Aggressive towards visitors

"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

" 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

“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

"Zeus"

The Rogers Family - "Zeus" Lab/Boxer Mix

 Zeus came into our Family as a rescue from the Oakland Animal Shelter in August 2007. He was approximately 7 months of age and was afraid of everything and everyone. He seemed to develop issues of fear anxiety and fear aggression. As he grew older he became more difficult to train. His issues with fear became intense and uncontrollable. After a year of home training, with no success, we decided to contact Canine Academy, making it our first substantial step in helping Zeus. We made an appointment with Lisa and the rest is history... Zeus became the dog that we knew he was, underneath the fear and anxiety that he had been plagued with for so long. Zeus is now the best Zeus he can be, and we couldn't have done it without Canine Academy. 

The "Off Leash" program has provided our Family with an obedient, confident, and well socialized dog. We now have the tools to help Zeus be the very best he can be. Our experience with this program has been exceptional. If you are having second thoughts in pursuing this program, please don't! 

We can never thank Lisa and her wonderful group of trainers enough, for everything that they have done. Lisa, we love you guys. Thank you for all of your love and support. 

The Rogers Family

"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.

"Cindy"

The Davenport Family - "Cindy" Lab/Border Collie Mix

When we rescued our one year old Labrador mix, Cindy, from owners who no longer wanted her we had no idea the emotional turmoil she had been through. Our poor girl had at times been in a cage for up to 13 hours straight, had no personal connection with anyone, and was terrified to the point of viciousness of men. We decided to try the personal training with her first and quickly realized our girl needed much more than we could personally offer her with a one hour training session a week. She was just such a mess.

My daughter discussed Cindy's plight with Lisa and the decision was made to allow Lisa and her wonderful team to take her and work with her away from us. They were our last chance at saving her from herself and the neglect she had suffered before we received her. The plan was to train her for 7 weeks, but at the 6th week we received a call saying she was ready for us, and that we could make the appointment to be trained on how to continue the training they had instilled in her. When we first saw her it was like seeing a different dog! She was relaxed, she was happy, she was CALM, and she followed commands like we had only dreamed her doing. Cindy is a treasure now and is enjoying her life living on a lake with our other Labrador mix, Ralph, who she constantly makes look bad with her obedience and willingness to please. We don't know what we would have done without Canine Academy's help and are eternally grateful to them for saving our girl.

"Duncan"

Maggie Morawski - "Duncan" Shepherd Mix - German Shepherd, Pit Bull, Beagle, Hound...who really knows?


I adopted Duncan 3 years ago. He was a stray roaming the streets of Detroit, afraid of his own shadow. In his mind, everything or everyone he came across was a threat to his safety. He was only comfortable with me and my Mom (his Gramma). I couldn’t trust him to be petted by anyone other than us. I was afraid of what he might do out of fear. Anytime someone came to the door he would bark uncontrollably and lunge at the bay window as if he would bust right through it. The clink of the mailbox door would send him into a frenzy. I couldn’t even talk to my neighbors across the fence in our back yard. He would bark and snap at them every time we tried to have a conversation. Taking him for a walk was a major chore. My arm felt like it was going to be pulled from its socket any time I’d put a leash on him. I tried choke chains, pinch collars, the Gentle Leader, you name it; he continued to pull right through them all. Getting him to come when called was always a gamble. It rarely happened on the first try. Duncan loves to go for rides in the car but would be so excited when we’d get to our destination that he would push his way past me to get out of the car first. He always liked to go in the house first, too. He’d never wait for me. He’d just bully his way right through. 

I love him with all my heart but I knew we couldn’t continue living like this! Either he was going to get hurt or he would hurt someone else and I couldn’t bear to have that happen. I tried training classes, books, video tapes and nothing seemed to work. I knew I needed something more. I found Canine Academy through their website after hearing an interview with Lisa Farlin on a morning radio show. After I started reading through the multiple testimonials, I was sold. One after the other dealt with the same problems or even worse and after they went through the off-leash training, they were cured. Having to leave him for over 6 weeks was difficult, but I was updated by email, including photos as well as being able to occasionally view him live on their webcam. It was also hard to part with so much money, but I looked at it as an investment and it truly paid off. This by no means was taking the easy way out! I am 100% committed and remain active in his training. There was a lot for me to learn and at first it can be overwhelming... but attending the Off-Leash Outings that are included for an entire year, you gain confidence and are assured of a successful outcome for both you and your dog. Lisa and all the other more than competent trainers put the power in the command, not in the person who is giving it, which made the transfer from academy to home an easy one. Duncan is still the same dog  but he is much more confident and relaxed and knows there is safety when he responds properly to my commands.

I now enjoy taking my dog for walks and I constantly get complimented on how well trained he is. He comes to me the instant he is called. I can have him wait in the car until I get out first. I can also be the first to walk through any entry way. At home, I give him a 'down-stay command' when anyone comes to the front door and he waits patiently and quietly until I release him. My neighbors and I can actually have a peaceful conversation over the fence while Duncan is in a down-stay by my side. I can also have kids come up and pet him. The benefits are endless and I am no longer afraid of his behavior. It was an unbelievable transformation. My only wish is that we had done this sooner! 

