Mia & Chai

My Australian Shepherd had always been skittish towards strangers but when he was a year old he bit one of my friends. I immediately signed him up for training with a local trainer. We learned basic commands in their garage but never addressed his reactivity with strangers. 

Unfortunately not even a year after completing his training, my Aussie bit someone else.

I signed up with another local trainer for private lessons and group classes. The trainer never interacted with my dog but instead threw treats at him. My dog never warmed up to the trainer.

I then signed up for an online training with a private trainer across the country. This ended up being difficult as there was no hands on training and the trainer was very flaky.

After three years and three different trainers, I finally found Serena. She has actually addressed my dogs people reactivity. Our training sessions were personalized to my day to day interactions and concerns I have with my dog.  We would go to public places and set up scenarios in my home, which never happened with the other trainers. We’ve gone on hikes and done group trainings that have built my dog’s confidence. Serena is quick to help and correct me if I’m not following through with the training. She also has a great relationship with my Aussie, he loves training with her and is very responsive to her. The three other trainers never put that kind of effort to create a relationship with my dog.