Larry’s Testimonials
A Letter from Larry
Gentle Approach Dog Training LLC is ALSO offers on-line ZOOM video teleconference training visits.
ZOOM CONSIDERATIONS - BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION & TRAINING SESSIONS
ZOOM/Online training is very effective at meeting your goals
Lower cost rates than my in-home training.
You receive personal private training in your home. Follow-up sessions can be IN HOME or ZOOM.
No concern for your travel time to and from training. (Some dogs are not good in the car.)
Online training is accessible for dogs who may be distractable.
You can take a break anytime at your convenience.
Your whole family can participate.
Larry will discuss with individual situations concerning IN HOME vs. ZOOM IF DESIRED.
The 1st & 5th testimonials were done entirely via Video sessions. The 5th was done with a remote Island in the middle of the Bering Sea, between Alaska and Russia. The process works with i-phones, Android phones, Laptops, Tablets and PC.
Thank you, Larry
ROCKY
Our Bernedoodle, Rocky developed leash reactivity to other dogs after being attacked when he was 1.5yrs old. We did a bunch of training with him as a puppy, and he had been so receptive and gentle and well socialized.
After the attack, the leash reactivity escalated, until the point where he jumped in the air so frantically on lead (at another reactive dog across the street) that he landed hard and fractured his tibia. This led to us being incredibly anxious walking him and fed into the reactivity even further. Off-lead he was his playful self with all dogs.. but we were constantly worried about walking him, and this impacted our time with him doing the things we (and he) love- like hiking and walking around the city. We were constantly wondering when another dog would cross our path, and our anxiety about this fed into his.
Truly- Larry trained us!
We tried a number of different training videos and suggestions and unsuccessfully for the most part. We were also really overwhelmed and confused about so many conflicting training strategies and styles and knew we wanted to go the route of positive reinforcement vs. punishing or harsh methods.
As soon as Larry called me after messaging him, I felt at ease. He has such a gentle, compassionate, nonjudgmental, and skilled approach. Rocky is our family, and we were really nervous that this would impact our lives together forever.
Larry provided so much comfort and hope, even in the first phone call.
Our training sessions have been an absolute game changer. We've only had 2 sessions so far, and I felt as if I learned more than any training class, book, or video right away. Larry has a way of explaining the rationale for each training step, which really helps to conceptualize the way forward. We applied the training games consistently every day and they made a massive difference within a week. We also feel closer and more bonded with our pup, which is wonderful.
It definitely feels as if our improved confidence puts Rocky at ease and helps him to know he's safe. We are constantly engaging him on our walks and feel much more at ease with seeing a dog on the street. We even went to a street fair and interacted with multiple pups, and we know how to better read and interpret his body language to ease back and navigate reactivity before he reaches threshold.
We cannot recommend Larry enough! He's a special gem of a trainer and it's been nothing but a pleasure, relief and blessing to work with him. We plan on continuing our training with him, so as to add to our ongoing work!
R.C. & Family
TOMMY
Larry Stevenson Saved our Family:
In March 2020, 6 months after our last Lab passed away, we decided to adopt a puppy through a friend's rescue 1 week before the pandemic/lock down hit the United States. Tommy (aka Tom Brady) is a Beagle, Pit Bull, Golden Retriever, "super mutt" mix that loves all people and dogs. He is playful, full of energy, extremely loving and cuddly, and an all-around great pup. However, he does have some separation anxiety due to us being home 24/7 during his early time with us. Outside of that, which is a work in progress, he is a dream.
A few months ago, a friend at another rescue told us about a puppy that had been lost during transport, was in need of a home with another dog, and was a bit "fearful" around humans. We met the puppy (a similar mix to Tommy), now named "Emme," and decided that if she and Tommy got along, we would add her to our family. (Knowing she would have some fear issues and would need extra special care.)
Week one with the two of them was fantastic. They hit it off right away, played well, cuddled throughout the day and night, and were generally great siblings.
Then Tommy got sick. It started with a skin infection and later turned into a severe gastric issue that put him in the hospital for a few days.
