Leila at K9 Harmony has made life with Nellie, the 8-year-old lab/beagle, so much easier. Nellie is curious and enthusiastic, which are great qualities — except that they translated into jumping on everyone who walked in the house, pawing at people for attention, nosing at whatever people have in their hands, pulling on walks and trying to chase after all manner of creatures.
I had feared that training so many disparate behaviors out of Nellie would be a grueling process for us, but Leila’s approach is very straightforward and remarkably effective. Leila’s training strategies worked cohesively together, emphasizing ways to keep Nellie focused and calm.
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Straight away, Leila set us up with approaches to stop Nellie from jumping, which made an impact immediately. Leila also showed us the importance of making sure Nellie waits to cross thresholds, which has engendered much more calmness in her demeanor overall. Nellie has also learned to stay in place or in her crate — even with the door open — giving her a clear expectation for where she should be and what she should be doing. (This was a lifesaver on a recent weekend getaway. In an unfamiliar space, Nellie was nervous and at loose ends, but once told to sit in her place a while, she was much more at ease and her whole attitude changed.)
Almost as soon as we started trying to get Nellie to pay closer attention to the person on the other end of the leash — rather than everything around us — our walks became far more relaxed and pleasant. It’s great to be much more on the same page with Nellie in outdoor situations.
Leila made a huge difference!
Sarah S. in Alexandria, VA