Empire of the Dog

11/12/09

FANTASTIC...we can't thank Denise enough!

by mars77 at Citysearch

I cannot thank you enough for your help/advice. We have followed your separation anxiety diagnostic for the past week religiously. Your advice was comforting and pragmatic. I guess ‘training the dog’ really starts with ‘training the master.’ We needed a plan and you gave us one. It turns that while Mars does seem to have ‘separation anxiety’ since he doesn’t really eat when we are not home, he does NOT bark when are not home...and we know this now because of your suggestion to record him during the day. Now we can completely discredit our nasty neighbor who has filed complaints against us AND Mars thanks you for the Kong idea...he loves them! You single-handedly solved our problem without having to step foot in our house. Your quick response time and advice was not only comforting at a time when we were very stressed and upset, you approached our situation with the soul of someone who wants to help and is not out solely for personal gain. If we ever have any issues with Mars in the future...we will definitely come straight to you. We will also recommend your services to our friends and family in need of some dog/master-training assistance. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

• Pros: Effective Techniques, Knowledgeable

10/21/09

Wonderful, Understanding Dog Trainer

by 11211chick at Citysearch

Denise is a great dog trainer. I volunteer as a foster parent for a rescue group and fancy myself somewhat dog-savvy, however I could not help my little Chihuahua girl get over her terrbile fear/aggression towards other dogs while out walking her. In a non-judgemental, effective and clear way, Denise helped me to understand my dog's reactions and worked out a training plan that I could follow to help my dog be less fearful of other dogs. The training is 100% positive, no negative or "corrective" manouvers, and I an already see my dog is improving.

• Pros: Effective Gentle techniques that work
• Cons: None

02/09/09

Fantastic Trainer

by h396 at Citysearch

I posted an initial review of Denise's training skills in February (see "We now have the best puppy ever") but wanted to add a review about a second training session we recently had. Our puppy has grown up nicely - but had developed some new behaviors that we needed help getting under control. So we brought Denise back for a tune up session.

As with the last time, she had one of our major problems (this time it was barking at people who come into the apartment) under control within minutes of her arrival. Not only that, but when she walked in, she instantly recognized the barking as "social barking" as opposed to an aggressive behavior and addressed the problem appropriately. She spent time talking with us and addressing all of our concerns, left us with written instructions and lists of ideas, and has provided meaningful support after the session. When we couldn't get one of her ideas to work she suggested (by email and phone) alternative solutions to the problem that ultimately helped our dog learn exactly what we were hoping for.

These two sessions (about 8 months apart) have made such a difference in our lives. If we need any more help down the line I would not hesitate to call her back again - as her services have been truly invaluable.

(oops - it seems my 10/26/09 review replaced my 2/9/09 review - just know that both reviews were excellent)

• Pros: Knowledgeable, friendly, successful trainer.
• Cons: None