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(This is an actual transcribed phone call - posted with client's permission)
"Hey Gordon, this is Laura you came over to our house....I just wanted to tell you some great news - Duncan is amazing - he's a totally different dog!
He doesn't bark at me. He's really mellow in the kitchen and when we are hanging out. He's not chasing Brady at all! (Brady is her 3 year old son) Not one bit! Not a nip. He's so gentle. He sat on his lap. No biting. No nipping. No chasing!
And what did I do? I did the things you said. He started to chase him and I grabbed the collar (gently) and just put him in a time out. I did it two times and that's it! He's never touched Brady again. It's a miracle! He's so calm, he's so happy, he's so loveable!
And I'm just amazed. I'm amazed! So I just wanted to thank you so much! It's been really great, and I'm definitely going to need you to come back again soon."
Laura, Belmont, MA
Duncan, 9-week old Chocolate Lab
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Having a new puppy is challenging, especially our rambunctious Cairn Terrier. Luckily, Zen Dog Training came to our rescue! They taught us to understand our puppy's behavior, how to manage it and helped us through challenging issues such as biting and pulling on the leash. Amazingly, we saw progress after only one class.
The teaching style at Zen Dog Training is fantastic; our teacher was personable, approachable and made doggy language accessible. Not only that, but classes were fun and (our dog) Buzz Lightyear loved them! Additionally, the socialization that Buzz received during group classes were invaluable. Thanks to Zen Dog Training, we have a well-mannered dog that is a pleasure to be around! Even my parents like him!
Martha, Somerville, MA
Buzz Lightyear, 6-month old Cairn Terrier
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We specialize in Positive Reinforcement (gentle methods) Early-Intervention Training for dog owners and their dogs (all breed/all ages) - if you don't see a testimonal exactly like the specific issue you are facing - please call us 617.233.5496 for a free 10 minute consultation to learn more about our solutions and to see if we can help your unique situation.
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When we first started training Maggie it was impossible to get her to walk on a leash without pulling continuously. After just one week of practicing Zen Dog’s method of loose leash walking we were able to walk for blocks and blocks without a single pull!
The methods are easy to implement and amazingly effective. Plus, our trainers patience and great sense of humor make him a pleasure to work with. While Maggie will always be a zany and independent dog, Gordon's patience, good humor, and effective techniques made it possible for us all to live in harmony. Thanks so much!!
Sonja, Cambridge, MA
Maggie, 4-month old Lakeland Terrier
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I just wanted to write you and tell you how much we appreciate your coming out to help us with our little Cassie. I CANNOT believe how different she is -- it is a total transformation!
She is like a new dog, and we are SO grateful to you -- and to my friend who led me to you and your gentle methods of helping Cassie become a good citizen. I have to be honest, it was hard for me to love her before because I felt to at so odds with her, and now that has completely changed.
Suzy Axelson, Reading, MA
Cassie, 3-month old Yellow Lab
Cassie, 3-month old Yellow Lab
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I know you said that there isn't a silver bullet for this type of behavioral problem, but four days after your visit, Ernie actually listens to us when we tell him to stop! Thank you for taking the time to understand his unique personality. It's so frustrating when you feel outsmarted by your dog, but with your help, we've finally won! I can't thank you enough.
Beth Monaghan, Brookline, MA
Ernie, 3-year old French Bulldog
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Zen Dog Training is amazing! They helped my puppy Dylan with his stubborn reluctancy to housebreaking. Our trainer Gordon was incredibly knowledgeable, easygoing and kind. He worked with not only me and the puppy but our whole family to understand the keys to communicating with and teaching our animals. He came to our house to take into account the environment, and explained techniques I had learned but we just weren't following, and taught us ways to implement them in a fashion that worked with our house, lifestyle and schedule. After about two weeks we saw a real change in Dylan, and in a few months he was completely housebroken.
Dylan is FULLY housebroken now! We couldn't have done it without you. Zen Dog Training is the best in the business. Their way of teaching, working with and communicating with animals is amazingly successful. I recommend them to anyone I know!
Kristen, Concord, MA
Dylan, 2-year old Bichon Frise
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Since his arrival as a puppy, our now almost two-year-old cocker spaniel "Gogo" had run the house. He was impossible to walk on a leash and would not respond to any directives. The children were a bit intimidated by his energy and frustrated that he was destroying their toys. He most definitely lived up to his name in that he was a bundle of never ending energy -- Gogo was always going!
Zen Dog Training was a godsend!
They worked with the entire family at our home to help teach us the skills necessary to deal with Gogo’s boundless energy. Our trainer Gordon provided clear instructions verbally and in writing on the various training techniques he was using with Gogo, and demonstrated them repeatedly so that we could follow along. Gordon was particularly skilled in dealing with all of our children. He gave them ample time to practice the newly acquired techniques and patiently watched them as they mastered the skills. They were mesmerized with his gentleness and became fully invested in the training process.
