Dave's Client Testimonial Page
Dear David
Please excuse this lengthy testimonial. But my wife and I feel so strongly about your training that we want to share it with whoever may come across it when researching a dog trainer. We hope that this will make a difference for those dog owners out there looking to take their dog to another level of obedience and good manners before they waste their money. As you know, we live in Rhode Island and only learned about your services through your web page. After pouring over your testimonials and speaking with you over the phone, we took the chance and enrolled our 10 month old German shepherd dog, Cyrus, in your three week board and train program. Even though we live 3 hours away we had little choice but to reform Cyrus or get rid of him.
Prior to coming to you, we enrolled him in puppy kindergarten classes, tried to socialize him with other dogs in the neighborhood, and walked him at least twice a day. By the time he reached 9 months old, however, he was out of control – nipping anyone who came near him, pulling on his leash, and frankly frightening our kids and my wife.. Walking him became a miserable experience as he would run after anything that moved. People would see him and cross the street just to avoid him. Our puppy was now becoming an 80 pound liability. My wife lost interest in being with him and the kids no longer found joy in his company.
We worked with two trainers who were great when he was a much younger and smaller dog. But we soon realized that clicker training and food motivation was actually making him worse as he grew much larger and more confident in himself. Furthermore, neither trainer was able to address the issues of nipping and jumping on people. One trainer told us that this was only teething and that he would “outgrow it”. The other diagnosed it as dominance but was unable to stop it. He had us switch his leash to an adjustable harness, but this was only a Band-Aid as Cyrus would revert back to his nipping as soon as we took it off. He simply did not respect us as his leaders.
After two trainers we were fed up and questioning our decision to get a dog. The kids, however, grew attached to the dog and we wanted to try one more trainer before making the difficult choice to get rid of him or give him away to someone who could control him.
After speaking with you on the phone for about an hour or so my wife and I just knew that you would be the last trainer we would need. There was something about your insight into our situation, easy going manner and deep knowledge of dogs and experience that was very obvious. In fact we did not even bother to ask you for references as you made a strong impression on us immediately. Nothing in your approach over the phone or webpage spoke of empty advertising and false promises. You leveled with us and asked us to keep an open mind.
We did not make your work easy: we specifically asked if you could make him walk on heel with and without a leash, end the nipping once and for all, and have hi m sit in his place until commanded to do otherwise. Hey, you asked what we wanted and we gave you our wish list. Truth be told – we would have been happy if we got half of what we asked for. The results, however, exceeded our expectations and we want to make sure that anyone reading this knows that you exist and that it is possible to have a well mannered dog no matter the breed and size. And if you can control this powerful breed, anything is possible.
Although Cyrus was away for several weeks your frequent emails and pictures made it much easier for all of us. You obviously know how hard it is for a family to be away from their dog – even when he is a handful!
After one week I returned to your house, per your request, to train with you and Cyrus. I could not believe my eyes. Cyrus was calm and, for the first time, looked like he was looking for commands rather than giving them! I did not realize he had an attitude before until I saw him relaxed and ready to please. His respect for you and me was obvious.
After only one week you had him walking by your side like Velcro. He listened to everything you asked. You had him going to his “place” on command, no matter the level of distraction. I could not believe it. The real test, however, came when you placed food distractions on the floor and had other dogs walking around him – he never budged unless you gave him the command. The best part was he was happy to serve. It was obvious that he feels more comfortable as a dog and not the boss of the family.
I was stunned to say the least. The best part is your ability to teach us and to explain why Cyrus was now the dog we always wanted. Your patience and generosity about your training always left us knowing that we could confidently do the same thing. After the second week, the kids (9 and 7 years old) were able to walk and control him. The original reason why we wanted a family dog was now a reality.
Yesterday was a great day for our family. For the first time each of us walked Cyrus at a heel on a two mile hike. The greatest gift was watching Cyrus walking at a perfect, loose-leashed heel next to each of our boys … both of whom he outweighs! The looks of joy and empowerment on their faces were priceless! Other people on the trail could hardly believe their eyes. Our 7 year-old is the one who wanted the dog, and he finally had the dog he’d wanted! After that we took him to Home Depot with me and the entire family. Jordan, our 9 year old, walked him with the leash slung over his shoulder the entire time and Cyrus just happily followed him everywhere. The leash was so loose that it might as well have not been there at all. People were amazed. Almost everyone stopped and looked and wanted to say hello and pet Cyrus. My wife shopped the entire time in peace and the boys and I just took turns walking Cyrus throughout the store. It was a great, great time for everyone. So once we returned, my wife gardened with Cyrus happily in his “place” command. Meanwhile the boys ran around playing soccer. Cyrus just sat there the entire time, happy to rest and watch. It was truly amazing. You would have been proud.
