Those words were written almost 7 years ago, and – again thanks to Terry and Dogpact – Boxie and I have come a million miles since then. We did indeed "live long enough" to earn that first ATCH, as well as five other agility championships in three different venues (ASCA, USDAA and CPE) and four "High in Trials."
It has been a great ride, but there have also been some big setbacks along the way. Last year, Boxie injured her back and became paralyzed in all four legs. After extensive spinal surgery, a long and painful recovery (7 months) and countless hours of physical therapy and exercise, I was faced with the decision of whether or not to let her resume agility. After the neurosurgeon had cleared her, we went to visit our old agility class. I got my answer that night. The excitement in Boxie's eyes and the smile on her face (which I hadn't seen for all those months) came back that night. She wanted her life back, and I had to make sure she got it.
We resumed agility classes with Terry (twice a week) in preparation for our EPIC COMEBACK, and it was indeed epic. It just so happened that Boxie needed only one pairs Q to complete her championship in USDAA, her PDCH. With some help from our good friends and classmates Marty Fenton Frear and Tilson, we got it and the comeback was complete. Boxie got her life back. The spark of excitement returned to her eyes and the smile to her face.
Although Boxie still competes in ASCA and now AKC (jumping at a lower height), going to class is still the highlight of our week. Why do we keep coming to class after all these years? Yes, we still have things to learn, even though I think Boxie has some pretty "mad skills" by now. Mostly, we come because, after all these years, Boxie still loves class and is excited to play her favorite game. And I love the friendly atmosphere and camaraderie of our fellow students, combined with Terry's expert instruction and individual attention to each student. Over the years, we have seen many new students come into class (now our very good friends), watched them improve and develop into awesome agility teams, cheered them on and celebrated with them as they earned titles and championships. And all of them credit Terry for giving them the tools to succeed.
So, I say again – THANK YOU, TERRY. The success was yours. Best thing we ever did was to sign up for your class. You changed our life.
--Natalie and C-ATCH, ATCH3, PDCH, PKCH Boxie
I have formed such a wonderful bond with Maddie through agility. Terry Long and the DogPact team have honed our skills (mine more than the dog!) in the sport, but most importantly to me, we have so much fun together while learning. Doesn't get much better than that!
Terry Long and DogPact have made a dream come true for me and my rescued, screwed-up border collie, Tilson. Terry taught both of us a lot of life lessons about patience, love and consistency to develop a winning team. Tilson had a rough start before I adopted her at 18 mos. Her only entertainment was fence fighting with all other dogs, and it was Terry's unswerving dedication to positive reinforcement that brought the dog around. We have evolved from barely being able to take a walk in our neighborhood to achieving our long-sought goal of a PDCH (Performance Dog Championship) in USDAA agility. Classes are fun, the other people and dogs in class have become fast friends and Terry is always there when you need her. Tilson and I owe a great debt to this fine teacher. That I can call Tilson a "champion" still boggles my mind and is an indescribable thrill to me.
Terry - I wanted to pass along my thanks to you for all of your help with Samson. He was successfully introduced to another dog this weekend and had so much fun playing. 
There is no way we would have even tried to do the introduction without the tips, assessment, and training you provided.
Although it didn't look like the introduction was going to happen (he started to get a little worked up), we took our time and it went very well. The other dog even played a little rough with Samson and Samson turned away and just ignored it. It was amazing. They even ended up laying down and falling asleep together.
Thanks so much!!
Kurin Perry
Tonight Ella and
I were out walking
and came upon a
kitty who had just
been hit by a car. I
located the owner
and when we parted,
she threw her arms
around me and hugged
me. There
was a time when
Ella surely would
have lunged at and
likely bitten the
woman, but not tonight. She
did nothing. And
as we walked away
it hit me........... my
girl sure has come
a long way.
Just wanted to share and say thank you again.
Diane Kinder
San Pedro
Andy,
Schroeder and I
just returned from
our first visit
to the dog park
and felt the need
to tell you once
again – thank
you.
