What People Are Saying About Your Dog and You



Testimonial Categories: Manners \| Anxiety \| Human Aggression \| Dog Aggression
We were at the proverbial "end of our rope" with our rescued Jindo, Toshi. With multiple challenges and just as many failed attempts at making this battered pup our family pet. An abundance of patience and love were given to Toshi by my entire family with no reciprocity of any kind. Toshi was abused and left for dead when brought to a shelter for Akitas and then shipped off to a veterinarian for several weeks of life-saving care. Then he was placed in a foster home to "seclude him from his fears of the world". All before he was 8 months! We adopted this pup from that very same Akita Rescue group and found him to be frightened of everything and everyone. For several days, he remained curled up in a protective ball, unwilling to eat, drink or accept traditional TLC from either of us. My wife basically force-fed him for a while and he very gradually warmed up to her enough for basic needs and an occasional brief petting session. For months, he remained defensive and elusive toward me, frequently urinating at the mere sight of me (and what turned out to be any male figure who entered our home). Enter Christine Nolan. After one phone call, Christine scheduled an immediate appointment and traveled a significant distance to meet our "son" and assess his situation. A very charismatic woman with a relaxed yet professional demeanor, she apparently began her session upon approach to our home. Taking in every detail of every aspect of our house, yard, community and the overall situation. Allowing time for Toshi to investigate a new human in our house, Christine began assessing us and our daily activities, routines, likes, dislikes and pet set-up. She approached Toshi with a firm yet casual introduction and began assessing our "problem child" and his "brother", Honda an Akita pup that had begun to pick up the anxiety of his older brother. Christine was able to guide Toshi out of his crate without him showing hardly any hesitation. He then remained with us for the rest of the consultation. A short while later, she sat down at our table and literally hand-wrote 2 pages of directives for us to follow between then and her next visit. She said she would return to investigate our progress, continue assessing Toshi and our surroundings and make recommendations for further actions. Christine returned and was there for any email, phone call or message that was sent to her. She would asses every situation and give advice and support that was needed. When we were at our last fight with his "brother", Christine was a phone call away and gave me a stern wake up call. This conversation was intense and long one thing she said to me that made me look at things differently was "was you don¡¯t know if he has an illness that is causing this, there is something more then just behavior". So the next morning we were off to the vet and after a few months of diagnostic testing, we found out our little guy was sick along with his anxiety. Thankfully Christine was able to pick up on this and we were able to get him on medication to help him. To date, our pack is very happy and Toshi has come out of his shell and is willing to meet new people and is not afraid to explore. He is eating now and loving every minute with his bother, despite the many fights he was having with him a little over a year ago. He loves going for walks on his leash and he even seeks out attention and love from me and no longer urinates at the site of an unfamiliar face. He has even gained weight and is a happy healthy pup! We have Christine to thank for giving us our "family". Dan and Heather Franceschini
We saw Will’s picture at a local shelter and fell in love immediately. Upon bringing him home we soon discovered his many fears and heightened anxiety towards almost everyone. He refused to get near my boyfriend and would destroy his crate when left for the day. We sought the help of a previous trainer and we’re told after a few sessions that Will would never “be right”. Christine was referred to us by our vet’s office. She came to our home to work with us and in a short time we had a different dog. Once we understood pack mentality and how our behavior was preventing Will from becoming stable we were able to help reduce his anxiety. Through Christine’s guidance and patience with us, Will has become an important member of our family. He has begun to trust people inside and outside our home, enjoys the dog park and his walks. He even walks on the treadmill. Christine continues to give us love and support throughout the process. It is wonderful to work with an individual who not only is passionate about what she does but truly advocates for the animals who need that extra care. It is that special caring that enables her to touch others and she has certainly touched us. Thank you again! Billie, Mitch and Will Update: Will Hi Christine, To bring a smile to your face, Will played on the big side of the dog park yesterday and did great. He chased and ran with the big guys. Also, we did field recall today at the school and he loved it as I did. Seeing Will hop and run made my heart soar. He is doing so well. Just thought I'd give his teacher a wonderful report. :) Billie
