Best Paw Forward

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I found Lisa through one of her pet training classes she has advertised on face book a few months ago. I, myself, have done lots of self, in-home training with all the dogs I've made part of my family & have done lots of reading on behavioral training. My husband had used another local trainer, where we learned about & utilized the prong collar. We always had wonderful results with the collar & were trained to use it properly, (the same as Lisa trains) so we used his techniques until I brought home 2 Great Dane puppies, Diesel n Daphne. I had almost a full month to potty train & teach them the basics until my newborn baby arrived. When my baby was about a month n a half old, I finally gave in & decided I was in over my head. I messaged Lisa about Diesels anxiety & she was over within a few days to help us. Thankfully my 12 year old was here to listen & work with her, as my baby brain had the best of me at that time! We had instant results & less whining & ridiculousness between the two pups & the other three dogs we have. (I had felt like i was spinning in circles) That one lesson was enough for me to want to try out her class but I had the inability to go, so she so kindly met me at a nearby park weekly where we could work with Daphne. Quickly we progressed & soon had her Star Puppy certificate! We are currently taking her class again, but now in a group setting as Daphne needed to learn more in a social atmosphere as our goal is to do therapy work! I must say that I have seen an amazing outcome from all of the kids in our current class in only 3 sessions! I highly recommend Lisa, have recommended her to my family & friends & will continue to for a long time into the future!

I first attended Lisa's basic obedience class just for exposure and polishing work for my Golden/Labrador mix. Abby knew the basics and loves to work but she needed to be able to do that around other dogs and people. Lisa's class was perfect and she took the time to help me work out some things I didn't even realize I was doing wrong. We went on to take the advanced obedience class and the Canine good Citizen class. I love the way Lisa understands dog behavior and reacts/acts accordingly. Not all dogs need a pinch collar but some dogs do. It is actually a much more humane training collar than a regular choke collar or buckle collar. As for classes, I wouldn't hesitate to take another class with her. Not sure what the other lady's issue was with Lisa. I have gotten to know her as more than a dog trainer and am thankful to have found her after being told my dog was a "tarzan dog" by another trainer.

We used Lisa for our Dane mix. We attended a series of puppy training classes. She was dedicated to helping us with him and he did wonderfully. We were very pleased with her methods and plan on using her for a pup we just added to the family. Great trainer!

When we adopted our lab/Great Dane mix from a family that was going to take him to the pound we quickly discovered why they couldn't keep him. Through research on the internet and Facebook we found that we were his third, possibly fourth, owner. When he chewed the arm off our couch we called Lisa. She came out very promptly and worked with Ruger but mostly with our whole family. We have two young sons who needed to be considered and taught also. She was great with our entire family. She helped us to understand our dogs emotions and behavior. He's very anxious and needs to know we are in charge. She taught us how to recognize signs of anxiety and calm behavior. Once she helped us to see that and we worked what she taught us Ruger has become a much more relaxed member of our family. We then followed up with basic obedience group lessons. I was so thankful to have had the private lessons and the group lessons. I do not and will never hesitate to call Lisa even to have her come out for a refresher or to help with little behaviors that come up now and then. Her knowledge about the breed mixture if our dog was amazing.It explained a lot of Ruger's behaviors! She was very professional helpful and affordable.