Cyrus is still the way he left your training facility only now he is much happier and well mannered. We took Cyrus on a 2 mile hike this morning. The boys each took turns on heel. Cyrus was amazing. He was listening, not pulling on the leash or protesting — and believe me, I was looking for signs of protest. I did not see him yawn once or challenge our children. We took some pretty amazing pictures. I’ll have to send them to you. In a few days I will start to film some footage of our training together with the boys so others can see for themselves.
So every member of this household, including Cyrus, joins me in thanking you for a total life transformation – in more than one sense of the term. We now want to continue our training at whatever level you think is appropriate. In hindsight we really wish we had made a “before and after” video — but who knew?
All the best,
Khalil, Cressida, Jordan, John Owen, and Cyrus
Dave,
I presented to you my 6 month, golden retriever, Champ, completely raw. He had nothing but puppy destructive skills. The two weeks he spent with you have changed his life and my family’s lives forever. I have more peace of mind and have total respect for owning a trained dog. He can go anywhere without putting any type of stress on me. He traveled quietly in my car for 4 hours to visit my son at college in Vermont. He slept with us in an unfamiliar hotel room and never acted up or barked. He stayed in a down position on Church Street while we sat outside at a restaurant.
I also take him into a busy dog park daily. He has a mutual respect for and calmness to other dogs and their owners. He has never chewed anything that isn’t his in our home. Ever since he was trained by you, he hasn’t dug anymore holes in the backyard. At 8 months, he passed the CGC Test with flying colors.. We go into Hospice twice a week spending up to two hours at a time. He is very gentle and loving. Your training has taught him not to be spooked by wheel chairs or walkers. He had a glance at the in-house cat for the first time during hospice. Although curious, he stayed in his down position doing his job. When commanded, Champ will bring himself up on the lap of a person in a wheel chair while putting all of his weight on his back legs as to not put any stress on the person’s lap. Because of the training he has received, he listens and pays attention. At first, I didn’t think I could part with him for two weeks but your emails and pictures kept coming in. I would always look forward to viewing these emails. The pictures of him in a busy shopping mall or various parks made the time go by faster. I knew you would be training me next. Then, it was my turn to be trained by you. Working one-on-one with you could have been grueling. Your expertise and constant focus was directed on my every move and mistake. It was anything but grueling. I matured from this and gained more confidence in myself. Almost a year later, I can always send you an email with a question and you always get back to me swiftly. Training has been very rewarding.
You are a true blessing to me and every dog and animal owner that you take care of.
Best regards,
Paula
Dear David,
I’m so glad that we found you! When I dropped off Mohammed, my alpha male Bernese Mountain Dog, I secretly wished that we could leave him with you forever. Not only did he have a few vicious bites under his belt but our home life was mayhem with his constant barking, growling, and jumping.
On the first night home after his training with you, I was pleasantly surprised to walk into the living room to see Mohammed proudly sitting in “place” watching my teenage daughters play chess. From that moment on our relationship with Mohammed has continued to grow and because of you, he is now our loyal and faithful friend.
I really appreciate your patience in mentoring us on the primal concepts of pack leadership and energy awareness. Your teachings have helped me become more “present” in my daily life and it has empowered my daughters to tap into their own calm assertive energy—I can’t thank you enough.
Best, Tami Guiney
Hi Dave
It is a pleasure to write a testimonial for you to let dog owners out there know about the awesome work you do with dogs of all breeds and temperaments. I had reached the end of my rope when I called Dave about my puppy Blade. I had watched enough episodes of “The Dog Whisperer” to know that I needed a professional to help us out. By the time I found out about Dave, he had bitten several people including both of my parents who are in their 70’s! As Dave pointed out during the first consultation, Blade was both nervous and dominant and needed a structured period of training. If it weren’t for Dave’s intervention, I would have had to give him up to a shelter, where I’m sure he would have been euthanized because of his dominant behavior. Blade is now Trouwe Hond’s ambassador in my neighborhood and the best publicity for your training methods. I encourage any potential clients to read my full testimonial to appreciate what we went through prior to working with you and how remarkable the outcome of your training!
Warm Regards, Jean Dalpe
This beautiful dog is named Blade, a Thai Ridgeback Dog, or TRD as they are also known. Native to Southeast Asia in an area that includes Thailand, the breed developed in relative isolation. The breed has bred true, without any crossbreeding in large part due to its cultural importance and traditions of the region’s inhabitants. As a result the breed’s physical and temperamental characteristics have developed through the process of natural selection and not from selective breeding. The breed has been described in archeological documents that date back 360 years. A TRD would guard his master’s home, accompany him on the hunt, and escort his cart. The TRD is a working dog, loyal to his master and pack.
Blade arrived from Thailand as a 4-month-old puppy in January 2009. Although he was scared and confused from his journey, he adapted to the frigid and snowy New England weather rather quickly. During the first few months Blade easily learned the basic commands, and other dog owners in the neighborhood marveled at his obedience on walks. I was proud of what I had accomplished in a short time, as Blade is the first dog I had ever owned. The hours of watching the Dog Whisperer had been worth it!
