Here's what our clients say: You are invited to contact them directly. Just ask Gina for client contact information.

My pup Resa attended your kindergarten program last summer and she is doing good. She has already earned a title in agility however, I find that she cannot compete in a large show because of the noise factor. She seems to be really sensitive to the dog barking, so we only go to small quiet shows. I bring her to the large show every once in a while to see if she can walk up to the arena area. I decided to focus more on herding with her. So thats what we are concentrating on this summer and see if we can get her ready for competition this fall.

By the way, I have to tell you that after that class you had on tying up the dog when they start barking incessently at the sight of another dog approaching. I couldn't make your class but you had talked about it at another class. I decided to try it out. There was a long straight gravel path fenced on both sides at where we do herding. There was a small group of people and their dogs at the far end. Resa, started barking like she does. We were quite a ways away. I stopped, tied her to the fence and took one step back. Barking stopped instantly and she turned her back to the group and made eye contact with me. I untied her and we proceeded walking towards the group and didn't get far before she started again with the barking. I stopped tied her up and took one step away. Again, instant stop to the barking and she turned her attention on me. We then proceeded closer to the group and she never said another peep. Ever since then, the barking as cut down dramatically, although she still does it once in a while. Is that how its suppose to work? Did I do it right?

Jean

Hey Gina:

Thanks for the chat yesterday. I think the toughest part of the training has been transitioning from my "old" way of training/thinking to this new way of training.  It has really challenged me to be very aware of my tone and posture not to mention being sure that I am consistently communicating the sequence in the right order and at the right time so as to set my pup up for success and not confuse him. 

Although the first 6-8 weeks were bumpy, I now see my pup through a totally different lens.  He is so sweet and continues to gain confidence every day.  If I had tried to use the "old" way of training, I'm afraid I would have suppressed the very sweetness that makes him so special.  Also, his response to direction is wonderful and most important we have so much fun together.  Again, I don't think the "old way would have fostered the same responsiveness and fun. 

It has been worth every challenging minute to get to this point and although I know the challenges will never stop, I take great comfort in knowing that we have the foundation to move through them.

As always, thanks so much for your commitment and patience.  We really appreciate it!

Stacey

Thank you so much for your session today, I feel much more motivated and less anxious about training our cute little girl. - Leah Wren

Thank you for letting us come observe Baily yesterday and coming to our house to meet Molly. Megan and I talked alot about our time with you yesterday.  We found observing Baily to be extremely helpful with understanding your teaching style and how we would like Molly to be trained.    Megan and I are really excited to start working with you and learning your methods.

After meeting Baily and learning a little bit more about your methods and theories, we are starting to consider doing the life program.  Megan and I appreciate how your program is designed, so that decision does not have to be made immediately. - mike megan molly Riscica

Hey there Gina, Gina, Bo-Beana,
 
I was thinking about you today after beginning a new book. It's called "Animals in Translation" by Temple Grandin. She is an animal scientist and absolutely brillant. She went to college in the 60's and got her B.A. in animal science at one college and a PhD in animal science at another college. She has written a few different books and several articles. She is highly sought after for her understanding of how animals think, and see and how that correlates to how they behave. Did I mention that she is Autistic? The subtitle of her book is "Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior". LIke I said FACINATING! Yes, I am familiar and it is suggested reading on my web site…
 
Anyway, as I was reading (I just picked it up from the library today) I thought a lot about how much I've been comparing the skills I've learned from you to the skills and things I've learned in caring for my son. And not just comparing them, but what I've learned, I've been able to intermix and use on both my animals and my kids. It's an amazing connection. I was thinking that if you didn't have the time to read this book, you can visit her web page and at least read a little about her and her theories. It's very intriguing, I tell you. Like I said, made me think of you and how you are so different than most "trainers" and how your methods really work and that's the difference. Because you are about reading the dog and being on the dog's program as opposed to trying to force the dog on my program.
 
