The dogs and owners at Dog Training Now get personalized attention during their training time at our studio. But what happens once the dogs graduate from training and head back to their normal daily routine? For owner Collette, she realized that more support and advice for her family dogs was just one phone call away.
”Dog Training Now has been a part of our family for the past three years,” says Collette. “What started as training for our puppy Mocha turned into a relationship with all of the trainers for us, for Mocha, and for our other dogs too!”
Mocha, a Shepherd-Hound mix, was 8 weeks old when Collette knew that she needed to have her. After losing their family dog just a short time before, Mocha was the perfect pup to heal their aching hearts. But while Mocha was certainly sweet and loving, there were some obedience issues right away. From poor leash manners to uncontrolled puppy play biting, Mocha needed some guidance on how to behave more consistently. Collette made a consultation appointment with Trainer Judy, and Mocha was a new dog after two weeks of training at the DTN studio.
Mocha quickly became a part of the DTN family, stopping in every once in awhile for day visits. Collette contacted Judy when the family was ready to adopt again, this time bringing in a five month old mix named Poppy to the home. “Judy and the other trainers helped me to know how to best get Mocha and Poppy’s relationship off on the right foot. They helped me feel confident and we knew that Poppy would go in for training right away for help with jumping and leash manners.
But even after Poppy graduated from training, the team at Dog Training Now was still available for instruction and
encouragement. During a phase, Mocha and Poppy stopped getting along, and instead started fighting. “Judy walked me through, helping me in the studio and giving me advice to use at home,” says Collette. “We were thankful that both dogs knew their Place command, as we used that often during their fighting phase. Now they are buddies again, but we are thankful to Judy for her support.”
Mocha and Poppy aren’t the only dogs from the family that have since been to our studio. Collette’s son also has a dog, Hoss, that went through training. “The three dogs all get along great,” says Collette. “They have a blast running and playing together when Hoss visits.”
Beyond socialization, how are Mocha and Poppy doing now that they are 4 and 3 years old? Collette is happy to report that the dogs still obey their commands and that the family still practices obedience together. “We use our Place command often to help combat their barking,” says Collette. “They both have great leash manners, they listen, and we feel confident that we can control them.”
Our training works, and even better, our trainers won’t abandon you after your training program is complete. Mocha and Poppy are two sweet dogs that will be a part of our DTN family for a long time to come.