Once Tommy was sick, things changed drastically in the house. Tommy started to attack Emme. He would turn fun play into extremely "rough" play. And was generally done with having her in the house. Emme meant BAD things for Tommy.
We tried everything we could. We talked to trainers and behaviorists. We separated them. We did every single thing we could think of to help resolve the issue. We weren't sleeping. Our days were exhausting with the efforts to keep Emme safe. We were at the point of deciding if we should let Emme find another family to ensure she did not get hurt and did not ruin her chances of positive socialization.
Then we heard of Larry. Within 5 minutes of filling out the form online, he called. He scheduled time with us, gave us a plan for what to do in the interim, and gave us hope. I'm pretty sure I cried! Over the week between that phone call and our session I talked to Larry at least 5 times. We emailed. We texted. He "held our hand" virtually and gave us skills to help us through the days. The paperwork he had us fill out in preparation for the session proved he actually cared about our home, our personalities, and our pups.
The day of the session we learned more than I ever could have imagined. He taught us exercises, he showed us how to identify certain behaviors. He gave us many, many "if this, then that" options. We were stunned.
We implemented everything he taught us immediately. The change was astounding. We had much more positive interaction between the two. We didn't have to worry about "double gating" the entry to different rooms. We were starting to breathe again. We had a second session with Larry where he helped correct more of OUR behaviors and to teach us additional skills. He helped us learn that being "helicopters" wasn't helping things and that we had to get to the behavior before it happened by watching and anticipating the clues the pups were giving us.
We are now 6 weeks post our first interaction with Larry and our life is feeling more and more normal each day. Tommy and Emme love to cuddle every night and even in the mornings. Tommy "lets" Emme on the couch, play with toys, and simply be around without us worrying about her safety. They love to go on walks and car rides together and they are learning to play "chase" in the yard.
To say that Larry is amazing is an understatement. Larry supports you with zero judgment. He gives you practical advice that makes a difference. You have to put in the work, but it is ALL worth it. I will forever be grateful for finding Larry but know our story does not end here. We will continue to work with Larry throughout this process and could not recommend him more highly.
Forever in his debt, Colleen and Merry
HAPPY NEWS
Stella, our 14 month old Frenchie, was becoming a bit food-centric and often territorial over her ‘space’ and sometimes her ‘play bones’. She would get very nasty with her bigger brother, Sagen, another Frenchie, which was interesting, since he weighs in at about 36lbs compared to her 21lbs. She has a lot of spunk for a youngster. She loves to torment her cousin, also, Mabel Joy.
Larry was very informative in giving us direction and tips to train Stella in her actions. It was a good learning experience for my sister and me, too, as we were not quite sure exactly how to handle this new behavior. It really only started after the 1-year mark for her.
Larry’s gentle and caring approach has worked very well. Stella still has her moments, every now and again, but with Larry’s help, we are better at controlling the situations and diffusing potential problems. She is learning the ‘touch’ method and the positive reinforcement and rewards really do work.
Now Stella and her brother are doing much better. We still have our ‘spats’ but we are much better equipped with Larry’s gentle and consistent approach. We see a world of difference and am grateful for all that we have learned. And… we feel that we can reach out to him at any time with questions or to run something by him. How comforting is that!
Sharon D.
A PREVIOUSLY NEGLECTED GREAT DANE
Dear Larry,
Thanks for your help with Princess Gretel, our Great Dane!
When we adopted her in December 2016, after driving 777 miles to Chicago, she weighed less than 100lbs, was full of worms, and had been seriously neglected and had not been socialized.
Her owner, a single woman, hired our daughter, who was a graduate student at the University of Chicago, to be her dog-walker, and our daughter persuaded us to adopt her.
When Princess Gretel arrived in Philadelphia we took her promptly to a veterinarian who gave her a thorough examination, her shots and got rid of her worms, but she was still rambunctious, aggressive with other dogs and cats, and scared people although always affectionate.
