Lucia, Leanne & Beto
GREAT JOB! Federico was clear about WHY the dog had to perform this or that routine. It really surprised me how easy-going the class was for me! I can now communicate better with my dog, now he just sits and waits until I tell him its ok come inside, instead of crowding me in the narrow hallway. I liked this course and recommend it because it is fulfilling for both the dog and the owner. Thanks so much for the good times and for your patience in answering all my questions.
Terrance, Arlene & Oliver
The Happy Puppy has not only well-schooled our Oliver, a Springer Spaniel pup, but has also changed my mind about dog-training.
Arleen and I had had our lives much enhanced by two earlier Springers: Molly, our first, and her successor Sally, dying at fourteen last August. Minor behaviour particularities aside—Molly’s table-overturning terror at thunder, Sally’s lifelong aversion to walking on a lead—we got along famously, without any formality of training at all.
And then we got Oliver, one very smart little dog with a will of his own to match. An alpha plus and something of a problem. Things started getting out of hand fast.
By cultural inclination, on various grounds from ethical to aesthetic, I was dubious about the whole notion of dog-training; of control and mastery, the nuances of “heel!” and the bribery of treats—all this was too Pavlovian for me.
Much against my initial resistance, last late winter along to our house comes Federico and his canine assistants to lead Oliver and us through a progressive sequence of instruction and subsequent practice. Oliver took to all this with great enthusiasm, he just loved to “do school.” and his behaviour now behooves a “good boy.”A fact that not only pleases us, but also our acquaintances.
Federico does the teaching like a master, knowing that it is both dog and persons he must teach. His honed skills as theatre director find here fit use. And the bonus is an Argentinian inflection gained in speaking the magic release word “Oh-kay!”
From our first consultation with Federico, owner of The Happy Puppy, we could see how knowledgeable he was and we felt confident that he could really help us with our very first puppy, Sam. It was great being able to watch Federico work with Sam and teach us the proper way to train and interact with him. Within the first two sessions, walking Sam became enjoyable. Before the training, Sam took us for our daily walks!
Federico explained to us how Sam’s growling and aggressive behaviour was caused by him wanting to dominate us and that with proper leadership on our part and proper communication Sam would change this behaviour. He taught us so much about how dogs think and act and helped us to teach our dog basic obedience with very quick results.
Federico’s passion and professionalism for dog training is remarkable. He offered us solutions to our specific problems and concerns, making his private training sessions well worth time and effort. Sam has just graduated from Novice and we are looking forward to continuing with the next level.
Thank you so much The Happy Puppy!
Manny, Barb & Sam
Federico is an excellent Master Dog Trainer and Behaviour Specialist. Our family and our dog Midnight have learned so much in ten weeks. Midnight has learned how to sit, stand, heel, lay down, stay and come to us when we call him to name a few. Midnight used to take us on walks and now we have great control. Our neighbours have commented on how well he does when they see us. He automatically sits when we stop to talk to neighbours on our walks and waits for his next command.
Federico's passion for dogs and his professionalism is superb. We especially appreciate that he comes to our home and teaches us privately on our property. He has taught us the proper way to train our dog and helped us to teach Midnight to obey. Midnight has also enjoyed his training and has showed us that he loves to learn. We are amazed when we watch Federico with his own dogs and how they interact with him.
We are very thankful that Federico from The Happy Puppy was recommended to us by a friend and we thank Federico for being so patient with us and Midnight and for always answering our questions and explaining things to us. Thanks again, Ken, Elaine, Kimberlee, Brittany & Midnight Ronald
Elaine, Ken & Midnight
"Training with The Happy Puppy has been great! Federico's knowledge and experience is perfectly complimented by his enthusiasm and love of dogs." Mike and Krissa
Mike, Krissa & Lola
When we brought Abby, a year-old Shepherd/Collie cross home from the Welland Humane Society, in April, we knew she was going to be a handful.
Having been in the shelter for 6 months and a stray for sometime before that, she was completely unsocialized, aggressive to other dogs and small animals, skittish around new people and fearful of new sounds/situations.
Although we are experienced dog owners we decided we needed professional guidance to help Abby adjust as quickly as possible to her new home, build her confidence and curb her aggressive tendencies.
The 10-weeks of private lessons that The Happy Puppy offered fit our schedule and allowed us to focus our attention.
It was amazing to see how positively Abby began responding from the first lesson. By the end of the 10 weeks Abby is able to completely ignore other dogs, greet strangers calmly and perform all the standard obedience commands.
While she remains a lively, playful young dog who is full of energy, the training and discipline has clearly boosted her confidence, helped her bond with us and enabled her to relax and enjoy her new home.
Thanks Federico for helping Abby become a happy dog.
Liz, Ken & Abby
