Rukmini Vijayakumar Instagram – Kong was a very reactive dog. He has slowly gotten better over the last 6 months with a very very big effort from both @santhosh_powerstar and me. I couldn’t even imagine a scenario where he would be off leash with all of my students 6 months ago. But getting a reactive dog to be calm is not a small thing. There is constant training and reinforcement that needs to happen throughout the day in different ways. Giving you examples of reactivity: – He used to get agitated if the doorbell rang. Hair standing on back and ready for attack. Now he barks, informs but is relaxed. – he would guard me and other family members – still does, but he’s getting used to the idea that other people can be around and not be a threat. This has taken a lot of effort – he still gets agitated and aggressive towards people who stare at me on walks, but he’s able to calm down sooner and doesn’t continue his aggression There are hundreds of examples…. But if you’re thinking about getting a #gsd because they’re cute and smart, please remember to make the time to give them what they deserve. They are really loving and become a part of the family… but one needs to be able to give them the necessary exercise, love, mental stimulation, and socialisation. A dog like kong could easily have been locked up in solitude for most of his day, left untrained. The whole family and all caregivers also need to be on the same page with a smart dog. Varying commands confuse them and leave them agitated. So does raising your voice / shouting. Kong became aggressive and over protective when he lost his brother and it’s been a task to start getting him to trust strangers. We had a big win today with this off leash scenario in a class full of my @raadhakalpa students … ♥️ They’ve been instrumental in helping kong on this journey alongside all of my friends at @stairs.physio who are patient with his presence many times a week. Thank you all so much! Kong will have a better life because of all of your love … and I hope to make him even more calm and friendly over the next year. (But he will always kill for me 🤣😂😂) #gsd #germanshepherd #training #patience #love #loyalty #animals #dogmom