It may sound cliché, but Atlantic K9 Training truly changed our lives. We live in Chicago, a hustling and bustling city where walking an untrained dog on crowded streets is nearly impossible. Before Atlantic K9, our pup, Comet, would constantly be pulling toward other dogs, whining hello to the people we passed on the street, or nearly yanking our shoulders out of their sockets to get to a squirrel.

In just THREE training sessions with Kathleen, Comet is a changed dog. We started our training in Appleton Farms, an open woods trail where I worried the distractions may overstimulate Comet.  We started Comet on a long line, giving him some space to smell and explore his surroundings.  I worried that, given the distance, Comet wouldn’t listen to me when I called him back.  However, through Kathleen’s training techniques, continued efforts, and unwavering patience, by the end of our first session, Comet was coming back when he was called with no problems. By the end of our second training session, we were able to let Comet off leash with no hesitation; with Kathleen’s training, we knew he would come back when we called. 

In our third training session, Kathleen suggested we go to Newburyport, a busier town that to some extent, would reflect what Chicago is like. Although Comet was incredibly stimulated by all the people and dogs he was seeing, he quickly latched onto Kathleen’s “heal” training and didn’t leave my side the rest of the walk.  Now, back in Chicago, Comet walks next to us on a loose leash.  When we pass people on the sidewalk, Comet doesn’t lunge toward them to try and say hello.  If we see a dog on our walks, Comet no longer incessantly wines to get their attention.

Before Atlantic K9, walking Comet was more like a chore.  It wasn’t something we looked forward to.  With the training Comet received, he is a different dog.  Although he may still get excited by the occasional squirrel, walking him is no longer this uphill battle, but rather a joy that brightens our day.  We are forever grateful to Atlantic K9 Training and Kathleen and the training she gave us.