I also thought about you today as I took my two dogs to the little dog park near our house. They were sooo well behaved, I was loving it. Other dogs came over and wanted to check them out, and my dogs were like, okay sure. Then when one of the other dogs started getting into a barking and growling match with another of the other dogs there, I called my dogs names and began running away from the growling and they ran after me, away from, what I'm sure was very interesting to them. Not only that, a couple of other dogs followed my dogs :) I played with the dogs and then told them they were free and to go play. They went back to where the growling dogs were, who'd stopped by that time, and everything was good. An owner came up to me and said, WOW, I wish my dog would do that! I grinned and began telling her about you and your methods.
 
So then later I checked out your website and I wanted to say I like the slide show. It's an updated one... I know, you told me you're constantly changing it. That's part of why I check it out every now and then, I want to see what you've changed :)
 
Anyway, I hope all is well with you and your family and  I hope business is good.
 Becca:)

I wanted to let you know that Bailey and I had a great night!! We went to the school and Alberta park and we had a blast!!  I FINALLY had a break through and everything fell into place - no pulling on the leash, leave it and walk away went really well and yes she even responded to "front".  We had so much fun!!This proofing thing is a blast - (spin, down/maintain and stay) !!  I have had a lot of success when I hold the leash behind me rather than in front. 


Gina - thank you so much for your patience!! Bailey adores you and Missy and I have had a blast learning from you!!

you rock!
-Molly Luby

"I have learned a lot about my dog Lily in watching her with new eyes". -Angela Lambert

So, remember I told you that Xochitl was running with me so well….well – now the mornings are dark and cold and Utley is walking with Robin and our neighbor and her dog and X started doing her “STOP” and making herself a POST….so I went in to problem solving mode – I was going to call you but wanted to see if I could figure it out.  First – the first day I got mad – I mean we meet outside at 5AM – still too sleepy to think clearly.  So, I realized quickly that that was not going to work.  I decided I either needed to give up ever running with her or find my patience and figure it out…so, I started taking her home when she did that – you see a couple of times I gave up and just walked – she won – well, that didn’t really seem right so…

Second try – remember when we were working on leash walking and “walk away”?  I talked to you about her turning into a post and you suggested attaching her long line and using her tendency to not want me out of her sight?  So, perhaps that would work with running – gotta tell you – so far (2 weeks) so good.  I use her leash and the 15 foot long line – it is a true pain in the ass but she really responds – better and better all the time – its still real work but I’m getting longer times in between needing to use it.  We’ll see if it works permanently – meanwhile I’m getting pretty good runs and having fun with her.

So, other than the fact that third way is positive and reinforcing it also teaches problem solving and I love that – she has no side effects…

So, once again – thanks for teaching...Molly Butler

Hi Gina, Three weeks ago we adopted a new dog named Sarah, a one and a half year old brown dog who looks very similar to Henry, but who is very friendly and people-centric. We followed your advice about introducing them and keeping them separated when alone, slowly letting them get used to each other. We have no worries about leaving them alone now, but Henry is beginning to show some serious toy guarding issues...he tries to horde the toys, and growls at Sarah when she gets near. Sarah, being pretty fearless, still goes for them, and although this only caused an altercation once (that I've seen), I was wondering if you had any advice for us.  Thanks Gina! Kristen”

 Gina: “I suggest keeping them separated when they are chewing on their toys and while you manage that, teach Henry Drop It/Trade ya...using the attached recipes... ALSO, keep toys up and away after they are done with them, do not leave toys lying around and keep them supervised. Spend alone time with Henry away from the other dog playing as before, keeping his normal routine before the new dog came... does this help?

 CLIENT: “We've started taking your advice and have already seen some results with Henry. Of course, they both seem to suddenly be having some house-training issues as well, and we're not sure which one is actually responsible, since it's happening in the middle of the night or early morning, in the bedroom while we're asleep. For the past two nights, we've woken up with one dog in the bed and one dog under it, with an accident on the floor or, as this morning, on Henry's bed. Both dogs went outside before bed, but Henry had bad diarrhea yesterday...we just have no idea what's going on. But it's gross :-( Any ideas?