Schroeder behaved like a perfect gentleman, which was a wonderful sight to see! It is so great to think of how much Schroeder has learned since we adopted him such a short time ago. He went from being a dog that could barely look at another dog without becoming unglued to a dog that can freely play with others.
When
we adopted Schroeder
(formerly "Zippy"),
the spcaLA told
us that he couldn’t
be in the presence
of other dogs and
could not go to
dog parks or the
dog beach—ever.
While we took their
direction seriously,
we secretly hoped
that this wouldn’t
be the case; with
your training and
instruction our
hopes did in fact
come true.
With your guidance, we now have a dog that we can walk with no concerns of being aggressive towards others; a dog we can take on vacation without worry; and a dog that can run, chase and jump with other dogs.
You have helped us so much and Schroeder is now happier and more confident. We love him dearly and are thrilled that he is having a fun, safe life.
Please feel free to give out our name and number to any prospective clients; your services were extremely valuable to us.
Best regards,
Stacey Fancher
Terry, just a note
to let you know
how much I am enjoying
our sessions!! I
haven't really had
a chance to let
you know how much
I really do appreciate
your wonderful training!!
Where I thought
I had nowhere to
turn, I now know
there is hope!!!
Where I felt tremendously
overwhelmed, I now
have you. . . who
tells me we will
take it one step
at a time and reach
our goal. After
each session I feel
soooo much better!
Thank You! Cheryl
McBride
P.S.I have a good story to tell about MaiZie. We were at Rush Park just walking around. There is one house that has a dog that rushes the fence and usually triggers MaiZie to react in some way. As we approached the house, I held perfectly still to see what Mz would do. She was aroused and started to lunge, but stopped herself and looked up at me. I was still perfectly quiet, and she went behind me automatically. I gave her most of the bag of cookies that I then got out of my bag! On the second time around I did the same thing. She stopped, looked at the fence (he was barking), then looked at me, then went behind me, and nudged my hand. I gave her the rest of the bag of cookies that were in my bag!!!! Thought you would love this one. I had said nothing and no hand signals or anything!!! YEAH!!!
Cheryl McBride
Garden Grove,
CA
Thank
you so much for
your session today
with Mercedes and
me. You were
able to recreate
every behavioral
issue I have experienced
with her. There
have been times
when she's been
so calm that I was
afraid maybe she
wouldn't act up
for you, but after
seeing you work
with her, I can
see I didn't need
to worry about that.
It takes very little
to get her revved
up.
Thank you also for recognizing that with all of her little "issues" she is an incredibly sweet dog. Despite 15 incredibly stressful months at the shelter, she has so much love to give and, when calm, loves nothing more than to sit still and be stroked.
Best of all, at least for today, was the SoftTouch Harness. OH MY GOSH, what a treat our walk was tonight!!! I have tried to do what Dave showed me, turning directions, etc., and there were days where it worked, but it was never without some sort of struggle. She walked by my side like an angel. I could feel the walk was less stressful for her too. She got tired because of the exercise, not from the tugging and pulling. What an unbelievable lifesaver. I can't wait until tomorrow morning. I'm still wondering if it's too good to be true.
Thanks again. I really hope I can make a difference for Mercedes.
Michele Burling
Rossmoor, CA
From the same foster parent of the young, rambunctious pit bull—her note to the rescue organization (reprinted with permission):
"… However, we have several issues with her behavior and training that obviously needed to be addressed. I am working with Terry Long for this. She spent two hours with Mercedes last week. It was amazing watching her evaluation. She would explain what she was doing in her interactions with Mercedes, what she was looking for in terms of a reaction, etc., etc. Needless to say, in certain situations when Mercedes is not allowed to do what she wants, her frustration level is about one second before she reacts - and quite vigorously at times.
Terry has provided me with some excellent tools for dealing with some of these behaviors. I have several handouts and was given many opportunities to have Terry show me what to do when Mercedes misbehaves. One of these, sadly for Mercedes, is a time-out. I just have to laugh at the idea of it. There's poor Mercedes, no TV, no video games, no phone, sitting in a time-out looking so forlorn. However, once she visibly calms down and indicates her frenzy is over, then she is released. This has been quite effective and is just one of many things I am learning in dealing with Mercedes.
