Testimonial 1 - Remi

As a lifelong dog caregiver and dog rescuer, I really thought I could handle just about any type of dog issue - or rather, my pack of dogs would handle it.  I always had luck with my rescues just bringing them into our ‘pack’ and letting the other dogs help normalize any behavior issues, until we got Remi.  Remi is likely an ex-hunting Beagle and has clearly never handled by humans and never experienced the indoors – she was basically feral.  She was not bonding with me or my husband after weeks of trying and was becoming more unhappy and uncomfortable as time passed which was not fair to her or us.  I knew I needed professional advice but I didn’t want a “trainer” – that didn’t seem like the right approach. I needed someone who could explain my dog’s fearful and phobic reactions. Mary’s approach was based on Remi’s behavior - not just a cookie cutter remedy. It is 100% positive training which is what I wanted. The plan was created on the dog’s demonstrated preferences and desires. One of the most interesting things Mary did to start was to give a voice to my dog’s behavior; she was able to translate the dog’s behavior into words which not only helped me to understand but it increased my empathy for Remi giving me the determination to stick with the plan. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being normal, sadly I would rate my dog’s behavior at the beginning as a 1. After five weeks of work based on Mary’s advice and a few follow up phone consults, I am happy to report Remi is now an 8 out of 10!  Remi loves us and we love her. She is lovable, playful and loves to snuggle. We still are working within Mary’s modified plan which was based on the progress we’ve made. It is apparent that the sweet lovable dog I hoped we had adopted has finally emerged with all credit to Mary’s plan and ongoing encouragement. I would recommend Mary’s services to anyone faced with any animal behavior issues. If she can bring Remi around (an extreme case in my opinion) she can bring any animal around. You owe it to the animal, and yourself, to get the issues solved quickly before things are too ingrained and more difficult to fix. Remi is now learning to use the dog door to fine tune the house training issues. Soon she will be a 10 out of 10! Thank you Mary! Best phone call I ever made.

- Shelly C. from Seneca, MD