Gina: “I would consider taking them both to the vet (since you do not know which one it is) a possible bladder infection, intestinal or other health issues. My suggestion would be to rule out health problems first, and then we go from there”.

CLIENT: “Yep ...turned out that Henry had an upper intestine thingy. This is why you're a professional”!

"heaven only knows where we would have been w/Lexi if it hadn't been for you and the puppy class. She still has her "days" when I'm out walking her but at least I know it's as much about me as the owner (or more) than it is about her.

chow,
jean

I was thinking about you today after beginning the book called "Animals in Translation" by Temple Grandin. She is an animal scientist and absolutely brillant. She is Autistic. The subtitle of her book is "Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior".

Anyway, as I was reading, I thought a lot about how much I've been comparing the skills I've learned from you to the skills and things I've learned in caring for my son. And not just comparing them, but what I've learned, I've been able to intermix and use on both my animals and my kids. It's an amazing connection. Like I said, made me think of you and how you are so different than most "trainers" and how your methods really work and that's the difference. Because you are about reading the dog and being on the dog's program as opposed to trying to force the dog on my program.

I also thought about you today as I took my two dogs to the little dog park near our house. They were sooo well behaved, I was loving it. Other dogs came over and wanted to check them out, and my dogs were like, okay sure. Then when one of the other dogs started getting into a barking and growling match with another of the other dogs there, I called my dogs names and began running away from the growling and they ran after me, away from, what I'm sure was very interesting to them. I played with the dogs and then told them they were free and to go play. They went back to where the growling dogs were, who'd stopped by that time, and everything was good. An owner came up to me and said, WOW, I wish my dog would do that! I grinned and began telling her about you and your methods.

Anyway, I hope all is well with you and your family and I hope business is good.

Becca :)

The other day a bull dog ran across the street and attacked my dog Dakota. I basically backed away to get her away from "Pork Chop" while the dog's owner grabbed him/her. Then the owner picked the dog up and threw it on its back, yelling "BAD DOG! NO!" Dakota and I quickly left. We gave each other a look, as if to say, "that poor dog, no wonder. . ." It also made me appreciate the Third Way, and its gentle approach. Thank you.

Yours truly
Caroline

As you say "Smile!"I want to thank you for ALL that you have done to inspire and teach us. I love your seriousness and your humor. I admire you for sticking to your guns and not letting us get away with doing things halfway. Rita and Cinzia are wonderful too, a tribute to you that you attract good people.

Even with a Henry lesson remaining, I don't want to lose track of you. Talking with you and sharing some of each of our lives was of course so very special to me. Just can't say enough good things.

Love, Mary, and Henry and Quid-a-licious

I think of you as efficient, In fact, I was just thinking about your path... your credentials...and I must say, it is impressive,  we all have interests and ideas, but you are of the cloth that pursues and accomplishes. It is a brave soul that follows his or her intuitions.  Now that your butt is covered with kisses, I will end by letting you know that I believe it is important to tell people how much you appreciate who they are and what they do.  You are a fantastic teacher, and that is a tough job, too.

 In all sincerity,
 Jodi O.

Just got back from the park.  This is the third time we have done so since the training session with you.  She was amazing today.  She barked only twice and never once lunged for the frisbee.  She re- commits to the sit when I try to fake her out and she keeps her eyes glued to mine until I release her.  Unbelievable!

Marc & Amelia

"I wanted to tell you how glad I am that my vet recommended your program to me. He wanted to make sure I was going to have a good relationship with my Rottweiler, Ginger.
I must tell you that it has been so much more educational than I thought it would be. And the results of playing your "games" with Ginger have been phenomenal! I feel like I've learned so much more about dogs in general, but specifically, you helped me to read my own dog, too.
I have been able to calm her down when she was in conflict (the old me would have used the term aggressive), because of what you have taught me about how dogs react to either distractions or sensitivities. I have learned that my dog sees me as only either safe or dangerous, so I need to provide safety for her at all times and not be "dominate" over her.

