Rescued & Second Chance Pets Receive a 5% Discount on All Behavioral Services!
Otis, the 'Knucklehead'
When I adopted Otis from Biggies Bullies he was approximately 1.5 years of age. Otis is a pit bull mix who weighs approximately 60 pounds, is full of life, energy, snuggles, and love. He was found on the streets and picked up by animal control. Not knowing his background and no signs of any type of obedience, Amanda with Spotted Paw Behavioral Services, LLC came to the rescue!!
One of the first things Amanda had asked myself was how I would describe Otis. I replied with, 'sassy.' She quickly observed this behavior and dove right into our first lesson. She reminded me to be patient and to never give in. I kept that in the back of my mind throughout our first week together. Soon enough, I was able to eat without being barked at. The jumping, nipping, & the urge to make my couch into a chew toy came to a halt. There has been such a drastic change in Otis's behavior.
Amanda arrived prepared with a weekly behavioral plan, readings, and homework. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with her. Amanda is so knowledgable and just truly loves animals. I would recommend SPBS, LLC to anyone and everyone. I couldn't thank Amanda enough for everything she has done to help me with Otis and to encourage him rise to his full potential. Otis and I really bonded through this experience !
Charlie, Impulse Control
When we first adopted Charlie, we knew he was going to be a challenge. He jumped on everyone & was difficult to calm down. A few weeks into our time together he began to jump on and nip and bite us when we were going on walks. Often he would get into a type of frenzy and it would take up to 45 minutes to be able to get to a place where we could finish our walk. We knew we were going to need outside help and began searching for a trainer. We talked to several, but the minute I spoke with Amanda I knew she was the one! Friendly, passionate, detail oriented, and absolutely *no* sugar coating the facts!
At our fist meeting we felt like we were talking to an old friend and Charlie clearly loved her! Amanda truly listened to our concerns and immediately began laying out a plan of action! She provided us with homework, not just our training plan but readings that enriched the training experience and added insight. Over the course of our sessions we began to understand Charlie better and we developed the tools to help Charlie and ourselves to have the best relationship possible. Amanda encouraged questions and always answered texts and emails.
Charlie is a much happier, calmer, and joyous companion. We still have issues pop up, but we know how to handle them because of the amazing foundation Amanda helped us develop. Such an amazing person and such a joy to work with!
Fitz, Fearful Behavior
When my husband and I called Spotted Paw Behavioral Services to help with aggression issues that our beloved pit bull Fitz was having with non-family members, we received so much more support and guidance than I ever anticipated. The first thing Amanda said to us when we had our first meeting after giving me a huge hug was that we are a family now and we are going to work together on this. We learned so much from her and I am so immensely grateful for everything she helped us with. Through Amanda we learned that Fitz has fear aggression.
She taught us how to provide a very structured approach when it comes to him being around people outside of our family and she also helped us with Fitz walking on a loose leash, mouthing, his excessive barking for attention, trimming his nails and so much more! All of her training techniques use positive reinforcement and she explains everything in detail to you, including how to do the training exercises step by step. She came to our house to model and show us how to do exercises with Fitz that were within his comfort zone but also helped him expand what he was comfortable with.
The two things that we learned that laid the foundation for everything else we did was how to understand what Fitz is communicating to us with his body language and actions and also, that every single interaction that Fitz has with another person or dog is a learning experience for him. We absolutely loved working with Amanda. She went above and beyond what I expected and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to anyone!"
Thor, A Big Boy with Big Behaviors
Two months ago when my German Shepherd, Thor, would not do as I wanted him to do I just figured he was ignoring me or was just bad. He was 6 months old and weighed 90 lbs, and I asked myself, ‘How am I going to control this dog when he is full grown?!’ That is when I found Spotted Paw Behavioral Services, LLC and Amanda.
Through Amanda’s training, exercises, and homework materials I came to realize that Thor wasn’t ignoring me or being bad; I didn’t know how to correctly communicate to him what I wanted and needed from him. This wasn’t training just to change Thor’s behavior; it was training to change mine too!
