Karen Gaines from Bark Busters has been for my blind dog what Annie Sullivan was for Helen Keller: extraordinary and life changing. I met Karen Gaines at a pet adoption fair. I was toting a 10-year-old foster dog I'd been caring for who was blind, nervous about people (especially men), had a barking problem and was also having accidents in my house. Her fear and her blindness made her bark at everything, likely compounded by the fact that she'd been living an isolated life in someone's backyard 24/7. Karen spoke to me for a few minutes, and her insights and suggestions made me realize that I'd been doing everything wrong! It was my first experience with a blind dog, and I immediately knew that Karen Gaines would be this little dog's big chance to actually get a forever home. To add to the pot, I had my own little dog, so I wondered how the little blind dog would know that any behavioral corrections meant HER and not my own dog. Karen's kindness, patience and consistency were inspiring. It was more than training the dog, as I needed training, too. And get this: On the first session she even had the little dog going up and down a ramp which butted up to the doggie door which soon allowed her access to the yard by herself-voila! No more accidents. The end of the story is that I adopted little Peggy Sue myself, and she is now 13. What started out as, "What have I gotten myself into?" ended up being, "How did I ever live without this little dog?" Seeing what she has become has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life-and I couldn't have done it without Karen Gaines. Karen has been back on occasion for follow-up visits, and she is prompt about returning calls and about making appointments. I can't recommend her enough.
Karen Gaines from Bark Busters has been for my blind dog what Annie Sullivan was for Helen Keller: extraordinary and life changing. I met Karen Gaines at a pet adoption fair. I was toting a 10-year-old foster dog I'd been caring for who was blind, nervous about people (especially men), had a barking problem and was also having accidents in my house. Her fear and her blindness made her bark at everything, likely compounded by the fact that she'd been living an isolated life in someone's backyard 24/7. Karen spoke to me for a few minutes, and her insights and suggestions made me realize that I'd been doing everything wrong! It was my first experience with a blind dog, and I immediately knew that Karen Gaines would be this little dog's big chance to actually get a forever home. To add to the pot, I had my own little dog, so I wondered how the little blind dog would know that any behavioral corrections meant HER and not my own dog. Karen's kindness, patience and consistency were inspiring. It was more than training the dog, as I needed training, too. And get this: On the first session she even had the little dog going up and down a ramp which butted up to the doggie door which soon allowed her access to the yard by herself-voila! No more accidents. The end of the story is that I adopted little Peggy Sue myself, and she is now 13. What started out as, "What have I gotten myself into?" ended up being, "How did I ever live without this little dog?" Seeing what she has become has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life-and I couldn't have done it without Karen Gaines. Karen has been back on occasion for follow-up visits, and she is prompt about returning calls and about making appointments. I can't recommend her enough.
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