I was a little nervous about the cost of training, at first. But when I compared what I have learned to what my sister learned from her "pet store training classes", there isn't a doubt in my mind that you are worth every penny! I know for a fact that my sister's trainer (and I use that term loosely) has never emailed her to follow up on anything. You are very quick to respond to my questions and patient enough to deal with my insecurities. I truly appreciate that!

I have also been told (by strangers) that she is the calmest rottweiler they've ever seen.  What a wonderful friendship you have helped facilitate between Ginger and I. Thank you so very much!"
Rebecca

Thank you from all of us. You're a real crusader. (I enjoyed reading about your experiences with whelping) Everything you've taught has turned out to be invaluable, and integral to our relationship with Max.Thanks for giving us such a strong 'foundation' to build upon. I miss being around your energy--

jeanne and Cliff

I took Nisha with me this past Sunday morning to the Hillsdale Farmers Market since dogs are allowed there.  I wanted to practice her greetings.  I reinforced her sitting for greetings.  After the first couple, she started walking up to someone she wanted to meet and sitting at their feet.  Needless to say, she met a LOT of people.  We also practiced sit/maintain while waiting in line for a bagel.  Despite all the distractions, she really did well.  She got a lot of compliments on being such a well behaved puppy.  People kept asking me how old she was and were surprised to learn that she was only 15 weeks.  One woman told me several times that she had never met such a well behaved puppy before.

Thanks again
Phyllis

A friend of my roomate was over our house the day after we got our puppy and raved about your program.  In his words "my puppy is a different dog now!"  I can't recall his name (the pups or the owners!), but if we are cleared for the 11th, my boyfriend will be with me and we are planning on coming and observing you on mondayl.

Thanks so much for all the information, you have been very helpful!

Emily

Fiona is a Jack Russell Terrier and is trained The Third Way.  She attends my daycare (Dog Gone Happy on NE Alberta) and I take care of her at my home when her parents travel.

Fiona’s parents have been consistently practicing and reinforcing the skills through Gina's training program. Fiona sits, makes eye contact and waits to be released at every door before exiting and for her food dish. She does this all on her own without being asked. 

Fiona, myself, and four friends with their labs were at Sauvie Island this particular Saturday.  Fiona was off leash and playing with the labs near the water’s edge at some distance away from me.  She checked in with me on a regular basis by turning and looking at me, and at times, running back to me to touch base.  She did this on a voluntary basis without any prompts from me.

I saw an unfamiliar dog coming off the trail that leads to the beach near where Fiona and the labs were playing.  I wanted Fiona close to me since I did not know about this dog.  I waited until Fiona turned to look at me and I gave the hand signal to come.  A gesture Fiona learned at puppy class with Gina.  Without a moment of hesitation, Fiona turned her body and ran towards me.  When she got to me, she sat and made eye contact. 
The Third Way works!

AMAZING! Seriously, I can actually go walking as my exercise now. It’s so nice! In fact, I have to tell you that everything is going so well that, If we master what you’ve taught us already – we’ll be 100% happy with Max.
Dineen

This is awesome. I also wanted to comment to you on how helpful (and also comical) it was for you to talk as if you were the Dog when Ernie was having trouble committing to a sit. That is exactly what is going on in their head and it was such a great learning experience for me.
Thanks,
Dee

You are so wonderful! Thank you from me, Rocket and Nautica. I've tried many training methods and have seen for myself how great this one is. You have really helped us communicate and be much happier together. Rocket has really come a long way with this method and I can definitely see how much easier Nautica is catching on having tried this method with her first thing. I talk you up every chance I get!

Again, thank you so much. Your classes are so enjoyable and we all look forward to learning more. See you soon!

DeLyne, Nautica and Rocket.

