The Life of Riley

Sep 2019

Wendy is an exceptional dog trainer. She worked with my two rescue dogs, Barack (2M) and Reyna (4F). I sought out Wendy for a few reasons: (1) Barack was having behavioral difficulties: he did not feel confident in his own skin, he would sometimes snap at his Reyna. (2) Both of my dogs pulled me on walks, making it impossible to walk them together. (3) Both of my dogs needed manners polishing: less jumping on visitors, barking less at passersby, etc. Wendy interacted well with Barack and Reyna. They loved meeting her and trusted her right away. She taught us basic drills to build their confidence before moving to more difficult lessons. She helped me identify the triggers for Barack’s anxiety, which helped us mitigate his flashes of aggression. She accompanied us on training walks and after following her advice, now I can walk both dogs together. Today we went on a two-mile walk and before working with Wendy, that would have been totally impossible. My family has noticed and complimented how little my dogs pull the leash. Wendy is also a consummate professional. She sends training notes after sessions to help you continue the work you do in session. She promptly responds to messages. It was never difficult to schedule a session. I bought a package of sessions online in one quick, secure transaction. The best thing about working with Wendy is her deep affection for dogs. She thinks about training from their perspective. She never recommends punishment or other coercive methods. She lets your dog be themselves and then targets and reinforces good behavior. She comes prepared with high-value treats. She suggests strategies for keeping the dogs entertained throughout the day: frozen kongs, puzzle toys, more walks to give their curiosity full reign. She cares that dogs lead happy, full lives and at the end of the day, that is what training is all about.

Sep 2019

I have a friend who has spent her life and career working in various animal services roles. When we sought help for the newest member of our family, a pit bull puppy we named Lily, she highly recommended Wendy. Wendy was quick to respond, listen to all of our concerns, and get us on her schedule. We were blown away from the very first in-home training session. Wendy is highly knowledgeable and brings years of experience as well as formal education to the table. There’s never been a question we’ve had that has gone unanswered. The wealth of information and guidance is astounding. What we like best about Wendy is her positive reinforcement approach. We voiced our concerns up front, one being that we did not want to harm our new babies spirit. We didn’t want her to feel punished and discouraged, even worse, afraid of us or our home. We want her to feel safe and secure, as we do with all of our animals. Wendy’s approach not only fits our personal needs, it is scientifically proven to be effective. Our baby Lily has come so far. We haven’t regretted this investment. We highly recommend Wendy and her services. In addition to Wendy as a personal trainer, we also use her services to have someone take our dogs out midday while we work. Wendy was very clear about her vetting process for hiring as well as what services are provided - which made us feel more comfortable about having someone we didn’t know come into our home without us there. This individual has been such a perfect fit for us. Both Wendy and Tracy have been such a blessing during this time. I hope you get the opportunity to tap into the wealth of information, training, guidance, and support The Life is Riley Pet Care Services can provide.

Jun 2018

Wendy is the best! She is so knowledgeable and very patient with my family. Even though walking a dog seems simple, there is definitely a trick to it! Wendy taught us how to walk our dog properly. She also helped us realize that our dog's behavior problems can be fixed. Still working on it, but his behavior is much improved thanks to Wendy.