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| East Pensacola DogSmithCatherine M. Zehner, CDTCGC Evaluator, Delta Society Pet Partner William J. Zehner, Jr., CDT  TestimonialsCathy has given us the tools to effectively end stress in our dogs environment, and taught me important tools on how to properly socialize my animals, with a loving and gentle approach. She also change the way I interact with my animals. She is a excellent trainer, I couldn't ask for a more professional trainer. Thanks Cathy we look forward to utilizing your abilities as time goes by, I highly recommend her for your training needs. I own three very spoiled dogs who require a lot of attention due to their needs and age. I felt very comfortable leaving them for a week at a time with the DogSmith technicians. I did not worry at all that they were being cared for and in good hands. My comfort was justified since upon my return, it was as if I never went away. Catherine Zehner was patient & passionate making the experience enjoyable. We are currently fostering a dog for a no-kill animal refuge. He was very frightened and virtually "shut down" when he first came to live in our home. He is a 10 month old Border Collie/Setter mix with an unknown background. We choose to foster him because we knew that he had little to no chance of being adopted unless he got into a home and was given love and correct training. Catherine Zehner of DogSmith has been fantastic! She has helped us to bring this dog out of his shell and gain much needed self esteem and confidence. Under Catherine's guidance, the use of clicker training, reinforcing eye contact and the Gentle Leader system, we have drastically improved this dogs life. Friends who initially saw this dog are amazed to see how much progress he has made in such a short period of time. Catherine is a very effective trainer for both dogs and people. She made the training enjoyable for both us and the dog and also drew up a daily training program that was really workable. Thanks to Catherine this dog now has a chance to get a great home We called on DogSmith because our Doberman, Triton, would not come to us when called. We learned some great techniques on how to work with him. Although he is very stubborn we have been working with him and see great results. Unknowingly to us our Lab, Yogi, was also having difficulty paying attention us and 'watching us.' After getting some great tips on how to get Yogi to watch us we can tell he is much more in tune with us. After working with the dogs for just a few days I can tell they are much happier to have more direction in their lives and that made the whole training experience worth it. The instructor was Catherine Zehner. The session was well done and well managed. It was positive fun for all. The instructor was in control and informative. We will go again to her classes. Hi Catherine, Hey Catherine ! just wanted you to know I worked with Milo today and the change is already remarkable. hit every command on key. sits (and stays) virtually unlimited amount of time; same for the "downs" too. pulling on leash WAY down and did some off leash stuff and stayed right next to me. even people doing yard work did not distract him. Catherine, Just had to brag on my 2 babies. Last night we had our computer guy over for dinner. He is not a real dog saavy person so of course I was wondering how my dogs would react. The doorbell rang and the usual "alert" mode was set. I called them upstairs and told them to go to their place and they did. Allen went to the door and let him in. They stayed in their place and I fed them some treats. As he got upstairs I gave them each a tennis ball and released them and they paid no attention to him at all. Gatlin held his tennis ball for the 1 1/2 hours that he was at our house and never bothered the guy at all. What a difference from the battle we use to have getting the guest up the stairs and all the excitement that usually followed. I was so proud of them! Thanks again for your help. Catherine - just wanted to thank you for taking such good care of Jersie for us. It was such a relief to know that she was in a happy and healthy environment. We're thrilled with the changes in her behavior and Jersie seems so much happier as well. We'll be in touch when we make plans to be out of town again. Catherine is a great dog trainer. My dog Dino is very large and energetic, and had a problem with jumping on anyone who came to the front door. We were very concerned about this behavior, and thought he would eventually hurt someone. We scheduled 3 sessions with Catherine. She used her clicker training method, and also taught us how to do it. Now when someone comes to the door, Dino won't even go to the door until he finds his bone, then he greets everyone by just wagging his tail and making noises (from being excited), No More Jumping. She also taught him to sit, stay, and lay down...Kudo's to Catherine The DogSmith in Panama City Beach !!!!!!!!!! Catherine provides excellent care of your babies when you board them with her. They are treated like a member of the family and not kept locked in a kennel 24/7. My dogs tell me they have a good time and they are always happy to go there. One of my babies is a rescue from an abusive situation. I have discussed him with Catherine and she has been evaluating what needs