The honeymoon ended in April when Blade bit another dog owner in puppy class. This was followed by several other encounters where he nipped at both my parents in their home and two friends who were guests in mine. I was mortified that he had exhibited this behavior, and knew that it needed correction and fast. Despite all of my work with him, I realized he did not respect me as pack leader. I had gone as far as I could go with him using the tools I had learned from my reading and by watching Cesar Milan in action. I needed a professional.
Acting on several recommendations from other dog owners, I made appointments with two trainers. Although one had great credentials, I was concerned that the training methods based exclusively on positive reinforcement may be ineffective with this strong breed of dog. The second had experience with training police dogs, and I was hopeful he would be able to help. Fate intervened when I met one of Dave’s clients on a neighborhood walk. His companion was a very well behaved German Shepherd. We started chatting and I told him about Blade’s behavior. He suggested that I explore Dave’s website. He told me about Dave’s experience with strong breeds and that he and his dog had been working with Dave for about 8 years.
I composed an email to Dave and received a prompt reply. He had a cancellation the following day and he was able to meet us for an evaluation. Within 15 minutes of the evaluation, I knew Dave was the trainer for us. He impressed me as confident and very knowledgeable about several methods of training. He indicated that every dog, no matter the breed, has individual needs and that no singular training method may be appropriate for that particular dog. It was not surprising to learn that Dave had never encountered a TRD, as the breed is relatively new to this country. He stressed the need for Blade to be out of my possession for a period of time in order to avoid future behavioral difficulties. As he does with every dog, he wanted “to pick the lock” on Blade.
Unfortunately Dave could not accommodate us for training for another 6 weeks. During that period time, I had let up on my strong corrections at Dave’s suggestion, in order to see if my training method had contributed to Blade’s skittishness. Blade took advantage of this and proceeded to assert his place as pack leader. He became indifferent to my commands and began to terrorize my two cats. One cat went completely psycho and began to urinate on everything in sight. You name it: bed, couch, laundry, towels, and rugs. He upped the ante by pissing on by kitchen counter and stove. What broke the camel’s back was when he urinated in the Kitchen Aid mixer. I was rapidly losing the tenuous grip I had on my sanity when the day arrived to take Blade to Trouwe Hond K-9.
I had originally signed on for a two-week training package. However, it took Blade about 3-4 days to take food from Dave’s hand. It took that time for Blade to trust Dave enough to forge a bond from which training could begin and be effective. Dave suggested that Blade stay with him for 3 weeks. I was more than happy to oblige, as I had not had any time away from Blade since January, and I needed the break. Dave kept me in the loop at all times by sending pictures of Blade daily and working with me at the training site and by telephone consultation. It was just as much about training ME as it was training Blade!
Given Blade’s particular set of issues, Dave suggested that I have a gathering in my home where he could train Blade in the presence of other people on Blade’s own turf. Since I was asking friends to join me in this training exercise, I figured I had better provide food and drink, so I made it into a graduation party for Blade. Dave came over and worked with Blade, greeting guests at the door when they arrived and having guests take the leash to walk with Blade. I couldn’t believe that Blade actually allowed other people to pet him!
The party was a success, but during the week leading up to the party, Blade began to challenge my position as pack leader by rejecting his crate and acting out whenever he was placed in it. This took the form of throwing himself against the crate, whining loudly, defecating in the crate (sometimes multiple times daily), and escaping the crate by chewing a hole in the plastic. This went on for 5-6 weeks. During that time I was desperate; what had happened to all that training?
Dave was very patient with me despite my endless pleas for help. He was supportive but firm when he stated “Blade will not respect you through me. You need to make it happen.” He reassured me that I had the skills to indeed make it happen. But Blade was one formidable opponent. I was firm and persistent, but he kept on challenging. I knew that if I could not gain the title of pack leader, no dog owner would be able to either. But as long as there was a glimmer of hope that I could accomplish it, I was willing to take Blade on. I had given myself a deadline, after which I would have to let him go. Dog ownership was supposed to be fun, right? This was not fun. It was hard work and responsibility without any of the rewards. But I had invested so much time, money and effort into Blade. And I don’t like to give up.
Then it happened. The challenging behavior stopped. Blade had finally surrendered to my authority. The craziness in the crate was now a thing of the past. I was amazed that I could command him to go to his crate from one room in the house and he would reluctantly walk to it, but get to his crate he did! That was a huge turning point in my relationship with Blade. I could now begin to enjoy dog ownership, and reap some of the rewards of my investment in him. Blade had stepped up to the plate, just as I had.
Dave recently had the opportunity to train Blade again while I took a much-needed vacation. Dave commented that Blade is a different dog. Blade quickly responded to Dave’s leadership and was able to engage in play, which he had not been willing to do during his initial training.
Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, says that “you don’t always get the dog you want, but you get the dog you need.” Whatever the lesson I am to learn from this experience, I have Dave to thank for guiding and supporting me through it. Dave did not give up on us, even when it looked like I was about to cave. He taught me how to be the pack leader of this very independent and dominant dog. The turning point for me was when Dave said that Blade would not give me respect through him, but I had to make it happen for myself.
Dave said to me that my getting Blade was like I had bought a Porsche for my very first car, and now had to learn to drive it. It’s not all about the dog. It is equally about the handler, or even more so. A dog will continue to behave appropriately long after he returns from training so long as the owner continues to assert leadership. Dog training is just the beginning of a process. It’s up to us as dog owners to be the pack leader that our dogs’ expect us to be.
I look forward to a long working relationship with Dave and Trouwe Hond K-9. Blade is just entering his adolescence, and I’m sure there will me more challenges ahead. But I feel very confident that whatever the challenges, Dave will be there to help us navigate through it.
Thank You for all your hard work,
Jean Dalpe
Hi Dave,
We can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done with Rafe! You’ve really changed our lives in a great way. You went way above and beyond our expectations with Rafe, and we’ll be forever grateful that you were able to give us such a great well-behaved pet!
He’s been doing really well out in public and when visitors arrive, and also did well on a long hike with 6 kids & having to climb under and over fallen trees from the storm. He’s also awesome with the vacuum now!
We’ve been working him every chance we have and we work on “leave it” in front of his food/treats every time he eats. He’s also been doing great with the kids, especially the younger ones. He used to jump all over them (or me when I was carrying them) and now they run all around him while he stays calm & still, and the kids love having him come up into their bedrooms for story time before bed
I’ll update you again soon! Take care,
Karen, Dan, Ethan, Madeline, Colin, and Rafe
Hi Dave,
Just wanted to let you know that everything is going great!! Pinky is really listening to us and seems to already understand what we expect from her…it’s amazing!! I think she’s a little confused with having the leash on her inside the house, but other than that she’s been fantastic!
Thanks…Andrea
Attn Readers,
We adopted a one year old black lab from an animal shelter this past July. We were drawn to his beauty, intelligence and energy. We thought Raven had ADD and brought him to Dave for an evaluation. Dave explained to us that Raven doesn’t have ADD but is a very dominant dog with pack leader respect issues. When we realized the danger potential we felt fortunate to have realized this before anyone was hurt. The shelter warned us not to bring the dog around small children or other dogs until he was properly trained. We thought we could train him ourselves but after meeting with Dave we could see we needed a professional. We agreed to leave Raven with Dave for 2 weeks. We called this boot camp.
Dave kept us updated each day with emails and photos. After the week was up we went to meet with Dave and he honestly told us that we have a potentially dangerous dog. He agreed Raven is very smart and encouraged us to sign on for another week as Raven was still testing his dominance. He was very fair with his pricing and we felt Dave really cared about us, our dog and our situation. After the second week we couldn’t wait to get Raven home. Dave spent considerable time with us that day and checked in with us several times that week. Raven was a new dog; the dog we had dreamed of. We can play with him now. He listens to us. We trust him in our home now. His “mouthy” behaviors are completely gone. He no longer urinates on everything and we can actually walk him now…instead of being pulled by him. We can bring him to dog parks now without fear of him running away or hurting another dog. We met with Dave a few times since we’ve picked Raven us and he helps us tweak our behaviors. We can email any questions and Dave always takes our questions seriously and answers them quickly. We were actually so impressed with the facility and kennels that we booked a spot for Raven when we go away in February. Thank You Dave! Nick & Christina Dipace
Dave,
I just wanted to send a huge thanks for all the work you did with Indie. She’s really doing fantastic. You were totally right – as soon as I got her home and had the opportunity to play with her a little, we made excellent progress. Sit, stay, etc. is all going great. Today, her downs have been flawless. We’re practicing heel in the house, and at higher levels of distraction (which is definitely harder!) and she really is doing terrific.
Thank you again for giving her the foundation, and for giving me the confidence! I look forward to working with you in a couple of weeks on determining the next steps toward AKC good citizen certification!
Thank You, Elizabeth
MERRY CHRISTMAS Dave, We are so sorry we haven’t written, oh yes you have been on our minds,,,and we speak of you regularly. We’ve had an amazing year since we saw you and many distractions, a new grandson, our first, an engagement, our son and our 40th wedding anniversary. We’ve had all good things this year including getting a new Sophie, a wonderful Sophie. We are enjoying her so much, it’s amazing, our daily life is just so great with her. As you know she needs a constant reminder who runs the show, but for the most part she is so responsive, a delight. We’ll be in touch we just wanted you wish you a great holiday and wonderful New Year.
