AnimalSense

They were referred to me by other professionals. We have only seen them one time, and we have definitely seen some improvement, and I am looking forward to seeing the changes in the next few weeks. The trainer knew what she was doing.

unknown

re: puppy training class: The instructor (Erin S.) did a wonderful job engaging all of the owners and their pets throughout class. She also provided detailed follow-up e-mails in which she reiterated the instructions for each of the exercises we were to do with our puppies and shared info on various products she had discussed with us. What I particularly appreciated was the fact that she spent a good deal of one on one time with my puppy Bailey and me after our first class, helping address my concerns about Bailey's adjustment to city life and to being in a home without other pets and/or children. She also took the time to help fit Bailey's first halter so that it was neither too loose or too tight.
re: private lessons: The owner, Lindsay Rapp, is actually the one who came to work one on one with Bailey and me in our home. I believe we had a total of five private lessons. During each, Lindsay helped answer questions I had about particular behaviors and talked about exercises I could do to help Bailey develop. She also spent considerable time working with Bailey on each of the new behaviors she needed to learn. Being a "new mom", I had a lot of questions and concerns - and Lindsay was fantastic about responding to each, whether I raised it during our training sessions or via e-mail.
I've been recommending AnimalSense to all of my neighbors with new puppies ever since I began working with them. As Bailey ages, I will definitely sign up for more classes to further challenge and develop her.

I have signed up for the next level of classes

I have taken perhaps ten courses for my two dogs. Jamie is a highly qualified trainer with excellent intuition. She communicates well with clients -- most of dog training is really about training the owners. She does that with humor and appreciation of the way we relate to our pets. Jamie is a CPDT and knows a ton. She's not doctrinaire about any training method and adapts quickly to what is needed in an individual case. Positive training takes longer but gives more lasting results. The business has become much larger since I started taking classes, and she now has locations on the near North as well as Oak Park. I would say not every member of her staff is as good as she is. All of them are good, but the level varies with experience -- if you can get one of the CPDT's or Jamie do that.

Both the puppy and I enjoyed the class very much. Some basic training such as sit and name recognition, lots of socialization with other pups, and a chance to meet other dog owners going through the same things with a new puppy. The trainer was very gentle and knowledgeable. My pup learned a lot.

The class provided our puppy with a great foundation for the basics. The curriculum was pretty simple, but all the important things, like coming when cued and walking on a leash. Jamie, the owner and instructor, has some nontraditional views on training (for example, she is not a big fan of fetch, or dog parks), but she provides a really valuable perspective. She taught us about how to read our dog's cues and how to communicate clear signals to her, which was really valuable. Jamie's unique perspective may not click with every dog owner, but we thought her class was really valuable!

Jamie is the most intuitive trainer around. She just gets dogs, and she gets what stops people from being good trainers. I've learned so much from her. She's really helped me turn my high-energy pug into a focused, incredibly well-trained little dog. Classes aren't so structured that you feel like you're in school. We have a great time, and we go away with a lot to think about and work on. Animal Sense practices nothing but positive reinforcement. Lots of trainers claim that, but Jamie really means it.