“We did our homework when selecting a trainer for our 1 year old German Shepard and landed on our vet’s suggestion: PUPS Maine in Unity, Maine. After reading the testimonials on the Facebook page and watching their training videos, I decided to give them a call. I was pleasantly surprised when the trainer started questioning me! We talked for a while on the phone and I knew she was the right person for our girl. There was an extensive intake process where I was able to provide such great detail about my dog that I felt the person reading it would truly have a good idea of who she is.
Chelsea is the real deal when it comes to dog training. Our dog Dani attended a 3 week Board and Train program to address her anxiety. She was biting people she knew! After biting her third person (two in our home), I was ready to rehome her. If I were being honest, she was making our lives hell around the house, and with three young boys always there to work her up, I knew Dani needed more than we could and had given her. She deserved more and we were not giving it to her. I didn’t know how to help her and I couldn’t get ahead of her anxiety. She paced, jumped up on counters, lunged after cars on walks, barked incessantly when people would walk by our house, became aggressive with strangers, ate every stick of Chapstick I ever owned and, well, basically did whatever she wanted.
Fast forward a month and we have a much calmer, happier dog. She relaxes on her “place” on command and will stay there regardless of distractions (and BELIEVE ME, there are plenty). She stays calm when people come into the home and waits for a command to “break” before she checks new people out. She is comfortable with other dogs and clearly enjoys being around them. It’s like they have unlocked her potential as a dog! We now have a schedule for her, my son can take her for a walk without fear of being dragged to the ground and I am much more confident as a dog owner to tell people how to, or how not to interact with her upon meeting. I have felt my own fears and anxiety lessen drastically since she returned. The kids are constantly commenting on what a good dog she is now. Oh, and I can leave my Chapstick wherever I damn well please.
When we picked our dog up we were trained on how to work with her. We were given a wealth of videos, blogs and other reading materials including a copy of The Good Dog Way to read while Dani was in training. In other words, we didn’t just send her somewhere to be trained. We all trained along with her.
To be fair, she was always a good dog. Chelsea knew it right away. If you are looking for a trainer who knows dogs psychology and the ins and outs of behavior modification like the back of her hand, I highly recommend PUPS Maine.
PUPS Maine really is in it for the right reasons: to help families and their pets become better, together.”
