Dear Rachel,
While I was fostering a 5 week old male Yorkie/Shih Tzu, I became aware of a nasty little habit that was worsening and I tried to deal with it myself. It began as a little growl just occasionally when I would pick him up, as if he was annoyed. At first, I just ignored it, but in time, he would growl more frequently when he was picked up. In response, I tapped his nose softly and told him, "no growl". As a foster "parent", my worry was to find the best home possible. But I wanted to raise him to be the best puppy possible for his new home. I located an ad on the Internet for The DogSmith, Rachel Williams, and contacted her about my concern. She offered to make a home visit to help us out. Not only did she give me some tips on how to handle this, but also suggested how we could work with our 3 yr old Shih Tzu to learn to stay in the boundaries of our yard. Rachel was very professional, gentle, and calm and it obvious how much she knows and loves animals. We will definitely stay in touch and I recommend her service for anything from basic puppy training to behavioral problems.
