I am fostering to adopt a Heartworm Positive taken out of the shelter that medically had to be in confinement for months and we didn't have the ability to walk or work on walking skills. We played brain games in the house while she went through her treatment, but never got beyond my fence line for six months as the heart needed to heal and worms needed to be killed.
On the other side of heartworm treatment, my little girl was just this ball of energy and a disaster on the leash. You can tell we won the heartworm war, but I had not been able to work with her on walking and reactivity. I had such anxiety over getting her corrected on a leash, I reached out to Fido in Ferndale (very trusted advisors) when I had to go out of town and they recommended My Sidekick for a Board and Train program.
The normal program is a 2 - 3 week board and train to improve walking and deal with reactivity. I didn't want to do that as I wanted the growth with my dog to be between me and my dog and not someone else. Ash worked with me and did a little "boot camp" program for 3 days.
Consistent with Fido's philosophy of positive reinforcement, Ash took my girl in while I was gone and got her LOOSE LEASH WALKING IN 3 DAYS! While I was gone I was receiving twice daily videos of my dogs progress giving me peace of mind and filling my heart with joy that we did the right thing for the vision I have of our future (two dogs walking together).
Rome wasn't built in a day and anyone who has trained a dog will attest to that. However, My Sidekick Dog Training definitely built the Colosseum in 3 days. The transformation was incredible. Back in town I walked my girl tonight with ease and pleasure for the first time. We had a blast! Thank you Ash!
5 stars - working with the unique needs of the owner
5 stars - positive reinforcement only training
5 stars - communicating with the client
4 stars - the location (while in Detroit it is a very quiet and peaceful place for learning - I'm in Ferndale where there are dogs EVERYWHERE)
3.5 stars - the house (it's under re-construction - but she still created a very homey feeling and the dogs weren't crated)
5 stars - training the human (Ash took the time to show me what she had done and how she was doing it, plus gave me video's during her stay)
5 stars - knowing the needs of the dog
Every dog is unique and if you sign up for a quick fix you may not get the results I did, but that would be the case with any company. Ash definitely knows what she is doing, does so expeditiously, understands the needs of the people she is working with and has the heart to tell you the dogs strengths and weaknesses with truthfulness so you can create an action plan moving forward.
I don't do puppies - I take in rescues that are older. I would highly, highly recommend My Sidekick to anyone who is facing issues with a rescue or shelter-replaced dog. She's probably good with puppies, but I will never know. She is amazing with adults with issues. read more