Just an update: we started training our border collie pit mix with Elissa about 8 months ago, and it has been like day and night! Since training started there has been a consistent upward trend and we are LOVING it. We're even able to take him to the point during events such as the arts festival a few weeks ago and on the river walk! It's been amazing to be able to do things with him and people even stop us now and say "he is so well behaved!" Before training he was hell on a leash, barking and lunging at everything with wheels and other dogs. Now we are able to walk with ease and I'm not a worried ball of nerves when I see another dog or a bike! Simply it has been an amazing experience. read more

Three Rivers Dog Training - Never would have been possible without three rivers dog training! - Pet Training Near Me

Elissa has been working with us and one of our dogs. He is the newest of our three and is a rescue that has some issues adapting to domestic life. From the first time Elissa worked with him we saw improvement. We have been working with what she taught us, and her, for about two months now and he is a different dog. Much more calm and well behaved. One of the things that Elissa has done with us and our dog that is amazing is to identify his triggers. What sets him off. While helpful in and of itself, that is really great because it gives us confidence that if more problems do arise we can always work to find, and fix, the trigger. If you need a dog trainer in Pittsburgh, this is the one. Our only regret is we didn't call her sooner. read more

Elissa helped us keep our chocolate lab Buddy! We got Buddy as a pup and about the time he turned a year old he started to develop fear aggression -- we could not have people at the house and had a hard time taking him for walks for fear something would happen. We tried other training methods/trainers -- and were lucky to find Elissa thanks to a referral. She helped us keep Buddy!!! Today, we can take him for a walk without fear of someone approaching, people come in the house and he either goes directly to his "place" or retires to the upstairs -- we even have workers going in and out of the house now and is calm. We even let him enjoy some unleash time on our property and he responds to commands and comes when called --- a totally different dog! Thank you Ellissa for helping us so he could stay happily in our lives! read more

Initially there were many phone calls to schedule, and as this business shares staff in multiple locations around the US, you do not know which operator will call. Eventually we were quoted a price for two two hour sessions and told that would be due upfront- at the start of services and before services are completed. This is not an inexpensive service. On the day before Elissa called to ask if we would be able to change our time (we could not). On the day of, Elissa arrived a few minutes before the 10am start. For the next 45 minutes talked and showed videos of her dogs and her past trainings. Not one of these was relevant to our dog or what we hope to do with our dog. She did not ask about our puppy- the reason for the visit. So several times I interjected pleasantly, "are we ready to get started?" to which she replied with her hands and tone, "NO, I am not done with my presentation." She did say that she typically works with older dogs, several times. So if that is her preference why book a family with a puppy? She brought with her a pamphlet on older dogs. She had a Pet Corrector (for biting) which I did not know about but will definitely purchase (on Amazon I am told). The few exercises that we did with out dog, he responded well and all of us learned. At 11:19am Elissa said that was all. The total amount of training time with our dog on the first day was 30 minutes, if that. As instructed, we paid in full, but we were not given a receipt. We asked and are still waiting for it. read more

I have been doing extensive training with Elissa for over a year now. I have a very hard headed, very large and slightly dog aggressive pit mix that she has worked wonders for. We had some hiccups in training with Sydney's response to training techniques but Elissa was able to adjust our course and complete our goals. We started out struggling to even walk past other dogs without fear and aggression and now we will be attending our first pup night. Not only is Syd growing more accustomed to every dog she meets but has mastered obedience and basic commands. If you're just looking for basic training or a last resort to tough problems, Elissa is a great investment. read more

Attended the 6 week intensive course. It was very reasonably priced and after the wonderful, straightforward strategies that we learned on how to best work with our GSP we would have paid twice as much. Rexus went from leash pulling, jumping on house guests and walking on his hind legs like a human to earning the highest score on the obstacle test at the end of the course. Elissa and her staff care about their clients, she gave all of us individual attention and information pertaining to our specific trouble areas. If someone missed a class, she made how to videos and posted then on a Facebook group page so no one fell behind. At the end of the course, she gave each pup participant a diploma, provided a cookout for all of us and had doggie beer for each pup. We couldn't be happier with Three Rivers Dog training services! read more

Three Rivers Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

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My dog, Korra, is a Corgi/Australian Shepherd mix who /had/ extreme fear reactivity to dogs, a sloppy recall, and wasn't always polite when greeting people. She is a three year old rescue that has been in my life for little over a year, and she was hard to handle. I love her more than anything, but she was ruining my life. Walking her was a chore, playing with her was a nightmare, and I couldn't trust her off the lead for the life of me. She was anxious, had an almost uncontrollable prey drive, and strange dogs scared her so much that she would treat them all like a threat and decide to go down fighting. After our very 1st lesson, Korra was walkable. She was manageable...and I would only see her confidence grow with every lesson and every day I spent training her on my own. Korra has become an amazing dog, the amazing dog I saw behind the bars of a kennel and now at the foot of my bed. She is my best friend, my companion, and Elissa helped bring that to the surface. Korra is a completely different dog; she is happy to live, happy to train, and embraces every challenge. This company doesn't just help you train your dog, they train you to bring out the best in your animal. If you want a confident, well rounded, and a come-when-you-call dog, contact Three Rivers Dog Training. They will do their best to help you and your dog be the best team you can be. read more

