00:00This dog was so terrified of Elise that he would bite anyone who would try to put one on him.
00:04But one person refused to give up.
00:06I've been training dogs about 10 years.
00:08I work with dogs with more severe behavior problems.
00:12He was the hardest dog I've ever worked with.
00:17Baxter had recently been adopted from a Dallas shelter and his family believed he may have come from a hoarding
00:21situation.
00:22At the shelter, none of the issues were obvious.
00:24But once he got home, they discovered that anything that went around his neck, such as a collar, leash, or
00:29harness, sent him into a panic.
00:31And because they live in a condo without a backyard, Baxter needed a leash if he wanted to go outside.
00:36His owners tried everything they could before they reached out to Justin.
00:41Justin started with the usual methods, moving slowly and pairing treats with the leash.
00:46But nothing worked.
00:47And a muzzle only made Baxter more frightened.
00:49I had a lot of ups and downs there.
00:51When he is biting me, I am not reacting and I am not correcting him.
00:56But I'm not going away.
00:58I'm just not going to give up on this dog.
01:02After several sessions, Justin realized that Baxter just needed a little bit more time.
01:06So Baxter came to stay with him.
01:08What was initially going to be two weeks turned into more than a month.
01:11I just have to keep being patient.
01:14Yes.
01:19They're not trying to usually give you a hard time.
01:22They're having a hard time.
01:23We had a huge bond, me and him.
01:25What kind of helped me start to get a leash on him more was just like almost being playful with
01:32the leash.
01:47It took nearly a year of work from Justin and a family who refused to give up on him.
01:53They even moved from their condo to a house with a backyard, giving him more space and less pressure.
01:58Yay, baby!
02:00His first walk in our new neighborhood.
02:03Yay, Justin!
02:05Today, Baxter can wear a leash, go for walks, and even use the bathroom outside.
02:11He's still a work in progress, but Justin is still there whenever he needs him.
02:17It's important to still go through the struggle because you get to something really good in the end.
02:23Before a dog whose whole world once ended at the front door, getting to finally enjoy the things on the
02:27other side is a pretty huge victory.
02:43You
