Sasha

The Ames Family – Natalie, Marshall, Russ & Alexis

Our family met Carrie when our German Shepherd puppy, Sasha, began nipping at our kids. Carrie came to our home and I immediately liked her manner. She was calm in dealing with both Sasha and our two young children. She asked my husband and I, and the kids, what our behavior concerns and expectations were regarding Sasha. She gave us the knowledge and tools to change Sasha’s unwanted behavior right then, plus she told us what future steps to take so that we were in control of Sasha and not the other way around.

When Sasha was older, we sent her to Carrie’s three week boot camp because she was difficult to walk, constantly pulling on her leash and trying to run the show. It was the best thing we did! Sasha came back a changed dog. Taking her for a walk was now a pleasure, and she now knew basic commands such as sit, down, heel, stay and place. I receive compliments all the time from friends and other dog owners on Sasha’s manners.

Having a dog in your family is great. Having a well behaved dog is the best! Thanks, Carrie!

Austin

Laurie Ann Burton, Tampa, FL

I can’t express how lucky I feel to have found Carrie and The Doghouse.

A year ago I adopted my wonderful 3-year-old black lab, Austin. Like many rescues, Austin came with some issues, chief among them his fright of unfamiliar people, objects, noises, lights, etc. When I decided to take an extended trip abroad, finding the right care for him was paramount. I felt the boarding alternatives were not quite right, and Austin’s fear of strangers made a dog sitter out of the question. Luckily, I remembered The Doghouse. I had considered training before, but had been unwilling to give Austin up for the required three weeks. My trip was the perfect opportunity to have Austin participate in Carrie’s boot camp. As an added bonus, being half-way around the world and knowing that he was in Carrie’s capable hands, I never once worried about his health and well-being. Carrie updated me on Austin’s progress via email, and I replied that it was a good thing I was so far away, or I would just blaze across town and demand him back because I missed him so much! Carrie’s training camp was the perfect answer to our boarding/traveling conundrum. I am so thrilled with the results that I have already reserved Austin’s spot for my next trip.

Dexter

Aeriel & Dexter

When I brought Dexter, my 2 year old Australian Shepherd to Carrie I was at the end of my ropes. As a single female dog owner having moved from a house that was bustling constantly with people and interaction with different dogs into a condo, Dexter became very territorial towards people as well as dog aggressive. As time went on even taking him for walks became a nightmare for I feared that he would see another dog, person, car, bicycle, squirrel, or a bird. Slowly I became a prisoner in my own home, as friends refused to visit for he was completely out of control, jumping on guests, incessant barking and growling, nipping at the feet, and running around like a complete madman. It got to the point that condo management informed me of several neighbor complaints of Dexter’s out of control behavior.
Within a few days of training commencing with Carrie, I was pleasantly surprised by the updates that Carrie had sent me, as Dexter was already interacting with other dogs, instead of ferocious attempts of attacks. Ah the groundwork began for his re-mobilization into society. Dexter has been home now for a few days, and for the first time in a year I am able to hold my head high as I walk him instead of avoiding others on our numerous daily walks and outings. Dexter is now a well adjusted happy puppy and much more enjoyable to be around. I am so grateful to Carrie for all of her hard work as I know how much trouble Dexter was at the beginning of training and I truly wondered if he was a lost cause. Thanks to Carrie Dexter has a whole new life to enjoy.

Kathy Lewis

Jennifer, Sid, and Roxy

I cannot begin to tell you how happy we are to have met you. We believe you are a God sent and you are going to change all three of our lives. I also wanted to say that what you do for people and their animals is a gift beyond words and I think the world (or at least Florida) needs to know about you. You are so smart and so good at what you do and there are too many dog parents giving up their pets because they don’t know where to turn. You really should start video taping your meetings and your training. What you did for Roxy in just 20 minutes yesterday made a difference and your techniques need to be out there for people to see and learn from.

Pig

Lesa Rhoton

Just wanted to give you an update on our GSD, Pig. She’s been doing great. I can’t believe what a difference your business has made for our family. Today I forgot to put her in her crate before I left for work. She was on her place. Four hours later as I was driving home, I recalled with horror what I had done and braced myself for the worst…house torn up, toys destroyed, piles and puddles. She is, after all, not even nine months old. We got home and she had not left her place. You can imagine how grateful we are for the training she got from you. What a good girl she is and a pleasure to have in our lives. Thanks again.

