[jlaack]

Now I am very unsure about the facility. I worked with the owner older lady long blondish grayish hair in 2003. Why I strongly recommend this place is I was pleased with the classes I observed and I used their services with a behavioral problem. At the time what I considered to be my 'finished' dog started lunging at dogs while on walks. So I went there for private lessons because after a few incidents I knew I was contributing more to the problem than working to solve it. I was very pleased with the lessons and we solved behavior through redirection and verbal praise. I had called several other facilities but there were more in line with switching to a pinch collar, pinning the dog down, etc. whereas I wasn't. I had a dog with very strong ob and I felt dealing with this problem that I should rely on the ob but I just didn't put together shifting to working before the problem occurs rather than correcting after it happened. I know this is REALLY long and off subject but I had a really positive experience there and up until reading your post (and the fact I live in WI) I wouldn't have hesitated to take any behavior issue to them. Now I really can't say. But I feel awful that I recommended this place to you and the methods employed to train dogs appeared to have changed. I would say perhaps it is the individual trainer, but when I took my dog there, the head trainer made all trainers go through a lengthy apprenticeship so the methods have to be coming from the top.

I understand your dilemma as the facility is amazing, but it is so essential for a dog to start with a great foundation created through quality training. I'm sorry I don't have much more concrete advice for you and again, I am truly sorry about the recommendation. I would stop using the squirt bottle and I would just say GOOD BOY for correctly performed commands.