Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training

When deciding to adopt a puppy, I wanted to make sure that I did absolutely everything I could to build a solid foundation. I looked for puppy training classes but also wanted somewhere that could take us beyond puppy stage. I also looked specifically for a place that offered a range of training techniques so I could feel comfortable in whatever ended up working for Della. I participated at the East Falls location over the past year. The puppy foundation classes were great. It was a good opportunity to learn the basics, troubleshoot some issues, but mostly build confidence and start developing a relationship. We also participated in puppy socials for a long as she could because it was a safe environment for all the pups. The supervised play made me feel good about interactions with other pups. We were having some confidence issues and decided to participate in the one week drop off program. By the end of the week she had come so far and we had a great session with Allison to teach us specifics about Della and how to continue at home. We went to a couple B2 classes which were great refreshers. I hope to participate in some of the agility and cafe manners. We went back yesterday to troubleshoot a very specific issue with leash pulling with a private lesson. We were blown away by Amanda and the amount of knowledge and information that went into that session. She was professional and her time management skills were amazing. She got right to the issue and was able to correct it by the end of the session. Our walk there and back were night and day. That evening we had the best walk with Della in the past year. I am so happy that I decided to commit to working with Della from the beginning and am even more happy to have somewhere I can go if any issues come up in the future.

We adopted Macy from ACCT Philly in May 2020. She was a 7-year-old pit bull mix, and although she was incredibly sweet and loved to snuggle, Macy was terrible at walking on a leash and barked at anyone that tried to come into our apartment. She would pull and try to find food or garbage to eat. After several bouts of gastroenteritis and a hospitalization for a liver infection from eating street food, we did 3 weeks of private training at the East Falls location. Allison and Britt fit Macy with better equipment and taught her the "out" command in addition to teaching her the long-down and how to stay in place. Our walks are way less stressful now that Macy is listening and making eye contact, and she will also stay in a long down when new people come into our apartment. The tune-ups are great for us to continue to practice what Macy has learned.

Freddie, my puppy, Chrissy my sister and I really enjoyed our first lesson. Our fellow classmates, Butter and Sky seemed to enjoy their lessons also, as did their owners. The class was about an hour long and we learned sit, come, leave it and down. Freddie and I are still struggling with down, but otherwise class went well. Our teachers were patient and thorough. We can’t wait until the next class!