Today Harley shocked the hell out of me... and I&m blaming it on your classes :)
We were walking and a dog approached from a distance - she reacted with a few barks and bristling before I had a chance to realize what was going on. I did a u-turn, but then re approached the situation and only seconds later she was only slightly bristled and giving a bit of a tail wag ... with NO bark/growling. I had her sit and hold it while the dog walked by about 30-40 feet away and she did it easily. then she went about her walk like nothing had happened at all. Thank you! Today I saw progress that renewed my hope that someday she will be able to interact with other dogs, and it's because of you! She was even watching the dog, not doing her growling/avoiding bit. she seemed more interested than fearful. Her initial reaction still really spooks some of the dog owners in the complex, but this was definitely progress today!

WB 11/29/2011
(NOTE:  Harley is a Weim mix.  She was very reactive to all the dogs on a walk, not so much off leash.  She has been to four classes over the last two months - very intermittently - and has still learned to change her emotions about other dogs on a walk)

"We brought Huey to class completely dog aggressive. He couldn't walk past of go near a dog without going nuts ! After this 6 week course he is a completely different dog. He actually WANTS to go up to dogs now and sniff. He listens to us so much better ! I am so happy we brought him to Seize the Leash. He is so much more focused !! Thank you so much !!"

"I generally enjoy owning 2 dogs and lost my female lab mix in June of 2010. As much as I wanted another dog, my old male mixed breed had an aggressive disposition to most dogs, especially when they came onto our property. I enrolled Charlie in Jaime's reactive dog class for socialization and to learn dog language, cues and behaviors. Jaime trained me to support Charlie in his behavior change. I&...ve adopted a 1-2 yr old Terrier mix 5 wks ago. Jaime came to my home to observe and spend time watching the dogs. She recommended a gradual blend of the dogs in positive situations to build an early relationship. We have transitioned over the weeks to a coexistance that I thought impossible. At this point, I still observe them and they argue a bit, but they spend a fair amount of time together off leash and are overall establishing a relationship. Jaime gave me confidence to work with my dog who I thought would never allow another dog in our house. I am thrilled! "

"Hello, our names are Leetah and Lloyd and we own a beautiful female American Pit Bull Terrier named Maggie. She is 3-years-old as of right now.

We got Maggie when she was 5-months-old from a friend. She was a hyper, lovable puppy who got along with everything. She didn't know the word stranger and she didn't know that the world wasn't all rainbows and happiness.
When she was around 9-months-old we got her a friend who was a little younger than her but around the same size. We asked his owner if he had any special needs and she told us no. We found out a little while later he had food aggression and attacked our baby girl. This was the first time Maggie learned that not all dogs were friendly. She did not kill him and he wasn't hurt to badly so we called the woman back and told her that she needed to get him to a vet and the next time she tried to give him away to tell the new owners of his food aggression.

She was attacked by 3 more dogs and that was when everything changed. She became fear aggressive around dogs (except Chihuahuas) and we will admit that we did not help by not taking her out and resocializing her. It grew to the point that she was afraid of noises and would bark and growl at anything.

These were not her only problems. She would pull constantly while walking and after a year or two my wrist was really feeling this and so I stopped walking her because it hurt to much. Once our neighbor moved away Maggie also had no more children to socialize with and so she never truly understood the difference between rough and gentle play or the different things that children will do and how to react to them.

Since we didn't go out much and we did not know how to handle our reactive dog we became reclusive and she became more of a burden then a beloved pet and family member. Once we came to Tucson it got harder since we couldn't afford her to have her own yard like in Oklahoma, which took care of her need to run and jump, and we had children all over the place making noises and running by like crazy. We were not only afraid for them but we were also afraid for the quality of living for our dog.
While looking for a safe place to relinquish our dog we came across Pit n& Proud and was told that they could help us put Maggie in behavior modification classes that would handle the fear and would teach all of us to be more confident. We were ecstatic and accepted.

The first Wednesday we will admit we were skeptical since we didn't believe that Maggie would be able to get over the fear or that we would either. Boy were we proven wrong!

