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Our Client's Personal Success Stories
 



 

 

November 2009

Up until my most recent addition to the family, I had never before had the experience of a dog who had any sort of behaviour concerns.  Shelby came to me as a rescue and, although Bailey (my other lab) and I had no intentions of expanding the pack, she is a wonderful addition.  Within a few weeks of her arrival, however, I discovered that she was unpredictable in her interactions with other people and other dogs.  She would often react to people coming into our house by growling, barking, putting her hackles up and generally being as intimidating as she could be.  Not only was I embarrassed by this behaviour, but I was really concerned that she may actually bite someone.  Given her lovely lab face, people are inclined to come right up to her to pet her and that suddenly seemed like a recipe for disaster.

I chose to cope with this new challenge by eliminating her interactions as often as possible, trying to reassure her that she was safe and fine, and to win her over with loves and cuddles.  None of this was working and I suddenly found myself adjusting my and Bailey’s routines to fit Shelby’s issues.

In the mean time, I had also decided that 2 labs and one small yard was equaling a lot of dead grass and so I hired Poooh Busters for poop scooping.  By chance, one day when Roland came to do my yard I happened to be home and got to witness first hand the crazy, maniac show that Shelby put on when he entered the gate.  I went out to apologize to him for the freak out and he said to me, “It’s ok Jenn, you can let her out.”  I looked at him doubtfully and assured him that this was NOT a good idea.  He explained to me that he works with dogs with aggression issues and that it would really be fine.  I let her out – doubtfully I must admit.  She did as she had always done and bolted right for him, and then the totally unexpected happened.  Within less than 10 minutes, she had calmed down and not only had stopped growling, but was actually following Roland around the yard.  I was sold!  Roland had done nothing drastic, scary, or harmful but he had made a significant change in my dog’s behaviours.

Shelby and I have now met with Roland and Erin twice.  We have fit our homework into our own routine at home and the change is outstanding.  The techniques are based on dog behaviour and once this was explained to me – they just make so much sense!  Shelby’s insecurities (what I now know were the source of her behaviour issues) have decreased and I have actually assumed the alpha role in the house.  I thought I was the boss – now I know I really am – and I know that this is the best thing for both of my dogs and for me.  I actually now open my front door without a sense of fear, we go for walks without me being mortified that we’ll cross the path of another dog, and Shelby is able to be a calm, relaxed, lovely member of the family.  She’s not perfect and we will continue to work, but now we know the work to do and we know there will be results.

I have learned so much from Roland about what it means to be a dog.  These lessons have helped Shelby without a doubt, but they have also helped Bailey and me as well.  Roland and Erin are true animal lovers and their constant support and advice was invaluable.  I have such respect for them both for working with dogs in such a natural and gracious way.  THANK YOU from Shelby, Bailey, and I for all that you have done for us!

Jennifer Hanna
Calgary, Alberta

 

October 2009

Roland and Erin from Canine Correction were exactly what we needed. It wasn’t shortly after we brought Lexy home in February that we began reactive dog training where we were told that she would never be fully corrected. We saw multiple ‘recommended’ trainers all that had different approaches, suggestions and ‘tricks’… but nothing worked.

We were left with a dismal bank balance, a basket full of correction gadgets and one reactive dog. We were at the end of our rope. After agreeing to surf the web one last time to find one LAST dog trainer we stumbled across Canine Correction. ‘Why the heck not, one more try isn’t going to hurt at this point.’

I was pretty skeptical at first but was quickly swayed. Within 10 minutes into our first session we noticed a dramatic change in Lexy’s behavior. Roland explained what was going on with Lexy and helped us understand how we could help, what activities we could do and how to interact with her to get the best results. We were assigned homework and urged to contact them at anytime if we had issues with Lexy’s progress (or with our level headedness through the process)

We emailed them and were responded to quickly. Having had an aggressive dog herself, Erin was able to relate to our frustrations and give great suggestions that helped us get passed the bumps along the way.

We are so impressed with the progress Lexy has made these past months. Roland and Erin are calm, understanding, friendly, knowledgeable and above all hard working. They love what they do and you can see it in their quality of work and the interaction they had with Lexy.

