I hired Ann to help me learn how to re-crate train my 8 year old Chihuahua, Pepe. From the moment she walked into my house, Pepe knew Ann was the alpha dog. He sat quietly and behaved so well I couldn’t believe he was the same dog. She was full of information and even provided me with a plan after we met that day. I did everything she recommended and Pepe is loving his new crate and is behaving so well. Ann didn’t stop there. She continued to check on Pepe weekly. She genuinely cares about animals and is just an awesome trainer and “dog whisperer”! I would hire her again in a second!

We have had our two dogs, Cassius and Carter, since June 2003. They were both puppies and the trouble began immediately.

We went through years of destruction, fighting, running away, and general disobedience. If it could be chewed and destroyed, it was. This includes carpet, couches, undergarments, shoes, doors, and even a mattress. They were serial food thieves and garbage raiders. They would go berserk on a leash when coming upon any other animal, other dogs included. They would jump on people, bark like crazy, and not listen to a single command all day long. This behavior only intensified after the birth of our son. We tried multiple methods and training classes, with no success.

We were referred to Ann through some close friends and it all stopped.

After two weeks on the remote collar training, our dogs sit, come, and place when commanded. They are angels on walks and the trash hasn’t been dumped since. They are easily put back on task when distracted and are pleased as punch. They are the dogs we always knew they could be and it’s all because of Ann’s training. We could not be happier.

Sincerely,

Doug, Danielle, “Sam, Cassius and Carter”

Before we found A Tail Above we had all but given up hope that our lovable Yorkie, Boomer, would ever be walked during daylight hours. We kept him pretty much on a secluded path. But now we are out in the open! We couldn’t be more pleased with the remarkable results. After applying a few new techniques when walking Boomer, he has become less fearful about cars, people and other dogs. Ann is absolutely brilliant!!!

Ann, we can’t thank you enough!

Our dream was to be able to take our dogs (Brandi and Jazmyn) to the beach and let them be off-leash while still maintaining complete control. We were a little apprehensive about using an electronic collar. But you put our minds at ease instantly by demonstrating on us just how safe and gentle the stimulation can be.

When we approached you, we were naïve about how involved the training would be and how long it would take to achieve our dream; but the 18 days of separation from our beloved dogs was WELL worth it!

Within 3 weeks of Brandi and Jazmyn returning home, we left for a week at the beach. We took countless walks with our dogs along the beach with plenty of distractions such as other people, other dogs, rabbits, horses, even cars and never once did we feel out of control.

Between the hand signals you taught them (and us!) and the electronic collar, not even the noise of the waves crashing caused communication breakdowns between us – even when Jazmyn ran ahead to chase the seagulls.

The dogs were so happy chasing each other, chasing the birds, running through the water, digging in the sand…we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. And even today, back at home, we and the dogs enjoy long walks off-leash through the neighborhood. When we reach an open field, they anxiously wait for permission to act like and be dogs that run and play. And we have no hesitation about letting them because we know we have control and can get them back quickly, safely, and easily.

And as the weeks have progressed, we have both noticed that we are using the buttons on the remote less and less. We’ve gotten to the point that sometimes just calling their name is enough to break their focus on the rabbit in the bushes or to step off the sidewalk onto the grass, sit, and stay while neighborhood children ride by on their bikes.

The dogs have come to appreciate their freedom and have a better understanding of the “ranks within our pack”. And that, has made us happy too!

We brought a very sweet pit/lab/border collie mix named Bessie to Ann at the beginning of the summer after she randomly picked out an unsuspecting man to bite on West St. downtown Annapolis. I was so very pleased to have been referred to her as I needed to be trained on how to best work with our dog.

The buzzer collar was recommended and while I was hesitant, I have found it is gentle and effective. I let Bessie off-leash today for the first time and was so pleased when Bessie not only came back to me, but also enjoyed her running around time in the grass while paying attention to me.

While there is the occasional man that bothers Bessie (as she is a rescue) I feel much more confident in our walks which makes it much more enjoyable for all of us, and safe for all men passing us!

We brought Bessie to Ann because we knew if Bessie bit another person she could be ordered to be put down. We brought her to save her own life and make our life with her enjoyable-mission accomplished!
Thank you!

I’m not sure how to express our gratitude in words…Everyone in our family is amazed! Who knew that in such a short period of time, Kora, our 5 month old Australian Shepherd could be transformed?
We went from a very stressful puppy to a very well behaved puppy in a matter of days. She no longer jumps on us or our guests. She comes when called, & stays in her “place”, wherever we decide that place to be.

Our children cried when Kora went to residency training but something that helped our children cope while she was gone and made our training special was the daily updates with photos, videos, and emails.

I’m not sure if Kora would have ever been able to have lunch outside downtown if it wasn’t for you. We are very thankful that we found you and appreciate how you have become such a good friend of the family. The constant communication after our training session is a bonus as well.
We have no regrets in sending Kora to you and we will definitely be back for some more advance training in the future. Thanks Ann, “A Tail Above Dog Training” rocks!

Hi Ann,

We are so pleased with our “new” dog! Chestnut was a little resistant at first once we got home – starting to run off into the back yard like he used to but we kept with the consistent “sit” command and finally made it in the house – people first!

I was so impressed when Chestnut stayed in place while Naomi played the Wii and was jumping all around. This picture is him in place while we ate dinner at the table without him sniffing all around our feet, the table etc. I think he’ll sleep well tonight!

Thanks for everything!

Warmly,
Chestnut’s happy humans

I could not have found a better trainer to deal with. I had adopted a one year old Lab in March who had submissive behavior issues and a strong stubborn personality and NO command behavior. Ann’s experience and one-on-one boot camp training has given my dog the confidence he needed to feel proud and secure about himself and the command training that was greatly needed. The facility is exceptional, very clean, very well organized and nicely equipped for exercise and training. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND A TAIL ABOVE TRAINING

I am pleased to take this opportunity to write a review about A Tail Above Training.

We were lucky enough to find Ann over 1.5 years ago. I was pregnant and we had a Doberman puppy that we were having behavior issues with. Being at our wit’s end, we found Ann and are so happy we did!

We opted for Ann’s residency program and she spent numerous hours after the program answering questions, providing solutions, brainstorming and providing unlimited resources for us. She helped “train” us and understand our dog’s behaviors and how we contributed to it while offering solutions.

Upon bringing our new baby home, Ann was right there making sure our dog and baby had a proper introduction.

I am happy to report that we have a well behaved dog and have no one to thank but Ann. She offers continuous learning sessions and refreshers for her clients. Ann has continually made herself available to her clients after initial training. We really can’t say enough good things about A Tail Above!

Wow, where to start? I was referred to Ann at A Tail Above by a friend of ours and I can honestly say that you couldn’t ask for a better person to work with. She is honest, personable and knowledgeable.

………really set the standard for what to look for in a dog trainer, you feel like you’re dropping your dog off with your best friend.

Ann also posts videos during the week showing some of the clients progression which gives a glimpse of how your dog is doing. I simply cannot convey how astonished I am with how Ann took care of us. We had some issues with Gunner where he was attempting to bite Ann when she was trying to collar him. Ann did a bite evaluation on Gunner and selflessly recommended to us that we look in to a second opinion on Gunners issues. Ann wasn’t sure if Gunner was going to benefit from her training because of his type of aggression and did not feel comfortable accepting the money that I had in hand to pay for the week of training.

She drove all the way out to Frederick to assist us in the second opinion to ensure that we were completely satisfied and understood any issues that Gunner had. That is what I mean when I say good people. You couldn’t ask for anything more. You get great service, good people and you know (when you leave) that you (and your dog) are in great hands.