I am just so impressed with Terry's skill in dealing with Mercedes, and I appreciate so much having something concrete to fall back on when Mercedes acts a certain way.
Michele Burling
Rossmoor, CA
Terry, as you know, today
was our last of
our six-pack training
sessions for my
Chinese Crested
puppy, Otis. When
we first contacted
you several weeks
ago, Otis
was developing into
a problematic dog, with
signs of aggression, object
guarding, and
an inability to
walk on a leash
without "gulping" everything
on the ground, including
a fish hook. It
was becoming frustrating
for my wife, Otis, and
myself.
I contacted you
after Otis became
aggressive toward
a dog groomer. I
was unsure what
to do and how to
do it to correct
Otis' problems as
this was our first
puppy in almost
17 years. You
were able to observe
these behaviors
on your first visit
and developed a
written plan to
address each of
my concerns.
Each session brought
immediate results, all
for the positive! Otis'
aggression has been
replaced with a
loving and curious
dog. With
your explanations
and exercises, Otis
is now able to walk
on the leash and
actually enjoys
the walks. You
were able to help
me understand the
dog's behaviors
and we have been
able to manage the
object guarding.
There is no doubt
that DogPact has
made a total and
complete difference
in our lives. Otis
is now much more
confident and as
a result, his
initial "bad" behaviors
have disappeared
or have been minimized. I
have total confidence
that as he grows,
he will develop
into a great dog.
I strongly recommend
your company to
other dog owners
that have behavior
and training issues. Terry
was able to train
us to train Otis, and
showed that we all
could learn and
form a strong foundation
for a healthy and
happy life!
Ben Lerner
Signal Hill,
CA
Approximately a
year and a half
ago, we received
our beagle Rex as
a "gift" from
our son and daughter-in-law. He
had been turned
over to a beagle
rescue by another
family and came
to us with several
problems such as
dislike of most
visitors; snatching;
growling and biting
if we tried to take
anything from him;
bolting; lunging /growling
at gardeners, bicyclists,
strollers, etc.
Terry's positive training techniques utilizing clicker training and simple commands and management of the environment have helped us tremendously in making Rex a much better behaved dog. Here are a few examples: He rarely snatches now, but if he does, he either drops the object on his own or immediately responds to the command "Drop It." He no longer tries to bolt out the front door and responds to a hand on the doorknob by immediately sitting on an area rug several feet away from the front door. On gardener days we try to managing his environment by closing shades and practicing training exercises with him.
Karen and Jack
James
Long
Beach,
CA
Terry helped me out a bunch. I picked my 4-month-old Large Munsterlander, Greta, up at LAX in the middle of the night. She had a cut on her face from the crate and flight, she had giardia, and she had separation anxiety and fear of strangers. After two days of hearing Greta crying, my 12-year-old lab and I wondered if we had made a mistake. My vet gave me Terry's name and we had an appointment ASAP.
Terry gave me exercises to do with Greta to try and help the separation anxiety and fear of strangers and to get her so that she wasn't so afraid of her crate. She also helped me with some basic obedience drills and clicker training. Armed with lots of information and Terry's guidance, I worked with Greta religiously. Greta is now 22 months old and, although we continue working on separation anxiety and her fear of some things, she has really come a long way. She is much more outgoing and approachable and she will let me tie her to the fence to walk an agility course in class without crying. She also loves sleeping in her crate.
When Greta had to have surgery on her foot and had to be contained for 8 weeks (I was really afraid of the separation anxiety increasing), Terry reassured me by giving me suggestions and information to re-look at. We made it through that trying time. We take agility and Rally Obedience classes and it's been very positive thanks to Terry's foundation work. Greta even passed all of the CGC portions of the test that had anything to do with strangers interacting with her (she only made 2 of the 3 minutes alone with a stranger before becoming worried; something to continue working on). I was so proud of her for doing so well with strangers.
I have and will continue to recommend Terry to anyone needing assistance with their dog.
Shannon Gillespie
Long Beach, CA
Casper and I are celebrating our one year anniversary of contacting you, Terry.