I don't know what issues one reviewer has with Lisa, but the full truth is not spoken. Many of Lisa techniques are the same techniques Cesar (the dog whisper) uses. If one is uncomfortable with a techniques Lisa uses, she will change. Your comfort level and any concerns you may have is Lisa's priority. Nothing Lisa does or suggests in cut in stone. Lisa will always listen to your concerns and adjust to your comfort zone. I adopted a little girl, CeeLa, 7 years ago prior to finding Lisa. CeeLa is a Rat Terrier I rescued from a puppy mill and came to me with many issues. CeeLa wanted nothing to do with other human's or dogs. CeeLa started chasing and biting at peoples heals sometimes grabbing skin. I was so afraid CeeLa had become aggressive and in the red zone this is when I found Lisa. When I met Lisa I could see how much she loves dogs and how good she is with them. After spending half the day with CeeLa and myself, Lisa told me CeeLa has insecurities and dominance issues, not aggression. So as soon as the next class opened, I enrolled CeeLa. Because of the way she reacted to a correction collar and due to her size (under 8 lbs) we went with a different type lead than what Lisa uses on the larger dogs. Lisa has taught me how to be a good pack leader and bring out the good in CeeLa. Lisa has been so wonderful in recognizing CeeLa's insecurities and working with and around this. Lisa's techniques are easy to follow, she not only teaches you the how and why's, she goes beyond the call of duty and provides lots of encouragement and support to be a great pack leader. This was three years ago and today I am still using Lisa's techniques and my CeeLa is a different dog (to the better) than before I met Lisa. CeeLa enjoys and is relaxed being around other people as well as other dogs. Lisa is my hero! Lisa will always be my go to gal when it come to my pups issues :D

We've always had great experiences with Lisa. She taught us how to calm our dogs anxiety with us leaving the house or leaving without him. We also have learned how to deal with our dogs aggressive manners with other dogs. The pinch collar is a great tool for us and have learned to correct our dog to make him a happy guy on a leash. Thank you so much for helping our family have a happy family member pooch!

We went to a group class with the instructor, Lisa, who put a pincher collar on one of the dogs and called it a "correction collar." The lesson was to teach walking on a leash. Lisa tried to walk the client's dog with the pincher collar on and jerked and drug the dog across the grass while trying to say he would eventually walk with her. She then taught us the method of jerking on the collar to train the dog to walk with us and offered no other technique options. She had said on the phone before the class that she used positive reinforcement and correction techniques and when I asked her where the positive reinforcement was in this lesson she said "letting the leash loose" was the positive reinforcement. The ASPCA website offers four different techniques for leash training and the two considered punishment or "correction" advise to never use pinch, choker or other forms of punishment collars for these techniques. Lisa insisted we would never train our dog to walk on a leash if we did not get a "correction or gentle leader" collar. When I told her I would not be returning for any other classes after the one class we attended she said she would not return my fee of $120. Please BEWARE. Training given by Lisa does not follow guidelines from ASPCA. If you would like options for training your dog or positive reinforcement training go elsewhere.

We have two dogs, one larger (42 pounds) who is very well behaved and has been a part of our family for 4 years. Then we got our other little girl (16 pounds) thinking that we would be able to integrate her into our normal routine- boy were we wrong! We called Lisa and she immediately diagnosed the myriad of issues we were experiencing (chewing, potty training challenges, stranger aggression) as symptoms of her extreme anxiety. After one session, it was like turning a light switch- not perfect, but the tools we gained created an immediate impact. Lisa recommended we kennel train her, and while much to our concern, we gave it a shot. Turns out she loves it! Our house is cleaner, our dog is happier, and our bigger dog gets some peace of mind too. THANK YOU BEST PAW FORWARD!! We couldn’t have done it without you!

After eight months of hoping time and "love" would heal our broken and fearful dog, a last ditch effort brought Lisa to us. She taught us how to be the leaders our dog, Wiley, so desperately needed. Her deep understanding of dogs, their needs and behaviors, along with her calm, easy demeanor, and wicked sense of humor helped us relax and learn how to trust ourselves and our dog. Our little pack is still a work in progress, but we finally feel as if we have the tools to help Wiley be the dog he was meant to be and the companion we hoped for.

My mom and I have a very excitable, nervous and energetic pup who was giving us a hard time on walks, and acting out in the house. We tried taking him to the training classes at Petsmart, and yes he learned basic commands like "sit" and "stay" (kind of) but it didn't do anything to address the issues we were having with him. Not only did Lisa help us get him to behave during walks (It's only been a few days, and he already is SO MUCH easier to walk!) she helped us understand better what our dogs are thinking and feeling, and why they behave the way they do. She explained everything clearly, and answered any and all questions we had for her. Not only is she a wonderful trainer, but she's a lovely person as well. I highly recommend her to anyone and everyone!

