Reviews

We could not have been happier with the experience that Christie provided for our baby girl. We started with a very shy, easy to startle puppy and ended up with a social and outgoing big girl! Our baby has learned how to be respectful and listen (for the most part, I mean she is still a baby) to us. Just the fact that the nipping has almost stopped is amazing. She now walks easily on a leash and we understand how to read her needs and body language. I highly recommend Christie and her positive training.

We have 2/ 2 year old Pomeranians!! They were a challenge walking, trying to chase cars, barking at everything and simply wouldn’t listen!! We registered them in the basic obedience class!! The first day they were both nervous (several Great Danes). The second class they were both a bit more comfortable!! Christine interacted with Majesty(boy) he growled! She watched him for the remainder of the class! Before we left, she informed us he was fearful and thought her Fearful Fido Class would be a better fit!! She was right! He did much better!! Duchess(girl) will do just about anything for a treat!! Walks have been amazing since I no longer walk them together!! The little tips like that has made life easier for me and them!! We did the work and got results!!! We will definitely be taking more classes!!

Christie is amazing! We brought our 6-year-old dog Nyla to her Reactive Rover 1 course, and it's made a huge difference for her and for us. She's so much less anxious, she rarely reacts to other dogs, and we can get her attention back if she does. Christie does an amazing job with training, and she worked around nasty weather to make sure we could still do the whole course.

We have a reactive german shepherd named Luna who can be quite a handful. We were looking to get her involved in some training when we moved to North Carolina about 2 years ago and came across Christie. She offers classes for reactive dogs which is something that is hard to come across. She uses the best methods (positive reinforcement), has a wealth of experience, and has a heart for all dogs. Training with Christie has better enabled me to handle my dog when she is in uncomfortable situations. Also, Luna usually enjoys the sessions because there are treats and games involved. I highly recommend her for your training needs.

As a long-term dog owner of giant breed Great Danes, I have worked with several different trainers over the years. I had and have a lot to learn. Christie is an invaluable resource for both me as an owner and my 2 Great Danes. My 6mo puppy completed Basic Obedience and my 2yo completed Public Manners. We perfected basic commands, loose leash walking, polite public behavior, impulse control, recall, and thresholds, as well as handlers recognizing cues and understanding behaviors to improve my relationship with my dogs. My pups enjoy training both physically and mentally. I am so appreciative of Christie’s passion for dogs and dedication to positive methods. I look forward to our next class.

Christie is amazing. From my first phone call with her to our last public manners class, we learned so much about training our lab. We had talked to several local trainers who recommended awful methods of prong and shock collars for our sweet, highly trainable lab and we couldn't fathom why they encouraged that type of training. Christie immediately told us about her positive training and it was so well done. For Public Manners we went to different locations, walked around, learned commands and how to be out in public. The dogs in the class made so much progress from day one to graduation. Christie is positive, caring, and really good at what she does. We can't wait to take our next class with her. For people looking for a trainer: Shock collars, prong collars and chokers are mean, painful and do not work. Please look for other options! Christie is a great choice.

After adopting our dog, Mirabel, this past April, we consulted with 5 different trainers on setting up obedience lessons. We were pretty shocked by several businesses that recommended shock collars and prong collars for our pup who was already calm and submissive. When we met with Christie, it was refreshing to learn about her positive and praise-focused approach to training— and in our consultation session alone she taught Mirabel (and our family) how to walk properly with a leash and the sit command. The entire first visit was based on patience, building trust with our pup, and enjoying the time we spent training. We've taken several classes with Christie since, and every single one is based on the same approach that she introduced on Day 1. The classes are FUN and a great opportunity to meet other pets and their parents in a safe and welcoming environment. I hope Mirabel and I meet you and your pup soon!

I have been working with Christie for a year now and am so thankful I found her. I have a 5 year old dog who is very leash reactive and we have been through so much training with other companies and never quite found training techniques that worked for us. When I came across her website (Training Your Best Friend LLC) , I immediately called her to ask my 101 questions. Lol She was so personable and thoroughly explained her training methods (positive reinforcement, no electric shock collars etc) and I knew this is where we needed to be. She even went above and beyond and allowed me to register for her class after registration has closed due to my urgent need for help with my dog. I have done 3 classes with Christie and they are very safe, full of learning opportunities and even fun! We loved the obstacle courses she set up for us and my dog even seemed to enjoy it! It’s been a tough road but I am seeing so much improvement in my girl thanks to Christie’s extensive knowledge and her training techniques. PRACTICING AT HOME IS KEY! I highly recommend her for ALL of your training needs.

