Elsa

We rescued Elsa in July of 2015 when she was 9 months old. She knew some basic commands but was very head strong and unpredictable. She was a constant struggle. Jumping up, using mom as a chew toy and down right unruly. We couldn't get her in training soon enough. We enrolled her in both beginner and intermediate classes at Canine Academy. We learned a lot in these classes but it was hard to get her to focus and relax with all the other dogs in the class. She acted very aggressively towards them and us. At home she was ok, but everything was on her terms. After both of us working all day, we were exhausted but felt she needed constant attention and activity to exhaust her. Even after spending the day with the girls at Canine Academy day training, she was high energy and would never just relax. This put a lot of stress in our household. We struggled with the idea of spending the extra money on the Off Leash Training but realized it would give as a leg up on her training. One hour a week and us trying to take what we learned home was just not enough for her. She needed a full 6 weeks of constant training. After the 6 weeks it was time to get her. We were nervous and excited at the same time. We were AMAZED at her transformation!! She is now a pleasure to be around. She follows direction a lot better and is calm and focused. We are all able to relax at home now and are happy we made the decision to enroll her in the Off Leash Program. We would do it again with no hesitation. Lisa and her team are wonderful. They don't just send you off and say "good luck."" They want you to ask questions. They offer constant help as we are learning to continue to practice what Elsa has learned. We look forward to the coming year of Off Leash Outings with other graduates. It will be good for all of us to get exposure to different experiences and distractions, knowing Lisa is there to help us work out any difficulties we may have.
Thank you Lisa and your whole team for making Elsa the GREAT dog she was meant to be!!

Lucy

Let me first start by saying that I was not a ‘dog person’ – in fact most of my life I have avoided them probably because most of the dogs I knew would jump on me, bark uncontrollably and beg for food …all habits that kept me from ever considering getting a dog. However after years of asking I was out voted by my two boys and my husband and I finally agreed on a dog….

 When Lucy was about 5 months I started in the Canine Academy beginner class after recommendations from our neighbors whose dogs were trained in the off leash program there. It was a great class, Lucy caught on quickly with the basic commands, but we were still struggling at home adjusting to a puppy who required so much attention.  I have to admit I actually thought of finding her a new home numerous times as I did not think a dog would ever be a good fit for our family. She was jumping up on everyone and everything, she didn’t listen when called, she was obnoxious on walks and there was no way I was bringing her in public.  Due to these factors Lucy was spending a lot of time in her crate because we wouldn’t bring her anywhere, or we felt guilty for her being in her crate so we started canceling plans.  

Still trying to be optimistic I then signed up for the intermediate class as Lucy still had learning to do. This class was a challenge for me though – having to constantly train her at home was proving difficult.  About half way through the class I realized that Lucy would need the off leash program if I was going to have the dog I had envisioned, but I was concerned that our sweet little Lucy would lose her funny quirks and become a ‘robot’ dog.  I can’t tell you how many times I called the office before I signed her up and then talked to other graduates and was assured this would not happen. Reluctantly, but hopeful, I signed her up for the off leash – I really wanted a good dog. 

The six week separation was long and we missed her, but I’m not going to lie – I didn’t miss her bad habits. When the six weeks ended we finally got to take Lucy home.  She ran into the house, grabbed her blanket and all of her toys one by one and started running around the house with them like she used to do – Lucy’s spirit was not lost! Of course the next morning at home Lucy tested me on almost every command and tried out most of her old bad habits….after one correction, most of the habits were eliminated and have not returned! 

She has now been home for about 8 weeks – 8 glorious weeks! 

Lucy is my new sidekick - I have been converted to a dog person! We can’t imagine our family without Lucy and we try to take her everywhere we can.  She goes to soccer games and is the model dog laying nicely on her mat.  She visits my dad at the nursing home and sits quietly next to him while he pets her.  She goes to family birthday parties with tons of little boys running around and doesn’t jump up on anyone.  We go for long walks and they are actually enjoyable, she doesn’t tug on the leash or chase other dogs.  I could go on and on about what an amazing dog she is now, yet she still has all of the sweetness and quirks that she had prior to training! 

The best part is how many compliments I get wherever we are about how well behaved my dog is – especially considering she is just over a year and still has a lot of puppy in her. 

We can’t thank Lisa and her staff enough! Lisa is truly gifted when it comes to dog training! Lisa is extremely knowledgeable and is always available to answer any questions!  Lucy’s training has exceeded my expectations by far!  

Now we look forward to enjoying many years of our sweet, quirky WELL-MANNERED dog!

Lacey

Lacey has been home about 2 weeks now and we couldn't be happier. Because of her fabulous training we can play outside with her and then put her in a "down/stay" while we finish raking leaves and low and behold she DOESN"T MOVE! Then when we are ready for a break, we "release" her and play again. 

She truly is a GREAT dog now.

We are busy the next few weeks, but after Thanksgiving, we hope to sign up for a few outings.

Thanks so much

Sara Bernstein

Ivan

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.

Emma & Onslow

Emma, Onslow and Serenity for Evey

Oh my! Our world and Evey’s (our 8+ year old deaf Staffordshire Bull Terrier) got extremely busy when two bundles of joy, French Bulldog puppies Emma & Onslow, joined our family this past February, 2015.  

After the loss of our beloved Winston, also a French Bulldog who crossed the rainbow bridge last September, we knew we had to have another Frenchie and Evey missed having her buddy.  Emma and Onslow were the only two in the litter and we just could not break them apart.  Can you say raising two puppies at the same time is a challenge…OH YEAH! 

Evey just couldn’t keep up with these young ones and we needed a positive way to handle these two little munchkins along with Evey.  Canine Academy “Off-Leash” program to the rescue.  We had been through the program before with Winston and Evey.  To this day, Evey has retained all her training – it was the best thing we did as her world opened up beautifully after the program and made having a dog with special needs EASY!

Yes, we attended puppy and intermediate classes with all our dogs, but we experienced that the finishing touches and adoption for life happens with the “Off-Leash” program.  There was no question Emma and Onslow would go through the program – we reserved their spots when they were only 9 weeks old.  Now that they have graduated, we have the tools to manage a household with 3 dogs!

THANK YOU Lisa and to your entire team for yet again providing us the peace of mind knowing our dogs are happy, safe and GREAT DOGS for life!

The Thorp Family

Bella Plesz

Hi Lisa, 

Hope all is well! We went up to our cottage this past weekend for the first time this spring. I wanted to share with you how great Bella did! It's like having a brand new dog! Lots of neighbors, kids running around, and dogs up there, normally she is barking, nervous, and on guard the whole time. She was very relaxed with both the people and the other dogs  and we got lots of compliments from people who haven't seen her in a while. One of our good friends even brought his new puppy up to visit and she was terrific with him. We are so pleased about how the weekend went!

 

Thanks,

Missy Plesz
Rochester Mills Beer Company

Have a good dog? Want a GREAT dog? ™