I can’t say enough good things about Smart Dogs!!!!!
I am a first time dog owner with a 1 ½ year old Westie (we have owned him for one year). He looks very cute, but did not act so cute, and trying to figure out how to care for this very “alpha” dog was adding a HUGE amount of stress to my life!!! I was on the edge, and was basically ready to give him to the westie shelter because I didn’t know what else to do.
When we got him at 6 months old we immediately took the beginner and intermediate level classes at the local pet store. These classes were a small step, but they truly did nothing to help me understand how to lead and connect with my dog…which in my case makes ALL the difference. I read a LOT of books, which helped, but they only took me so far.
Then I finally made an appointment with Smart Dogs, and within 24 hours after just the first visit with Kristy, I noticed dramatic improvements!!! (No exaggeration, the improvements started that quickly.) She helped everything fall into place for us, and now I am finally starting to enjoy having a dog! Now training him is NOT stressful.
I am relaxed and he is responsive and it is AMAZING. All of the guilt I was carrying is gone. Kristy answers all our questions and is great at teaching our entire family about caring for our dog.
The difference is now we are not trying to “get” our dog to do anything…we are now showing him how to behave and he follows our lead (he even listens to my 5 year old). He is so much more calm, and we actually have a great bond now (and this is after only two visits from Kristy).
All I can say is… I wish I would have called them sooner!!! If it weren’t for Smart Dogs, I truly would not have been able to keep my dog. I spent money on many things, in the mean time, trying to figure out solutions on my own. My money would have been much better spent just starting with Smart Dogs.
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