Testimonials

Back in March, my husband and I rescued a border collie/australian shepard/alaskan malamute mix puppy (Bentley) who lost his home in the Paradise fires. He was about 5 months old. It was obvious he had ZERO training! He could not walk with a leash, jumped on everything, would run out the door, had major food aggression (which makes me said thinking he had to fight for food at some point), would be very mouthy, and just wanted to do whatever he wanted to do. I knew immediately we needed to get him trained. So I reached out and a neighbor recommended Tricia. From the moment Tricia started working with Bentley, even on the first visit, we could see a difference. She speaks dog for sure!! haha!  She teaches the owner how to train the puppy which is perfect because we had no idea where to start. Now, Bentley no longer runs out the front door, he will go in his crate and be calm, his food aggression has improved significantly to where him and our other older dog can eat side by side (where as before he wouldn't let our other pup near him). Bentley no longer will jump on the counter (when we are around, still working on that because when we turn our back he's sneaky, yet still a pup). :)  He will walk right next to us on leash with very little correction and doing very well being off leash and not running away. Long long story short, ever since Tricia has started working with us, even has dog sat for us when we went out of town, we have noticed a huge change in his character. She is so great to work with! She's profession, hilarious, friendly, and most of all an amazing dog trainer! I have referred her to my friends because I know what a great job she has done with our crazy puppy!  Highly recommend her!

- Kelly Pipal

I rescued a pit from the Martinez shelter last year in December. It was one of the best choices we made for our family! We’ve been dog owners prior to smaller breeds so I really researched several trainers and decided that Tricia Smith was the best fit for our family’s needs. She specializes in pit bulls and is awesome to work with ...she was able to gain Rosie’s trust quickly. Rosie’s temperament changed once she was home for a few weeks and Tricia helped us work on correcting those issues amongst other things. I felt so bad not knowing what life Rosie had previously but all I know is that we are set to give her the best that we can possibly give her :) - Debbie, Rosie’s Mom

I had the privilege of working with Tricia a few months ago. I had just adopted my pit bull, Sadie, and was in desperate need of training...for both of us! One of the biggest reasons I needed my new “family member” trained is that I have two cats. Needless to say, I was a little nervous to introduce them all. I found Tricia through a family member who highly recommended her. Tricia was prompt to respond to me and even eased some of my anxiety before even picking Sadie up from the shelter. She gave me tips on what to do with animals and also how I should act upon introducing them. On the day I brought Sadie home, Tricia checked in with me multiple times and gave me pointers throughout the day. That weekend, Tricia came to my home to work on obedience training. I could not be more happy with the outcome! After three hours Sadie was sitting, laying down, waiting where I told her too, and healing at my side while walking. I could not have been more impressed or thankful! I look forward to more sessions with Tricia and would highly recommend her to anyone who is searching for quality time with a one on one dog trainer!

-Jessica Wraa 

My two furkids and I are so HAPPY we found Tricia! I contacted Tricia the week I adopted Missy, a 3-4-year old bichon mix.  Missy was afraid of the doggy door and I needed her to overcome that fear so that I could return to working in the office after working from home her first week.  I saw that several people recommended Tricia on Nextdoor.com and my neighbors hired her to train their new rescue a few weeks before I adopted Missy. They highly recommended her. 

Fortunately, Tricia was able to fit a training appointment in that same week.  When she arrived, she wanted to know a little about us and shared her background before we got started on any training.   My first impression was that Tricia is enthusiastic and knowledgeable and her love of dogs was obvious. Missy and Riley, my 11-year old bichon mix rescue, fell in love with her immediately.  Intermingled with doggie door use, she taught, or reminded, Missy of the sit, down, leave it, and wait commands. Riley who was already trained was included in the training sessions so he didn’t feel left out of getting attention and treats.  That’s important when a new sibling is introduced to the family. Tricia has also provided me with guidance on letting the dogs know I am the boss.  That still requires some work on my part. J

After a few training sessions always accommodating my crazy work schedule, and great success with overcoming the doggie door fears, Tricia is still in our lives. She walks the dogs on the days I go in to the office ensuring they get the exercise they need in addition to working with them on good doggie behavior while out.  I’ve seen how excited they are when Tricia comes over on additional days I’ve worked from home.  I know my furkids are in good hands, well cared for, and loved. I highly recommend Tricia to a new or existing furkid parent that wants to teach the new family member good behavior or improve behavior of a furkid that has been around for a while. You will not be disappointed!

 - Mary Byrne