Wooooof,,,,Woooooofff,
PS, all of our friends who knew Sophie before her training with you can’t believe her,,,,,and her Vet, he was so happy to see her unstrung, he congratulated us for sticking with her and could see immediately that she had a new sense of self confidence.
Talk soon, Don and Diane Magnussen
To Readers,
Our Male Dalmatian Jake began exhibiting dominance at an early age. He would become agitated when approached directly (face-to-face) by strangers. He would always challenge other dogs; he would look for other dogs as the first thing out the door in the morning and his body language was always “tense” or “on guard”.. It became an effort for us to have people into the house because we always had to “watch” Jake. He was unpredictable and if he felt he could dominate another person, he would (e.g. growl, bark aggressively). If startled, he would react to what had startled him. We worked with a few dog trainers and behavioral “experts”, but the changes and improvements were fleeting. Within days Jake would return to his “old ways” in spite of our diligently doing what each trainer asked of us.
Thanks to Dave both Jake and Simone are doing great. We had five people over for dinner last night. As these folks arrived off the elevator, both dogs remained in a “place” position. In fact, they remained in a place position for well over an hour. After “free time” they went over to the people, sniffed them, and returned to their beds. For the next 2.5 hrs they stayed sleeping on their beds and never even came into the dining room. These folks had all seen Simone and Jake pre-training and were quite impressed with the transformation.
This is very different behavior than what they would have done last summer (prior to your training) they have maintained all the basics and advanced in a few things we have done with them in the house e.g. place to their beds immediately upon coming off the elevator, ignoring visitors to a great extent. Dave is a true professional in his field.
Thank you for helping us with our dogs,
Ann and Tony
Dear Dave,
Taryn and I wanted to write to you even though words can never explain how appreciative we both are of all the hard work you put forth with our dog. Roxy, our 16 month old female boxer, came to you with numerous issues that really needed to be addressed if we wanted to enjoy having her in our life. Roxy showed some aggression towards people and other dogs, would never go in her crate without putting up a “huge” fuss, and would pull my fiancé so bad that she could no longer take her for walks. This was becoming a big problem around the house and we slowly found out that we no longer had control and needed assistance from a professional. After searching on the internet for days, we came across Dave’s website and were floored by the great write-ups from others that were in a similar spot like us. We gave Dave a call and right off the bat we knew this was the route we were going to travel down. Even though we lived about 40 minutes away, distance did not even play a part since we really needed a fix for our problems. Roxy was dropped off for 2 weeks, but we did get the chance to come down to his facility a couple times to work with the new techniques that had to be set once we got back home. I can’t even tell you how much we have learned from this experience with Dave and how we now enjoy taking Roxy to the park. Once she arrived home we felt like we took the wrong dog. She would go to her “place”, walk right into her crate, sit, stay,and lay down all on command. The most important part is that Roxy now view’s us as the alpha and respects both Taryn and I at the same time as the leaders. We both take her for daily walks and she will follow right beside us without pulling. This is the best investment we made and created a stronger bond between us and our dog.
Thanks Dave!!
John & Taryn
Debra
Debra Goodman
Studio Caretaker
H.Y.P. STUDIO
Needham + Wellesley Center
www.HYPstudio.com
781.444.5551 (N)
781.263.7380 (W)
Sam completes training
Dear Dave,
I could hardly believe my eyes when I drove up and saw Luke standing next to you in the heel position with the leash lying on the ground! I was literally stunned that so much progress had occurred after only one week. And Luke has another week to go.
In my family’s session in the training area, I was heartened by Luke going on command to his “place.” Then walking him in the heel position where every time I stopped, Luke stopped and sat …. What a miracle!
I don’t have any idea how you have been able to get through to Luke, but I can’t wait to get him back home and see him behave, unlike how it was before he came there. Thank you for your efforts. Clearly, it’s worked.
Paul
Hi Dave –
Cobra is now 10 months old and I AM SO THRILLED WITH HER !!!!!!!! Thank god I hung in there. We are best buddy’s and I AM her JOB! She is so loving and intense to please. She takes direction very well and responds easily to her commands! She’s excellent on recall and we hike daily in the woods together. When coming across someone else on the trail…… she stops and looks at me, then barks, fiercely, until I call her to my side. A wonderful feeling to be so protected. Not to mention she provides fabulous companionship.
Cobra is beautiful and she now is a wonderful burnt toast color. Her markings are great, right down to the little blaze of white on her chest. I keep her very socialized to children (she adores my granddaughter who is almost 5) and to other dogs we know are “safe” to interact with.
Can’t say anything other than praise!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH for a beautiful and wonderful animal with such a great temperament. She’s everything you said she could be.
Sincerely,
Leena Newcomb
Hi Dave,
I hope the season is going well for you.
We see a remarkable change in Charley and appreciate so much all that you did. My husband actually likes Charley now. I still have to use the remote at times especially if Charley didn’t get enough exercise on a particular day, but only a few hours a day.
