Well, it’s been 6 months since my first post with my new PPD, and it seemed like a good time for an update as well as a personal thank you. This site and the people in this forum really gave me the information and tools I needed to make good decisions and get started on a positive note.

It’s been a pretty big switch from 6 months ago when I was rather scared of her. We make a nice team now, and we should improve even more as we work together and gain more experience. I have gained the guidance of a good trainer and a very competent helper, which has made all of the difference in the world.

My handling skills and knowledge have increased dramatically. For example, I now have a bite tug and can use it competently, which would have been unthinkable 6 months ago. Even in our neighborhood, you can see a positive change. When I first got my PPD, I heard lots of comments about her being a “mean breed” and one of those “vicious police dogs”. Fast forward to now, and we were recently mentioned in a neighborhood newsletter as a model of what good dog ownership should be. That was a positive accomplishment all the way around

To be fair, I think the vendor we purchased her from read our situation accurately and placed us with the right dog. I questioned them and myself 6 months ago, but they placed me with a better fit to my situation than I would have done on my own. I would have preferred being able to make contact with them more easily after the sale, but everything worked out just fine.

I would have liked our PPD to have a little better nerves with the high civil drive she has, but at least her responses are very reliable. She doesn’t always react exactly the way I would prefer, but no dog is perfect. At least I know how she will react in a given situation, and additional training has gone a long way to alleviate the things we haven’t cared for.

In the end, we really did well with our PPD. She gives me the freedom and confidence to just live my life as normally as possible. As an added benefit, we haven’t had a single problem here at the house since we’ve had her regardless of whether my husband is home or deployed. As a matter of fact, even our next-door neighbors haven’t had any more problems since she’s been here. They like her for that alone.

I’m very pleased to have made such positive strides in 6 months. Thanks again for providing this website and forum as a place to obtain valuable information and make contact with knowledgeable people. This site and the forum archives are a great training resource.