Our border collie/golden mix Winnie took Basic Obedience Level 1. The classes and training transformed our ability to manage Winnie’s high energy and distractions on walks. She now has the “watch me” cue down pat and is able to wait for her food instead of jumping up on us like she did before. We’ve also called in Christie to help us with our other dog, a tripawd, on building his confidence in various situations. We’ll be taking the fearful Fido class in January. We appreciate Christie’s positive reinforcement methods and love her philosophy that all our animals are “God’s creatures”.

Christie is an amazing trainer! She truly works to understand your dog and wants to set-up all of her clients for success. My dog is very leash reactive and I was hesitant about signing him up for the Reactive Rover class because I wasn't sure he could handle it. We did a few private lessons, and she helped us build a strong foundation so that my dog could learn to listen and to trust me in different scenarios. Now, we are in her Reactive Rover class and my dog is progressing really well. If you are willing to practice all that Christie teaches you and your pup, then you will see a huge improvement in your dogs behavior and their happiness!

Im a first time pet parent & Christie is so competent...she makes the class fun and enjoyable. She's hilarious too!!! --even when I got frustrated with my puppy. She was definitely made for this role! She keeps it honest and is able to give candid, honest feedback and offers advice that certainly works! Our 7 month old mini Bernedoodle (30lbs) is extremely high energy and although not at the place we'd like her to be, Christie was able to help us get the basic training techniques down. Sit, Stay, Wait, Down and basic leash walking. We're signing up for private lessons with her to help support us with further training. I do think the group classes were helpful as our puppy was able to be socialized around others but perhaps too much distractionfor our pup. That is why i'm hopeful a private lesson (which are reasonably priced) will help support us even more. Also, any trainer that has 15 (yep, 15) dogs in her house has to know a little about training a dog. She's no nonsense and holds the same expectations as we do--no dogs in the kitchen...jumping on furniture, etc. Book her for the Basic Obedience class!

Christie is an excellent trainer, and you can tell she cares a lot about animals. We trusted her with our pet in a fearful dog class and it was a success! By the time we finished the course, we saw improvement in our dog’s confidence and anxiety.

I have trained all of my 3 herding dogs with Christie over the past 2 years in multiple classes including Fearful Fido and public manners and some in home training. She conducts her classes safely and builds the skills to meet your dog’s level. She uses only positive reinforcement techniques. All you have to do is practice what you learned outside of class. She also gives written directions for training basic obedience in case you forget how to execute the skill with your dog. My dogs have been able to advance to participating in agility and one is on her way to therapy dog training. I highly recommend trying her classes!

Christie is an excellent trainer. She trains the owner as well as the dog. Her style of training builds your relationship with your baby.

Just finished basic obedience 1 and it was fantastic! Christie does a great job explaining each skill to focus on and make sure we have the tools to work with our dogs achieve those skills. Looking forward to signing up for another class in the future!

I signed up for Basic Obedience Level One back in January and 2 weeks in had a family emergency. Christie was very understanding and allowed me to restart with her next class. Though I've had several dogs over the years I never did any training with them. Christie helped teach fundamentals of communicating with my dog and how to build on that. She taught us training is a lifelong endeavor that requires consistency and patience. I really enjoyed my experience and look forward to future classes!

Such an awesome class and trainer!! My dog had so many breakthroughs and came so far in this class !! She offers many different classes and does an amazing job . Please give "Training Your Best Friend " a try , you won't regret it!!

We loved Christie’s classes and they helped us with our dog so much! Willow took the Reactive Rover classes as we were having a difficult time with her being around other dogs after being attacked on the trail by another dog. Christie’s classes taught us great techniques to train Willow how to disengage and allowed us to learn in a safe environment. It also helped to get some of her excess anxious energy out! I’ve included a photo of her sleeping on the way home from class.

Loved both the basic obedience and reactive rover classes for my 2 dogs. Christie has a passion for training and you can definitely tell that with her training. Both of my dogs responded very well to her training philosophy. I would highly recommend any of her classes.

Christie is a great trainer and very knowledgeable about dogs. Her Public Manners class has really helped my dog to not go crazy around other dogs and to learn that she does not have to play with every dog she meets. We had a great time in class.

You and your dogs deserve the best life possible together! Training is vital to this success and Christie is amazing! We have two adopted strays who we’ve had for 10 months (2 yr old German shepherd/boxer mix and 2.5 yr old American Staffordshire Terrier/Beagle mix) who have different needs but both anxious, reactive, and untrained. We saw great progress in both dogs, and ourselves, from their first classes and looking forward to more!!