Just through the 6 weeks or so of the training, Thor and I have connected in a deeper sense and he is a much calmer and loving Thor. He listens to what I ask of him and he does whatever I ask. We have a happier and more content pet home and I will be forever grateful for what I have learned and the changes to my Thor!'
Diesel, Destructive Chewing
Spotted Paw Behavioral Services, LLC did amazing job with my dog!. I have a 2 year old stubborn pit bull mix named Diesel. I had used 2 trainers previous to discovering SPBS, LLC and did not get the results I was looking for with them!
Spotted Paw Behavioral Services, LLC's knowledge of training and animal behavior is endless. As long as pet parents do their homework the results in the end will be worth every penny!'
Tucker, Energy Management
When we adopted our high-energy 6 month old lab mix, Tucker, his adoption fee included group training classes. We thought, 'Great! This is exactly what we need!'-- however, our overly excited little man wanted to meet everyone in the room and would cry, bark, whine, and was unable to focus on anything we were instructed to teach. After 6 group class sessions we realized we hadn't gotten anywhere with Tucker, and were referred to Spotted Paw Behavioral Services for more personalized attention.
We are so glad with our decision. Amanda knows her stuff. She observed our family dynamic, listened to our behavioral goals, and came up with a plan so we could reach those goals together. We received extremely detailed agendas and session recaps as well as extra readings/ articles so we could understand the way our Tucker's mind works. Amanda is very educated and was able to answer any questions we had and gave plenty of suggestions and tips we could use to curb Tucker's bad habits. After completion of our behavioral modification course we went from having a dog who barked incessantly at people walking past our house (including at night), jumped on anyone and everyone he came into contact with and pulled so hard on the leash that his mommy couldn't walk him by herself to a dog who is now quiet through the night, goes to his 'spot' when instructed, rarely jumps and with the help from a harness successfully walks on a leash! We are amazed at the transformation we've seen in our little man and are so grateful for the helpful hints, tips, and support that we have received. We definitely recommend Spotted Paw Behavioral Services to any pet parents who have a pet that's a little 'ruff' around the edges.
Spencer, Separation Anxiety & Enrichment
I would absolutely recommend Spotted Paw Behavioral Services for any behavioral issue. Amanda is very educated, caring, and was absolutely fabulous with my shy, nervous puppy Dwight. She knew exactly how to approach him, and he completely trusted and loved her during our first in home session.
Amanda was incredibly knowledgable of his behavioral issue and helped stop his destructive chewing, in house eliminations, and gave excellent, interactive homework assignments to help soothe him around strangers. All homework assignments were very informative, helpful, and fun! Even after sessions Amanda lends herself as a resource for any pet questions imaginable. Your pet will be in fabulous hands with Spotted Paw Behavioral Services, LLC!
John, Obedience and Curbing Jumping
This was the best thing we could have done for our pup and ourselves. We saw tremendous improvement in John's behavior starting with the very first session. Amanda was absolutely phenomenal in training John and teaching us to understand his behavior. We were so impressed with how well he responded to her immediately. She provided us with extremely helpful reading materials as well as explanatory emails between each session.
When we began this process our dog was living by his rules and never wanted to listen to us. Now he is all around more calm, well behaved, and obedient. He no longer jumps on or humps our house guests and he is loose leash walking like a champion! We can not thank Amanda enough for her service, and her jokes are funny!
5 Stars! ---- 10 out of 10!
Tuna, Motivation and Trust
Amanda came highly recommended by the rescue where I obtained my dog, Tuna. It was very important to me that Tuna and I reach a level of understanding and trust so I could relieve the anxieties of a pup who had started life neglected on a chain. Having spent time in a foster based rescue Tuna had exposure to basic commands but needed to generalize her training to life with me.
Amanda was crucial in my understanding of how to motivate Tuna. The most important lessons I learned from Amanda were related to understanding dog behavior and motivation. I feel much more confident in my ability to problem solve when new situations come our way.
The detail that came with each lesson and behavioral plan for success has been a great way to get Tuna's extended family on board with the cues to use and the need for Tuna to have consistency in the expectations of her behavior. We feel very lucky to have found Amanda!
