| Testimonials |
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Cindy: We were at our wit's end and in desperate need of training when we came to you with Samy our adopted shelter dog. Little did we know that he had cleverly disguised himself as a sweet, demure little black lab so we would take him home with us. When we got him home he revealed his true self: that of a hyper-table-dancing-armchair-chewing-nipping-jumping maniac! Thankfully, we heard about your positive reinforcement program and took a six week class. We learned how to reinforce the behavior we wanted from Samy and redirect his less than ideal behavior to something more constructive. The first four weeks of class, Samy was very anxious and easily distracted by the other dogs there. But you provided him a safe place to learn by using an extendable fence with a blanket on it so he couldn't see the other dogs. This gave him and us the opportunity to be part of the class because he was much less distracted. By weeks five and six the fence had been shortened and Samy was able to come out into the main room and help demonstrate commands. We continue to use the methods we learned especially the "Samy Hustle" call back command to which he responds about 85% of the time, although we strive for the elusive 100%. We are so pleased with Samy's behavior changes because it allows us to take him more places with less anxiety and he gets to live a fuller, happier life. Much thanks and gratitude, Samy, Amy, Donna and Ray
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We were referred to the Right Steps by our vet who had taken her own dog to Cindy and highly recommended her. From the start we were impressed with her professional communication and friendly attitude. Her facility is very clean and comfortable and our dog was very relaxed during the indoor training classes.
We truly enjoyed our 8 training classes and looked forward to all the outdoor locations. Cindy has a knack with dogs and she gave us lots of tips that we are still relying on. We loved the small class size and the individual attention she gave us- even though we have one of the tiniest breeds. Our class had a mixture of breeds and sizes and she was able to give us each specific instructions that were customized to each of our dogs. She made the classes fun and relaxed so the training wasn’t stressful.
We would highly recommend Cindy and have referred other clients to her- you can’t go wrong!
Sincerely,
Karen and Rick Kettenhofen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cindy was recommended by my Vet who describes herself as being "picky" about trainers, and who strongly advocated positive reinforcement type training. I had adopted a beautiful, energetic, and very naughty Lab--Bella. I soon realized I was in over my head when it came to keeping Bella in check. And I feared that, without training, as Bella grew older and bigger, she would become completely unmanageable. Bella started in Cindy's Puppy Socialization classes when she was 10 weeks old and quickly earned the nickname "Wild Child." Cindy's calm approach and depth of knowledge helped me form a daily training regimen that kept Bella occupied with learning instead of destruction. Cindy also suggested games that burned up lots of Lab puppy energy while reinforcing her training. Cindy's instructions were age-specific, and helped me through the various stages of puppy development. Cindy also suggested useful tools, like the Gentle Leader harness, to help with specific issues. Without Cindy's guidance, I would have wandered around the pet stores and ended up buying a lot of things that didn't address Bella's needs. Bella progressed through Junior, Senior, and Field Trip classes. Her new nickname became "Mild Child." Today, I have a well mannered, calm, beautiful Lab. I get many compliments on my Good Dog. I can take Bella everywhere and she is unfailingly calm, sweet, and well behaved, even in noisy and crowded venues. I am grateful to Cindy for providing us with the training tools to get from Wild to Mild. Kathy & Bella
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are no bad dogs or dumb owners at Right Steps, only the untrained and the uninformed. I learned as much as Jasper at our classes. We both had fun, and he's a better behaved pup than when we started. We'll be back for more training in the future! Thanks, Cindy! Liane Leavitt and Jasper
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cindy, I would like to thank you so much for the puppy lessons. I never had any lessons with my Aussies and I long wished that I could have worked with them better during 20 years on our sheep ranch. Now that I am retired from teaching it is wonderful to have the time to build lifelong communication with our Mini Schnauzer, Sasha, with your help. We are just finishing the first series and we plan to continue with your positive training methods. You are really training us to talk straight and to listen to her needs accurately. Here is a photo of Sasha with hubby Jim. Jim had never had his own dog previously and he had long said that he would leave, if I got one in this condo that we live in. He had never liked dogs. Well, he is with her constantly now, and he thanks me every day for getting her. We use Cindy’s methods all day long to better enjoy her. I think if I had taken this class before being a parent and a teacher, I would have done a better job of both. Cindy’s methods are just good common sense and positive at every point. Dogs just want to love and please you, and it has been a joy to watch the dozen puppies in this class, turn into socially adjusted, happier, calm pets. Jessica
