Understanding Triggers & Boomerangs

BY STACEY MARTINO

When I was 26 years old, I bought my first fixer-upper home. One of the reasons was so that I could move out of my apartment and finally realize my dream of getting a dog. I got a Boxer puppy that I named Putty. Within a few months, my puppy was already 55 pounds, stood over 6 feet tall on her hind legs, and was hyper, jumpy, and full of energy.

Putty would pull me around the neighborhood and knock people over when she jumped on them. People asked me if maybe she was“ too much dog” for me, but the thought of giving her up broke my heart. I was already completely in love with this dog.

So, I watched Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer, on TV. I wanted to be able to