We have a Golden Retriever (Chopper) who is the very first dog I ever owned.  He is wonderful, very smart, with a terrific temperament and was easy to train because all he really wanted to do in life is to make people happy.  So, even though he was my first dog, I was able to train him myself and everything was great. 

Two years ago, however, I decided that I wanted to get a companion dog for Chopper to run around with and help keep him young (Chopper was 8 years old at the time).  I decided I didn't want another big dog, and I always thought Jack Russells were so cute, so I decided to get one.  I did a lot of research first, and even though all of the newsgroups were warning me that "this isn't Wishbone or Eddie (from the show Fraser)", I thought that I could handle it.  After all, people were always telling me that I did such a great job with Chopper.

So, we got a Jack Russell and we named him Duncan.  I quickly realized that I was going to need some additional help with training him, because none of the methods that I used with Chopper were working with Duncan--at all. 

I first tried taking him to one of the big-chain pet stores for training, but I found it to be largely a treat-reward type of system that really only seemed like a temporary solution (meaning that it would only work if he knew I had food!) and didn't work at all if he wasn't hungry. 

He would jump all over me when trying to feed him, bark uncontrollably, and chew and dig up everything in sight.  Taking him on for walk was absolutely impossible because of how much he would pull on the leash, nearly yanking my arm out and choking himself.  I couldn't even imagine trying to take BOTH dogs for a walk!

I found that some of Duncan's bad habits, the barking especially, were starting to get transferred to Chopper.  I was beginning to get worried because he was only a few months old, and I thought "if this continues and gets any worse, I don't know what I'm going to do!" 

Then someone told me about Dawn and I looked through her website and decided to call her.  What I liked right away was that she owned two Jack Russells and she told me that I should come down and see "what these guys can really do". 

I was floored when I saw what her dogs could do, what wonderful behavior (and fun tricks too).  I couldn't believe how quickly Duncan took to the training, and very soon he was a different dog.  I have taken some of the training techniques and applied them to Chopper as well.  Now one of my greatest pride and joys is taking them both for a walk.  Duncan walks right at my heel on the left, and Chopper on the right.  They know all the "rules of the road" for walking with me: "left", "right", "stop/sit", "wait", "cross".  I have to say that I love it each and every time people comment on "how nicely your dogs walk" or another owner who, in the process of trying to reign in a barking dog that is tugging on their leash, says to their dog "why can't you behave nicely like those two dogs?"  I always say the same thing "dawnwolfe.com".  Thank you so much, Dawn, you have greatly improved the quality of life for my dogs and for us!

Mickie Stamm