My name is Kristen and I have a Great Dane puppy, Diesel. I purchased him when he was 6 weeks old back in April of  2011.

 

As Diesel started getting bigger, he started acting up and became difficult to control. He was always very sweet, but he was just so much bigger and stronger than I am. My husband was deployed to Iraq at the time and we have three small children ages 4, 2, and 19 months. When Diesel hit 5 months he started making our lives even more crazy and stressful. He began bolting and running out the door to go outside or to come back inside and would knock me and my kids down on the ground. He did not care who or what was in his way, he was coming in! He would jump on everyone and would knock you down because he was so big. He climbed all over my furniture. He could not sit or lay down in one spot for more than five seconds without having to get up and run around the house and be all over the place. When I would try to take him on walks he would jerk and pull on me and would pull me down. I could not walk him and take the kids because it took everything I had to try and control the dog. He would not listen to any commands, he just did his own thing and did not care if I was calling him or not. I honestly was giving up hope that he would ever be the dog I wanted or needed and he basically was living outside until I brought him in at night for bed. It had become a hassle to have Diesel and I was honestly regretting getting him at this point.

 

Then I found James Hamm.

 

Thank goodness for James coming in and taking Diesel. He took Diesel for about 2 weeks. Just a day into the training with James, Diesel was starting to listen and walk on the leash. He was learning to sit and lay down in a place and stay there. I was amazed at his progress just within a few days of him being with James. When Diesel came home I could not believe the difference James had made in my dog. Diesel no longer jumped on me. He went to his "place," laid down, and stayed there for as long as I wanted him to. He doesn't get up and run around the house and climb all over the furniture.He doesn't eat my kids food at the table or when they are on the couch (while it was still in their hands). He will sit at the door and wait for my kids and I to go through first and wait for his command to come outside or inside. My kids don't get trampled by him anymore when they are all trying to go outside or come back inside. That was a huge thing for me because Diesel is so huge that he would end up hurting them and not realize it.

 

We can take Diesel for walks and actually enjoy it. I put my youngest two in the stroller and my oldest walks along with us. Diesel walks beside the stroller calmly and without pulling or jerking me. It is relaxed and we enjoy it now because I am no longer worrying about Diesel pulling me down. The biggest thing is the stress factor with Diesel has gone from a 10 to a 0 because of James. There is NO STRESS with my dog anymore. We enjoy our dog. I do not feel like he needs to live outside. I am perfectly happy with him being inside with us and going anywhere and everywhere with us. If it wasn't for James taking Diesel and working his magic with him, Diesel would still be a hassle and cause so much more stress and chaos in our lives, but all that has changed. We are so grateful for James and him making our lives easier and happier with Diesel. There is still the chaos of having 3 kids and my husband deployed, but I no longer stress out about the dog acting up and to me that was a huge weight lifted off and I could not be happier.

 

Kristen Ponsell.