I remember sitting on my living room floor, sobbing and holding onto my dog Radar whose nose had swollen to twice it's normal size, two days after his second attempt to jump out our second story window and his first attempt to break out of the new all-metal crate I had to buy to contain him. As I called a behaviorist my vet had recommended I wondered if I would ever be able to keep Radar safe, if this woman would really be able to help me to help him.

Rachel Friedman was exactly what we both needed. She came to my apartment and listened to our situation, she worked with Radar (taught him "down" in the first few minutes) and with me (to learn that the backbone of everything is consistency). She gave us tools to help us
communicate better. She warned me it may be a slow process and it would take a lot of patience but that things would get better - there was hope for us.

I adopted Radar from a German Short-haired Pointer rescue in California; they knew very little about his history only that he'd been in an out of at least one shelter before they found him. He was docile, quiet and not very excited about much other than small animals and food. We lived in a house full of people and with 2 other dogs. He wasn't well trained
but he was a good dog and we had very few problems.

When I moved to Cleveland for school, Radar was the only one who moved with me. We live in a large apartment over a dry-cleaners on a busy street. On my very first day of school, after only a week of living in Cleveland, Radar jumped out of our second story apartment and onto the street below. Luckily he wasn't hurt but I realized I needed to crate him while I was out. He cried every time I left him; it sounded as though someone was beating him. And he peed everywhere when I took him out of his crate. It didn't take him long to escape his plastic crate and make another attempt at the window. I went out and bought a heavy-duty crate, the best one Petco had and the first day I left him in it, he tried so hard to get out that his muzzle was bleeding and had doubled in size.

I was at a complete loss. His separation anxiety was tearing me up inside. I never left for anything other than school, I was afraid to leave him alone. I knew that I had to do something fast so that I could at least leave him for a school day knowing he wouldn't hurt himself.
My vet prescribed an anti-anxiety medication and gave me Rachel's number. I remember two of the first things Rachel told me after meeting Radar - "His issues are not organic, we can work through them" and "You should not have to give up your life because you have a dog." I almost hugged her right then.

The progress has been slow and some of that is due to the amount of time we have to work on things. But there has been amazing progress. Radar walks loose-leashed next to me, no more pulling. When I leave the house he goes into his crate and begins devouring the kongs that I have stuffed with treats and peanut butter. There is no more crying, no more peeing and most importantly no more injuries. I can leave him without guilt and have even begun leaving him alone for short periods of time without locking him in the crate. He has opened up to me a great deal, he's much more rambunctious in our home and has even opened up to other people. We still have a long way to go, but the difference is incredible. And having Rachel available when new things come up (which is inevitable when you and your dog are still getting to know each other) has been amazing.

It has been almost seven months since that day I sat crying in my living room hoping that I would find help on the other end of the phone. Rachel gave me the tools I needed and the hope I was looking for.

Katie Chapman and Radar
Cleveland Heights, OH