WORDS SPOKEN BY DOG OWNERS WHO NEVER THOUGHT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO THEm
Christine of Burke, VA- (after only 2 Behavior Sessions)-
"We took Ulan to the vet last night and everyone remarked on what a nice dog he was. He never barked, growled or showed any signs of dominance or aggression. We also took him with us to Home Depot this morning. We had 5 people come up to us and comment on what a good dog he was. Please pass on my thanks to Michael for all his help. We still have work to do with greeting other dogs, but the hard work is starting to pay off!"
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Tim F. of Waterford, Va
What you showed us and make good progress with Delilah. Not to mention I did the door drill with our smaller dog earlier today, who is a barker, and she already has it down. It's crazy how it works once you know how to get through to them...We'll be in touch after 2 - 3 weeks once we have time to see how our new approach works. I feel positive about it given the little positive improvements we've noticed in less than a day so far. Thanks again.
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Update from Tim F of Waterford, VA:
It has been about a month or so since we last chatted. Delilah is doing well. We've been pretty darn consistent with everything since you pointed it out. She's been exposed to lots of trigger situations and each one has been a positive experience. We've had no bites, or close call, since we met with you and we've not been using the muzzle. We have been very engaged, however, to ensure things keep positive progression. While I don't think it has been long enough yet that it's "second nature" for her to not react to a situation on her own yet, it seems it is second nature for her to respond to us giving the appropriate commands. Overall I would say it is a night and day difference. It's also evident in things like playtime. She is so much more submissive now, particularly to me, that I can't chase her in the backyard anymore. She just rolls over on her back. Very interesting.
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Teddy Bear's owners, Jennifer B. of Reston, Va
"It's like a miracle!"
"Two days later, he's still like a whole new dog"
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Jeannie, Chloe's owner
"Chloe has come back a model St. Bernard after her 10 days of training at dOgbedience..."
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Kristen of Reston, VA (after 3 Behavior Sessions)-
"I think Layla is progressing really well. She's doing better with ignoring other dogs (or at least not showing explosive excitement) when we're out on our walks. As long as we get her attention early, she can usually focus on us instead of the dog. We also took her to dog park on Monday and she did well again. She and this mini-pit-looking dog, Jessie, were great play pals. We also ran into Bella and her mom--who I've seen on your facebook page. Also, I keep in touch with the Washington Humane Society with periodic questions and updates and told them about our second try at dog parks, with the help of dOgbedience Dog Park Mentoring. They might feature us in a blog post! I'll share the link if that materializes".
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Kristen of Reston,VA continued--
"Thanks for a great training session today with Layla! We're looking forward to putting all of your guidance to work :) We had a great walk and some off leash time with layla today. We practiced the no pulling, leave it, and look commands. (Look at that slack leash!) She didn't try to jump on any passersby :)"
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Rani of Reston, VA.
"Oh! My other favorite part is talking to people about lead walking and they talk about how it is not an option for their dog. I automatically look down at Bella and think - yeah - I was the biggest believer it was absolutely not possible. I tell them I really feel I need to see a chiropractor with how bad she was - they think I just have a behaved dog... ha! little do they know! It will take us a while to perfect BUT if Bella can do it - then I believe any dog can do it!?
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Aggression Case: Jon & Kim
It was incredible for us to see what Kaiser is capable of doing once his “owners” are trained! We had accepted the fact that we could not have people come to our house, or walk Kaiser down the street without being in fear that he may lunge at someone. To see what could be done in just two hours truly was an eye opening experience! We are excited to work with you and look forward to our upcoming sessions as we work on behavior modification together.
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Jon wrote in an update for Kaiser (GSD)
"Hi Mike we did have a great session! We felt so confident we took him to Merrifield center...Petsmart and Pet Valu when we left! He was worn out. Thanks as always for your guidance."
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Judy of Vienna, VA
"Michael, thank you so much for spending time with us out in the cold weather. It was extremely helpful and I plan to go to the park a lot more often to work on Liberty's behavior while enjoying her play at the same time. I'm more anxious than ever for the warm weather so I can work with you even more on obedience and agility. Here's my favorite new picture of Liberty, taken by my daughter-in-law over the holidays."
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Melissa of Fairfax, Va
"Hi Michael, I hope this finds you doing well! Lucy continues do to amazing! She's such a different dog on our walks and the walks are enjoyable for all of us now."
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Janice of Oakton, Va
"We all found yesterday's session to be very helpful and informative---and although it was a lot of information for me to take in and remember---it made an impact on all of us about how important dog training is for our dogs and family. On top of that, it was fun and we all enjoyed it."
"I am surprised at how much better the dogs are behaving since our one session with Michael. We are all trying to implement the skills he was showing us during the training.
