About a year ago, I adopted a high flight risk Miniature Australian Shepherd from the local shelter. I’m no stranger to Aussies, as I’ve previously owned three of them. But this little guy has presented a few quirks that was beyond my training knowledge. Even with doing a lot of socialization, Winston was very shy and sometimes reactive with other people and dogs. I started following Ashton when she came to our area and decided to give her group classes a try. I was apprehensive about putting Winston in a situation where I knew he would be uncomfortable but it was just what he needed! Ashton quickly saw how he reacted around strangers and gave him just enough space he needed to still feel safe, yet be around others. By the time our 3rd class came around, Winston was eagerly happy to go into our class. And while out on one of our visits to the local pet store, he let a stranger pet him. Winston is still a work in progress and is enrolled in two more classes. I can’t wait to see him blossom even more with Ashton’s guidance.