Mid-Atlantic Dog Training

Michael, You are more than welcome, and thanks so much for the feedback. For a first time dog owner, you did great! I enjoyed how early on you had discerned that you wanted Chana to be better behaved than many of the dogs you were encountering in your own neighborhood. It was clear you were really invested from the beginning and aware of the the work entailed. You asked a lot of good questions and did your homework. As you expressed, the real work was in between the lessons, as I don’t train client dogs, but rather teach owners how to train their dogs. By setting rules, limitations and boundaries, teaching our dogs what they can do and can’t do, and holding them accountable for bad choices, is how dogs come to truly see their owners as leaders, and that’s when you really gain a dog’s respect and trust. Dogs will always be motivated to do what they want, and be distracted, however their owner’s are responsible for the training maintenaince, and it’s the training that makes it easy to get them back on the right track. Everybody loves their dogs, but few people can say they are also proud of them, and it is the well trained dog that ultimately has more freedom and a fuller life than those that are not. I look forward to seeing you on the next pack walk. Keep up the good work!

Kerry, thank you for the review and feedback. You, Meredith, and of course Rooney, were all exceptional students. You and Meredith had to also traverse the additional role of learning to be Rooney's leader and teacher at the same time. And your right, people sometimes think it's going to be relatively easy and not too challenging, nothing but fun. However, struggle is an integral part of learning, and sometimes that involves getting a bit uncomfortable trying new things for both people and dogs, which ultimately open the way for more growth and success at achieving your goals at the end. So glad to hear she is still thriving under your guidance.

Andrea, thank you so much for the review and the recommendation.

My apologies for the delayed response to your comments; I always appreciate feedback. Before we ever met, you emailed me stating that your dog was reactive and lunging towards other dogs, you also stated that you didn’t feel she trusted you from the beginning, and that she had already shown aggression towards you and your husband, in more than one instance and/or situation. At a later time you even mentioned she was reactive to small children and had lunged at a toddler. While I realize that certain tools can make some people uncomfortable, electronic collars and prong collars are widely accepted in dog training and extremely effective with aggressive dogs that pose a threat to other dogs or people. I have personally helped dozens of dogs and their owners using the aforementioned tools and believe Toph’s behavior issues would have also abated, if you had completed the training with me. You were ultimately uncomfortable when it came time to correct her aggressive outbursts when we began the work of encountering other dogs. You ended our working relationship sending a very cordial and respectful email stating you and your husband’s reasons for seeking another trainer, devoid of many statements you present here. Although disappointed you chose to seek assistance elsewhere, I accepted and understood your position. Now a year later, your thoughts have been reformulated in this review, which reveals the unfortunate reality of how polarized the field of dog training has become in the past few decades. I believe most trainers have their client’s and dog’s best interests at heart, despite having different approaches. Regrettably some also seek to bolster their particular ideology by deriding other trainers. Having worked in a teaching capacity for most of my life, I am a staunch believer in continuing education. I am very aware of the different approaches and methodologies employed in dog training. The term - positive reinforcement means that some behavior is strengthened or added. However, by definition you cannot inhibit a behavior by reinforcement. This is why I choose instead to utilize ALL 4-Quadrants of dog training, when necessary. To date, there is absolutely NO quality data or evidence to support the claim, “… that aversive techniques are harmful, especially to reactive dogs.” Regardless of coming from a behaviorist, trainer or veterinarian, statements adhering to this appear to be strictly opinion, and decades old in origin, yet are still presented as current or new science. Inferences that the methods by which I train are unethical and/or inhumane also serve to encompass my clients (current and previous) and the veterinarians that refer me, who are familiar with how I work. Everyone has choices to make, and what people may deem ethical or humane will also vary. Many of my clients with reactive dogs had already unsuccessfully been down the path of “all positive reinforcement” training and/or a behaviorist recommending psychotropic medication, and they were seeking an alternative to that particular choice. Given a choice to help a reactive dog, their temporary discomfort is seen by many as far preferable to using anti-anxiety medications or sedatives to modify their dog’s behavior. Chemically altering a dog’s mental state does not address the root cause of a dog’s behavior and may exacerbate the situation over the long-term. Consistent behavior modification techniques have proven time and again to effectively help a dog manifest socially acceptable behavior; my clients who found success working with me also attest to that in their feedback. I enjoyed meeting and working with you and Jonathan, and regret your reevaluation of our overall time together left you feeling the way you do, after all this time. Still, I’m very glad to hear that you have found an approach to Toph’s reactive behaviors you are now comfortable with.

Marcia, thank you very much for the review! Her success is largely due to you putting in the work. Boo is a great little dog and I'm so glad to hear you are happy with how things turned out.