Marilee L.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - See the original review on Yelp.
I adopted my girl Phoebe from the shelter in April, and I knew getting a shelter dog would require a lot of tender love and care. I was committed to get her training and I knew that I wanted only positive reinforcement training in fear of possibly traumatizing my already traumatized dog if I tried other training methods. I did a lot of research, and unfortunately so many trainers are not forthcoming about the methods and tools they use. I've done a few consultations with trainers who seemed promising on their websites, only to find out they use e-collars or prong collars, which I did not want for my girl.
Luckily, I stumbled upon Alexandra. Her whole program is virtual, which I wasn't sure about at first, but the training I've received has been more valuable than any of the in-person sessions I've done with other trainers. The training sessions are all a series of games, which Phoebe was so receptive to. She was able to learn so many new cues in record time. I was really impressed to see my dog work through the game challenges and figure out what to do on her own! I feel that the program has set a solid foundation for when I start to practice our training outside with more distractions. Remember that training requires commitment outside of training sessions! You will get the most out of your dog's training if you consistently practice the games with them everyday.
Alexandra is also very flexible with scheduling. There were a couple times I had to cancel and reschedule sessions last minute due to unexpected work meetings, and she was very accommodating. She's also given me referrals to other local trainers who could help me with in person socialization with Phoebe.
If you are looking for a good positive reinforcement training program for your pup, definitely give Dog Savvy a chance! Alexandra's love and passion for dogs and all animals is admirable and her wealth of knowledge has been invaluable to me and Phoebe.