Jana Tallent
4 years ago
After reading positive reviews for Sam Ivy K-9 consultants I decided to give them a call. I was in tears and at my wits end. Our dog Delta had not transitioned well. We had moved out of a home with a fenced back yard into a high rise apa ... See More
After reading positive reviews for Sam Ivy K-9 consultants I decided to give them a call. I was in tears and at my wits end. Our dog Delta had not transitioned well. We had moved out of a home with a fenced back yard into a high rise apartment complete with stairs, elevators, and many more people and dogs. Every time we took her out she barked excessively and howled in the stairwells and elevator. She began growling and lunging; putting on a grand show when we came across people or dogs outside the apartment. She was taking us on walks instead of us walking her. She was on constant high alert looking for the next thing to act out on. This was all new behavior we hadn’t seen from her. Our other dog Cali soon started to join in on the antics. Taking them outside had become a nightmare. We would dread it and stress over it. We resorted to going at odd times when we thought no one would be outside. We were changing our life to fit her bad behaviors. Delta had been a great help to my husband in reducing his anxiety, but now she was causing the entire house more anxiety. The last straw came when Delta and I came across a neighbor in the threshold of the stairs unexpectedly. She jumped up on him, scratching him and sounding vicious. This of course scared he and I greatly. In tears, I started to look up places that could help.
After reading the reviews and watching the free videos I called and talked to Sam almost immediately, I knew that Sam Ivy’s Training philosophy lined up with what we needed. We decided to make the investment and it was the best decision. Initially, we were not completely confident about the training being entirely online but, decided to go all in. Haley, our trainer was fantastic! She helped us and guided us completely. She was always encouraging when we were frustrated. She was on time and kept all our scheduled training sessions. We have busy and crazy work schedules and she helped us make it work. We took her with us, “virtually” via our phone on walks with Delta. She guided us, never missing a nuance of Delta’s behavior, whether good or bad. Prior to this experience, we had tried every harness, gentle lead, prong collar, and e-collar with no or only slight improvement. She showed us the proper way to fit and use the prong and e-collar. These became game changers for us. Through this training we have built a stronger bond with both Delta and Cali. Delta loves to work and loves to do her training. Spot training is AMAZING! With one week left in training we went on vacation. Delta stayed with a family member during that time. She did really well but, upon coming back to our home she had regressed a little outside. Hayle helped us tighten in the reigns and get back to the basics. Delta is improving everyday. One of our neighbors met us in the hallway recently. Delta was calm and did not bark. He commented on her behavior saying, “I’m not sure what you are doing, but I can see a big difference.” This comment was so assuring that we had made the right decision on this investment!
The difference with this program is, they give you the tools but YOU put in the work, building a stronger, healthier bond with your dog, and more permanent change. It sets you up for success. Even when training is over you have the tools to know what to do if new bad behavior arises or, another dog enters the pack. They ultimately train YOU, not the dog! You become the trainer, and YOU become respected by your dog. I highly recommend Sam Ivy K-9 consultants and our trainer Haley. It is an investment you won’t regret and you won’t have to change your lifestyle for your dog. Your dog will change its behavior to fit and enhance your life! Do it! You won’t regret it!