Emma

We adopted Emma when she was 8 weeks old. We visited her at her foster home while she was still with her Mother, and felt sure she was the one for us. The very first night I knew Emma was different from any other pup I raised. Once to our home she showed signs of extreme fear and anxiety. As my concerns grew, I knew we needed help. I reached out to Canine Academy, since my previous dog went through Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced classes and we couldn’t have been happier with her results. It was obvious we needed to get her started as soon as possible so we enrolled her in Day Training and Beginner Class. We continued Day Training while attending Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced classes. As we progressed through each class, not only did she learn her commands, but was building confidence and seemingly less anxious. We where so pleased with her progress and realized not only could she be a GOOD dog, she had the makings of being a GREAT DOG! We met with Lisa and decided we would like to enroll in the Off Leash Program.

Each day, we would drop Emma off in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon. Boy would she get excited to go! After spending the day with her Trainers and learning so much on her outings, she would happily greet me and home we would go. She was so relaxed after such an eventful day. A good night sleep at home and she was ready to go back and learn some more and enjoy another day of outings. It seemed she couldn’t get enough. I would check the blog and see for myself the fun training adventures they would go on. She was having more fun than her human family! After a few weeks we would meet weekly to cover her progress, and let us practice what she had learned.

We were right… Emma had the potential to be a GREAT DOG and has become just that. With the help of the entire Canine Academy Staff she strives everyday to improve her GREATness. She enjoys her hikes, concerts, outdoor eating, and so much more. As a runner, we spend time out on the trails running and she even entered her first 5k. We continue her training by joining other Off Leash Graduates on outings. I cannot imagine her life if she would not have had this great support. We will be forever grateful! Thank you to entire staff at Canine Academy!!

Jim and Jodi Dunn

Sophie

I'm sure the Canine Academy folks are getting tired of hearing this story from me. We got Sophie in November of 2018 - she was an 11 week old pup and just adorable. As we all know - they grow up and develop habits that are not exactly what two almost 60 year old people can handle. By February of 2019 I was convinced that I had to give her up. Soooo well behaved most of the day - Sophie would go through a wild time in the evenings where she was jumping at us and biting our clothing...it was just awful. We tried everything to stop this and NOTHING worked. Even knowing that she was playing didn't help us feel like we could continue with her. I spoke to her foster dog mom and told her I was considering professional training. She thought that was great because 3 of her siblings had been returned already for being "too energetic".

That was it for us. I read everything I could about Canine Academy and made a decision to enroll in the Beginner class then the Intermediate....all the while thinking she wouldn't make it. She did fine, but I knew there needed to be more. So after meeting with Lisa we made the decision to invest in our girl. Needless to say, the OFF LEASH training was the best thing I've ever done for any dog I've owned.

We take her so many places. We can take her a lot of places and not be afraid of her misbehaving. The OFF-LEASH training has given her a tremendous amount of confidence. It has done the same for my husband and me. I cannot say enough for Lisa and all of her trainers. They know exactly what she needs to work on and have helped us to know what we need to do better. If anyone is looking for a great experience for their dog and themselves - Canine Academy Off Leash Program is exactly where you need to be.

Karin & David Hopcroft and Sophie

Patch

Thanks to you and your team, Patch was a Great dog on the 22-hour ride down (split over two days) and now is confidently enjoying his heel, let’s go, and free-to-sniff walks here in the Sunshine State. This morning we took a 2.5 mile walk around our gated community and received several spontaneous “Great Dog” replies from the residents. He respectfully interacted with several other dogs along the walk. There were no alligator sightings!

Our lanai faces the 18th fairway of the golf course allowing our curious boy to observe the golfers and wildlife. While here Mary Anne and I will continue our training. When Patch returns to MI in late December we anticipate once-a-week day-training’s at the Rochester facility for continued reinforcement and of course Saturday outings.

Again, thank you for your support!

Dave, Mary Anne and Patch

Fitz

We are so grateful for the care and training that Canine Academy provided to ourselves and to Fitz. We are now able to take Fitz out or have friends and family over without worrying about him getting into trouble. Fitz joins me at my office daily and is now living a much safer life listening to his commands and not running out doors into the street. Fitz absolutely loves playing with other dogs, going on tons of walks (sometimes even off his leash) and being able to join us on outings we wouldn’t have normally been able to bring our dog. We are currently in the process of taking the Therapy Dog class so Fitz will be able to bring joy to so many others.

