Irith Bloom, Faculty (Behavior)

I've taken a number of classes by a number of instructors at FDSA. I appreciate how well they overlap, and that the message is often the same despite who's teaching.The FDSA online site is so great! Not complicated; it has been easy to use. I am really impressed with Denise's mission to bring into her Academy absolutely top-notch instructors! Plus, I really love the 3-tier options for her students! With these options, the online courses are affordable for everyone that is interested in improving their dog training skills and building the best relationship with their dog(s) -- whether they do, or plan on doing dog performance sports, or just want to spend time with their dog and have a well-trained dog ... a dog that is a wonderful representative to the community at-large....all achieved with positive training methods! The depth of knowledge that i am getting from the classes I am taking is invaluable. It has opened a door to training and overall learning for me that I wouldn't be able to get elsewhere. I am in a power wheelchair and finding transportation to classes is often difficult for me. These online classes have given me the guidance I've needed to stay focused and motivated to work with my dog.

This course gave me an arsenal of tools to use in the upcoming months. I don't know how the instructor stayed on top of all of our homework but she did and then some. You will get the most out of this if you are not afraid to post your failures and risk looking foolish.

I have struggled to find a trainer in my area that would consistently work with my reactive dog. We often got dumped in the summer, classes cancelled, or was told that we weren't part of the trainers focus. I thought that I would never be able to improve my training beyond reading and watching DVDs. I thought that I would never get personal feedback. I felt discouraged and excluded from the dog training community. I thought that I would always have mediocre training and a mediocre relationship with my dog. A friend recommended FDSA and I enrolled in "It's All Tricks" with Deborah Jones at Gold level. In 6 weeks my dog has become more confident than I've ever seen her. She is more motivated and eager to learn. Furthermore, my confidence as a trainer has improved. I finally feel like I have a resource that I can rely on. At FDSA it doesn't matter that my dog is reactive, we can finally work on exercises that would have been completely inaccessible before. Deb has been absolutely wonderful to work with. She provides kind, encouraging and constructive feedback with meaningful critique. This experience has been the epitome of what I have always dreamt that training my dog would be. I cannot be thankful enough to have discovered FDSA. It has given my dog and I a second chance at having a successful, meaningful relationship. I cannot wait to enroll in more classes. I wasn't so certain that online classes would be REALLY useful - I am blown away by how much one can learn and implement through the online system - certainly makes it possible to participate in novel learning experiences that would not otherwise be available!