If you recall, Casper had gone into a very deep depression where he hid behind the
couch all day long. Nothing short of moving the couch and carrying him out worked.
I was at wits end.
After meeting with you that first day I was convinced you held a key to his recovery. I was amazed at how well Casper responded to you and the lessons you worked out for us. Needless to say we were at a loss when the sessions ended [and we continued to train on our own]. We continued with learning tricks and trying to build Casper's confidence.
Then Vicky Lovejoy started a Nose Work class and your recommendation that we try it out. It has been just the thing for us. Casper loves it! And so do. Casper's occasional lapse into his depression (caused by smoke alarms, shrill noises, or who knows what) can quickly become a thing of the past. All I have to do is bring out the Nose Work training boxes and Casper comes out from behind the couch ready to "find it!" The change in his mood is instant!
The "triggers" will probably never go away, but Casper is able to forget them with the thrill of the search.Thanks for helping me get my Casper back. You and Vicky are the best!
Sincerely,
Casper and Pat Joe
Terry
Long's training
was invaluable to
our family. She
exceeded every claim
made in her advertising.
I especially appreciated
the "gentle" aspect
of her training.
It is clear that
she truly loves
and respects dogs
and that she has
a deep understanding
of their owners,
as well.
We have two dogs.
Our older dog Sophie
was seven years
old when suddenly,
and without warning,
she developed a
severe case of separation
anxiety. The problem
started out slowly
and quickly became
extreme. The
damage she did to
our home and the
suffering she was
going through was
extensive.
Over
a six-month
period
Sophie
had
destroyed
all
the
screens
to the
windows
in the
backyard. She
destroyed
a wooden
door,
a wood-framed
screen
door,
and
most
of the
window
frames
with
her
teeth
and
nails.
She
tore
off
large
chunks
of wood
from
doorframes
and
broke
glass.
She
even
ripped
apart
a heavy
aluminum
screen
protector.
At its worst point
friends and family,
many of them dog
lovers themselves,
were suggesting
we consider the
ultimate solution
of having the Sophie
put down. I deferred
to Terry's expertise
and made her promise
me that if she ever
felt Sophie was
suffering too deeply,
she would know what
was best. I put
my entire trust
in Terry's assessment
of the situation.
Terry provided me
with the skills
and training to emotionally
cope with the trauma
and more importantly,
to help Sophie with
her anxiety attacks. Sophie
is no longer tearing
up our home and
she is aging gracefully.
Terry became a lifeline
for our family.
Her training even
informally extended
to our young child
so even she could
be a part of the
solution. Sophie
is better and we
are all better dog
owners because of
the training and
education provided
by Terry Long.
Viki Yamashita
Long Beach,
CA.
I have had the privilege
to have Terry Long
work with my dog,
Toby, as both a
behavioral trainer
and an agility instructor. What
a difference she
has made in our
lives. Toby is an
extremely high-energy
dog. One terrible
New Year’s
Eve we left him
home. A neighbor
decided to set off
fireworks in our
absence. Toby became
terrified, and our
16-inch dog scaled
our 6-foot fence.
After that night,
Toby escaped from
the yard on a regular
basis. He
always stayed by
the house, but we
were terrified that
we would lose him.
We needed help,
and Terry Long was
recommended to us
by our veterinarian.
At that very first appointment, she sat down with us and listened to our concerns, which were really more than just the escapes. Together, with her expertise guiding the way, we planned a course of action for working with Toby. In six short sessions, Toby was staying home more regularly and was a much more pleasant pet with which to coexist. We were all happier. Within a short time after that, the disappearances ceased altogether.
Sue and Rich
Nettleton
Westminster,
CA
I just wanted to thank you again for the skills and training you equipped Scott and I with. Today, while I was walking Freddie (our male tan and white pit bull) we were confronted with a loose, collarless pit bull running towards us. I went into survial mode, tried to make myself look big and scary (haha) and yelled GO! as deeply as I could to try to ward the dog off. I also threw the baggie of treats that I now always carry with me, thanks to your training, and was able to get my dog safely away from the other dog, back down the street and into the house.