Gordon brings with him a wealth of information and an obvious love of animals. His avoidance of punitive approaches was one of the characteristics that we most liked in him. He helped us see that even in a house with three kids and various romps in the yard Gogo was still not getting enough stimulation. He was patient and thoughtful in his attempts to teach the children how to best train Gogo and how to use his boundless energy in a way that the family could enjoy him more. Presently, Gogo is a calmer and more relaxed dog and the kids seem more in control in their interactions with him.
Thank you Gordon (the True Dog Whisperer)!!
Dr. Castro, Dedham, MA
Gogo, 2-year old Cocker Spaniel
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Potter is doing so well that often after just ONE warning, he just lies down and stops barking! It feels great to be able to have friends over peacefully. You are my hero, Gordon! I have told everyone about you!
Plus, he now walks on a loose leash! We found it especially helpful how he got my boyfriend and I on the same page.
Thank you Zen Dog for all your help!
Jenna, Somerville, MA
Potter, 5-year old Yellow Lab
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I just wanted to let you know that....YOU ARE OUR HERO! We just returned from a week visiting Caleb's parents. On our last visit, Noodle barked all night and all day. This past visit he hardly make a peep & they were stunned by how well behaved he was.... Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! We are so happy!
Jen & Caleb, Cambridge, MA
Noodle, 3-year old Cockapoo
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Gordon is a terrific dog trainer! His methods are completely logical, totally gentle, and very easy to put into practice. I thought I knew how to communicate effectively with dogs but Gordon showed me how much better I could be!
Scott, Portland, ME
Lola, 4-year old Portuguese Water Dog
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Thank God for you! Lucy doesn't bark anymore...it was like a miracle! Once again I can talk on the phone and have guests over without her barking ruining the conversations and visits.
All my friends "hated" Lucy and now they all love her...she's so darn cute! I do plan on having you over to teach us some tricks....we'll be in touch in a couple of weeks.
Thanks again!
Dorothea Clinton, Cambridge, MA
Lucy, 2-year old Yorkshire Terrier
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We are thrilled!
I'm SO impressed that we can see such a huge difference in only 48 hours! Even our friends have noticed the difference! they were great! The exercises they taught us were easy to understand (even for 11 year old son) and the flow chart was a huge help! Last week I was worried about how things were working out with our new dog - just one afternoon with Zen Dog Training and we are so happy with our dog now!
Thank you Zen Dog!
Victoria (and family), Peabody, MA
Brady 4-month old yellow Lab
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We thought "Snapper" sounded cute when we named him, but as an 85-pound 6-year old high-energy black lab mix with an aggressive streak - not so cute. In fact, while he is truly a part of our family, his large size, loud bark, and, shall we say, enthusiasm had caused several friends & family members to hesitate before they agreed to spend time at our house. "Let's meet at the coffee shop down the street," they'd say. Aside from those issues, going for walks with Snapper required brute strength to cope with his pulling & lunging. And that's without mentioning his severe "table-surfing" problem.
No, we don't think we were negligent dog owners; we had read a number of books, gone to a series of obedience classes, and did our best to implement the often-contradictory advice we got from those various sources. However, we were resistant to working with a dog trainer one-on-one in our home. We thought it would be too expensive and that we could learn what we needed from books. Finally, however, we got to the point when, tired of the strained shoulders from our walks and the fear Snapper instilled in our houseguest's, we gave Gordon at Zen Dog a call.
To our pleasant surprise, his fee was very reasonable, and in short order he put us on track toward solving Snapper's most problematic behaviors. Courteous, organized, and nonjudgmental, Gordon met with us to discuss the canine issues of greatest concern & gave us clear & concrete advice on the spot about how to address those behaviors. Shortly thereafter, Gordon returned to our home with a behavior plan that further detailed the reasons for Snapper's behaviors as well as additional strategies.
In less than 2 weeks following our consultation with Zen Dog, Snapper is a changed dog. He has learned to sit politely when guests enter our house, and we even got several compliments about how good a host Snapper was at a party we had recently. Snapper now walks with a slack leash, and our arms are very appreciative of the big part Gordon played in that change.
The positive change in Snapper (and us) is a testament to Gordon's insight, patience, and clear guidance. He clearly dispelled the notion that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Our only regret is that we didn't contact him sooner!
Dr. McCormick and Mel, Jamaica Plains, MA
Snapper, 6-year old Black Lab Mix
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Zen Dog Training was wonderful for both our puppy and the whole family. Gordon Fontaine is a talented and effective trainer as well as being warm, friendly and very easy to work with. Having our dog trained in our own home, at our own convenience, and with the participation of the whole family, was a great experience.
I would recommend Zen Dog Training to anyone looking for sound, positive and fun solutions and in the often frustrating world of dog training.
Sincerely,
Marj Malpiede, Needham, MA
Gordie, 5-month old Boston Terrier
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Dear Zen Dog Training,
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all your help with Coco & Noir. Being a first time dog owner it started out has a difficult task and turned into a pleasurable experience. We really liked the way you taught with positive reinforcement rather than punishment. Using rewards to train has been a lot of fun and very quick. House training which I thought was going to be impossible has worked out great! I’ll be glad to recommend you to any of my friends in need of help.
