Wee Gee: 54 lbs mixed breed- Wee Gee was recently helped by Amy P Holtz. He is a loving dog but was getting stronger by the minute and had started to drag me along on 'his' walks.
Since I got him, I have taken one course and been to two other trainers. I learned some useful information but I was unable to break some of his bad habits, ie. walking. I was on my 3rd type of choke collar. Nothing was working. Weegee was pulling so hard he was wheezing and I was afraid his trachea would be damaged.
In July, I happened to get an email notice from a locally owned pet store I frequent. I prefer locally owned stores than box stores, so I actually took notice of this email. It was about a free seminar offered by The Dog Whisperers.I called the store to register. I was asked if I'd would be bringing my dog along. As I didn't know what to expect, and I tend to be cautious I decided to leave him home. When I arrived, I met Amy Holtz who was one of the "Whisperers". We chatted for a bit and she struck me as very straight forward person. I was impressed by some astute observations she made about some of the dogs and their handlers who were starting to arrive in (I thought) rather large numbers. I was thinking "OH BOY. This is going to be SOME circus!"
There were about 125 people, most of them with their dogs. Controlling this huge crowd of canines were 4 Whisperers including Mark German. Amazingly most of the dogs behaved themselves however there was the occasional 'problem in the peanut gallery'. If a dog misbehaved one of the Whisperers would step in and calm the situation, correcting the dog and showing the owner what to do. THERE WERE NO FIGHTS, NO ONE GOT HURT. I found this remarkable as many of the people who came were obviously not in control of their animal.
A few days later, after being pulled around the block again, I called Amy. I asked her for a list of references and I called all of them. They all spoke of her very positively and said they had had great results. They assured me if I listened to her advice and worked consistently with the dog, I would get results.
I had already spent over $300 on the other trainers and nobody had addressed the problems I was continuing to have. I was concerned about the safety of my dog and about my own well being. I wanted to get a handle on walking him before I was dragged on ice! Also the Whisperer program would take place AT MY HOUSE. This made it unique. Every other course I have taken was given once a week in another location. This dog (and others I have owned) preformed very well 'in school' but at home and in real situations (in parks, around other dogs off leash) they continued to be a real handful. Another thing that made The Whisperer program unique was the guarantee that I would receive help with any problem I had with this dog as long as he lived with me. I signed up.
Amy visited us and Weegee has indeed become a much more cooperative dog. Amy fitted Weegee with a Gentle Leader
(head collar) and got him used to it within 10 minutes. He was walking by her side, not pulling or bucking or dragging. Within a few minutes she handed me the leash and magically, walking my dog became a pleasant experience. Once you get the hang of the Gentle Leader you never go back to a choke, a prong, or any other type of collar.
Amy talked to me about nutrition. She asked to see the labels of what the dog had been eating. She went over the ingredient lists with me. I have, over the years, had 3 dogs and gone to many classes. I have never had the instruction or the level of detail I got with Amy. We then went for a walk to meet one of Weegee's best dog buddies. She observed them playing together and we discussed more about Rules and Leadership. It's all about establishing routine and becoming the Leader in your dog's mind.
It's not quite a month yet and I can honestly say Amy has answered any and all questions I have had. She is passionately involved in her work and truly puts the dogs first. She delivers the information in a pleasant and straight forward manner. I told a good friend about the results I was getting and she signed up as well. She also had been very pleased with the results and changes she has seen so far with her 3 year old mini-docs.
Finally, I want to mention that the ultimate test of my faith in Amy's abilities was when I left my dog in her care for a week while I went away. She replied to all me emails and inquiries while I was vacationing. Weegee had an absolute ball at her 'camp'. She took him for 4 walks a day (more than he gets with me). He even swam in her pond.
He seemed very happy and relaxed when I picked him up. He's greeted her very enthusiastically whenever he sees her. They obviously bonded and I feel very confident I could leave him with her at any time.
