Paws Afoot

This reference is written for Lise Lausiva and Paws Afoot. My wife and I acquired a new Yellow Labrador puppy about 18 months ago; we named her “Oakley”. As any lab owner will tell you, they can be a handful in the first couple of years. We had had a previous lab so we were not unfamiliar with them and their playful nature. This particular dog was as hyper as a dog could be. She constantly sought to be the center of attention—not uncommon for any young dog—and she would go to almost any length to get that attention. She would constantly jump up on visitors to the house, bark if the attention wasn’t forthcoming, and lick and wrestle with anyone she could get close to. From her very first meeting with Oakley, Lise was firm, consistent, and very gentle with Oakley. She taught her what was acceptable and what was unacceptable behavior. Slowly, our hyper lab began to pay attention and after only one session the difference was apparent. We had Lise come for four sessions, and Oakley benefited from every one of them—as did we. As directed by Lise, we put Oakley on a daily training regimen for about 5 minutes each time, morning and afternoon. We rehearsed her in the exercises we learned from Lise and saw daily improvement. While Oakley is still an active dog—all labs are—she’s rapidly becoming a very manageable, active dog. She knows how to ‘stay’, come when called, walk with her owner without pulling on the leash, and heel; all of which go a long way to turning a potentially frustrating experience into a pleasant one. I credit Lise with effecting this change. Her consistent, and what I would describe as her loving approach to training dogs, was incredibly effective. I highly recommend her, without reservation, to anyone looking to have their dog formally trained.

As first-time puppy owners, my wife and I were completely unprepared for the experience. I called several trainers, but Lise was the one we were really hoping for -- and fortunately she was also quick to call back! She put our nerves at ease and helped better train us (yes, us) so we could better train our pup. After the first session, we knew we were on the right track and have been so thankful for Lise's wisdom and guidance.