90 Days Testimonials

Taking 90 Days to a Well-Behaved Dog was an essential course for our adolescent woofer toofer! Even though Dolly has a long ways to go for recall, she has come so far in learning to be calm in a distracted environment! I truly appreciate Heather's patient and positive attitude in trying different layers in all the activities so Dolly could take part in baby steps! The most important thing Jeremy and I learned with Dolly is marking what she is noticing and giving her praise with "nice" when she barks and alerts us. Using the word "come" and "go see" have also been key phrases in our training and putting it in practice at home. Parking our dog has been crucial when we are out and about and come across people we know. Thank you so much Heather!!

Jenna, Jeremy and Dolly

My first part of gratitude traces back to your willingness to forge ahead with an entire course with Oliver and myself, despite Oliver being the only dog in the class. For me, as someone who works best in a one-on-one setting, I felt quite thankful for what that dynamic set up. This included direct conversations full of feedback and questions that pertained specifically to what I was experiencing with you and Oliver. That was either in the moment, or with what I brought to classes in follow ups. I found that this personalized course also catalyzed a deeper commitment within myself to present at class with an attunement and focus so as not to lose sight of the time that you were sharing and the privilege of learning your lessons in this way. Including the benefit of your flexibility for make-up classes.

From my time with you, from day one, I felt really enthusiastic about all the potential embedded in your lessons and framework. I felt that with your lists and itemized points of interest, I could easily comprehend what you were sharing. Which led to confidence. And assurance. And over time - with that confidence and those bit-sized teachings - I could see how things built upon the different segments of your lessons. The little things, painting for me near the end, a fuller depth of picture for how Oliver could interact with my wife and I. Also, these bite-sized pieces helped me to decide for myself what to focus on in terms of what would be a good fit for Oliver. With some training bits being less important than other training bits.

With these short bursts of training techniques and tips, and the choice within that to teach Oliver, I also felt I could gauge how I was relating to Oliver and see how well or not well Oliver was learning things. In that sense, I was bridging the gap between my roll as student ... and then, teacher / owner to Oliver.

In terms of Oliver's learning, I was thrilled and nearly in awe with how engaged he became through what was being taught each week. It was a pleasure to see him think and play and respond with zeal. I know that he had trouble with some things each week, but his awakened thirst for class each week, from day one, was really a compelling motivator for me to have fun and pay attention, too. And, from lessons in class, there was so much carry-over at home. Oliver took to cues and commands, and systems that came from class. And it seemed like he nearly expected home to be no different. He was engaged!!!

I can tell you, too, when class time rolled along each week, Oliver was so alive. So happy. So eager. He knew there was training. And he wanted to go to school!!!

Some basics were more important than others, in terms of training. Both for me as a dog owner. But also, for how Oliver integrated things and adapted to being a well-behaved dog. Major changes include: increased calmness, increased attention and response to my wife and I, and it seemed too, his trust in other dogs and his surroundings. Call it him feeling more loved. And so, him maybe more at ease and okay with the world.

Over time, this led to us feeling happier to bring Oliver along to the beach and other outings. Which of course led to Oliver being happier and more engaged with the world. A cyclical effect.

Major things I learned in class were the techniques and practices around verbal commands, and gestures. Some of the more complicated things seemed out of reach for us, but learning how to command Oliver for his attention, calmness, sitting, play, or scolding, etc., (what to do and what not to do) has really led to better behavior. And predictable behavior. That framework is something so crucial to us now.

I'm not sure what your other classes look like. Especially with more dogs and folks involved. But from my experience, I had a highly rewarding time.

Also, I appreciate that at some point we talked openly about what our respective dogs do and don't do, in terms of behavior. That vulnerability on your end of things, in terms of your dog's limitations or your limitations as a trainer, helped me feel a sense of levity to the course. That, I wasn't there to get things just "right." That, it's okay that some things are missed. Or lost. Or just unattainable. It resonated at a great time for me.

One thing that I wish we covered more, was leash training. I understand that I missed that last class, so I missed an opportunity to go over that concern. So I don't blame you. But most specifically in that wish, is a want to have a better control of Oliver on streets, on leash, around other dogs. He lunges sometimes, and barks.

