The Proper Puppy PNW

I recently had my English Labrador, Lincoln, professionally trained by Lori at Proper Puppy PNW, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. The 4-week Board and Train program also included a post-training follow-up at our home, and Lincoln was trained using several tools such as an e-collar, a British slip lead, and even a flirt pole. She learned multiple "steps of service" and came back to us as a well-mannered, confident, and happy dog. Since her training, Lincoln has been to several public places, including a local bookstore, camping for an extended weekend, and even a last-minute trip for a funeral. She handles every situation with ease and composure. On a recent visit to the vet, I was told that Lincoln is “the most well-behaved 1-year-old we have ever seen!” Given that she’s only just turned one in September, I credit Lori’s training program for my ability to handle Lincoln with ease and Lincoln having the confidence and skills to stick by my side no matter the situation. The day of pick-up was a bit overwhelming, to say the least. While the amount of training information Lori provided was understandably thorough, it was challenging for me to keep up and remember everything. Thankfully, Lori kept reminding me, "it's not about perfection, it's about consistency." That message has stuck with us, and since day one, we’ve implemented a post-training routine that we follow religiously. This routine has been incredible, not only for maintaining Lincoln’s training but also for positively impacting our other Labrador. It’s also helped my husband and I divide tasks, from keeping collars charged and ensuring bedtime is at the same time, to splitting feeding responsibilities (he feeds in the morning, and I feed in the evening after play). Lori made the entire experience seamless. The explanation of the process and payment was simple, drop-off was easy, and the best part was how thoroughly I was communicated with every step of the way. Lori sent me photos and videos throughout Lincoln’s training, answered any questions I had, and we even shared dog-related stories during the process. Lori is gentle but firm, and she clearly understands dogs deeply. She builds trust and leadership through her approach, always putting the dog’s well-being first while developing a tailored training plan. It’s obvious how much she cares, and her training was invaluable to Lincoln's development. Thank you, Lori, for such an amazing experience. I wholeheartedly recommend Proper Puppy PNW to anyone looking for professional and compassionate dog training.

Lori has an amazing way of meeting you where you are at and focusing on what will work for you and your dog. Her knowledge and consideration of the dog's drive and natural instincts give her an unmatched ability to direct those tendencies into meaningful work and play to build a relationship with your dog. Our dog has greatly benefited from Lori's methods to make sure my husband and I are communicating with her consistently and positively. Can't recommend her enough! You won't regret the investment!

I brought my dog, Pepper, to Lori right after I adopted her. She is a mixed breed dog from Mexico who had been fostered at a few diff homes in WA before I got her. I was also a new/inexperienced pet owner as the last time I had a pet was in high school. I had no idea how much I was going to be a student right along with Pepper! But Lori made everything really simple to understand, and within a few sessions I could see the confidence in myself and Pepper. Really grateful for all of Lori's help, and have recommended her to so many others since.

Lori and I have been training with my dog, Marley for almost a year now (he just turned 2). I met her at Harvest Fest and I discussed the issues I was having with my (then) just over 1-year old puppy (he's a Lab/St. Bernard mix - I wasn't sure I wasn't going to have a Marley and Me situation on my hands)! He had some basic training down but I wanted to him to have MANNERS....to actually listen to what I had to say when we were out and he got excited - to have those unwanted behaviors not just "he's a puppy" excused. Nope, he needed manners and I set out to find out how to develop them. Their first meeting was a cold night at my home and we met Lori at her car. He immediately was on his hind feet sniffing at her face and NOT listening to anything I had to say in the moment of excitement of meeting a new person. She was like okay, I think I see some of the issues....let's get to work. Through time, patience, practice and repetition I was trained to better lead my boy. Through the weekly homework sessions she designed to continue what we had learned in the session that week I was able to feel more confident that I could actually do this! He is an incredible dog and needed a way to channel that energy into something that wasn't "scary" for people. We have exposed him to many different scenarios that I NEVER would have imagined would be possible. We have both grown together and I completely trust of her methods. Our training with Lori and the Proper Puppy PNW has absolutely far exceeded my expectations and has helped up to bond together and cultivate our relationship. Everyone can see what a HUGE difference it has brought to our lives. Lori gets amazing results that are easy to follow and it's effective, fun to learn and useful to both dog and handler. Marley loves his training sessions and has even stopped reacting when her lovely Calloway joins in to help with his reactivity training. If I'm scrolling through social media and find a post he cocks his head and is like is she here??? He is very excited to work with her. Sessions are always fun, productive and useful. I never feel like I am left to my own devices to find my way through. She is always available to answer my questions. She adapts her training methods to the person, lifestyle and the education of the team she's working with. Marley and I have learned so much from her about how to get the most out of our relationship. She is always observant and will spot in and focus on where things need some fine tuning, react on the fly to the lesson depending on how we are doing overall and increase the challenges and push us to limits I didn't know we could achieve. I have had animals my entire life and always did self-training for my smaller dogs. With Marley I knew I wanted to set him up right for success regardless of the situation we were exposed to. Training with Lori, my ability to communicate and learn has far exceeded any expectations I may have had about some "next level training manners" I initially approached her with. I recently cried in a session because I was so overcome by the emotion of doing something I didn't think would be possible with him (she was actually concerned for ME that she had made a correction that offended me). I was just so happy to be able to see what a good canine citizen he's becoming and blubbered something about "I truly never thought that this would be possible". She is a smart and driven professional with a heart that truly cares about her clients. She has a passion and calling to educate the owners and works to build a positive and reputable successful small business. The Proper Puppy PNW deserves so many heartfelt kudos for her warmth, values, results and fun rewarding teaching style that changed mine and Marley's lives. You have to do the work to reap the rewards and Lori has been able to help guide us to the positive results and behaviors and to level up our game. It has made such a difference in our lives that I (and others around us) have noticed. Truly blessed to have found her! <3