Testimonials from members of our Balanced Life K9 Training family!
Hear what our clients are saying about their experiences.
I was feeling frustrated with my young male German Shepherd because of his outbursts when he would see other dogs. I started working with Christina and as a result his behavior quickly improved. As I gained more confidence so did my dog. I can't thank Christina enough for all her help! Sue Patnode & Aitan |
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If you are looking for an awesome dog trainer. Christina is the person for the job. She took my crazy, misbehaved dogs Maizy and Sparky and turned them into a different dog. Through a two week period that they stayed with Christina, they learned a ton of commands. Christina does not only train dogs, she trains the owner so they can continue to help their dogs become better pets. Christina has taught me that a tired dog is a happy dog, as well as a more behaved dog. Maizy is a very hyper dog, who needs lots of exercise. Christina taught me how to bike with my dogs. I can take Maizy out for a bike ride and she will come back tired and happy. I have talked to other dog trainers on how to get my dogs to behave and Christina was the only one who taught me and my dogs to live a happier, healthier life.
Not only is Christina an amazing dog trainer, she is also an amazing person. When my town would not let me have my pit bull Lucky, due to a ban on pit bulls in my town. She graciously took him in. She trained him to be the most obedient dog he can be. Although my town has lifted the ban on pit bulls, I would never take him away from a home and parents that love him and have done everything to include him in their household and lives. I thank God for sending me such a great friend and dog trainer. Sincerely, Kristen Kalakay, Sparky & Maizy |
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Before I met Tina at Solid K9 Training, I wasn't able to walk both of our dogs together. One would lung so uncontrollably at other dogs, it was dangerous. Sometimes the bigger pit bull would redirect aggression against the smaller one, even on leash. After our training and the dog’s training, there isn't a morning when Tina’s voice isn't in my head as I round the corner to our building with our two pit bulls.
Polly gets alert as her ears go up and her forehead furrows. She starts to move ahead on the leash ready to scan and warn any dog near “her” building, “her” block. I think of Tina’s firm, clear and strong tug that would tell Polly she is not in charge and needs to remain in her relaxed walk mode next to me, not in front of me.
The dogs have a much improved relationship now and most of the behavioral issues for both dogs are under control.
I would recommend Tina and Balanced Life K9 Training for any dog and human companion who want a peaceful life together.
Markie Hancock, Polly & Diesel
Polly gets alert as her ears go up and her forehead furrows. She starts to move ahead on the leash ready to scan and warn any dog near “her” building, “her” block. I think of Tina’s firm, clear and strong tug that would tell Polly she is not in charge and needs to remain in her relaxed walk mode next to me, not in front of me.
The dogs have a much improved relationship now and most of the behavioral issues for both dogs are under control.
I would recommend Tina and Balanced Life K9 Training for any dog and human companion who want a peaceful life together.
Markie Hancock, Polly & Diesel
Tina has worked with many of our rescue dogs now and she has done wonders! I would say she is young, enthusiastic and extremely skilled in her craft. Sheena came to her with high prey drive, nervous and with a bite history. After a 5 week boot camp, she had turned Sheena around to be a calm and balanced dog who can function in any environment. Sheena now lives with dogs and cats and is used as a demo dog for training purposes! Can not recommend Tina enough to anyone who needs help for their unbalanced dog. Tina can help! Don't give up hope! Contact her!
Eva Lotta Armstrong - Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue
Eva Lotta Armstrong - Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue
Tina is a natural when it comes to working with dogs. She has great skills in all aspects of training and a true passion for what she does. The dogs want to work for her, she has a great positive energy and you can see in her videos, these dogs love working with her. Tina is also just as skilled with transferring the training information to her clients, she is a very clear and concise. She trains the dog and human both very efficiently. I would highly recommend Tina for all your dog training needs.
Sue Ruggieri - Real World K9
Sue Ruggieri - Real World K9
Tina is an amazing trainer! She empowers you and gives you all the tools you need to continue the training. You will not be disappointed with her, her training or the results!