That said, recently, he has done well around other dogs. And we haven't really tested much city life for him since class.

Lastly, I should say, that your course rate was more than fair. I felt quite fine with the cost of the course. And, I would almost suggest that you charge more ... but, my suggestion and interpretation might again may be due to the fact that I was the only person in this particular course with you.

 

Alex and Oliver

We enjoyed the class and you have certainly given us loads of advice, training tips and games that we use routinely. Mango is currently learning middle and seems to be having fun with it!

Sandy and Mango

What did you learn that was the most helpful?
Heather breaks down the fundamentals of how a dog learns. Knowing how my puppy learned was extremely helpful in training me on how to be a present and efficient dog trainer. Heather allows you to teach new skills from the ground up in a way that will generate reliable and consistent results. In the beginning, I had to un-learn many training methodologies that I thought to be beneficial. Understanding how my dog's cognition worked allowed me to learn and teach in a more productive format.

Did you learn something that made life with your dog easier?

I learned many things that made my life as a dog owner easier. Notably, the most instrumental skill was simply learning how to teach me and my puppy to relax. Learning how to pick up on specific ques from my dog about when she was aroused or stressed, helped me control her environment and temperament. Having the ability to work on relaxation with my puppy, not only helped reduce my stress but made my day-day routine much smoother.

What did you like the most about the class?
While it was a group class, It was still very individualized. Heather worked with the specific abilities and temperament of each dog and their human. She made accommodations for each dog in order to promote a more relaxed learning environment. For example, my extremely hyper 7-month-old puppy was given a special pen with blankets in order to minimize distractions.

Any other comments:
Heather provides a learning experience for both humans and dogs. Her online resources and in-person support are exceptional. She also is extremely understanding of how challenging the training process can be. She is flexible with her training and will cater it to where you and your dog are at. Your dog will undeniably fall in love with her, I can confidently say that she is among my pups, favourite humans. It could be the smell of her fabulous homemade dog treats or perhaps the fact that my pup always has fun in her classes!

 

Irma and I look forward to working with you again in the future!

Jasmine and Irma

My Frenchton Jaxx was 10 months old when we started Heather's "90 Days to a Better Dog" course via Zoom. And, yes, without question Jaxx is a better dog!

 

Jaxx is a very sweet easy going dog but was showing signs of not always coming when called and being overly excited about visitors. I wanted to bring out his potential and make sure that I was confident in my handling of him and his responses to important commands.

 

Working with Heather gave me the tools to successfully build on the important foundational commands and leash techniques.

 

Heather is very easy to work with. She is knowledgeable in training and dog behavior.

 

Very importantly Heather is also a great teacher. She listens to any questions or concerns you may have, provides helpful feedback and suggests resource material to learn more.

 

The course is interesting and challenges the owner as well as the dog. Jaxx really enjoyed our training sessions. We have incorporated training into our daily routine and the mental stimulation is great for Jaxx.

 

Needless to say I highly recommend taking this course.

Joan and Jaxx

Thanks for your expertise, and instruction on the course "90 Days to a Well-Behaved Dog". It has made a world of difference to our dog Norbu, and, Ross and I. We truly became proud of our dog as we marveled at his capacity!

Before class Norbu was anxious, inattentive and unfocused. After class more relaxed, attentive, and, relaxed.

All the learning and training fit together nicely. Everything seemed important. Seeing and learning about the big picture - How dogs perceive their world, a dog’s intelligence and their capacity to learn went a long way when using tools and techniques in supporting our dogs learning.

My increased awareness towards our dog’s capabilities helped me train more effectively. In turn Norbu learned new behaviours quickly. My day with Norbu is better as I don’t fear him biting me or others; he doesn’t chew personal belongings and furniture (still working on outdoor furniture); he stopped stealing food from tables and counter tops; he waits for his meal patiently on a mat; doesn’t beg (too much); sits to be leashed and unleashed, or, dried off; he behaves on walks, and, is more easily controlled from jumping up to strangers and children - just to mention a few. He’s only 6 months old so we look forward to more progress!