ATF Canines

Special Response Team – ATF Academy

Throughout the past 2.5 years, Carrie Silva has assisted the federal government in the selection and training of their Special Response Team (SRT) canines. Ms. Silva has conducted foundation obedience and aggression training with six (6) SRT canines, to include the latest canine in August, 2010. The outstanding foundation training of these dogs by Ms. Silva has allowed the handler and canine to move more rapidly into tactical canine training, and thus increasing their potential for success during high-risk operations.

CBS News Canine Video

Nola

Mark and Maribeth Wetzel – St. Petersburg

Our dog was out of control and we didn’t know what to do! Nola, our 5 year old mixed breed came to us with some quirky behaviors as she is a Hurricane Katrina rescue. When we adopted her, she was only 6 months old and everyone forgave those quirks because of her background. She was always very friendly with people and kids, however, over time she became increasingly aggressive toward other dogs. As Nola aged, instead of settling down, the aggression issue worsened. We do not have a yard and could only take walks when we were sure we would not see another dog. On those occasions when we did run into another dog, Nola became a snarling mess, lunging aggressively toward any dog, big or small, that came across her path. Vacations were always an issue because we could not do anything with her. We couldn’t chance having a pet sitter walk her, we couldn’t take her to a kennel and if we did take her with us, she had to stay in the hotel all day for fear of running into another dog. At times, she even attacked our older Aussie.

Clearly this was not an issue we could address on our own. We had tried the different methods on the dog shows without success. Thankfully, we were referred to Carrie by some other happy clients-we needed an intervention after several years of avoiding other dogs at all costs.

After consulting with Carrie, she educated my husband and I on what we were doing to contribute to Nola’s bad behavior. We decided to send her to the Dog House for full service training. It was a difficult decision to make, as it was the middle of summer and Nola was accustomed to air conditioning and sleeping on a nice comfy bed. But something had to be done. I dropped Nola off and spent a few days worrying about how she was handling the heat and being away from us. Then, Carrie began sending videos that astounded me. She was actually socializing with other dogs and appeared to be enjoying herself! When we met with Carrie for our training at a very busy dog park, it was truly amazing! She actually walked by other dogs and ignored them-with a loose leash! While this may not seem like a big deal to most, anyone who has been ashamed to walk their dog in public knows exactly what I am talking about.

The true test was when we brought Nola home. Carrie taught us to face the issues straight on, rather than avoiding them. I was very nervous at first, but followed her advice. We walked around our neighborhood and while Nola did try to test us, she quickly realized we were not going to be pushovers with her like before. Carrie trained us well. We have even taken her on vacation and over to friend’s houses. We can exercise when it is convenient for us, not when we know all of the other dogs in the neighborhood are safely tucked away. We can go anywhere and I am confident I can control my dog.

Our household is much more relaxed as Nola’s out of control behavior had an adverse effect on our other dog. Now, both are much calmer. Carrie also taught us other nifty tricks, like how to make our dogs “place” so they are not jumping all over guests. Now, they wait to be greeted.

The Dog House training we all received has had a positive impact on our lives. Most notably is how much more relaxed our lives have become. We do not have the aggressive barking every time a dog walks by, and there is no agonizing over when and where to walk the dogs in order to avoid a fight while still making sure they are exercised. I can even talk to my neighbors as they are no longer in fear for their dogs lives! The best part is that Nola is a much happier, calmer dog.

We still practice with Nola daily . The words “Carrie said…” have become part of our regular conversations as Nola is a bit stubborn and pushes the envelope when she can-after all, Carrie changed her behavior and not her personality. But, now we know how to deal with it, and that has made all the difference.

Mo

Erin E. Merklinger – St Pete, FL

Could there ever be a more naughty dog than my 7 month old rescue beagle Mo??… I think not! Mo and I have had quite the adventure from Rochester, NY to Tampa, FL! He came to me at 6.5 months with absolutely NO training and two months later he traveled down the coast with me (If my car could talk!). After battling crate training as well as basic obedience for about 3 months, I decided it was either my sanity or the dog! After many suggestions from fellow dog enthusiasts, I decided to find a trainer. Carrie was my answered prayer! On our first meeting, I warned her about how lacking Mo was in everything! She reassured me that he would be a much better puppy at the end of the full service training. Carrie stayed in touch with me throughout the full training and even sent me pictures and videos of Mo and all his progress! I couldn’t BELIEVE that my Mo was indeed a GOOD BOY! Carrie helped Myself and Mo find the confidence in each other to work together and be a functional “pack”. He is now happily crate trained, (which Carrie so creatively dubbed his “Dugout”) and has basic obedience!! I never thought it could happen but I absolutely adore my dog and the fun we can now have! He even went to the dog beach without a leash and had a ball with his friends! Thank you, Thank you, a million times THANK YOU Carrie! I’m so glad that Mo has found a friend here in Florida!

