Taize Shepherd Kennel

I have trained with Charlene for over 10 years. This is my 3rd poodle in training. He had a great deal of anxiety and some guarding. Charlene has taught me how to work this through, it took a lot of patience on her part. Now I have a dog that competes in rally obedience, obedience and scent work. Henry is a completely different dog now, thanks to Charlene. I recommend Charlene to anyone who is looking for a trainer.

Ten years ago I trained our Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever with Charlene. We started with Puppy Obedience and continued on through Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog International. These were all great experiences. We now have a 10-month old Labradoodle, and are following the same path. Charlene's training method is consistent and effective, and she somehow manages a group of up to six at a time, clearly imparting specific positive reinforcement strategies to the group, while at the same time giving each handler individual feedback related to his/her dog. When I despaired of ever getting our Doodle to "down," Charlene kept reassuring me: "We'll get there." She explained the root cause of his extreme reluctance to lie down on command, and over the course of several training sessions came up with different ways of reaching this goal. I followed her recommendations, and YES! -- we did get there. He now responds to "Down" immediately and enthusiastically. Charlene also runs her training business efficiently and effectively. She responds to phone calls immediately and is always willing to work with a client to schedule training, whether in a class or privately. She clearly cares about the people, the dogs, and the community at large. We are truly fortunate to have such a fine trainer and teacher in our community!