Becky, Dave & Nate,

Thank you so much for your wonderful classes.

I want to thank you very much for all your hard work and great training tips. Tyee and I will be working very hard to practice them all.

- Lise Andersen and Tyee, Snohomish, WA

Both Bella and I love your class. We practice what you preach at home and it is making such a big difference. All my neighbors and friends are impressed with her behavior and training so far. I realize we are just beginning, but I think we are off to a great start. I never realized how much I would enjoy training a puppy.

I would love an opportunity to share Bella with the community, she has endless love to share.

And if your property is looking pretty bare, it is because Bella wore half your sand home with her! She was absolutely covered, but extremely happy!

- Laura Kalvoy and Bella, Edmonds, WA

Good Morning Becky and Dave,

Thank you so much for a wonderful puppy class on Saturday morning. Both my husband Brian and I thoroughly enjoyed spending the hour with both of you. Needless to say, you guys are amazing. In just that hour you provided us with so much information and some wonderful tools to take home and begin using with our puppy. We have been working all weekend on the passive restraint hold and with much success. We have been talking all weekend abut the things we learned. It was so neat watching you interact with dogs whom you had never before met and yet you were so effective with them. We are thrilled to be part of this program and we just know you are going to help us so we have a fun loving obedient dog as a member of our family!

We can not wait for class next weekend.

Again, Thank you so much. We are having a fabulous time!

- Brian & Erika Hardy and Dash, Kirkland, WA

I just wanted to say thank you for all of your hard work with Sophie. Nate was fantastic and it's obvious that Sophie loves and respects him. We are working every day on trying to maintain what she has learned and add in new commands when appropriate. Last night we worked on "drop it" with the ball. After about 15 minutes she understood the game and was more than happy to give up the ball for a treat! She is so much mellower than before. I can actually leave the room without worrying that she's going to shred something. I think the cats sense it as well, they are not as leary of her as they used to be- probably because she's more calm.

Again, thanks so much. We will see you at class tonight.

Hi Dave,

About 1 1/2 years ago Turq (a blue great dane) and I took part in your wife's and your obedience classes. You most probably don't remember us, but I remember you and just wanted to let you know that not one week passes by without me thanking you silently for how you have helped me with Turq. Your special attention to us during two classes made all the difference. When Turq was about 1 year old, we stopped attending your classes. He is now a bit over 2 years old and turned into the greatest, easiest dog. He gets along with people as well as dogs and I coulnd't be happier. A few months ago, we had to put our 11 year old Shepherd down and are thinking of getting another puppy this fall. I hope that you still participate in your wife's classes since I am sure, I will need your help again.

Million Thanks Are Not Enough....

We cannot thank you enough for the wonderful work you and your staff have done in getting Jayda jumpstarted for her life ahead. We are still in awe at what a changed puppy she is – not that she was ever awful – she is a puppy. Jayda is so much calmer, attentive and definitely more confident. We walked to Tully’s this morning and sat outside. Jayda just relaxed and laid down waiting for us to be done. Not once did I have to tell her ‘DON’T’. She had a couple people come and visit. There was no jumping, just very calm greeting. She’s 20 weeks old! It was amazing and very enjoyable. Now our work continues at re-enforcing all the training, but you’ve made it so much easier. We look forward to enrolling her into Star-Barks.

When we finally get Newton (our boy Flat-coat), he’s coming to pay a 10-day visit with you!

Hi Dave,

You're a great PR man for Puppy Manners, that's for sure! The classes are terrific and your willingness to accommodate unusual circumstances is a positive contribution to your success. I'll see you on Saturday morning, July 14 and will put my check in the mail. The classes will be completed about the time I leave for [vacation], so the timing is perfect.

Dear Becky and Dave,

I spent the week-end at my parent's in Sequim. Gunther came with us and he was an absolute delight thanks to the training we both have been receiving. My mother's house is full of antiques, oriental rugs and 2 cats! Because I have been tethering Gunther at home and crate training him he was the perfect house guest. My dad thinks I am a genius with dogs but you guys are my secret weapon! I LOVE what I am learning at Puppy Manners!!

I wanted to let you know that we will not be bringing Mai Tai back for additional training. We have thought long and hard over this. You did such a great job training her in the time you had her. We are so impressed. She was a delight with our whole family over the holidays. No submissive pee anymore. Great stuff.