We called you in desperation for help. No stranger to dogs, we had had a large German Shepherd who was great with everybody (and other animals) and almost frighteningly intelligent and trainable.
I am a large man and a former rower, so strong enough to handle Gretel, but she pulled me over and dragged me several times.
Your gentle training still worked quite well with Gretel, and we learned a lot of helpful ways to train her. She will never be a German Shepherd, but she has become a loving, loyal family dog, great with our granddaughter since she was a baby,,, and well enough trained to go for long walks with me.
She now weighs 140lbs and is astonishingly strong and powerful, but, thanks to you, I have never needed to use the domineering methods recommended by others to get her to behave.
Thank you for proving that your gentle approach can even work with a gigantic Great Dane!
Sincerely and Gratefully,
Edmund. S. III
A Diabetic Service Pit Bull became Aggressive
My dog, Jim, was extremely fearful. After being hugged from behind by a tall young man in the post office, large men scared him. Additionally, he had been jumped on by another dog and developed a fear of dogs. Another trainer had heightened his fear of strangers by insisting on entering our house, even though I explained that my dog was very afraid. Finally, my dog was prone to extreme car sickness, due to sensory overload/hypervigilance. He also has chronic ear infections, which most likely influence his behavior - (I know I’m less tolerant when I’m sick!).
Jim is also a service dog. I have Type 1 Diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia unawareness. This means I can’t feel my glucose fall, even when it plummets to deadly levels. My dog is my lifeline. He tells me when I’m unsafe and retrieves food before I have a seizure. Two years ago, I planned to move to California to live with my fiancé, whom Jim had never met. I wanted to bring my dog, but I knew I couldn’t, as he was. I needed to get him help, but I was very nervous about trusting another trainer.
Enter, Larry! Our training sessions were ANTICIPATOR – and that makes all the difference in the world. Larry helped me pinpoint strategies to address stimuli that most likely would trigger Jim’s fear and aggression and stop it. By shutting down the fear before it became aggression, we hoped to eliminate it entirely.
We utilized several methods – walks with Larry to introduce Jim and him, sessions with Rufus, Larry’s life-sized stuffed dog decoy, daily practice walks with the family to help Jim function acceptably with neighbors, walks with friends to help Jim learn acceptable behavior with strangers, and numerous telephone calls with Larry for feedback. Larry respected Jim’s space and never insisted on entering our house to perform training. These strategies has had amazing results!
Jim successfully drove across the country with me, utilizing the Calming Cap that Larry recommended during the day. This reduced his ability to see distinct shapes whirring by us and reduced his nausea. Jim knows every park here, and while dogs still make him nervous, I’ve learned how to watch him for the queues that he’s becoming overwhelmed so we can walk the opposite way.
Jim has made a friend down the block, a five year old girl who he just LOVES to play with. His body language with her is loose, and his tail NEVER stops wagging. His mouth hangs open in a smile that’s almost as big as his face.
Jim and my husband, Justin, are inseparable buds! They snuggle in bed and watch movies together while awaiting my return from work! You can see them together in the picture below and in others of our family at the Back View Park in Newport Beach.
Jim rarely barks at strangers, even when they come to the door because he’s learned through positive reinforcement that treats appear when he’s quiet and appropriate. Because of Larry’s diligent training in dog body language, I easily spot changes in my dog before he feels the need to increase the intensity of his expression of discomfort. This keeps him calm.
I still refer to Larry’s handouts and inform him of Jim’s progress. I often say that Larry Stevenson is the best animal trainer in the Philadelphia area, but he’s the best animal trainer, period in my opinion.
I highly recommend him! Thank you for all that you do, Larry!
Sincerely,
Melissa, Jim, and Justin Krakes
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BERING SEA
A Note from Larry: The following Testimonial is from a long distant Client Larry is working with in a remote Alaskan Island in the middle of the Bering Sea. Video Sessions were used for the entire Training. This is also an example of the Family Paws program, educating another family, planning for a baby in the future. Socks is a child reactive young dog acting aggressive to children under 7 years old.
