Testimonials

February 13, 2025

I’ve had many adopted dogs. My most recent is a lovely, big, sweet, Shepherd mix. Along with his sweetness came some problems (expected), but my years of accumulated experience didn’t work with him (unexpected). He was high strung and reactive, but in an excited/happy way. He would jump and pull. He barked and cried at the sight of a friend, 4 or 2 legged. He seemed to always be looking for the next new thing that would bring him fun, dragging me along. He didn’t appear to be connecting with me at all. Several months in I was heartbroken and at a loss because little had changed. Then along came Polly. Polly is not just a skilled trainer certified in BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training). She is a skilled animal person. Her eyes miss nothing. She has a way of seeing things that the other trainers didn’t, and her focus was on teaching ME how to see them too. With Polly’s steady, patient teachings I began to learn how to understand the dog in front of me. She shared what she saw in his body signals and taught me how to identify his stressful situations. How to recognize his tolerance levels and what to do to help him grow through them. Because he’s friendly. I didn’t identify them as triggers! I had no idea! She opened up a whole new world for us. Fawkes and I go everywhere together. We complement each other now rather than distract. As Polly always says, get to "KNOW" your dog, not "NO" your dog. I cannot recommend Polly enough. Whether it’s behavioral, obedience or getting to know your new puppy. She’s the one you want.

Five months ago, a very reactive, seven year old German shepherd dog came to live with me. Taking a walk with Kaya was nearly impossible, with her pulling, lunging, and barking at other dogs. Our veterinarian recommended B.A.T. . At our first session, my dog was nervous and stressful. Even when presenter with a" fake" dog in the field at a distance of 160 feet. After 6 or 7 sessions, Kaya can now tolerate a live dog for 45 minutes before showing signs of stress. I call that success!  I learned:

1. To read my dog's body language

2. To show her a way out of stressful situations

3. To respect her tolerance level

She is beginning to be more comfortable and less stressed. Soon Kaya will choose on her own to turn away from stress rather than lunging and barking. How empowering that is to me. This is a positive method. I'm hopeful of a lifelong journey of using B.A.T. techniques to improve the behavior and life of my dog.