In preparation for receiving my four-month-old goldendoodle Buddy, I read two books about the art of raising happy dogs. Each book detailed methods on how to make the dog do something. The overriding theme was exercise, discipline, and affection – in that order. I was eager to learn and did my best to internalize what I read. Just to be safe though, I consulted my veterinarian and he recommended a dog trainer, Lisa Desatnik.

Lisa presented a different approach to dog training; how to cause the dog WANT to do something. She guided me on how to have a relationship with my pup through affection, fun, and trust. Discipline was infused throughout with carefully-timed disbursements of treats, play, and “parties”. (Lisa is a master at this and wonderful to watch!) Foremost, her training taught me how to have Buddy value me over everything else. Thanks to Lisa, I recognize Buddy as his own unique doggy-self and look forward to the journey of building a quality relationship with him.
~ Cathy Koesters