"My golden is almost 4 he was a rescued dog with a lot of enthusiasm. He is great at jumping on people. Because of my own learning style & my desire for focused attention, I chose to work with Gina in private training sessions. I know that I can be distracted by a lot of activity as can my dog. I wanted our time together to be as focused & effective as we could make it. That was absolutely the perfect choice for us. With these amazing techniques & Gina's patience & expertise, Jackson is learning how to make different choices for himself. Because we have worked in the private setting, we have been able to practice our techniques in different environments & identify where Jackson faces his biggest struggles. Everyone in our lives has noticed the change in him and in myself. Gina has taught me about my own behavior & how it affects my dog's state. My ultimate goal is for my dog to be welcome in most social situations. Through working with Gina & the Third Way, I see that goal coming closer & closer. I say to her almost every session, "how can people do this is in a group." Through working with us individually, we have been able to focus on OUR needs & behaviors".

Angela Lambert & Jackson click on Testimonials for more references

I realized last night after our session and reading your book, that my posture, the way I approach Duke and the way I am rewarding him with food is actually pushing him away instead of inviting him into my space. Old habits are hard to break. I am used to making or at least trying to make the dog do what I want by intimidating them.  Hmmm, that never really worked so well and I can see how, although I am trying to change my ways, I am still intimidating my little lad.  Change is good, change is good ".

Thanks again for being so patient with me - Stacey

Just wanted to send a quick note to say how happy we are with this class. It's exactly how we want to work with him. Bocce is learning like crazy, but more importantly, we are learning tons! We very much appreciate the service that you offer. It's also great to get a constant flow of answers, feedback, and additional info or manuals. That is far different from our friends who have gone to different training. Some thought the trainer was just downright mean.

You have helped us create a great environment for our new addition. Yesterday was really the first day where he was comfortable and interested in everything. He also started nipping like crazy for the first time, so we finally got our floor cords in place. We have to start working on that constantly and using tethers more.

There are so many times that i think "what would gina do?". Maybe we should make little multi-colored bracelets that say W.W.G.D.?
Thanks,
rp

My My kids and I practiced greetings. We practiced asking the owner and what it means to ask the dog. We even took turns being the happy/relaxed and then the fearful/angry dog. We also acted out the ignorant owner that says, oh it's okay he loves dogs. I taught my kids to say, "no thanks, he seems a little scared, i'll pet him another time." My girls and I acted out the dog saying yes and where would be okay to pet him and so on. They loved it! Saying, "I want to be the owner! I want to be the dog! and I want to ask!" We did it numerous times and they each acted out all three parts.
 
I threw them for a loop when I was the dog and I sniffed the hand but then backed away. I asked the girls now what do you think the dog is saying? Miranda said, he seems a little interested but not sure. I said, you're right, what might you do now? She said walk away? I said you certainly could do that. Because the dog seemed a little interested you could try to squat down and see if that makes the dog more comfortable. And if he doesn't approach you then you would know that he is not comfortable enough to allow you to pet him.
 
My girls totally understood this. Even Darlene who is only 5 years old understood how to read (somewhat) body language. I began by talking about body language and how you can sometimes know how someone feels by how they look. She identified, happy, angry, scared and surprised. I told them that dogs do this too, but in a little bit different way. Then we began acting... with Miranda as the dog first. It was fun. Next I can work on Robby and getting him to understand a dogs body language. It'll be a little different for him but I think if I draw some pictures for him it will work. I'll let you know how that works.
 
Thanks again for being so awesome!
Becca 

What I like best about your class is the relationship that I built with Parker. It's one of trust and mutual respect, if you can get respect from a dog! I trust Parker to come when called and not stray off too far away from us. When we are out hiking around 1000 acres, Parker is the one that's by our side always. Also around the house he'll follow me everywhere.

Parker knows that I'm safe and I trust him to be off leash. Our relationship is more than just human and dog.

And I really want to thank you for helping me relate to my dog in ways that he can understand. It's completely because of your class that he and I are so close.