Tyson

Durenda H. and Tyson – Tampa, FL

I own and operate my own restaurant and one morning when I was opening, a robber broke in and robbed me at gunpoint. After that horrible experience, I didn’t feel safe anymore and decided that I wanted a protection dog. And that’s how my beautiful boy Tyson came into my life. When Tyson was about 5 months old, I knew it was time to find the right trainer. After much research and many phone calls, I found The Doghouse. I was amazed that I had found such accomplished world class trainers so close to home. Without reservations, I sent Tyson to full service training. I was amazed to see how fast Tyson learned and soon he would sit, stay, and come without any hesitation. After the 3 week session, I brought Tyson back home and he was a completely different dog, well behaved and confident. Now, when I bring him out in public, I get so many complements on what a nice well behaved dog he is. After letting him grow up a little bit, it was time to go back to The Doghouse. This time for advanced obedience training and some protection work. Tyson loved his bite training . He was doing so well during this session that we felt that it was time for him to compete for his first working title. At the age of only 16 months, Carrie successfully handled him to complete his German style Obedience (BH) title. That was an exciting and fun day. I was so proud of my boy. During one of our training classes, Carrie remarked “you know you could show this dog if you wanted to, he is a good looking dog and has nice movement”. Then I thought about it and thought “that would be fun, now how do we get started?” So back to the doghouse for conformation training. This time, Tyson had to learn stacking, showing his teeth, and we even taught him how to work out on a treadmill. Now we travel to different dog shows all over the United States and are having a blast doing it. Tyson has completed two championships and is working on his third. His first title competition was the UKC Championship which he won by winning multiple best of breed and group placements in one weekend. Then he went onto compete for his international championship winning 4V1 ratings under four different judges. Now we are working on his AKC championship which he has halfway completed by winning numerous best of Winners and Winners Dogs titles. He is now known as “International Champion, UKC Champion, AKC Major Pointed, MultiV1 rated King Tyson von Evman, BH CGC” I know this is long overdue, but I wanted to send you a letter to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for everything you have done for Tyson and me. You guys have become great friends and have been there for us every step of the way and for that I am truly grateful. Our future plans for Tyson include completing his AKC championship and then we are once again back to The Doghouse to finish his protection training. I also have a new puppy named Raven who will be coming to see you guys really soon! I have and will always recommend The Doghouse to coworkers, friends, and family members. Thank you again for everything!

Sammy

Shannon Sear – Tampa, FL

Dear Carrie, I just wanted to drop a note to let you know that Sammy is doing an excellent job. We even have him heeling, sit, and down without a leash on now. Found a great field area within walking distance to our place and we go every day to play fetch. He comes right back to us with his toy. I have taken him to Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas Trail, and anywhere I go that I know he can tag along. We spent the day in Downtown Dunedin a few weeks back and had him down/stay right along the sidewalk. People and dogs came by constantly and he didn’t make a move. It amazed me! I feel that thank you doesn’t come close to how much I appreciate you working with Sammy. You taught Sammy so much more than I expected, it was a dream come true. Don and I are still saying I can’t believe it on a daily basis. We are so happy when we play fetch with him because we know before he would’ve just ran off without paying attention to us. Sammy is so much happier now too. He has the biggest smile on his face when we are outside or when he knows were going in the car together. He accepts any challenge we give him and is eager to take on new things. Thank you so much for all that you have done. I would recommend sending anyone in need of dog training to you

