Destructive Chewing

"Rocket and Tessa"

We were at our wit's end with our 2 standard poodles Rocket and Tessa. We took them to a behaviorist and they were both started on Zoloft to little effect. Eventually I found Canine Academy and now we have two great dogs! 

Rocket was 7-years-old when he started off leash training. He had been diagnosed with fear based aggression which manifested as barking and lunging at other dogs and pedestrians. He was also disruptive and destructive at home, attacking the television set and damaging the cabinetry. Rocket completed a 6 week off leash training program with remarkable results. His problem behaviors resolved and he is now calm and behaves perfectly in any setting. Rocket went on to complete the Therapy Dog International Training program and he is now a registered therapy dog with plans to work with Hospice patients. 

Tessa, our 3-year-old, was a bundle of love and energy. She would aggressively display her affection to all, jumping on and licking anyone in sight. Her excessive energy was difficult to manage. Tessa successfully completed the 6 week off leash program and she loves more gently now. 

Sincerely,

Liz Singer

"Bruce"

Soon after we brought our Golden Retriever puppy, Bruce, home I realized I was in trouble. With three very busy kids and a 4-year old Golden Retriever already at home, I realized that I had bitten off a little more than I could chew. I just did not have the time to devote to the weekly training sessions that I did with my other dog. My cousin had sent her very "exuberant" lab to Lisa so based on her recommendation we decided to send Bruce to Canine Academy. Overall, as far as puppies go Bruce was a great puppy. However, he was a puppy, doing all those "naughty" things that puppies do. He left for training as a feisty 7-month old puppy that did not follow directions and loved to chew on area rugs. He came back as an unbelievably well behaved 9-month old puppy that follows commands and as a result can go anywhere with us. He is calm and confidant. He does not jump on guests, walks on the leash perfectly and sits calmly on his mat next to me at my kids' soccer games. People are just amazed by his good behavior when we are out and about. I wish I had known about Lisa and Canine Academy when my other dog was a puppy. I spent over a year and a half taking her to weekly obedience classes with mediocre results.

"Dublin"

dublin.jpg

When we brought home Dublin in January of 2011, he was a 16 week old puppy.  He was full of energy and loved to get into mischief.  The breeder had let him sit on all the furniture.  Dublin was like Superman, and he could leap over coaches and chairs, it did not matter if people were in them when he pounced!  From the time we brought him home in January 2010 until he went into the program in August of 2011 we did not sit in our family room.  Dublin also loved to chew.  In fact, he ate the family room coach.   Another of Dublin’s tricks was to wait until people had their backs turned and take a running leap at the people with all four legs.  He loved to eat shoes, mittens, hats, gloves and socks.  We spent one happy occasion at the Vet after he ate a sock out of the dirty clothes and we had to give him medicine to throw it up.  Walking with Dublin was a game of tug of war and he usually won! He did go to obedience school and had several private training sessions but it did not seem to work.  We realized we needed help when our in laws, who had always watched our other dog, said Dublin was just too much for them.  We were going on a long vacation and did not have an option for Dublin.  Enter the Canine Academy.  I called Lisa and arranged a meeting.  My husband, Dublin, and I went to the meeting.  We were impressed!  After a family meeting we decided to send Dublin to camp.  The motto of the Canine Academy is Have a good dog….Want a great dog?™  Obviously we did not have a good dog, so I expected him to be better but certainly not great. Boy, was I wrong, Dublin is truly an amazing dog now! We missed him while he was away and my children thought that he would be a robot and lose all of his personality.  The change is amazing.  Dublin has kept his personality but he now has the tools to behave.  I would recommend this program to everyone!  The whole family loves going to the off leash classes and showing off our dog!!!!

Dan, Ann, Danny, Katie & Maggie Christ 
March 2012

" Macy"

Macy was a 5yr old mixed breed when we enrolled her in the Canine Academy.  We got her from the Humane Society when she was a puppy.  She was always a good dog, but as our family expanded to 3 kids and things got busy with work we had less and less time work on her training.  She began to take over the house and do things on her terms.  She loved to be outside with the kids but would eventually lose interest in them and would leave the yard.  She would not come back when we called her.  We moved into a new house with a mail slot in the front door.  Macy would wait for the mailman by the door for 2 hours everyday.  When she heard the screen door open, she would start barking and as soon as the mail started coming through the slot she would pull it through and tear it up.  Of course, the mailman would always come when the baby was taking a nap.  A daily crying baby, an angry wife and torn up important mail from work lead to the ultimatum....."Find a new home for that dog or get her trained"  Unwilling to part with Macy we enrolled her in the off leash program. 

It was an amazing transformation after only 6 weeks; Macy definitely returned home a great dog.  Once we were "trained" to train her, we were able to fix the barking and mail problems.  We are so thankful to Lisa and Staff for the work they did with Macy. Sometimes she still gets the urge to wander from the yard but when we call, she comes immediately. 

Our only regret with the Canine Academy is that we didn't enroll Macy in it 5 years earlier. 

The Hoeglers
Birmingham, MI

"Harlie"

"Harlie" – German Shorthaired Pointer

Harlie is a German Shorthaired Pointer who was 10 months old when we decided to send her to the Off Leash Training Program at the Canine Academy.  We met Lisa and her staff in Frankenmuth at the "Dog Bowl" and were amazed with how well behaved the dogs were that were there representing the company.