Elissa is one of the most gifted and knowledgeable people in the local dog training business I've had the pleasure of working with. Elissa from Three Rivers Dog Training worked with my aggressive Rottweiler, Buddy, for a few sessions to improve his obedience and behavior. Buddy struggled with being aggressive towards other people, especially children. Elissa came in with a set training plan, and went to work. She came every 2-3 weeks and worked for an hour or so with Buddy. She knew all the techniques, proper safety practices and how to really communicate with your dog. She explained every step of her training and trained you how to train your dog. She gave me the tools and skills to transform my disobedient and aggressive dog into a new dog, one that openly let's children come up and pull his tail now. The Three Rivers Dog Training experience was one worth every penny. read more

I am not a first time dog owner. I've owned 3 Akitas and 1 Labrador Retriever. They all lived long lives and were no problem training. Two years after they all passed I was ready to welcome a new member to our family. We decided on a female Akita. I was not prepared for the wrath of our new baby girl. She would bite us constantly, tear our clothes, jump up and bite, attack us while in the yard. I tried everything I knew and everything I read online and nothing worked. I am so thankful for Elissa at Three Rivers Dog Training. Now I have the most well behaved dog I've ever owned. She is always obedient. Not only does she respond to voice commands but also obeys hand signals. She comes when called, stays in place when visitors come, doesn't jump, leaves an object when instructed... And much much more. I would definitely recommend Elissa. She saved us! read more

We met Elissa when Lucy was 10 weeks old, she's an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. She instantly put us at ease working with a puppy that's very independent and wants to be the boss. I can now comfortably work with her, of course she's the smartest dog in the world lol. In all seriousness, she's learning to walk well on her leash, sit when we stop and has an eagerness to learn. People are constantly amazed that she is only 14 weeks old. I would Highly recommend her, very down to earth and best of all only works on teaching what you want from your dog, not what other so called experts think they should do read more

Elissa is the best! She has been working with our dog ziva and us. We saw improvement in the first training! Ziva had her last lesson and is working to become a therapy dog. She is doing much better and Elissa is so helpful. She worked with all of us and helped us understand why ziva was acting like the boss. She now is able to do all basic commands and is able to stay off leash while walking. read more

I contacted Elissa on my most desperate day as the owner of an 18 month old Standard Poodle. I had already attended 2 Puppy Kindergarten classes, a Basic Obedience 1 class and Basic Obedience 2 - (which we took twice, because my super-smart dog couldn't pass the class). She was too distracted by the other dogs. She spent as much time growling and lunging at the other dogs as doing the obedience work - which came very easily to her. The trainers at the school suggested a home trainer or a pet psychologist. I was considering it when we had our yearly vet appointment and my dog snapped at the vet. The vet told me directly that I had to do something drastic. I knew my dog was not aggressive at all - very loving, in fact. I just couldn't figure out how to tap into that part of her when she was on a leash. I came home and cried - I had spent so much time and money - I trained with this dog every day, and it seemed that I couldn't make her behave in any circumstances when we were out among people or dogs. I went on-line and found Three Rivers Dog Training and scheduled a visit with Elissa. Initially I felt it was the most expensive option, but I was wiling to do anything at that point. Elissa spent an hour with me and the dog - who growled at her when approached. This was Sept 2015. Elissa made it clear to me that if I agreed to contract with her, I would have a dog trainer until my dog issues were resolved - this was a crucial selling point - I worried that we would be a very difficult case - and I was right. Elissa felt that my dog's behavior problems were reasonable to want to fix, but certainly not easily solvable. She spent almost 2 hours a visit dealing with everything from "place" to "wait" to "heel" (which was our biggest problem). In between training sessions, I would send videos of our progress - especially on our daily walks - which were SO frustrating and sometimes scary. Elissa would respond via text message, always within minutes- giving me advice, telling me what worked and what didn't work and what I should try to do next. But, after 4 months of daily training, and bi-monthly sessions with Elissa, I was still having problems with my dog on walks - lunging and growling at people and other dogs. I sent Elissa an email explaining my concerns and frustrations at the lack of progress on leash. Elissa was available within minutes of my email. She agreed with everything I said - she was understanding, attentive and never defensive. She suggested that we do something drastic -she asked me if I would to send my dog to stay at her house for an intensive week in April, 2016? She said that she wouldn't take any other clients that week - she would just work with my dog. She would study her and utilize her network of dog trainers from across the country, to get advice about what to do with my dog. This is what impressed me the most about her. Elissa isn't the kind of trainer who will pretend she has all of the answers. She is self-assured enough to know that someone else may be a good resource. She is smart enough to realize that there are many different approaches to every situation. Elissa turned her personal life upside down and took my dog into her home to continue concentrated training for a week. When I returned a week later to pick up my dog, EVERY problem was solved. Elissa is strong enough, smart enough, has a wide enough network of professionals and humble enough to be a wonderful asset to any dog and their owner's life. I spent 2 years with a pit in my stomach because I loved a dog who I thought I might have to give up because I couldn't control her. Elissa was able to help me learn to communicate to my own dog - when all of the other trainers failed. My dog problems are completely behind me. I have the BEST trained dog that I know. My friends, family and neighbors still ask me what miracle happened to elicit the change in my dog. My dog didn't change. She was always loving and sweet and smart and interested, as all dogs are, in pleasing me - if only she knew what I wanted. And she just went nuts on the leash when we interacted with other beings. My dog and I just went back to the vet for her yearly shots. The vet couldn't believe this was the same dog. There has been no growling, lunging or snapping since she returned from her training. She walks beautifully on leash, attends doggie day care every week, and interacts with children and visitors like a well-behaved pet. Your dog may not need the intensive work that my dog needed, but I can assure any interested clients that they will not regret contracting with Three Rivers Dog Training. read more