"CARLA"

The Korldalski Family - "CARLA"- German Shepherd

CARLA was like any typical puppy – cute, cuddly, full of energy and mischievous! So very precious! As she started to get older and bigger, her demeanor started changing and we didn’t think of her as so very precious! Just like a child, she was trying to get away with as much as possible. We decided we were going to nip her latitudes right in the bud! So we decided that puppy class was the way to go. Of course, our baby girl was the star of the class. We wouldn’t have it any other way (RIGHT)!!!! Well she actually did well with the commands, especially when she knew she could get all the treats she wanted. But as quickly as time went by, so did her puppy socialization skills. We were now faced by a powering and protective doggie. She loved to go outside so she could continuously bark and growl at anybody. She loved to go for walks so she would pull and drag you around the block. Oh and heaven forbid if another dog wanted to meet and greet her, it was like demons possessed. She was getting too big, and we were afraid of losing our control over her. So one day, when Daddy came home and said “I heard an ad on the radio about this place called Canine Academy, where if you have a good dog and want a great dog™, give us a call”. We checked it out on the Internet and were greatly impressed. We decided then to call and make an appointment to discuss the Off-Leash Program.  A little nervous were we, but as soon as we met Lisa and Leah that day we immediately knew that we needed and wanted to do this for our CARLA – it was off to Puppy College, as we called it. I couldn’t wait to get my weekly update, and yes, I was told that she was the Doggie of the Week!  Oh, we can’t forget the special mail that we would anxiously wait for – loved the pictures! We were so impressed with the outcome! We ABSOULUTELY feel it was well work it!  Canine Academy told us that this training is not just a 6 week class and you’re done, it is for life! As we continue to enjoy our well trained CARLA, we continue to work with her daily and attend follow-up classes. At times, she still likes to think she can give some attitude, but with all we have learned and to continue to learn, we know just how to direct and keep our precious CARLA safe!!! We are SOOOOO very grateful to ALL at Canine Academy.

"Maggie"

Duane & Diana - "Maggie" - Lab

Metamora Canine Academy’s motto is: “HAVE A GOOD DOG, WANT A GREAT DOG?”™

Maggie, our 1 ½ year old lab, used to be our dog from hell. Now Maggie is not only a good dog, she is AWESOME! 

Duane and I decided to take Maggie to Canine Academy while we went to Arizona for 6 weeks. Maggie had already completed 6 weeks of the Beginner Class, but she needed more. We figured she might as well be doing something constructive while she was in the kennel, so we signed her up for the Off Leash Program. Duane and I called it “boot camp”. It was the best thing we could have done. Before we took Maggie to Canine Academy, she was aggressive and I didn’t trust her. I never knew when she would get one of her little attitudes as I called them. Not that she would hurt anyone intentionally; she just didn’t know how to control her excitement. We always had to have Maggie tied up or put up the gates to keep her away whenever we had company.  What fun was that having a Lab and not being able to let her be with us?

I am happy to say that Maggie is part of our family. No more being tied up, no more gates and no more table with our shoes on it so Maggie wouldn’t chew them. The gates and table came down the day we brought her home from Canine Academy and we haven’t had them up since.  It is so nice! Gretchen would call every week with updates on Maggie’s progress and kept telling us “we are going to be amazed”. Amazed wasn’t the word. It is unbelievable what they can do in 6 weeks. We now take Maggie everywhere we go, which is something we could never do before. It was embarrassing to take her out in public as she would bark out of control. We take Maggie to walks without her leash and she listens when we give her commands. She is a real joy to have in our family. We always have people telling us what a well mannered dog we have. We tell them if they only would have seen her 4 months ago and are excited to tell them that we took her to Canine Academy. We came some close to getting rid of Maggie. I didn’t know how we could ever live with her for the next 10+ years with the bad behavior she had. I always worried that she could hurt someone, but not anymore!

We liked Maggie before, but we LOVE Maggie now.

The Off Leash follow up classes we attend are very helpful and fun too. It is great seeing all the dogs in a group and how well they behave. Duane and I would highly recommend to anyone who wants not only a GREAT dog, but an AWESOME dog!

Thank you everyone at Canine Academy, you are the best!

Duane and Diana

Shelby"

The Proctor Family - "Shelby"

Shelby became a part of our family when she was 5 months old.  This adorable looking dog quickly decided that she was going to do what she wanted in our household.  Over time, she became aggressive to our visitors, and wouldn’t do what she was asked to do.  Knowing that something had to be done, we decided that we needed Canine Academy .  We took her there in the spring of 2006, and it is now her favorite place to visit when we go on vacation.  She loves Lisa and the staff, but the best part is that we have been given the tools that we can use when dealing with our dog.  She takes a daily walk off leash, comes when called, and we can confidently put her in her place when company arrives, knowing that she will stay there until we release her.  Our many thanks to the whole staff at  Canine Academy

Have a good dog? Want a GREAT dog? ™