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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
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 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
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
Mellie is my second dog that was trained by Lisa. The first was so successful that there was no question that Mellie would go through the program as soon as I could get her enrolled. Mellie was 9 weeks old when I brought her home. She is a Labrador Retriever Mix. She always had a great personality and has never met a human that she doesn’t like, but by 6 months she was getting hard to handle. She was so enthusiastic about meeting new people, old friends and other dogs that she could be intimidating. She also got into a great deal of puppy mischief at home. I replaced one cell phone due to her teeth and had to make sure there was nothing that she could eat on the kitchen counter. She was always too close when I ate my meals. So, off she went to Lisa. I got her back at almost 8 months old. She was a different dog. Still a cuddlier and sweet tempered as before, but now she listened! She doesn’t stick her nose in my plate and my new cell phone is safe. Walks with her now are a dream, whether on or off-leash. I always planned to make her a therapy dog, so that’s the next goal after she turns one. Now everyone in the condo complex loves her and she is welcome everywhere a dog can be welcomed. Thank you, Lisa. You did it again!!
Sue Mason
I adopted Jasper 8 months ago. He is a wonderful, playful, intelligent dog full of energy. However, he was like having a toddler 24/7. I could not get him to settle down, stop jumping all over me, biting his leash (tore thru 3), barking and pulling on his leash when he saw another dog or squirrel. I tried taking him to different obedience classes and made some headway. I knew though I was not able to get him to reach his potential without more intensive professional help.
Canine Academy to the rescue. It was a big commitment but well worth it. He came back with confidence, calmer demeanor, and nailed his commands taught to him. It was my turn now and responsibility to make sure I carried over with what he has learned on a consistent basis and it is paying off. I love taking him for walks, going thru drive in windows, going out on outings with his fellow canine student graduates and taking him to my friends’ houses.
My next goal is to enroll him in therapy dog training classes and who knows agility with all that energy!!!
We took Maizey to our cottage in Canada this weekend for the first time since her training. This is a photo of her practicing her “sit-wait” at the entrance of Algonquin Park. She did such a good job on the trails and even tried the water although the ice just went out this week. She really is a GREAT dog.
Thanks again,
Cherry Howell
Our dog, Josie, was a semi trained 2 year old Australian Shepherd when we first met Lisa. She did not walk well on a leash and had a tendency to become very excited upon greeting people. She would vocalize (we called it her "Whale Song of Joy) and jump up. She also had issues with fearfulness. She was protective of her food and some toys, particularly with our teenage daughter.
She became very concerned when people ran in the house or over odd things like my husband and I holding hands. She would initially bark but if the thing that worried her did not stop she would hide under chairs or beds. These fearful behaviors were increasing over time. After discussing the situation with Lisa on the phone we decided to enroll in obedience classes. Josie was extremely anxious in class but her problem behaviors did begin to improve. My husband and I began to see that the more training Josie was exposed to, and the more new situations, the more happy and content she became.
We have had Australian Shepherds before. They are high energy dogs that need stimulation. Our previous dogs could get what they needed by twice daily Frisbee/ball playtime. Josie needed the same degree of stimulation but of her mental capacity not her physical capacity. She is not very interested in fetch. We decided to enroll Josie in the off leash program for two reasons: to accelerate the pace of her training so she would be the kind of doggie citizen we could take everywhere with us thus ensuring intellectual exposure, and also so she would become exposed to many new situations (such as the farm) that we did not have access to and learn not to be overly fearful of new situations. RESULTS: Since Josie has returned to us she has been much less fearful. When she is fearful her training (such as putting her in her 'place') reassures her that we are in control and she is safe. I can now take her to any environment where dogs are allowed and know that her behavior will ensure she is welcomed back with open arms. Her relationship with our daughter is much improved which is a bonus I did not even expect. She is a dog who wants to please and now we have the tools to clearly communicate with her exactly what we want her to do. I am very grateful we had the opportunity to participate in this program and feel the program and the ongoing support has stacked the deck to insure our ongoing success.
- Amy Johnson
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
It wasn't long after we brought Copa, our Havanese puppy, home that we realized he had some socialization issues. I knew that he needed more than just classes once a week to help him. Lisa has helped me in the past and I knew she was the person I needed to call. After 7 weeks with her he came back a totally different dog. Not only was he a well trained dog, he now had confidence in himself.
The best part is that we continue to train with Lisa a couple times a month, sometimes in different settings, which helps Copa with his confidence and me with my training. My vet even made a comment to me that she couldn't believe the difference. I know without this training Copa would be a totally different dog. I can't thank Lisa and her staff enough for helping us.
Thanks,
The Henry Family
