We rescued Cash at 11 months old from a family that was gone often. When he came to us, he had bad separation anxiety, crate anxiety, and was timid/anxious around new people and dogs. Thankfully we found Canine Academy and within the first couple days, we saw improvement in his behavior and demeanor at home. Lisa and team took an individualized approach with him and modified things to make sure that he felt safe and secure in his surroundings and we weren’t causing him any more additional stress. As an Off Leash graduate, he is the absolute best dog; he is comfortable to go out and about, play with people and dogs and will even go in and sleep in his crate! We will be clients for life, and cannot thank them enough for giving us the tools and the knowledge to support Cash in his new home!
The Burns Family
Calypso
My Amazing Calypso!
I never thought I would have an AMAZING dog! I was so jealous of all the other owners I watched with their near perfect dogs having fun while I worked hard every single day with Calypso and still struggled.
The beginner/intermediate/advanced training classes at Canine Academy provided her with all the basics commands using leash corrections and made her a good dog, but nothing I tried could completely cure her dog reactivity and her "selective person" behavior. I socialized her from the moment we got her at 8 weeks, so I just did not understand her behavior. I knew I did not want a dog where I had to strategically plan walks around non busy times in my neighborhood, avoid walking past houses with dogs in the windows or backyards, and worse, avoid having her around people and other dogs. I was doing all these things.
Because Calypso is a Rottweiler, I knew that any incidents would immediately be "the scary dog's fault" even if they were not. I needed a perfect dog. I needed more help. I needed the secret that these other dog owners seemed to know…. That "secret" is Canine Academy's Off Leash Program!
Let's be honest, Calypso always had it in her. She is the perfect dog! I was the one that needed the training and confidence! Canine Academy's Off Leash Program not only brought out the BEST in my Calypso, but also provided me training, confidence, and total support while I became the best owner that Calypso deserved! She needed the consistency and understanding that the Off Leash training taught me. Within just a few days of Calypso starting the Off Leash Program, she was a different dog. At the completion of the formal 6-week training program, she is a more confident and relaxed dog. She does not need to always be "on guard". She just chills and takes it all in!
Another great feature of all the training classes at Canine Academy are the online training videos that correlate to what is being taught in each stage of the training. I have spent many hours listening to them (usually in the car) to make sure I haven't missed something. And usually when I am having an issue with a particular command, I can find the answer in the videos. The videos are a great resource!
In addition to the training classes, I LOVE the Great Dogs in Action Outings! These outings offer several opportunities each month to use all the training and confidence we have gained in different settings with incredible support from the training team. The outings give both the dogs and owners exposure to the community (dog friendly parks, restaurants, stores) and opportunities to learn from and talk with other owners of Canine Academy graduates. Such a great community of people! I think the GDIA outings are such an important part of Canine Academy's training model and the success with my AMAZING Calypso! Anyone who had seen Calypso at the GDIA outings prior to her Off Leash training are now TOTALLY amazed at the difference in her. She is calm and relaxed around the other dogs and people. Of course, she is always happy to see her training team and shows her pure love for them with huge rottie wiggles and hugs.
The training team at Canine Academy is AWESOME and they all love dogs. They also have collective decades of experience with all breeds of dogs, personalities, and behavior issues. Plus, they are all great people!
I am so pleased to say that I am now one of those owners that I was so jealous of! And I am having so much FUN with my Calypso! I couldn’t have done this without Canine Academy!
Final thought….and there are very few things I say this about …. BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT!
Barb White
Ruger & Boone
Ruger
Our journey with Canine Academy has been nothing short of extraordinary. From the moment we brought our puppy, Ruger, to his first class until the heartbreaking loss of him, and every moment in between, Lisa Farlin has been our support system. We were overwhelmed with the challenges of puppyhood. Canine Academy helped us with a training plan and we witnessed our puppy grow into a well-mannered and confident dog. Ruger went through their Beginner, Intermediate and Off Leash Programs.
Boone
Moreover, Canine Academy displayed their remarkable commitment to the well-being of dogs beyond our own household. When our daughter and her fiancé rescued their pup, Boone, a large dog with no training and an unknown history. Lisa Off Leash trained him and the transformation was amazing! The true testament to her exceptional care came when we faced the heart-wrenching moments of saying goodbye to our loyal companions. She helped us remember and celebrate the beautiful lives our GREAT dogs had lived.
