As previous dog owners, we had always trained the dogs ourselves. Even though the dogs were well trained in many aspects there were a few important areas that we could not handle on our own. One specifically was socialization. We have had 3 Border Collies in the past, very smart, learnt quickly but did not get on well with others. We had no idea how to deal with this and tried a huge number of strategies that all failed.

We were determined this time to get it right by seeking out professional help. We contacted Sonia at ALL 4 PAWS for a puppy consult. She came to our home for a 2 hour consult where she educated us on many aspects of dealing with a puppy, the importance of crating and many other tips and tricks that proved to be extremely helpful.

Included in the 2 hour consult were a number of puppy socialization classes. We took our puppy to her property once a week where 4 or 5 puppies of similar ages were introduced to each other and allowed to play naturally in a pen. The only person in the pen was Sonia, guiding their behaviour with gentle corrections when required. Occasionally she would invite her two larger older dogs to join the puppy play so the pups would get used to, and more importantly, learn how to behave around larger/adult dogs. We were invited to sit outside the pen as she pointed out various behaviours that were normal and more importantly how to adjust our own behaviours around a puppy or dog. These lessons have been invaluable tools in training our pup.

Our over energetic Border Collie is becoming a lovely, calmer yet still playful juvenile who is well socialized with other dogs.