OBEDIENCE & TRAINING PG 2
Abbie and Heidi: Out of Control Chocolate Lab Sisters
I have two Chocolate Labs, Abbie and Heidi. When we started working with Dallas, we told her that the most important thing was that they walk nicely on a leash. They definitely do walk much better on the leash now, and also obey commands for "down" and "stay". (see the video above)
But I have definitely changed my opinion on what was most important for them to learn. By far, the most important thing they learned are the "here" command, and the more formal "come" command. They RELIABLY obey these commands from distances of several hundred feet.
Before we worked with Dallas, every day I would walk my dogs around the block on a leash. We would often see dogs at a school field running loose at full speed, chasing each other or chasing a ball. Now my dogs can be two of those off leash dogs on the field, running a few hundred feet at a time. They have friends now (the other dogs at the field), with whom they can run and play. This has made a HUGE improvement in their quality of life.
Dallas also helped us correct a behavior problem, where Abbie would be too aggressive in play biting with Heidi. We got the Advanced Training package, and every promised command was learned well. Dallas does a great job of explaining how to get the dogs to understand what you want them to do.
-- Alan and Tina
Hobo, Bull Terrier/German Shepherd
My husband and I have always owned Cocker Spaniels and love them. Then we adopted Hobo, a Bull Terrier/German Shepherd mix. She was a 30 pound ball of energy. Unlike our cocker spaniels, Hobo needed to run and play every day. That is how we discovered the dog park and saw Lori training.
We watched Lori train other dogs and we wanted Hobo to behave like that. But Hobo ate our couch, and every dog park visit ended with a long chase to catch her. We had just spent 45 minutes chasing Hobo so we could leave the park, and Lori offered to help catch Hobo. She did, gave us a flyer, and said she can help correct that problem. On our drive home, we decided to hire her.
Lori came to our house that evening, and within 10 minutes, our dog who did what she wanted when she wanted, was listening to her. I was truly amazed and thankful. Over the next 8 weeks we saw a significant improvement in Hobo’s behavior. We realized that Lori was not only training Hobo, but teaching us to be better dog owners. I definitely recommend Lori as a dog trainer. In fact we just signed up for next level of training for Hobo. See you at the dog park!
-- Lisa and Mark Pimentel
Jack, Standard Poodle Turns Stubborn
Almost exactly a year ago we brought home a beautiful bouncy little Standard Poodle puppy. We named him Jack and vowed to train him the best we could We signed up right away for Puppy Class and he was the Star of the Show. This went on for 36 weeks and he was indeed the smartest puppy in each class, executing his commands in style.
Then something startling happened. He started to show us his very stubborn side. What used to be easy - sit, stay, come, became nearly impossible. He would stare us down, refusing the commands.
One day we were at Butcher Park, trying to get our well mannered puppy to show his face again. We were trying to get him to lie down outside the dog park and allow the dogs and people walk by without breaking his command, when Lori came over and offered assistance. Within 5 minutes she had Jack behaving. At that point we knew what we had to do.
Dallas taught us what we were doing wrong and encouraged us when we would get frustrated. There were things that we were doing that were contributing to the failures, and we learned how to correct them. She taught us how to help Jack to have more confidence, and how us showing confidence in him would help him to grow.
Jack completed his Canine Good Citizen at 1yr and 4 days old! He will soon test for the Canine Good Citizen Advanced. Additionally, Jack began alerting at the age of 4 months for Diabetes. Lori and Dallas have both been helping us to understand the responsibilities of both the Family and the Dog when it comes to being a California Assistance Animal. He has also begun his work as a Therapy Dog with Furry Friends Pet Assisted Therapy Services where he is working to “Lick Loneliness.” His behavior is amazing.
We catch ourselves thinking every day “Just when we think he is done amazing us he amazes us all over again.” Thank you for helping us grow and continue to work with our dog that WE TAKE EVERYWHERE.
-- John and Vicki Small
Biscuit
Lori Hamilton must be part dog herself, because she has such a profound understanding of dog behavior. The three of us (we and our rescued dog "Biscuit") learned so much! Lori is a top-notch trainer.
-- Nancy and Phil Ruhle
Cooper: Not All Dogs Are The Problem
Cooper! What an awesome Labrador puppy he is but what a challenge he brought to our family! Gnawed on your hands, grabbed your pants, chewed the pillows, the legs on the chairs, jumped on people, and would eat all of the outdoor plants. He was a non-stop whirlwind.
By the time he was 8 months old, we were ready to give him back to the breeder. Then while we were on a walk, a lady recommended we give Lori a call for some help.