Update per Janice of Oakton, Va
"Lucy and Otis are still doing pretty well....Looking forward to my course in dog psychology."
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Dog to dog Aggression Case, Amy B. of Reston
"I really believe in you guys and I want to share what you've already done in 3 sessions! I was at the end of my rope."
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Behavior update for Lucy & Otis, of Oakton, Va
Please tell Michael that both dogs did exceedingly well last night with meeting my mother-in-law and her friend (they are staying with us this week), and also with just hanging out with the family in the evening. We were very "smart" about how we introduced them---first, when they first arrived at our house while the dogs were in their kennel, then bringing Lucy and Otis up later after dinner, while everyone sat calmly at the table. We kept Otis on a loose lead until we were sure it was going to go well. And we left a short leash on him so we could grab him if we needed to do that while he was running around.
Otis did very well. He got a little defensive and jumpy when Joe (a kind, short 85 year old man) stood up to greet him and tried to play with him(Joe was not afraid of him)---but we all stayed calm, and Otis calmed down, too. We all sat in the family room and played with them by the fire(one would never have known all the issues we have been challenged with in the last few months).
We are going to keep a close eye on Otis this week, but I do think we have turned a corner with him---and really learned so much ourselves about owning/training a dog. I am feeling much more confident that this week with company in the house will go well with the dogs. And honestly, I grow more fond of Otis every day.
One thing I am Thankful for this Thanksgiving is all the support and training we have received from both you and Michael, seriously! I don't know where we would be without dOgbedience. Happy Thanksgiving!!
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Novie T of Falls Church, Va wrote in Yelp review
Michael, the owner/ trainer is phenomenal! He is patient, funny and truly loves and understands dogs. He is a former professional K-9 officer and it shows. I have worked with several trainers and he is hands down the best. He assisted me with several issues with my two year old German Shepherd: budding separation anxiety, guarding against my older dog, meeting other large dogs and heeling while excited. He taught me how to handle my dog in any situation, giving me the tools I needed to help her be the great dog she is. I especially loved the fact that he will come to your house or meet you in settings where your dog needs help, which is unusual in my experience with previous trainers.
For us, we worked at my house, at the dog park, at the park where we go every day and Pet Smart. We also worked together at an obedience field in Reston, where my dog learned fun things like jumping hurdles and seeking objects. I cannot recommend him highly enough!
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Julie C., Vienna, Va:
Michael, Byron and I were very impressed with what you were able to accomplish with Team Gus last night. I feel we have quite a bit to work on and practice. Thank you for a great training session!
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Merrill L., of McLean, Va
Teako & I are looking forward to the Obedience Training sessions with Michael! Teako seemed to really enjoy the evaluation [training] session- I think it has already boosted his confidence. Many Thanks!
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Alexa L., Reston VA
Thanks again for coming to our house last night! We had a great time working with you and we learned A LOT! The dogs slept on the floor last night and we practiced your method of walking them this morning. We could tell they were much calmer today which was a nice way to start out our day. We will continue to work with them on what you showed us and we hope to get Clipper into one of your programs in the future so we can make sure we are building his confidence in the best ways possible! I personally feel a lot happier about our situation because I now know I can handle training them. Thanks again for everything and we will be in touch!"
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Amy, Reston VA
"I had received several complaints from my apartment neighbors about my rescue dog - in spite of both of us having attended multiple canine behavior classes together, her leash re-activity was very threatening, she was fearful and this combination made relaxing dog walks impossible. I was upset about the complaints and called dOgBedience immediately. Officer Peer came over to meet with us in our home and during that first session identified several primary issues and their probable cause . He laid out a clear and practical training schedule which included 6 intense sessions. Each session was packed with useful information, observations and recommendations. My lovely dog is so much better today - signs of improvement started immediately and I continue to use the tools which I learned from working with Michael, his son, Brett and their terrific companion dog, Rogue."
