Kind Words

Most People Would Have Returned Him.

We adopted a terrified, snarling, snapping puppy most people would have returned to the shelter.  Jan helped us rehabilitate him.  He now accepts grooming, brushing his teeth and handling of his feet. He files his own nails, walks on a leash without barking or lunging after other dogs.  All this was one with positive training.  Jan is up on all the latest methods.  I couldn’t recommend anyone more!

Pam

Our Dog Is Responding!

We can’t thank you enough for the wealth of information this week, and every week.  We are so happy with your method of training and our dog is responding well to it.

You are a wonderful trainer, and we just can’t come up with any criticism – only keep up your great work and we feel really lucky to have you in Chimacum.

Joann

No More Nutty Stuff.

Just wanted to share our successes with Bella thanks to you.  Today, for the first time we went on our hour and a half walk on the Larry Scott Trail.  SO the big news is she did not need her leash.  She came when we called, sat when people went by, no jumping or nutty behavior.  Big also is she is always checking in with us.  Such a good girl and we thank you very much for all of your help and insights on dog behavior.

Lorena and Knox

Much More Confident Now.

Thank YOU, Jan, for all the help you gave us.  We feel very lucky that we connected with you and had a wonderful training experience with you.  We feel much more confident now handling different situations.

Tom

Progress!!

I am very proud of Wes! This is the first time I’d been able to take him to Henery’s.  Men passed very close to us with almost no interest on Wes’ part.  I can definitely see progress, so I’m grateful to you for the progress we’ve made and I feel more confident that we can smooth this out.  Thank you so much!

Kathy

We Just Waltzed On By.

Did you know that Presley is THE BEST BOY?!!  We went for our second walk today and there was a dog off leash, sitting next to his owner in his yard.  Presley didn’t make ONE SOUND and we praised him, ate chicken, did our one step forward-two steps back- waltz and walked on by!!

This was in front of two neighbors that have seen me LITERALLY pick up Presley because of his reactions and walk him by dogs. Not today!

We are amazed and grateful.  Presley is a good boy.  And you are a terrific trainer.

One happy Pup owner,

Liz

Ready To Meet The Family.

Sandy and I could not have progressed this far without your help.  We’re looking forward to taking her on walks and meeting the family when we travel!

Thank you so much for your help and sharing your knowledge about dog behavior.  It’s been great!

Susan

Skills To Build On.

Just wanted to let you know how Mattie is doing since our last training session.

Mattie no longer barks excessively in the agility ring and is no longer afraid of loud noises. The positive reinforcement skills that you taught us to use not only helped us move beyond those two problems but we continue to use those skills for everyday training.

Mattie has also come a long way with her agility training because of the sound foundation training that you gave us. Not only does she have all the right skills but she also is very confident in the agility ring.

We wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU!

P.S. Mattie and I entered two agility competition rounds last Sunday and earned a Q in both!

All our best wishes,

Susie and Mattie

Smooth Is Good.

Thanks Jan! You have been a wealth of puppy information on so many topics. The last few months of puppy parenting have been much smoother thanks to you. Looking forward to our next class!

Sandy H.

Who's Really The One Learning Here?

I really enjoyed the first session!  Being a physical therapist, I am a student of behavior and really connected with your teaching style.  I found that you taking the time to explain how dogs are different "thinkers" than people to be invaluable.  If I don't understand the what, why, and how I'm asking the dog to do, the training won't be as meaningful or effective.  I'm really looking forward to the rest of the course...and I think you should rename it to "Human Life Skills"!

Max

 A Gold Star Day!

I had a really good morning with Harley and have to share it with you. I was thrilled and so proud of him! This was a brand new place, with a few cars coming and going, and a couple of people, and dead worms on the asphalt. Good thing I had plenty of treats in my stash. I have a glimpse of the dog he can be down the road, and it was such a happy thought! And by the way, he was really good in the crate the whole time we were on the road. No crying. The crate is obviously a much better place now. Thanks, Jan! Just wanted you to know that your help is definitely changing our lives for the better. This was a gold star day.

DD

Not Adoptable To Not Replaceable.

Three years ago I received a call from a friend who has a non-profit Border Collie rescue. She explained that she had a female B/C that had been taken from a puppy mill/hoarding situation who needed foster care. She had been initially been placed with a local veterinarian, but that veterinarian was going on vacation with her family in a few days and, therefore, needed a new foster home. I talked with my family and we agreed to foster her "just until a permanent home can be found".That afternoon I arranged to meet the current foster "mom" at her office to meet the dog and bring her home. When I arrived, I was shocked to find a dog that was terrified of all human contact. The vet explained that the dog had been placed in a high kill animal shelter after being seized from a horrible situation. The animal shelter had scheduled to euthanize the dog "due to her lack of adoptability" before my friends rescue organization stepped in. The dog, who had been named Sundae by her current foster family, was a beautiful black and white female B/C. She had recently had a litter of puppies, and at age two and a half, was probably her second or third litter. She had been kept in a crate, or extremely small enclosure her whole life, with little to no human contact. She lived in her own filth and was covered in feces. The veterinarians' staff had bathed her and brushed her out the best they could.I brought her home, in her crate, and opened the gate to coax her out, but she remained cowering at the back of her crate. Finally, after about an hour, I crawled into the crate to pull her out, fully aware I would likely get bitten. She just cowered more, and whimpered a little, but never offered any aggression. Once I had pulled her out, she ran behind the couch and stayed there most of the day. Eventually, after watching our other dogs for quite awhile, she bravely ventured out, only to scurry back into hiding if any human moved toward her. After a couple of weeks, she was feeling more comfortable around our immediate family, but still cowered with strangers, around cars and with any sudden movements or loud noises. Hoping to find help in easing her fears and maybe get her involved in a "job", I contacted a local agility trainer who gave me Jan Gould's name. I called Jan and explained my situation and that I was in completely over my head with such a fearful dog. Jan suggested we meet for a private assessment/training session to see how she could help. Jan was able to help me help Sundae learn to control her fears in many areas. She became much more relaxed around strangers and was able to interact and actually play with us at home. She learned to walk on leash, understand a few basic commands AND COME WHEN SHE WAS CALLED, all in just a few private lessons. Within a couple of months, I was able to enroll Sundae in one of Jan's regular agility classes. In this class Sundae blossomed, and so did our love for one another. It soon became apparent that Sundae was no longer just a foster, but a member of our family. My husband and daughter have taken to calling her "Shadow" because, well, that doesn't really need an explanation. Sundae is never far from where I am. I can now take her and my other dogs on long, off leash hikes along the river or in the wilderness. Sundae loves to go camping, swimming and even kayaking! She is able to go into Home Depot and the pet store without any signs of nervousness. All because Jan was able to give me the tools I needed to teach Sundae how to be a dog!!!I will forever be grateful to Jan Gould!

Carrie K

He Ignores Other Dogs Now!

I am so excited with the progress and can’t thank you enough for all the help!  Ares was able to completely ignore other dogs at the rest stop. No barking or anything!

Stephen