Doug Salvio worked wonders with our dog, Bruna, a young rescue hound mix, who is SO super high…read moreenergy. Although we love her dearly, she was wreaking havoc in our house- the kids were scared of her, she was making a mess of the house and yard, and quite honestly we had zero control over her. She wouldn't stop barking at my husband, and I was covered in bruises from her jumping on me constantly. We were fed up and desperate, so we hired a trainer who came to our house- long story short, she charged us a lot of money, and we got nowhere. She was a positive reinforcement only trainer, and it basically just made our dog obsessed with performing for treats. In the absence of treats she did not follow any commands, and she'd break the command as soon as she was rewarded. I do think strictly positive reinforcement might work for some, but not all.
We opted for a new solution, and I found Dogs by Doug online, with good reviews. Upon our consultation, I got the feeling he understood exactly what Bruna needed, and he recommended a four week board and train program. It's always a risk leaving your dog with a stranger for four weeks, it requires a lot of trust. I instantly felt like I could trust him, and you can tell he really cares for his client dogs and remembers all of them. He sacrifices a lot to constantly have dogs boarding in his home at overlapping times.
Well, fast-forward four weeks, and Bruna is home. We instantly noticed a difference in her overall behavior. He told us he was going to teach her to relax, and that is literally what he did. She has been responsive to all of her commands, and at times when she breaks a command or does an undesired behavior, we now have the tools to deal with it. Walking her on a leash has become a great experience. She walks at our side at our pace, no longer dragging us down the sidewalk. I am beyond impressed with Doug's ability. You can tell he's a master of his craft, with lots of experience. He did his job with Bruna, and now it is our responsibility to keep up with the training. We are going to try our very best, and follow up later this summer!
We HIGHLY recommend Doug. Our household is entirely different, at peace again and we got to keep our good girl (and our sanity).
Doug Salvio worked wonders with our dog, Bruna, a young rescue hound mix, who is SO super high energy. Although we love her dearly, she was wreaking havoc in our house- the kids were scared of her, she was making a mess of the house and yard, and quite honestly we had zero control over her. She wouldn't stop barking at my husband, and I was covered in bruises from her jumping on me constantly. We were fed up and desperate, so we hired a trainer who came to our house- long story short, she charged us a lot of money, and we got nowhere. She was a positive reinforcement only trainer, and it basically just made our dog obsessed with performing for treats. In the absence of treats she did not follow any commands, and she'd break the command as soon as she was rewarded. I do think strictly positive reinforcement might work for some, but not all.
We opted for a new solution, and I found Dogs by Doug online, with good reviews. Upon our consultation, I got the feeling he understood exactly what Bruna needed, and he recommended a four week board and train program. It's always a risk leaving your dog with a stranger for four weeks, it requires a lot of trust. I instantly felt like I could trust him, and you can tell he really cares for his client dogs and remembers all of them. He sacrifices a lot to constantly have dogs boarding in his home at overlapping times.
Well, fast-forward four weeks, and Bruna is home. We instantly noticed a difference in her overall behavior. He told us he was going to teach her to relax, and that is literally what he did. She has been responsive to all of her commands, and at times when she breaks a command or does an undesired behavior, we now have the tools to deal with it. Walking her on a leash has become a great experience. She walks at our side at our pace, no longer dragging us down the sidewalk. I am beyond impressed with Doug's ability. You can tell he's a master of his craft, with lots of experience. He did his job with Bruna, and now it is our responsibility to keep up with the training. We are going to try our very best, and follow up later this summer!
We HIGHLY recommend Doug. Our household is entirely different, at peace again and we got to keep our good girl (and our sanity).