We got Harlie when she was 8 weeks old and had not had a puppy in 13 years.  After months of the yelling and destruction we realized we were not correcting any of the puppy problems or making anything easier for our family.  Having a puppy was becoming more of a problem than a joy.

After bringing Harlie home from the Academy, we were so thrilled with having our puppy back, being able to correct her properly and now getting to "enjoy" having her.
Lisa and her staff are absolutely amazing and this was the best thing we could have ever done not only for the Harlie but for our family.

I would highly recommend The Canine Academy to everyone who owns a dog and thinks they have a good dog, because when it's all said and done you will have a GREAT dog and it's so worth it!!!!! 

Heather McInchak-Worley
Dec. 2011

“Maggie”

The Gagnon Family – “Maggie” Goldendoodle

Maggie is a Goldendoodle. However, she turned out to be more Golden than Doodle - lots of energy, very loving, a people pleaser, soft, loves every minute of life. But when she was small, we called her "The Demon"! She lived to jump on me, bite at me, and steal anything paper. My goal had been to get a dog that would keep me walking every day. But more than that, I am in a period of my life where I was looking for a way to give back. Seeing Maggie's loving personality and high energy, I realized that Maggie needed a job and I needed to volunteer, and if we worked together, we could both have that. But the little "demon" needed to be tamed! After going through Beginner and Intermediate Obedience at Canine Academy, I knew that Maggie would benefit from the Off-Leash Program and that would help her get ready to become a Therapy Dog so that she could be busy and I could give back. 

She is home from the Academy now, and what a great dog she is! She loved her training and did very well at Canine Academy. Walks that used to be difficult because at 75 lbs, her pulling on the leash was hard on me, are now a pleasure. We walk twice every day and she has many friends in the neighborhood that have watched her grow from an unruly puppy to a beautiful companion thanks to the Canine Academy. We train every day and she loves to attend the weekly training sessions that the Off-Leash Graduates take part in. Lisa and her trainers gave Maggie the tools she needed to be an absolutely wonderful dog. Now we work together to fine tune those tools and everyone that knew her before is quite impressed by how well-behaved she is now. My life is so much better with Maggie in it, but part of that is thanks to the wonderful people at the Canine Academy and the great work they do with the dogs. If I ever add to my dog family, we will surely be calling them again!

“Zoro”

The Leszczynski Family – “Zoro” Portuguese Water Dog 

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 

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.

“Dusty”

The Becker Family – “Dusty” Airedale

Imagine, if you will, a large rescued Airedale who came from a foster home that set no boundaries, guidelines, or rules because the family found him so cute.  Due to mobility issues, I was unable to provide the proper supervision and training this delightful pup required.  After he ate the window treatment on the guest bedroom and the front living room windows, then consumed a window mullion and almost an entire windowsill in efforts to get outside and grab the neighbor’s cats, I admitted the need for assistance and contacted Canine Academy. 

Dusty has been home a scant few days following his six-week stint at boot camp.  He comes when called – even from the windows; he walks beautifully right next to me and at my pace; he no longer jumps on guests when they arrive; and he responds immediately to the “quiet” command when barking begins in the car.   Lisa and her crew fulfilled every guarantee offered:  Dusty is now a Great Dog. 

Andrea Becker – Grosse Pointe Park, MI

“Darcy”

The Roweton Family – “Darcy” Doberman Pinscher

Darcy came to our family in July, 2008. We had carefully researched not only the Doberman breed in general but in particular her European ancestry. Thus we selected a breeder and were confident about our choice. In short she came into our household as a well chosen puppy and of course we fell in love with her shortly after her arrival. Then the unimaginable happened, ha! Darcy grew, and grew and grew. Go figure. 

She also became self determined, impulsive and strong. We tried two obedience regimes and dropped out after about three weeks.  The techniques did not make sense to us….or to Darcy for that matter!  My husband still jokes about having to carry pounds of Cheerios around so Darcy would look at us.  The stand-in trainers seemed to have little interest in all but the smallest dogs and younger children.  

Our wonderful puppy lost control over her behaviors through the winter. Worst of all, a Doberman really enjoys being a part of and being with their family. They truly are a “Velcro” dog.  She could not have that opportunity because it typically meant her crashing into doors, windows, counters, appliances, up and down stairs with no regard for what was in her way.  I came to feel that we were emotionally abusing her. She had to be outside in the cold or crated. There was no difference between how she was “maintained” and the abominable habit of chaining and animal outdoors to a doghouse with little or no human companionship. 

It was then I researched training options and fortunately found Canine Academy. Lisa met with us for Darcy’s evaluation and gave a very interesting and professional presentation. She also gave a sense of hope and promise for a successful experience.  I knew I would miss Darcy, but I also knew I was losing my dog. Throughout the time Darcy was in training, Lisa and the staff at Canine Academy provided pictures as promised and updates so I felt in touch. They even celebrated Darcy’s first birthday. She had dog friends she enjoyed and special activities wrapped around her training component. 

Darcy came home from her six weeks of training and I was frankly astounded at the difference. She is in control of herself and enjoys being a part of the family again. Lisa and Canine Academy gave me the dog that I had dreams of the day we brought Darcy home as an eight week old puppy. Most importantly, there was no doubt that it was all about Darcy. She loves being with us and her canine brothers, taking walks and being exposed to all kinds of training reinforcement options. She truly exemplifies the old saying, “Beauty is as beauty does.” 

Have a good dog? Want a GREAT dog? ™