When we brought our then 4-month old puppy home about 5 months ago, she was painfully timid, as she had had no exposure to the outside world. She was terrified of our friends, strangers, other dogs, cats, cars, birds, her own shadow, you name it… I was really worried that she will have a miserable life if she doesn’t come out of her shell soon.\r
I read all kinds of dog behavior modification books, and they all said that the best thing for a shy dog is training. So I got busy on the internet, trying to find the best positive teacher and a Puppy Kindergarten. I looked up countless websites, read reviews on CitySearch and Yelp and called the “finalists” to speak to them in person. One of them was The Well-Heeled Dog. I immediately liked Susan (the owner/trainer) as soon as she answered the phone. I described the challenges with my puppy, she listened carefully, offered some sound advice, and wasn’t trying to “sell” me on her class or anything else. I knew my search was over for the following reasons: (first and most important to me) Susan uses POSITIVE training methods only (no intimidation or punishment but lots of praise and rewarding for good behavior). The classes are kept very small, so each dog gets a lot of individual attention. Her pricing is VERY reasonable (about $150 for 5 classes!) and very conveniently located (in Chateau Marmutt on West 3rd St., and in Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills. (She also does private sessions just about everywhere.)\r
So I signed up for the next Puppy Kindergarten with The Well-Heeled Dog.\r
The 1st class was sad and discouraging: our big beautiful dog running away with the tail tucked between her legs from much smaller puppies and shivering in the corner. Susan was very patient and encouraging. She even allowed us to practice some commands with our pup in a confined area so she could relax and concentrate on learning. The 2nd class was a little better – no active involvement yet but at least she showed a little curiosity. 3rd class was a breakthrough – she was still a little nervous but it was clear that she really, really wanted to participate in the play with the others! By the 4th class she was a like a new dog!!! She was actively playing with all other pups, and even allowed the other “parents” to pet her! The change in her confidence has been unbelievable! Every single one of our friends who knew the “before” and “after” have commented on her tremendous improvement. She now LOVES to play with other dogs, and she is very eager to learn!!! \r
We are so happy with Susan’s training that we are now enrolled at the Basic Obedience Class, and after that will continue on with the AKC Canine Good Citizen class.\r
Pros: Positive training
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