In a world where true compassion and expertise can be rare, Lisa shined. It's impossible to put into words how comforting it was to have someone who understood our pets' unique personalities and needs. Canine Academy not only trains dogs, but they built friendships. For anyone seeking a dog training company that goes above and beyond, who treats your pets like family, we wholeheartedly recommend Canine Academy. Their impact on our lives is immeasurable, and we are forever grateful for the love and guidance they've provided.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Linda, Jerry, Jordan & Tim
Willie Mae & Amos
We took our dogs on a long road trip - 6000 miles in 16 days - lots of time in the van. Our trip included ferry rides, multiple ones when we all stayed in the car and two 7 hour rides where we had a pet friendly berth. We had a tire issue, and ended up sleeping outside a repair shop in the middle of New Brunswick waiting for them to open. We ate at multiple restaurants where the dogs were stars because of their manners. We did miles of hiking and lots of swimming and they could be off leash. We went on a whale watching tour, and sat by a lady who clearly was not comfortable around big dogs, but they were so well behaved, she commented on how she forgot that they were even there! None of this would have been as easy as it was without the awesome training and coaching we have received. So grateful for the efforts, patience and most of all the knowledge of the staff at Canine Academy. Two dogs through Canine Academy's off leash program has made having dogs so much more enjoyable. I heard over and over 'what good dogs' and I always said 'they have great training!'
Not everyone likes dogs, but everyone LOVES a well trained dog! Good dogs become GREAT dogs at Canine Academy.
See you next week!
Beth
Percy
Meet Percy- our handsome one year old, 100 pound yellow lab puppy. He’s smart as a whip and quickly mastered commands such as going to the bathroom outside, sit, shake, lay, and cage as a puppy. He’s been a really GOOD dog since the day we brought him home from the breeder. As a large and ridiculously strong dog, he would pull when we walked him. Being a little person, I knew I couldn’t control him if his puppy curiosity got the best of him. He’s a gentle giant, but his curiosity, and general puppy tendencies made it hard for us to have company over or take him on outings. We decided to attend the beginner class at Canine Academy, which helped take him another giant leap forward in his training that, candidly, we couldn’t have done alone at home. When we finished the beginner class we had another glimpse of what a GREAT dog could mean for our family. When I say that the off leash training was life changing, I mean it! Investing in off leash training opened a whole new world that we could safely explore, walk, and just be out and about with our entire family! When company comes over we don’t have to worry about him jumping up on them or their snacks on the counter. Our little tiny puppy baby has gone from a good dog to a GREAT dog. He’s happier as a result and knows what’s expected. He’s calmer, more relaxed, and able to live his best life- all thanks to his training. I’m not struggling to control a giant dog who could easily out muscle me. We don’t build our plans around the dog, we build them with our dog!
Nicole & Time Betzler
Rocco, Sonic & Link
Dear Lisa and the entire Canine Academy Staff,
Looking at the calendar today I realized it has been exactly one year since my 3 dogs were introduced to Canine Academy. All of our lives (ours and the dogs) have greatly improved! We have had many dogs in our home over the last 30 years and always had "good dogs"...now we have "great dogs"!
In September of 2021, we had 3 dogs (two of them were about 15 months old and the other was 9 months old). With 3 puppies in the house we needed some additional help with training. That's when we found Lisa and Canine Academy. We signed up all three dogs at the same time and started the Beginner class. We were so pleased with the progress and loved that the trainers were doing all the heavy lifting and introducing the various commands and we were there to reinforce and practice at home. We quickly moved on to the Intermediate class. Walks were now enjoyable (no more pulling), they learned to "sit" and "wait" while I opened the door, they were learning to "come" when called and would "place" on their mat while we ate dinner (no more having to put them in their crate or worry about one of them being out of sight).
After the Intermediate class we knew we wanted to keep going and signed all three dogs up for Off Leash training. We had never had an off leash dog and were incredibly excited. I shared with the trainers my very low expectations of what I was hoping for and they laughed and said "oh you'll get that and so much more"! They were absolutely right! Its been about 9 months since they graduated from the off leash program and we have continued their training by joining the weekly Great Dogs in Action Outings. The outings have allowed us to continue our learning, meet some great people and take our dogs to places we never thought possible. They even had the opportunity to test and become certified therapy dogs! We can now take them with us wherever appropriate...dog friendly restaurant patios, our nephew's baseball's games, they even travel with us and have enjoyed beaches and hikes I never dreamt could happen for them.
We have had many people say to us "I can't believe you have three dogs!"...then they meet them and the comments become "your three dogs are so well behaved"..."your three are better than most people's one dog"..."wow just wow".
We are so confident in this program that we just recently adopted a 4th dog! He's 13 weeks old and a ball of energy and starts the Beginner class in a couple of weeks. Without Canine Academy, expanding our pack would have never happened. However, we are absolutely certain he will be a "Great Dog" just like his older brothers!
The last year has been amazing and we have given our dogs (and ourselves) the ability to enjoy every minute we have our pups that we love so much!
Thank you to everyone at Canine Academy!