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi, we have a Standard Poodle named Rufus. He is smart, loving and fabulous but very very hyper. We went through 2 training sessions with Cindy and she was wonderful. She gave us so many wonderful ideas to help calm Rufus and valuable training skills. Cindy is very calm and patient and I am not at all! She helped me not get so frustrated with Rufus's over zealous outlook on life! He is still a work in progress but we have so many more skills to pull from the before. Thank you Cindy!!! Debbie and Don Harmon
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Hi Cindy,
I just wanted to let you know that Jäger and I passed the Delta Society Pet Partners evaluation on Sunday. I wanted to thank you for helping us train our dog. He has been enrolled in your classes since he was 11 weeks old and he is turning a year old on 4/11. The evaluators mentioned how uncommon it was for a dog of his age to pass the test the first time. I am sure that your training helped. It’s hard to believe that 9 months ago he was going to your puppy socialization classes. How time flies! I’m sad that we are coming to an end of our last class with you for a while. It was worth every penny to continue on with his training and go thru all your classes, as it only helped him become a well adjusted dog. My favorite class was the outdoor class you held. I am somewhat new to the area, so you introduced me to some really cool places to go with him while we were training. You were such a wonderful trainer to work with. We try to take Jäger anywhere we can and are constantly getting compliments on his behavior and asked what kind of training we did with him. I am always telling people about you and what a great job you do. I know I don’t need to say too much though because they can see the results first hand. He is such a polite dog and listens to us. I attached some photos of him for you. I will always recommend you to people that ask. Thanks again for helping us achieve our goals!
Sincerely, Charity
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My wife & I have trained our dog
Ollie with Cindy at The Right Steps and have enjoyed the
experience. She is a good trainer and has a wonderful love
for the animal. We highly recommend her. Here a some
pictures of Ollie at varying ages - he is now 2+ and neutered -
still a love bug.
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I've been handling animal-assisted therapy dogs for 7 years, and
knew that getting my new Rottie pup Sophie off on the right
start would be essential to reaching our goal of certification
at 12 months of age. Cindy understood my goals, familiarized
herself with our particular needs and helped us focus. Her
guidance and patience helped Sophie and I establish good
communication and get us (me!) in the groove of learning
together to be as a new team. We attended both Junior Puppy
Class and Puppy Plus classes, and made sure we were there to
take advantage of play time with the other pups not only to burn
off some steam and have some fun, but to have supervised play
with a trained professional to spot behaviors and body language
I should be aware of for Sophie's physical and mental
well-being. Cindy's methods were clearly communicated and easy
to understand, and she was always willing to give a visual
example of what she was explaining if it was complex or seemed
confusing. Her class handouts were equally easy to use and we
used them every day to work on our new skills.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cindy Smith of "The Right Steps" could be called "The Dog Whisperer" of the Sacramento region. When Rex, my large German Shepherd was just 6 months old, I knew he was going to be the size of a horse and could outsmart me, too, when I saw that he could even 'open doors and gates'. Oh lordie, due to just his size alone, I knew he would definitely need training so that I could handle him with his strength. Thank goodness Cindy trains horses, too. A client of mine suggested that I call Cindy Smith with "The Right Steps", saying that Cindy was so tuned into her dog and would gently but firmly teach her dog so many things. Cindy connects to each dog with her genuine love and faith in them to teach them all of the many things they need to know to be loved and accepted at home and safe in the outdoor world, too. Cindy's knowledge and her confidence shines on through everything