Thanks, you helped us make Lexy into the best pup she can be!

Kevin Kraft
Calgary, AB



October 2009

Before meeting Roland and Erin, I was convinced that I had the most poorly behaved dog in the world. We had been to both puppy school and obedience classes with little success. The worst part of both classes was that not even our trainer could handle my little guy, Dexter. During puppy class when off leash time would start, all the dogs would be allowed to run rampant while we were asked to sit on the side lines. The trainer told us that Dexter was “too big” and that he scared the other dogs. Needless to say, this did nothing for his socialization skills. Eventually she told us that he was uncontrollable and that we should look into a prong collar to get a better handle on him. So we went out and bought one and brought it to our next class. When the trainer tried to show us how to use it, he nearly pulled her off her feet. After the failure with both classes I kind of gave up. I felt that if a professional dog trainer couldn’t handle my 180 lb St. Bernard, there was little hope I would ever be able to. But all that changed early in September of this year. 

Dexter is the most loveable and affectionate dog I have ever met but he has a mind of his own. He wouldn’t listen to me, he would endlessly seek attention, and whenever the doorbell rang, it was like going to war with him to keep him from jumping all over any visitors. I decided it was time to try again with a dog trainer but this time I looked for someone I knew could handle him. When I found Roland’s site, the first thing I remember seeing was “we specialize in large dogs”. That sealed the deal for me immediately. I knew he was going to be the one to help me become the owner Dexter needed me to be.

Roland and Erin came over early one Saturday morning, and I was petrified. They saw firsthand his excitement with the doorbell and visitors, instead of telling me how terribly behaved he was, they told me he was an over excited happy-go lucky guy who needed structure. I won’t ever be able to put into words how that made me feel but for the first time in the almost 2 years, I had someone telling me something positive about Dexter! Roland took him outside and within five minutes Dexter was a new dog. I was pretty sure that they had a spare, well behaved, St. Bernard hidden in the back of the car that they swapped Dexter for, but to my surprise, it really was him acting like the dog I knew he wanted to be. 

Since their visit I have been working with him every day. The techniques Roland taught me were not only simple but they made sense. He took the time to explain why we needed to do a particular exercise and how dogs interpret our actions, it really made a light go off in my head. I know now that Dexter is not a bad dog, he was just desperate for an owner that took charge and let him follow rather than lead. We still have a long way to go but after our single session (yes, only one and there was this much of a change!!!) each day is getting better. I know that if I have Roland and Erin behind me, one day soon, we’ll get to where we need to be. 

Roland, Erin, thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have done for me and Dexter. Thank you for showing me how to communicate what I want from him and how to work with him. Most importantly, thank you for never making me feel stupid. There is much more work to be done and I can’t wait for our next session.

Victoria Worsley
Calgary, AB


September 2009

Our one and a half year old Doberman, Bozley, is the most loving dog with our family but had HUGE excitement and aggression issues with strangers coming into our home and with other dogs or people out on the street. My family and friends repeatedly told me that I needed to do something about Bozley, and I felt extremely embarrassed and ashamed because I didn't know what to do about the behaviors. And not to mention the embarrassment and frustration when Boz would go absolutely berserk about another dog/kids/skate boarders/rollerbladers out on the street when we were out for walks. It didn't happen every single time but the anxiety that I felt when I would even think about walking him completely took away any joy of connecting with my dog.
 
I tried multiple different dog trainers and behavior experts who didn't really seem to listen to the real issues. I felt like we weren't even scratching the surface of the problems. I was told that I have a wonderful dog; he isn't aggressive; he just needs more training. None of the problems disappeared and new ones seemed to be cropping up by the minute. Their solutions were all techniques that used food or toy based training. Sure... my dog can now do half a dozen tricks and knows all of the basic commands inside and out but that didn't change anything! The behaviors just seemed to be getting worse the older that Bozley became so that instead of a cute 15lb puppy barking and jumping excitedly at another dog, Boz is now a 95lb big boy with big boy teeth that can pull me right off my feet when lunging toward another dog! Family and friends didn't want to visit anymore unless he had been put in his crate with the bedroom door closed. I didn't feel comfortable inviting anyone over that Bozley didn't know because of the worry about him deciding that he doesn't like someone. It was really starting to limit my life and cause unnecessary stress.
 
