On July 15, 2007 we went to a kennel near the mall to “just look” at the puppies and ended up taking the five month old Shih Tzu home with us. We have not had a dog in our home for more than thirty years so this was really the beginning of a new adventure – for the three of us. Right from the start, Rudy was very loveable and he had a good temperament and got along well with people and other dogs. However, he had absolutely no manners or training. We could tell that he was smart and eager to please. He was quick to learn what he could and couldn’t chew or play with and he appeared to listen and obey when we called him.

We couldn’t wait to take to take Rudy camping with us and to visit Mom in the assisted living facility where she lives, but we needed to be sure Rudy would be reliable in more places than just our home. After a couple of weeks together we decided we wanted to get some training for Rudy. Not too much though, as we thought he was pretty perfect already. What more could we ask for from a dog? We would soon find out!

It seemed that everyone we talked with; the vet, groomer, kennel, friends with dogs, all had the same name to offer – ‘Claire Silver, she’s the best’. So on August 2nd Claire came to our home to give Rudy his first lesson. We liked Claire right from the start. We were impressed with her friendly manner, her level of professionalism and her no-nonsense approach to training. Rudy responded to her right off and we got a glimpse of what he was really capable of. That day, it was us that really got the lesson with Claire. We signed up for her beginner obedience training class.

Beginner classes started in mid-September. Again, we were really impressed. There were about ten dogs in the class and we couldn’t believe how much we accomplished in just one hour. Claire has a way of commanding respect from the dogs and owners so that no time is wasted and everyone really gets their moneys worth out of her training classes. Claire’s classes are really successful because her style of positive reinforcement and the techniques she uses keep the dogs and the owners interested and having fun while learning. The practice exercises were easy for us to do at home and the results were incredible. Rudy responded so well that there wasn’t anyplace we couldn’t take him. He became a real hit at Mom’s assisted living facility. He is now so polite and he doesn’t jump on anyone, he sits for petting and all the residents and staff look forward to his visits. At the end of the seven week class Rudy graduated with one of the highest grades and he was so proud of himself. This experience with Claire far exceeded our expectations. We never imagined that we or Rudy would get this much out of a beginner obedience class.

In October Rudy received his Canine Good Citizen certificate from Claire. She held the training and testing at the Newport Health Center. During the training Rudy got to visit some of the residents there and the results were so positive that we enrolled him in Claire’s therapy dog training course that was starting later in November. Claire made the training fun, safe and professional. Once again we felt like we really learned a lot more than we expected. Rudy passed his Therapy Dog test which qualifies him to take the state exam and become a certified Vermont Therapy Dog. He must be one year old before he can test so he has to wait.

In January, Rudy was 11 months old and we were having some issues. He’s realized that he really doesn’t have to come when he’s called. He is still behaving perfectly on his leash, but when he is outside playing in the yard without his leash it’s another story. He knows what he’s supposed to do but just refuses to do it and is testing us. We are frustrated and don’t know what to do so we call Claire. She suggests using a long line to remind him what to do when we say ‘come’, and mentions that she will be starting an intermediate obedience class in March. We immediately sign up.

As soon as classes started again Rudy knew where he was and it was obvious that he liked it! We were all so excited to be back in ‘school’ with Claire. It’s fun to be learning more advanced training techniques as well as brushing up on what we already know. After just about two weeks of being back in school Rudy seems eager to learn again. He is demonstrating a full understanding of coming when he’s called. He’s not perfect yet but he does really well and we only expect him to get better.

We are not through with the intermediate class yet but with the results we’ve seen so far there’s a good chance we will sign up for the advanced obedience class and maybe even agility training. The more we train with Claire the more we realize that there’s no sense in stopping. Rudy loves it and we love having a dog that is so well behaved he is accepted and welcomed wherever we go.

What more could we ask for from a dog? Because of Claire Silver, we now know the answer is ‘everything’. She has shown us the benefits of training and how important it is to a good relationship as well as for the safety and happiness of our dog.

Thank you Claire!

Bill & Sue Rohde