Dear Christine,  
I hope you are well. You have all done a wonderful job with our baby Bismarck.

He is a different dog. He does everything perfectly. We trained on Saturday and yesterday and he is absolutely wonderful. The only command he did not do properly was the “stay” command when I turned my back. He started sneaking up on me.

Sometimes, he sits in front of me, but I don’t reward him until he sits on my left hand side. He is an absolute pleasure. He no longer jumps on me and/or drags me around when I walk him.

Thank you immensely.
I have recommended you guys to my cousin Sarika. When she sees Bismarck again, I am sure she will also pursue the training with you guys.

I will send you a crazy picture of Bismarck - I love this pic!

Take care
Deshika

My little dog is so happy to be back, she started to moan as we drove into school the weekend! Guess she missed all her friends! 
Regards,
Dean.

Thank you so, so much for being nice to me. I’m looking forward to bring my \"Poison\"-Ivy, lol :) to your healthy environment...
Kind regards
Iryna

I would like to thank you and the trainers for the professional and friendly manner the classes are conducted. I’m more than satisfied with what Sheba has been taught and will continue with her "homework".
All the best,
Mike. 

Thanks to Chris for his help getting our puppies (and us) on the right path to happy and obedient puppies and owners! Regards

Colleen C

Thanks to you and Chris for helping me with Chloe, it was really enjoyable bringing her for training. I may bring her back in the new year. Thanks again,

Colleen T

Hi Christine,

Firstly, Captain settled back at home very well and soon after his training we went away with him to the Magaliesburg and he enjoyed the freedom of just running. Secondly, we will be going away in December and we were so impressed with your set up it would be wonderful if our 2 dogs could board in your kennels for that period. Regards,

Rose M

I really think what you do at training is affective and that more people should participate as I have learnt a lot and feel proud knowing that as a dog owner I can enjoy my house friend to full potential.

Regards
Almari

Thank you so much to SADTC for making my and Halsten's Saturdays so fun and soon Iris will also be having fun there :)

Angela 

Thanks again for letting us know about the fun day – I’m so glad we came, we really enjoyed it.
I was so impressed with the older guy (Johan, I think) and how his dog could read his body language with no hand signals or talking required!
You guys really do amazing work.

Have a super week.
With kind regards

We would also like to thank you and Chris for your friendship and for making us feel at home and part of the family. Also for your support to get me where I should be as an Instructor it is very much appreciated.

Regards Adelle

Hi Christine!

I just want to take the opportunity to randomly thank you guys for the puppy classes so far. Halsten and I are really enjoying it.
Angela :)

You guys are truly amazing. There are very few really good people left and
you are definitely two of them   Thank you so much for your more than
generous offer it is most appreciated , we will most definitely be back in the swing of things before too long and then we will return !
Hoping to see you really soon
Regards, C.

Major and I would love to continue with the training and I think he will also enjoy the agility. We did a bit of agility with your daughter the previous Saturday and he seemed to enjoy it. Thanks you so much for the past three months' training, we enjoyed it thoroughly and Major has developed so much!
Kind Regards,

Amanda.

Thank you Christine, I would like to take this opportunity to compliment you on what you are doing:

Before Titan was born I went to many places to see where I could train him, and no names mentioned, I also went to a place that specialise in Rottweilers and in my opinion none of them compared... SADTC is awesome and deserve the recognition!

Titan is now my 4th dog being trained and I have never been to a place like SADTC, where training a dog is actually enjoyable, where the instructors actually know what they are doing, but also where you are made to feel like you are “part of the family” whenever you are there.

I LOVE SADTC and recommend it to ALL my friends who get puppies.

It’s a pity I did not know of SADTC with my other dog Grizzly, he was AWESOME (I trained him with …), he was a real good dog but we struggled with his aggression towards other dogs, I actually came 2nd in a competition with him (Intermediate level) but because training was not enjoyable I eventually lost interest and stopped going, what a pity I think Grizzly would have been a champion.

