Call it a beauty mark, call it character, call it sad, call it cute.  Whatever you call it, Madison’s little crooked tail is as distinctive as it gets, and is just a small part of this pup’s story.  Madison and her owners, Ray and Kathy, are being recognized as January 2018’s Client of the Month by Dog Training Now.

Madison came to Ray and Kathy from Arkansas, by way of a rescue in Southern Illinois.  She was just a puppy, but her previous owner had cruelly given her that trademark feature.  Luckily, Madison had found a loving home, and was able to forgive people because of the great care that Kathy and Ray gave her.  In fact, our trainer Marcus has proclaimed: “When I die, I want to come back as Kathy’s dog!”.  Part of that great care was enrolling Madison in training so that she could learn how to be a wonderful member of their household.  “What didn’t she do?” responded Kathy when asked what Madison did that prompted them to reach out to Dog Training Now.

When they came in for their free consultation, it happened to be during our daily private lessons with clients, and they were surprised by “the amount of people coming in, what they were saying, how wonderful this place was, and some of the stories they shared with us” according to Kathy.

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It started with enrollment in our 10-Day Day Training program, where Madison learned all of the basics, like how to walk nicely on a leash, sit and stay until released, stop jumping up on people, lay down and stay, as well as the amazing place command.  “We wanted to make sure that she listened to us, and understood our commands” said Ray of his goals for this Madison in this program.  “We wanted to get the best out of her because we knew she had a lot of energy.”

Madison practicing Place during her 10-Day Day Training program.

After a few months of living harmoniously, one skill that was missing from the 10-Day Day Training program was the ability to communicate with Madison from a distance.  “She was a runner, so when we opened the door, she was gone.  There were many times that we were chasing her!… We couldn’t take her off-leash anywhere, she would just take off running and not come back.”

Ray and Kathy then decided to enroll Madison in Dog Training Now’s 12-Day Advanced Off-Leash Board and Train program.  This immersive training program set up Madison with all of the skills that she learned during the 10-Day Day Training program, but without the need for a leash.  The ability to communicate with Madison in case she ever got out again was important to them.  She stayed with trainer Marcus, and the two quickly bonded.  Marcus worked with Madison in the studio and in his own home and backyard, all while keeping Ray and Kathy up to date with Madison’s daily progress.  Madison even practiced the place command, a handy command to help keep Madison contained, during the cute, cuddly, chaos that is Puppy Preschool (below).

Madison practicing that world famous place command during Puppy Preschool.

This 2-week advanced off-leash training program is available to all graduates of Dog Training Now’s 2-week basic obedience programs, or all new clients as a 4-week program.  The results are incredible!  Just ask Kathy: “When she got out, she came right back to Ray when he called her, which she never would have done!  That was a huge difference and shows that the program really does work.”

Now, after graduation, Madison is a changed dog, and a fantastic member of Ray and Kathy’s household.  She leads a happy, low-stress life because she and her owners have a clear line of communication.  A dog that understands the rules is a dog that leads a happy life, and has very proud owners.  “She’s just a pleasure to be around now!…She’ll come up and cuddle with us now instead of barking in our faces” says Kathy.

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“She goes everywhere with us, and we get nothing but compliments about how well behaved she is… Family members have seen her before training and have seen her now after training, and they’re amazed by her.  All Thanksgiving, that’s all anyone was saying”.

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Ray, Kathy, and Madison have been fantastic clients to work with, and we consider them and their dog friends!  Madison still comes in a few times a month for our Graduate Training Academy to get some brush up on all those skills, and we love seeing her and that beauty mark!

We love the chance to work with clients like Ray and Kathy and their dog Madison. Our Trainers are ready to work with your family too, giving just as much attention and care to you as to your dog. Give us a call to take the first step to a more obedient dog by setting up a consultation. We will see you soon!