She did a wonderful job we have a border collie mix and a stafforshire mix both dog were under educated, had public issues and severe anxiety. Lisa showed us how to get our dogs calm and under control so they weren't a bunch of nut cases. Had several doubts throughout the training process, and she conquered all of them including help with interactions and space with Gracie our pet bird. Hard to explain the miracles that she worked on our pack, must see to believe!!!!!

Very Happy Customer



I adopted a little girl, CeeLa, from a puppy mill that had spent the first nine months of her life in a crate. She came to me with many issues. CeeLa wanted nothing to do with other humans or dogs. CeeLa started chasing and biting at peoples heals sometimes grabbing skin. I was so afraid CeeLa had become aggressive and in the "red zone" this is when I found Lisa. When I met Lisa I could see how much she loves dogs and how good she is with them. Lisa told me CeeLa has insecurities and dominance issues, not aggression. Lisa has taught me how to be a good pack leader and bring out the good in CeeLa. Lisa has been so wonderful in recognizing CeeLa's insecurities and working with and around this. We are about to graduate from our first class with wonderful results! Lisa's techniques are easy to follow, she not only teaches you the how and whys, she goes beyond the call of duty and provides lots of encouragement and support to be a great pack leader. Lisa is my hero!

I have known Lisa, owner of Best Paw Forward for a couple of years now. I came to her seeking training for my dogs... What we found was an outstanding trainer and a lifelong friend.You see, I am a breeder for my Great Danes. For us, it's very important to send our pups out with a solid foundation, knowing basic commands making the adjustment to their new families as smooth as possible.When we found Lisa, my priority at the time was our older dogs as they are the ones that shape the behaviors for their offspring. We had our girl spayed after delivery complications with her last litter; that spay really changed her "hormonally" and she needed that extra loving touch to really help her, with anxiety. Because she was beginning to feel stressed, her effects were being mimicked by the others. Lisa was phenomenal, identifying exactly what we needed to do to help Harley. We then put our pups through class; there was a time even when a couple of my own clients registered their new pups. If I remember correctly, Lisa had 5 of my Dane pups all in the same class!! By now, my older two dogs have completed their courses and were coaching the young ones on proper etiquette! Such a turn around, not that it was rough before; but that life was so much smoother and better yet; my clients became her clients and all the dogs were on the same page :)Lisa keeps a professional atmosphere, yet keeps her heart soft and warm while teaching the fur babies and their owners as well. Rates are definitely appealing if someone is maintaining a budget; but for the value of what you would receive as a new client, she could easily raise rates and you would still be far ahead. I just can't stress enough how wonderful she really is. Class is held in a location where there are other families, pets.. even those that are running around loose and not leashed appropriately. So these dogs that attend class are so much more social. They are taught the correct way on how to react to that dog running down the road, or that child that innocently walks up to pet him/her. Without proper training, your pooch could chase that dog which could lead to an unfortunate chain of events, or that child might get nipped if your dog hasn't had the proper social interaction.. CLASS makes all the difference which leads to a very healthy and happy life for your family member. Lisa also makes house calls for those clients that need private sessions before exposing your dog to society. I have done this a few times myself, not only for convenience but there are times when I have 4 dogs at a time.. this is so much more convenient than finding a lead person or each one to attend a class.Lisa, you are a remarkable person; clearly you have found your calling and we are truly grateful for you as I am sure your other clients would agree. Not only are you our lifelong trainer, but a wonderful friend as well. Thank you!!If you are considering training for your pup, whether they are just beginning, seasoned, or just need help with some pep to their step, I strongly encourage you to try Best Paw Forward. You will not regret this decision, it will change your life!

