Deep Connection K9 Academy

My husband and I worked with Diana last fall/winter because we were preparing to travel around the holidays with our then 1.5 year old dog Bruce, anticipating that we would need some obedience, socialization, and leash training (and I saw "we" because the training was just as much for us as it was for Bruce). Diana was extremely intentional and knowledgeable from our very first meeting. She assessed Bruce well and and throughout our 8 sessions, we received 1-on-1 guidance during and between training. She thoroughly explained the "why" behind certain behaviors and what actions we need to take in order to shift his/our behavior. From week to week, Diana gave us some homework to do between sessions but knowing we also have busy schedules, she met us where we were and adjusted our training plan accordingly. We worked on leash training, reactivity, impulse control, crate and place training, recall at home and in public but that actually translated more into setting boundaries, building mutual trust between us and Bruce, and advocating for him in situations which we weren't doing as well before. Overall, we appreciated her understanding, her openness to listening to our concerns, and her adaptive but structured approach. Since we had a specific, timebound goal in mind it helped keep us motivated and on track. At the end of the 8 sessions (Oct - Dec), we gained invaluable strategies to manage Bruce in different situations and we feel that we understand Bruce a lot more now than before. Thank you, Diana!

My goofy dobie did a board and train with Diana thats left me with absolutely no regrets! Being something I debated for a long time, from the first moment I met Diana I knew she was knowledgeable about training principles that I felt aligned with. She is also such an animal lover and my dog instantly connected with her. The B&T has positively impacted our lives since and we’re so grateful for the support and the change for the better in my pups behavior. We now go out into the world confident and excited!

Diana has been so helpful with our dogs. One of my dogs has gone through several training programs and his reactivity always seemed like it was getting worse. Then we adopted another dog and he had no manners since he was found on the streets. Our older dog’s reactivity has been the tamest it’s ever been and we were showed the proper tools and techniques to improve it day by day. Our younger dog is now way better mannered and has learned the boundaries of being an inside dog! We could not have done this without Diana! We also use her for the occasional boarding now which gives me complete peace of mind whenever I have to go out of town because I know she’ll take great care of them and keep up with their training.

I found Diana on yelp last year while looking for dog trainers and i am thankful that i did. My dog’s reactivity began to escalate which created a very stressful home life. I knew that i had to find a trainer but majority of the trainers offer 1 day of training and they will “teach you everything” which in my opinion is not possible; fortunately i found Diana who puts a lot of time and energy into helping you and your pet. She is extremely knowledgeable and after finishing training i feel well informed. In about 8 weeks she got my reactive dog to trust me and learn not to act on impulse. On a scale of reactivity my dog went from a 10/10 to a 2/10. We have bad days and good days, but on the bad days i know how to manage her anxiety so she will not react thanks to the information Diana has taught me. When getting a pet I did not understand the time and dedication i had to put into building a trusting relationship. As much as the training is about your pet it is also about you. The trainings were mentally tiring for my pet and I; we would take a 3 hour nap every time we finished training but in the end it was worth it. If you looking for a trainer i would highly recommend Diana. I attached a photo of my reactive dog relaxed in a store.

Before we met Diana we couldn't even walk Charo and instead had him run around in the backyard, because if we did take him to the frontyard, he would start pulling nonstop and bark at every person and dog he saw, even if his favorite treat was in front of him or he stepped on a sharp object and started bleeding. Diana was the first human besides our family he came in contact with inside the house, as we became too scared to invite people over after he once scratched the legs of an elderly woman. Once he got used to her he began to undergo a rapid change every session, and we can now have him direct his attention to us even when there's dogs around and his reactivity has gotten so much better to the point where we go on walks everyday and drive to the park on a weekly basis. He still stares at dogs and certain people, but if we call his name he'll instantly turn to us and can walk past them without any problems. We're so grateful to Diana for teaching us how to communicate with Charo so much better, and if we ever need help again, we'll definitely come back here!