When we realized that our 8-month old dog was afraid of small children, my husband and I panicked. We knew we wanted to start having children within the next two years and started trying to expose our dog, Socks, to toddlers and babies. He was not pleased and exhibited behavior that frightened us, and him as well. I decided it was time for me to look up a trainer, but unfortunately we couldn’t find anyone who had previously worked with dogs that had a fear of children or one who specialized in working with dogs and families with children. We were also at a geographical disadvantage because my husband and I work 9 months out of the year in an Alaskan rural village on St Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea!
One evening I was frantically searching Google to try to find a trainer in Pennsylvania since we spend our summers there with our families. I found Larry and sent him an email right away with some information about my dog and the unique situation we were in. Within 5 minutes of emailing him, he called me telling me what steps I could take next to ensure he get the necessary information he needed to start his work with us and Socks. I asked him if he has worked with dogs and children and he happily said that he specializes in working with families with dogs and children and how to educate them on dogs and children living together. He seemed to be very confident in the fact that we would be able to start working with Socks by having conference calls, video chats, and by sending informational emails and taking part in discussions through written messages.
I was so happy that day!! After that, I filled out a very thorough informational form for Larry to look at and evaluate Socks on.
This was great for my husband and me to fill out because it made us think about Socks’s whole upbringing and all of the experiences and exposure he has had with people and children.
Larry had looked at, commented on, and was ready to discuss the form within a week of us sending the finished copy. We discussed behaviors that we wanted to look at first. Larry then sent numerous amounts of highly useful resources for my husband and me to look over.
He would always discuss these resources with me and answer any questions I had about what we were reading and discussing.
After that, Larry took the training even further by taking part in a great number of emails, conference calls, and video chats with me. He viewed videos of Socks and his behavior that I would send him and we would discuss body language in pictures as well. Larry was always responsive in anecdotal stories that I sent him about Socks and any interactions he was having with children.
One of my favorite discussions with Larry was when we were in a video chat call and he was able to pull up various videos I sent him of Socks. He was masterfully able to allow me to watch the video on my screen while discussing the body language of my dog through the video chat! It was amazing and such a wonderful help!!
Since talking and working with Larry, Socks has improved so much! Socks has done a lot better with children and is really
taking steps towards becoming a family dog. We look forward to continuing our work with Larry! We appreciate how much he was able to work with us despite our schedule, geographical location, and unique situation!
From C & G Brancalone, Savoonga Alaska
GREAT NEWS!!!
Fast forward two years and we now have a wonderful baby boy and Socks is almost 3 years old. During my pregnancy, I was able to use advice, resources, and previous discussions from Larry to work on training Socks and preparing him for the arrival of a newborn baby. Larry helped me by using the Family Paws Program, which is absolutely excellent! I desensitized my dog to different sounds and experiences that he would now see with the addition of a newborn baby. My husband and I trained him with other people so that he would be used to other people holding the baby other than us. We also made sure to train him with different baby noises, which included loud crying, laughing, baby toy sounds, and feeding. Lastly, we desensitized Socks to the new baby rockers, bassinet, and toys that we had in our possession already. All of this training really helped him with exposure to things he had never seen or heard before! Thanks to help from Larry and the Family Paws program, Socks was definitely prepped for the baby.
Our son is now over 2 months old now and Socks has done amazing with him. We still do daily training and follow rules set by the Family Paws Program and Larry when exposing the dog to the baby. This experience has been very eye opening and I am so grateful to have been coached by Larry on dog behavior! If we didn't have Larry's help and guidance, I fear that the dog would not have been able to handle this addition of a baby into our household.
