Banjo and Grace were such a dynamic duo to work with! Their owners contacted me asking for help because the male, Banjo, seemed oddly possessive of the living room coffee table. I observed this behavior, and Grace's behaviors, and arrived at the conclusion that they both needed 1) more exercise, 2) a job and 3) more of a scheduled structure in the house. Grace had many interesting behaviors such as obsession with reflections and an obvious level of discomfort around common kitchen items like the toaster. This is not an uncommon behavior in herding dogs, and I have worked many times to correct this issue with other dogs. We set out to create household structures that worked for the owners to implement on a daily basis and they saw both dogs improve by leaps and bounds.

Banjo's possession of the living room coffee table stemmed from his general lack of sufficient physical and mental exercise, combined with his entertainment of Grace's overstimulated brain. When we don't give our dog a job, they will come up with something to occupy their time, and often they come up with very destructive or peculiar behaviors. Banjo and Grace are now getting more physical and mental exercise and their owners feel like they own their house again!

There is never a time when training is not necessary, and so as important as it is to have a professional, certified dog trainer come in to teach you a strategy and psychology when handling your dog, it's even more pertinent that you continue the process that the trainer helped you start. Banjo and Grace are on a great path to full physical, mental and relational health! And aren't they just so adorable? I enjoyed photographing them, too! Check out the full photoshoot here.