to be done to correct his problems. I am so looking forward to working with her to get Speck the help he needs. I took an 8 week basics class with Catherine. I have a highly reactive dog. The outdoor public environment of the classes simulated real world situations. She was able to observe the problems I was having and provide solutions. She has thorough knowledge of of animal behavior and if one method does not work for you, she is ready with another. Later this year we also took an intro to agility class. If we were having a problem with a certain obstacle, she took the time to work with us one on one. There is but one word to describe Catherine Zehner's dog training skills--AWESOME!!! If your dog has issues, needs behavior modification, or doesn't meet your expectations or goals, you need to engage Catherine Zehner, The DogSmith. I did and as a result my dog is not at the pound to be rescued. My dog, Magi, has been transformed. She is now a wonderful, loving, playful, companion who is attentive and obeys commands. This would not have occurred without the help of Catherine, training both Magi and me. If your dog needs training and you need to learn dog training skills, you need to call Catherine Zehner, The DogSmith. I would highly recommend hiring Catherine for any type of problem that you have with your dog(s). After only 2 short training sessions with my dog she has never had the problem again. She is personable with her clients and very knowledgeable about animal behavior. Catherine is a very professional, patient and consistent trainer. She works with the clients to help them to understand dog behavior so that they can successfully train their dogs. I've used Catherine several times to help train my dogs with outstanding results. I'm in full agreement and a proponent of operant conditioning (clicker training) which Catherine uses exclusively. Catherine and I, with our dogs, have participated together in several obedience demonstrations with great success and lots of fun. I highly recommend her for obedience training and problem solving. Catherine is extremely knowledgeable on positive training methods. She is a joy to work with and has great recommendations for any questions. I would highly recommend her to anyone for their training needs whether it is a puppy or an adult dog. She can meet your needs for obedience, agility and overall dog wellness through nutrition!! I have worked with Catherine in a group class setting with my dog. She was very good at making the people feel good about their work with their dog. She was also very patience with some trying dogs. I also had her to evaluate a puppy that I was finding a home for, she was very knowledgeable on the subject, she also made recommendations for the new owners to follow. I also had the privilege to work with her, with the Humane Society, with fund raising. She is a asset. I really enjoyed the training I had with Catherine and my great dane, Cookie. We had a cross section of breeds in the class, and Catherine was able to work with the individual personalities (dogs and owners) in a very pleasing and productive way. I am looking forward to taking another class with her. Catherine Zehner provided excellent service to me and my two dogs. She always arrived on time and spent even more time than I'd purchased to make sure my questions were answered. My dogs adored her and she was creative and knowledgeable in her training stragies. I would highly recommend her to anyone who wants to learn how to manage the behavior of their dogs. Catherine is an expert in her field. She has had our American Bull dog in training since he was 8 weeks old. And now, he is one of two perfect dogs....the other one is his little sister (a Yorkie). He behaves beautifully around people and other dogs.. be they small or large. I highly recommend that each dog owner hire a trainer; I highly recommend that the dog trainer be Catherine Zehner. Catherine conducted the dog training class in a fun, creative and professional manner. She was able to provide individual and group attention during the sessions. She has excellent skills and is a good communicator. I feel like she is an expert in her field and she provided an excellent value for the price. It is evident Catherine is passionate about her work with animals and she brought that passion with her to the classes. I have recommended Catherine's dog training classes to others without hesitation. She has a lot of patience, and takes the time to develop relationships with her clients to help her gain insights into what they need, and the best ways to meet their needs. I have attended classes where Catherine was the instructor, and found her very skilled in her field. I have used her services myself, and have frequently recommended her to friends and neighbors. I would highly recommend her franchise, 888DogSmith, as a professional, well-run dog training/related services business. Catherine is passionate about her job. She is truly a dedicated professional. Catherine was a delight to work with. She really delivered on all of the goals we set at the outset. Her integrity, communications and performance are second to none. A true professional. (Additionally, all of the 'Top Attributes' apply. We were forced, by the program, to only select three(3).) Sincerely, Terry & Mark Newdow Pippi doesn't