Episodes > 109 > Pet Trainer 911

Through the Years

Does man’s best friend make the best retirement buddy?

After years of being a dedicated professional, you finally have the time to sit back and relax. Ah, retirement! It’s a new stage in life, so why not make a new addition? How about a new companion? A four-legged companion…

STOP!

When getting any new pet, you’d better think it through. The Means family quickly found out that the new addition to their family was more than they had bargained for.

With the help of Coach Ronald White, the Means family quickly learned their new pup Ruby was completely undisciplined and was in serious need of some structure. Once that was accomplished, Ruby became the perfect companion for them in retirement. But how did Coach do it?

We asked Coach White what the main challenge was in training Ruby. He expressed that, “Her being so young and them being older did not go together. The dog had no structure, and just had too much energy for them.” With all this energy, Ruby was running amuck! She would bite, pull on her leash, tear clothes, and pull up every flower that Mrs. Means planted on her patio. Nothing was safe from the jaws of Ruby.

Coach White described his training with Ruby: “She was a dog that was getting into everything! I took her through obedience training. She learned to sit, stay, and leave it. We put flower pots out and told her to leave it.” After her training, Ruby has become the companion the Means’ hoped for; a new family member to share the best years of their lives with.

HERE’S THE POOP

Currently in the U.S., the number of four-legged family members is on the rise with 63% of American households owning a pet. When most people think of pet owners, they envision children on holidays or birthdays receiving a cuddly pet with a lavish bow tied around the neck and smiles all around. While this scenario may be very common, you may be surprised to know that the majority of pet owners are not children. They are actually around the average age of 47.