Taking the Lead

We adopted our dog, Bill, a month before we enrolled him in Taking the Lead’s 12-week training program. He was found wandering on the streets in northwest Ohio and was brought to a local shelter here in Columbus. At over a year old, he was incredibly anxious, lacked basic obedience skills, and was hard to manage on a leash— he is a big dog. In that month on our own we tried every training method under the sun. We read every article and watched too many youtube videos. His anxiety increased, his behavior became worse, and I was being dragged through our neighborhood on walks (I swear Bill is actually a horse). We lacked clear direction and needed help. We found Taking the Lead and with the help Lindsay and her AMAZING team, Bill is the best dog a girl could ever ask for. He is fully crate trained, has door manners, and knows how to sit, lay down, and stay. He is a breeze to take on walks, staying at my side and no longer chasing after squirrels or other animals. Above all else, he is much more confident— he learned how to manage his anxiety through relaxation downs (something great you’ll learn!!). Taking the Lead has so many cool opportunities in their training programs. For one of our sessions we took a field trip to Home Depot where we worked on our leash walking skills. Being able to take him into the community with the trainers present was beyond helpful. We received pointers and feedback throughout that session on how to manage him in a real life setting— teaching him how to interact with people and other animals out and about. That was just one of my favorite parts of their program! The possibilities really are endless with this team. Now that Bill has gone through the training program, I can confidently take him on walks by myself. Even cooler, he can even roam off-leash at our favorite parks! Our bond is stronger than ever. This shelter dog has the most confidence he has ever had— all thanks to Lindsay and her team. Dog training isn’t always easy, but with Taking the Lead it can be. They supply you with the tools and skills you need to succeed, and support you through the entire process.

Lindsay and her team are absolutely INCREDIBLE and are quite frankly lifesavers for you and your pup. I couldn’t recommend them enough. If you’ve got a pup you need to train, if you are concerned with their behavior, or they are just aggressive/reactive… just do it. Your dog is a commitment and worth the investment. They are your responsibility, but Taking the Lead (TTL) helps make that burden feel easier and more manageable. We got Archie just over 3 months ago and although it was so new, we could tell right away that we’d need to put him in training. The transformation session provided us with enough information to immediately know that TTL was the place for us. Archie was never aggressive, but was super reactive to everything. Poor pup just was all over the place, unable to focus on anything. We had a feeling he had pretty severe separation anxiety and Lindsay confirmed it. When I dropped him off for our first training session, he was so scared he pooped and peed everywhere and bit trainer Steve on the finger. We were devastated and thought the worst—they took it in stride and were excited to work alongside him! The change we’ve seen is absolutely incredible. He listens better, walks better, he’s more confident, and you can tell he is actively thinking about what he should be doing, instead of just doing it. His anxiety has calmed down tremendously. He still has it, but it is much less. He does still whine in his crate when we leave according to our Wyze camera, but it is significantly reduced in duration and amount of times. He and Steve are now best buds. I never thought this experience would unlock new heights, potential, and aspirations for us with Archie. I couldn’t imagine where we’d be today without Lindsay and the TTL team! THANK YOU! Photos of Archie for attention!

Euchre was designated a Dangerous Dog after he lost control and made an unprovoked attack on a woman passing by our house. We knew that we had to take measures to be sure this never happened again, and we found Taking the Lead and Lyndsay. I was hesitant at first about using an e-collar on my dog, but Lyndsay showed me how it would work painlessly to correct behaviours and trained both me and my husband on its use. Now I would recommend it without hesitation! The set up of the program was great. Euchre spent one day a week at the training facility. When we picked him up in the evening we got a half hour class to learn what Euchre had worked on that day, and practiced it with supervision. Lyndsay and her whole staff were upbeat and encouraging throughout the program. I felt totally comfortable asking questions, and they made themselves available by phone, text, and email at any time between lessons. Euchre is a different dog after attending Taking the Lead. He has less anxiety and no longer needs his meds, and he can walk past strangers, dogs, rabbits, and squirrels calmly and focussed on me. Cats are another matter, but we are working on it! The court has vacated his Dangerous Dog designation thanks to his training at Taking the Lead! I cannot recommend Taking the Lead highly enough.