“Zoro”

The Leszczynski Family – “Zoro” Portuguese Water Dog 

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In 2009 we decided to add a dog to our family. I had been researching breeds for several years and we chose a Portuguese Water Dog puppy. We have had dogs before and were really not expecting any large upset. We enrolled ourselves in the Beginner's training with Canine Academy and missed a few weeks because Zoro was in the hospital and almost died but they really did not know what caused it. We joined the Intermediate training course and made it through 2 sessions before he was rushed to emergency again. This time he had eaten 3 articles of clothing and had to have them removed from his intestines. We still thought we could watch him better and handle it ourselves; he became our whole family's nightmare. After the 5th vet visit, thousands of dollars, and too much heart ache we called Lisa and met with her about Off Leash Training.

Zoro is now 18 months old and the Off Leash Program truly saved his life. He would never have stopped stealing and eating things that were not ingestible nor were we able to watch him every second of every day and enjoy life. The Off Leash Program is not a way for someone else to train your dog, but rather a way to get the core skills taught in a controlled environment so that they stick. It did take another good 6 months of enforcement at home to really get our crazy guy to think before he acts but no more over night stays in the doggie hospital and he really is a joy rather than a burden now. Zoro is a very happy dog and we are very happy dog owners!

“Diesel”

The Zoschnick Family – “Diesel” Portuguese Water Dog 

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We chose our Portuguese Water dog Diesel because this breed is great for people with allergies, smart, playful, and energetic. At the same time they can also be strong willed and stubborn. 

As Diesel grew into a larger puppy things became more difficult. We had a dog that thought everything in the house was a toy to chew (even unusual items like a hammer, tools, coins, paper, and tissue). We hadn’t had a dog that was large enough to counter surf before. When we were answering the phone, he was helping himself to the whipped cream off the pie on the counter or taking the toilet paper out of the bathroom and running through the house. 

Diesel loved people so much that it became hard to control his enthusiasm when he met new people. Just like any family member we wanted him to be well behaved and safe so we signed him up for puppy class. This helped but we new we needed more. 

We heard about Canine Academy’s Off-Leash Program and decided to sign him up. I was a little concerned intensive training might change his sweet and goofy personality-I didn’t want a robot dog. When we picked him up after 6 weeks he still had the same great personality that he had and now he understood that the commands we give him will keep him safe. This past Halloween was such a pleasure. Diesel was able to sit at the front door and watch the trick or treaters and I didn’t have to worry about him. 

Lisa and her staff are awesome. They gave us the tools to keep Diesel safe and to have a well-mannered dog. I would recommend Canine Academy to anyone that wants their good dog to become a great one. 

Thanks again Lisa and Staff.

"Truffle"

Michael & Nancy Puskorius - "Truffle" - Portuguese Water Dog

We own Portuguese Water dog, or should I say at one time he owned us?! Truffle is a high-spirited, bumbling ball of energy!  We just couldn’t keep up with him and he always seemed to be two steps ahead of us.

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As sweet as he is, behind his halo was a set of horns.  He tested his limits, his boundaries and our patience.  He wanted attention and knew how to get it by chewing on steps, devouring four rugs in one week, destroyed three pairs of shoes, chomped on an air hose and anything and everything he could put his mouth on. When we told him ‘no’, he interpreted that as a ‘yes’!  It was a vicious cycle and we were feeling very frustrated.  We decided he needed some type of obedience training.   

Then one day last fall we learned about Canine Academy.  We enrolled him in Beginner’s puppy class, and we saw some changes in his behavior.  He then went on to an Intermediate Class, and things were getting better.  We were very pleased with the results -- and decided to enroll him in their Off-Leash Program. 
Our lovable pet was gone for eight weeks.  Was it possible our dog could learn to channel his energy in other non-destructive ways?  Hmmmm…. I had my doubts! 
Much to our surprise we now own – not just a good dog, but also a GREAT dog!  The change in his behavior was remarkable.  We now have a high-spirited, obedient companion that is such a joy to have around! 

People have complimented us over and over on how well our dog behaves.  We can now take him anywhere with full confidence that he will not create havoc.  The ultimate compliment came when we took him for a walk without his leash and someone thought he was on an invisible leash! 
If it weren’t for Canine Academy, we would not own Truffle today.  It was a very worthwhile investment and we highly recommend their services.  

Michael & Nancy Puskorius