I really loved how much experience and knowledge Christie has with her classes. She helped us find the right class for our dog r8ght away. And helped me over come my fear of walking my dog around others due to unfortunate dog attacks of off leash dogs that had caused myself my dog fear, and anxiety. After the 7 weeks neither myself nor my dog are triggered by being around others dogs while on a walk in our neighborhood. Christie's confidence in keeping all the people amd dogs safe during class was very reassuring. We plan on taking more classes from her.

Love Christie and her classes !!! At first I didn’t want to even try to bring my puppy to public manners, because he is fear aggressive and barks at dogs and people and won’t let anyone touch him, but I knew he needed the help. I am so glad I did! He did so well in public manners and by the end he let strangers pet him with ease ! I am looking forward to signing up for the next session in January. Thank you Christie !

We rescued my dog Cooper not having any background on his behaviors. He was pulling really bad on leash, barking at everybody inside and outside of the house and was easily distracted on walks. I decided to sign up for the Public Manners class. Since we've been working with Christie, I've seen so much improvement in Cooper! As long as we are consistent, he will continue to improve. Christie is amazing! She pays attention to everyone in the class, learns each dog's temperament and gives helpful tips so that your animal is successful. I would definitely recommend her.

Christie is awesome. You can really tell she loves dogs. She attempts to make personal connections with the owners and dogs. Highly recommended.

I did the Reactive Rover class with our 7 year old rescue dog, Bailey from April to July 2022. The classes were each about an hour long and held on Saturdays from 10:30-11:30 am. At the first class, Bailey was extremely on edge, scared, and unhappy. She could not concentrate on giving me her attention and we had to work very hard to keep her from going crazy and barking at the other classmates. After that first intro class we did a lot of just sitting in our chairs at the training site and working on getting our dogs to just relax, and I have to be honest, I was NOT confident this was going to do any good. But I learned very quickly Christie knows what she is doing. Each class was deceptively successful! By the last 3 classes we were all walking together and our dogs were not just calm but relaxed! I’m so happy with the outcome I’m enrolling our second dog, Bella, in the same class in the Fall.

Christie has been such a valuable help in understanding and training our adopted dog. He started showing some reactive behavior over the past year with unknown and varying triggers. Finally in the spring of 2022, I reached out to Christie about her reactive rover class. We have attended for 3 months now, since his threshold level is very low around other dogs and one set of classes wasn't going to be enough for him. We have made tremendous progress! Christie has helped and pushed us outside of our comfort level, but not to the point of being too stressful or unsafe for either of us. My dog is improving and getting better each class! Christie has been invaluable with her advise in class and also via email. We will continue to join in her classes and help guide him into knowing it's ok to be around other dogs and build his confidence.

We had Christie over for a puppy in-home visit and it was a great learning experience for our family. Not only did she work with our puppy, she taught us how to respond to and lead our dog. I then signed up for the puppy kindergarten class with her and it was fantastic for reinforcement, socialization + training for our girl. Christie has been very responsive to phone calls, text messages and emails post class. Recommend!

We have a rescue and he is such a sweet boy but needed some extra training. In researching trainers, I came across Christie and after talking with her, I knew her training program was the one for me and Scooby. We did basic obedience and it really rounded out his behavior and response to commands. Christie is so in tune to dogs and was able to bring all the participants and their furrbabies to a cohesive level of discipline and it was obvious all the dogs loved class as much as we humans did. I'm already registered for Public Manners and cannot wait to see Scooby's progression into more levels of training. Christie also does not end her interest in your dog at the graduation. She offers and wants you to reach out if ever you have concerns about your dog behaviour/training. I highly recommend Christie and am confident you will gain great training skills from her too.

This was our first experience in a class with our new puppy! It was great socialization for her to be around other dogs (big & small). Christine was great with email correspondence and checked in personally throughout the weeks to see how training/homework was going.

This was a great beginning class for puppies Just what my puppy and I needed. Kind of informal, but it worked well with room full of young puppies. Anyway, we really enjoyed it, learned a lot, and the puppy's and my relationship really grew from the practicing.

My dogs and I love Christie! She is totally dedicated to the well-being of the dogs that she works with. She is so passionate about training dogs and it shows in the results. I highly recommend TYBF.

A trainer who does it the right way with love and rewards. You won’t find a better place to train your dog or you! Christie really cares about your dog and building a relationship that will give your dog and family much pleasure for years to come. She teaches you how to build trust with your dog and how to be consistent in your training. She is the best!