I am going away at the end of October. I was hoping that we could board Charley with you while we are away. We are leaving October 26th and returning November 8th.
Hoping you say yes,
Sincerely,
Doreen Napoli
Hi Dave!
Just wanted to give you an update on Soli. Its remarkable, she is a completely different dog–any of her old bad behavior (which was probably symptomatic of her lack of respect for me) is gone. No more chewing shoes or any other item she could find, no more getting trash and making a big miss, no more jumping on the furniture, no more begging for food when I am eating, no more running around the apartment and barking at every noise she hears. She is so calm and besides her walks/exercise outside — she sits or lays in her bed in the apartment.
She also has been eating and sleeping in her crate. I think her sleeping in the crate and “off” were her biggest hurdles. She is finally sleeping through the night without whining. And, she is learning the “off” commend –she mostly gets excited when I come home, but now she is not jumping up as much. As soon as she realizes that she is not supposed to jump, she immediately sits and waits for attention. There is progress there!
As far as with other dogs, Soli is well-behaved outside until a big dog runs at her or gets in her face, which is the only time she might bark. So I have been keeping a close eye on her and the surroundings to either correct her defensive position and/or to avoid the situation all together. (Also, I am realizing how most dogs are not well behaved, not that I am an expert or anything!)Also, everyday we do sit/stay, down/stay, and place training. Here are a few pictures!
Thanks again for everything, I have learned so much and Soli is such a better and well-behaved dog!
Lori
Hi Dave,
Well it’s been about a year, and I want to let you know wheeler is doing great! He’s still easily excitable but he doesn’t jump on people and he listens which is wonderful!
I was actually wondering if you knew anyone who breeds labs. Thought you’d be the most likely person to know! I think he’d make some pretty cute pups!! 🙂
Thanks again for all of your help.
~Katie Hansen
Hi Dave
Ollie has been outstanding. He has tried to test us all, but quickly responds to the correction. He has been tested outside a couple of times but has behaved wonderfully! It is so nice to be able to have him in the house in his place. He barked at first in the crate but we did not respond to it, so he got over it pretty quickl
Cannot thank you enough, Ollie is a charm!
Thanks Dave!
Leslie
Good morning Dave,
Rob and I were extremely impressed with what you were able to accomplish with Cooper. You are wonderful at what you do. I wish we found you sooner but are sooooo happy that we did and that you were able to take him.. Rob and I each took him for a walk yesterday and he did really well. Way better than before. It was such a relief.. Rob worked in the back yard with him and I’m going to tonight.
Thanks so much for taking such great care of him while we were gone and spending so much quality time with him. We really really appreciate all that you did for him.
We will talk to you soon and I have your business cards and passing the word around.
Thanks again for all your help.
Patti
Dave, August, 2008
We can’t thank you enough for all that you have done with Ringo our Belgian Malinois. We now have a dog that obeys commands and that we can walk without fear of loosing control if he sees another dog or even a person.
We brought Ringo to another professional trainer when he was about 4.5 months old and enrolled him in puppy development course. Ringo was somewhat out of control, jumping biting, barking and would not obey commands. After a couple of classes and an evaluation, we were told that Ringo was a fear biter and a dangerous dog. He also said that because he missed out with early socialization that the situation could not be changed. We were caught completely off guard when he said that we needed to decide, now, what to do with this dog before we got too attached. We decided that we would not consider putting this puppy down without giving him a chance.
Ringo’s chance came when we found Dave. The change in Ringo’s behavior in just 2 weeks with you is impressive to say the least. The fact that you kept us up to date with e-mails about his progress and pictures was reassuring. We were surprised to see him at a dog park playing with other dogs and not bothering their owners. We will do our best to continue the training and put to use what you taught us. Hopefully, someone else will read this and give their dog a chance. Keep up the good work.
Thanks again!
Liz and Greg
Hi Dave,
Jason and I are very impressed with how Jake turned out. We were even
more impressed when we got him home and he still listened to the
commands and behaved like he did when we were with you. Jason actually
took the day off today because he had fun practicing with him so he’s
going to continue throughout today. You did a great job! As a matter
of fact the cats actually walked over and sat with Jake at his “place”
and Jake didn’t move. It was great to see that. It’s the opposite now.
The cats follow Jake around because he drags the leash and they like to
follow it. I’ll say it again, I’m very impressed!!!
Thanks again,
Linda
Dave,
It has been six months since Hattie went to your school. She has retained almost all of her training. We don’t work her on a regular basis like we should and even so she remains attentive to us in crowded and confusing situations. More than anything else we have a working vocabulary that has allowed her to be a wonderful part of our family. Thank you so much.
Leonard and Treva Stephens
Dorset VT
Hi Dave,
We can’t thank you enough for the great training you have given Casey and us. I mean it when I say words do not express the full meaning. His stay with you really turned him around. Best wishes and a merry Christmas to you and your family. Looking forward to doing some more training after the New Year.
