Leash Pulling

"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

“Kawvika”

The Dew Family – “Kawvika” – Pitbull

I bought Kawvika from a good friend of mine in Hawaii who breeds show Pitbull's.  I already had a 5 year old Cockapoo named Sassy but I wanted to own a Pitbull my whole life and it was never a good time to get one.  After lots of thought, I did what I wanted to do for so long, and that’s to own a Pitbull.  I got Kawvika, and knew when he got older I would have to get him trained at some point.  Well at 9 months old Kawvika weighed 105 pounds and was still growing, so I knew it was time to get him trained.  I found out about Canine Academy through the dog park I took Kawvika to.  I met a guy there who said a friend of his took his dog to Canine Academy, so I did some research and set up a meeting with Lisa.  I felt very comfortable with her and her training dogs.  When I dropped Kawvika off for his six week, Off Leash Training Program, Kawvika would not listen to me, he wouldn't come when I called him, he wouldn't sit or stay, and I could not walk him-he would pull me around every time I took him out.  When I picked Kawvika up from the Canine Academy 6 weeks later, he was a new dog!  I couldn’t believe how smart he was!  Kawvika was taught 15 commands and hasn’t failed me yet.  The best thing I ever did for my dog was to bring him to the Canine Academy.  Lisa and her staff are great, and if I ever get another dog, I will be bringing it to Canine Academy.  Thanks again for a GREAT dog.

David Dew and Kawvika

“Scout”

The Will Family – “Scout” – Jack Russell Terrier

Scout is yet another Canine Academy success story - his journey from "that crazy dog" to "Canine Good Citizen" is nothing short of amazing. We continue to participate in Off-Leash Outings and Advanced Classes just for the adventure and fun it brings. I love the exposure to different dogs/owners/locations and the learning opportunities the Off-Leash Outings provide! My only regret is that I didn't find out about Canine Academy’s Off-Leash Program sooner. 

Scout was almost 8 yrs. old when we teamed up with the Canine Academy and we are so pleased with his transformation! Prior to Scout's off-leash training, I was too embarrassed by his bad behaviors to take him any where. He was out of control when we encountered another dog, would only come if he wasn't interested in something else, and would spin in a circle when he was over-excited. Even an annual trip to the Vet was challenging. Canine Academy to the rescue! Scout is a changed dog and as an added bonus, I've developed a new confidence in my own abilities to handle life with my little terrier (former Jack Russell Terrorist). Thank you Canine Academy!

The Will Family

“Maggie”

The Aycock Family – “Maggie” - Labrador Retriever

We brought Maggie to Canine Academy under pretty desperate circumstances.  She had recently growled and snapped at our 6 year old boys, who love her dearly.  We had had serious discussions about finding another home for her.  Dave found Canine Academy after desperately looking for alternatives to giving up Maggie and we gave them a call. Lisa spent a great deal of time with us on the phone listening to our situation and advising us realistically and honestly about what she could provide and what she sensed might be the problem with Maggie.  Maggie had recently been through so many changes - including moving twice and having knee surgery.  And she had not been raised with these two rambunctious boys who wanted to love all over her.  Maggie had also never really been trained.  Lisa talked with us about how Maggie was living under the pretty constant stress of not being assured that she could rely on us for her safety.  It really made sense and even more so now that we have her back.  She was nervous and easily agitated before the training and now seems calm and assured.  She was a huge puller when we took walks before the training - she now will walk comfortably and not pull.  She was a big barker when we dropped the kids off at school - now she does none of that.  She used to get very "mad" when people came to the house - now we can put her in a stay and it actually works.  It's much more comfortable for our guests and our belief is that it is more comfortable for Maggie as well.  Oh yeah - and now she comes when we call her :-)  We highly recommend the Off-Leash Program - it has allowed us to keep our beloved Maggie. 

Dave and Angela Aycock

“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!