We had started out as just a parrot rescue. That eventually changed with a chance encounter with a dog who appeared to have been dumped somewhere nearby. She turned out to be a Carolina Dog - a breed that can be difficult for even the most understanding human to understand and live with. They tend to have a VERY high prey drive and this dog in a facility full of flighted parrots was a difficult situation to say the least. She was SO energetic, and destructive.After an exhaustive search for the owners with no success, we knew we could not keep her long-term, but even managing her care in the short term was more than difficult. Christie saved Puppy and saved us the heartbreak of giving up on her! She immediately sent me some training materials and advised me on things to do to help keep this dog entertained and minimize her VERY destructive behavior. Thanks to her intervention, we were able to stick it out and keep this dog safe, rather than having to send her to a shelter. We were able to hold her here until we could partner with a Carolina Dog rescue and get her into a foster home. And eventually they were able to find Puppy an AMAZING home, where she is now called Frida and lives a more wonderful life than we could have ever anticipated. All because Christie provided the knowledge and tools to allow us to manage her behaviors and allow her to stay here until we could find a dog rescue who would help us find her a family. She literally saved this girl's life! She is a great trainer because she understands dogs and how they think and feel. Her empathy and compassion are amazing. If you want someone who has the best interest of your dog at heart, Christie is the trainer for you. And because she understands dogs, she is able to tackle often difficult problems with ease. Even the name of her company speaks volumes of how much importance she places on the wonderful bond humans and their beloved canine companions have. I highly recommend Christie and Training Your Best Friend!

I have 3 adopted rescue dogs each with their own set of issues. When the big stores were willing to take my money and not solve the root cause of the problems, I contacted Christie. She taught me how to immediately bring a situation under control and keep it under control. My one dog Lillian would see another dog and start screaming/barking at it. Clearly not a way to make friends... :(. After working with Christie, I can take her in the car, sit at outdoor cafe while other dogs pass and give her a command in a busy area and she happily complies. She has taught me to work uniquely with each dog to make them successful. Without her patience, guidance and classes I would not be a 3 dog household!

Christie is a wonderful, patient dog trainer. She helped me so much with my Saluki. We took her Public Manners Class, Canine Good Citizens Class and Therapy Dog Class. Having a Therapy dog is such a worthwhile experience. My aim is to register my new dog for Christie's upcoming obedience class and hope to eventually have another therapy dog.

When I was looking for some puppy training I mistakenly went to a “big box” pet store locally. I arrived on the first night with my puppy wearing a collar (not a harness) and a leash. There were dogs of all ages in a small cubicle and she was terrified. That was our last visit. I contacted Christie and she told me exactly what I needed for our first class and upon entering the big training classroom my girl was calm as a cucumber. We enjoyed her class so much we want to continue to the next level. Basic Obedience here we come!!

We can’t say enough about how much Christie means to us!! She taught us how to help our Yorkie mix rescue with severe fear aggression. The positive techniques we were taught and consistent reinforcement has lead to a happy and well adjusted dog. Walking with him now is not a struggle and he can be the dog he was meant to be...Christie saved us and our dog!

Can't say enough good things about Training Your Best Friend. First off, Christie welcomes all breeds. Her training consists of in classroom classes but she also offers classes, like public manners which is held outside in real life situations. I have a pitbull that adapted to inside classes and did great but when I would take her out and about, she acted totally different. After taking classes with Christie, I can now take my pit bull out in public and she behaves beautifully! I have another pitbull that Christie has worked with as well, he was a little more stubborn and was horrible with pulling on walks. After working with Christie, he now walks by my side. Christie uses positive reinforcement in training which allows the dog to learn in a fun way and it helps build a strong relationship with the dog and the owner. Christie also makes training fun and interesting for the owner too. My dogs love her! Christie trains all types of behaviors too , she helps them all!

Christie Fernandez/Training your Best Friend is an awesome training program if you want to strengthen your relationship with your dog, and teach your dog how to follow your commands and learn good manners. Christie is passionate about animals and has a wealth of knowledge. She teaches not the dogs but the dog owners how to train their dogs and how to take charge. In other words, we learn how to properly walk our dogs vs letting our dogs walk us! The commands she teaches are very simple, logical and effective. My dog Lily and I took a Basic Obedience class as well as an Obstacle Course class which was really fun. At the beginning of the obstacle course class, Lily refused to go into the big tube because she was scared. Christie got down on the ground which was a concrete parking lot and crawled into the tube herself to encourage Lily to go in. By the end of the 7 weeks Lily was running through the tube and jumping over high hurdles like a champ! That never would have happened without Christie's help. I also had a difficult time with getting Lily to cooperate with loose leash walking. She would pull. Christie taught us how to master that so now we can enjoy our walks without pulling. I highly recommend Christie and Training your Best Friend. Your dog will love you more for the focused time you'll spend training him or her, and this greatly strengthens the bond with your dog.

