Drop the Leash LLC Dog Training and Behavior Consultant

Before connecting with Valeria at Drop the Leash, our senior dog, Dex, was having a hard time adjusting to our toddler once he became mobile. It was a challenging time for both us and Dex, and we were unsure how to navigate these hurdles so we reached out. She taught us methods to make Dex more comfortable and to alleviate his anxiety. She didn't make empty promises but was realistic in that it would take hard work and time to see the changes we wanted to see. No kidding, not even a month later and we were floored by the results. Through a mix of positive reinforcement, pain management, anxiety alleviation, etc, we saw Dex transform and able to communicate his uncomfortabilty in healthy ways which make everyone more comfortable. Thank you, Valeria! You kept our little family together and healthy and we're so grateful!

Before my vet connected me to Valeria, we were struggling to acclimate our newest dog to your household. At 5 months old, we brought home Leroy from a greeder (greedy breeder = bad). He did not know how to properly go potty (peed on his beds and ours), was afraid of everything including walking through doors, and was in mental survival mode. We were not planning to rescue a dog and this threw us for a loop, but we were not bringing him back to the greeder either. We tried a board and train for both of our dogs that used shock collars, hoping it would help Henry (1.5yrs at the time) and Leroy (5 months old) become easy to manage dogs. What a nightmare- not only did our dogs come back to us traumatized and we spent $$$, but the experience left me feeling broken and hopeless. I shared the struggles we were having with Leroy and the nightmare training experience I put my dogs through with my vet and she told me about Valeria- a family dog trainer. NO choke chains, pinch collars, shock collars, or dominating methods to train my dogs- INSTEAD, a master trainer who would instruct me on how to communicate with my dogs, listen to them, and live in harmony as we share our lives together. The first thing I gained from Valeria was trust- she shared her dog training testimony and I no longer felt alone in my mistakes, but recognized hope. She was the advocate I needed- she listened to my struggles and helped me create plans to overcome them. One huge obstacle was potty training Leroy. In order to gain success, I also had to change my mindset and not project my fear or disappointment on Leroy's inadequacies. Val helped me show my dog patience and the ability to love him even if he could never overcome this issue- THIS WAS HUGE! This was the pivotal point where big things began happening for my dogs. We began working as a team and I was able to focus on the good, celebrate the victories, and grow closer to my dogs. I am happy to report he was fully potty trained at 1yr and 3 months- this was during our training time with Val. Now my boys are almost 3 (Leroy) and 4 (Henry). We enjoy lots of adventures together, snuggles, and playtime. Currently we are working on recall, walking on a leash, and barking. We are able to treat each season of life as an exciting opportunity to continue our training thanks to the foundation Valeria has given us to launch from. Instead of seeing it as what my dogs can't do, I now see a moment to learn together, grow a deeper bond, and continue to enjoy life's many adventures. 5 STAR PROGRAM: I highly recommend this program! Val will not only teach you how to lovingly communicate with your dogs in a way that is effective, but you will feel heard and seen. Dog training is no easy task, Val will make sure you don't feel alone in the struggles and will help build your confidence. I am forever grateful for my time with her!

We adopted MayBelle, about 5-6 years old, from a local shelter - she had recently been transferred there from down state shelters and had been in a shelter for over a year - that was known. They told us that she was ok with cats, which we found out wasn't true; she also had a "skin infection", which has taken over a year to find out what has caused it. She would get upset when the cats would "fight" and try to break them up - no amount of scolding her made a difference. In one instance, she injured one of the cats. We were at our wits end, not knowing what to do, how to keep our cats safe and to let her know that we were in charge. She is a Shar-Pei/ Boxer mix ; both breeds can be guard oriented. I found Drop the Leash online, read the information and comments, then contacted Valerie. We did a Zoom meeting, which was perfect for us, and Valerie took time with us, answered our questions and, although I had doubts that her instruction would be effective with MayBelle, who hadn't even bonded well with us, yet ---- it did work!!!! In no more than a few times, MayBelle was responding. Yes, she is a very smart dog - John says she understands the English language - but we NEVER would have thought to do what Valerie taught us. More importantly, Valerie taught us how to communicate with MayBelle more effectively! In a short time, we had the results we so needed, and we've spent many walks this summer, WITH some of the kitties, walking side by side with MayBelle, playing with each other in the ways that alarmed MayBelle, previously, and she ignores them. Drop the Leash is a safe, effective and solid program to help dogs and guardians with difficult communication and training. We highly recommend Valerie and this program; we couldn't be more satisfied. Lynn Deen

I contacted Valeria after my 10 week old golden retriever attacked two of my Pomeranians. I’m so thankful that she answered my call. I’m 100% sure that if she hadn’t that my puppy would have gone back to the breeder that day. I had that initial phone call as well as a zoom consultation. She taught me the correct way to deal with the resource guarding my puppy was doing. Spot on technique! I also followed her “Karl Hack” & got a life sized stuffed dog for our pup to play with since my Pomeranians don’t play. Best advice ever! He still loves his Karl! My pup is now 5.5 months old & is the most perfect dog ever! He has so signs of his past problems & I believe it is all because of Valeria. Thank you again! Lori & Storm