RuffLife K9

We have been more than pleased with Shilee and her approach to play-based and relationship-based dog training. We wanted our puppy to learn good manners without losing his fun, goofy personality. We've had amazing results. He has come such a long way during his sessions with her—not just in behavior but confidence, too. We also love how flexible she is with her training, between private sessions, home school and board-and-train. Our dog has also spent time with the dogs at her home and we trust her fully to provide socialization with oversight and control. She's very responsive via text or email when we have questions or need solutions to certain behaviors. We are really lucky to have someone of her caliber here in Amarillo.

Five years ago, I made the decision to adopt two puppies that showed up on my porch in the middle of the night. I hadn't grown up with dogs, and spent their most formative, impressionable puppy stage just figuring out how to the most basic things. (Seriously, I was so impressed that we managed to learn how to potty outside.) As such, they missed out on a lot of the socialization and impulse control skills that are so important for dogs to posess. We made it through the ensuing years mostly okay, but this past spring I decided I needed help. Enter Shilee. We enrolled immediately in her home school program, and my dogs LOVED it. After our initial three-week intensive, we continue to meet bi-weekly to work our way up to some varsity level tasks and challenges. Shilee has given me and my girls the tools needed to live their best dog lives, and we are reaping the rewards of our hard work every day! Plus she is delightful, easy to work with, and infinitely patient. Win-win-win. We love her so much! Edited to add: Here are some specific issues Shilee helped us address: my dog Scout has a history of resource guarding and can be a bully. My dog Sister is not confident at all. For both of them, this manifests in them being very dog selective. They percieve other dogs as a threat, and respond to that threat with aggression. While I anticipate that we will always struggle with off leash dogs, with Shilee's help we have gotten ourselves to a place where we can pass other dogs on a walk with almost no reaction. I have learned to control my body language in an effort to keep the dogs relaxed and feeling safe. Additionally, we have worked on our place skills to better allow guests to enter our home (and me to get my shoes on when we're getting ready for a walk!). I have learned that Scout LOOOOOOOVES to play fetch, tug, and flirt pole. Sister loves to go on solo walks. We (Shilee, me, and my dogs) have all worked diligently and consistently to get to the place we are now. It's not for the faint of heart! But it is so, so worth it.