Seize the Leash is where we went, and after almost being late because we stink at directions, we were welcomed and our eyes opened. Maggie is a new dog because of Pit n& Proud and Seize the Leash. She is so much calmer and confident. The barking has dropped by 95%, she doesn't lunge at dogs anymore, and the children where we live have all met and become friends with Maggie. The leash pulling we are still working on but now my wrist doesn't hurt since we learned how to hold the leash and she isn't dragging me but instead just applying some pressure telling us to walk faster. Still gotta find that medium speed we can all agree on.

Maggie is like a new dog! You can see the shine of life and wonder back in her brown eyes and she is excited about everything. We go to parks now, we take walks, we enjoy life again with our beloved family member. Thank you Rachel, Jamie and Deena for giving us the gifts you have!"

Love these Girls they are great trainers. They train you & your dog in some fun different ways to help you & your dog be successful in your end goal. Just remember the owner is the one who needs to be consistent so that the dog will learn the correct behavior. Thanks, Dawnell

Hi Jamie,

J got the the military orders, and we are moving ourselves. We have to move out of state in just 2 weeks, so unfortunately, we won't be able to attend the last couple of classes. When we hadn't heard anything by Thanksgiving, we were thinking that the move wouldn't be until late January or February. We went ahead and put up the Christmas tree and both indoor and outdoor decorations. Now we are frantically trying to pack and take down the Christmas stuff we just put up, lol.

Using the training manual at home is proving to be very helpful, though :0) Dixie has also stopped all of her digging and chewing on inappropriate items! Woo hoo! I know we only physically attended one session with you, but your tips and manual have been a true life saver. We can't thank you enough as it has made life so much more enjoyable for Dixie and the rest of our family.

Best wishes and have happy holidays!
LB 12/04/2010

Great Big Baby

11/28/2010 - Lulu and I went to the farmer's market this morning. We had a BLAST!!! Which of us was the scaredy cat? ME! Lulu was calm, confident (mostly), excited to sniff the smells and see the sights. She was such a good dog and I can't wait to go back!

11/26/2010 - I hope you both had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Lulu was so good with my friends and family over-- there was one incident where a guest was running down the stairs (and Lulu does NOT like fast movement as of yet) and this person completely blind-sided and freaked out Lulu. Lulu barked and stood her ground but frankly just looked so scared! Yes, my friend was also really scared, but not nearly as frightened as Lulu! It ended well, I think (I walked over to Lulu, made her sit, had the friend walk through the room and back to the table, then all was fine. Lulu a bit later walked by her at the table and neither friend nor pup seemed afraid). Otherwise Lulu did great. Didn't even bark at the people she hadn't met yet. It was really cool, I wasn't worried about her at all!

10/27/2010 - One more thing- we walked by one of my neighbors who was standing across the street the other day, the one Lulu ALWAYS barks and lunges at in the not-so-polite fashion (and this is whether my neighbor is on my doorstep, across the street, even down 5 houses), and Lulu didn't react. Well, we had to complete quite a few circle/turn around/try again moves but she was completely nonreactive when we did walk by. Yes, we were at a good distance--across the street from one another--but I was thrilled! Lulu's excellent behavior set off an awe-struck gasp and a smile by that neighbor-- it was great! Let's hope when we see her again we will continue to be so calm and polite!

Those of you who have been coming to Brandi Fenton dog park in the early am have seen these greyhounds and watched us working with them. You can read about the interactions of the grey's with Deena's and my muttniks here and here and here is what Suzanne says about what we have accomplished so far.

Jamie, of Seize the Leash, has been assisting me with socializing my greyhounds to other breeds. They (and I) are doing so much better since we’ve been working with her. I have also attended Jamie’s dog behavioral classes [NOTE: as the photographer - not a student ] and seen incredible improvements from a number of fear-aggressive dogs. I would recommend her to anyone. Excellent rating. 7/19/2010

(Diva, Annie and Gideon are three Great Pyrenees dogs. Annie and Diva have been fighting to the point of vet visits and stitches. They are far out from Tucson so I wrote up a checksheet for the owners to follow to fix the problems between the dogs on 1/27/2010)