Thank you Canine Academy for giving us the opportunity to have a great dog!

Cassy Miller

Nola

Nola is the best dog thanks to Lisa, your very hard working staff and the Canine Academy training. Tonight we had friends over to our house for dinner. Our friend has Cerebral Palsy so his movements are sporadic and his speech is impaired. When our friend came into the house Nola placed on her mat and stayed until released. The rest of the evening Nola was a perfect dog. She was not scared or timid by a person with special needs. Our friend (who doesn’t normally like dogs because dogs react negatively to his disabilities) and his wife were very impressed with Nola’s obedience. Nola can handle new situations with confidence and she isn’t afraid and timid. I finally have a dog who is obedient in all situations and is a pleasure around people.

Thank you!!

Martha & Nola

Daisy

Hi Canine Academy - just wanted to share a pic of our GREAT Off Leash dog, Daisy waiting for Dad at the grocery store. Our lives are forever changed after we put Daisy through the Off Leash Program and we are all so happy! Daisy came home to a new baby and we thought it would be quite the adjustment but she has honestly done so well. She’s happier, calmer and more relaxed... and so are we. Our anxiety was through the roof prior to this training. Now, we all have the right tools and confidence thanks to Daisy’s training (ours too!). We have been taking her everywhere as she is our family member, and a huge part of our lives. Thank you for giving us such a great dog!!! We are forever grateful.
Love Dave and Kelly Hawkey

Cooper

Hi Canine Academy,

Just wanted to update you on Mr. Coop. He is doing great and LOVES his new home in North Carolina. Thanks to you, he is able to go on hikes, go to restaurants, and walk through town while being a GREAT dog. Thanks for all that you did for him ❤️ Here are some fun pictures from our adventures!

Paige and Cooper

Alta

Hello Canine Academy Friends!

Catherine, Alta, and I are on our first "Dogcation" together this week up in Traverse City. We wanted to let you know that Alta is a GREAT DOG. We are having some great adventures that include several new environments, hikes, and last night we took her over to our friends' house for dinner and Alta was an angel. Even with their three year old son running around! She stayed on her place mat throughout the whole meal and listened well all night. On hikes and in parks we have been able to remove her leash and she comes enthusiastically each time she is called. Completing the off-leash program allows us and our dog to live the best version of our life together.

Thank you for all of your support. Looking forward to some upcoming outings!

Love,

Ross, Catherine, and Alta

Bella & Lil'Mama

Dear Lisa, Kara, Amanda, and the amazing staff at Canine Academy,

We can’t thank you enough for all you have done to help and support us in the training process for both Bella and Lil’Mama.  Our lives have forever been changed because of the support we have received, and continue to receive, from you all.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!  😊

Bella, our 3 year old lab-pit mix, joined our family as a puppy from a rescue.  We tried several different training programs with her at local pet stores and such and while she learned how to army crawl and shake her obedience was less than desirable.  Bella had a mind of her own – if there was something on the counter she was counter surfing before you could blink (butter was her favorite – it would be gone in a few seconds).  You really couldn’t sit down and relax because just as you sat down she was off getting into something else.  We loved our sweet Bella, but we were at a crossroads with her.  We soon found Canine Academy and enrolled her in the Beginner class, and then the Intermediate Class.  Bella took part in the day training and while not “great” just yet we were definitely seeing improvements.  After much consideration, and discussions with Lisa we put Bella into the off-leash obedience program at Canine Academy.  We were sad when we had to leave her for the 6 weeks, but the time did fly by, and we were able to call to get updates as well as see her progress on the blog.  The day we went to pick Bella up was just amazing.  Amanda walked into the building with Bella and I couldn’t believe just how well she was doing.  She was walking confidently, obeying commands, and when we were finally reunited she greeted us nicely without jumping up and anyone toppling over.  Finally, after a few visits we were able to bring her home!  The first few days were amazing – she wasn’t counter surfing, she wasn’t jumping on people when they came in the door, she would down and stay while we ate dinner instead of getting on the table… it was amazing!  We kept waiting for the “honeymoon” period to be over… when is she going to realize she’s home?  But, here we are 4 months later and she is only getting more confident, and more obedient each day.  She is such a well-mannered dog that we can take places, go for walks with, and relax on the couch with every day.  We seriously can’t thank Lisa and her staff at Canine Academy enough.  

