Here is my story…

I’ve had my dog for three years, and in those three years she has been on trazodone for high anxiety moments, the maximum dose of fluoxetine (puppy prozac), and various homeopathic remedies, to no avail.  Lucy was a stray and not much is known about her past- except for lots of physical scars signaling abuse.  Prior to working with Karen, we had completed almost every possible positive based training class in the DC area– over twelve different classes to address her reactivity, anxiety, and general temperament.  At one point at a loose-leash walking class, Lucy spent much of the time rolling in the grass and too scared to run into the dog tunnel.  I have a special dog on my hands. 🙂   No surprise, Lucy continued having on-leash reactivity issues and I was afraid of what could happen.  

I found Karen when I thought there was no hope- Lucy had recently bit a dog who was in our house.  Karen came to the house for a consultation with Lucy and although I doubted her optimism for training Lucy, we signed up.  Fast forward four months, Lucy is able to go for runs on leash (she was previously too scared to run on leash), ride in elevators with other dogs without barking/lunging/reacting (actually, sitting in a beautiful sit!), and meet strangers with confidence.  

Karen employs e-collars and prong collars, which she tells you upfront.  There were no amount of hot dogs/salami/stinky cheese that would distract Lucy from a nearby skateboarder.  At the same time, when Lucy makes the right choice, she is lavished with treats– hence the term balanced training, that Karen uses.  Lucy remains her cuddly, affectionate self and now has the confidence to face the world without having to react to scary things.  Karen’s training works and she is always available for questions, tune-ups, or another session. We LOVE her!!