I have many rescues and have had many dogs. I have worked with Christie numerous times and she does an awesome job. You can tell she loves what she does and I trust her completely. She seems to speak to the dogs and they listen. I highly recommend that you use her if you need a dog trainer.

We have a pitbull we pulled from the shelter, in very bad shape. With time, love and care, she became a normal dog again. Because of her breed, we wanted to put all chances on her side, so we took classes with Christie. She graduated, and then moved to Therapy Dog classes. We couldn’t have imagined a better trainer than Christie! All the dogs loved her, and she’s always so positive!

Training Your Best Friend, LLC was a miracle for my dog! He developed fear based anxiety and aggression towards other dogs his size (large) after being attacked. We tried so many things previously to working with this company. Training, medications, and even seeing a dog therapist. Nothing worked! We took the Reactive Rover class with Training Your Best Friend and we saw an immediate and complete change in our sweet boys behavior. He now feels safe and confident out and about in the community, and we have since been able to add a puppy in our home. They get along like best friends. I recommend this company to anyone and everyone who needs training for their furry family members.

Last October I was searching for a class for my 6 month old Bassett mix and first went to a “big box store” program and left the first night and never went back. It was terrifying for my girl and me. I found Christie’s program and signed up. Before the first night we were told what we needed for the class to make it safe for our babies. She was so patient with every pup in the class and I will be continuing our education with her. We are so happy you are back doing what you love!

I have taken many classes with Training Your Best Friend, Puppy kindergarten puppy obedience and puppy agility. Christie is very easy to get along with she loves animals, and is a top notch trainer. I have had great experiences with all the trainers as well. My one year old puppy has done awesome with her training classes and she continues to do very well. I plan on taking additional classes as my puppy grows. I would recommend Christie and her team for all your puppy and dog training.

Christie and her trainers have been phenomenal when working with Callie. We came to Christie when we got our first dog ever and had no clue what we were doing. Right away we were taken in like family and Christie and her team of trainers have been wonderful. We have taken 4 classes so far (puppy kinder, puppy agility, basic obedience, Rally obedience) and are moving onto our fifth soon!! This training works!! Callie started as a crazy jumping puppy and is now 10 months old and moving on to get her Canine Good Citizen certificate!! Thanks Christie!!!

We have taken two of Christie’s classes with our 8month old Boxer Mia, Puppy Kindergarten and Public Manners. Mia started out having human and dog aggression, Although Mia is still very cautious of her surroundings her human aggression is for the most part 95% better and her dog aggression has improved so much. We were actually able to take her to North Hills this weekend and walk through the crowd and many dogs with no reaction! Mia attends Doggie Day Camp as well and it’s wonderful she learns so much and it helps so much with her socialization. Christy and all the trainers are wonderful!!

This past weekend we were able to have a marvelous pet sitter provided by Christie. Kelly was wonderful and did an awesome job with our two senior blind Yorkies. She provided them with a safe secure environment and we returned to totally unstressed animals!! We will use Training Your Best Friend...for pet sitting again as well as all the other services they provide. Thanks Kelly and Christie!

Christie is an amazing trainer and I highly recommend her. We signed our 4 mo old Toy poodle, Bailey, up for the Puppy Kindergarten class and loved it!! We learned so many helpful cues and commands that’s made our life less stressful!

It is AMAZING to watch Christie. She is very caring and compassionate about what she does and the staff that were in there each class were very knowledgable as well. We could not have asked for a better experience.

We had a great time at Puppy Kindergarten, and so did our dog. Morgan and Christie are super patient and helpful. We haven't had a puppy in 20 years and they gave us lots of tips. Homework was very detailed and kept us on track...our boy has a great foundation now!! We have signed up for more classes

Christie is a wonderful dog trainer. She has a great understanding of the way dogs think and was able to show me how to better communicate with my dog. Her instructions in class are clear and easy to understand and she gives out homework so you know exactly what to work on in between classes. Her classes varied in location, helping me further expose my dog to new situations. Completing classes with Christie has shown me my dog can be more than just a pet or fuzzy family member. With her help, my dog and I have become a team and have learned to listen to each other. I look forward to working with her in the future. Thank you Christie for all that you do.

I am in my third class with Training My Best Friend and have enjoyed my experiences. Both of my dogs have learned a lot and the real life situations that we are in during class have allowed me to learn how to better handle my dogs. I love the photos that are posted after class, because it allows me to see myself and how I am relating to my dog. I also have been thrilled by the encouragement that Christie has given me and I am excited to continue training to my goal of pet therapy dog! Thank you for all you do, Christie!