Yours truly,
Al & Sheila MacCallum
Medford Mass
Rescuing a 1 year old Bouvier des Flandres, and wanting to train it back to the roots of its original ancestry seemed impossible after speaking and going to other K-9 trainers. I was about to give up after hearing everyone tell me that my dog could not be turned into a very obedient, and quality personal protection dog. When I spoke with Dave, I gave him the final shot with my dog. Within 15 minutes with Dave, he got my dog to react like never before. From having a dog that wouldn’t even sit when I first got him, to having a dog be able to do obedience along with responding to protection commands in 6 weeks, is proof that Dave knows exactly how to work with every type of dog. He is happy at all times, and I have a dog that I have complete control over when it comes to protection and obedience. He has become much happier from all his training. Little kids can poke him, sit on him, do almost anything and no reaction besides a stubby tail wagging is the result of it. =
Dave is the trainer you want to end up with. No need to mess up in the beginning by having someone that is not the best work on your dog, it’s not worth it.
For any trainer to tell me my dog is not cut out for something that he is excelling in within 6 weeks of training, has no clue what they are doing. My dog is proof that Dave can train any dog to listen and behave in a positive way.
Thanks, – Josh, and Ziggy
Dear Dave:
Hi! Hope you and your family are well. What is happening to all of us is unreal we have in one way or another being tested by Dox and have stand our ground with your teaching.
Dox is calm and happy. We are doing everything you recommended including the new crate ( I must confess after Dox have an accident, and we are feeding him the same way you did).
So we have gone in two and half weeks from a frantic dog that bark all the time, was destructive and incredible levels of stress. To having a dog we love to walk and relax with. I know we pay you but sometimes there are things you give to others that go beyond monetary value, thank you.
I have already recommended you to friends of our that have a very energetic puppy.
Also, I beg you to consider the possibility next summer of training Josephine as dog trainer on Fridays, she is young and what an experience…
With High Regards, Irene and family
I own a 2.5 yr old male Central Asian Ovcharka and 2yr old female Caucasian Ovcharka… Both are rare breed mastiffs which primarily work in defense drives and are independent thinkers and fairly large. Overall, I know what I am doing but in regards to formal OB and certain problems, I needed someone with real dog experience who I could trust around my animals.
I went to Trouwe Hond dog training, owned and operated by David Ranieri. Dave has an immense wealth of knowledge in regards to dog training and has been training for 15 years . He has trained and titled dogs in various dog sporting events. However, what is more important to me is his ability to teach you in a manner so you can understand what it is you’re doing with your dog and why you are doing it.
Because of what I have learned from Dave, I have gained knowledge, confidence, control, and more respect while working with my dogs in public areas . Dave is there for his students, is always willing to listen, give advice or make you laugh. I would recommend him to anyone that wants a well behaved trained animal.
After watching Dave and his dog, you will realize that there are no words to describe what he is as a trainer…He will inspire you to do well by your dog.
Barbara Tassinari
In Memory of Barbara
Barbara Tassinari tragically passed 4/22/08. She was a very special person, and a good friend.
It is a difficult loss. She will be dearly missed.
We have a 1 year old Golden Retriever who was out of control. He has a very dominant personality and was jumping up, biting, not coming when called and virtually chewing everything in the house. We thought about giving him away but decided to try training as a last resort.
I was referred to Dave by a friend of mine that is a true dog lover, who has 5 dogs of her own, so I knew my dog would be in good hands.
After the training I could not believe the difference. He actually came when called, he wasn’t jumping up any more and we could eat dinner without him jumping up at the table. He would sit in a designated spot until called. I actually had to look closely at the dog because I thought they might have switched him for another dog, that’s how dramatic the change was. I was skeptical that it wouldn’t last but it’s been about a month and things are still great.
Dave, thanks for giving us back our family pet.
Tim & Patty Sullivan
When I decided I needed a natural guardian dog for my home and to take with me to work as I work occasionally in some rough areas, I researched the Malinois. The 2 Malinois I have from you exceed any expectation I had. They are the smartest, instinctively protective yet most loving and affectionate breed I have ever seen. With Mallee & Zod as my protectors, I feel very safe.
We are so glad we found you Dave and the Malinois breed. We’ll see you soon for more training.
Thanks so much, Denise & Randy
Hi Dave,
I hope you are sitting down for this. I took Colby to the dog park last night and for the first time I took him off the leash and let him run with other dogs (6 of them). He did amazing. He was so tired last night that he could barely move. So I just wanted to thank you again he is doing amazing. It’s like we have a whole new dog and it is all because of you! So thank you sooooooooooooooooo much.
-Amy
Hi Dave,
Just wanted to let you know how grateful I am for all you have done, not only for Rose, my 14 month old White Golden Retriever, but for our relationship as well. Before Rose entered into your two week training session, she was completely mis-behaving. In fact, Rose often took “ME” for our walks – I just went along for the ride! Now, it has been just about two weeks since I have had my girl back and we are “walking” together in harmony. But more importantly, we are communicating in a way that exceeds any of my initial expectations.