My boyfriend sent him to an expert in BC for two weeks that made wonderful progress with the down/stay and heel commands. We picked him up and he was PERFECT... for two whole days. The behaviors came back with a vengeance and possibly even worse than before. Our dog walker even fired us from her service at that point.
 
I was at the end of my rope. I couldn't get rid of Bozley because I felt like I was passing on the monster that I had created to someone else to deal with. The guilt that I would feel if another person, child or dog got hurt because of him was an overwhelming thought. Besides, Bozley is a part of our family and I didn't want to give up on him. Even though other trainers had not provided us the help that we needed in the past, when our dog walker suggested that I try Canine Correction I realized that I didn't have anything to lose.
 
So I called Roland and Erin and am so EXTREMELY happy that I did!! We have been in their training program for approximately 3 weeks now and have noticed significant changes in Bozley's behavior already. It isn't hard work to do the exercises that Roland provides, just motivation and dedication are required. It is well worth the effort and time investment! Roland and Erin offer so much advice and support and are there anytime that I have questions or am just extremely frustrated and need a pep talk. They are teaching us how to gain respect from Bozley and we have even had family over since beginning the training that have noticed BIG changes in him as well. Their training techniques aren't complicated; they make complete sense and get results quickly!
 
THANK-YOU, Roland and Erin for all of your help, I look forward to the rest of our training sessions! I would recommend you to anyone who asks (and possibly some who haven't!)

Veronica Webbink
Calgary, Alberta

 


 

September 2009

I contacted Canine Correction when my new rescue dog Ranger started showing some issues with having people around his food.  I didn't want this problem to escalate and knew "regular" obedience sessions wouldn't get to the root of this new problem so I was searching around on the internet for someone to help us. I am so thankful I found Canine Correction. Roland has helped Ranger and I not only with the food issues but also with my relationship with Ranger.
 
When I rescued Ranger as a one year old, he had spent the first nine months of his life chained up in a backyard, only to be abandoned by his owners when they moved. As a result, Ranger was a very independent dog and it felt like there was something missing when interacting with him. Ranger was overall a good dog, but his attitude was "I'll do what you want because you'll make me" not "I'll do what you want because I want to". Roland came over and pinpointed the problem within 5 minutes; Ranger had a huge lack of respect for me. Roland gave me simple, easy to remember exercises that I worked at diligently. The difference in Ranger was huge. He went from a good dog to an amazing dog! A 75 lb dog who used to tow me down the street and lunge at squirrels and bunnies became a dog I now walk on a loose leash held in one hand. No more towing, no more lunging. After I gained more respect from Ranger, Roland came over for a second session to specifically work on the food issues we'd had. The exercises were once again simple and easy to remember that garnished huge results. Ranger is now completely trustworthy with having people around his food.
 
Roland and Erin are wonderful to deal with and really want to stay involved with you, even long after the training sessions end. Their love and respect for dogs is simply amazing and the results they produce are jaw-dropping. I contacted them because my dog was food possessive but they changed our whole relationship. Ranger now eagerly listens to me and most importantly WANTS to please me. He's also so well-behaved on our walks people stop their cars next to us and tell me what a well-trained dog I have. Probably the most amazing thing that has happened since our training sessions was when Ranger and I were walking on a fairly deserted street and a car full of men started harassing me from the road. They pulled up a few feet in front of me and one man opened the door and made as if to get out. Ranger turned from a docile, happy-go-lucky dog to a snarling, growling attack dog and went to stand between me and the car. The man quickly shut the door and they drove off. As soon as they were gone, Ranger calmed down and went happily along on our walk, even stopping later to let someone pet him. I know if Roland hadn't shown me how to change my relationship with Ranger, that story probably would have had a much different ending. Thank you so much Roland and Erin!!

