Team SamIvy

Working with Gina at Sam Ivy has been the answer to my prayers. We decided to get a Doberman Pinscher at the last minute - I had no idea what I was signing up for by selecting this breed. I knew that I needed strong training from the beginning. When my puppy was 4 months old, we began working with Gina at Sam Ivy. From day 1, my pup responded to the Sam Ivy model of training. Honestly, the training was as much for me as for the dog. It has been a lot of commitment on my part, but working with my dog daily has made a huge difference. As testimony, I took my now almost 6 month old Doberman to the vet. He sat next to me and stayed next to me the entire time that we were in the waiting room. He did not surge towards the other dogs that came in. People at the park comment on how well behaved he is for a 6 month old, especially a high maintenance breed. I could not have done it without Gina at Sam Ivy. Sometimes it felt like she was my doggie therapist. Her support was as important to me as the training itself. And the virtual model of training? Excellent. No drama with another person coming to the house. And i did all the training so no trainer to "gain credibility" with my dog instead of me. We are excited to begin "off leash" training in another 6-8 weeks. This model is excellent and Gina is in a class of her own.

I want to share our experience working with Ryaan, our Sam Ivy trainer. We have had German Shepherd, Sam, since he was 6 weeks old. Now, 4 years old, Sam has become extremely aggressive. While Sam was a puppy we hired 3 trainers. Sam understands basic commands but is stubborn. 2 years ago, our adult son came in our house unexpectedly through the front door and Sam attacked him, causing 7 stitches. On December 15, 2025, Sam attacked our adult daughter requiring 12 stitches. I had had enough and contacted our animal control to surrender Sam. Animal control told me they would quarantine Sam for 10 days and then euthanize him. After a day or two I found Sam Ivy online and spoke to Brad. I was unsure if a remote trainer could help, but after reading their reviews we decided to give them a try. Ryaan was our dedicated trainer. She was fantastic to work with. She taught us that Sam was a working breed and needed structure. Almost immediately after implementing her instructions Sam began changing his ways. Remarkable! 2 weeks into the training Sam stopped growling and seemed happier. Our 4th weekly training was yesterday and although we set up situations that would cause Sam to react, he did not. Obviously, Sam’s training will continue and the practices Ryaan showed us will be maintained for the rest of Sam’s life, but it’s a small price to pay to save our pet’s life. Last week we took Sam on a trip to the beach and he was a perfect pet. I highly recommend Sam Ivy and especially Ryaan. She is a true lifesaver!

We started training with Sam Ivy back in October of last year, as our dog, Tobi, was dealing with a lot of aggression (food aggression, snappiness, and being aggressive towards other dogs and neighbors). Our assigned trainer, Ryann, was the best! She was extremely patient and responsive throughout the entire process, even when we faced initial struggles with getting training tools in place. She really understood what we needed and also explained in detail every reason behind every training action. Eventually, after those initial hiccups, Tobi's training and behavior became exponentially better, and he's now basically a completely different dog. This is a great company as everyone we've dealt with throughout the entire process (Ryann and Sam) care a LOT about customer experience, even if it takes longer for special cases. Would highly recommend.

When we rescued Ca$h (our very handsome, very block-headed pit bull/English bulldog mix), we had eight months of absolute bliss. Then one day, out of nowhere, he bit my daughter’s pant leg. Not her. The fabric. But still- terrifying. Other trainers immediately told me to rehome him or send him away for intensive training. I left those conversations feeling panicked and heartbroken. We love this dog. He’s part of our family. By the time I reached out to SamIvy, I was desperate- and honestly, skeptical. Remote training? E-collars? Choke collars? None of that felt aligned with what I wanted. But I was willing to consider anything if it meant we could keep Ca$h safely in our home. From our very first session, Hollie completely changed everything. She calmly observed Ca$h and quickly diagnosed what others had missed: he wasn’t an aggressive dog- he was triggered by moving fabrics. Pant legs. Loose clothing. Motion. That insight alone was a game-changer. Instead of labeling him a “dangerous dog,” she saw exactly what was happening and explained it in a way that made sense. Even more importantly, Hollie met us where we were. She was realistic, steady, and moved at a pace that felt safe and manageable for both me and my daughter. No fear tactics. No pressure. Just confident, knowledgeable guidance. Fast forward to today: We have a dog who is no longer triggered by fabrics. No more lunging at pant legs. No more anxiety about movement. No more walking on eggshells in our own home. We have our happy family back- and we get to keep our sweet, goofy, fabric-neutral Ca$h. I truly cannot say enough good things about Hollie. She didn’t just train our dog- she gave us the tools, the understanding, and the confidence to move forward safely. If you’re feeling scared, overwhelmed, or like your dog has been unfairly labeled, call SamIvy and request her. She knows exactly what she’s doing. And because of her, our family, and our dog, are thriving. 🐾