They did a phenomenal job with my new pup. She was all over the place but with a few short lessons, they helped me learn how she thinks and what she needs. My family hit a series of colds during my session so my sweetie didn't graduate but Christie contacted me several times to help me get her trained even though she was going through serious illness herself at the time. Even before any training, Christie could walk over and get my excited puppy to do what she wanted her to do.

Christie is an excellent trainer. She understands exactly how dogs think, and what works in establishing a relationship and understanding between dog and human. Beyond that, she has a heart of gold. I have seen her offer training, and she gave us free training, for a rescue dog that had absolutely no boundaries and probalby had no positive human interaction prior to landing at our sanctuary. Christie went out of her way to help us with this dog. She's one of the best trainers I have ever worked with, and definitely the one with the biggest heart. I recommend her every chance I get. You can't get someone who cares more about your dog, than Christie Fernandez.

I have gone to several trainers and while they were great human beings, I never felt the training was what I was looking for. Part of it was there seemed to be a lot of education but not enough practical experience but with Christie, I got better training than I ever thought possible. For one thing, it is obvious how much she loves all dogs and her patience for their owners knows no bounds. She has taught me so much on how to help Gizmo feel comfortable in his world and has shown me how to get him to do what he needs to do while making him feel secure. The best thing she did was make me feel that he was doing well and I shouldn't get upset or embarrassed when he reverted to the behaviors that brought me to training in the first place. She made me feel as if with time and patience we could both succeed. I trust her implicitly and am so convinced that Gizmo and I will be succesful with her, that I have enrolled in a second class. It will take a while for both of us to know what to do when he encounters other dogs in when walking or being in different places and Christie is the only one I trust to bring us there. He has learned so much in the last 3 weeks, that I know a couple of more classes and the constant interaction we get with people and other dogs will bring about the security he needs. Thanks Christie

Christie is awesome!! She has helped us with quite a few fosters that needed behavioral help

Christie is an excellent trainer! Love her classes! My dogs have improved tremendously with her classes! ��

Today is such a bittersweet day, one that has been one year and two months in the making. ECHO, who came to me as a sick little four month old pup suffering from demodectic mange, has started her forever!

Event after event she was overlooked because she would bark and lunge in excitement over all the new dogs she wanted to make friends woth. People labeled her aggressive, when the reality is this girl would not hurt a fly, unless it was a playful accident, she just had no impulse control.

Two weeks ago, we joined Christie Fernandez's basic obedience class to work on that and help make her more adoptable. She rocked her first class and behaved like a champ.

Then this past Saturday we got an application for her. Funny how that works. Not a single email of interest in several months (since the last failed home trial where she got depressed as an only dog), we start class, and boom! We have an approved adopter!

Mr. Starling found Echo by chance. He has adopted Chompers several years ago from a breed specific rescue. After losing his second dog a few weeks ago to cancer, Chompers became lonely so he went back to the rescue to see about another dog. That's when he found out there would be a several month wait because they had more applicants than dogs right now. And so he found FCHS and Echo.

Today, we showed up for the home visit and Echo turned on the charm. In her daddy's words, "she's perfect." When we introduced her to Chompers, she showed her butt a little and barked and lunged until she got to say hello. Her dad did not care, saying, "if that's her worst trait, I can handle that!"

She made herself at home, sprawling out frog-legged in the kitchen floor while we went over some paperwork and did not mope one bit as I pulled away.

Today my house is a little quieter when I open the door, my eyes are a fair bit more wet, and my heart is overflowing. Echo waited over a year for her forever home, and today her daddy welcomed her home and waited at the end of the driveway for her.

Happy trails Echo, you deserve this!

Christie is so wonderful with my pitbull puppy! I am so glad I decided to get my dog trained tell right way and lucky to have found christie. I can't wait to see what my puppy learns 🙂