she does and it shows with her success with the animals. Because of the difficult summer I was having last year, and also had two geriatric dogs at home, I decided to sign Rex up for a 3 week training/boarding program she offered with VCA Greenback Pet Resort. Rex not only had a wonderful time, but learned so much. She had trained him in the commands with hand signals, too, to sit, go down, stay, crawl and come from a distance. She taught him to retrieve the Frisbee (his very favorite playtime toy) and to roll over. As much as I missed him those three weeks, he learned a lot and lots of social skills, too. You can now often see me walking with Rex through Lowes, Home Depot, Petco, Orangevale Copy and even Washington Mutual. He goes with me everywhere and everyone loves him. He looks like a very big canine police dog, but with the sweetness of a saint. Everybody stops to touch his big, black smiling face. And, at the dog park now, others are so impressed with all that Rex can do with me.....thanks to Cindy Smith. Another thing I love about Cindy and her training is that she uses the harness and gentle leader for those dogs like mine that want to pull us along. She doesn't believe in the 'choke' and 'prong' collars. Like everything she teaches, it is with gentle persuasion and positive reinforcement. It is also pretty embarrassing at times when my dog gets the best of me, but she doesn't criticize me for it, she just teaches me how to 'undo' it and how to 'do it differently'. Gotta love her...what else would you expect from someone who loves your '4 legged human kind' as much as you do. Susan Silva and Rex der bar 'Rex'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cindy has a very special way with puppies and dogs. Tilly and I have attended Senior Puppy, Puppy Plus, Trick class, and multiple Small Dog Play sessions. I believe that dogs "read" people and I haven't seen a dog that didn't positively respond to Cindy and her training techniques. She works with each dog and owner, providing insights and suggestions for both creating positive responses and correcting negative ones. Her techniques are gentle and consistent. Cindy is patient and positive. Right Steps classes provide valuable training and socialization opportunities. I would recommend her classes to anyone! Thank you! Nikki
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tobias was a rolly polly 15 pound Australian Shepherd puppy when we began classes with Right Steps last year in Orangevale. We enjoyed the puppy classes, right through to semi private lessons with Cindy appreciating her expertise, advice and counseling. I think the only class we have not taken is Trick Training! The classes were fun and we made many new friends, both human and canine which have lasted into his adolescence. Tobias is now 55 pounds and a handsome 17 month old black tri colored Aussie who is enjoying learning Rally-O and taking Competition Obedience! We count Cindy as a valued friend who we would and have highly recommend to anyone just beginning with a new puppy or young dog. Kathy P. & Tobias Two pictures of Tobias are attached from the reunion of the Southern California Aussie Rescue Group Reunion in Lancaster, CA in April, 2006.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My testimony of Pee Wee Play/Small Dog Play Group: I
would say puppy play every Saturday night has been a wonderful thing
for my little dog. Pretzel used to sit under my chair for months and now - she lets other people pet her and even strangers too...so, that is a big plus...being around other people and know they are not going to hurt her... Now she is happy to drive up to the center and pushes me almost out of my seat. Her tail starts wagging and she is eager to get in the middle of things. She plays one-on-one a little now. She even drinks a little water while there - which is a rarity but, she keeps feeling more and more comfortable and others have noticed the BIG
change in Pretzel over a couple of years. Thanks, Cindy Doris Madigan & Pretzel *Photo
Pending*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Right Steps classes that we have taken have allowed us to train our bearded collie "Izzy" in a positive manner. She has responded well to this method and looks forward to each training session both at home and at class. The beginning socialization with other puppies allowed Izzy to become very friendly around other dogs. Cindy is very talented in matching dogs of similar personality for this socializing. I would highly recommend The Right Steps to anyone with a young puppy. Steve L. & Izzy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We first met Cindy thru Folsom Parks & Recreation when we got our American Bulldog Zach. We really liked her non force way of training, so when we got our Springer Spaniel Daisy May, there was no question that we would take her to the Right Steps. Daisy May is still a work in progress, but with the basic techniques that we learned from Cindy, we are making wonderful progress. Thank You, Rick & Tracy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Roxxy is a graduate of The Right Steps with Valerie {Puppy, Jr. and Sr. class and also Puppy Agility (offered a few years ago)} and has turned out to be the best dog. We can take her anywhere and never have to worry about her behavior. Tudie is still in the learning process and has made great steps to becoming as well behaved as Roxxy. Cindy is great to work with and makes class fun for both participants. She takes great care to ensure play time is fun and safe for puppies of all sizes and ability. Cindy has also made my kids, 14 & 10, feel welcome and helped them participate with Tudie during class. I would, and do, highly recommend The Right Steps for any new puppy owner. The rewards last a life time! Angela H. Here is a photo of Tudie (9 mos) and Roxxy (5 years).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Cindy: We are so pleased that we had you out to look at Stanley. Your reassurances really helped. Then, when we saw how frightened he was at the class we really worked at his training, all according to your positive methods. Even though we aren't finishing the class we still believe that you helped us to discover how great he is. We are going out of town and Stanley is going to be neutered but we plan to consult you further. Thanks so much. Darrel and Colleen Fredrickson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Cindy, I just want to thank you for the good experience Mia and I had in your dog training classes. Thinking back on our private lesson I recall that you just talked to us (me) but didn't put Mia through any commands or ask her to perform in any way. However, you kept massaging her entire body during that lesson. I don't know if that touching was the cause of the dramatic change in her behavior during the group class the following day, but that is the only new factor introduced in her training before the last group classes. Maybe those in the past who had called you a "dog whisperer" were correct. The change was pretty miraculous. I didn't realize the degree to which Mia suffers from a fear problem until I tried to take her for a walk the day after "graduation." She was like a spooky horse! She shied away from a neighbor out washing his car, water in the gutter, a couple cars which drove by, etc. We only covered about a quarter of a block during our walk. I will try to desensitize her in little steps with short new experiences. Mia and I need further training and I look forward to joining one of your future Puppy classes and possibly join the small dog play group.
Thanks again for showing
me that reward based training works effectively with Mia while
dominance based training does not.
Grace L. with Mia the Shih Tzu *Photo Pending* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We started training with Cindy when our border collie, Tippy, was just 12 weeks old. Cindy read her shy nature immediately and guided us through a training process that was adjusted to be just right for Tippy. Cindy understands the nature of dogs. She reads the "pack dynamic" quickly and accurately and creates a safe place to socialize and train a dog. She is equally as good with people which makes her an outstanding trainer. Tippy is now a confident, well mannered adolescent border collie and a great deal of the credit goes to Cindy. Cindy is professional, kind, and fun. I am so glad we trained with her at The Right Steps. She got us off to a great start with our puppy!! Tish Ceccarelli
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ruby and I really enjoyed the Puppy Primer and Jr. Puppy Class at The Right Steps. Cindy is an excellent trainer -- kind and patient with the pups and their parents. Ruby was always so excited to see Cindy and was a very eager student. As a first time puppy parent I thought it was really important to get started right. Cindy equipped me with the information and tools on how to deal with common puppy issues. Ruby is growing up healthy and well mannered and it really is because Cindy set us down the right path. Thanks Cindy - Ruby and I look forward to future classes at The Right Steps.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When over a year ago Rascal found his way into my life, Cindy was the first person I called. After I have decided that I was able to keep him, I enrolled him in every class possible with Cindy. I learned my lesson with my first dog, who I did not provide any training at his younger years. Cindy taught me so much and really strengthened my relationship with my babies. Cindy is very patient and only uses positive reinforcement. It is amazing to see when Rascal responses to her right of way. Thank you Cindy for helping me become a great and responsible mom to my dogs. Here's a picture of Rascal with his big brother Keanu both sitting nice for the picture. It really helped that I had some treats! Sandra, Keanu and Rascal (Chihuahua)
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© 2006-2010 The Right Steps & Cindy C. Smith. All rights reserved.