Needless to say Titan has been my favourite dog to train (also cause he is such an awesome dog) and I am certain that I will NEVER lose interest. I will always be a part of SADTC and hope that in the near future I can do the instructors course and become an instructor at SADTC.

Regards,
Daniel.

Turbo is an amazing dog and still probably one of the most loving dogs I have ever come across.

Kind Regards

Charlene

Dear Christine

I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

When Jessie and I found each other she was about 9 weeks old and definitely not well treated or fed. We got home with her flea escort which we got rid of and at 5kg she was very under weight.

We started training last year January 2010 and the first few lessons we came to I couldn't even get the scaredy cat out of the car. In the beginning we couldn't even stand close the other dogs in the class as she was that nervous and scared, she wouldn't take treats and didn't want to play.  After a few months of training Jessie has blossomed into an amazing girl who is now a social butterfly. She loves training and can't wait to get there on a Saturday morning. She absolutely loves the other dogs and is very fond of
you, Mark, At and Chris. She is obedient and incredibly lovable. She has a reasonably good play drive and she continues to grow and become more dear.

It was a huge surprise for us to have won trophies and certificates at the end of year prize giving.

To this end we added to our doggy family earlier this year and I wasn't hesitant. Rocky is a large Great Dane cross of two years old and they get on so well and play me tired. At no point has Jessie fallen back into her insecurities, she is thriving.

I owe a big thank you for all the encouragement and the extra time you gave us. I definitely got the dog I needed.

Have a fabulous day!
Tammy & Jessie

Hi Christine,

As for Turbo .......well where do I start. I thought it may be a bit of “can you see the difference in her” but it has turned out to be “WOW”. The change is amazing. All the things that bothered her before like hooting cars or grocery packets, even touching her if she isn’t looking are non existent now. She is so much calmer that it is almost amazing just to watch her.

When we got home, it was a bit “tense” as the other dogs wanted to smell her all the time and I could see that she was uncomfortable at times with that. I got some treats and when she looked a bit nervous I would make them all sit and give them treats which would distract them for a while till they wanted to smell her again. This went on for about an hour or 2 but she calmed down every time I distracted them with treats. After that they were all back to normal again and have been playing and licking each other ever since.

I have even started her on the “Quiet” command every time she barks unnecessarily and after one day, she has it down to a tee. I let her bark once or twice (just so she knows that she can bark), then I calmly say “Quiet” and she stops immediately ........even without treats which is so sweet of her.

I am sorry, I am rambling but it is so exciting to have her home and also not to have to worry every time a car hoots or a child screams next door because those things would usually have her shaking. She now just lays there and ignores anything that does not seem to be interesting to her.

I cannot thank you enough for all you have done for her. She is still very much Turbo but she is also such a different dog in so many respects. I did not think I could love her anymore than I already do, but I think you have proven me wrong on that. She always used to follow me around wherever I went, I think out of insecurity, but now if I get up to go the kitchen or go upstairs and she is lying down, she just stays there and waits, she only comes to look for me if she thinks I am taking too long for her liking.

Thank you once again. We have all been enormously blessed by you and all your team that put so much effort into her “recovery”. It is such a relief to know that there are people out there that really do want to help the animals and not only help those that are easy to train. Could you please also tell your team how much we appreciate their help with her.

With much respect and thanks

Charlene Holtzhauzen

Dear Chris and Christine

I just want to thank you for the lovely tracking lesson we had yesterday.  Connor who has Lara
(although I think she has us) is very shy, could not stop talking about how lovely it was and
how much he learnt and enjoyed it.

Thank you to wonderful people who has dedicated their lives to these beautiful creatures.

All the best
Erika & Connor
AND LARA - Our Basset Hound

Hi Christine

Thank you so much for everything.  We have enjoyed it a lot, and will take it up again in the future.
Thanks for all your help.  Johan was a great instructor.

Greetings
Cornelia and Marrion

Thank you we have bonded well and she has a very unique personality.