"Trapper"

The Lee Family – "Trapper" Shepherd Mix

We chose our rescue puppy from a litter of four that had been separated from their mother at birth. At three months, he was ten pounds of pure energy. We named him Trapper. Like some puppies do with their siblings, Trapper liked to circle, growl and nip at us. However, as he grew into a muscular seventy-pounder, the circling-growling-nipping behavior became a serious problem. When off the leash, Trapper would not come when called; but, when he felt like it, he would come at us with the circling-growling-nipping. No one was safe from his “attacks”. When on the leash, holding Trapper back was like trying to restrain a locomotive. Both my wife and I had been pulled to the ground by his sudden moves. With bandaged tooth-scrapes and torn clothes, we sought special group and individual training for him. After spending several hundred dollars and many hours, none of these efforts helped Trapper. The prospect of being able to take walks with him on our fifteen acres seemed to fall away; and his future activities seemed to be limited to restraint cables and separation from society. 

Then one day I spoke to Mark at Market Place Pets of Clarkston about Trapper. He said the only person that might be able to help was Lisa at Canine Academy. He knew of other tough cases she had solved. So, after some phone conversation and a thorough personal interview, we handed Trapper over to Lisa and her team at Canine Academy for six weeks of care and training. 

On the first of August, 2009, we were greeted by our new dog, Trapper. Lisa and her friends transferred the training keys to us. Our “new” dog Trapper will walk at our side or on a five foot leash without pulling us. Off the leash, he comes when he is called and no longer circles or growls or nips at us. He walks with us, with or without the leash. He is joy to be around. He sits and lays down on command; and he is socializing with family, friends and neighbors. With the ongoing training for Trapper and us (which is provided by Lisa and her friends at Canine Academy), we are now able to enjoy and treasure the time we have with our great, new dog.

"Sky"

The Washburn Family - "Sky" German Shepherd

After we lost our great companion of 13 years we thought we would never come across another dog to take her place. But 4 months later we ended up with a cute German Shepherd puppy. We named her Sky, she was so cute but we quickly learned we did not have the same patience we had 13 years ago. Sky became a hand full! Taking her for a walk was a very unpleasant event and her jumping, barking and just getting into everything had us at our wits end. We signed up for a 6 week, one day a week puppy class through Canine Academy and by the end of the class we realized we needed the pros to take over. It was a BIG decision to make, not only would we not be able to see her for 4 - 6 weeks we were also apprehensive that she would lose her playfulness and worse case scenario not remember us. Well, it has been 3 months since she finished her Off Leash Training and she is such a GREAT dog! Although she still has her mischievous moments, pulling it together is as simple as a one or two word command followed by praise. Life is good and Sky is a joy to have around thanks to the Canine Academy. Thanks to all of the trainers!

Joe and Barb Washburn

"Duke"

The Ferguson Family - "Duke" Labrador Retriever

The Ferguson Family - "Duke" Labrador Retriever
When we adopted Duke from Leader Dogs for the Blind, we thought we had a great plan. The dog would be a little older, so we would miss the "puppy" stuff. Since he was with Leader Dogs, he would be partially trained. What we had totally forgotten was that he was a two-year old champion bred Labrador. Having trained two dogs from puppies before, we would only need a series of community based dog training classes and we would be set. Well, six weeks into it, after trying choker collars and gentle leader collars, and treats, and cajoling and whatever, Duke was still out of control on a lead.

We had heard about Canine Academy from other folks in the community and entered Duke (and ourselves) into the Beginner Program. Duke (and we) improved so we moved on to Intermediate. While these programs produced phenomenal improvements, there were still concerns about Duke's ongoing aggressiveness when confronting other dogs while on a lead. For Duke's safety and our peace-of-mind, we entered all of us in the Off-Leash Program. While Duke was the primary focus for the first several weeks, we were all involved shortly thereafter and Canine Academy made sure we have constant opportunities for continuing success. While Duke still has his "moments",the training and follow-up has put us in control of those situations resulting in Duke's safety and our peace-of-mind.

