Professional Dog Trainer & Behavior Expert
for the Raleigh and Wake Forest areas
I believe that through the proper use of positive rewards-based training the possibilities of things we can train our pets to do is limited only by our imagination. I use training methods based on modern, reward proven science.
I am an passionate advocate for positive reinforcement training methods that enhance a dog’s ability to learn while increasing confidence, resulting in a healthy, well-adjusted pet.
About me on a personal basis
I have always live with multiple animals and have been a devoted animal lover my entire life. I am committed to helping dogs and their humans walk the training path together through knowledge, understanding and education. Positive reinforcement training brings out the best in our dogs and in us.
Currently, I am the proud parent of ten wonderful dogs which consists of two beautiful Collies- Scout & Champ, a Border Collie mix- Josie, a Dalmatian/ Terrier – Serena, My sweet Shih Tzu (Gizmo), precious Chihuahua (Abbey), My Gorgeous Border Collie Mix – (McKenna) My little Chi Chi -Manny, Teddy my Shih Tzu/papillon and Sasha- a very sweet and playful tiny toy shih Tzu and finally my two Ragdoll Felines- Sapphire & Sarah also share my home. I lost my heart and best friend Toby from cancer and kidney failure in January 2108. Toby was a sweet loving, happy, well balanced adoring Lab that I rescued from a hit -n- run. He came to live with me after two weeks of hospital stay and having surgery on his broken jaw and injured leg. Despite his horrific experience of being left to die and his suffering, Toby lived the remainder of his life happy and healthy until our journey together ended.
Whether you have one dog or you live with a multi dog household, I can help bring harmony into your home.My approach to animal training focuses on cultivating healthy, trusting relationships and building solid foundations to create a well-balanced, confident dog(s) who is a joy to live with.
A healthy relationship with your animal companion requires the same elements as any other relationship, including trust, understanding and communication. Having a basic appreciation of the fundamentals of animal behavior is essential and being able to “think” like your pet is a valuable skill. When the relationship is based on mutual trust and communication is effective, the sky is the limit!
Effective communication results in better behaviors and improved relationships. Whether you’d like to teach your dog new habits or change old ones, I welcome the opportunity to work with you.
Dogs love the training process if it’s a positive experience for them. Training dogs is much more than changing behaviors; it’s teaching a dog to learn how to learn, engaging their minds and bodies so they want to do what we want them to do. We need to work with, not against, our dogs in order to achieve success.
My mission is to help dog owners and their pets live in harmony and develop a relationship that is based on trust.
My goal is to educate people on the most up to date techniques to use with their dogs to help create happy dogs and owners.
Our little miss Koko is in training classes with mom at Training Your Best Friend LLC! She is doing so Good! If you are looking for the best, most professional training, at an affordable cost look no further!
Check out my girl! I am so proud of Raven! For the ones that know us – Raven was a handful in the beginning and I tried numerous trainers to help me with her. A huge thanks to Christie Fernandez with Training Your Best Friend for believing in her despite her breed and continuing to work with us! Christie is a huge fan of Pit Bulls and is dedicated to helping the dog/owner be successful! Becoming a breed ambassador is as much of a responsibility of the owner as it is of the pit bull at the end of the leash! WE love you!!
Christie Fernandez…her class helped Biscuit (a rescue ) and us so much….her training saved Biscuit’s life…we can now help him navigate over the bridge of trust…thank you again!! This class saved our pet….all of us now know how to intervene and to help Biscuit feel safe…and live with less fear…if you have a pet who is “reactive”…give Christie Fernandez a call…time with your pet can become enjoyable! Biscuit says “Thanks Christie!”
My challenging Mei-Ling graduated from Puppy Kindergarten-it was a lot of work, but so worth it! Highly recommend Training Your Best Friend, if you have a fur baby that needs any kind of obedience training. This was so much fun! Thank you Christie-you have taught me and Me-Ling so much and will be forever grateful!
Christie is awesome!! She has helped us with quite a few fosters that needed behavioral help.
Thank you for the wonderful classes these past 4 weeks. It did go so fast and we hated to see them end. You did so much in helping me get going in the right direction with Glory. Before, I felt like I was floundering and didn’t know if I was helping or hurting her. Now I feel like there is a plan, a slow slow plan, that we are working toward the right goal and that we will get there. I know that everyone else in the class feels the same way and you could see it on their faces when we were walking thru the shopping areas Monday night. Everyone had more confidence and so did the dogs. Before, it was such a hopeless feeling but now we all have hope!
Christie is a very knowledgeable and passionate trainer. There is no doubt that she absolutely loves what she does and wants the best for the animals she works with! She is able to see the good in all dogs and will tell you exactly how it is. I highly recommend her for dogs with behavioral problems and for socialization in general! Thank you Christie for all you do for the dogs in our area!!!
I just wanted to say thanks so much for helping Jeff and I help Mandy to be an even better pet than she already is. We really enjoyed the class and I know that working with her will be the key and we are committed!
We really enjoyed the classes and hope to take another class in the future I’m thinking of trying the “tricks” class but we’ll have to wait until our schedules aren’t quite so busy. You’re a great trainer – thanks for all your help! Kind regards, Hilda
This has been the best training experience. My baby is a very reactive dog. Christie had given me the tools to help my baby.