Ashley Banbury
Calgary, Alberta

November 2008

My name is Amy and I am 27-years-old with Multiple Sclerosis and am 8˝ months pregnant.  

My husband Drew and I purchased a puppy named Maggie, nearly 3 years ago. She started off small and obedient but now weighs in at nearly 100lbs and doesn’t do anything she doesn’t feel like doing. I am the main caretaker and have never owned a dog before in m life!  I’ve never been taught how to properly deal with issues like barking, stealing food, eating cat litter and garbage, jumping, not listening, pulling when walking and so on. I was no longer enjoying my dog in fact, I wanted my husband to get rid of her! So, last year I decided I had enough of her antics and called in a trainer. After spending $500 and being shown how to throw a bag of chain on the floor to scare the dog into submission, and to say “bah” we had enough! It did NOT work, the trainers weren’t interested in helping us further and seeing as these were the only techniques they offered, we were out $500 and still had a misbehaved dog! 

When we found out we were pregnant early this year, these issues soon became very urgent to fix! My husband did more research and found a company called “Canine Correction”. We were very hesitant about inviting someone else to the house to help because of the horrible experience we had previously so  when Roland and Erin came over we were slightly reluctant to fully accept what they were saying right off the hop. However, we listened to what they had to say with open minds and as the night went on and Drew and I were able to see with our own eyes the immediate improvement of Maggie’s overall behaviour! It was crazy! She went from this independent, “I’ll show you who’s boss” attitude to “I better listen or else”. Our jaws were literally on the floor just watching and listening to it happen. By the end of the night, we knew this was going to work. Roland and Erin emphasized how our gaining Maggie’s respect was KEY to the training and left us with some homework. They said they would be back in two weeks to see how it was going to and to show us more. They also let us know if we had any questions of any sort we could reach them by phone or email...every time we asked, they replied without hesitation. 

We worked with Maggie as much as we could and the improvements were happening daily. Roland and Erin came back, just as they said they would, two weeks later, and showed us more. Respect IS the key and without this information, we would still be at ground zero! Now I can walk Maggie myself; she no longer patrols the windows; she no longer barks at every little thing she thinks she hears; she doesn’t jump; she listens to come, sit, stay, lay down and more. She doesn’t eat food off the counter and is pretty much doing what we want when we want her to...like I said, it’s CRAZY! For the first time since we got her, I am really enjoying my dog. Something I didn’t think I would be able to do. Thank you!

Amy and Drew Grenier
Calgary, Alberta

May 2008 

Our family was planning a vacation when my husband and our very large German Shepherd got into a very "heated" argument in the park and of course, the German Shepherd won the battle.  I was at my wit's end trying to figure out what to do with our family pet who had suddenly decided he was the boss!  We didn't want to take him to our regular pet-sitters as they had small children and we didn't know exactly what was wrong with our beloved dog. 

Googling around the internet I called Canine Correction and ended up speaking directly with Roland.  That telephone conversation proved to be the best thing that ever happened to our pet.  I was extremely upset about my dog's future and going on vacation was proving to be much too stressful! 

Roland visited our home two days before our scheduled vacation and spent some time with Gaelen (our dog).  My husband and myself could see Roland's experience and professionalism with Gaelen immediately. 

We went on vacation leaving Gaelen in the care of  Erin from Canine Correction.  Erin stayed in our home with Gaelen and our other pets.  Upon returning it was obvious from the moment we stepped through the door that Gaelen was a much happier dog!  Roland worked his "magic" and the true winner was Gaelen.  We will continue to have Roland train us to be better dog handlers and I'm sure Gaelen will appreciate it! 

I highly recommend Canine Correction to anyone, whether you have an aggressive German Shepherd who needs some behaviour management or if you just want to go on vacation and know your house and beloved pets are in the hands of truly remarkable and professional pet-handlers. 

Thank you so much Roland and Erin, we truly appreciate all you have done for us and look forward to working with you in the future. 