The training you gave us and our dogs is invaluable and I will always appreciate the time you spent helping us. I'm not really sure what I would've done in that situation without your previous guidance but I don't think the outcome would've been as pleasant.
Thank you, thank you, thank you,
Alyson M.
P.S. Freddie & Molly Update: They are doing great in their new home in Bakersfield! There hasn't been one single fight, they have more than enough space to run and play, and they get long walks in the open field right next to our house everyday! They are both at a healthy weight thanks to your suggestion of feeding them pumpkin. :)
Casper and I are celebrating our one year anniversary of contacting you, Terry. If you recall, Casper had gone into a very deep depression where he hid behind the couch all day long. Nothing short of moving the couch and carrying him out worked. I was at wits end.
After meeting with you that first day I was convinced you held a key to his recovery. I was amazed at how well Casper responded to you and the lessons you worked out for us. Needless to say we were at a loss when the sessions ended [and we continued to train on our own]. We continued with learning tricks and trying to build Casper's confidence.
Then Vicky Lovejoy started a Nose Work class and your recommendation that we try it out. It has been just the thing for us. Casper loves it! And so do. Casper's occasional lapse into his depression (caused by smoke alarms, shrill noises, or who knows what) can quickly become a thing of the past. All I have to do is bring out the Nose Work training boxes and Casper comes out from behind the couch ready to "find it!" The change in his mood is instant!
The "triggers" will probably never go away, but Casper is able to forget them with the thrill of the search.Thanks for helping me get my Casper back. You and Vicky are the best!
Sincerely,
Casper and Pat Joe
Terry Long and her DogPACT trainers bring a wealth of knowledge, experience,
commitment, care, and positive training to all their clients. We have worked with Terry for the past eight years, first with Kona, then Jimi, and now Reacher, in a variety of settings including clicker class, agility foundations, advanced agility, and now Pet Manners (with Ryan de la Vega, a DogPACT trainer).
On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best, Terry is definitely a 10.
With all of those accolades and high expectations, our bottom line is how successful have the dogs and handlers been in agility competition. I’m pleased to report that Kona has ATCH IX and C-ATCH II, while Jimi has ATCH IV and C-ATCH I. Reacher, at seven months, is in training and will be competing in about a year. Those results are outstanding, especially considering that Kona was our first agility dog, handled by Donna, and Jimi, my first agility dog.
Donna and I highly recommend Terry and her DogPACT organization for any kind of training, from puppy through adult. As far as agility is concerned, the results speak for themselves. In my humble opinion, DogPACT and Terry Long are simply the best.
Joel & Donna
Bentley, 8 months, old has gone trhough both Puppy Kindergarten and Pet Manners with Positive Reinforcement. He has progress nicely. Kelli and Ryan have demonstrated knowledge and patience during training. I would highly recommend any class from DogPACT.
Cathy Y.
After 25+ years without a dog, my husband and I adopted a 5-6 month old terrier mix. Buddy took awhile to warm up to his new home and having a puppy in the house after so many dogless years was quite an adjustment.
After a couple months I started Pet Manners taught by Kelli Knowles and her assistant Ryan de la Vega. Learning the positive training techniques and applying them to teaching the basic manners of sit, down and attention helped Buddy, myself and my husband get off to a good start. Learning the emergency recall proved a success when my husband lost grasp of the leash and Buddy romped off in the park with a couple of unleashed dogs. He used the verbal recall and Buddy came running back.
I attended Pet Manners Fined Tuned a few months later, which included practicing the basic skills learned in Pet Manners as well as training for "Settle" and "Leave it." lt's exciting to see how easily these things can be learned with using the techniques taught as long — as they are practiced regularly. Though Buddy is far from the "perfect, low-maintenance" dog it would be great for him to be, the DogPact classes have helped the three of us live a happier life together.
Laurie V.
Elvis is a Lab,
and he was a puppy … do
we need to say another
thing?! He was jumping
all over visitors,
he was chewing the
house down, and
he was unable to
walk on a leash
without ripping
out our shoulders.