Christine, I want to thank you for everything you have done to help us. Before Eli met you he was scared of everything including all of my family members. He would run away from everyone and everything and he hated going on walk because he was petrified of everything outside. He also hated car rides. After your initial visit with Eli my family and I saw a HUGE difference in him! He was running around and actually hanging out with us. He is more friendly and loves to play with everyone. The biggest difference is that he finally loves going on walks and loves car rides! One of his favorite things to do is to go on the treadmill. You really did wonders with Eli! Again, Thank you for everything I am so glad we had you come and work with Eli! *Katelyn*
We adopted Vixen from a local animal shelter in February of 2009. She was already a year old at the time and came with some issues. Vixen was a sweet dog, but would not stay contained while we were away. She broke out of dog crates, broke down & destroyed baby gates, and even learned how to open our garage door to escape and roam the neighborhood. When she was left alone in the house she often would tear through the trash, counter surf for food, and then hide anything she found. We were at our wits end and were set to find another home for her, then we found you. From the start you helped us realize we were doing everything wrong and our dog owned us. After meeting with you, and implementing the techniques you taught us, we have seen a complete change in Vixen. It's only been 7 months since your visit and Vixen continues to improve each day. We have reached a point where Vixen no longer needs her crate while we are out and with continued training and exercise we are confident that our pack bond will continue to grow stronger. Thank you again for coming out earlier this year and helping teach us how to be better dog parents. Vixen is continuing to improve in every way as each day passes. I honestly think if it hadn't been for you I would have had to take her back to the shelter. *Jim & Kellianne* Vixen Update: We had a wonderful moment the other weekend down at the dog beach. There's a dog beach right by the Longport - Ocean City bridge... however it's not fenced in, just surrounded by ocean and sand dunes. We walked them away from the road and the two of them were running through the ocean and playing with other dogs on the beach. There were a few times the dogs had wandered too close to the dunes, and when recalling them, they both came at once (we also brought treats to ensure it wouldn't be a problem, but Vixen didn't eat them). Later, Vixen was running with some dogs along the water line. There came a point where she was getting farther than we would have liked and just as we were going to recall her she stopped, turned and looked at us, looked back at the other dogs, and came back to us on her own. I was so excited!
Christine, I just wanted to send you a note about Riggs, my pit-lab mix you had helped my wife and I train last year. Yesterday, Jenny and I threw a BBQ in which 75 guests attended, many of whom have young children between the ages of 1 and 4. Riggs is doing so well, he was able to be off leash during the entire party under our supervision and managed to remain calm and social. It was truly remarkable when I think back to how anxious and nervous he was when we first got him. All of our relatives and friends were especially impressed with how well he interacted with the children. It was great to watch him play gently with the toddlers and be respectful of their toys and most importantly their space. At the end of the day my wife and I were so happy and realized we couldn't have done this without your training techniques. It is has gone better than we could have imagined. Thanks again for everything and just thought you would like to hear how well he is doing. Christian
We want to again thank you for your fabulous, expert help in training us, on how to behave with our girls, and how to be the pack leaders. As you saw just after two weeks after your 1st visit, the change in Sophia was amazing. She let go of her anxieties, is no longer a loner, and as you said, she's happy for us to be in charge. What was our biggest struggle, walking the girls and Gracie's barking at other dogs, has also changed. It is now a pleasure to take them for a walk, and either my husband or I can take them alone without it being the unpleasant struggle it once was. I tell everyone with dogs about you, and what a wonderful job you do. I even carry your cards around with me to give to other dog owners, making sure I tell them that my only regret is that we didn't call you sooner. You've made a world of difference in our lives, as well as, Sophia & Gracie's. We can't thank you enough! Best always, Sheila
My husband and I adopted Shiloh and she gets along great with Badger, our other dog. She is very affectionate yet started exhibiting behavioral issues almost immediately. She would wet in the house, chew woodwork, furniture, shoes and anything else she could find, everyday. In addition she would jump up on us and would become very jealous if Badger was receiving attention. All our efforts to curb these behaviors did not help. Mike and I thought that we might have to give Shiloh up. Desperate for help we were referred to Christine Nolan. She came into our home and instantly put us at ease. We immediately saw an improvement in her behavior. The wetting has stopped and the only thing Shiloh chews now is her bones and squeaky toys. I am happy to report that Shiloh is a much happier dog and we have a much happier household, thanks to Christine. If it was not Christine we really do feel that we would have ended up finding Shiloh a new home. Kimberly and Mike M.