Long Post - I just have so much to share:
Our 7-month-old beagle Indy has completed Puppy Kindergarten and Basic Obedience One with Christie Fernandez and the team at Training Your Best Friend. This being my first puppy I wanted to make sure I got her off to a good start.
Puppy Kindergarten was great for both of us – Indy had the invaluable experience of early socialization in a safe environment with other puppies and people while I received the tools to start instilling habits for good behavior (all while having the support of other puppy parents experiencing similar trials and frustrations a new puppy can bring). It was amazing to see Indy go from unfocused full-on destructive puppy mode to chewing on appropriate toys, following basic commands “sit”, “down”, “come”, and learning to wait at doors. We had the opportunity to do very basic puppy agility (jumping through hoops, over hurdles, through tunnels) and it was exciting to see Indy take to this so enthusiastically.
Basic Obedience One picked right up where we left off building on the foundation skills we learned in Puppy Kindergarten and included dogs of all sizes and ages. We sometimes broke into small groups (due the class size and dog diversity) so smaller dogs could work as a group without the larger ones and vice versa. This class instilled longer waits, longer sits, leaving objects alone, waiting to enter and exit doors and cars, walking on a leash, training outside with distractions, and so much more.
Christie’s teaching methods, which are rooted in positive reinforcement and not punishment, give you the ability to be successful in raising a happy, confident, well-balanced dog. I personally have never met anyone who cares more for dogs than Christie. The thought of a dog being punished or put down due to human error or stupidity literally brings her to tears. She is focused on keeping dogs safe and works tirelessly to train us to be better protectors and providers for them.
Needless to say, I plan on enrolling Indy in Basic Obedience Two in the fall so we have a little time to get everything we’ve learned during our first two classes down on a consistent basis. Our ultimate goal is to work with Indy in agility.
If you are thinking about taking classes through Training Your Best Friend there are a few things to know:
There is homework – this is an expectation set before class begins. If you don’t do the homework consistently you will not get the results you want. You can’t take your dog to a one hour class once a week and expect progress.
You need to walk your dog - Christie stresses this with all the attendees. I will readily admit that I didn’t always do this twice as day as recommended and I can honestly say that it shows. The days we walk Indy twice a day are better days for everyone.
Get the recommended equipment for each class – the correct length of leash, a treat pouch, etc. You need to have the right tools available to you.
There will be some weeks you feel you aren’t getting anywhere and then one day you’ll give a command and it will click. It is very rewarding - it certainly makes the hiccups and missteps worth it. Just be patient with yourself and your dog.
I know this is a lot of information but I believe in the work Christie and her team do because I have seen it work with my dog and others in our classes. Do I have a perfect dog after 12 weeks? No, but I do have the tools to continue to work with her and expand on the great dog she already is.

Debby-Franklin County Humane Society-Dog Foster

A few months ago I was given Piper to work with and help find a home for. Piper is beautiful and sweet. She was seen many times by families looking for that perfect dog but she was never chosen. She did not like men, she did not like to be on a leash, she was aggressive with other dogs.

Our director with FCHS set Piper and I up to go to Christie's Fearful Fido class. I was going to be taking her out away from her comfort zone here and to a strange place, where other dogs (some of them with men as owners) would be, and all of this requiring a leash.

As I was driving there my one thought was "This is not going to end well".

Boy was I in for a surprise! Being in a neutral, unfamiliar environment made her less territorial. Being on a leash made her focus on me and not the dogs many feet away from her. Not on the men in the room with those dogs. Just me.

With Christie's training and help Piper learned how to tolerate being on a leash, near other dogs, with men around and not flip out. With every class she pulled less on the leash, focused more and more on us, and did not even bat an eye at the other dogs and people in the area.

That leash that Piper hated so much became a "telegraph line" between Piper and me. She learned, I learned and we became a team. Focused on us and no one else. As we became bonded she relaxed at home with my husband and son. No fear, just a gradual accepting until she became comfortable enough to come over and lay her head in my husbands lap. He was hooked.

Now he began coming to the class with Piper and I. He worked with her and they bonded as well.

We went out in public with Piper, we sat at a side walk café with her and her class mates, had a lemonade and no one was growling, no one was afraid. Piper graduated her class that night.

Piper's story has a happy ending. She was adopted by a family who has a 10 yr . old daughter that was also adopted (at age 5) after being rescued from an extremely abusive family life. This little girl had terrible nightmares, was terrified of the dark and even at 10 yrs. of age, had to start every bedtime ritual with turning on the hall light, the bedroom light, the closet light, and the lamp by her bed. She would sleep like this every night. The family loved their little girl and made sure she had enough to eat, clean sheets to sleep on and all the nurturing that every child needs. This was not enough to stop the night terrors because from a very young age the little girl new that bad things happened in the dark, things you never can forget or let go of.

I am very proud to say that this little girl now goes to sleep in her bed with only a lamp on beside her bed. She still has some bad dreams, but when she wakes up there is Piper nuzzling her and she knows she is safe from those shadows in her mind.

We are very proud to say that we adopted Piper as a companion for our 10 yr. old daughter and it has been a match truly based on love.