Annie

It was a fabulous experience for me to attend your class and I am very much looking forward to attending the next class. I truly love your style and your information and your method of teaching, and who you are and how you are with both people as well as dogs. This type of training not only works with and speaks to the thinking behavior of a dog, but it allows for a much better relationship between the dog and his/her companion. It is also a more humane style of teaching... and I love how it focuses on the dog's solution oriented nature.

Stacey

Just a quick note, to say hello and to tell you how great Jelly is doing. She is very happy and minds us very well.In addition to us, we have you to thank. Our Jelly is an adorable handful. We mention your name all the time. You do great work. Be well.

David

People continue to be amazed at how well behaved Finn is. At one year (as of last week!) he's 115 lb. and the best dog ever. Calm, self-assured, and when we are good and reinforce him well, he's extremely obedient. He has his moments, but who doesn't?
Alyssa

Snoop doggie dog is actually figuring things out... FINALLY!!! We can walk him on a flat collar with a 6 foot leash and not be pulled, yanked and dragged all over and we almost trust him.

Yesterday he was about to lunge at a cat and I said "LEAVE IT" and he stopped in mid-flight without a yank of the leash at all and kept walking. We can all be in the garage and if a dog walks by on a leash and we tell him to stay, 9 times out of 10 he'll stay right there and not run out to it. The time he doesn't listen is if it's a neighbor's dog that he plays with at the park; we still have some room for improvement!

Since we live a few blocks from Woodstock Park he goes there most nights and runs with his friends for the off leash time and he actually comes when you call him to go home. I've never believed in miracles but this is one for sure.

Thanks for all you did to help us, he's not perfect, but we don't want to strangle him or send him back to the pound either. Of course being the world's cuddliest lover of a dog he's hard to stay too mad at for long.

Thanks again,
Kate

Not a "No Ginger, leave it"
Not a "Mom, Ginger is grabbing me"
Not a "Mom, Ginger has my lego"
nor a single sock, underwear or shoe has been moved....

...since our session. Ginger slept when she got home and even awake was very mellow. The power of wearing her out has eliminated a huge amount of frustration and now we can get busy on the management.

Norm and I haven't had a puppy for 14 years and had forgotten so much. Having you show us a new and better way to train along with your sage advice was amazing. You are worth every single penny and more. Dogs truly have a friend and advocate in you.
Thank you so much, Gina. We will be in touch.

Norm, Julie & Dylan

I wanted to share with you something funny on my morning walk with Liam. We came upon a dog that wanted so badly to walk over and visit Liam. While Liam sat patiently as I asked him to focus on me rather then the other dog, I laughed to myself as I heard the owner of the "misbehaving" dog yell at him "I'm the alpha here listen to me darnit!" and jerked on his collar. Ah, if only she knew about The Third Way.

See you tonight!
Courtney

Carol and I both want to thank you very much for spending time with us Saturday. We really appreciate your generosity and the information you gave us. I felt so much better after we talked, and we now have a plan to keep Cole safe and comfortable. After you left, we went right to Home Depot and got ideas for our fence. Then, we came home and went to work. While our fence will win no awards, we have successfully blocked off the half of our yard where Cole goes for dog bones from the neighbors.

Cole is now used to her tent, and when she sees us, she goes into it looking for treats. You gave us some practical and useful advice. It was a pleasure talking to you and your suggestions have, and will, make a difference.

Thank you so much for your help. Talk to you soon. You're the best.

Julie Castle

The Third Way Rocks!

I own Dog Gone Happy, a doggie daycare on NE Alberta.  Many of the dogs that attend my daycare are past students (some returning students) of Gina Micciulla of Unleashyourself and The Third Way (TTW). I home-board some of these dogs when owners go on vacation.

I hike often so when I’m taking care of one of my clients’ dog I take the dog with me.  When on the trail or at the beach the dog is off leash.  Because they have been trained TTW and their humans consistently reinforce the skills learned with Gina – eye contact, sit/maintain, coming when called, etc. – I know that reliability of response is fairly high. However, the environment presents many unknowns and I keep my eyes on the dog at all times.

