Ohkom Farms Training Center

Linda has a very well thought out and thorough curriculum that covers a variety of training options from puppy to adult. Paying attention in class and practicing at home will get you where you want to be. If you go into her classes with any preconcieved ideas or think you can get what you need from a one hour session once a week without practicing, you are only fooling yourself! Classes are fun and the people are great! They will help you achieve your goals!

To say that my dog is reactive is an understatement. At five years old, he would lose his mind and start barking when he saw people, dogs, garbage cans, and mailboxes. I was worried we'd never be able to take him in public without him scaring everyone around us, so we had to be very careful where and when we'd go to hike, go to the park, even walk around our neighborhood. After a few weeks with Linda, he can see another dog (his biggest trigger) walking by him outside and only throw a sniff in their direction. He no longer barks at other people walking past, and we're hoping to get him into agility soon. He's like a different dog. She really explains why she wants you to do what she asks you to with the dog, and her ability to read their body language is amazing. I just never realized WHY he was reacting like he was, so I didn't know how to help him until now. I believe in her programs so much we worked together to build her a new website so others can benefit from her years of experience. I can't recommend her enough!

Updated as of January 2015. Since writing this review in May of 2011, I have had no contact with Ohkom Farms, Linda Scopa, Rita Petrovich or Susie Utech. I am now receiving formal letters and seeing social media comments that are retaliatory and accusational in nature; very unprofessional. Congratulations on me lowering your review rating even further. Here is my original review unedited - There are many things I can say about Linda and her team; both general and specific. Before I became a dog trainer myself and started my own business (Learning to Lead Dog Training) I had gone to one of her classes for my dog to be a Therapy dog. THERAPY DOG CLASSES - Since moving away from her class and going on my own I have found a great deal of knowledge on what to do; not just for the dog but for the handler as well. It was during her class that I continued to ask questions where I was always given the answer, "We'll cover that later". I was only interested in taking a test but she pushed for me to spend the money and take the class. In the class I found her team doesn't even have the most basic knowledge of teaching therapy work. Halfway through the classes I found out that I can go anywhere and just pay a fee to take the test. Something Linda conveniently didn't tell me ahead of time. I passed the test where the evaluator said I had one of the best dogs he has ever seen. I returned to class to tell her I passed the test at another location. Well, I finished the class since I wasn't going to get my money back but I did NOT enjoy my time there. During the Therapy Dog class there was a specific instance where Linda was trying to teach a "meet and greet" procedure (with humans, not dogs) and she didn't want my dog to look around AT ALL and to only look at me. I said, "It isn't an obedience competition, this is a nursing home where he is going to look around. He is going to wag his tail etc. I need to keep control yes but the control you would have me do is excessive for the environment he is going into. Plus the residents aren't going to like it." Her answer to me was, "Ed I have been teaching this class for a long time." Then had Suzie "help me" while she huffed away to help someone else. I stood there in the middle of the floor watching her walk away while I thought; "Wow, That is professional of you." HER AND HER TEAM - What can I say? Linda will say something "in her professional opinion" one day and later say something totally different a month or so later. Her staff Rita and Suzie are two peas in the same pod. Rita looks down on you every chance she gets. She doesn't help you in the role that Linda gave her AT ALL!!! Suzie continuously had to ask Linda basic obedience strategies when Suzie has been there for years. On the first day of class (TDI Class) Rita would give us a half hour speech on how her dog "Chico" was the best. She even cried about it; showing everyone in class pictures of her dog passing around a photo album of Chico. What? It was only 2 minutes of usable material that came from Rita's professional presentation. Suzie tried to instruct the class but it is hard to believe her when she isn't sure herself. Also in a separate situation all together I had taken another one of my dogs to her to perform an evaluation of temperament and train-ability. I wanted to see her skills outside of the TDI classes. I wanted to learn more about focus and conformation show strategies. Basically she gave me nothing that I didn't already know. I don't know how she actually is in any of her other classes with obedience etc. but based upon my experience of her I would label her as substandard, ditsy dog trainer who pushes classes on people for the money when not everyone needs the entire curriculum just to have a controlled, well mannered pet at home.

Linda Scopa is a great teacher, trainer and handler. We started with our 1 1/2 year old rescue Irish Setter 8 years ago and Linda taught us techniques to train him in agility, and obedience. We now have a Golden Retriever that has been through 'Puppy Plus', 'Puppy Activity" and now obedience. We have learned so much from her classes. The classes give you incentive to explore more in-depth involvement in competition, or just to have fun and enjoy your dog. Great job, Linda!! WooWoo!