Paws To Train Your Dog

Troy is an amazing dog trainer!!! We adopted our dog Sadie 6 years ago when she was around 2 years old. It was very obvious she struggled with a lot of anxiety and fear. Probably from having been abused by her previous owners. I knew the best thing for her and for my husband and I was to seek a professional dog trainer. This poor dog was scared of everything!!! We would put her in her crate every time we’d leave the house and she always found a way to get out or she would chew on her crate. It was so stressful for us at the beginning! Anyway after doing tons of research, I had contacted and met with multiple dog trainers in the valley. When my husband and I met Troy, we just had this feeling that we FINALLY met our guy! Everything about his views on dog training aligned with exactly what we wanted. So we decided to do the 2 week dog training where she stayed with him for a dog training bootcamp. Troy would send us videos and pictures of Sadie to show us how she was doing. Then when the time came to pick her up, she was a completely different dog! So calm, and relaxed. It was incredible!!! We couldn’t believe it honestly. She was exactly what we were hoping she’d be like. He crate trained her so she loves being in her crate while we are gone. Makes her feel very safe! Since then we’ve had 2 kids and Sadie has been amazing with our girls. Such a calm family dog. We are so happy to have met Troy. He’s honestly the best out there! You won’t regret hiring him to train your dog!!

In 2016 we decided to adopt a Border Collie named Kip. Within the first week of him being in our home, he bit at least one person and snapped at several others. Needless to say we were concerned as we have an active home with three teenagers and my grandbaby, who was only 6 months old, is a regular visitor. We contemplated returning Kip to the rescue group from which we adopted him, but we did not feel right about giving up as, despite the behavior, he did not seem like an aggressive dog. In fact, he was in a submissive position when he bit my daughter and was in a down position when he snapped at the vet. As Troy Bogden had helped us with Holly, our Chihuahua, several years ago, I decided to give him a call. Troy is one of the most relaxed, calm, peaceful person I think I have ever met. All the fear and trepidation I felt about our situation melted away after meeting with Troy for Kip's initial evaluation. He agreed Kip was not an aggressive dog, but instead was a "fear" biter. Troy went on to explain, Kip had probably given several warning signs prior prior to biting, but we were not aware or did not notice them. Based on the results of the evaluation, he recommended we sign up for his "Good Dog! Program". The syllabus for the 'Good Dog! Program" is provided on Troy's website. At a high level the class seems pretty basic and the lifetime membership to the Paws Social Club as well as the lifetime support are nice extras. We also liked the fact we could board Kip with Troy during vacations. I must admit the price of the program seemed high for what we thought would be a typical dog training class. But I promise you this in not your run-of-the-mill dog obedience class. Instead, it is a wonderful and amazing journey into the life of a dog. Troy uses unique techniques to effectively describe and demonstrate how human behavior directly affects a dog's behavior. For example, would you go up to a stranger on the street rub them on the head and say "you're soooo cute" in a baby voice? No, you probably wouldn't, so what makes you think a dog would like it? I'll give you a hint, they don't. He also provided us with several relatable examples we could share with our teenagers to help them better understand Kip's reactions to their behaviors. Troy might be calm, but his is also tough. He wants you to get your money's worth and is willing to go the extra mile to make sure all your concerns are addressed. But don't show up for class without your homework done , a handful of excuses, and expect positive results. If you are inconsistent, you will get inconsistent results. Between the hands-on classes, handouts, and other recommended resources Troy provided us with everything we needed to help Kip, but he also helped us become more insightful humans. It has been about a couple of years since our last hands on class with Troy. How is it going? It is going well. Yes, we have had some minor setbacks, but that is because we failed Kip. When we stray for the concepts taught in class, so does Kip. But thankfully, we always have a lifeline to call if we have a problem or question. And yes, we have called Troy for help. He responded almost immediately and helped get us back on track. We also board Kip with Troy at least once a year while on vacation. I like knowing Kip is in a safe environment with someone he knows and also receives individual attention throughout the day. Bottom line, if you are looking for a basic obedience class, go to your local Petsmart. But if you are looking to develop a meaningful, lifelong relationship with your dog, look no further. Troy is the best.

Thank you to Troy! We adopted our dog, Chet, from a shelter in Gilbert several years ago. Chet had some serious anxiety issues, struggled in playing with other dogs, pulled on his leash, jumped up on people, and basically was just really not well behaved. In just a short while with working with Troy, Chet learned how to behave and Troy also gave us the tools we needed to work with Chet at home. We have had Chet for about 6 years now and we absolutely love him. Because we were so fortunate to find Troy, he taught us how to work with Chet and he's the best dog ever! He's just the sweetest dog and we are forever grateful to Troy for helping us discover what an amazing dog he is!

Eight years ago we brought home two border collie littermate puppies, Stella and Porter, that instantly became part of our family. When our veterinarian gave us instructions not to expose them to other dogs until their vaccination series was complete, we were a bit too literal and missed the opportunity to visit public spaces. Our home was surrounded with gardens and grass enclosed by high walls and Stella and Porter played endlessly as the best of friends- their only time apart was when they slept or rested in their individual crates. Stella always appeared to be the leader and also the protector of her brother. At the age of two, Porter fell debalitating ill over an an eighteen-hour period. Abbreviating the series of events, a team of veterinarians worked to diagnose and save him, but in a matter of two months and several medical interventions including blood transfusions, we lost our dear Porter to Lupus. Stella, my husband, and I all suffered a huge loss. From that day forward, I allowed many of the previous boundaries, including what we learned in basic puppy training classes, to be lost. I had just quit the corporate world and Stellas was with me almost 24-7. She frequented the same day care and boarding facility as she had with Porter, but she had little interest in interacting with other dogs. She acted overly excited and would jump on visitors when they would enter our home. Additionally, she would pull me when on the leash and if we crossed paths with other dogs, she would either cower or growl. Knowing we were moving to Phoenix, we hired a trainer to work with us to address these behaviors. Essentially we were told to try to redirect her attention. Our new residence is urban and includes elevators, dogs of all behaviors and breeds, and we regularly are required to frequent busy areas. On the fourth of July, I had an incident where Stella barked profusely at another dog and ignored the direction that I gave her. Although it was a holiday, I researched dog trainers and emailed Troy out of worry and frustration. He returned my message that night and arranged to meet with my husband, Stella and myself for an assesment. Troy changed our lives. We thought we had an alpha female leader, but instead we learned we had a fearful dog that was completely confused. She also had a diet that upset her stomach. As tough of a decision as it was to leave Stella for three weeks, we personally chose full immersion because we knew it was in her best interest. The day we met with Troy to pick up Stella, we were given the gift of a relaxed and obedient dog. Over the three weeks she lived with Troy we did not see her, but he regularly posted videos of progress and kept us apprised of her training. He also transitioned her to a nutritious raw diet. As her skills progressed, he regularly trained Stella in our building and the surrounding neighborhood to address our biggest stressors. On the final day, he even drove Stella home behind us to ensure that we knew how to best navigate and embrace our urban environment from Stella's perspective, including the elevators and doorways. Troy gave us the tools to keep building on her success and provide a tranquil home. This is not a one size fits all program that ends after a certain amount of sessions. Instead, Troy assessed our specific needs, addressed each one and solved them. Consistency is the key and Troy is always a phone call or email away when we have a question. We still have much to learn as dog owners, but we know we have an expert professional that is readily available and genuinely invested in Stella's well-being. As new Phoenicians, we have now found a safe environment to board Stella and our successes at home are continuing to grow under Troy's tutelage.