Piper the dog who needed rescue is now able to rescue our daughter!

Thank you Christie, without your concern, help and wisdom this would not have happened as I never considered that she could change. Piper blossomed, our daughter blossomed. We all did.

Debby

Thank you for a wonderful 5 weeks of class. Christie did so much to help us get going in the right direction. Before, we were floundering and didn't know if we were helping or hurting our dog Glory. Now I feel there is a well thought out plan of action working toward our goal and that we will reach it. The look on everyone's face, owners and dogs, during the last class walk through a shopping area was wonderful. Everyone had more confidence. The hopeless feeling is gone and has been replaced by 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 have 2 Pit Bulls and have tried several different trainers for the last 2 years. My dogs are great inside but really needed some public manners. I have taken 2 classes so far with Christie and plan to continue. Her classes put you and your dog in REAL life situations! Each time you go to class you experience something new and learn how to set your dog up for success. Not only is Christie great with your dog using positive training methods but she is wonderful with the owners too! Who would have thought teaching your dog nice manners could be so much fun?

Thanks for all you have done - Gina, Raven and Mr. Moo

Basic Obedience with Christi has done wonders for our dog! Before we took him to class, I wondered if he was always going to be more than I could handle. Five weeks later, I feel like I have a new dog and so do our extended family members and neighbors!

I have trained all of my 3 herding dogs with Christie over the past 2 years in multiple classes including Fearful Fido and public manners and some in home training. She conducts her classes safely and builds the skills to meet your dog’s level. She uses only positive reinforcement techniques. All you have to do is practice what you learned outside of class. She also gives written directions for training basic obedience in case you forget how to execute the skill with your dog. My dogs have been able to advance to participating in agility and one is on her way to therapy dog training. I highly recommend trying her classes!

We loved Christie’s classes and they helped us with our dog so much! Willow took the Reactive Rover classes as we were having a difficult time with her being around other dogs after being attacked on the trail by another dog. Christie’s classes taught us great techniques to train Willow how to disengage and allowed us to learn in a safe environment. It also helped to get some of her excess anxious energy out! I’ve included a photo of her sleeping on the way home from class.

We rescued my dog Cooper not having any background on his behaviors. He was pulling really bad on leash, barking at everybody inside and outside of the house and was easily distracted on walks. I decided to sign up for the Public Manners class. Since we've been working with Christie, I've seen so much improvement in Cooper! As long as we are consistent, he will continue to improve. Christie is amazing! She pays attention to everyone in the class, learns each dog's temperament and gives helpful tips so that your animal is successful. I would definitely recommend her.

I signed up for Basic Obedience Level One back in January and 2 weeks in had a family emergency. Christie was very understanding and allowed me to restart with her next class. Though I've had several dogs over the years I never did any training with them. Christie helped teach fundamentals of communicating with my dog and how to build on that. She taught us training is a lifelong endeavor that requires consistency and patience. I really enjoyed my experience and look forward to future classes!

I did the Reactive Rover class with our 7 year old rescue dog, Bailey from April to July 2022. The classes were each about an hour long and held on Saturdays from 10:30-11:30 am. At the first class, Bailey was extremely on edge, scared, and unhappy. She could not concentrate on giving me her attention and we had to work very hard to keep her from going crazy and barking at the other classmates. After that first intro class we did a lot of just sitting in our chairs at the training site and working on getting our dogs to just relax, and I have to be honest, I was NOT confident this was going to do any good. But I learned very quickly Christie knows what she is doing. Each class was deceptively successful! By the last 3 classes we were all walking together and our dogs were not just calm but relaxed! I’m so happy with the outcome I’m enrolling our second dog, Bella, in the same class in the Fall.

Christie is an excellent trainer. She trains the owner as well as the dog. Her style of training builds your relationship with your baby.

Just finished basic obedience 1 and it was fantastic! Christie does a great job explaining each skill to focus on and make sure we have the tools to work with our dogs achieve those skills. Looking forward to signing up for another class in the future!

Such an awesome class and trainer!! My dog had so many breakthroughs and came so far in this class !! She offers many different classes and does an amazing job . Please give "Training Your Best Friend " a try , you won't regret it!! (Google)

Loved both the basic obedience and reactive rover classes for my 2 dogs. Christie has a passion for training and you can definitely tell that with her training. Both of my dogs responded very well to her training philosophy. I would highly recommend any of her classes. (Google)

Christie is a great trainer and very knowledgeable about dogs. Her Public Manners class has really helped my dog to not go crazy around other dogs and to learn that she does not have to play with every dog she meets. We had a great time in class. (Google) Christie Public Manners