Whenever we adopted our dog Tuco we had no idea that our lives would be turned upside down. We were expecting a calm, happy dog but instead received a scared, anxious ball of nerves. He wouldn't leave our side and showed his anxiety by acting out in every way possible. Countless piles of pee and poop, destroyed couches, ripped up carpet all the way to concrete, and chewed furniture awaited us upon our return home from every time we left the house. We were prisoners in our own home. We didn't want to give up on him but could see how someone could make that decision. As a last resort we decided to look for some outside help. Our research led us to Elissa at Three Rivers Dog training. After three months of work, several visits, and hundreds of text messages we now have the happy well adjusted dog we hoped for. He is able to be crated and actually enjoys the time he spends alone in his crate. Thanks to the lessons she has taught us, we are now able to have normal lives again. The compliments we receive on his behavior are a testament to how much she really cares for dogs and for how much she helped us, and for that, we are thankful. read more

I called because our dog that had been with us several weeks kept chasing our cat. They charge $100 to come to your house for a consultation to show the e-collar/prong collar they will use to make your dog make better choices as he will learn how to turn it off himself. You are not allowed a copy of the contract to review and get back to them. The trainer (Marcia) couldn't wait for our dog to do something she thought was "wrong" so she could demonstrate and blast him with a spray of a loud can of a Quit It like product. He walked up to her gym bag to sniff it and she promptly blasted him towards the face about six inches away. He bolted about 7 feet right onto my lap scared out of his mind. I commented how she shouldn't of sprayed it in his face and she said "it's just air". I read on the can later that it is dangerous to spray near their eyes as it contains chemicals and you need to be at least 3 ft away. A few days later my son went to spray body spray on and our dog lunged at him in fear. He never did that before. A couple days later my son picked up his gym bag to go to the gym and our dog lunged at his gym bag. Essentially, she caused him to become fear aggressive over the sound of spray cans and yes, gym bags. He has gotten over this since then after a few more episodes at lunging at body spray. He didn't do anything wrong and ANY trainer that understands training could tell you that you should NEVER correct a dog unless he has been fully trained to understand what he did was wrong in the first place and even then you should start with a low level of correction. Sniffing a gym bag? She recommended an e-collar for his bolting habit. I asked how he would know to come back home just by turning on an electric stim and she didn't know. I noticed their advertisement says "Affordable, Effective dog training" but they charge $1200 for 4 to 6 visits. The girl on the phone when you first call said they would come as often as it took for our dog to stop chasing the cat but the trainer that came said they come 4 to 6 times and this was for obedience training She said nothing for our cat issue which is why we called and paid the 100 bucks to consult about what their training protocol would be to help us with that. And like another reviewer said, our trainer called the night before to change our appointment to earlier but we weren't able to. I guess if you are looking for an expensive ($200/hr avg), franchise, bait and switch company that uses the highest level of harsh correction right out of the gate to "train" your dog into aggression and fear, this would be the right place to call. Also, their advertising says "Best Dog Training in Pgh" but doesn't say by whose standards that is measured. I should've been leery of such a canned statement but I fell for it. Really expensive must mean the best right? LOL read more