I enjoyed meeting other dog owners, Norbu meeting new people and dogs, practicing with the instructor and getting feedback, observing how other dogs learn, and the casual conversations about dogs with instructor and participants.

Thanks again we are so pleased.

Marialena, Ross, and Norbu

How was your dog before class and after class?
Nimbus improved greatly in class but we still have work to do outside of class. I was amazed at his progress for "mat" and "down" which were near impossible before taking this course. Nimbus' big thing is reacting to other dogs. Although he became comfortable in class with Selkie, outside of class is a mixed bag. There's more work to be done on my end and perhaps we need to make more dog owner friends who can help me work on this in different settings. We also still need to work on recall in more distracting settings. Nimbus doesn't care about a zen bowl and we needed to replace this with other things more distracting to him throughout the course. A scent trail, a dog or a person he likes would be good substitutes.

What did you learn that was the most helpful?
The recall layers are really helpful but daunting for a beagle owner. Given how difficult training a beagle to come is, I found myself fearing failure which prevented me from using my "special recall cue". I took the "if you can bet $50 that they'll come use the call" to heart and ended up not using it enough. Again the progress in class is awesome and I just need to transfer it more into the real world.

Did you learn something that improved your relationship with your dog?
I really appreciated all of the catered, personalized feedback and resources you were able to provide even in group class. The resources on barking out the windows, or startling when woken were super helpful. I'm not sure if my relationship with Nimbus changed but it's nice to know that a lot of what he's going through now is likely puberty and natural instinct and not entirely my fault.

What did you like the most about the class?
I loved working outside instead of in the gym as there were more distractions which is really what Nimbus and I need to work on. I also loved sharing with Joe and hearing about his progress and celebrating together on our successes.

Danika and Nimbus

This course has offered positive and practical skills for me to train Arley and my new puppy, Phoebe.  Although I was not able to attend all the on-site classes offered for this spring session, the course material offered clear and easy to follow directions to practice at home.  I also enjoyed the videos and online course content.  I’ll be referring to these often to reinforce the positive behaviour.  I feel that this has been a great investment and could tell that Arley clearly enjoyed experiencing the fun activities. 

Colleen and Arley

Heather was a pleasure to work with. She went above and beyond to answer my questions and provided additional videos and handouts of the concepts covered from each class, just in case we forgot. Heather made it easy for us to practice the training at home. She was very dedicated to making sure that all the dogs and people she was working with experienced success and growth. It was hands down, the best dog training I have participated in, and loved that it focuses on positive reinforcements and behaviours.

My pup Hartley and I both benefited from attending Heather's classes and still enjoy practicing the concepts learned even though the training is over.

Thank you, Heather, for all of your hard work and dedication to making our training a success!

Kristi and Hartley

I really enjoyed the course and found it very informative. It was definitely the right approach for a high energy, mind of his own dog like Chip.  We’re so pleased with the progress he’s made, both Chip and I are happier for learning how to work and play together.
I’ve learned patience and consistency and lots of exercise are keys to getting the best from Chip. He’s quick to capitalize on my overlooking a wrong behaviour or not giving him a clear request, so he keeps me on my toes.
Having your resource materials to reference for the coming year will be a huge benefit, thanks for that Heather.
I will recommend your “90 days to a Well-Behaved Dog” program to everyone I can. I am totally satisfied with Chip’s and my progress, having completed it.

Lorna and Chip

I recently completed Heather’s course “90 Days To A Well-Behaved Dog” program with my puppy Gino. Her course was very detailed, thorough and simple. The course is set up to help your dog succeed in a very positive way.  I learned how to understand my dog’s body language and how to better communicate with my dog in order to have the best results for his training.

Heather’s training techniques are simple and they work. As long as I am consistent with what I learned in her program Gino shows constant improvement.  I see huge changes in his behaviour in the house and on walks.  I’m very glad I took the step to invest in this course for myself and Gino.
Heather is a very caring and knowledgeable dog trainer and I highly recommend her!

Samantha and Gino