Hi Jamie - Not good news for us. Diva is fine, but we've been sick and this is my first day back to work. I've had the flu and a cold at the same time. Sam has been trying to help, but with the plummer and shed construction we are moving slowly, very slowly. I leave for work before daylight and have many evening chores. Hopefully we will get this back pain resolved sooner than later. On a positive note, we did spend time with both of them on leashes and walked the yard. Diva was fine, Annie seemed to want to go the other way. Sam spent time with Diva trying to get her to focus and he said that went well.As you can see we are running behind and will play catch up this weekend if it's not raining. Annie prefers to lay in her space. Diva has hers. What do you think about letting them off the leash together? I would do that after I've had some work with Diva on leash and Annie on leash also. We need to get them together. but with caution. (2/04/2010)

Things seem to be going good with the check sheets you have sent. We will let you know if we have any more problems. If we have a balance due please let us know. Thanks for the help!! Diva and Annie are together on a supervised basis and are doing fine. They greet each other and go on their way. Diva has stayed in the house and is allowed to be with Annie when everyone is calm. Diva has been very good about reacting when called. Annie is Annie...she greets me when I come home and toodles off to the creek or whatever is her spot for the day. If we hear coyote sounds or other distractions we are careful about "setting them up" for failure. (2/23/2010)

CD (checksheet training instead of group class or one-on-one with me - see checksheets for sale here)

Sibling Squabbles
Hi Jamie,
Things went really well on Sunday night. It was so nice to sit on the couch and relax without Titan and Elway being snippy with each other. We have been working on the focus training and it is going well. Nick took Elway and Titan on a long walk yesterday, he said that Elway did ok but Titian pulled alot. I took Sonora on a short one. She is doing really well.
Nick has a test on Saturday so he will not be able to come to the training class, I am going to try to trade my schedule on Saturday for a sunday shift so I can come. I will let you know by friday afternoon if I am able to come.
Thank you for checking in with us. We really enjoyed having you come over and all the information you gave us!
Thanks again
SR 2/16/2010

Hey Jamie, Sorry about not making it on Saturday. I worked late on friday and then nicks family came into town on Saturday. We had a housefull on Saturday night and the puppies did wonderful!
If you could send us a copy of the homework we would love to read it over and be ready for next weekend.   We are planning on signing up for the next class also, When does that start?
SR 3/8/2010

Hi Jamie!

When having Lucy "touch" today I started to hold objects in my hand for her to touch and she did great.  A tennis ball was her favorite surface and she didn't hesitate.  I held it up just a little high so she would have to jump a little to touch it and she did.  She planted that nose right on the ball.  Is it OK to have her jump a little to "touch" sometimes?  I thought it could lead to some pretty cool tricks in the future!

Dee

What's that!!
Sorry for the lack of reply via email – this is my work email and I was off two weeks – just got back today 1/4/10. I will try to get Gus to a Saturday group training – he seems to be doing well with the jumping thing, my son had his puppy over the house over Christmas, I picked her up several times while they were playing and he did not jump up to get her (yea!). I would like to join in a group lesson or two – what is the cost of group lessons? Thank you – Have a happy New year!!!

SM 1/4/2010

Note: Gus would jump up for any small animal that was being held in someone's arms. Gus is a 75 lb dog and could cause some damage!

Where the chips fall :)
Jamie, Well, the pack is decently well and you'd be proud of Pringles. You really helped him. Thanks, again, for all your help. I may possibly be getting a car, in which case we might run into you at the dog park sometime.

RW 12/17/2009

Note: I worked with Pringles several months ago. This is an update on how he is doing. Please see his story here.

hello there lady dog whisperer,

great news. peanut is now a free dog and is no longer considered dangerous. thanks for your help. through this all i have come to learn the system and how these kind of things work. being that you work with cases such as these if you ever need feedback and what you can expect if pacc gets involved feel free to call me or email me. i would love to return the favor you gave me. after talking to brittany and going through this whole ordeal i have been thinking about maybe even pursuing a career working with dogs. nothing in stone. not much more than a thought and poking into it. i really admire you and britt. you guys are great. the greatest reward from this all is fulfilling my dogs needs as dogs. it really brings a smile to my face. my kids are so cute when they are trying to do what daddy does with the dogs. have not seen you in a while at the dog park. with my new schedule i can only go twice a week in the evenings and any morning in which my wife doesnt go in at 5am. talk to you soon. take care.

