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January 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
Having gone through several group obedience courses with several different dogs, I was intrigued by the idea of one on one instruction followed by group classes once we were ready. To be honest, I was skeptical about spending so much money on a single dog class, but let me tell you it was well worth it.
I didn’t come here with any specific problems. Rather, I had just gotten Rileah and wanted to prevent any future problems. I wanted to give her the best start I could and I knew that having a class to go to each week would force me to practice and hold myself accountable for how well she did. One of the things I love best about David and Paula is that while they have a basic program they are more than willing to adjust that program to fit not only your dog’s but your needs as well.
Before starting & even during the first few weeks, Rileah was not what I hoped for, she was very sweet, but jumped constantly and liked to body slam people (she was just so happy), her attention span was almost non-existent. Rileah brings joy and exuberance to everything she does, working with David and Paula I have learned to bring that joy not just into our obedience work, but our whole life. The key was learning to do it without going overboard (Rileah jumping everywhere) and still staying motivated and happy. It is a fine line with Rileah, the wrong level of correction and she will just “shut off”. I know it would have taken me twice as long to find that “happy medium” without their help.
These days, my relationship with Rileah is much more fulfilling. She is still full of life, but she respects not just me, but people in general, has manners, and will pay attention to me for an entire class. I am even looking forward to continuing our obedience training (something I previously looked at as a necessary evil / boring) and starting her on agility in the spring.
Thank you, David and Paula for always encouraging me and not just being willing, but wanting to take the extra time (you don’t find that in many regular group classes). The most valuable thing I got out of the class, was that they reminded me of a very important fact that I had forgotten. Every dog is different, just because I previously owned an Australian Shepherd, didn’t mean that Rileah would react the same way or train the same way. Rileah isn’t and is never going to be Shadow. Same breed, two different dogs, two different mentalities. Both wonderful in their own individual ways. Thank you for helping me to appreciate all of Rileah’s unique characteristics and teaching me to work with them to get the most out of my dog. It wasn’t always easy, but the rewards are well worth the effort. I know Rileah and I are going to have a great working relationship for many years to come and I know that it started with you.
Sincerely,
Sandy Blough
& Rileah