Thanks so much,
Ellie and Frank Kent, Dedham, MA
Coco and Noir, 6-month old Miniature Poodles
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I wanted to write and let you know about a great experience we had. We had planned to sign Rascal up for clicker training this coming March. I had my class picked out, my money set aside...I was finally ready! Then a friend told me about Zen Dog Training. After speaking to him on the phone I was impressed enough to switch gears and give him a shot. He comes to the house, I really liked that. I wanted him to see the dogs and us in our natural environment and this way he could also more easily incorporate the kids in with the training. He is great!
He is a certified trainer from the San Francisco SPCA in positive reinforcement techniques and clicker training. He was useful in helping us to address Rascal's problem behavior (incessant barking!), providing us with support, encouragement and suggestions and in teaching us general training techniques as well as giving us some fun things to do with the dogs. He armed us with resources and has provided lots of follow up.
Beth, Medford, MA
Rascal, 2-year old terrier mix
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We take Harry everywhere!
He is the social butterfly wherever we go and we owe you a huge thanks for that. He's great with kids, senior citizens (people have even asked my daughter if he's been trained to visit rest homes) and he's fantastic with other dogs. He goes to the dog park and the lake and restaurants and stores with us all the time. He can off leash and he stays right next to us. He can even stop mid-play at the park if I ask him to - it's amazing!
People compliment us all the time on how well behaved he is-- we love it and you should too. Which is all pretty good behavior for a dog who slept through his first class ever.
Thanks,
Satisfied Zen Dog Training Customer
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Gordon was great! He did the private session with the whole family. He was enthusiastic, energetic, and made us feel very comfortable. He made it a point to get to know the whole family in the private session and have the whole family participate in the session. He was also very helpful, insightful about every question we asked, and provided us with some good and new techiques to train Lexi.
Zen Dog is an excellent choice to train your dog!! and I mean it!!
-Lauren, R
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I can tell you that these guys are great. Gordon did the private session for us, at a time when I was completely overwhelmed. All made sense slowly.
I continued with puppy classes conducted by Melissa Mccue, and I have to say she is just fantastic. Unfazed, KIND to all the pups and human family, patient and really a generous person. I asked her questions on other dog related things (as my vet's office was such a failure) and she was just so forthcoming. Can't say enough and of course Sami who started with Gordon at 12 weeks, is a GIANT who graduated level 1 with Melissa at 20 weeks. And we have learnt a lot.
-Madhulika,
Somerville, MA
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WE SHOULD HAVE CALLED FIRST!!!!!!
We entered our Golden Retreiver Puppy into a 8 week puppy class after 3 weeks we called Zen Dog Training and in 2 Hours Gordon changed our world.
-Patti C.
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Gordon is fabulous.
First off, I called him on Saturday because my dog had destroyed my bedroom door (separation anxiety). He explained that this needs to be nipped in the bud ASAP, but unfortunately he had no immediate appointments open. However, he was ultimately able to shift things around to accommodate my dog's and my need and came tonight - two days later. The free phone call alone was hugely helpful and informative.
Gordon has a very peaceful demeanor and won't come in making you do things to your best friend that just feel mean. There were NO staring contests, NO tests to see how far he could push my dog before he snapped...in fact, my dog and I really enjoyed ourselves!
Gordon is very intelligent and what he says and does just simply makes sense. He points out flaws in some of the prevailing methods of dog training which was such a relief to me.
Lastly, he will not pressure you to buy stuff or recommend more sessions than you need. Gordon was talking me out of scheduling sessions and was very mindful of my tight financial situation when he made recommendations. Truly, Zen Dog Training is a breath of fresh air!
-Janelle,
Somerville, MA
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Gordon is absolutely an excellent dog trainer! He is so adept at interacting with the dogs as well as explaining techniques to dog owners. I would rate him as top notch!
-Marla, H
Newton MA
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I can't say enough about how great Zen Dog Training is!
We enrolled our puppy in a group class, which was a great foundation and socializing opportunity for him. When we wanted to focus on training him more in some specific areas, Gordon came to the rescue! He gave my husband and I two private lessons in our home, and I am not exaggerating when I say we noticed an improvement in George right after the first one. Our little buddy has stopped barking as much and is getting better at not pulling when we're walking him on the leash.
Even more than that, Gordon took the time to explain to us why George was behaving in certain ways and what we could do to help him feel better. He left the whole family - dogs and people - much happier!
-Betsy Gal,
Somerville, MA
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When my eight year old yellow lab was displaying random aggression with other dogs I was worried, but when she attacked my daughter's eight month old puppy I called Zen Dog immediately! They returned my call within one day and I scheduled a two hour in home session the following week.
Gordon arrived and spent two wonderfully informative hours with me and my daughter and our two dogs. Even though I've lived with dogs all my life, it was great to learn some new techniques, about Gordon's positive reinforcement approach, and to hear from Gordon that there is hope for teaching my sweet old dog new tricks. Gordon was full of information and great fun to work with. He left us with print outs of everything we had discussed and DVD's to help us implement what we'd learned. We're already seeing results!
-Martha V,
Cambridge MA
