.
Fear in a powerful dog is a serious issue, one that can make an owner feel helpless and unsafe in their own home. It is an incredible feeling to empower this owner with the skills to turn terror into trust. We are so thrilled to have helped restore peace and safety to their daily life.
Check out the amazing update from his mom to see the results for yourself!
