Blue Dog Training & Behavior

I should preface by saying that I have one pretty stubborn dog. She likes to bark, chew on things, jump on people, and even bite sometimes. Despite the training my dog had as a puppy, this behavior has been relentless. I have contacted and consulted with Sarah Kalnajs at Blue Dog Training & Behavior about these issues, and I am immensely impressed with the great care she has taken in helping me. She did everything from finding the right treats for reinforcing my dog's good behavior to making special videos to demonstrate her approach. She is incredibly professional, smart, and always provides really useful, detailed advise that truly works. While other trainers have immediately recommended that I resort to punishment (foul sprays, restrictive leashes, even force - all of which only made my dog more nervous and angry), Sarah uses positive reinforcement methods, which function by simultaneously eliminating problematic issues and developing the human-pup relationship. She loves dogs and evidently loves helping people. Without a doubt, Sarah is the best-qualified trainer I have encountered, who is well-prepared to improve even the most problematic canine behavior.

I was hesitant to reach out to Sarah initially, believing the internet to be a useful enough tool when learning how to train my ACD puppy. After an in-depth phone conversation with Sarah, I was sold. I still had not paid her yet. Throughout the next few weeks, Sarah went out of her way to reach out to breeders and rescues, inquiring as to whether or not they were reputable. She spent countless hours on the phone, guiding me through the puppy's transition into the household and kept me from making several mistakes that the 'internet' recommended. I still had not paid her yet. Our appointment was scheduled for a week and a half after I received the puppy, and during that time she continued giving advice and made herself available at all time. She stepped out of family functions to call me, to walk me through certain steps. I still had not paid her yet. Finally, I had the appointment. She was able to derive my puppy's personality, and curtailed the training and socialization to him perfectly. His behavior before and after the consultation is night and day. He is an independent, head-strong puppy, who challenged me daily. Already, he has learned how to behave in the house-hold and if not for Sarah, it is very likely that I would have ingrained many poor behaviors into him and would have had my hands full for the next 15 years. I absolutely recommend hiring Sarah. When you compare the costs to both yours, and your dogs, quality of life over the next 10-15 years, you'll come to realize that it really isn't all that hard of a decision. She truly cares about the dog, and you, and will strive to make sure that you both have the best possible life together.

Always wishing for my dog to have the very best life possible, I wanted to contact a behaviorist to get advice regarding several issues we were having. I had made contact with another person calling themselves a behaviorist, and had scheduled an appointment. I mentioned this to our trainer, and she immediately said "You really want to get in touch with Sarah Kalnajs and make an appointment with her." This trainer had taken seminars with Sarah and had really admired her compassion and the manner in which she had interacted with dogs. Loving our trainer and so respecting her opinion, I immediately cancelled with the other "behaviorist" and contacted Blue Dog Training and Sarah and Andrew. I have since found out that anyone can call themselves a behaviorist- just as they can call themselves a dog trainer. Sarah is a Certified Behaviorist, which to me is just as important as knowing that the person who is calling themselves a veterinarian does, in fact, have the training and expertise to have the title of Doctor. I have loved dogs my entire life, and I consider myself pretty good with all dogs- but is that the qualification to make me a behaviorist? Not hardly. Sarah and Andrew have been so very kind and helpful in all ways as we work to get my pup to her full potential. Sarah has given me insight to think as my dog does, and in doing so, has given me a new understanding of why she does the things she does. Sarah's ability to "read" animals is brilliant. The DVD, The Language of Dogs, is absolutely an eye opener, and has helped me to see things in other dogs that I should be alert to. There are many key elements that should be part of every child's education to grow up safely around dogs- both their family pets and dogs they meet outside their home. I look forward to a long relationship with Sarah and Blue Dog Training. She has much to teach, and I have so much to learn. Before you make the decision as to who should be the one to help you with your beloved 4 legged family member, maybe the first question you should ask is "Are you a Certified Behaviorist and Trainer?"

We purchased a toy poodle recently without as much research and planning as we should have done, and after almost three months of attending puppy kindergarten and consulting two behaviorists and a trainer, we had to come to the decision to return the puppy to its breeder due to behavioral issues which could have potentially become serious. We chose the behaviorists/trainers from vet recommendations and online searches where I often passed by Blue Dog Training because of Sarah’s seemingly high cost, despite her informative website and her excellent credentials. Before making a final decision to re-home, however, I put a call into Sarah as our choice was heart-wrenching and I needed some expertise, which is exactly what I got! She called me back within hours with questions, insights, advice and welcome sympathy, and offered to see the puppy to do a quick evaluation as the decision was imminent. However, as I continued to talk, the decision became clear. We would have saved a lot of money had we gone to Blue Dog Training first and gotten advice from Sarah on how to choose a dog for our needs and how to bring and train that dog to become a beloved family pet. Blue Dog Training is now at the front of the line for any future advice!