A MULTIPLE DOG HOUSEHOLD FACING AGGRESSION ISSUES
I highly recommend Larry Stevenson of Gentle Approach Dog Training LLC for his dog training services. He was recommended to us by our vet. We hired him to help us introduce four dogs to come together to live in one home; 1 aggressive dog with 3 other dogs who were a pack of their own. We didn’t think it would ever be possible to do b/c the one dog had severe aggression behaviors that we didn’t think he could ever be around other dogs (yet alone live with other dogs). But Larry taught us so many techniques and he really trained us (the owners) on how to teach the dogs how to behave and how we should behave as owners. We followed what Larry taught us and implemented it. We stuck to the course of training and did it on our own. And it worked! We really learned that an old dog can learn new “tricks” as these were all older dogs set in their ways. And we brought them all together to live in a home and they are all now best buddies. It was like a miracle really. We think Larry is spot on with his training. He really cares about the dogs and wants to see them and us as the owners success. He wants the best outcome for everyone. He is really patient. He follows-up quite a bit and makes himself available. He’s thorough. And really spends the time with you, getting to know you and your dog (dogs). His questions may seem long when he meets you and first works with you, but trust me, all those questions he asks you are certainly needed. He really takes his time getting to know you and your dog, and that is really important part of a successful training program, and it's what makes Larry training program so successful. We thank Larry for the services he has provided to us. And provided to us. And absolutely recommend him.
L.F.
FEARFUL BULLDOG WITH STRANGER ISSUES
From Monica M
I can't speak highly enough of Larry!
With his extensive knowledge of dog behavior, he helped me encourage my four-year-old bulldog mix to gain confidence and overcome her anxieties and fears.
My dog did not like him when he came to my house for the first time (she has some issues with certain strangers), but by our last session, she was sitting on his lap and completely relaxed.
He takes plenty of time to work with you and your dog, thoroughly explains all of the training techniques, and answers any questions you might have (both during the session on through email/phone).
His pricing is also extremely reasonable.
I'm so glad my vet recommended Larry
Monica M.
NUCKY
Hi Larry,
Things are actually going wonderfully with Nucky!!
We employed several of the tactics you recommended in conjunction with one another and success resulted.
When we get home we will typically find him still chewing on his toys or even napping on the sofa.
Either way, we always find him happy. He usually comes to the gate to greet us when we arrive with a wagging tail, but not overly exciting and jumping uncontrollably as he used to.
Overall, the process of leaving him home he is a completely changed dog.
Thank you very much for your help and your tips with training, Nucky, Larry.
Before you came to our home to help us with him, we were really at the end of our rope with him and just didn't know what else to do. We were at the point where we would virtually never leave the home for fear of what he would do. Now we know we can securely leave him if we need to and that he will be safe, secure and happy.
Kind Regards,
Shawn M & Matt S
NEW DOG OWNERS
This is Silas our American Bulldog/Cur Aussie mix. When we got Silas we admittedly didn't know much about him or how to train him. We began looking for a trainer and Larry Stevenson came highly recommended.
From our first meeting with Larry we found him to be very thorough with getting as much information about Silas as possible. He was very serious about our puppy's health. He told us the best foods to get, discussed vets, and safety. We were very impressed with his care of Silas.
From day one Larry taught us how to be better dog owners and held us accountable. This was important because so often dog owners blame the puppy for its behavior.
We have consistently utilized the techniques that Larry showed us. We are amazed at the great behavior of Silas and how quickly he adapted. We owe that to Larry.
To date Silas is a thriving 5 month old puppy who has brought great joy to our family. Through Larry's tireless assistance, our children and we have learned to become better dog owners. The happiness that Silas has brought us would not have been possible without the guidance of Larry Stevenson.
Thanks Larry,
Jeff, Paula, kids and Silas!!!, Elkins Park, PA
NEW PUPPY & CHILDREN
From: Christopher, Debra & Benson
My wife and I are writing this letter to let others know how satisfied we are with Larry Stevenson and his Gentle Approach Dog Training. As a first time dog owner, we had no idea of the basics of dog training, or what was involved in caring for and raising a puppy. We contacted several trainers in the area, and Larry was the first one to get back to us.
Even before we hired Larry and had him into our home, he was immediately a big help to us. Over the telephone and via email, Larry gave us a lot of basic and important information to get us started raising and training our dog.