Doug and Donna King
Calgary, Alberta

September 2007

When we adopted Sammie the rescue basset hound, we knew we might need some help as no one really knew her background.  Sammie wasn’t a destructive dog but did have some problems with barking, anxiety, and leash training.  As we were researching trainers with experience with rescues, we kept coming across Roland’s name so we decided to get his help.  When it comes to Sammie, we feel this was one of the best decisions we made as we saw results even after one training session.  Sammie now barks less when we leave the house and walks better on a leash.  As a bonus, we also have our another basset Cleo walking properly on a leash (she was very pokey before) which has turned our once frustrating walks into an enjoyable experience.  We can’t recommend Roland enough and fondly call him our ‘basset whisperer’.

On a scarier note, as part of our training with Roland, he advised us on what to do in case of a dog attack.  While we hoped we'd never have to use his advice, an unlucky day came when a large, aggressive dog attacked our two bassets. Because of Roland's training we were able to fight off the attacking dog with no harm to us and our dogs.  I couldn't thank Roland enough for his advice.

Janet Naclia and Brian Flynn
Calgary, Alberta

August 2007

We knew we had to do something about our 5 year old German Shepard Rocco. He would pull and growl intensely at anything or anyone that moved while we were out walking him! It was very embarrassing when people would yell over his misbehavior that we should do something about our dog! Not only this, but he had serious aggression toward small children relating to a bad experience he had when he was just a puppy.

We met with Roland and he taught us how to teach our pooch. We noticed a huge difference after the first session… we continue to follow his advice and Rocco has now become part of our family and not the family with the dog that no one wants to be around. We had a birthday party just a few short weeks after meeting Roland and Rocco enjoyed himself in the backyard with 10 ravaging screaming boys! Our baby girl just recently turned 5 months old, we are confident with Rocco and enjoy our family walks without the stress of having to be embarrassed or told off because of our Rocco’s misbehaviors.

Thank-you Roland from us… however, if dogs could speak Rocco would give you great gratitude for training his owners. 

Lee, Amy & Arayleah
Calgary, Alberta

December 2006


I just wanted to thank you again for the remarkable job/results that you did with 'Matty' our 2 year old female AKITA. I could not put into words the incredible transformation that we have seen, but I will try....


Matty was a perfect girl at home, but, and it is a BIG BUT, when we were out on our walks we found that she was VERY dog aggressive and DID NOT respond well to commands. With one 15 minute walk, you were not only able to identify the problem, but, as well,  give us the necessary tools and exercises to rectify the problems permanently. As any AKITA owner will tell you, you can never expect your AKITA to be completely passive with other canines, but Matty's progress is UNBELIEVABLE. It is now a pleasure to be out with her...We cannot thank you enough.


Worth the money ??? Every penny !!!

Maurice & Lucy Raymond
Calgary, Alberta

November 2006

 

FINALLY!!!!  Someone who actually gets into the minds of dogs and gets them to do EXACTLY what you want them to do with very little effort.  Roland, I’m so pleased with what you did for my Rotti, Diesel, and me as well, that I can’t thank you enough! 

 

While trying to walk Diesel, I came home feeling like he had just walked (dragged) me.  He had aggression and lunging issues towards other dogs, people and especially small kids.  Rotti’s have a bad enough reputation and to tell you the truth, I was afraid he was going to hurt someone or another dog.  My friend and I wanted to walk our Rotti’s together and that was impossible.

 

After just 5 sessions, Diesel has turned into the perfect gentle dog.  He now waits until I go out the door before following, and on our walk he stays right beside me.  There is very little trace of the aggressive, snarling, lunging dog he was before you helped us.

 

If anyone is having issues with their dog, I HIGHLY recommend Roland at Canine Correction.  His prices are excellent, he comes to your house and teaches your dog and then teaches you.  My friend and I are now able to walk our male Rotti’s together, side by side and even let them play together in the back yard with no worries they will get into a fight.

 

I’ve been told by several people on our walks how “WELL BEHAVED” my dog is.  That not only makes me proud, but eternally grateful to Roland for giving me a true life-long dog companion.

 

Thank you so much for everything!

  

Laurie Martten

Calgary, Alberta

 

 

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