"Leo"

The Halteman Family - "Leo" Great Dane

Our family has always wanted a Great Dane, so when we came across a litter of pups in the paper last spring we were absolutely thrilled. Leo (short for "Leonidas"- the name of the Spartan king in the movie "300") was a lovable little puppy for us from the day we brought him home but as he rapidly grew in size we found it increasingly difficult to rein him in from his excitement. He almost never listened to us when called, jumped up on everyone at any given moment, stole things off tables, dragged and bit when leashed and he was aggressive with other dogs. In short, we had almost no control over him and that scared us. His safety was at risk.

We enrolled Leo in the off-leash camp in hopes that all that would change. Once he came back home we knew, without a doubt, it was the best thing we could've ever done for him and the rest of the family. He obeys every command almost instantly and plays with other dogs extremely well. We couldn't ask for a better dog. Thanks Canine Academy!

"Gracie"

Todd & Kelly Petrocella-Capaldi "Gracie" Blue Lacy

There are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. Well, if you are a dog owner and leave your dog in the very capable hands of the professional staff at Canine Academy, then you can add a third certainty: a well trained and obedient dog that you will be proud to show off.

When we first brought our Blue Lacy, Gracie, home she was your typical rambunctious, mischievous, playful, and highly energetic puppy. However, she barked at other dogs, wanted to constantly go after squirrels, birds and other dogs, chewed incessantly, and made walks an undesirable chore. And her following of basic commands was inconsistent. The Blue Lacy breed is highly intelligent but very headstrong and they are use to living mainly on farms and ranches in the south as herding and hunting dogs. Those two tasks give the breed a job and a challenge. Living in suburbia we quickly realized that Gracie was going to be like a fish out of water and without being able to utilize her natural instincts Gracie was going to need other means to challenge her mentally, as well as physically. We first tried training her ourselves, then used a box store training service and still couldn't make the training, obedience and mental breakthrough we were looking for. Forty-five minute walks twice a day (basically, Gracie walking us) helped diffuse some of the energy but Gracie still needed to be stimulated mentally. Needless to say, frustration began to mount.

With the power of the internet I found the Canine Academy and quickly scheduled an evaluation with Lisa. We came away from Lisa's no-pressure presentation extremely impressed and made the decision to secure Gracie a spot in the six week in-kennel obedience training. 

I am usually a rather skeptical person and mostly, if something is too good to be true, then it probably is. However, this is one of those rare exceptions. Immediately upon being reunited with Gracie, we knew the decision we made to turn Gracie over to Lisa and her staff was one of the best we ever made. The energy and playfulness that we so loved in Gracie was, and still is, present. However, it is controlled and within reasoning that all dog owners should expect. We can take Gracie anywhere, whether to a downtown area, in a store, or to friends and families, and feel comfortable and confident knowing she will be well-mannered and obedient. People rave to us about how well Gracie handles herself. Our walks together are now very enjoyable and pleasant and the twelve commands Lisa and her staff taught Gracie give her a solid mental workout. Just the fact alone that I can take Gracie off leash and know that she will not stray is absolutely priceless. And the follow up training and fun events that all Canine Academy graduates can attend throughout the year ensures that Gracie's training is reinforced and honed outside the home. 

Kudos to Lisa and her staff. They have loads of enthusiasm. You can tell they love what they do. And most of all they care. They don't just hand back your dog and say thanks. Lisa and her staff make sure that you and your dog's reunion goes smoothly and they follow up and always make time to answer questions or to help, whether it be days, weeks or months after the six week program ends. Is it a little tough saying goodbye to your beloved dog for six weeks? Absolutely! But six weeks is nothing compared to knowing that the next twelve years or so will be filled with having not a good dog, but a great dog!

Have a good dog? Want a GREAT dog? ™