For example, he contacted our local pet store for us and explained to them the things we would need when we came in later that week. He also gave us names and numbers of area veterinarians and local dog walkers: everyone in our local dog community knows Larry and what a great job he does!
When we finally hired Larry and had him into our home to meet our new puppy Benson, we were immediately impressed. He is kind, knowledgeable and very flexible. He was able to fit into our schedule, was always punctual and was in constant contact with us over email and phone between appointments. In 6 weeks, he basically showed us everything we needed to know to care for and properly train Benson, our new puppy.
Larry went over everything from feeding to leash training to house training.
He showed us how to properly discipline Benson, taught us how to make Benson “mat”, “sit” and “stay” and gave us techniques to alleviate Benson’s separation anxiety when we would leave the house to go to work.
Overall Larry was a great dog trainer - an invaluable asset to us. He was fair, professional and a wealth of information on dogs. My wife and I would recommend Larry for new and experienced dog owners alike.
Warmly,
Christopher, Debra & Benson
BLIND DOGS NEED TRAINING
Letter from Rachel & Jeff
Would you have ever have thought that blind dogs need training?
Well, we are proof that they do. We were the proud owners of two blind Pugs, Woody and Cassidy.
Sadly, Cassidy crossed The Rainbow Bridge in December 2011.
Just because they could not see, believe us, they are normal dogs in every sense of the word.
We adopted Cassidy in October 2008 and Woody in May 2009. Cassidy was a blind puppy mill rescue. Cassidy was a good girl. Cassidy got around our home just fine. Our main problem was trying to get her to trust us to go down steps.
With Larry's help, some treats and a lot of patients Cassidy conquered her fear of steps.
In May of 2009 we adopted Woody. Woody was an owner surrender. His previous owner had other bigger dogs in the house and they would pick on Woody and abuse him. As a result of that abuse, Woody lost an eye and he is blind in the other.
Now that Woody has the good life; he also had a few issues that we needed Larry's help with.
Whenever we took Woody out for a walk, he would pull a lot on his lead and he wouldn't listen to us. If he sensed another dog's presence, he would freak out. The hairs on his neck would stand up.
Larry spent a lot of time with us and Woody. He told us what to look for with signs that Woody is starting to stress out. Larry also gave us suggestions on how to get Woody's attention and how to get him to listen to us too.
Since Larry gave us the tools and knowledge; Cassidy had no problems going down steps and it’s a pleasure to take Woody out for a walk. Woody hardly ever stresses out when other dogs are in the same vicinity. The other day Woody totally ignored a crazed barking dog outside and just went about his business.
If you are looking for an excellent dog trainer, look no further!! We would and have recommended Larry to anyone and everyone.
Rachel & Jeff
MICKEY
Amy’s Letter;
I began working with Larry about 4 months ago when my 13 year old Poodle, Mickey bit another dog.
After 13 years of being spoiled with love and affection, being the "King of the house" and calling the shots, I began to realize that by trying to just provide only love and affection, I had neglected teach him how to socialize with other dogs and how to do things that were asked of him.
Larry was truly the best thing that happened to Mickey.
Larry is the most nonjudgmental, caring and gentle person!
He showed me how to provide positive reinforcement for Mickey when he was listening to me and how to provide Mickey with the guidance he needed to make him feel even more secure, loved and happy!
I was always so impressed with how invested Larry is in ensuring that Mickey was learning and that I was provide the training in the most effective way.
He was always available when I needed some extra encouragement throughout the week, developed a well thought out training plan and was always coming up with new and interesting ways for Mickey and I to bond over the training.
Thus, instead of the training being a punishment for Mickey, it was something he looked forward to and would always get excited to see Larry at the door! Larry was able to help me improve Mickey's behavior more in 4 months than I was able to do in 13 years!
I would highly recommend Larry without hesitation to anyone who is looking for a trainer who is caring, knowledgeable and truly invested in the well being of your pet.
Amy C., Philadelphia, PA
BARBARA’S LETTER
Larry was a tremendous help to us in training our spirited German Shepherd puppy.
