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Harvey
"We cannot recommend Sonia enough. Before working with her, Harvey had separation anxiety and wouldn’t settle when left alone, and was very much a needy and hyper dog who couldn’t relax no matter how hard we tried!
From the very first visit he has been a different dog entirely, much calmer, well behaved and most importantly happier! This is all thanks to Sonia and we couldn’t be more grateful!"
I got in touch with Lorna as a last resort really believing I could no longer cope with my beautiful GoldenDoodle. I got her at 10 months and she had never been taught manners. She pulled on the lead until your arm was aching, was uncontrollable when she met another dog and basically acted like a juvenile delinquent. The final straw was when she charged at a woman and a dog to play, knocking them both flying. I thought nothing could be done to help me communicate effectively with my dog but decided to try one last time with a professional.
From the first phone call she was supportive, non judgemental and offered advice when I needed it. She worked with me, giving me very clear instructions to remedy my dogs unwanted behaviour, taught me how to get her attention, when to ignore her and when to praise her. After a very short period of time, I have a super happy dog who is respectful, balanced and also walks to heel. I cannot thank her enough, nor can I recommend her enough.
Thank you!
Kind regards,
J, D and S
Lola
We needed help with out 9 month old Border Collie, Flo. A gorgeous dog but she was showing challenging behaviour that was really taking the shine off our life with her. Everything seemed to be on her terms, play, affection, obedience. She had issues walking on the lead near traffic and constantly attempted to herd the cat and the grandchildren! So who did we call … Sonia from the NDTA!
Sonia was quick to observe and assess both Flo and her human parents. We had allowed Flo to exert her dominance in such a way that she believed herself to be ‘leader of the pack’. This was the root of her challenging behaviour. During two extremely productive and enjoyable sessions we developed a new skills set to overcome them.
There is no magic wand, commitment and perseverance is very much key to maintaining the the better behaviour and positive responses (Flo is a stubborn girl!)
I have no hesitation in recommending Sonia and Best Buddies. Her knowledge and experience is second to none. She is friendly, with a warm personality and dedicated to helping you and your dog work together to achieve change.
we are a happier and more relaxed doggie family now. We enjoy Flo more and she us.
Lizzie & Richard
Flo
Sonia has made a huge difference in our relationship with our year-old German Shepherd, Heidi and we thoroughly recommend her. We asked for her help as Heidi was very reactive around the house and especially on walks, when she would lunge and bark at almost anything: dogs, people, traffic, you name it. Being a strong dog her pulling on the lead was almost unbearable and walks were a real trial. We’d had a well-behaved dog previously so thought we knew how to handle them, but Heidi was something else altogether!
As soon as Sonia came to see us it was clear to her that we’d been allowing Heidi to be become too dominant and that she was assuming responsibility for leadership. She was able to show us where we were going wrong even though we hadn’t believed we were being ‘soft’ with her at all. Some of it was quite subtle and Sonia clearly has a very good understanding of a dog’s psychology and especially what motivates them.
We started by changing our behaviour in the house and moved on to changes when we walk her. These have been successful and our relationship with Heidi is now much more ‘appropriate’; not only are we happier, but she is calmer and happier too.
Sonia’s approach was very much appreciated – looking at our domestic circumstances, how the dog is fed, exercised and rested, and interaction with other pets. She devised straightforward plans for us to follow and left us with guides and videos as well as specific strategies for our particular dog.
We found Sonia to be highly credible, knowledgeable and easy to work with – we certainly looked forward to her visits ! Her advice and suggestions made sense and were easy to follow. It does require effort on the part of the owners of course, as the lessons need to be reinforced especially for an intelligent and strong-willed dog like a German Shepherd. But several weeks on and the difference Sonia has made as an experienced, professional dog behaviour expert has been very clear and worthwhile.
A big Thank You to Sonia from Heidi and her family !
Heidi
Sonia was recommended to us when our 2 year old timid rescue dog, Marlon started to growl and snap at my partner. We’d had Marlon for approximately 5 weeks. He’s quite a big dog so it was quite scary, especially for my partner.
Sonia came to our house and observed Marlon. She helped us to understand Marlon’s behaviour and talked us through some strategies to help. Sonia was very understanding and had a lovely way of teaching. She made us feel very comfortable and confident in being able to apply the techniques and we saw results straight away.
It was helpful to have a plan written down and even when there were concerns following Sonia’s visit, it was both helpful and reassuring to know that Sonia was at the other end of the phone for support and advice. Sonia was willing to help and offer further strategies when we contacted her after our visit. We’ve had no concerns with Marlon snapping since and he continues to grow in confidence! We’re very pleased we sought Sonia’s help and would highly recommend her services!
(A helping paw from Best Buddies)
