Sensitive Dog

We have had several positive experiences with Julie + Darcie at Sensitive Dog. Several years ago, we had to make some very difficult decisions with a dog we had adopted. Darcie helped us greatly with this session. We recently returned to Sensitive Dog for support with our one year old cattle dog mix who dropped in our lap unexpectedly. Julie was wonderful with the first session. We then returned for a session with Darcie focused on how to introduce our dog to a new baby. This was equally helpful. We reccomend Sensitive Dog without reservations.

Took my 8 month old puppy for her initial consultation this week, and am so happy I did! Julie was so great, I really felt like I gained the tools and knowledge I need to be successful with my pup after leaving. I could tell that Julie's methods are specific in order to get a feel for your pup's personality that way she can tailor the training course to your pup's individual needs. Within 20 mins of my consult, I felt I didn't even need to explain my pup's personality, because Julie found every way to bring it out and learn herself. Highly recommend meeting with Julie to get the right tools for you and your pup! I got so much info that I feel I can really trust; in regard to training, food, health, and any other questions or concerns I had. There's so much info out there in today's world, and it's not always the right info. I am super glad I made the decision to see Julie so I can be confident I'm doing the right thing for my pup. Will definitely be bringing in my older dog for guidance with leash walking and dog reactivity, as well! Thanks so much, Julie!

Julie has an extremely thorough understanding of canine psychology! Her clear explanations and insights completely transformed how we communicate with our dog, to incredible effect! Our anxious and slightly reactive 3.5 yr old dog now eagerly listens to commands and has even learned to stop whining when we ask. Sensitive Dog's training is modeled around what dogs actually need to thrive in relationship with their owners, not what humans think dogs are looking for. This means alleviating our dog's burden of thinking she needs to protect us by showing her that we're capable and in control. Julie patiently pointed out a number of things we do that our dog picks up on that we don't. Her in-depth takeaway resources ensured that we were able to run through our training regimen at home exactly as intended. As we've learned, nuances matter! We would recommend Sensitive Dog to anyone! Our experience has been overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to continuing to work with Julie.

I cannot say enough good things about Sensitive Dog! If I could give them 10 stars, I would. Our hypervigilant rescue lab/shepherd has a mix of quite intense leash reactivity towards other dogs, leash pulling, generalised anxiety and high prey drive. Walking her was an absolute nightmare. We had completed more than 2 years of various (and expensive) positive reinforcement-based programs with a number of respected and experienced trainers to try and get a handle on the leash reactivity. After a very dedicated 2 years with consistent training, following all our training plans down to the letter, we had seen very little results. Our dog was still incredibly reactive, unpredictable, pulled on the leash like a steam train and chased after anything that moved. We felt that the training programs we had tried for reactivity had followed a ‘recipe’ and when our dog didn’t conform to the ‘recipe’, we were told there was nothing else we could do. It was getting to the point where we were told that perhaps we just had to accept that she would be a house dog, and walks weren’t for her. Sensitive Dog was really our last hope that we might be able to include her in some of our outdoor activities. In our initial session with Julie, we felt that she was the first person to really look at our dog as an individual and actually get to the root of the reactivity and how to deal with it. Julie’s extensive experience working with dogs meant she was able to provide us with advice and training tips that suited our dog’s personality and individual situation. We were no longer stuck in a 'one size fits all' approach. Julie was able to teach us to communicate with our dog in a clear, fair and consistent manner than our dog actually understood. She was also a fantastic teacher for us, giving us confidence in our handling skills and a wealth of information throughout the session and afterwards. It's been almost two weeks since our session with Julie and we are honestly blown away by the results. We have been able to take our dog for walks on a loose leash through parks, with other dogs and squirrels nearby and have a calm and happy dog on the other end of the lead. Whilst this might seem like a small achievement for some, for us this is huge! She now comes running up to the lead, tail wagging when it's time for a walk. It seems like our smart working breed dog finally understands what we are asking of her. After 2 years, hundreds of hours, and thousands of dollars, I was ready to give up on trying to walk our dog. Julie has given us hope again and shown us that our dog can have a world outside of our house! Our biggest challenge now is for US to learn that when we see another dog, we no longer need to go sprinting into the bushes to hide. I can confidently say after working with numerous trainers and behavioural vets across two different countries, if you have a dog with behaviour issues, Sensitive Dog are the best in the business.

Our canine companions are integral members of our family, and I cannot say enough positive things about my multiple experiences with Sensitive Dog. Over the years, our family have worked with both Julie and Darcie, with our three VERY different dogs (a calm Australian Labradoodle, a extremely intense Border Collie/Lab/Aussie mix, and our very chill Great Pyrenees/Siberian Husky), who had completely different training needs. Each session with Sensitive Dog completely exceeded my expectations. And frankly, I'm not that easy to impress. In session, whether in-person or over the phone (we've done both), Julie and Darcie take the time to really get to know you, your dog, and how you interact. Their intake paperwork is incredibly thorough, so you don't waste time during your initial session. Sensitive Dog's strategies and suggestions are shaped by a combination of their vast knowledge of canine behavior, their multiple decades of training, and their evident love and respect for dogs. I have left each interaction with all of my questions answered, paper copies of everything discussed so new behaviors can be easily replicated, and guidance that I didn't know I needed.