Gracie

Scott Vandenberg – Hollywood, FL

Dear Carrie I wanted to take a little time to send a heartfelt thanks to you and the Doghouse LLC team for all you have done for our family and our dog Gracie. Gracie in a nut shell is a very intelligent, energetic and vibrant, sheltie/Papillion mix. We knew very little about her past experiences when we rescued her from the shelter, we also love her very much and wanted the best for her, which is why we decided to entrust her to the most qualified and professional trainers available. Yes, I did my research before making my decision . (The Doghouse LLC) We as a family decided the “Full Service Training” was going to be the most appropriate option for us; our schedule is very busy, as you know, and we new Gracie would most benefit from the everyday structure and decades of experience you bring. We were correct in that thinking. Just as the web site says “you will be glad you found us” We sure are! Although a very happy and loving dog, Gracie often showed signs of rebellion and arrogance which had the potential to put her in danger, when her unwillingness to recall/curiosity joined forces. This is something we knew would never be good for her as well as for us, as I bring her to work with me every day at a very busy airport. We wanted to give her all the freedom she deserves, but we also wanted her to be clear with her role within the family structure and understand the boundaries we would need her to adhere to. Our family/Gracie received all that we expected and far more, from you and your team! Gracie came home with not only a larger variety/understanding of important commands, she also came back to us a more relaxed and clearer minded part of our family, willing and ready to learn whatever we asked of her. We can´ say enough, we can´t thank you enough! This I´m sure will be for us, only the beginning of our relationship. We would love for Gracie to continue to develop many skills and quit honestly after bringing her to you once, we can´t ever imagine having the need to bring her anywhere else.

Bella

Bob and Esther White – FL

Our darling “dog delinquent” Bella was on her way to a Yorkie rescue group. Between five and six months of age, she had become more puppy than we were capable of handling. Definitely an alpha type dog, she ruled the house. Jumping off of everything including the back of the couch.
Bella was quick as lightening, darting out doors and refusing to come back. Chasing her was a daily exercise for both of us. We had taken her to two puppy schools where she succeeded in biting the trainers and not much else. By the time she came to The Dog House, she knew how to sit, retrieve a toy, and generally boss me around. Bella attended what I called, “puppy bootcamp” for three weeks at The Dog House. Wow – – what an amazing difference between the dog we picked dropped off and the dog we picked up. This is the puppy I always wanted.
We wouldn’t dream of giving her away now. In the three weeks she spent with The Dog House team, she learned basic obedience and then some. She walks on a leash, sits, stays, down/stay, goes to her “place” (I just love “place”) knows what “no” means. Bella is no longer a doggie delinquent as she is an expert now at coming when called.I heart-felt THANK YOU to the Dog House training team for making our dreams come true!!!! We wouldn’t dream of adding another dog without sending it thru “puppy bootcamp” first.

Sasha and Hildy

Brian and Lucretia Junge – Land O Lakes, FL

We have two dogs, both 21/2 years old; one is a black lab mix named Sasha, and the other is an Australian Shepherd mix named Hildy. One could consider this to be both ends of the dog personality spectrum, with Sasha being more laid-back and easy-going, and Hildy being wound up nearly 99% of the time. Being our first dogs, we had no clue what we were doing, and for two years went through two previous trainers, one being very well renowned locally-neither methodology worked whatsoever.
Over time, Hildy´s behavior became problematic, in that she became insecure around young children and began to chase them at will-this, in addition to birds/cats/anything that ran past her line of sight. We knew this couldn´t continue (chasing Children, etc.) and we met Carrie through a referral of a friend who had put her dog through the three-week boot camp dog training program.
I cannot stress how impressed we were from the onset, wherein we spent nearly 4 hours interviewing with Carrie to help her understand Hildy´s behaviors=down to what she and when, etc. Carrie knew exactly what she was dealing with, and we determined we would in fact take both dogs through the boot camp-the results literally speak for themselves.
As of this writing, we can execute any number of commands to control both of our dogs- Hildy in English, and Sasha in German, to prevent confusion. The methodology works perfectly (although Hildy is quick enough to pick up on the German commands now), and thanks to Carrie´s constant attention after their initial stays at the Doghouse, our leadership has only continued to grow. I can say without a doubt that Hildy is much more at ease now, realizing she´s a working dog and has a job to do, and knows when to do it; she understands that we are in charge, and we understand more about how important it is for US to remain consistent with her training.
No longer does she feel she must bark and chase everything, and Sasha is no longer the lazy stubborn mule she was before…Overall, it´s like night and day looking back-the day we watched Hildy from the car for the first time in two weeks was so overwhelming to witness, it literally put shivers down our spines. We only wish that we´d gone to Carrie from the start, and saved our time, efforts and money on previous trainers that didn´t work; I cannot commend them enough for their dedication to helping us with Hildy and Sasha-constant phone calls and emails, even when on the road-it´s dedicated personalized training at it´s very best, and anyone who isn´t a believer is more that welcome to come see our girls in action.

