Shades Of Blu Dog Training INC

We were having a lot of trouble with our 2 crazy whippets (Blue age 3 and Ruby age 1) in regards to leash walking, reactivity and being nervous. We've tried several different training programs with some improvement with Blue but not much with Ruby. She was terrified of any dog that wasn't Blue. We then found Shades of Blu, met Felicia and decided to do a board and train with her for 6 weeks. After the 6 weeks we still had some tweaking to do and did some day train sessions afterwards. It was hard to be away from the pups but Felicia would send weekly photos and videos on their progress. She would also call us once a week with an update on how they were doing and tell us the plan for the next week. She was also available if we had any concerns between these updates. The whippets, at baseline, are a weird and squirrely breed. Felicia tried different types of training to figure out which one worked best for them. It took a while for the pups to warm up but we pushed through and with time they made a lot of progress. The place command has been a lifesaver for when they get rowdy or if we just need the pups to take a break and settle. They walk so much better in heel, are less nervous and more confident. Felicia took a lot of care to make sure that she had the right dogs in the right training groups with the right temperaments. Our dogs were really well cared for and looked great when we picked them up. We did several transfer training sessions once the pups were home so we could learn how to use the e collar and how to continue with the training process while at home. Felicia gave us the tools but it is up to us as owners to continue with the training at home so the pups can continue to build the skills they learned. It's been about a year now since the dogs were 1st boarded and overall, they are so much better. They are more calm, walk better on a leash and are more comfortable around other dogs. Prior to training, Ruby would run in the other direction when a dog would approach her but while being boarded she made friends with Indigo (Felicia's dog) and now plays with my mom's dog which is a tremendous achievement. She still doesn't love other dogs, which is just a Ruby thing, but she overall tolerates being around them more and is less nervous. Even now, the pups aren't perfect but it would be unrealistic to expect them to be. Overall they are much better and we met a lot of our goals of training. I would have no reservation recommending Shades of Blu and would do it again.

I’ve had a great experience with Shades of Blu. Before I found Felicia, I honestly thought it would be years if that before I could realistically hope to have a service dog. The services I received through Shades of Blu has changed my life for the better and given me a renewed sense of hope and boosted my confidence now that I have Lincoln. You work closely not just with your service dog but with the trainer and other clients like yourself. So it’s great to be able to connect with other people in your area that are learning just like you are in the group training classes. The classes with the trainer are very beneficial because you get the one on one time to focus on areas to work on and learn new skills. Felicia and her trainers at Shades of Blu are always encouraging and very helpful. I highly recommend reaching out to them if you would like to get introduced to and get more training with your dog.

Felicia took on my high anxiety and semi aggressive Aussie without hesitation!!! She also took my golden retriever puppy at the same time. We did board and train and she had our golden for 5 weeks and kept our Aussie for 8 weeks due to the extra attention he needed. No change in cost or anything! He wasn’t where she wanted him to be so she kept him longer. What an amazing difference!!! My dogs left crazy and not listening and came back well behaved and easy to work with!!! The visits and training session we did together made it an easy transition after we brought them home. 18 months later and my dogs are still amazing and love continuing to train! I wouldn’t hesitate to send my dogs here in the future!!! Thank you Shades of Blu!!