Kody

We were not supposed to have another dog after our dog, Gracie, passed; but along came Kody, who needed a home.   We looked into those blue eyes and how could we resist?

Kody "moved" in at 12 weeks old and we knew immediately we had our hands full.  He's a mini Aussie Shepherd full of boundless energy.   Walking became a challenge, he would pull us down the street.  We'd  prayed we wouldn't see a squirrel or bird, especially geese.  Kody would become almost uncontrollable, jumping up and down,  barking, and pulling. Our arms soon began to hurt from all of his pulling. He was terrible when passing other people walking their dogs.  It wasn't unusual for others to avoid us because of Kody's behavior.   It was so embarrassing.  He was constantly barking at the children as they walked to school in the morning and home in the afternoon.  He would not come when we called him. The back yard was a challenge, he was always chewing on sticks, pine cones, and digging holes.  We made so many trips to the vet.  If we'd try playing with him in the back yard, it was not fun.  He loved herding us. He would nip our ankles and it hurt.  It didn't take long to figure out that Kody definitely needed training. 

We often drove by Canine Academy, read the reviews,  and eventually called.   Linda went over with us what the Beginner class entailed and we signed Kody up. After Beginner class, we did  Intermediate and Advanced classes.  Kody did great, life improved but we wanted more. We had hopes of doing some traveling.   The skills that Kody had learned were not quite enough. We talked with the trainers and all agreed how much Kody would benefit from Off Leash training.   We soon learned that Kody would spend 6 weeks at Canine Academy,  no coming home at night.   We were not comfortable with that.  Would Kody forget us? Would he still love us after leaving him there for so long? Would he ever want to go back to Canine Academy after he came home? Would his personality change?  What if he got sick? So many doubts ran through our minds.  Even though we had these thoughts plus so many more, we made an appointment with Lisa to discuss Off Leash training. 

Our meeting with Lisa went great!  Lisa carefully went over everything about Kody's behavior issues and how Off Leash training would improve both our and his life. Lisa explained what a typical day for Kody's training would be like.   Kody would be traveling around town to Birmingham,  Rochester,  Oxford,  Detroit,  and to the farm for daily outings and training. One thing for sure, he would not be bored.  It sounded so good, we wished we could sign up for Off Leash training too!  Lol.  Lisa explained the process and gave us access to videos to help us prepare for Kody’s return home.  Once Kody completed Off Leash training,  there would be weekly outings we could attend with other owners and dogs to help us master the use of Kody’s training.   Lisa also told us that if any health problems occur, Kody would be checked out by the vet.  We were told that Kody's personality and enthusiasm would not change.  He'd be the same energetic guy only well trained.   

It wasn't easy leaving Kody at Canine Academy.  Lots of tears and needless worry.  We would email, we'd check Facebook constantly to see a picture or video of him, and  lots of calls to check on him.  Every time we called,  we were always reassured how great Kody was doing.  We must admit, there were some silly questions.  Was he eating, how's his poop, did he make friends, was he happy.  We must have drove them nuts, especially Lindsey.  Just before Kody was done with Off Leash training, we met with Lisa and Kara to discuss Kody s progress.  Kara explained how to use the training and worked with us and Kody. Our next meeting,  Amanda helped us in working with Kody.  We had lots of questions and they were always answered.   On our third meeting,  we finally brought Kody home.  Little did we realize our life with Kody was about to change dramatically!

When we got Kody home,  it was like he'd never left ,only now he obeyed!  Kody actually came to us when we called!  No more barking at the kids as they walked by.  A simple come command and Kody came running to the door.  No more eating sticks, pine cones or digging.  A leave it command,  and Kody would stop herding.  Walking became a pleasure, no more sore arms. We were actually able to talk to other dog owners with their dogs while Kody remain in a down stay.   It was definitely noticed.  So many times we heard what a great dog Kody was,  he listens so well.   One day a squirrel was in a tree over head of us, Kody looked up and continued walking like the squirrel didn't exist.  We were amazed!

