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"I have recommended Barb to
several clients with very challenging situations, and she was
consistently able to provide both humans and dogs the training and
tools they needed to stay together. Barb is the person these people
called when they were on the verge of euthanizing or giving-up their
dogs. Barb was successful in providing life-altering help to these
families."
Bobbie Ruth Langley The Placid Pet, Inc. Bellingham, WA |
We adopted Maddie from the Alternative Humane Society on April 18, 2010 after having her in our home for a trial-visit for about 2 weeks. We knew ahead of time that she had some "alpha/aggression issues." These issues were due to trauma she had lived through when having 2 litters of pups before the age of two, having to fight for her food, and being passed from one home to the next with no stability. After working with Barb, our whole family now knows how to respond to Maddie when she is feeling stressed or aggressive. Barb taught us simple voice commands and body language to keep any situation under control when Maddie meets new dogs. We are now able to walk her on a leash confidently. We feel that once Maddie realizes that she is in her forever home with people that love and care about her that her aggression will subside and she won't feel like she has to be in "self-preservation" mode all the time. She is gentle and loving with people and loves to play and "talk" with us when she wants more. She seems so happy and we feel like she just feels safer every day. Her unofficial nickname is "wiggles" or "wiggle-butt" - aptly named for how she greets us at the door whenever we come home! Barb has so much knowledge of dogs and dog behavior and we feel truly blessed that she could help us with the newest member of our family! Not only does Barb have all this knowledge but she is willing to share it with everyone! Barb has a calm, self-assured nature that dogs (as well as people!) really respond to! We recommend Barb and Whatcom Dog Rehabilitation to anyone who has behavioral issues with their dog or may be thinking of adopting a dog with prior issues or just for regular training (it really is simple once you understand the mind of a dog like Barb does). Barb can show you that there is "no lost cause," and that EVERY dog deserves a chance to be understood and loved! The Smith Family Bellingham, WA   My wife and I contacted Barb to help us with Gonzo, our four year old Patterdale Terrier that we rescued a couple of years ago. Shortly after rescuing Gonzo he began to exhibit aggressive traits towards other animals and people. We enrolled him in training classes, and while Gonzo was able to learn to follow commands and tricks, he continued to be aggressive towards the other dogs in the class and as a result we were asked to continue the training in private lessons. Over the two years that we have had Gonzo, my wife and I have tried to work with Gonzo on his aggressive behaviors, however, nothing seemed to be effective. After receiving feedback from others that Gonzo might need to be put down, we decided to give his training one more try and we contacted Whatcom Dog Rehabilitation to see if they could help. Our meetings with Barb helped shed light on the issues that we were having in regard to Gonzo, and it was enlightening to hear that Gonzo was not a “lost cause”. Barb was confident that he could be rehabilitated and she worked with us on different techniques from the way we leash train, to how we react when his aggression comes out, and her tips have truly helped us and Gonzo live more harmoniously together. Barb’s instruction was broken down into manageable steps which were easy to follow, and over the course of our work we have noticed vast improvements in Gonzo’s behavior and how he reacts to us, and to other animals when we are out on walks. Working with Barb was rewarding, enlightening, and has helped Gonzo experience a more fulfilled and balanced life. Tom and Shannon Bellingham, WA  I hired Barb to help me with our friend’s dog, Teddy, who I walk occasionally. He is a 120 pound mastiff mix, so I was very wary about walking him by myself and being able to control him. I also wasn’t sure about his behavior around other dogs. I had tried to handle Teddy by myself before, and he was definitely the one in charge. When I walked in my friend’s house, he jumped on me, and if I tried to walk him, he was dragging me the whole way. After just a couple of hours