Winston, Prepping to Be a Big Brother
Amanda prepared a thorough plan of attach to help prepare our 2.5 year old Dachshund, Winston, for adding a baby to the family. She addressed behaviors we hadn't even thought of & helped us think of so many situations that we as first time parents wouldn't have known to think about.
With all of the information Amanda provided we can not go into parenthood with confidence that we have given Winston many tools to be successful as a 'big brother.' Homerowek assignments were always fun for us as pet parents & Winston.
It is clear that Amanda opens a spot in her heart for all the animals that she encounters & is extremely knowledgable in her field. She gave us a wonderful background for the 'why's' behind Winston's behaviors to help us understand the mind of our shortest family member! We will be recommending Spotted Paw Behavioral Services to all of our friends who are expecting OR who have pups with some behavioral 'challenges.' Thanks, Amanda! We will always appreciate you taking our little guy to the next level & giving both him and us the confidence that he will be a fantastic, furry big bro!
Bella, Dog-Dog Resource Guarding
I hired Amanda because Bella was showing aggression towards other dogs and would guard resources (food and toys) from other dogs as well. She showed us the correct way to help Bella with these issues.
Bella is so much better now and is play with other dogs. I took her to my hair salon and everyone could not believe how well behaved she was and how well she listens to me at her age.
Without Amanda I think I may have given up on Bella. We now have an incredible but very goofy cattle dog forever! Thanks!
Lydie, Separation Anxiety & High Prey Drive
My husband and I adopted our precious pup, Lydie, last summer. We instantly fell in love with her, but soon discovered our sweet pup could not be left home alone without creating a huge mess! After trying to figure out the issue for a few weeks we contacted Spotted Paw Behavioral Services for help in fixing Lydie's separation anxiety and destructive behaviors.
Our pup instantly loved Amanda & so did we! She was incredibly knowledgable about the science behind canine behavior and provided us with loads of interesting readings about behavioral modification. All of this information really helped us understand the way that our doggo thinks.
Amanda was great with Lydie and was always so positive and upbeat when working on teaching Lydie something new! Before working with Amanda we couldn't leave the home at all without Lydie for fear of coming home to a mess-- but now we are working on increasing the time Lydie is comfortable being left alone. We are so grateful to Amanda and all of her knowledge, for the ways she helped us deal with Lydie's separation anxiety, Lydie's left over potty training issues, and her intense prey drive! Lydie has become a calmer and more confident pup thanks to Spotted Paw Behavioral Services!
Spencer, Separation Aniety
Spotted Paw Behavioral Services came to the rescue for us!
We adopted Spencer, age 10, last September. He was a huge change from our dog that we had previously. Spencer had what I would call 'impressive' separation anxiety and being left alone was a complete end of the world experience for him. He was able to keep running around the house for hours. Amanda showed us many ways to help Spencer gain confidence. We worked with toys and treats and practiced a lot of self control. This is something he's never really had, I'm guessing, as he has no teeth. They were removed because they were so worn down, probably from trying to escape being in a cage.
We are working on becoming more comfortable in the crate and his confidence is much, much better. We are very satisfied and happy with all the tips and tricks we were shown, and also that at the end we were able to work on dog-dog reactivity outside. Overall, it was a great experience, and Amanda is very knowledgeable about dog behaviors and how to work through the necessary steps to get where you need to be! Thank you, Spotted Paw!
Otis, A Rescue Pup
We rescued our dog, Otis, in April 2017. Otis was a handful and, being new to dog ownership, we decided that we needed to hire a trainer. We heard about Amanda through a pet supply store we frequented. We now know how fortunate we are to have found her.
After an initial meeting, Amanda formulated a training plan. She supplied us with highlights to be covered before every session and gave us extra information through readings to support the plan. She allowed time to address additional issues that may have surfaced. She followed up with an e mail to heck on our progress and urged us to contact her between sessions if needed.
Otis and his great progress is a testimony to Amanda's knowledge, dedication, and love of dogs! We recommend Amanda highly and without reservation!
