Finding and working with Terry was a the best thing we could have done as far as dog ownership was concerned.
We had a difficult to control, 7month-old puppy who was taking over our lives with her chewing, mouthing, house breaking (or lack thereof), jumping up on the kids, chasing the cat, not coming when called, and basically doing whatever she felt like whenever she felt like it. I felt we had no leverage over her to get her to do what we wanted, despite trying commands, food rewards, etc.... Food rewards were not working, as she was not food motivated when other stimuli were present. At my wit's end, I signed up for Angie's List and typed in "Dog training", that’s when I found Terry. I liked what I read, went to their website, and decided to contact her. I was a little taken aback by the price of the training but realized that it was comparable to other trainers.
She was extremely responsive, called me back immediately, and we set up an initial consultation with our dog so we could meet her and get a feel for her and her approach. We liked her immediately as she was warm, personable, and confident around us and our dog. She was also very efficient and helpful in explaining how she worked and why. We left knowing we would commit to the 3 session program. The first session is mostly informational, which is crucial in the education process, as the tool she uses (e-collar) to train the dogs needs to be understood and used responsibly. She took the time to explain how it works, and how to use it before putting it on our dogs. At the end of the session, we each learned 2 different commands on our dogs, and it worked like magic. We went home with the task of practicing our 2 commands for the next week until the next session. Because we were communicating to our dog in a way she understood, with just the right amount of stimuli to get her attention, we literally had a different dog from one day to the next! She immediately understood that we were the alphas in charge, and she stopped mouthing us, chewing what we didn't want her to chew, jumping on the kids and chasing the cat (we also have a much happier and relaxed cat now!). Knowing someone was in charge and had the capability to reinforce the simple commands, made our dog understand her place, and her behavior has been terrific ever since. After three sessions and more commands, we now have a fully manageable dog, and one we actually enjoy having with us at all times. We bring her everywhere we go, knowing she will behave appropriately, and that we can fully control her around both people and other dogs. It was worth every penny of the price of the sessions, and it has made us very happy dog owners. I could not recommend Terry highly enough.
Dariane Hunt
Concord, MA
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