with Barb, she gave me the tools I needed to be able to interact effectively with Teddy. She gave me strategies and commands for stopping the jumping, and she showed me how she would walk Teddy and then gave me a chance to model it while she was still there. This helped because she could immediately correct the problem or give me pointers. I quickly found out that I was more of the problem, and Teddy just needed a confident leader. By the end of our session, I was the one walking Teddy instead of the other way around. I returned to walk Teddy the next day by myself, and I was able to get the leash on, lead him out of the house, and walk him for an hour without the leash even going taut one time. I enjoyed working with Barb because she has a very calming manner, and I didn’t feel like there were any stupid questions I could ask. She took as much time as I needed to feel comfortable with what I had learned. She gave me the tools to use, and as long as I am consistent and implement them, I can definitely see the results. Teddy and I continue to have many successful outings, and we are both very happy we found Barb and Whatcom Dog Rehabilitation! Staci H. Bellingham, WA  The principles Barb explained to us have really helped us with our two year old Cocker Spaniel, Andy. Our daily walks are now much more enjoyable, and understanding Andy's needs as a dog (not a human) have helped us make changes that have greatly improved our pet family's balance at home (5 cats, 1 dog). Andy is much calmer during the day after his morning walk, and though he still has plenty of puppy energy, he settles down quickly when asked. Barb really went the extra mile in explaining leadership principles to us in practical ways, and she even did an off leash walk with us to help us relax with Andy and work on his recall, which was something we were very nervous about. Thank you Barb! Naomi and Alan P. Bellingham, WA  I am a volunteer for the Alternative Humane Society
(AHS), an all
volunteer animal welfare organization, where we see first hand the
many ways that dogs are hurt by uneducated humans, even (and sometimes
especially) well-meaning ones. About a year ago,
Barb Kennedy began working with AHS as a foster volunteer for "problem"
dogs. Shortly thereafter,she began teaching AHS foster volunteers
the importance of the daily walk and the basics
of leash walking. Her calm and kind
approach to both dogs and humans has made her work enormously
successful. She is now a member of the AHS
Board of Directors and is working to implement a training
program for all AHS canine foster volunteers. Under Barb's leadership,
AHS volunteers are now
learning how to demonstrate and
teach healthier canine/human relationships. Barb
Kennedy's work provides a huge and previously unavailable
win-win situation for everyone - dogs, people, and
the community at large.
Jesse L. Bellingham, WA After a lifetime of dog ownership, we found ourselves
completely
stressed and unable to manage two female dogs in our pack of
four. One had become uncharacteristically aggressive toward
the other and viciously attacked at any opportunity. Our home
life was turned upside down trying to keep these two apart from each
other. We asked Barb for help and she agreed to come give it
a try. In the course of one short hour she had the dogs
walking side by side down the street with her as we sat on the porch
with every tool we could think of to break up the inevitable dog fight.
It never occurred. We were
surprised and thrilled that we could keep our dog! Of course,
the real learning came down to what we didn't know and Barb was as firm
in communicating those messages as she was with the dogs. Now, many
happy months later, we're all living a peaceful life once
again. Thanks Barb!
Gary S. Bellingham, WA Kevin, our border collie-lab, was scheduled to be
euthanized in Seattle on a Monday morning. I could not find a foster
home, alternative shelter,or other alternative, after two
weeks of non-stop attempts- because Kevin had
'bitten' one too many times. Sunday (the day) before Kevin was
scheduled to meet his 'maker', I was a basket case.
But a guardian angel, Barb Kennedy called, and gave Kevin a second
life. She even offered, after I drove up to Bellingham with him from
Seattle, to foster him indefinitely or adopt him (because I was going
through the divorce from hell, and had just moved to an interim
place). Kevin had been an integral member of our
family for 10 years, but was acting out and in pain.
