Paws To Train Your Dog

In September 2022, my husband and I adopted a 5-year old Chihuahua mix, Percy. We knew that Percy had displayed aggression in his foster home, but as naive first-time dog owners, we thought constant love and affection was the answer. Fast forward to January 2023: we had spent months lavishing him with all the treats, toys, affection, and positive training tactics we could find, but were absolutely at our wits’ end. None of it seemed to make any true impact on his anxiety and aggressive behavior towards other humans and dogs. Our daily walks were so stress-inducing for him and for us that we dreaded them. Percy would pull constantly at the end of his leash, lunging and barking uncontrollably at the sight of any other person or animal. He also grew agitated with any new visitors in our home, barking and trying to nip at them. Enter Troy and his “Good Dog” training program. We had our initial consultation with Troy in December and then began weekly lessons in January. After 6+ weeks of training with Troy, we have a radically different dog and relationship: Troy taught us how to communicate effectively with Percy, and how to maintain structure that helps him to relax & behave more confidently and calmly. Our neighbors have even commented on the huge improvement, and walks are now something that we truly ENJOY and can do with more frequency and longevity. But most importantly, we finally feel like we know how to help Percy. Troy was incredibly patient with us through the whole process, and spent as much time teaching us as he did Percy - it was truly the best investment we have made! My recommendations for getting the most out of your training with Troy: 1. Regularly reference your training materials. Troy gives clients an extensive handout explaining best practices and walking you through what he is going to teach you. As you learn each piece in person, the handout will help ensure you are practicing it correctly at home (plus it contains many answers to questions that may crop up as you practice). We even wrote his incredibly helpful “10 Rules Dog Trainers Live By” on our fridge as constant reminders of how to approach each situation. 2. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you are uncertain about how to do something, or why it’s beneficial, ASK. Troy is incredibly detailed, and he will take the time to make sure you understand each piece of the training fully and that you are executing the methods properly. 3. Trust the process. Troy has a fantastic understanding of dog behavior, and his methods are based on that understanding and rooted in true care for the dog’s overall well-being. His delivery can be no-nonsense and blunt, and he definitely doesn’t put up with any shenanigans, but it is all for the dog’s ultimate well-being. 4. Do. The. Work. This program requires you to be in an almost constant training state at home for weeks on end, but it is absolutely worth it - not just for the results you will see with your dog, but more importantly, for your dog’s sake. Troy will truly be invested in your dog's success, and you have to be too.

Gus and I have gained so much confidence over the last couple months. Gus, a 2 year old pit mix, struggled with dog reactivity issues and a bite history, and Troy has helped us immensely. Troy saw the potential in Gus and I finally got to see him really start to make improvements. I’m so happy I decided to go with this training. It has helped not only Gus, but also myself to better understand what goes on in his mind and how to guide him through stressful situations. I would absolutely recommend Troy.

My husband and I could not be happier with the results from Paws To Train Your Dog! It feels like we have our lives back and our dogs are happier than ever. We first reached out to Troy to train our dog, Cowboy, who had virtually 0 training up until that point and was very reactive with other dogs. Now, Cowboy walks perfectly on the leash, can be safe and respectful around other dogs, follows sit/come/down/place commands, and more. His personality is more confident than ever and it seems like he actually enjoys having these guidelines in place. We did the same training with our dog Bunny and she has seen the same dramatic improvements as well. We will forever recommend Troy with Paws To Train Your Dog!