Nick and Karen Puzdrakiewicz
Diesel
I own a horse farm and brought home an eight week old Boston Terrier puppy who immediately showed strong prey drive, with aggression. I also owned another dog who he showed aggression towards. I reached out to Lisa Farlin to evaluate the dog. She suggested her Off Leash Program, so we enrolled him. Canine Academy has given me a happy & obedient dog who is able to live a very full and well adjusted life because I can keep him safe in our day to day activities .
Mark, Alison & Diesel
Marv
Marv is a yellow Labrador Retriever that joined our family in the fall of 2020. We knew we needed to seek professional training for Marv since neither of us had any experience in raising a puppy but wanted our dog to be obedient, trustworthy, and well-socialized with other dogs.
We started Marv in Canine Academy’s Beginner program when he was just 13 weeks old and were so impressed with the progress he made in those four weeks. What surprised us even more was the progress we made! The program equipped us with the confidence and tools to reinforce Marv’s training every day at home. There were videos and printouts that we could reference back to whenever we wanted. Additionally, the staff had great suggestions for practicing different training exercises at home and were always available to answer questions.
Deciding to continue Marv’s training through the Intermediate program and Off Leash program was a no-brainer for us once we saw how far he’d come after completing the Beginner Program. With each week, we became better owners and Marv became a better dog. The consistency in messaging and training Marv received both at home and at Canine Academy really helped turn him into a GREAT dog …all while maintaining his silly and playful Labrador Retriever personality.
Since graduating from the Off Leash program, we regularly attend the Great Dog in Action Outings to reinforce all the things that both we and Marv learned, to keep Marv socialized with other dogs, and to get feedback from the trainers (and usually, most of that feedback is corrections for us…not Marv!). We love hearing people say “Wow, I can’t believe he’s only a year old. He’s so well behaved!.” We love taking Marv off-leash to an open field to play frisbee and having the comfort that he will always come back when called, no matter what type of distractions may be around. We love knowing we can leave him with a friend or family member when we travel and that they won’t have any problems controlling him.
The training programs at Canine Academy are an investment in your dog and your family’s future, and we think it’s one of the best investments and decisions we have made. We now spend time enjoying walks with Marv instead of him pulling and tugging on the leash. We can have guests enter our home without him jumping up on them. We can leave him in his crate to go run an errand and not have him constantly barking. Marv has brought so much joy to our lives, and the staff at Canine Academy has played an integral role in that by making him into a GREAT dog! Thank you, Lisa & staff!
Jeni & Tony
Quincy
My dog Quincy had been through all of the training that Canine Academy had to offer and she was on her way! She even became a therapy dog.
One day when she was about 3 years old she was attacked by another dog. Luckily she wasn't physically injured, but she became more and more withdrawn, until one day she attacked our cat! Needless to say I knew we needed to contact Lisa at the Canine Academy. Even though we really couldn't afford to place Quincy in the Off-Leash Program, we also knew that something had to be done. Fast forward to today.....Quincy is a totally different dog! She graduated about 6 weeks ago from the Off-Leash Program and we haven't looked back. She is happy, she gets along with the cat again and she's willing to try new things. After she was attacked, she was afraid of Halloween decorations, the garbage can, loud noises, people walking by our house, etc. ! I try everyday to introduce her to something new, to keep her on her toes, so to speak.
Don't get me wrong, she is a work in progress, but I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel, all thanks to the Canine Academy!
Tarry Rye
Sadie
Sadie is a Great Pyrenees/Boxer/Cocker Spaniel mix who we adopted as a puppy in the fall of 2019. She the most loving dog you’d ever meet, yet as experienced dog owners, we found that she was nearly impossible to train. She started her beginner training at Canine Academy at 9 months old. She was difficult to walk on a leash and was so anxious around other dogs. This anxiety was more pronounced since the pandemic lockdown occurred just as she should have been socializing regularly with other dogs. Furthermore, no matter how hard we tried, we were not successful in house training her.
We went through the beginner, intermediate and advanced classes at Canine Academy and we saw great improvement in Sadie’s ability to follow basic commands and she was almost immediately housebroken (thank goodness)! However, she remained unpredictable when any sort of distraction occurred. We couldn’t quite be confident in her behavior. The turning point was when she pulled me down onto the driveway as another dog was walking by.
It was the off-leash training that made Sadie a “Great Dog”. Sadie quickly learned from her trainers that commands are to be followed and praise or correction would follow. We met with her trainer weekly to learn exactly how to teach Sadie and saw improvement immediately. Off leash training is well worth the expense. We continue to learn by going to Great Dogs in Action events as well as having Sadie day-train at Canine Academy as a graduate.
We now can take Sadie with us anywhere we go. This picture is one where she is on a hike with us up north. As you can see; Sadie is off the leash! We know that she will listen, come when called and are confident as we know what to expect regarding her behavior. This would have never been possible without Off-Leash Training at the Canine Academy!
Sincerely, Beth and Dennis