Fusion Dog Training

We've had our Doberman, Sophie, for years and never enjoyed walking with her because she would pull hard on her leash and get overly excited and bark nonstop when she saw people, dogs, or deer in our neighborhood. Christina told me Sophie didn't want to feel this way but I didn't understand how that could ever change. After sessions with Christina, Sophie is calm around others, doesn't pull and is fun to walk with now. Lucy, our Vizsla, was just an overly excited, out-of-control puppy! She would jump all over people wanting to play! Christina trained us both! Now, she is still happy and playful, but she listens and settles down with only a voice command when others are around. No jumping! I feel like my dogs are so much happier and peaceful now that I am trained haha! Christina was so fun to be with and she made good use of every minute of our sessions. She still checks in occasionally to see how we are all doing.We will be forever grateful!

I have tried at least 6 different trainers, have taken many classes, and have spent thousand of dollars and hours trying to get my dog to behave on a leash and to not be aggressive when we walk past other dogs. I found Fusion Dog Training online as a specialist in reactive dogs. Besides it being scary and embarrassing, my shoulders and back were killing me. My pup busted through my fence and attacked a little dog, resulting in a warning from the Humane Society. Christina was my last attempt at being able to keep my dog. Christina personalized the training, so that Wilma was responsive and so that I was able to control her. Not only can I walk past dogs without any issues, if there is an issue, I know how to deal with it. I'm confident that I can walk her without it becoming a dangerous situation. Before I would dread walking her and people would be terrified and give me dirty looks. I look forward to our walks now! I HIGHLY recommend Christina. It's been an amazing experience to have her help me get my dog under control.

Cristina helped train *me* and my Cane Corso puppy. She is extremely knowledgeable and considers the dog and their personality when teaching the owner what to do. I never felt I was being taught a “one-size fits all training.” Problem-solving and working through issues was the bulk of our puppy training, and I appreciate that so much. Because of the training, I feel confident that my pup & I have the basics down, and I know how to reset or troubleshoot through issues. Dogs are not all the same, even within the breed, so training should not be approached that way. I am very grateful to Fusion Dog Training.

This is a long overdue review! I sent my then 1.5 year old rambunctious Border Collie to the 3 week board and train program in Sept 2020. As most Border Collies are, she was smart as a whip, outsmarting my attempts at training her and driving us both crazy. She pulled constantly, and zig-zagged on my runs which was a shame because it'd be a great outlet for her energy. She rarely listened if I didn't have a ball or frisbee, and I felt awful using her items of joy to lure her back inside. Three extremely short weeks later, the dog I got back was completely different but still her awesome self! Learning and doing was never her issue but slowing down and taking a second was. Cristina and Margaret did an amazing job! Not only did they agree to take on an extra dog (due to my circumstances I was only supposed to be in the area for a few months) but were beyond communicative the whole time! I got plenty of pics and updates on her progress and when I got her back I was so happy with the result! She had a great heel, place, down, and general commands were all solid. But mostly she'd lost her "crazy eyes" look at every little sound and thing! When I went to pick her up, they gave me a mini lesson on the collar and how to continue to work with her. It was obvious my pup LOVED working with them and was sad to leave (but still happy to see me :D). Since then Cristina has been super responsive to my questions, helping me from afar with my training progress (introduction to cats) through videos and chats. She keeps the Facebook Fusion Dog Train page up and running for group training events - that I keep meaning to attend, were I closer. This has been a top notch experience! Freyja's (my dog) training has... slipped a bit, nothing drastic and all completely my own doing for not being on top of her known bad habits. She's still great on leash and we go on runs often, I don't worry about bringing her places because I know she knows how to settle down (even if she REALLY doesn't want to), and she comes when I call. And I now have the tools to improve the old skills and help her pick up new ones. And whenever I'm stuck, I have a go-to resource who knows my dog and her training and just how to help! Thank you so much for helping my dog find her calm! I recommend this dog trainer to ANYONE even interested in finding a program!

Last year our family moved from Texas, where we had a huge yard, to a townhouse in Monument. Our Pit/Lab mix, Dakota, began experiencing anxiety and paranoia that made interacting with her unpleasant and dangerous at times. The biggest issue was that she was difficult to control her when on a leash because of her lack of experience and size. She would also run away any time she saw an opportunity. I was very pregnant and debating if I needed to re-home her when I met with Cristina. It was an emotional time but I ultimately decided that we would bring her to board and train for 3 weeks. I received texts and videos of Dakota every few days, demonstrating skills and exhibiting confidence I had never seen in her before. I was extremely skeptical and afraid that this wouldn’t stick after bringing her home. Fortunately, we saw a very different side of Dakota. My husband and I met with Cristina and her assistant on different occasions at our home and at the park to make sure that we understood how to continue working on these skills with Dakota and stay consistent. After her training, walks with Dakota were so much fun! I think the whole family felt a lot less frustration with her and she eventually stopped trying to run away. We were even able to take her on camping trips and family outings! Unfortunately, I have not been able to utilize group classes that Cristina hosts, but I always appreciate the invitations. One issue that did eventually become a problem again was Dakota’s anxiety and paranoia. Cristina had tried some natural supplements that did not make a difference during training, so when I brought this up with her, she suggested I talk to our vet about medication. Dakota has been taking a low dose of Fluoxetine for about 4 months now and it was really just what she needed to help her relax. I am so glad that we invested the time and money into Dakota by working with Fusion Dog Training! I feel that my dog’s unique needs were taken in to consideration and that both Dakota and our family were given the right tools to be successful. I am also appreciative of the amount of support we received after her time in the program was over. Highly recommend! Thank you Cristina!