Two of our Westies got out on Sunday and headed for the far corners of our 4+ acres. Please tell Dave that while Sonja went into a meltdown, I yelled in my highest pitch "girls, c'mon girls" repetitively while clapping my hands and running away from them. Damn if they didn't follow me right up onto the deck, where the other two and Rico were goin' nuts. Sonja is a believer, and we both thank you both for re-training my 50 years and Sonja's 25 of dog training. The Westies woulda' been better suited to your class than Mr. Mellow; yes, Senor Rico Fandango del Labra-Poodle-o.

Hi Dave,

Just a quick note to tell you how very impressed I am with you and Becky and the way you run your classes. I appreciate the clear, no-nonsense way that you two teach, and the great online notes and support. I'm working on passive restraint with Brody, and just starting with "Wait." (Looks like that one might take awhile!) We're giving it the old college try and really looking forward to learning more!

Bear is a completely changed dog, thanks to you. The transformation is truly astonishing. You don't realize how much you've really helped us here. Before we contacted you, I was actually talking with Reed about finding another home for Bear.

He doesn't mouth at all - although he has tried a few times to break his training, but we just do what you taught us and he's realizing that he can't get away with it. Just a little while ago, we were all in the living room, watching TV. Reed, Kindred, and I were eating a snack, while Bear just lay on the floor (without tether since we had the drag leash on him). Gee, like a real family!

Since Bear had learned the nasty habit of chewing up newspapers from the breeder, I decided to begin training Bear away from that this morning. Typically, Kindred and I sit on the floor and read the Sunday funnies together. This morning, I put Bear on a tether near us, but not quite near enough to be tempted. He lay very nicely and I rewarded him. Then I put a sheet of newspaper (one of those disposable inserts) near him and told him to "leave it". He did and I rewarded him, while Kindred and I continued to read. We actually were able to finish our session with the funnies near Bear, with him on one side of me and Kindred on the other. Bear will make a really good reading dog! (He has the "inquisitive look".)

Hi Becky and Dave. Thank you very much for the Latte tonight and the fun little field trip. We have really enjoyed the classes and are looking forward to taking more when the holidays are over. You have shown us there is no limit to how far we want to take this training and the benefits of it are amazing. Both of you make the classes fun and easy to learn.

Lewis is such a great dog that I feel compelled to learn as much as I can to give him the life he deserves.

Hi Heather.

I am really impressed with our classes! You are a great teacher. I know that Coco is learning more & more, plus the second time through basics was such a good idea. It was equally fortuitous that we got you as a teacher. Everyone has slightly different methods, and I have learned a great deal. So thank you.

I also wanted to thank you for your comment yesterday. I know you could tell that I struggle a bit with the correction collar & Coco and your advice was perfect. I will get it... I know. What really moved me though was your comment about my kids, their being responsible & respectful. That was so nice. You have no idea! I shared your comments with both & thanked them ever so much for making me feel so proud. Thank you for noticing AND saying so! It was very wonderful to hear!

On another note, Coco had a private herding trial this morning at a farm in Hobart. The trainer, Melinda Galt (?), said that she was a very good dog, with clearly some abilities in the area of herding or perhaps tending. I don't have any plans to go into any competitions, but the experience for Coco was a hoot! She really enjoyed it - could hardly wait to get out there. Melinda's plan for her is to work with her 15 minutes every three weeks! Interesting, isn't it?

Thanks for the great Pupaccino training class! It was a LOT of fun (that 10 minute socializing session at the beginning of class was a HOOT) and made a huge difference in my behavior - Noah's too (^:^). That Passive Restraint thing is awesome. Noah complained about it at first but now he just settles in, goes limp and falls asleep. And what a difference in his behavior.

After our 101 class on Saturday I took Lucy (retired seeing eye dog/8yrs old) down a street where we experienced multi-dog excitement--just about every yard had a charging/barking dog come toward us from the other side of their fences. Some were close. Some were on leashes. And there was a squirrel. I just guided her with my body and calmly said "Don't worry about it" in a matter-of-fact tone and kept an even pace. She didn't bark or pull at all! The phrase worked pretty well before but I think it took the combination to make it work great. Your guidance has also made me more confident about how to handle her in these situations.