While taking care of Blue, an Aussie trained TTW, we ended up at a beach after a long hike.  Blue loves the water so I was throwing sticks for him.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two women and a Golden Retriever approaching. The dog was off leash and jumping and barking around the women who seemed engaged in a conversation. I continued to throw the stick for Blue.  Once the Golden saw Blue, it came running towards us.  At this time, Blue was in the water.  I called, “Blue come!”  He came and sat right in front of me.  I asked for eye contact.  The exuberant Golden was by now running in circles and barking around us.  Blue never took his eyes off me.  He maintained the sit and eye contact. I just smiled and kept my eyes connected to his. The Golden finally gave up and returned to its humans.  I released Blue and reinforced his excellent work! 

Hey! Gina I'm so happy that you opened your business. As you know you've done so much for Pip and me — not to mention helping to turn the Alberta neighborhood around. You guys rock!!!

Susan & Pip

We are very thankful we took your class and we really are working with him every day. He walks so good on a leash now (except of course when there is a cat, dog, or person!) no seriously, we are so thrilled with his progress. Last night I had the best jog with him in forever. He's becoming the perfect dog I wanted him to be.

We will definitely repeat the class in a few months once we've made it most of the way through the book.

Well thanks for everything and we'll be in touch after the New Year to register for round 2! Maybe by then you'll have your new space!

Cheers!
Kate & Marty

I've been doing everything you said... taking Honk to run on the beach on a 50 ft rope, exercising him like crazy (he's only good for about 15 minutes of chasing balls and then he gets tired and stops), and doing a lot of eye contact work, etc. It's really working! I'm very impressed with the whole thing.

Terri Mandell Campfield
Phone consult client from Alabama

"Thanks for an enlightening orientation last night! Matt and I are really excited about the next few weeks! Thanks again!"

Michelle Birchard

"You trainer extraordinaire, I would like you to know that after Shone scared the ever living *#&^@! out of me at the park last night by running full bore toward the street; we went straight home and practiced come in the front yard with the 30 ft lead. If it hasn't occurred to you yet, that was all because of you girlfriend. If it hadn't been for all of your great education and training, I probably would have just gotten angry with him and chucked him in the kennel at home. Instead, I backed up to being on his program — putting the lead back on and working with him. Tonight he gets to wear the lead at the park — could be eventful. God bless food motivated dogs."

Laura Liedtke

"Ozzy's owner is raving about you. She was so impressed that she is taking her Hubby to the next training session. She had a big smile the whole time she was talking about you. Thanks, my friend."

Brenda from "Happy Puppy Park" in Vancouver

"Hi Gina,
The crate behind the chair is working out great. We had talked about getting another crate for Brittany, but never thought about putting it behind the chair. She is also coming back much better now. The thing that we have changed most is our attitude towards her. When we called you, we were at peak frustration - it had been building for quite some time. You reminded us of the attitude we need to have with her....a more positive attitude than we had been having in the recent past.

"Things are much better with us now. Thank you for your help. Honestly, Jenny and I were the ones who needed to change and we couldn't have made it without you.

Thanks!!"

Scott Ogren, Ogren Engineering, LLC

"Thanks for all the help with Wanda! The classes were terrific and perhaps we will take another basic in a couple of months to refresh, or bring our other dog Darla for course 2. Our house is currently under remodel, but once we finish in mid-winter we should have some additional time to devote to our little doggies. Darla is 5 yrs old and can sit, stay, and lie down reliably with verbal commands. She loves the eye contact game and would totally win any stare-down competition. She likes to please more than Wanda, so she would be likely to enjoy class.

"Thanks again and we hope to see you again soon!

Tammy & Eric

"I attended a class with my formerly abused rescue dog, who LOVED getting all of the positive attention and was EAGER to learn. This is a great way for people and dogs to learn in a new way and find joy and success, I highly recommend 'UnLeash yourself'."