We both owe you a huge thank you for all the effort and extra time you spent with us. You have changed our relationship dramatically.

I also personally want to thank you for making me stop and really think about everything. It made me get my behind into gear and my head out of the sand. I really enjoy the training it has become the highlight of my week. As far as a prize goes that isn't my focus. I love training and do it for the enjoyment. The fact that we both learn something is a bonus. If I do get a placing it is a bonus. Jessie and I have grown so much in the last while.

You are a special person, don't change! And thank you for your interest and support. It means a great deal to me.

Have a fabulous day!

Many thanks Tammy Schuute.

The dogs that compete in this section are the best in South Africa, and we are extremely proud of Johan and Luna.  Well done!

The dogs have never been in kennels before and you are the only people I trust as  you are familiar with Titan's condition.  

Kind regards Suranie.

I just wanted to say a Thank you to you and our trainer Chris for all the advice and time spent on our puppies. We have learnt a lot and it was a great experience for us & our puppies.  

Thank you Nice

(Puppies Names: Mojo & Missy)

Hi Christine

Just to let you know that Zena is doing great. She is 95% more controllable. Still working on that last 5%. As you know she has got a lot of energy and still get so exited sometimes that she forgets to listen. She really is so much better now. I can take her for a walk around the block without her going crazy when she sees another dog which is a huge improvement. When I tell her to ‘Stay’, I can let go of the leash and walk back at least ten paces and she stays. That is really great. She is even more loving than before and I really enjoy spending time with her. I have taught her to greet me with her paw and she does it so cute. As I said to Alwyn, at this point I need more training than she does, because I still forget sometimes the correct way of speaking and giving commands.

Thank you again for doing such a great job with her.

With kind regards,
Maryna

Hi there Christine and Family

Sorry for taking so long in sending you an update, but life sometimes has a way of getting away from you!

Just an update on Peanut for you…

What a changed dog!!! He has come so far in such a short time, we actually cannot believe it!
He still loves June best, but now does not carry on so when she is not around.
He will happily sit and be with others, and only really performs when he hears her coming home É but he calms down right away.
He is still on their bed at night, but other than that he is not on the couches and such and is a real gentleman with everyone.

We are going to be getting a little English Bulldog pup soon (my absolute favourite), so please will you send through the class times and such for the puppy socializing classes.

Thank you again for everything, your help and assistance was invaluable!
Best regards
Carrie

We have recently moved from Cape Town to Johannesburg. For the first six months of our stay we had numerous terrifying incidents with our loving beagle, Titan. He was 2 years old. He started to destroy our property when we where at work and by doing that he injured himself as well. He ate through our wooden kitchen back door. He literally tore the wood pieces off with his mouth and ended up every time with splinters and bruises. He scratched the garage doors until his nails had broken off and was bleeding. He destroyed all our plumbing. Ate through the electric fence. Twice I was called at work by people that found him in the streets. He jumped over our 8 feet wall. We were afraid of leaving him alone at home because we didn’t know what to expect when we’ll arrive back again. Will Titan still be in the yard? How bad did he injured himself this time?

We went for help to our Vet. They put him on some calming medicine, but that didn’t even help. Every time when we went back to the vet they just gave Titan more medicine. Then we noticed Titan was losing his apatite, lost a lot of weight and started to vomit. We did some researched on the internet about Titan’s recent behaviour and came to the conclusion that he suffers from separation anxiety. They described that our moving could be the cause of this anxiety. We took Titan back to the vet with our new conclusion of his behaviour. In the end Titan had a very bad stomach ulcer. We asked our vet for help because we couldn’t carry on like this. They just give us more medicine. Everybody told us to find a new home for Titan or to put him down. That was completely out of the question!