We signed up for 8 lessons and after about 5 of the lessons, I finally got the message that I was the biggest detriment to training Cooper. I was not disciplined enough to train and control Cooper and he knew it. The final 3 lessons helped and we thought we were home free. I just needed to be consistent.
Well not really! He still did what ever he wanted to do, and we had little control over him.
Around 10 months of age we sent him to Lori's boot camp. He lived with her for a week. All of us missed him dearly that week and we were hoping for the best. When we picked him up after a week with Lori we realized we had a changed dog. He no longer was trying to be the alpha pack leader and followed her instructions.
Lori and I spent another 6 lessons working with Cooper and what an amazing lab we now have. He will follow commands off leash such as heel, come, stay, etc. I get compliments on what a well-behaved 16-month-old puppy we have.
Lori did a wonderful job working with Cooper and convincing me that I was the biggest problem when it came to training!
-- Ron
High Energy Doberman Puppy
We worked with Amy primarily to help us get started with our Dobe, but all strategies also applied to our older dog, the Husky mix. We had the good fortune to work with Lori and Dallas as well. Wow! Our Dobe is high energy and very smart. We learned several strategies to be consistent and calm with both dogs. All of the trainers were very patient with us. Training the owners is key. We continue to stay in touch. Lori, Amy and Dallas are all incredible, and we are indebted to them for getting us started on the right track with our pups.
-- Pam C
Albert, Shepherd Mix from Copper's Dream Rescue
We adopted Albert when he was 4 months old. We knew was going to be a big guy, so we started training within a month. We did an initial meet up at our apartment with Dallas and knew right away that she was the trainer for us. She had immediate success getting Albert to do simple commands inside and outside.
She was patient and understanding, and coached us when we needed confidence. She taught my partner and I how to work together to work with Albert in an effective way. We also learned how to take Albert to the dog park and how to read dog behavior, which has been very valuable.
At the end of the six week training with Albert, he was able to do simple commands and has become a great companion to us. Our biggest compliment is that she has trained us as well as Albert, and we plan to take this training to continue being good dog owners to a well- trained dog.
-- Thea Allen
Isla, German Shepherd
When I went to the dog park, I noticed a gal training a pup. As I watched I knew I had to have her train my pup and me. Dallas was amazing. Her techniques were very effective and her commands were soft but firm. She not only taught the pup but also instructed me and corrected my handling.
I chose the 12 week program. That included us to train at restaurants and malls as well as training in the fenced dog park commanding the pup to return on command "here" while in middle of playtime. My pup was heeling, staying, down, sit, here, under tables at restaurants and obeying on hand commands as well within 6 weeks. The rest of the time we worked on perfecting training.
I highly recommend Dallas for any type of dog, be it shy, aggressive or wild and crazy. She has a friendly approach and never made me feel uncomfortable and she was never a Know It All.
-- KT Brooks
Vlad, German Shepherd/Husky
Dallas did a wonderful job working with us to train our dog Vlad! Vlad is a Husky/German Shepherd and very willful, however Dallas was able to gain his attention and respect as well as ours. She was always on time to our lessons and willing to go the extra mile to answer our questions and follow through with the training.
Lori Hamilton's Dog Training's motto is "a dog you can take anywhere" and that is truly what our dog has become. I remember thinking in the beginning that he knew what "stay" meant... Staying for about 30 seconds... Now Vlad is able to stay in a down-stay for 30 minutes at a bar with people and dogs walking by while we enjoy a beer! We HIGHLY recommend Dallas to train your dog! She is great with high energy breads and made it possible for us to see a long and happy future with our dog!
-- Halie & Jim Casey
Charlie, Formosan Mountain Dog Rescued from Taiwan
We had the privilege of working with Dallas Hamilton to train our rescue pup Charlie, adopted from AHAN (Asians for Humans, Animals and Nature Organization). He was about 1-2 years old with a history of abuse and a lot of unknowns. Working with Dallas was nothing short of extraordinary. She is extremely knowledgeable and skilled at training both us and Charlie on every aspect of getting him acclimated to his new home.
She was both patient and stern when she needed to be, and delivered early, positive results! We mastered the basic obedience commands of heel, sit, stay, “here” and “come” in short time. The practical methods she employed gave us the tools we needed to effectively train him on a daily basis on our own. In just a couple of months, Charlie is well behaved and able to accompany us to restaurants and other public places. We highly recommend using her services for general obedience and behavioral correction needs. We routinely receive compliments on our dog’s good behavior – thank you Dallas!
-- Sarah and Greg Schiltz