PULL on the leash anymore!!! You are my hero. Hey! Just thought I would give you an update on the boys! They are doing GREAT! Diesel and I have a whole new relationship...he is now listening to me on a regular basis...I say come and he does :) It's a wonderful feeling...he ran the first couple of days we got to my dads house but that stopped after about the third day. I never even had to worry about Gunner...he now loves to chase sticks...so much so that he has gotten Diesel interested in them enough for him to eat them! I don't know what it is about the taste but they are almost as good as treats to both of them! I couldn't ask for anything better...They both listen...oh! We also got the dog doorbell...Diesel is still touch and go with that...he still tries to hit the door every now and again, but he's doing pretty well with the doorbell...Gunner has touched it once! I can't thank you enough for yesterday. It was such an honor to have there. When I started working with a trainer before, they weren't skilled. To watch you work is like watching It's Me or The Dog. Really impressive. I have been doing Leave it with Sophie and it works! Anyway, I am excited about coming to some classes. Let me know which ones we can sign up for Just wanted to let you know how the weekend went at the tournament. Gatlin was wonderful. He did not say an unkind word to any other dogs. He did his job enthusiastically and never went after another dog. Ava of course was remarkable. We took Esther and between races I walked her around the room so she could get the feel of the barking dogs and running dogs. She did great. They have a dog park right there by the gym so I took her over there to play with the some dogs that were at the park and she got along beautifully with all of them large and small. She has really come a long way. Thank you for helping me build confidence in them. "Thank you SO much for coming to our house and helping the whole family work with Lola on her attitude with kids! Not only did we not have any incidents, by the end of the week Lola barely reacted to Jaeda! (Except to look hopefully for treats) :) And 3 year old Jaeda handled the training better than any of the adults. Thanks again! This morning I heard something that, at least for a while, I thought I’d never hear. Abbey and I were out on our walk ~ she was sitting before we crossed a street. A lady was walking toward us on the boardwalk, so I waited for her to go by before I “released” Abbey. Wide-eyed, the lady exclaimed, “I wish MY dog was that well-behaved!”
I have a very spunky 9 month old Bichon Frise. He had a lot of problems with strangers and would constantly bark and lunge at them every chance he got. He also didn't like guests coming to the apartment and would bark incessantly, muzzle bumping them the entire time. I was frustrated and went through several trainers before being referred to Catherine. Let me tell you, she is a lifesaver. Without her I don't know what I would have done. She showed me valuable tools for eliminating his worst behaviors. Now, we get compliments on walks for his manners. He no longer lunges and even stopped barking at strangers, merely watching them instead. We were even able to help him inside my apartment. He is a completely different dog, and I owe it all to Catherine. If you are experiencing behavior problems in your dog, I highly recommend her and the dogsmith program. It really works! Plus, she really goes the extra mile and truly cares for you and your dog. Thank you, Catherine! Just wanted to let you know that we brought Lily back down to our daughter in Panama City Beach this weekend and so far, everything seems to be going well. We crated Lily several times during our stay for varying periods of time and the most we got from her were a couple of minutes of whining and a few barks that quickly subsided for the remainder of the time she was in the crate. We see this as a very positive result and we expect it to improve as Lily becomes more familiar with the area and Kelley’s schedule. We would like to thank you for all the assistance and encouragement you gave us in this effort. I think Kelley is extremely relieved that Lily can continue to live with her without disturbing her neighbors in the apartment complex. Kelley may contact you with further questions and some information on boarding and daycare that you provide but I wanted to personally thank you for the wonderful help you gave us in conquering this problem.Maeby is still doing great with her training. I don't think I realized it as much before as I do now, but we may have the most stubborn child that has ever lived! You were right, she will test you with commands if she isn't in the mood so the tip on persistence has really paid off. Granted, most tasks take twice as long as normal, but she is still learning! :) We had a great long walk today, followed by a VERY successful 3 dog outing to Walmart. She was incredibly well behaved for the ride and seems completely comfortable in a vehicle, which is huge! I plan to take her to Chipley soon, which will mean about an hour in the car. I'm sure she will do fine. Again, thank you so much for your hard work and successful training with Maeby. We are in a state of learning and are all getting used to the new routines, but I can tell her success will only blossom from here. |