We again went looking for help on the internet for dog behaviourists. There we found Chris and Christine’s number. We phoned them immediately. They were so helpful and suggested that we bring Titan as soon as possible to their Dog Training College so that they can help us. We started with basic home obedience classes and to built up Titan’s confidence they put him in the puppy classes as well. They’ve educated us to understand our dog better. After two months of training and having fun Titan was off all his medication and we’ve got our old, loving Titan back. Christine phoned us regularly at home during our training sessions to found out how he was doing, what he did this time and suggested new things that we must try at home to make Titan feel save and to let him know we are coming back after work. That we will not forget him. All our friends and family even noticed the difference in Titan’s behaviour. He’s got his confidence back!

With this letter we want people to know that there is help for your loving pet. Don’t just always try the easy way out by putting your dog down. It takes time and hard work to build them up again, but we promise you that it is worth the time.

Thanks to all the people at the S.A. Dog Training College. We learned a lot but had fun at the same time.

Kind regard
Suranie & Stian Otto

Firstly, I would just like to thank you most sincerely for your patience.
Me and my SPCA special (Bobby) started our training three months ago as he was completely uncontrollable. So much so, that I in fact walked off the field twice in absolute frustration. You went out of your way by giving us one-on-one training for two weeks and were it not for your encouragement I know I would have just given up!
Even though the 3 months is up now and Bobby still “plays up” every now and again, I will continue with the training, tips and advice at home as I firmly believe that he enjoys the time he and I spend training together.

Thank you so much – also thanks to Elaine, Demetri and Biata.

Kind regards
Lesley

I would just like to give you a little feedback on the brats!!! Well they aren’t such brats anymore. Today the dog washers came – it was their first bath since leaving your care. Paollino was a breeze. He behaved immaculately and was easy to handle and catch. Bacci, in fact wasn’t much different to him. She behaved very well until the last few minutes when she snapped at the handler who was bathing her, while she was trying to clip her front nails. She didn’t seem to like her foot being picked up, as opposed to the actual clipping. Peter and I distracted her and rewarded and praised any good behaviour and positive attitude and then she calmed down a lot and accepted the work on her front feet. I am VERY pleased with how they are coming along. They do not skulk into the house anymore and steal things. They do not steal food from the maids quarters anymore. The dogs’ mealtimes are more relaxed, and they are eating better – Bacci has put on a lot of weight J

They were both treated to pretty new collars – Bacci has a bright pink, and Paollino with a bright blue one. I spend a good 10 minutes with them each day, although it’s not always obedience training, praising good behaviour, making them sit and lay down etc. They enjoy the interaction and almost do tricks just to try and please me! It’s great, and I am actually slowly starting to like them. I was just indifferent to them in the past. But now they greet me properly, with respect and are very calm.

The greyhounds are doing very, very well. I have really bonded with them now and they treat me very respectfully. When they come to greet me, they turn around in front of me and sit or lie down without being asked. I think that is quite good, because it seems to me that they are settled. They do not hassle guests anymore, they play gently with Bella (the Beagle in the photo), and they have stopped stealing so much! When Peter went away on long term sick leave, another chap David took over the feeding duties, and the dogs also bonded with David. However, when Peter came back the dogs didn't quite know what to do. But now they have actually spilt up (we were gob smacked!!!), and the female, Bacci spends her whole day with David. Paolino has decided to stay with Peter. So for most of the day they are apart, which I think has benefited them greatly.

Thank you so very much for the work that you and your family did with our dogs. It has made our lives easier, but their lives much nicer as well, as they interact properly with people now! It was of course you that set the ball rolling, so we are very grateful!!!

Kinds Regards
Ashleig

There has been an article recently of a Rottweiler, Major who trained with us and who courageously saved his owner's life. Brett Vaughan had a 16th birthday party for his nephew at his house and there were about 40 people there. They were held up on the property and shots were fired at Brett, narrowly missing him. Major started barking aggressively and was going to attack when he was shot in the chest. With that the robbers fled and Major was rushed to the vet. Fortunately the bullet had just missed his heart and he pulled through. Major is a true hero, who thought nothing of looking after Brett and the family.

We wish Brett and Major a speedy recovery.