Lil’Mama, our 1 year old pit mix puppy, joined our family last summer.  We quickly placed her in the beginner class at Canine Academy and then the Intermediate class.  She was doing excellent learning the commands, taking walks, and listening at home.  While Bella was away in the off-leash program we continued Lil’Mama’s training in Intermediate and Day Training – she really was doing well and we didn’t see a huge need for the off-leash; I even remember telling Lisa (just before we brought Bella home) that Lil’Mama is good – we’ve got this.  Well, Bella came home and after seeing her confidence we realized that Lil’Mama could use some continued work and support.  While she was already a good dog, we wanted her to be a great dog – primarily to stop jumping on people all the time, and heel without pulling us!  So, we enrolled her in off-leash.  In June Lil’Mama left to go spend 6 weeks with Lisa, Kara, and the rest of the staff at Canine Academy.  Once again, we were tracking her progress through frequent calls to check-in and the pictures and posts on their blog.  The 6 weeks flew by and about a week ago Lil’Mama came home.  We can take walks and do a simple let’s go, or a heel and she walks confidently by you (not pulling you down the street).  When visitors come by she keeps all 4 paws on the ground.  Both Lil’Mama and Bella are doing fantastic – we were even able to go out to eat on a patio with both of them this past weekend!  

While both puppies still have their abundant energy and love to play they are confident in themselves and are obedient; they are well-trained and we can’t thank Lisa, Kara, Amanda, and the rest of the amazing staff at Canine Academy for all of their support through the process and their continued support as Bella and Lil’Mama continue to improve on a daily basis.  

Thank you for everything,

Trisha, Kirstin, Bella and Lil’Mama

Fitz

Thank you to the team at Canine Academy,

 Our experience  at Canine Academy with our Boston Terrier/Pug Mix, Fitz was exceptional!

 After rescuing Fitz at 11 months from Michigan Animal Rescue League we quickly found out why he had been surrendered.    He was full of character but had too much destructive energy and boy-oh-boy was he fast.  In fact, we had been warned to always keep him on leash as he would run away.  After enrolling him in beginner classes we realized that Fitz was a bit too much for us to handle in the training department and we needed to enlist the skills of Lisa and her team.   When we met with Lisa to discuss Fitz's behaviors we were chagrined to find that he was "guilty" of almost all negative behaviors that the Off Leash Program helps to correct.  Stealing, biting, jumping, garbage picking,  begging, leash pulling...  You name it and it seemed that he was doing it.   

We did attend both Beginner and Intermediate classes and took advantage of Day Training as well.  On many mornings, when I dropped him off at Day Training my parting comment was always "Please fix him!"   Our house felt very tense  and felt small with every door to each room closed,  garbage cans moved to the top of the toilets, and all shoes, mail, computer mouses, TV remotes stored in high places.  It felt that nothing was safe including a brand new pair of prescription glasses left on the end table that were very damaged.  Tension was definitely running high.

We did miss Fitz while he was away and honestly we worried that maybe Lisa and the team had met their match in Fitz.  I half expected a call saying "Sorry...  He is not trainable and we need you to pick him up."   Happily, that call never came and as we watched the Facebook posts we loved seeing all the adventures that Fitz was experiencing. 

While he was at Off Leash we noticed that our home was no longer a whirling dervish of destruction.  The doors were once again opened and our things were returned to the proper place.  Those doors have remained open even now upon his return.  We now, can trust him and he knows what is expected of him.

Our Off Leash Graduate is a confident, well trained dog.  What a pleasure it is to take him for a walk or car ride.  Mealtimes are peaceful and are no longer a battle because he is in "place"  

We are really enjoying having him home again.  Thanks so much to the whole talented and patient team for showing Fitz that he can be a great dog all the time.

We will see you soon!

-The Knox Family