to the point dog training

Kelsey Keizur3 months ago

3 months ago

We’ve used Tayah’s board-and-train program with two of our dogs, as well as her regular boarding services, and we truly couldn’t recommend Tayah and To The Point Dog Training more highly.<br><br>Both of our dogs needed brush-ups on basic manners - leash pulling, behavior when out in public, and general responsiveness to us. We completed a detailed intake form and had a follow-up call with Tayah, where she really took the time to understand our dogs and us. She was diligent and thorough and came completely prepared to address some breed-specific quirks with our guy who is a rarer breed mix.<br><br>During the board and train, Tayah provided constant updates and pictures and responded almost immediately whenever I texted. We always felt like we knew exactly how training and boarding were going and also received fun updates along the way. As a bonus, she also takes beautiful pictures (see attached!). Upon return, we had all the tools we needed to continue to reinforce the training that was started under her care. Tayah has also made herself completely available to any questions that have come up along the way.<br><br>For our two dogs, Tayah incorporated an e-collar into their training. My husband and I were initially hesitant about introducing this tool, as we had previously focused solely on positive reinforcement. I do think it's important to consider the tools you'll need to use following the completion of the board and train and whether or not you'll be consistent in ongoing training and management. We decided to trust Tayah's approach since we weren't seeing the results we wanted at home, and in some cases behaviors were regressing.<br><br>Introducing the e-collar has been a game changer for both us and our dogs. They're able to have more freedom in many ways, and we don't find ourselves getting frustrated when they aren't responding to verbal cues. I'm so glad we trusted Tayah's expertise and would highly recommend this approach for anyone who is finding themselves stuck or frustrated with their dog's behavior.<br><br>We will absolutely continue to utilizing Tayah's boarding and training services as needed - I can't imagine a better set-up for our pups! We highly recommend Tayah for training, even if your dog just needs a tune-up. She's an incredible resource and will continue to be part of our dogs' lives.

Julia Day1 year ago

1 year ago

I have two extremely stubborn, high-energy bully breeds named Misty and Moose. They both pulled like crazy on the leash and lunged at other dogs, and had a tendency to rush the door, jump all over guests, and get mouthy when they weren’t getting attention - But the scariest issue by far was Moose’s extreme blind-rage dog reactivity. I had intense anxiety every time I took them for a walk, and basically stopped ever having people over because of how overwhelming they would be - I researched training options for over a year and I knew a shorter, more intensive board & train program, as opposed to private lessons over the course of months, would work best for our situation, but I kept reading horror stories about B&Ts where dogs would come home obedient, but timid and sometimes even traumatized as a result of rushed, impersonal training, or worse, overuse of aversives in a way that wasn’t fair to the dog. I worried that positive reinforcement alone wasn’t going to cut it to change my dogs behavior, particularly because of how highly dog-reactive Moose was, but I wasn’t willing to risk their confidence, trust, and enthusiasm for fearful, mindless obedience. Tayah’s balanced approach to training is perfect - My dogs came home from their board & train with the skills and tools to succeed, and honestly even happier and more confident than they were before. Tayah spent several hours with me making sure I understood the how and the why to master each new skill, and taught me how to create the structure they needed to thrive back at home. She even continued reaching out in the days and weeks after they came home to check in and make sure things were going well, and answer any questions. Every step of the way, Tayah has been there supporting our success. This has been the most amazing experience, and the best investment I’ve ever made in mine and my dogs happiness. Our quality of life and bond is better than it has ever been! I truly cannot recommend Tayah highly enough! UPDATE 1: My dog had a medical emergency yesterday and Tayah was the first person I thought to call. She calmly explained exactly what to look for, where to take him, and what the visit would entail. I probably could have gotten that info by googling, sure, but her help saved us precious time so I could get him the help he needed quickly. The time saved probably meant the difference between a relatively easy and straightforward procedure that fixed the problem, vs. a costly, risky, and life-threatening surgery. So grateful I can count on Tayah in situations like yesterday. UPDATE 2: I moved away almost 2 years ago, so my dogs hadn't boarded with Tayah during that time and it showed. I had kept up with *most* of the training practices she taught me, but where I lived was remote with zero neighbors for miles so we weren't really doing any leash walks, and my dog-aggressive guy hadn't had much exposure to other animals during that time. I recently moved back to Seattle and boarded both dogs with Tayah for 2 weeks during the move. Despite the time away, Tayah picked up right where we left off, reinforcing the foundation we had built and fine-tuning their skills. It was amazing to see how quickly they fell back into the structure she had originally taught them. They came back with a refresher on leash manners, impulse control, and a noticeable improvement in their overall behavior. Specifically she worked with Moose, my reactive boy, on his ability to stay calm around other dogs and maintain focus on me/ignore triggers. This was such a big weight off my shoulders and I'm so grateful she worked with him again before we got back to city living.

Kittra Evenson1 year ago

1 year ago

Tayah at To the Point Dog Training has changed our lives! I have a very excitable and silly 2 year old Golden Retriever named Bogey. I was beginning to dread going on walks because I was unable to control him from lunging, barking, pulling at the leash. Having friends over was chaos and I feared he would knock people over from jumping. I had tried so many different training methods from the plethora of information online, but I felt we were making little progress and creating more frustration for both of us.<br><br>I met with Tayah, and she took the time understand what problems Bogey and I were having. She was clear from the beginning about realistic expectations and provided me with knowledge on what I could do to help him succeed. It’s scary to give your dog to someone for an extended period of time, but I felt so incredibly comfortable and knew Bogey was in the best hands with her. When Bogey came home from his 3 week Board and Train, she taught me the skills he learned and how to maintain them. Investing in training can be a huge choice, but the expertise and service Tayah provides is invaluable. I am now able to enjoy walks and life with my dog, communicate with him in a way that he understands, and strengthen our bond. Our quality of life has greatly improved, I am so thankful for Tayah!