Training People to Teach their Dogs.
I am one of the leaders of Bay Area German Shepherd Rescue. When we encounter a difficult dog, we often call Lisa. These are normally, large dogs with significant challenges that are beyond even foster parents with strong German Shepherd experience.
We keep calling her because the results have been extraordinary and in resulted in many saved lives. It's hard to describe the impact she has. What I can say is that she is on our site as only one of of two recommended trainers.
From a nipping and hostile dog in San Anselmo to a loving companion roaming the streets, metros, cafes and restaurants of Paris. A miracle was accomplished in less than 5 weeks through home sessions, park walks and cafe sit downs.Lisa a true caring person with the utmost knowledge and understanding to dog training needed.
Thank you so very much and look forward to sharing our travel photos.
Nasser A., San Anselmo
Mojito before: & after
Thank you so much for teaching both me & Mojita. You come from this wonderful loving, non judgmental place that we both took correction well. Patty S., San Rafael, CA
I highly recommend Lisa from DogOvation for dog training/behavior issues. Another trainer had suggested that I send one of my boys back to the breeder because he was “too much dog” for me. There was no way I was going to get rid of Harvey, so started working with Lisa. After 3 months, my husband and I have a “doggy happy” household! Lisa is very caring, patient, and knowledgeable about dog behavior and training. When I started working with Lisa, I emailed her daily (if not several times) and she responded promptly by answering my questions and encouraging me. The manual Lisa gave us is a wonderful resource. It is comprehensive, user friendly, helpful and something I will always have to refer back to. In the beginning, I worked very intensely with Lisa but have now progressed to working on my own with the dogs. However, Lisa continues to be available for ongoing training/issues that may arise. Bottom line, we have had great results with Lisa’s training methods. Julie N., San Carlos, CA
Chewie as a puppy.
My guess is that he is
about 100
pounds by now.
Such a
handsome boy!
(Lisa at) DogOvation has been an amazing trainer for Chewie, our American Bulldog. We have three young children and when we were looking for a trainer it was of the utmost importance to find someone we felt would be a good fit for the entire family. We wanted to find a trainer that not only could work with a bully breed but understood children and work with us to help them understand how to appropriately interact with the dog. Lisa’s background was a perfect fit – she was a social worker before she was a dog trainer. Overall, she has exceeded our expectations. Lisa was professional from the start. We had an introductory consultation where she met Chewie and the family and we outlined what our goals were going to be over the next few months. She made it very clear that she was committed and would be there to help (including follow up emails etc) as long as we did our part. I really appreciated her candor and can say she has lived up to her word. You can tell she takes pride in her work and is committed to making sure you know how to train your dog so your dog can maximize its potential. Some of the things we worked on included: potty and crate training, counter surfing, basic commands (sit, stay, lay, off, heel etc), and leash aggression and interaction with other dogs.
Ryan H, Larkspur, CA
Ryan H, Larkspur, CA
Lolita: No longer counter surfing, running back and forth in the house all day or accosting the house guests as they arrive.
Lisa worked with our dog, Lolita, for about 4 months, as we had a lot of issues with her chewing stuff, excessive barking, counter surfing, and over excitement (that last one gets pretty annoying for you and your guests when your dog is super strong!).
Lisa (gave) us read a small sized book (which we still go back to) with the theory behind her method and the tricks and tips she suggests to use. Then we set up a schedule for her to come once or twice each week to have an hour one on one session where she would teach us and Lolita activities to do so she would learn recall, relaxation, place, etc. It really changed our dynamic! We now know how exactly to react to an unwanted behavior and our mutual communication (Lolita-us) is WAY better. We understand what she needs and she understands what is not acceptable. In addition, when the program is over, you can always contact Lisa with questions and she can even come over to your house if something is not working out. Also important to mention she is SUPER flexible with her schedule! We still have a smart, funny and mischievous doggie who opens every door in the house, but we now get along so well and understand each other. Last thing, she is pricey because she is worth it!! Cecilia H., Mill Valley, CA
Lisa worked with our dog, Lolita, for about 4 months, as we had a lot of issues with her chewing stuff, excessive barking, counter surfing, and over excitement (that last one gets pretty annoying for you and your guests when your dog is super strong!).
Lisa (gave) us read a small sized book (which we still go back to) with the theory behind her method and the tricks and tips she suggests to use. Then we set up a schedule for her to come once or twice each week to have an hour one on one session where she would teach us and Lolita activities to do so she would learn recall, relaxation, place, etc. It really changed our dynamic! We now know how exactly to react to an unwanted behavior and our mutual communication (Lolita-us) is WAY better. We understand what she needs and she understands what is not acceptable. In addition, when the program is over, you can always contact Lisa with questions and she can even come over to your house if something is not working out. Also important to mention she is SUPER flexible with her schedule! We still have a smart, funny and mischievous doggie who opens every door in the house, but we now get along so well and understand each other. Last thing, she is pricey because she is worth it!! Cecilia H., Mill Valley, CA
We were having some pretty serious problems with our rescue pup Lyla. We were working so hard to get her under control but it wasn't working. Everything compounded one day when she got stressed downtown and bit someone! We called Lisa that same day and she talked us through the situation and calmed us down. We laughed when she said we would have a dog who would be sitting politely at a cafe by the end of our sessions. I would have been happy if she would have just been able to sit on command! Last week we had our final training class. This consisted of my now sweet and gentle little pooch sitting at a cafe for over an hour while we talked. Lisa was a godsend. She worked with us around our schedule, when we needed it, and allowed us to reclaim our lives! Now Lyla comes everywhere with me and I'm not worried about her behavior. We still have more work to do, but it's just going to come with experience, plus Lisa has given us all the tools we need
to keep going forward with her. I can't thank her enough. Tim S, Mill Valley
to keep going forward with her. I can't thank her enough. Tim S, Mill Valley
The fact that she was
deaf did not slow Daisy down!
I highly recommend Lisa for dog training. We knew very little about dog training and she helped us every step of the way when Daisy was a puppy. As a result, Daisy is happy and well-behaved. Daisy is deaf, and Lisa adapted her training to meet Daisy’s needs. Lisa taught us how to crate train, house train, communicate, and encourage positive behavior. She also followed up after the initial training to see if there were any outstanding concerns. We feel very fortunate to have benefited from Lisa’s amazing skills and personalized training.
Vicky C., Greenbrae, CA
Vicky C., Greenbrae, CA
Monty: Learning on Day One! Impressing Friends & Family
We have a 1.5 year old black lab named Monty. We have had three training sessions with Lisa and it was a fantastic experience. Lisa is knowledgeable about dogs and has developed her own philosophy, taking established theories of dog training and combining the best parts, and then adding elements of her own experience. Now, I’d like to think we just have a really smart dog who learns quickly, but in reality it was mostly Lisa’s training style that got Monty up to speed. He learned how to “Go to Place” during the first session (and then she taught us how to reinforce that before the next session). He learned “Heel”, “Come”, “Stay”, and also stopped barking when people came to the door. I think the best evaluation is how our friends and guests always comment how well-behaved and calm Monty is. That didn’t happen by itself and it definitely wouldn’t have happened without Lisa! I’m not sure how Lisa compares to other trainers price-wise, but initially I thought it was a little expensive. However when I saw how well it worked I knew it was worth every penny. Dog training is like laser eye surgery — it’s something you don’t want to go cheap on, and it is an investment that will be worth it for years to come. Dave B., San Francisco, CA