With Terry's help,
we used operant
conditioning, and
positive reinforcement
with Elvis, and
we modified our
interactions and
reactions with him
as well. He is now
2 1/2, a trim 90
lbs, and we can
leave him home alone
(he only eats his
bones or toys),
he does not assault
visitors (no matter
how happy he is
to see them), and
we can successfully
take him for pleasant
walks. While we
were training with
Terry, we adopted a stray dog, Sydney,
who was a young
puppy with a lot
of needs. She was
very shy with strangers,
and she was a very fearful dog. After working with Terry, we have
learned to make
what was fearful
to her, friendly
and fun. She is a much more outgoing
dog, and very friendly
as well.
Elizabeth Edwards
Thank you so much for the session with you on Wednesday. I now have a much better understanding of the clicker. Your handouts are wonderful and your demo was fantastic. I especially thank you for the help with her barking. Katie thanks you too!
Beth Byrne
Lily was headed to the car and broke free from her leash. We were able to use the recall to get her to come safely back to us. The tools and techniques have been so helpful.
Christine R. and Kevin C.
We learned so much in seven weeks. The positive results we have seen using the clicker is far more advanced than our other dogs who went through the ‘old fashioned’ obedience classes. We see results faster using the clicker. It also helps with the confidence level of the dog.
Holly Sjogren
Thanks for being
so good at what
you do! We have
a great pup thanks
to your training.
Awesome!!! "Terry,
you are really the
best!!!"
Estee Edwards
I just wanted to
thank you again
for all your expertise
in evaluating Madison & Mercedes
and their playtime
yesterday. It was
like having a translator
interpreting a foreign
language. So
amazing!! I
understand dogs
have signals to
each other, but
I also understand
not all dogs interpret
them correctly or
give the signals
that are appropriate
in any given circumstance. I’m
also very aware
that at the human
level I don’t
necessarily know
what they’re
saying to each other.
This is where my
discomfort comes
in. Should
I step in? Is
what they’re
doing normal? What
are the signs it’s
escalating? And
on and on. That
is why I really
wanted you to come
evaluate their play.
I needed a professional
to give me that
solid feedback so
I would know if
what I was watching
was okay or not – and
if it wasn’t,
what should I do?
It’s funny. This
morning Madison
was playing with
her play group at
the park, and she
was running and
running with one
of the dogs. All
of a sudden, she
stopped running,
started sniffing
the ground, moving
in the opposite
direction, and I
thought, "Hey,
I know what that
means." Pretty
cool.
Michele Fieldson
Ryan was very enthusiastic about helping our dogs succeed. It was a pleasure to take his class. The class was very informative. Thanks, DogPACT!
Christina H.
We had a lot of fun doing this. We learned some great tips and really enjoyed training our dog. We really liked the recall training and found it very effective.
Ashley Snakenborg
Having had a dog that did a [public] Parks class, as well as private training, I thought this class was perfect for Milo. Expectations were in line with his abilities at this age. Thanks for a good experience!
Krista Leaders
Gila changed my
limited concept
of what trust in
a relationship with
a dog can be. Oliver
and I are having
a great time out
exploring our world.
Gila had great,
practical solutions
and creative, fun
ideas for activities.
She was very sensitive
to and worked with
my physical limitations.
Thanks!
Karl Snider
Penny was jumping up on guests, pulling on the leash during walks, and "attacking" the television. We are expecting a baby and want to be sure Penny and the baby have a safe, happy coexistence.
Our trainer, Carolyn Frias has done an amazing job teaching us how to work with Penny in a calm, positive manner. Carolyn is very professional and makes insightful observations about Penny's energy levels and emotional state. Carolyn helped us create settings in which Penny feels calm, happy to learn, and thus succeeds. Carolyn gave us clear instruction on how to train Penny using clear commands and enticing incentives. Using the clicker and treats has been so easy and fun for all of us.
Penny is improving in all areas and we feel confident that with further practice she will be ready to remain calm and gentle when guests arrive or the television goes on. We are still working on leash walking, but after only a week and a half we are impressed at what a difference the training is making.
Thanks, DogPACT and Carolyn!!