We finally took Kody to our cabin in northern Michigan.   We were always afraid of taking him because of his behavior.   He loved it, especially all the new smells.  The best part for us was that he listened even when the neighbor's dog came over to visit uninvited.   We enjoyed having Kody with us.  We now have plans to go to Florida for a few months after Christmas.  We can honestly say that we have confidence in Kody to be a great dog on our trip.

When Thanksgiving day arrived, we knew it would be a test of Kody's Off Leash training.   He was thrilled to see everyone.  While on his mat, the children wanted to play with him.  Kody wouldn't leave the mat until we released him!  It was very impressive.   Dinner was great. No begging for food or under foot.  So many times we heard what a great dog Kody was.  We are so very proud of him.

We continue to drop Kody off for day training and an occasional over-night. It's great to see him so happy when we pull into the parking lot.  He loves seeing everyone. This gives us so much peace of mind knowing he's so well taken care of and loved at Canine Academy.   We know that if any questions or concerns arise, we're just a phone call or email away from an answer. 

We can't thank Lisa and her staff for all the wonderful training and love Kody has received and continues to get. We feel so blessed to have found Canine Academy.   Kody was a good dog but now he's become a GREAT dog!  We're no longer embarrassed to take him anywhere.  We are now truly enjoying Kody.

Thank you,

Janet and Larry Dougla

Ivan

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I adopted Ivan when he was 4 years old. He is a retired show dog and this would be his 3rd and final home. I found he was super timid and nervous around new people. He would follow friends around the house constantly barking, howling, and jumping up at them. When I told them he’s a calm dog when it’s just us they never believed me. I started taking him to the beginner training program at Canine academy. The first class I don’t think I heard anything Lisa said due to Ivan’s excessive barking at the other dogs and people. After four weeks of the beginner class I could tell that he was starting to get more comfortable around me and my family. Ivan and I were both being trained on our basic commands which started to make Ivan more confident in new situations he was being exposed to. By the start of the Intermediate class I knew we had to do the off leash training program. I wanted to be able to take him hiking, kayaking, and paddle boarding in the summer without having to worry that he would take off after or bark at other animals or people we see on the trail or river. I was afraid because I had just adopted Ivan a few months back that he would be stressed out that he was being left or forget about me. The updates Lisa provided help the time fly by fast. Ivan did not forget who I was and now when my friends come over he is the calm dog that I described to them. All the new commands he learned gave him more confidence in strange situations. Not to say he’s done being trained (and neither am I). He still barks and jumps sometimes and needs reminding of what is safe and what is not safe. I also make mistakes forgetting to correct or my timing is off. This is why I am so excited to do the follow up outings through out the year. And Ivan is learning that being a water dog is pretty cool.

"Josie"

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Our dog, Josie, was a semi trained 2 year old Australian Shepherd when we first met Lisa.  She did not walk well on a leash and had a tendency to become very excited upon greeting people.  She would vocalize (we called it her "Whale Song of Joy) and jump up. She also had issues with fearfulness.  She was protective of her food and some toys, particularly with our teenage daughter. 

She became very concerned when people ran in the house or over odd things like my husband and I holding hands.  She would initially bark but if the thing that worried her did not stop she would hide under chairs or beds. These fearful behaviors were increasing over time.  After discussing the situation with Lisa on the phone we decided to enroll in obedience classes.  Josie was extremely anxious in class but her problem behaviors did begin to improve.  My husband and I began to see that the more training Josie was exposed to, and the more new situations, the more happy and content she became. 

We have had Australian Shepherds before.  They are high energy dogs that need stimulation.  Our previous dogs could get what they needed by twice daily Frisbee/ball playtime.  Josie needed the same degree of stimulation but of her mental capacity not her physical capacity.  She is not very interested in fetch. We decided to enroll Josie in the off leash program for two reasons: to accelerate the pace of her training so she would be the kind of doggie citizen we could take everywhere with us thus ensuring intellectual exposure, and also so she would become exposed to many new situations (such as the farm) that we did not have access to and learn not to be overly fearful of new situations. RESULTS: Since Josie has returned to us she has been much less fearful.  When she is fearful her training (such as putting her in her 'place') reassures her that we are in control and she is safe.  I can now take her to any environment where dogs are allowed and know that her behavior will ensure she is welcomed back with open arms.  Her relationship with our daughter is much improved which is a bonus I did not even expect. She is a dog who wants to please and now we have the tools to clearly communicate with her exactly what we want her to do. I am very grateful we had the opportunity to participate in this program and feel the program and the ongoing support has stacked the deck to insure our ongoing success.