A H 10/2/2009

A Life Saved In Two Hours
I just want to say that Jamie is a wonderful and effective trainer...she did wonders with our dogs in no time at all. What she charges is worth every penny for the results she gets.

PD 8/5/2009

How to Foster
Just thought I would give you an update. Sasha was adopted on November 1st by a very nice young couple.  They are both school teachers.  They have another dog and two cats.  They came over all week after work so Sasha could get to know them a little better before moving in with them.  They took her on Friday the 6th. They love her and she loves them and is having a great time with her new parents and her new brother Webster (who looks just like Ginger by the way).  A very happy ending!!  I now have two foster puppies.  A 4 month old male pit-bull and a 6 month old female lab and pointer mix.  Hopefully their stories will be just as good!!  Hope you are doing well.  I recommend you to everyone I know and greatly appreciate all you have done to help.  Maxwell is doing great with the puppies and Ginger is playing her days away (and keeping the puppies out of trouble!).

RW 11/23/2009

I&m totally blown away...
I have three dogs: Jake, a 14 year old Cairn Terrier mix, Hope, a 5 year old toy poodle and Joey, a 2 year old dachshund mix. Joey has only been with me for a few weeks, but has progressively grown more aggressive with Jake, drawing blood and causing wounds.

Jamie has spent only two hours with me so far, but what a difference in my dogs!  There hasn't been a fight in four days. Jake is losing his fear of Joey. He is coming out of his corner in the bedroom to be social and is even willing to eat next to Joey. Jake is also only putting up token resistance to walking with Joey and Hope. Joey is much calmer. He's only attempted to go after Jake a couple of times in the last four days. Both times I've been able to easily correct his behavior.

I&m totally blown away with how quickly they have adapted to the new rules and how easy it is for me to teach them!  Jamie’s methods make sense to me and they work!

DS (6/30/2009) (Please read Joey's story)

It's amazing ...
Jamie at Sieze the Leash came to our house last week because we had several problems with one of our little dogs...within an hour she had shown us how to change his behavior....and to our shock...we are living with a different dog. All of his bad behaviors are gone...just like that. It's amazing. Because we learned the techniques, we have been able to apply them to our other dogs as well. I could not recommend her higher. She is amazing in her understanding of dog behavior.

AP (posted on Craig's List 7/2/2009)

Jamie came again to our house because our dog was so territorial...and finally bit someone. She arranged for several people to show up at different times...to help with training and to test it. The result, once again, was amazing and resulted in a completely changed animal. He now only barks a little when someone knocks at the door, waits for permission to greet and then is fine with people he doesn't know. All this was accomplished in a matter of a few hours. She is amazing and we are forever grateful to her and her abilities and her friends and family who helped. Thank you Jamie.

AP (posted on Craig's List 11/16/09)

Hi, I just saw your post on craigs list and I wanted to tell you that I&m also a client of Jamie's.  I can say my dogs are behaving a heck of a lot better and the fights have almost stopped completely.  She is a wonderfull person to work with and has gotten me on the right track with the dogs.  I just wanted to share my story too

More from SG a month later
I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know how things are going. The day after you came there was a major fight with all the dogs this time.  I guess it was set off by someone in the neighborhood shooting off fireworks.  It took me a little bit to get them all to stop but since then we have not had any fights or really any growling.  Nugget is doing good in the house she still wants to lick the floor and tries to show you her teeth but for the most part its been good.  As for little Athena..she's a work in progress.  She will stay out of the trash for the most part but she does have her days when she's the holy terrior of the place.  She has grasped the sit command and she's usually sitting before I open the bag of treats.  As for the dog walks..goes well for the most part.  Zeus is much better at ignoring the dogs.  He still tries to be the leader but we are still working on that.  I think I may just be walking too slow for him since I've been having trouble with my knees and hips.  Oh and what was funny the other day I was walking them and that same pit bull that came after you and nugget before was out and came after the dogs.  Thank goodness my husband was with us and had the baby stroller and was able to pick up Athena.  I choked up the dogs leashes and put myself inbetween my dogs and the pit.  It was tough since nugget and zeus wanted to go after the pit  and were really tugging at me but I kept them in check.  The pit kept following us for 1 1/2 blocks snarling and barking at us but I kept pshhh and snaking and pointing my finger for him to get.  What was really funny about it all..my neighbot across the street came out and watched us along with the neighbor on the corner who does not like me and they watched us.  I heard the bad neighbor say something but couldn't make it out I just kept saying "come on dogs, ignore the pit"  we made it home just fine and the pit gave up and ran off.  