Jax, Promoting Confidence
We are so thankful for Spotted Paw Behavioral Services! Amanda's knowledge and guidance have truly made an impact on how we shape our dog's behavior, how to teach him how to interact with others, and to help us increase his confidence. Amanda made us feel at ease and is professional and punctual.
Dobby, Place Guarding
Dobby is a rescue puppy who came with lots of baggage to unpack and sort through. After trying to help him for several months on my own, Amanda came to my rescue! After a severe back injury, Dobby was nipping, place guarding, and showing signs towards another of jealousy towards another canine in the home. Amanda showed Dobby and I different techniques to make us a better and stronger pair. Amanda has also taught us both a slew of basic and advanced basic obedience commands to help manage Dobby's behaviors in and around the home.
Amanda made me a better dog mom and Dobby a more confident and smart pup. I am grateful for her help and continued guidance.
Roxy, Curbing Jumping & Loose leash
We were looking for behavioral services to curb Roxy's jumping on people, to obtain a great loose leash walk, and to help with her fear of other dogs. Out training is completed and we are very happy with the results. Roxy hardly jumps on people anymore, we can easily take her for walks without pulling, and she has become much more comfortable around other dogs!
Amanda was very caring and patient with us and Roxy and we truly appreciate her help!
Max, Starting from Scratch
I've had dogs in the past, but never as young as Max. I adopted him when he was 8 weeks old and he had no manners so we were starting from scratch. Before a coworker recommended Amanda, I was going crazy! Max was just an overly excited pup that wanted to give everyone some loving by jumping on them when they walked in the door, and thought that biting was the way to go when telling us that he wanted to play.
After our 1st visit with Amanda, we got right to work on our homework and worked on basic commands. By the time of our 2nd visit, I could see a little change already. One of the things I love about working with Amanda is that she gets right to work the minute she arrives. We taught Max commands such as sit, stay, and go away to more advanced commands like, 'Go To Your Place' and started the Really Real Relaxation Protocol (Suzanne Clothier).
Max LOVED when Amanda came and the hour seemed to fly by. Amanda is GREAT with dogs and is worth every penny. She sets up behavioral plans after each session and supplies videos and extra reading materials that she finds and thinks would be beneficial. She's very accessible and encourages you to get a hold of her with any questions. Max is a completely different dog (for the better) from his 1st visit when he wouldn't let her sit down to his last when I could actually have a conversation with Amanda. I can't thank her enough for all she's taught not only to Max, but to me as well on how to be a better dog owner. I would and have already recommended Amanda and Spotted Paw Behavioral Services to everybody!
Lizzy, Prepping for Life on the Open Road
We hired Amanda to help us train our rescue dog. Miss Lizzy is a sweet but high energy, over-enthusiastic beagle/ Jack Russell mix.
We will be moving from our home to full-time RV living soon, so we need Miss Lizzy to be calm, confidence, and responsive to our commands. Amanda was so helpful and really listened to all our concerns. She tailored her approach to our needs and Lizzy's personality and we are very pleased with the results.
When we had questions or concerns, we could reach out via e mail and always got a quick and thoughtful response. She gave us additional reading materials, links to training videos, and so much more.
We are very happy with the results and are so glad we've made a new friend who loves Miss Lizzy as much as we do!'
Bear, Big, Bold Behaviors
We have a 115- pound one year old Rottweiler, named Bear. As he will continue to grow we needed help to stop his nipping, mouthing, and jumping. He is a very friendly and loving dog. He would get very excited when meeting new people and would jump on them for attention.
Our goal with Spotted Paw Behavioral Services was to extinguish the nipping, mouthing, and jumping. On Amanda's first visit she also pointed out that we needed to understand Bear's mind and body language, something we never even considered.
Bear is a calmer dog because of Amanda. We would highly recommend her if you need help with your dog's behavior. All of her techniques and tools can be used for us, as Pet Parents, and for Bear to be successful. We have a much better understanding of Bear and how to control those unwanted behaviors. We were truly blessed to work with such a remarkable trainer. We have a new friend who we can contact at any time with questions!