I've only owned a couple of dogs in my life, none of which ever required any formal training. In my naivety, I believed their naturally good behavior stemmed from the basics I was able to disseminate on my own, falsely leading me to believe I was proficient in dog training. The…Read full reviewClose full review
I've only owned a couple of dogs in my life, none of which ever required any formal training. In my naivety, I believed their naturally good behavior stemmed from the basics I was able to disseminate on my own, falsely leading me to believe I was proficient in dog training. Then I adopted my bernedoodle puppy, Rufus, and oh did I realize just how wrong I was! When Rufus was around 6 months old, his stubborn personality and hyper behavior made me realize I needed some major help. So I enrolled him in a 15 week training program with an organization just down the road from where I lived. It was essentially a doggy daycare with training, but was also supposed to include hands-on sessions for the owner, daily feedback and direction, and it promised results. Fast forward 15 weeks and not only did I receive virtually no feedback or pointers, but Rufus' behavior actually seemed worse! When I voiced my frustration, I was told that it was just the nature of his breed. It's also worth noting, each time I dropped him off and picked him up from this location, he would get wide-eyed, start pacing, and wail with an emotion that I can only describe as "panic." It was a terrible experience through and through for both of us. A few months later at the behest of my girlfriend, I decided to look into alternative trainers in my area and that's when I came across James and GrandPaws. From our very first call, I immediately got a positive feeling and decided to sign up for a 6 week course. The difference in the quality of training was apparent from the word "go." First and foremost, every session was entirely hands-on. James was training me more so than Rufus, ensuring that I knew how to deliver commands, how to properly handle a leash, how to break through stubborn fits, and most importantly, what to work on between sessions. By our 5th week together, Rufus was behaving in public in a manner I never deemed possible, let alone in such a short span of time! The straining on the leash, the barking at anything that moved, the darting back and forth were almost entirely gone. James' program cost half the price of the alternative program I utilized, and I got exponentially greater results. And now that our sessions have ended, I feel fully equipped to continue the lessons taught using the tools provided to further bring out the "good boy" I knew was in Rufus all along. I can't recommend GrandPaws enough. James is not only highly capable, but is a pleasure to be around and work with as well. Our 6 week session was worth every penny and I'd absolutely direct anyone struggling with dog behavior James' way!