While giving Kevin up, was selfishly one of the most painful and difficult decisions I've ever had to make, Barb has done wonders with him, by providing a safe, disciplined, loving environment. She also tends to his medical needs to work with his chronic limp and compromised auto-immune syste. And Kevin has responded to Barb and her family wonderfully over time, becoming a model for the other fosters that have come since, and creating a place in their family. Michael G. Seattle, WA  I began fostering Lyza 2 years ago and then decided to adopt her after it became obvious that nobody else wanted to adopt her. She had been terribly abused from the time she was a small puppy and was also a fear biter. Because Lyza became anxious around people, bikes and cars when I walked her, I became too afraid to walk her anymore for fear that she might bite someone. A friend referred me to Barb Kennedy who set up a consult with me right away. She came right to my house! Barb first talked with me about my fears and how to let go of them then showed me how to use a leash, where to place it on Lyza’s neck, and the proper tension to use. For me, the most important thing I learned through these lessons from Barb was how to walk my dogs with confidence. I am forever thankful and I know Lyza is too. I am happy to announce that thanks to Barb and the techniques she taught me Lyza gets a walk everyday and I can even walk both my dogs together now with the utmost confidence. Bekki D. (Pawbs & Lyza) Sedro-Woolley, WA  Pawbs & Lyza
Barb spent time with Nova and us today and we really enjoyed working with and learning from her. We're amazed at the dramatic change in Nova's leash behavior in just one session. Barb was so kind and helpful, and gave us many tools to work with. She used a leash that loops around Nova's nose and neck, much like a Gentle Leader -- and Nova heels like a charm, no pulling at all. It's a pleasure to walk her now. Barb also brought her dog, Ceasar, to work on socialization issues with Nova, walking them both together, and then walking them past one another. We also worked with Nova on the street across from where a large Mastiff lives. This neighbor dog usually sets Nova off, but we had her sit and after a bit, she was able to ignore him, and the neighbor dog quit barking and carrying on. We are so relieved to have a lot of our fears alleviated and to now be able to take Nova places with confidence and to have fun doing it. And she seems happier as well. Pam and Ruth Bellingham, WA We found our second dog, Bella, through a pet rescue service in Seattle. 'Pet Rescue' had misrepresented her behavioral problems as 'a mild barking issue that was improving.' They were way off base with that description of our new family member! Bella is a 9-pound Maltese-Pomeranian who has bitten everyone in our family as well as through the fingernail of an adult friend. One session with Barb Kennedy helped us understand Bella’s behavior is from fear and avoidance, and no matter how cute and friendly she is with us now, our consistency with her is critical to ensure that the aberrant behaviors are eradicated. Our genuine gratitude to Barb Kennedy for helping us save the life of Bella and help her to be a positive member of the family. Elizabeth and Mike H. Bellingham, WA Barb has trained many of the folks who work for my company, The Placid Pet, Inc., on how to properly walk dogs on-leash, and how to be calm-and-assertive with dogs. She absolutely "saved" us one winter when a 200 lb pitt bull, left to our care, completely freaked out when his humans left town for three weeks. After the assigned staff member walked off the job the first visit because the dog (out of fear) cornered her, Barb counseled me over the phone for an hour on how to win this very scared, and very powerful dog's trust so that we could provide care for him. Barb's advice worked, and the next three weeks were a joy! Bobbie Ruth Langley The Placid Pet, Inc. Bellingham, WA
June 6, 2008 - It was a rainy day in February when we took a short drive to the AHS meet 'n greet at Ruff Day Doggy Daycare. I had seen a very sweet doggy face on the website and wanted to meet the owner of it. We were greeted by lots of tail wagging and sweet puppy breath licks at 100 miles an hour. Her name was Hailey (we renamed her Fiona...we've got a Shrek fan in the house) she is 1.5 years old and she is a pit bull. I have never owned one before and had you asked me 6 months ago if I thought I'd ever own one I would have said "absolutely NOT!" Now I can say that I will probably NEVER own anything BUT a pit bull from now on. 
Fiona is the sweetest, most loving dog I have ever met. She adores my 3 year old son as well as our cat, and is definitely a mama's girl. She and the cat have a very playful relationship and seek each other out when they want to tumble around the house. It gets a bit rambunctious at times and we have to put a stop to the romping and tackling (the cat takes running leaps at her head and she playfully chases him in a round of tag). Fiona is convinced that she is a 5 pound lap dog and does her best to pretend she's sound asleep once she has crept up on the couch or my bed. If I'm a little late in retiring for the evening, she will say goodnight and head upstairs to bed when she gets tired of waiting for me. 
Our dog is a great ambassador for her breed when we are at Lake Padden dog park and around town. She gets along with ALL dogs and relishes the compliments she gets from their human owners. Since she is a blondie she is extra intent on finding the large dark brown mud puddle and laying down in it just before we are ready to head home. We are so in love with our 'fur'ever dog and want to thank the AHS and especially Vicky and Barb Kennedy for being such great friends to us and making this adoption so successful. Fiona is wagging her tail in agreement! |
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