So all in all the dogs are better today.  I want to thank you for being such a wonderful person and helping me with my pack.  I hope you take care and have a wonderful day.  I have included a photo of Athena where she goes to hide when I&m yelling at the cats or the kids..she cracks me up!!!

Sincerely,
SG

From RM on Facebook 10/27/10: This may not seem like much to most, but this is Karli loose leash walking reliably for the 1st time in her 10 years of life. And we haven't even spent much time working on leash manners! It's just the natural outcome of her focus on me -- which she's been learning in Sieze the Leash's behavior class!

From CP: Do you really think that program would help with mine? She goes into panic-mode any time we pass a bigger dog on our walks. She turns into a completely different dog, and I feel bad for her because I know it's only since what happened. Because didn't you send me pictures of her curled up with your pit bulls!? Did she act that way with them at first and get better? Or is this new? :(

From RM: I really, really recommend Jamie's behavior class. It's specifically designed for reactive dogs -- which is exactly the behavior you're describing. It's a process, not a magical cure. They first learn to focus on you and look to you for ...guidance. That makes them less reactive. You then work when them on confidence building exercises and densensitizing them to whatever they are reactive too. Both Theta and Karli have been through the class and have benefited tremendously. Let me know if you consider taking one of the classes with Jersey down the road, I'd love to take the class with you! http://seizetheleash.com/

Stanley: My dog received training from Jamie when he was around a year old. He was very hyperactive, unfocused and didn't listen to me very well when we were on walks and when we were out he was very distracted by other dogs. We learned training methods for focus and calming and he is now a much more mellow and well behaved dog. I learned how to better control him on our walks, making them much more enjoyable! The training classes helped by teaching him to focus on me with the distraction of other dogs present. When we first started going to training he wouldn't even look at me when i called his name, he was so distracted. Now he comes running and gives me lots of focused eye contact and obedience. I also had a fear of dogs and the dogpark, Jamie has helped me to get over these fears by teaching me more about dog behaivor and understand what different dog mannerisms mean. Now i bring my dog to the dogpark multiple times a week and i understand dogs more, making them much less scary to me

Coda and Lucy: What was the initial reason you decided to enroll in the Group Behavior Class?
I got a 2nd dog and wanted to correct bad behaviors.

What was the single most important reason for choosing Seize the Leash?
Talking to Jamie on the phone before signing up for the class. I did talk to two other trainers before Jamie.

Comments: Thank you, I have much more confidence in my dogs behavior and how to handle it.

7/17/2010: Pinky is a white pit bull mix about 85 lbs. She was a stray that wandered into T's life last year. For many months, Pinky and T's other dog did great together. Then T started working long hours and things deterioated. Here is what T has to say:

What was the initial reason you decided to enroll in the Group Behavior Class?
To not have my dog put down - dog aggression seemd impossible to overcome.

What was the single most important reason for choosing Seize the Leash?
I was desperatly looking for help. A home trainer did not help. I started to read Pitbull for Dummies, watching Cesar Millan and then found this class on Craigs List.

Comments: I thank you for the hands on approach and training me to teach my dog and saving her from the fate of so many pits in Tucson. Danke Schon - Thank you :) T

Pinky will be continuing her journey with us. She has come a long way - from circling the class at the farthest reaches of the field we train at with muzzle and pinch collar on, to actually being under the ramada with all the other dogs and people and even trying to play with a few of the dogs. She still has some fear reactivity to handle and so will be redoing the behavior class so she gets the full benefit.

News from Pinky 7/26/2010:

Jamie has taken on many a challenging TCWN's dog and is wonderful with them. She has group classes , very cheap !! Highly reccommend.

