We couldn't be more happier than we are with the training we got with Loyal Start. Michele is very knowledgeable on dogs and their behaviors, obedience training and how to deal with bad behaviors to get positive results. She shows you how to be firm with your training that is consistent and that is less stressful on you and your pet. She's just a phone call away that offers support, answers any questions you might have about a lesson, or is willing to help troubleshoot a problem or new behavior you are experienceing. She is very compassionate and caring with your pet and your success. These classes were well worth there cost. I left there with the knowledge and confidence to continue what she showed us to have a happy and well behaved loving dog. She also knows the best products out there to use for your dog. read more

We started out in Michele's puppy preschool program when our puppy was just 9 weeks old. She really helped us with tips on potty training, crate training and walking on her leash. We continued on with her relationship building class and now have a 5 month old puppy who sits in her place for an extended period of time, comes on command, walks off leash, and is overall is a well behaved addition to our family. I highly recommend Michele and all her knowledge! read more

We took our four-month-old sheltie to Michele for puppy training class. She's the first dog either of us has ever had, so we didn't know very much going in--our pup was anxious, and so were we. We had a ton of please-save-us questions, and our dog refused to play with the other puppies in the class. By the time Clove graduated, though, she was going to her kennel and staying there without whining, she was sitting when told, she was housebroken, and she was playing with the other puppies! Since then she loves other dogs, which helps us run down her nearly bottomless energy. We learned how to calm her, too, and we learned how to be good owners and how best to take care of our dog, make sure she behaves but also make sure she has fun, find a good balance between treating her and expecting her to do what we tell her regardless of treats, and how to read her body language so we know if she's interacting in a healthy way with other dogs and people. The socialization was so amazing, and we recommend it to anyone who has a young puppy who's still in the pre-vaccination window--it's also a key window for socializing, and Michele provides a safe place for these vulnerable dogs to meet and play. (She does train older dogs also, but not with the puppies, and she sanitizes before any puppies arrive.) We loved the puppy class so much that we went on to take the obedience class, five one-hour, one-on-one sessions with you and the dog. The classes cover walking, sitting and staying, the two-hour "down," the glorious and invaluable "place," and the all-important "come" command. The methods are personalized to how well your dog follows or attempts to wriggle out of these commands. Michele gave us an easy-to-follow set of steps for each command, as well as a training schedule that never took up too much of our day (we can always find 15 minutes a few times a day) but always led to progress. Michele was very clear and patient. She showed our dog great affection but was able to make her obey, too--a model we've tried to copy. We asked a ton of questions, and she answered every single one to our satisfaction (including a slew of them we sent her by email, to which she wrote back thorough responses). By the end of a class, Clove was already getting the hang of a command, and a few days of training sessions later she about had it nailed down. It worked so well it seemed like magic--suddenly, we were really communicating with our dog! Such a pleasant feeling. Thanks, Michele! We give Loyal Start our highest recommendation, especially for first-time dog owners, but really for everyone who sometimes feels they just aren't connecting with their dog. Owning Clove has been even more amazing since Michele taught us how to communicate effectively with her. read more

We have an 8 year old pitbull. After we moved to a new house in a new city she started to act out toward visitors to our new home. We were so worried about her and her future. However, we turned to Loyal Start Dog Training and we have a new outlook on our puppy dog's life. We have been able to restore our dogs trust and she is calmer and happier now that we are in control. I really think that investing in our dog's training was the best thing we could have done for her. We are proud to be her owners and so glad we used Loyal Start! We highly recommend. read more

Michelle is a great trainer. Loyal start was a great choice for my family. I would recommend Loyal Start Training to all dog owners.