We knew we needed to work out some behavior issues before the puppy grew into a large adult.
Larry gave us concrete, workable solutions to problems that were frustrating us,
particularly nipping and mouthing. He has an expansive knowledge of dogs and training/literature that is truly impressive.
We highly recommend Larry and believe all new puppy owners would benefit from Larry's services.
ANNMARIE’S LETTER
We adopted Lola in December, a Jack Russell terrier, approximately 2 yrs old, the only history we had on her is that she was a "puppy-mill" dog. Lola is all white and her four legs were stained yellow apparently from her previous living conditions, just one of many physical problems we discovered shortly after bringing her home.
I searched for the best dog trainer available since we did not know what type of behavioral problems we potentially could be facing.
An avid dog lover, I successfully raised two beautiful Doberman Pincers and worked with several dog trainers in the past, without a doubt Larry Stevenson is THE best trainer in the Philadelphia area. He was highly effective in creating a strong relationship between our family and our newly adopted dog, Lola. He uses fun, positive methods, that are easy to learn and gave us very quick results.
Larry accomplished in one session what other dog trainers in the past took 3 or 4 sessions to complete. You get your moneys worth with Larry Stevenson, he is the real deal. Any negative behavior we see with Lola is directly related to our lack of follow through with Larry's advice.
We were amazed at how quickly we were able to train Lola and it has been 6 months since we hired Larry and we have had no problems with her. Lola is the absolute coolest dog on the planet, and we are so thankful to Larry for making her transition into our home smooth and easy.
CHRISTINE’S LETTER
Larry,
Kevin and I want thank you for everything you have done to help us. With the experience we suffered with having to lose Roxie, our American Bulldog, I was unsure about getting another dog, needless to say, didn’t plan on getting two! We honestly believe that having you come in and not only help train the puppies, but also teach us how to react, praise and train them has made the world of difference.
Zook (Jack Russell Terrier) and Max (Jack Russell/Pomeranian Mix) are two fun, loving, well behaved puppies. But more importantly, there are no negative actions or reactions. Your positive methods of training (dogs and owners!) has made this process of raising two puppies so much fun for all of us.
Whenever someone comments on how great the puppies are we are always quick to tell them about Larry Stevenson!
Sincerely,
Kevin and Christine G., Philadelphia, PA
DOROTHY’S LETTER
Before I became a pet parent, I knew of Larry Stevenson when I saw his card at Worldwide Pets and Aquarium. The words, "Gentle Approach Dog Training". impressed me.
A short time later and not prepared, I rescued a Four year old boxer, named Zoey.
I knew I need help, and Larry was the dog trainer I was looking for in order to help my dog adjust. Larry is teaching Zoey and me to relate through patience, love and positive discipline. When I have concerns about Zoey, Larry is a phone call away, and this is a plus for me.
Sincerely,
Dorothy P. , Philadelphia, PA
KEVIN M’S LETTER
Dear Larry,
I want to thank you for helping my mother out. When she bought her dog on an impulse and then came to a quick impasse, I was glad you were there to assist her.
She hadn't had a dog for at least Thirty years and was never involved with any house training, etc. . .
I knew she needed help.
More than lay the ground work for training you were able to give her encouragement.
Like you told me, it is equal portions, the owner and the dog. You definitely put her on the right track and you can see the improvements after she contacted you.
Your thoroughness can not be duplicated and you put her at ease with herself.
Thanks,
Kevin M., West Chester, PA
OBERON
“As first time dog parents, we were in over our head with our Golden Retriever puppy Oberon. None of the books we read or videos we watched prepared us adequately for training such an energetic dog. Mr. Stevenson came to the rescue! He showed us the basics of properly cuing Oberon to do what we wanted him to, and he helped us build upon those skills with advanced techniques which has turned him into close to the perfect dog. Oberon benefits everyday with what we learned from Gentle Approach, and we hope more dogs and their humans will be just as lucky.”
— Elivi and Andrew