I have a Golden Retriever with ,what I call, ADHD x3. After failing puppy class and manners class with 2 previous dog trainers I stumbled upon Lisa's add and signed up for her CGC class. I was so desperate that I was almost ready to give my dog away. Lisa had my dog figured out within the first 5 min watching her! She has AMAZING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS about dogs and I secretly call her my own DOG WHISPERER. Can only recommend her with the highest praise. She helped me with my out of control dog to now have a dog that not only passed the CGC, but also the advanced obedience training ! Thank you Lisa for making all of our lives so much more enjoyable ! What I also enjoyed very much is that we did NOT use bags full of treats or clickers as I was forced to do in previous schools. Both of which did not work for us (bloody fingers since dog was solely foused on the food,clicker was very annoying). So, kudos to Lisa.....BEST TRAINER EVER !!!!!!!!!!!!

When we got a puppy at 5 weeks old (too early to have been sold...lesson learned) I came across Best Paw Forward on Facebook. Within the week I met with Lisa to work on socialization of our pup. While she educated us on the importance of keeping a pup with mom longer than we did, she never made us feel like horrible people but rather she reassured us that with her help, we were going to still get that well adjusted dog we strived for. Since that time, our boxer has been through 2 of Lisa's training courses, and I'm happy to say she passed both with flying colors. We continue to work with Lisa, both privately and in group sessions. We have a problem dog also (barking and agression towards strangers) that we plan to have her work with as well. I can't recommend Best Paw Forward enough. I'm excited to continue to work with Lisa. Her classes and private sessions are both affordable and informative. Well worth every penny we have spent!

When we welcomed Colby into our home, we weren't prepared for a 50 lb. puppy with endless energy. He also has a problem with motion sickness which limits his time in the car. I was so excited after contacting Best Paw Forward, that Lisa was able to make home visits. During our first class, Colby was put on the treadmill!! As Lisa trained us (yes, we were the real students,) we were able to see our growth reflected in Colby and his behavior. Lisa's methods work so well and she really undertands a dogs natural behaviors. I would highly recommend Best Paw Forward!

Lisa knows how dogs think, and she trains in a competent and patient manner. She is very good with the dogs, and with the new dog parent's inexperience. She answers questions without making me feel dumb!She will answer questions and give advice outside the formal lessons, and that is very helpful.She should be your go-to trainer for your dog!

Working with Lisa for 8 months she is always great and very accodomating. I have three sibling labs and as you can figure they are a handful to handle and lisa has helped me so much I can handle all three of them by my self. The dogs have been through her puppy training and star puppy classes sucessfully. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and can hardly wait until they are a yea old and ready for good citizen step

We had two dogs who had dominance issues. They were fighting and one was losing a lot. After 2 trips to the vet we call Best Paw Forward, she came over for a home visit to see how they act. By the time she left which was about 3 hours later, we could already see an improvement in both of them. After 4 in home classes and 5 classes out of the home training our dogs no longer fight. They are well behaved dogs when others come over and know basic commands. I loved our experience with Best Paw Forward. Paws down the best thing we could have ever done for our pound puppies.

I was at my wit's end with Penny, a complicated border collie mix that we'd adopted at a few months old. We were considering rehoming her, but didn't want her to end up in a bad home. She was hyper, developing some unwanted behaviors, and basically just not fitting in with our family. As a last resort, I contacted Lisa from Best Paws Forward, and she was very helpful on the telephone. I decided to enroll our dog in her basic obedience class, and keep a positive thought. Lisa had Penny pegged from the very first class, and she also showed me how my reactions were contributing to some of her behavior. All in all, in was a very positive experience, we decided to keep our dog, and even my husband is happy with that decision. I would highly recommend Lisa to anyone with a dog - problem or not. She just "gets" dogs, and I love her training methods. She has tons of patience and knowledge, and her sessions are well worth the money. Signed - a satisfied customer :-)