Contented Canines

We adopted a 2 year old cattle dog in September. I knew what we were getting into, lol, and things were moving along, but walking was problematic due to pulling and urges to chase squirrels, cats and scents. In addition he was reactive to dogs on leashes. He would also growl unexpectedly at my partner. There was a lot to work on and I needed some help. He is a great dog who deserved a successful second chance and I owed it to him to learn to communicate and connect with him. Enter Thomas Kelly at Contented Canines! After our initial free 30 minute consultation I knew our philosophies aligned regarding a reward-based program. I signed up for the initial assessment/consultation and I got so much out of it that some folks might just need that to address their issues. Tom is obviously well-versed in dog psychology and behavior. He gently critiques and suggests areas for improvement as well as highlighting what is going well. He has helped with troubleshooting via text and is very responsive. He also provides numerous resources and will emphasize what you need to do first. My dog was walking on a loose lead during that first session and has been ever since. He is also so much more relaxed, that is also a concept you will learn to teach your dog. Although I use the term “program” and there are core concepts/principles, the lessons have been fluid to an extent and tailored to our issues. I signed up for the series of Foundation classes because I see the value in continuing to work on our connection and our lives have been incrementally better each day. Do yourself, and, more importantly, your dog, a favor and help him/her live the best life possible!

We had our 1st class with Tom before our puppy arrived! We're so glad we did! We felt prepared for her arrival. After we got Piper, we spread our other private classes out. Tom worked with us, modeled what it should look like. Our Piper is now 15 months old. She is very well behaved. We can take her anywhere! She gets along with all humans and other dogs. We highly recommend Contented Canines! We have recommended Tom to others and they were very happy!

The teaching is absolutely awesome! It’s more about teaching you, the owner, how to interact with your dog and how to get them to do the behaviors/actions you desire. This makes both you and your dog very happy. We got a new puppy… it had been a very long time since we had brought a puppy into our home and it was hard. But then I found Tom Kelly. I definitely recommend Contented Canines to anyone who is looking for help with their pup! You won’t regret it!