- Amy Johnson

"Max"

Gabby Lawlor–"Max"- Australian Shepherd

When Max was a little puppy, he was always trying to herd things, usually people.  It was scary when we had children at our house, because when they would run and play, Max would always want to nip at their heels.  We took him to dog classes at Canine Academy to train him and he became smarter by the day—he loved learning; however, I still didn’t feel 100% comfortable taking him out in public because he would always jump on people, and if he got loose, I couldn’t guarantee that he would come back to me.  Also, whenever people came over and I would put him in a down stay, he would try army crawling to the people, and it was practically impossible to control.  
So I signed him up for the Off-Leash Program.  It was hard to be away from Max for six weeks, but when I saw how well he minded when we picked him up, I knew it was well worth the wait. Now, when we have kids over, I can call Max out of any situation and he will come running.  When people come over, I can put him in a down stay, and he is perfect; it is fun for him to be a part of the action rather than a hassle.  Because of his excellent behavior, he has been invited to come inside many places with me, when he would have, otherwise, been waiting in the car. Thanks to Canine Academy, I can take him practically everywhere with me.  Two of the events that we have been a part of as graduates of the Off-Leash Program are pet expos and parades.  I am very happy with Max’s new training—every time I tell him a command, he responds immediately.

Gabby and Max Lawlor

"Piper"

The Soderstrom Family - "Piper" - Australian Shepherd

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The Soderstrom Family - "Piper" - Australian Shepherd
There are challenges in having a dog that is smarter that the owner!!  We had gotten into a vicious circle, I couldn’t be sure she would return when she went outside, so I wouldn’t take her out unless I had family to help me.  She would beg to go outside or streak out if the door opened.  It took a lot of time to get her back.  Therefore, we would take her out less, the less exercise she got, the more mischievous she became.
After off-leash training at Canine Academy, we feel like we have the best dog in the world.  We enjoy walks without a leash.  We know she will always come when called.  The training has enabled us to take her into the nursing home to visit Mom.  We now have a gathering in the hallway of residents in wheel chairs and walkers.
Off-leash training has removed a lot of stress from our household and made our dog even more a part of the family.

"Chewy and Duma"

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

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Lisa and the staff at the Canine Academy certainly can!! 
We have 2 dogs. Chewy who is 7 and Duma who is 1. Both are Australian shepherd mixes. 

When our children gave us Duma I decided that I really wanted a well- behaved dog. I was determined that she would come when I called her, be nice around dogs and not use the furniture as her bed – all the things which our other dog Chewy was NOT doing! 

We decided to send them both away to be trained on and off leash. It was the best decision we made- for us and the dogs! 
Chewy is now much calmer and more confident in himself. He no longer feels the need to attack other dogs on our walks and he always comes when called. He really is a true professional!

Duma no longer pulls on her walks and even though she is full of energy she now follows commands very well and is the sweetest dog. The support system from the canine academy is truly amazing!!

We use their kennels every time we go out of town and the dogs love it because it is their second home. Chewy used to hate to go to a kennel but now when we take him he wags his tail and is so happy to be there! The kennel staff is very caring and professional. The dogs even get more training sessions when they are being boarded so it really is a win- win situation! 

We are also taking advantage of the yearlong group training sessions that are included in the training fee. We try and go at least twice a week to keep our dogs socialized with other dogs and to keep ourselves 'trained!' We all love our weekly outings and are hoping to participate in some of the specialized training sessions that are offered. Thank you again Canine Academy for helping us have 2 GREAT DOGS. Lisa and Staff- you are the best!! 

The Mehta family 
Birmingham, MI