Regina’s Global News Anchor, Jill Morgan and her Shetland Sheepdog Jasper

Dear Barbara,

I had never been a pet owner when I found my Shetland Sheepdog, Jasper. She was just 12 weeks old, new at life, and I was very new to looking after a puppy. I bought a few books, but the best answers I found to all my questions were at the Dog's Den Training School.

Jasper and I started at the beginning with the Smart Puppy Class. She was a terrrified pup. In the first class she hid under a chair and threw up on the way home. I knew on our first day, though, that we were in the right place.. Jasper's timid nature was a perfect match for the loving and positive environment you teach in. By the end of the Smart Puppy Class, Jasper was a different dog. Through clicker training and treats for rewards, she went from being quiet and scared, to being outgoing and energetic. Her new found bravery did open up our next training challenges.

Jasper is a herding dog and was relentless in wanting to chase cars, pull on the leash and basically be the boss. Your training once again came through when we signed up for the Around Town Manners. There were a number of key lessons that made a difference, and I loved that I could train Jasper without yelling or being physical with her. At school I was able to learn the skills we needed to be successful at home. With boundless energy, Jasper was very thrilled to be at the Clicks and Tricks class and the Agility Training class, both of which made dog training fun.. and gave me a tired dog when we got home, so that was an added bonus. Jasper is an intelligent dog and those classes were such a great chance for her to be challenged.

While she still has her wild side, Jasper is a much more balanced dog because of what I learned from you. If it were up to Jasper we would spend every day at the Dog's Den. Dogs are not humans and your approach to teaching them and their owners connects in their world, and opened my eyes to what I need to do to have a successful relationship with my beautifil girl. We can't wait to be back!

Sincerely,

Jill Morgan