Specialized K9 Services
| More to come, keep checking!! Testimonial for Steve, the Dogfather August 9, 2009 Dogs are smarter than their owners. Participating in seven dog training classes with our various dogs over the past 10 years, I learned that it is the owner who must learn, not the dog. My husband and I have taken other classes on the Outer Banks of NC, where we live, and have even traveled to Virginia in search of a good class. By far and away, Steve Canady of Specialized Canine Services is truly the best of the best. Steve is patient and kind, communicating with the dogs and teaching the owners how to do the same. He is available by phone, email and even text messaging if you have a question/problem that can’t wait until class. Steve is truly a dedicated professional and wants each dog and owner to succeed. He goes the extra mile. All of our current dog family has had the benefit of Steve’s instruction, including two Bichons, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and a Jack Russell. Each dog posed different challenges, but Steve’s gentle but firm lead won all of them over. We’ve referred family and many friends to Steve’s classes and all have been happily impressed. Even our friends from D.C. schedule private classes with Steve for members of their dog family every time they visit. Steve has both unique and tried and true methods for teaching obedience without ever breaking the dog’s spirit. Rather, he works with each dog’s “personality” and finds what works with each individual dog. Classes with Steve are FUN and our dogs are eager to attend. Having a job to do has helped our pup’s brains develop and they are a joy to be around. Our Chessie, was a rescue who had been severely abused and was stubborn and people aggressive. Steve trained him out of his bad habits and taught him to be a “good dog citizen”. Now we even trust him around little children. Our high energy Jack Russell had a barking problem and generally was skittish------no more! Our bichons had problems running off and we feared they’d run into the street. Now they respond to us quickly and happily. Our two year old bichon is totally off-lead and responds to hand commands (sign language) as an intermediate level trained dog and is helping to teach her one year old “brother”. If you have any doubts about whether you should take your dog to obedience class—the answer is yes. But most importantly it is the trainer who works with you and your dog that makes all the difference. Steve Canady will not disappoint you or your dog. Barb & Terry Getchell When I was referred to my dog’s first trainer, I didn’t realize that she was totally of the ‘break the spirit’ training mentality. I was a quick study on that one as I watched her work with my German shepherd dog, Timber. It was horrible. After only two sessions w/ her, Timber, got terrible anxiety attacks as soon as we pulled into her parking lot, so for almost two years, needless to say, he didn’t have a trainer and lost extremely valuable training time. Then, we heard about Steve from Deborah at Cyber Dog USA in Kitty Hawk. Actually, he sounded too good to be true. Then, we met Steve. Timber fell in love. We registered for an obedience course, and the change in Timber’s attitude and performance was remarkable. Now, when we pull into the parking lot of the Kitty Hawk location where Timber trains w/ Steve, Timber gets so excited that I have to calm him to put him on his lead. He absolutely loves going to class and working with Steve. I love the way Steve incorporates sign language into the training commands. That’s just one example of the useful training tidbits, extra perks, and bonus knowledge for the dogs and handlers alike that he constantly drops throughout his courses. What’s even more amazing is Steve’s uncanny ability to communicate with and train dogs. Almost immediately, he is able to get them to follow his commands / instruction. I can’t help but think about Riley, a female Golden Retriever, in the obedience course Timber just finished. This young pup was having none of it, howling, barking, rolling on the floor, jerking on her lead, basically throwing rebellious little fits and refusing to follow the owner / handler’s commands at all during class. You just wouldn’t believe it! By the end of just a few sessions, she was performing as well as many of the other students in the class. It was awesome and at the same time precious to watch Steve work his magic and to observe her transformation from an unruly pup to an admirably well-mannered one. We have a couple of skills that Timber just doesn’t want to follow command for me. I’m still working on those at home with him. I practice and practice and practice. Then, I get totally frustrated, wondering what I’m doing wrong or have forgotten from class. I take him over to see Steve. He barely even looks at the dog and he performs the skill perfectly. Perfectly! Of course, Steve just smiles that special smile of his and reinforces to me that he trains humans to be calm, assertive, and consistent, that it’s not the dog. The dog knows. Timber thrives on learning and thinking and working, and we both are looking forward to Steve’s next challenge for him. It really is a human thing, you know. The dogs are the brilliant ones; we humans have to be trained. Steve’s not finished with me yet. I’m still learning, but Timber, even with his 2-year old, adolescent mentality, learned his lessons and knows his skills well, thanks to Steve’s awesome style and knowledge base. It’s not just one thing; it’s the whole package. Steve is a kind, compassionate, humble, down-to-earth, patient, and extremely skilled dog trainer. I could go on and on about him, but I think you get the idea. I’ve never worked with anyone who remotely compares to him ~ the Dogfather has arrived! This is just a besotted owner / handler’s humble opinion, but I think Cesar Milan, as much as I admire him, has some really tough competition heading his way. I hope Timber and I are there to see it! Deb D. Sauls Proud to be dog blessed! "Steve's class is great. I was nervous the first day because I knew my dog would be bad, and she was. But, Steve noticed right away, and he was able to make her act right with him right away. Then he showed me during the weeks of the class how I could make her behave." Anita Johnson Subject: Steve Canady Hi Jackie, Your name was given to me by Steve Canady as a reference for his dog training. Did you like Steve’s methods and would you recommend him? Thank you, Marcha Thompson Absolutely. I have taken many dogs through many obedience classes and he is the best that I have ever trained with. He is very low key, gentle and extremely thorough. It is truly amazing to watch him work with dogs with problems. He seems very experienced and has a suggestion for every problem. His suggestions work. You will be truly impressed and pleased with your dogs behavior. You have to practice what he preaches. Jackie Orsulak ( my dog is a 4 month old newfoundland pup) I recently took one of Steve's basic dog training course for myself and my male Yorkshire Terrier puppy and Steve was great! He understands both dog and human behavior and is able to clearly explain and demonstrate the skills needed to be a successful pet owner with a well behaved pet. I feel I learned a great deal and think everyone with a dog young or old would benefit from Steve's classes.---Beverly Moors, Edenton At only 4 weeks and about 8 pounds, some of our rescued lab puppy's naughty behaviors were cute when she first arrived. That quickly changed as she seemed to get bigger and stronger every day. Pulling on clothes turned into tearing our shirt tales. We realized basic obedience was a must! I found Steve through an internet search; read articles about him and testimonials. Katie and I started basic class when she was 4 months old. We immediately saw a difference and began to understand all the things we were doing wrong. Books are a great resource, but there's no substitute for a great trainer. You'll be surprised how much is about your behavior! Now at 7 months and 70 pounds, Katie is happy to follow the pack leader, me! - The Goodwin Family Thanks for all your help! Traci Goodwin and Katie It has been an amazing experience to watch my 4 lb Chihuahua puppy go from not knowing any commands to being able to Heel, Place, Wait, Stay, Front, Release, Walk, Leave it, in what seems like a very short time . We are so proud of him and thrilled at his eagerness to learn. Steve is a Great teacher, he is wonderful with the dogs which you can tell he loves. But he is training us humans to train our dogs with compassion, understanding and patience. He says there is no such thing as a bad dog and we never use that word in our house. Only Good and No. Earl is so friendly and confident in any situation. I think his training has helped him around other dogs and people and he is a total joy and Love at home. Thank You, Steve we look forward to the Intermediate Class! Wes and Rhonda Bates |
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