Mocha's Story
"Shanni started to work with Mocha, our beautiful labradoodle, a day after she arrived home at 8 weeks. We started with a series of private classes. I highly recommend for first time puppy owners like me. Here the basics were practiced in a positively reinforced way in my living room with my family. We then "graduated" to a puppy class where these and more advanced behaviors were introduced, in a noisier environment with more distractions.
Mocha, responded very well to these classes too, and in fact my 9 year old was able to become the "responsible adult" during that training. Another one of Shanni's strengths is to make kids very comfortable with training. Overall, Shanni turned to be a great resource of knowledge and her big heart (and endless love for dogs and humans) made our Moch's arrival so much smoother"
- Nathalie
Wild Udi:
"We have a mixed shepherd dog from a working ranch, highly energetic and strong, but at the age of 2.5 yrs he was still not obedient. We couldn’t take him on a walk because he pulled too hard and in the presence of other dogs and people he was uncontrollable and aggressive. On Shanni’s first visit our dog was closed in the room and Shanni introduced herself by putting her foot through a narrow opening in the door. The dog was ready to rip her foot off. By the end of the first session, he sat and went down on command.
After six months of training he can go on a walk on leash without pulling, can be taken to a busy street and to Fort Funston to be with other people and dogs, he comes and stays for 15 minutes on command, and is manageable and pleasant.
Shanni taught us the principles of training. Moreover, she taught us how to read our dog’s body language and understand his disposition and behavior. She is very professional but also has an intuitive understanding of dogs, their personalities and needs. She is creative in adjusting her training plans to our dog’s needs and our lifestyle, and guide us in a way that enabled us to continue being dog owners."
- Noa
Fluffy Brothers:
"Dogs in Harmony is the BEST! My two cockapoo puppies, Ollie and Finley, LOVE Shanni. They get excited every time they see her, knowing there is a fun adventure in store for them. They have participated in her puppy school, private training, and day trips. In addition, Shanni has stayed in my home with them more than once when we have gone out of town. It is clear that she loves Ollie and Finley, too, as if they were her own dogs.
Over the years, I have had five dogs who have gone to various puppy schools; Shanni's is by far the best. Rather than crowding the class with too many puppies, she keeps the classes small and provides personal attention, developing a relationship with each dog. She focuses on individual needs of the dog and owner, giving expert advice and instruction. When Ollie was eight months old, Shanni helped us make the transition from one puppy to two when we adopted Finley, Ollie's two month old half brother. The private sessions in our home developed habits and patterns that work for us and the dogs. We couldn't have survived two puppies at once without her help."
- Karen
Handsome Rio:
"Full disclosure — I didn’t enjoy training sessions in the past with other instructors for a variety of reasons (unreasonable expectations, availability, etc.). Working with Shanni changed my perspective. Not only does she quickly teach dogs proper etiquette and behavior, she outlines a dog’s thought process to owners who may not fully understand the way a dog is wired. Dog owners learn as much as the pups in Shanni’s class! I’m exceedingly happy with the results, and more importantly, my dog and I had fun."
- David
Donut Love:
"My husband and I had no concept of the "4-legged" world ’til we adopted Donut, a 2.5-year old girl 6 months ago. It was falling in love at first sight — Donut seemed quiet, mellow and sweet! Boy we had no idea how our lives would have changed!! On the evening I brought Donut home — she pooped in my brand new car; peed repeatedly in the house; and cried throughout the night. She then refused to walk or get into the car with us…. I had to walk her hours straight every day, hoping to force her to do her business outside of house but she never did. Two weeks later, her real personality came out – barking and reacting to all dogs as soon she sees one on a walk! We were pulling our hair, literally.
Then Shanni came to rescue. Shanni provided private training in our home — she not only de-coded Donut’s world to us; but provided specific-goal for each class; showed us the techniques in a structured training set and watched us to use them to avoid any errors; brought her little 4-legged girl to help train Donut; and always provided answers via email/text whenever I pinged her about fire drill situations…. When I placed a panic call to Shanni after Donut got attacked by an off-leash dog, Shanni took the time to speak with me in a calm manner, providing both emotional support and actionable instructions.
Shanni, thank you for being there for us! We are lucky to have you in our lives!!"
-Penny
Bubba Jaxx:
I adopted Bubba Jaxx from Family Dog Rescue, he was about 3 years of age. His potty place preferences were wherever he wanted, mainly in the house. With Shanni's expert advice, HE IS COMPLETELY POTTY TRAINED now and only goes outside and thru the doggie dog which he has mastered as he flies right through it. He isn’t in his crate anymore or cornered off from other rooms in the house. I highly recommend Shanni – she is the best! He is the sweetest little guy and loves everyone and everyone loves him, again I thank Dogs In Harmony so much for their accurate and heartfelt advice.
- Bonnie
Blossom's Story
When I adopted Blossom from a rescue organization, she was very sweet, but also very shy, particularly around men. She had problems with barking and aggression toward other dogs when I walked her. I called Shanni, who helped me work in one-on-one sessions to build her confidence with treats and training, and enrolled us in a group obedience class where we could continue to work.
Blossom has opened up a lot since we started working with Shanni. She can come in to work with me and interact nicely with my colleagues--even the largest and tallest of the men. She is still somewhat aggressive toward other dogs, but I have gotten much better at handling it: I can distract her with training and treats, so that an encounter with another dog just means a short, routine break in our walk. Her everyday body language is much more relaxed. While I have always been interested in dogs, and was somewhat familiar with dog body language from growing up around them, Shanni has helped me gain a more nuanced understanding of what is going on in Blossom's mind.
- Rachael