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Gabby P., Reston VA
"Cocoa has improved significantly. We have stopped letting her claim the doorway as her territory and we feel a lot more relaxed when guests come over. They barely even bark we when we come home! She still tries to climb on us when we walk in, but not as bad as before. We reward good behavior with treats and everything is going well INSIDE the home. We still need to do more training interacting with other dogs. We are hoping that by late summer we will be able to pick up where we left off. I thank you so much for your professionalism and this miracle that we thought we would never see! I will reach out to you when we are ready! "
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Kristen, Sterling, Va (After 2 hr Consultation & Training)
"Hello, I walked Dino yesterday and he is already improving on his leash. I was so impressed! I know it is going to take a lot of work to get him to be a well rounded happy dog. I have decided to go with the "complete socialization package" per your recommendation. It will take us a little while to be ready financially though (I have to pay for classes next week so money will be tight for a little bit). I will contact you in a few weeks to start scheduling his training sessions, once we get everything sorted. Thank you so much"
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Karen W, Great Falls VA (After 2 hr Consultation & Training)
"I really enjoyed our training session with Truffle. We have been practicing and the pulling is already getting much better. She does not bolt when I open the door. She also responds to the hand signal to come from more than half way across the back field. The down command is much harder. I have only gotten her to do it once. The heel is improving, but we have a long way to go. "
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Aaron, NW DC (After 2 hr Consultation & Training)
"Thank you for your visit this morning. I learned a great deal about 'shaping behavior'. I took the dog out for his second walk late tonight (I had an evening commitment) and it was a breeze. I walked the dog with two fingers. Yes, I understand that there is continuous reinforcement to achieve wanted behavior... but he is a pup and he will get better. The biting was still an issue tonight but I stuck a small hand towel in his mouth and the nipping stopped. It's late and I just wanted you to know that I am grateful for your service and look forward to making more progress with Ajax."
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Dianne, Reston Va
"Thank you so much for coming over the other night. Pepper learned so much and so did we! We still think he needs more work. Could we schedule another behavioral modification class?"
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Janeen G., Herndon, Va
"Hi Mike! AN AMAZING THING HAPPENED THE OTHER DAY. About a month ago you came to our house to help train Sara, our black lab/vizsla rescue. You showed us how to use "the zone" when someone comes to the door as a means of taming her jumping and craziness. We've been working on it with her, and today, when the doorbell rang, sara went straight to the zone on her own! She didn't stay, but did return when I sent her. I was just amazed. Thank you! Along those lines, I'd like to schedule some training sessions with you after the holidays. I know there's a great dog trapped inside this crazy rescue puppy!"
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Karen W., Great Falls, Va
"I just wanted to tell you about how well Truffle did today. I let her out this evening for a run on the farm. When I went to find her about 20 minutes later, she came with a large skeleton of freshly killed carrion in her mouth. I think it was a baby deer that had been stripped but the skeleton still hung together minus the head and feet. It was left by either vultures or a coyote. Needless to say I didn't want her to have it and she wanted it more than anything!! I told her to drop it and she ran behind the barn. I didn't chase her because she really likes that game. I went around the other way, when she saw me she was about to bolt again. At a distance of about thirty feet, I told her to sit. She did. Then I told her to stay, and she did. When I got close enough to hold her harness, I told her to drop. She did! I'm really proud of my girl! Thanks to you for all of your training!"
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Sheri B., Fairfax, Va
"Hi Gladys, I wanted Michael to know what a tremendous help and what an awesome turnaround Royce has made in one session with him. Everything I/we learned in those two hours has been working great! The biting has stop (90%), walking with the leash is fun and practicing with people coming to the door has been wonderful. I plan on picking a session package to continue with more training. I don’t have his email to say thank you for the help and coming immediately to solve the problems I was having for me. Would you please pass this on to him so he knows how appreciative I am?"
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Update from Sheri B., Fairfax, Va
"Hi Gladys, Please tell Michael what an awesome time Royce and I had on our first training session! It was so much fun to watch Michael work with Royce at Reston Town Center. We’re looking forward to the next session. Thanks again"
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Update from Sheri B. Fairfax, Va
"Royce and I had a great time today!! Thank you for bringing Rogue. I felt like it helped Royce and me get used to the big guys. I never thought Reston Town Center would be such a great training area, but it totally is. Thanks again!!"
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Karen W., Great Falls, Va
"Hi Michael, I just wanted to tell you about Truffle's break through just now. I went to turn out my young thoroughbred horse and he bolted from the barn. She took off after him hoping to have a chase. That was very dangerous. I screamed Truffle NO about three times. The horse was running like a maniac! She looked at me twice and the third time came running back to me. The minute she turned toward me I called to her that she was a good girl and sooo good. She got to me at a full gallop. My other horse was acting up and her temptation was really great to start another chase. But when I called her, she obeyed my hand signal to leave the paddock. I went to hug her and tell her how wonderful she is and it was great. That's because of all of your training with both of us. Thanks for schooling me to train my wild child. I am so pleased with her progress and that I am now able to save her from potentially life threatening situations. All from your training."
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Lynn H., Reston, Va
"Hope you're doing well. Dusty rarely runs in the pack anymore at dog park, so I've gotten the courage up to let her run on dropped lead (see the video)...only because we've been through your training! She passed the first test with Fairfax Pets on Wheels. Our next step is the background investigation and then one more test. She wasn't afraid of wheelchair or walker and seemed to like the attention once they gave her a treat. Thanks again for everything. Take care."