Dave, your advice is sound and working with you has been a pleasure! I highly recommend you to all of those “people” out there like myself who need guidance with their pet.
I appreciate all the dedication and effort put forth on your behalf.
Sincerely,
Kerry Ann Dailey
S. Easton, Ma
Dave,
We wanted to send you this note to tell you how impressed we are with your help in the training of our 2 year old German shepherd, “Conan”. His improvements over the past year have been greatly appreciated by our family, especially my wife and I.
We first tried to train him with another trainer, which failed miserably. We were politely asked to take him elsewhere. We were out one day and were driving by your house and happen to see the sign posted at the end of your drive way and gave you a call.
When we first brought Conan to you, he was very unruly, out of control, hard to walk and did not listen to any commands. After one week with you at the rein, we arrived to pick up Conan, and were pleasantly surprised to find a totally different dog. Conan and I walk every night and it has now become part of our routine, which I look forward to each evening. He has finally learned his place in our family. He is a great dog today.
We just want you and your readers to know how much we appreciate your assistance with our dog. He is a very special pet in our house, and we all enjoy his companionship very much.
Thank you,
Russell and Carla Wentworth
My dogs are doing great! I am so relieved on how well they have done, and I loved the way Baxter looked at you, I could tell he loves you and you have taken good care of him and his aggression issues. Baxter and Sadie did great this weekend up in NH, we had 20 guest sleeping over and 10 more for dinner Saturday night, they were great, we also had 3 guest dogs, Baxter and Sadie had a ball, his behavior was excellent.
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Sandi & Dan
Dave,
Thank you for giving me the dog I always wanted. I took Jake for a real “test drive” this morning. Just me and the dog! He is so much more than I had dared to hope for; he responds to me so well now. He is very obedient yet loving and affectionate and attentive. I worked with heeling patterns, sit – stay was very good. I took him out and we worked with heel, lots of turns. He did not move when a dog went by. On the way home I walked him right past this guy who was getting on a bike – no problem! I let him run around a little more with some of the other dogs; he looks so different compared to them now. I love this dog!
Thank you,
Roberta Gelmont
PS David walked Jake on the streets without a leash and he was perfect.
“Dave is very good at designing a training program that is right for your dog, and he modifies the program as your dog learns to make sure your dog has the best experience possible.”
Hello Dave,
I took Bradi out last night reinforcing her training. She did awesome! I used the standard leash for a while, then worked her off leash. Again she was awesome! My neighbors came over to watch. She is becoming the talk of the neighborhood. I worked sit, stay & come to my front. I am so glad I did this training. I had friends over today that were amazed over Bradi
Thanks Again,
Joe, and Bradi
Hi, Dave!
We’ve been meaning to send photos of “Zora,” the pup from the 12/29/07 litter (black collar). Thought you might like to see one of your creations…
My son absolutely LOVES this dog!!! Okay, so I guess we all do! She is a happy, healthy, very confident, and a bundle of energy!
-Sue (& Mario) Rodrigues
Berkley, MA
When I originally called you and inquired about getting a Malinois, our conversation was a lengthy one. The two things I remember most out of that conversation, was your extensive knowledge about the Mal compared to that of other breeders, and that you told me that any dog I get from you will be whatever I wanted it to be. Until now, I didn’t realize how true those words were. My Titus is a fearless guardian, as well as a wonderful gentle family dog. After seeing Mali’s from other breeders I know this stability is a direct result of your breeding. Your dogs are a perfect representation of what the Malinois is all about. I’m sure the pups from this next litter will be as good if not better than the last. Keep it up Dave, and maybe this summer I’ll make it up there with Titus to pay you guys a visit.
Thank you again for giving me such a great dog!!
Sincerely,
Craig Perry
Hello Dave
We ( The Pakers) just want you to know just how much we appreciate all you have done for us and Dunkin, our German Shepherd puppy that we bought off a UN-Passionate dog breeder and Trainer from Middleborough.
When we brought Dunkin home we could barely let him stay in our house he was so aggressive and wild, starving from only being feed once a day which our Vet said was wrong to do to a puppy!! but anyways we could never express to you how grateful we are for the training you did with Dunkin and us to make a Happy Home here in Pembroke.
The Love we see that you have for all dogs is a gift from God that we thanked him for bringing you into Dunkins life and helping us save him from the life he was born into. We would recommend you and your Training business to anyone in a minute and tell them how loving and patient you are to us humans and animals, and when we go to Sleep at night with a smile on our faces and a happy heart,It’s because you made Dunkin and us a Happy family with your Great Training ability for the little ones of this world who don’t know what there doing.
Again we Thank you Dave
The Parker Family
