Good Dog! School: Group Obedience Classes in Ashland and Medford

Behavior consultant Wendy Pool has over fifteen years experience working with thousands of dogs of all breeds and temperaments. For over a decade she has put her enthusiasm for animals to work teaching group classes, temperament testing, and helping pet owners find solutions to problem behaviors. A foundation of hands-on experience, along with scientific training and knowledge, has fortified her love for and dedication to animals giving her the necessary skills to find effective and humane solutions to training and behavior problems.

Wendy continues her education by attending seminars and conferences held by the best in her field. She is a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.She has a B.A. in Science from State University New York at Buffalo and a Masters in Education. Her degrees reflect a proficiency in the science and psychology that underlie behavior modification and learning theory.

In addition to her educational background, Wendy has helped clients work through a myriad of behavior issues including aggressive behavior, fears and phobias, destructive behavior, multi-pet household problems, house training and litterbox training. She is dedicated to helping you transform your dog into a well-mannered pet the whole family will enjoy. Behavior consultations are held at the Good Dog! School in Phoenix, Oregon.

...Wendy is an incredible dog handler and trainer. She is both learned and insightful in her approach. She truly understands the inner workings of the dog and uses firm, yet compassionate training techniques. She has a wonderful way with dogs, but ultimately she is really training us, the dog owner, and does a splendid job of that. Her manual is outstanding and the classes productive.We consider ourselves very lucky to have found such a talented dog trainer and highly recommend her to anyone.

...Picture this: Our King Charles Spaniel loves people and gets excited when we have company. Guests approach. We say, “Go to your pad.” Reluctantly, he goes there. When we finally say, “Okay,” he runs to the newcomers, sits (this part is really hard for him), and waits to be petted. Now it’s time to say good-bye. “Sit, Fletch. Wait,” we say, and the door opens. There he sits, watching our guests depart, until the last car drives off. None of this behavior would have happened without True Companions and Wendy Pool.

...I have kept my dog in a True Companion class since he was 10 weeks old; he is 12 months old now and has progressed into the fourth level of training. Wendy Pool’s classes are structured to allow her students and dogs to work at whatever pace they wish to proceed; Wendy has incredible patience. Wendy’s classes are enjoyable and you soon see the benefit behind her years of training through the behavior of your dog. My dog recently qualified to be in the therapy dog program and it never would have happened without Wendy’s expertise in dog behavior and training.
Armo, Ashland, Oregon

...I have an 18 month old, rambunctious yellow Labrador Retriever who loves to express her energy and share her love with all! I have attended other obedience classes but have not been able to receive the attention needed for ME to help my girl become an acceptable young woman of society. I have been able to change her behaviors within a few short weeks. I am excited to see where we will be in a few more weeks. I would recommend Wendy if you want a dog you can take to any social situation. Train on!!

...I am a professional dog trainer living with a houseful of dogs When I get a new puppy, I want it to get off the best possible start. It is exposed to my adult dogs and I , of course, know how to train that puppy. However, what I can't give the puppy in my own home, is the necessary and important exposure to other puppies of various ages, new people, and environment. It is critical for all puppies to have these experiences when they are young. Thanks to Wendy's puppy classes, my puppies were able to acquire wonderful socialization skills as well learn and develop in a fun a safe environment. Wendy is a caring and patient trainer with a vast amount of knowledge. I highly recommend her puppy classes.

...As a professional dog agility instructor and Volunteer Trainer at the Humane Society and Animal Shelter, I refer all my tough cases, including problems with aggression, to Wendy. She is a terrific problem solver and can help in situations where others can't. I happily refer people to Wendy for help with any behavior problem. I also refer people to Wendy who are looking for a fun group class for their dog or puppy. The exercises taught in her classes are practical and are great for anyone who wants to increase the bond with their dog.

...Wendy, I'd like to send a big THANK YOU for all your help and support! Niabh passed her CGC last Saturday with flying colors and was the youngest dog in that group taking the test. We couldn't have done it without you!! The Levels class format worked beautifully for passing the CGC. I'm sure it would help with any other training issue!