Ute Luppertz

"We were thoroughly impressed with the new information and instruction that we received in the class. Your personal attention to Peri and our needs was truly a gift. We are continuing to work on the Third Way strategies and Peri is doing great with her skills. You have been very generous with your time, but we really don't want to ask for more of it. Thank you for your hard work, energy, and fun teaching style! We learned so much. Hope to see you again soon!"

Moe, Kris, and Peri

"... I wanted to tell you that I sent a friend of mine to you. She purchased a boxer pup from me, Halee the little fawn female with/black mask. She's such a sweet pup. I wanted to tell you that Halee and her Mom seem to be thrilled about finding you. Thanks for seeing them and helping them along their journey!" Take care

Lisa Worth, A mommy of boxers!

"Thanks for everything! I found your class amazingly helpful and I love The Third Way of training. Maybe after the first of the year, I can get Ozzy in for some playtime. Thanks again!"--Chris & Ozzy "Sadie is doing great!!! She is so smart! She is getting the hang of things, including waiting at the back door for her paws to be cleaned, calming down about the plethora of flying squirrels around our house, and she knows if she barks she is going to the crate or coming inside from the backyard. Sometimes, I think she thinks the trade off is worth it. She is a gem. We need to take the second class to get even better!"

Sandy & Sadie

 I liked your presentation last night, lots of energy, and lots of information.  It was easier this time, from the point of view of understanding the reasons why training needs to begin with fundamental skills.  The advantage of working directly with you the past few months will be very apparent, I’m sure.   

 Lizzy was very excited when she first came in, but really did OK and settled in to the process after a few minutes.  I’ve been able to achieve distances beyond 15 feet while she is in the down position, without a false release.  I’ll get Jess to work with me this weekend, using the tennis ball as you did earlier, to increase the distraction level gradually.  I’ve read the section on Sit/Maintain in the yellow book and will apply some of the suggestions there for proofing.  I’ve already used Spirit and Ginny as distractions and will try it some more.

  I’ve also made progress going from the house to the car.  Ginny is the one who gets really wound up, so I put her on a floor cord, which I’m holding in my hand for now.  I’ve made a very small floor cord that is easy to always have in my back pocket.  Amazingly, she accepted it fairly quickly and the other two just stood around waiting for her to get excited.  She didn’t, so we all walked calmly from the laundry room to the garage door, and then calmly through the door to the car.  I’ve only done it a few times and since Ginny and Spirit haven’t had the fundamentals work that Lizzy has, I realize that this may only work for a short while.  So I’ll try to get Ginny and Spirit caught up with Liz, especially since I’ve experienced how to get the proper responses from Liz now.  Probably in a few weeks or a month, I may have all three moving around much more calmly.  Doing the class will probably give me a lot more ideas of what to do and how to proof it. - John Gibson

Thank you so much for your time last week, I learned a great deal.   Most of all, I have noticed a huge shift in my own behavior and reactions towards the dogs.   And with that comes more calmness from them. I have been working with the leash/jumping behavior and really watching my own behavior with him.  It's all good.  I love the thought that Jackson is being a dog, it makes so much sense.  I also have to tell you that people are already noticing Jackson's calmer energy (as I calm mine down). I have been really focused on using their names positively ONLY. I've stopped saying "no." More often I am having them :look at me." It's not all better, of course, but I see changes. I wish more people would understand that about dogs.   But that will come in time, just like people's understanding of what I do!
Best to you,
Angela

Finn is doing well. We had some break through moments training him to be around our young nephews. He has been great and is much less fearful around children now. Thank you for your foundation class or we would have been lost.

We would love to bring him to your next session. Please keep us posted on when the next class is. Take care and thanks again for all your help.
Tamara (Rebecca and Finn)

Hi Gina!!! 

Hope you’ve had a fabulous weekend!!!  Wanted to let you know I sent your site to a couple of my family members that are struggling a bit with their pups.  I was told your site was great and the slideshow was an inspiration.  Motivated my sister to get out and walk with the pup, play first of course.  Thought you’d like the input.  Take care.  Shelby