Boomer

Kim and Nan Norquist, Boomer´s Mom and Dad

We purchased Boomer (an adorable Maltepoo) from a breeder at the age of 4 months. From the time he came into our lives, he was “the boss.” We pampered and spoiled him, not realizing we were creating a “monster pup.” After wanting a dog for such a long time, we soon began to regret the decision.
Our lives were no longer out own. Because of his behaviors, we were no longer living our own lives, which had previously included peaceful meals, T.V. watching, and even reading books or magazines. All of our attention was dedicated to Boomer and his mischievousness. We were not even able to bend down, pet him or pick him up which was frustrating!
Boomer was enrolled and we turned him over to Carrie, and for 3 weeks he lived and was trainer by her. She was great about keeping us informed regarding his progress. When we saw him on “you Tube”, which Carrie had posted, we couldn´t believe it was the same dog!
When we went to get Boomer, she gave us a personal training sessions. She shared training techniques and follow-up training ideas for him once he returned home. The role of boss had now passed on to us!
Boomer has now been home with us for several months and has been a different dog. He has retained his spunky and bright personality, but now we can really enjoy him. One of the most beneficial commands is when he is put on “his place” where he will remain until he is “released.” He now follows commands and will play by himself. It is wonderful to bend down and pick him up without him backing sway. He is my shadow, but one I am happy to have around!!
We would highly recommend this full service program for any family that has a dog with “bad behaviors.” It is also great to educate the owners…obviously it was not only his problem! The staff is highly professional and knowledgeable. It is also very apparent that they are Dog Lovers.

The Doghouse, LLC sends weekly progression videos of the Full Service Training dogs at The Doghouse, LLC

Here are some of the client responses to the videos!

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Hi Carrie!!!!!
OMG I do not even have the words, you are amazing, I cannot even begin to fathom how you do this, but wow, they are doing amazing and Vito!!! you can see how much he thrives and enjoys this, and my little mush Milo, lol oh he is too cute! The boys are I are so happy and so amazed how much you have accomplished. Miss them so much but wow, just so glad they are with you. AND!!!! squirrles OMG I cannot believe that there squirrels and Vito behaved so wonderfully, just no words.
The park is amazing! Thank you so much!!!

Milo

Dana

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Oh, Carrie…you are some class of a miracle worker! I got teary-eyed watching these videos. I can’t believe how much you’ve taught them in the short time they’ve been with you. Fantastic! I can’t wait to show my husband. I’m so proud of them! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Oh my God Carrie! That is awesome!!!! He is so good. I’m practically crying I’m so happy.
Thank you soooooo much. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.
Thank you, Bill

Bill

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Carrie,
WOW!!!! I am amazed at what you have been able to with Toby. I can not thank you enough for working so hard with him. I look forward to the future of us being able to do with same with him and enjoy being out on the town with him. Your work is incredible

Toby

Kara

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Wow, that’s incredible! I can’t wait to practice with him. See you tomorrow! Carrie!!!!!! AWESOME!!!! Wayne and I are blown away!!!! We can’t wait to see him! You continue to impress us! Thank you so very much!!!!
Wow! He did great!! Much better than he was- no barking, barely any whining, great with distractions! Awesome. He’s always been pretty eager to learn, I just never knew what to teach him! I miss him a lot, but he’s clearly learning a lot! Thanks!

Belinda

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Hi Carrie
This is AWESOME!!! Or “AMAZING!!!” as my 7 yr old just said!!! It was so wonderful to see our sweet MAGS! We are so excited to see her happy, healthy, and learning so much great stuff! Thanks for taking such great care of her and working so hard with her! We loved it!

Mags

Marie

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Carrie,
I just finished watching the videos. I am beyond words right now, simply stunned on how far he’s come! That place at the end was the icing on the cake.

Jonathan

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Thank you so much for sending!! We love getting these videos. Goose looks like he is having so much fun. I can’t believe you got him to come to you with a bone right in front of him – AMAZING! Counting down the days until Goose comes home. It is so quiet here without him and his toys everywhere. Thank you again for sending the video and for taking such good care of our Goose.

Goose

Caroline Vostrejs

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Carrie that video nearly brought me to tears. Arthur looks so unbelievably happy. Let me start by say again how incredibly blessed I am to have found you to keep Arthur. Your love and devotion to him shows in each and every video you send. You can see that he really likes you by just how far he has come.

Arthur

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Hi Carrie, we watched the videos of Cooper heeling and playing in the park. Looks like he is having fun and doing really well. If Cooper continues progressing at this rate he’ll be casted for the lead role in Lassie. Keep up the good work. We are looking forward to seeing additional takes.

Cooper

Wayne

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