...When we brought Juni home from the shelter, we all immediately fell in love with her. She was very affectionate and loving but not very well mannered. She would jump up on guests when they visited, put her front paws on the kitchen counter while we were preparing and eating meals, pull on the leash when taking a walk, and become very excited and uncontrollable around other dogs.
Wendy was able to correct all of these undesirable behaviors. Wendy taught us strategies and positive reinforcement techniques for modifying Juni's bad habits. Now we are able to walk Juni on a loose leash and pass other dogs with out incident. She no longer jumps on guests, she stays off the kitchen counters, and waits to be invited before getting on the furniture. Thanks to Wendy, we now have the dog we always wanted.
We have a pit bull, and I was very impressed with Wendy's breadth of knowledge about the history, temperament and personality of this breed.
George and Julie Ramsey, Medford, Oregon

...Wendy Pool is our hero. We contacted Wendy when our dog, who suffered from separation anxiety, was on his last chance at our house. While we went on several trips, "Norm" did board and train with Wendy for almost five weeks and came home a much calmer dog who could be left alone. We got our life back and because of Wendy's expertise and patience with "Norm" we can now enjoy him so much more. Wendy really knows what to do when training dogs and we would recommend her enthusiastically.
Larry and Debra Wolfson, Ashland, Oregon

...I have a 3.5 lb teacup poodle, Brandy. When we got Brandy, she was very shy and "spooky" around people. Using the recommendations and tools both in her book and classes, Brandy is no longer afraid of people and is very well adjusted. The socialization that occurred in the classes was of great benefit to her. In fact, we now have the most well trained dog we have ever owned, and we’ve owned over 15 dogs. I also had trouble grooming her front paws. She is extremely sensitive about her feet. Using the suggestions Wendy gave us, I have been able to successfully groom and clip her feet. I have no hesitation in recommending Wendy Pool and her classes for anyone’s dog.

...We began with a fearful, defensive puppy that now enjoys likfe of a socially well-adjusted dog. "Thomas" loves the world, and it loves him back. Due to Wendy's expertise and positive approach, we were able to re-shape our pup's perspective and even have some fun along the way!

...We recently adopted a dog from the animal shelter that is very loving and affectionate; however, we were very surprised when she nipped at a visiting child who had run up to her very quickly. Wendy was able to schedule a home visit almost immediately and her advice in just two sessions showed us how to work with the “triggers” that caused our dog to be alarmed and fearful. Within a few weeks we were confident that our sweet new dog would be the great companion we thought she would be when we picked her out. We now recognize situations where we occasionally need to be more cautious, but for the most part we have managed to ease our dog’s fears using the tricks Wendy showed us. Thanks, Wendy!

...Wendy Pool has been a life saver for me. I have a young Rottweiler that was becoming very hard for me to handle. Wendy spent 2 hours going over my dogs history and I came away with the feeling that "I can do this!" We have been attending Wendy's classes and I have seen a marked improvement in my dogs behavior and in my ability to handle this BIG dog. Thank you Wendy.

...Thank you so much, Wendy. My relationship with my dog is so much better now. My dog is compliant and does everything you taught him. I'm so impressed with what you did in such a short time that I can't find the words. The training you did worked out much better than I'd hoped... If the kids get him jazzed up he stops listening, but he actually seems to be able to quiet himself, and, once I get his attention, he obeys even in the face of all this chaos. At 6 months old, he's actually better behaved than any of the other family dogs right now. Thanks again!
Sharon, Medford, Oregon

...True companions' methods fall into the "why didn't I think of that?" category. The methods are logical, supportive and positive. The results demonstrate how successful the classes are. The dogdog parents are all very different individuals in each class. Our trainer recognizes and meets the challenge of dealing with the singular quirks and challenges of the students. I can't imagine going to any other trainer given our wonderful experience with True Companions.
Ashland Dog Owner

...Our new little puppy had more energy that we could handle and our efforts ner at home training were not showing much results. Almost immediately, our dog responded to training with Wendy Pool at True Companions. We've been amazed to watch her progress - and we have too in our understanding of how to work with our beloved pet. Wendy teaches you (the human) tools and techniques to help your pet learn how to behave in different situations and how to prevent developing bad habits. Classes are always informative and fun.
Ashland Dog Owner

Wendy teaches group classes at the following Southern Oregon locations:

The Shoppes at Exit 24, Ste G

For more information about our group obedience classes for dogs and puppies, see Group Class Information

Wendy works with clients privately throughout the Rogue Valley in Oregon including Ashland, Medford, Phoenix, and Talent. Consultations are held at the GoodDog! School at Exit 24 in Phoenix Oregon.