Where Mookie started

Mookie came to her family from the animal shelter. Her owner described her as "basically skin and bones", a dog who had been abused and who had been in the group to be euthanized until a microchip turned up an owner who, it turned out, was in jail.

Her new family gave her what she had never had. After a month with them she loved them back. But they could see she needed training, and they called Off Leash K9 Training of Las Vegas.

The training journey

Mookie met Ernesto, our owner, with her family there. She bit him hard enough to draw blood.

Her owner expected the obvious ending: a refund and a referral somewhere else. Instead Ernesto insisted on training her. The first week brought more bites, and he spent all of it on one goal, building enough of a relationship with Mookie that she would accept the training at all.

That is the part people do not see in a before-and-after video. With a dog like Mookie, the first week is not obedience. It is trust. Weeks two and three were where the training itself happened.

What actually changed

• She came home a different dog. Her owner's words: "he delivered a totally different dog."
• Her family knew what to do next. Ernesto sat with them in their home and went through everything they needed to keep building on the work.
• The neighbors noticed. The family now gets positive comments from people in their neighborhood.

★★★★★

“Mookie was an abused dog that ended up at the animal shelter. She was basically skin and bones, (emaciated) she was in the group to be euthanized until they found a chip identifying the owner. […] Upon meeting Ernesto in my presence she bit him hard enough to draw blood! I thought to myself he is going to refund my money and tell me to find someone else to train but he insisted on training her. The first week was a series of more bites but he was determined to establish a relationship with Mookie to a point where she would accept the training. […] Upon finishing week 2 and 3 he delivered a totally different dog.”

Clair Turgeon, Google review, March 2023

What it changed for her family

Mookie's family took a chance on a dog most people would have walked past. Training did not change who she is; it gave her a way to live with people without fear running the show. Her owner says they are very happy with the results.

Why Mookie's story matters to us

A dog who bites on the first meeting is exactly the dog a lot of trainers turn down. Her owner put it plainly: she doubted many people would have shown that kind of determination with that kind of challenge. That is the standard we want to be known for at Off Leash K9 Training of Las Vegas: patience first, then the training.

If your dog reacts with fear or aggression toward people or other dogs, start with our reactive dog training page; the 3-Week Reactive Dog Program is built for it. Every program and price is on our plans and pricing page.