Christine, Buffy is doing amazing, a little while after you left us something just clicked and she has been great for us! I am happy to report she no longer has any separation anxiety! She doesn’t bark or even look when people walk by our condo or up the stairs or even have a delivery come through our door, unlike the other dogs in our complex. She is a lot better with strange dogs outside, she doesn’t flip out, she just looks at them until we pass by and then goes on with life. Thanks for everything! Laura, Jay and Buffy
We hired Christine to help our 2-year-old Shih Tzu Sammy overcome her fear and insecurity toward people (especially children) and noisy objects. Christine took the time to identify the factors that were causing Sammy’s behavior and put together an action plan for us to work with her daily. She taught us how to master the walk and the right way to introduce her to people. She also taught us techniques to help Sammy overcome her fear of children and noisy objects with a daily walk to the bus stop during school ‘rush hour.’ In just 6 weeks, we saw an amazing improvement in Sammy. She no longer fears people and loud objects such as cars and trucks. We built an agility course in our yard and, with Christine’s suggestions, had her accomplish the whole course in just a matter of days. Christine was especially helpful during these weeks, fielding our phone calls and emails to answer questions as they arose. Christine helped us to make Sammy the most balanced and happy dog she can be. We are so grateful for Christine’s dedication and unwavering support! We would highly recommend her to anyone and would be happy to field any reference calls to discuss our experience. Gary and Melissa Cassera
Wow Christine, it really worked when my friends came in tonight they (dogs) immediately calmed down. Dave came over and did not bother with them when he came in. When they calmed down he went into the living room, told Savannah to come over and SHE DID. Happy and no tail between the legs. I am so thrilled with the two of them. Thank you very much!!!! Betsy R.
I wanted to express my gratitude to you for spending so much time with us today. You are so generous. Your job is so rewarding on so many levels. And, you are so good at what you do. I promise I will do my best to remember everything you taught me. Right now, Macy is lying on the floor next to me in the office while I type this. She said to tell you she is very grateful to you. It is amazing to me how well she is doing. Last week no one could even get her out of her kennel. All of this progress is because of you. Cindy and Bill B.
Hi Christine, Just wanted to send you a quick note of thanks. Moonie has been doing so well. Anxiety is a million times better. When we come home, he no longer is breathless and panting uncontrollably (actually he's usually sleeping when we come home now). This morning we got to try everything during our morning walk. We ran into 3 dogs, including the husky. The husky was out of control and the guy said that his dog really had it in for my dog. Meanwhile, Moonie walked along like a perfect gentleman, not even glancing an eye at the husky. I was very proud of him. Thanks for your help! Emily L.
Hi Christine, I am happy to report that thanks to you, Patches is doing really well. He is getting more and more useD to his casa and goes in on his own to LIE down. Today was a big day. Patches was home alone in his casa for about 3 1/2 hours. As usual, he was going ballistic when we left the house. He was very calm when we came home and even went back in a little while later on his own to LIE down. During dinner, we gave Patches his food with some chicken and when he was finished he lay down. Normally, he would stand next to us begging for more food. It is thanks to you that Patches is still part of our family. As you know, we didn't want to give him back to the shelter but we felt we had no other choice. You were truly our last resort. Even while we were working with you, we weren't hopeful. Now, I would be devastated without Patches. Again, we can't thank you enough. Patches is a wonderful dog that needed some help and guidance. You are worth every penny!! Fondly, Sharon B.
Thank you Christine! Duke listens much better and responds to us a lot easier than before. He seems to be understanding that we should be the first ones out the door. He's stopping and looking for approval first!! Duke also seems to be more relaxed out of the cage. I came home from work last night and was actually able to get out of the car without him almost knocking me over. I can't thank you enough for all your help. Dave and I are really happy that we understand the dogs and their needs more. Thanks again, Dave and Jenn
Testimonial Categories: Manners \| Anxiety \| Human Aggression \| Dog Aggression