Terri Goddard, Coordinator for Tucson Cold Wet Noses 7/20/2010

This is Hilda. She appears to be a heeler mix of somesort. Hilda has some physical problems with her hind legs and hips and doesn't like moving very much. She is now doing well on her walks, is greeting most new dogs appropriately and only resorts to nipping when the other dog acts up. She does have a problem with nipping at fast moving small people (kids), but her foster is working on that.

You can see Tye's story here

We attended the tiny tyrants class. My beagle was fear aggressive towards dogs and people. The course helped me to understand how to prevent and correct my dog's actions. We were given information packets covering the material every week which I found interesting and helpful. We had fun too. I learned a lot and it helps to understand the why's of my dog's behavior. Kirby is still a work in progress but he is doing much better than before. He relates better to smaller dogs so even though he wasn't tiny he did better with the little dog group.
Thank you for your help and we will see you Thursday at tiny tyrants!
FR 7/20/2010

This is Petey! He is a 1yr old, Jack Russel Terrier mix. Petey has had quite a rough life so far for a pup so young. He was neglected by his owners and then removed from their home. He was taken to PACC and then I came along and fostered the little guy. Due to Petey's past experiences in life, he was a bit rough around the edges. Petey has been working with a behavioralist once a week and all I can say is WOW! Petey has changed over night! He now sits patiently for his treats without bowling is foster brothers and sisters over and doesn't push them out of his way at suppertime! He is becoming quite the little gentleman! Now Petey is still a pup and still does those things that puppies do - like nibbling your nose while giving you kisses and not understanding that the bed is supposed to be shared with the humans too (although he has now taken to sleeping smack dab in the middle as a sign of concern for our comfort!) Petey is great in the car - he lays in the back on the floor and goes to sleep. He is neutered, microchipped, and UTD on his shots. Also if you decide to take Petey home with you, TCWN's will pay for a few more classes to give you and Petey the tools you'll need to continue making him the perfect little companion! Come see Petey make his first "debut" at PetCo on Broadway and Craycroft today from 12-4! I will be there with him to answer any questions you have about this awesome guy!!

Posted on Craigslist by Petey's foster parent 06/20/2010

Seize The Leash Services - Round Robin Testimonials

Thank you Jamie.  You're right of course and we will continue.  It is the best way to keep Milo on the path of becoming the best he can be.  Every other behavior makes me think he is nearly a perfect dog.  But then I am a little biased.  He learns so quickly too.  Oddly enough, when little dogs come up to meet him he is so gentle.  I feel like we have found the training group that we belong in.  Thanks again.

JK 8/30/2009

I had a great time this morning and I was so impressed with the class this morning, it was really fun. Can't wait to do it gain. We even got to practice greeting again one more time with an elderly gentleman and his little dog after you left. Bring your business cards and I'll pass them around the northwest side.

SM 10/11/2009

Seize The Leash
5148 N Shannon Road
Tucson, AZ 85705
520-751-7772
behavior@seizetheleash.net

Group Behavior Training

All brand new classes on the beat the heat summer schedule, starting the first week of June (June 2nd) except Snake Aversion which starts June 13

Reactive Dog and Out Of Control
SATURDAY at 7:30 am
SUNDAY at 9:00 am

Life Without A Leash
FRIDAY at 7:30 am

My Dog Has C.L.A.S.S. - APDT Canine Life and Social Skills Program
SUNDAY at 7:30 am
This also includes the Canine Good Citizen examination

Puppy Basics - AKC STAR Puppy
SUNDAY 5:30 pm
This 6 week program includes the AKC STAR Puppy evaluation and certification

Backyard Sports & Games
TUESDAY 6:00 pm  
Class includes agility, nose work and tracking, Treibball, tricks, freestyle dancing and other fun things to do with your dog.

Shy Dog & Confidence Building Workshop
SUNDAY 7:00 pm.
SATURDAY 9:00 am

Snake Avoidance Without Shock
THURSDAY 6:00 pm.
SATURDAY 5:30 pm
This is a 3 week class, twice a week for a total of 6 sessions.

Household Manners
SATURDAY 7:00 pm.
SUNDAY 7:00pm

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