What a remarkable
and gratifying experience
to be taught the
method of clicker
training by Terry
Long!!! Our 8-week-old
puppy was headstrong
and taking over
the house. It was
not being the enjoyable
experience we had
expected. Terry
taught us how to
solve all that annoying
and destructive
behavior that untrained
pups and dogs are
just going to do.
Now we not only
have a dog that
is a well-mannered
loving companion,
but we have the
tools and understanding
to solve any future
problems. The best
part is that we
can do this in a
gentle way and at
the same time be
effective. That
nasty choke chain is gone forever
and our lovely dog
is beyond all expectations as a family member.
Chris Duthie
It had been many
years since I had
lived with a dog
when Ruby Tallulah
came into my life.
Since she was a
brand new puppy,
I was apprehensive
even about the most
basic training methods
I thought I remembered.
I purchased several
books but still
didn't feel comfortable.
I picked up Terry's
business card at
Go Dogs Go, a pet
groomer, and talked
to a friend of mine,
Karen, about private
lessons for Maggie,
her dog, and Ruby.
As it turns out,
another friend of
mine, Linda, knew
Terry and recommended
her highly. Karen
and I called Terry
and set up an interview.
She was so cordial
and easy to talk
to that we immediately knew we would learn quite a bit from
her. As the lessons
progressed, we decided that it was Karen and I getting the
training …
our dogs knew what
to do all along.
I was most impressed
with the manner
in which the lessons
are organized whereby
one behavior builds
on another. I learned
that dogs like to
learn new things
as long as you make
it fun for them.
I enjoyed the experience,
received very good
instruction, but
Ruby still laughs
at me when I mess
up.
Tish Bustos
My greatest delight is in Terry Long’s training methods. Most of the dog training I have experienced has been negative. Terry’s methods are entirely positive. There are no loud noises, hitting with a paper, shouting, or shaming. Rather she praises and rewards the desired behavior and does not reward undesirable behavior. It has worked like magic with my dog.
Terry’s strengths are listening to the pet owners concerns, her vast knowledge about animal behavior and motivation, patience with both pets and pet owners, her calm assurance, and her positive attitude. She is highly professional and enormously skilled. Terry continues to keep her knowledge current through seminars, ongoing training, and reading. She is an amazing woman and an incredible trainer. I cannot recommend Terry Long highly enough in both the area of life/obedience training and agility.
Sue Nettleton
We got a good start by attending the Pet Manners 1 and Pet Manners fine tuned. Ryan was extremely helpful in helping me communicate well to Trixie. I will continue to implement the tools I learned in these classes. I highly recommend them.
Trudi Lewis
Terry is a protege of legendary animal trainer Bob Bailey. She is an incredible teacher. Nothing gets past her. I have found that there are some trainers who can read dogs like a book but who are unable to communicate their insights to handlers. I have also found trainers who "speak handler" but who don't know sh*t about how dogs learn. Terry can read both you and your dog and tell you exactly what needs to happen to get you all right side up.
The socialization tools, teachings, checklists, and continued training sessions that Terry has given us -- some before we even brought our puppy home at 6.5 weeks -- have set us up for continued success. Terry schooled us on how to build a rock solid foundation on a pup whose athleticism, keen intelligence, sense of humor, warm affection, food/toy drive and competitive achievements have grown to exceed our expectations with every day.
Sheigh Crabtree
I just thought I would pass this along to you. Yesterday, I had Daisy at the vet for a follow-up for a UTI. After Daisy let the vet examine her eyes, ears, teeth and other parts, the vet said that she hoped that the next thing she said came out properly. She said that Daisy was a poor example of an Aussie...in that she was so well behaved that other people might see her and want to get an Aussie. She said that not everyone can handle an Aussie and that I had done a great job in training her. I decided to bask in the glow of the compliment and not say another thing.
So I wanted to share this with all of you who have guided me along the way and say "It takes a village to raise an Aussie, and in Daisy's case...three well-educated trainers (Terry, Vicky, and Kelli), and two persistent handlers (me and my husband!).
Thanks for all your support and help...but I am sure there is still more to come.
XOXOXO Patty M. & Daisy
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