Then I took her on our first horse trail with my friends older male dog (Mac) and us on horses. Right off the bat we encountered 3 horse-riders. She did beautifully. No worries about me on the horse either! She had a blast swampin', chasing, sniffing. She acted as if she's been a flusher for years, loving every minute. She teamed up with Mac, the other dog, like they were life-long partners in crime. We mostly walked the horses and road for a little over an hour. Lucy may be older but she surely didn't wear herself out!

We can't rave enough about how well mannered Griffin has been this past week. With rare exception, he is walking perfectly by our side even with very little reward. We've used nothing by the Martingale collar.

Griffin sat with us through 2 days of back-to-back meetings with people in and out of the room and often didn't even get up to greet new people as they came and and out. We've spent a week walking up and down numerous boat docks and in a variety of seashore towns. People always stop to admire him and pet him. Without exception, he is a perfect gentleman!!!!!!! Often we would tie him outside showers or bathrooms. Folks would stop to visit with him and dogs would pass by, all the while Griffin would remain calm and quiet . . . most often even choosing to ignore the other dogs.

I took him to play with other dogs in a nearby park this morning. I was prepared with my treat bag and spray bottle. He greeted the other dogs and then was more interested in retrieving for treats. I am anxious for more time with him around other dogs. Perhaps it's me and not him at this point who needs encouragement that we won't get into a dog fight. In the meantime, I thank you for arming me with the tools. One BIG dog was aware that I had treats. When he smelled the vinegar and water spray bottle in my hand he was off to mind his own business.

Becky, since attending your training for therapy dogs in 2001, we have achieved certification of our Sheltie, Cole, by the Delta Society in December 2001.

In February 2002, Cole and I began visiting patients in Swedish Hospital, Providence Campus. We completed the volunteer program as well as a period of mentoring by other dog therapy volunteers and were accepted as volunteers. We visit mostly elderly patients every other Monday and it is a joy to witness the good effects that these visits have on the patients and staff of the hospital. Everyone knows Cole (they may not remember my name) and Cole looks forward to the visits. Our plans include Celeste to accompany us every other Saturday at Providence.

In June 2002, Celeste and I began weekly visits with Cole to the Children's Hospital in Seattle. We were volunteers at the hospital for several years and decided to seek approval to take Cole to visit the kids. After several mentoring sessions with an experienced therapy dog handler at Children's Hospital, we were approved as a team. Today we can honestly say that the program is a success. We and the children and staff alike all look forward to Cole's visits each Thursday night and the rewards are great for all involved. Volunteering with Cole continues to be a wonderful and rewarding experience. Cole is loved and has become an expert in getting treats from everyone he visits.

We enjoyed our first puppy kindergarten class yesterday. We have a female golden retriever and we had our two sons with us. I noticed in the handout that you would like to know if anyone is interested in therapy dog training; we are!!

Our breeder, Sandy Hourigan, would like to come and visit your puppy class. I'm not sure how she originally heard about PuppyManners, but she mentioned it to me and I liked what I saw on your web site. She spent a lot of time with my oldest son, who is nine, helping him to deal rationally with his fear of dogs. She didn't want to sell us a pup unless she was sure that Will would be okay. Will had a scare with an unleashed black lab on the beach a few years ago (as we were leaving the class last night he made a point of patting Moose on the head; I was amazed!).

We're all pretty amazed and thrilled that we have this wonderful dog in our family now; and we thought it would be great for the boys and for us as a family to train her as a therapy dog.

Just a quick note to tell you how much Maddie and I learned and enjoyed the class today. Taking her out to her outside kennel a few minutes ago, she was off leash as usual, except this time she walked beside me. I was thrilled about it and as soon as I noticed her attention begin to wander and as she was beginning to take a step away from me I simply said "no" in a calm voice and she came right back to my side and walked happily by my side the rest of the way! The kennel is about 150 feet or so from the house with plenty of stuff to be distracted by, so needless to say I am thrilled with her! Good Dog!

I'm so looking forward to the next five weeks of class. Our intention was to have her in a class way before this but unforturnately some unhappy circumstances prevented it.

Already from this morning's class I have discovered some missing links to my understanding of dog training. I know there will be more & we'll take those as they come. I appreciate your approach to the class setting and for keeping things simple.

Also, I think what really appeals to me is how this class is geared toward getting dogs to behave well in public situations, including therapy situations. What I have always wanted is to take my dog pretty much everywhere and this class is truly aimed at making that possible. As you point out, it isn't that a particular healing sitting position matters. It is just seeing a certain standard of behavior.