Curtis Craig - The Calm K9
Curtis Craig - The Calm K9
I can't even begin to explain HOW much of a positive impact Tina has made with our rescue. In every rescue organization, there are always some harder-to-place dogs due to various behavioral issues. For Tina, it doesn't matter what the issue is. She really knows her stuff and every dog that walks through those doors becomes calm, balanced, and ultimately, much happier than they were before. She is absolutely phenomenal in not just teaching these pups, but truly changing their lives for the better. I cannot recommend her enough. We love her and she is a BADASS!
Whitney Fang - Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue
Whitney Fang - Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue
I cannot say enough good things about Christina and Balanced Life K9 Training.
Our fear-based aggressive pit bull, Roz, is a testament to how there is no dog behavior that is too much for Christina to handle or make better. Roz went to Balanced Life k9 for board and train. We were just hoping that we could have friends over the apt without Roz barking and lunging at them – we never thought Roz would get to a place where she was excited to meet strangers, but she has, and it was all due to Balanced Life K9.
Christina's in-control calm presence with Roz, along with her training tips, really helped us to see how to continue the training with Roz once she was home. Roz has been home for two weeks and has not regressed back to her old ways at all! We cannot recommend Balanced Life K9 enough if you are struggling with your dog's behavior.
Our lives have gotten easier, and Roz seems so much happier and more secure in her new, more structured life. Not only did Christina help Roz through her problems; she taught her fun stuff like playing fetch, and now she pees on command!
Tina Parmar, J.d. Cohen & Roz
I cannot thank Balanced Life K9 Training enough for the amazing transformation of my two dogs. Hugo and Sawyer (fka Tony Danza Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue) went for training with Tina due to an encounter Sawyer had with a man in my building. Sawyer was a super nervous and fearful dog - always reacting negatively to delivery guys on bikes, sanitation workers, kids on bikes and scooters, and skateboarders. Hugo went to get a refresher on basic obedience and to be on the "same page" as Sawyer. It has been kind of insane how great this past weekend with them back has been! Sawyer does not even flinch at any of his former triggers. The pups are like dreams on the leash and we're keeping their remote collar skills fresh inside the apartment and outside in busy parks. Tina has been a dream to work with - constant communication, calm energy, and has given me the confidence (over a few hours this weekend) to know I can continue to keep my dogs on track. I recommend anyone with a dog issue they need to remedy reach out to her. I cannot rave highly enough about our entire experience. Thanks Tina!
(Pic of the dogs practicing down/stay in a busy Central Park during the More Women's Half Marathon - this would have NEVER happened pre-Tina!)
Meghan Riley, Hugo & Sawyer
(Pic of the dogs practicing down/stay in a busy Central Park during the More Women's Half Marathon - this would have NEVER happened pre-Tina!)
Meghan Riley, Hugo & Sawyer
We refer to Tina as a sorcerer in our house because she gave Pepper, our little pit mix, and us, the tools we needed to help Pepper be her best self. We can’t say enough good things about her and her training and we think every dog should spend time with her-they would all be happier! We had Pepper for a month when we knew we needed some real help. Pepper was the sweetest with people, but had a few challenges (1) she wanted to chase our senior cat, all the time. He was hiding in our shower, miserable, and not asserting himself at all; (2) she was *stubborn*: didn’t want to get in the crate, didn’t want to listen to any commands; (3) she wasn’t great with other dogs, particularly on a leash; and (4) she could go from 0 to 100 quickly-and once there-she didn’t always make good choices.
Pepper stayed with Tina for three weeks and the difference was remarkable. There were commands she knew cold-sit, place, down; she heeled like a champion; she was better able to calm herself; and she was remote collar trained, so we could work with her on a long leash at the park. Tina then taught us those commands and the importance of practice with Pepper.
Tina has also taught us so much about how to work with Pepper (and how Pepper works!)-how to tire her out (and it isn’t running around town), how to work with her diet, how to think about when she is uncomfortable or nervous, how we need to have a plan for new experiences and how important practice is. We talk about what Tina taught us all the time and do our very best to make her proud. Pepper’s improvement is remarkable-and she, and we, are so much happier!
Finally, we also feel like part of Tina’s family. We text her with questions and with big wins (and pictures of those wins!) and we keep in touch. Pepper will always go stay with Tina when we are on vacation-we know she will be loved, taken care of and kept on her training regimen!
Erin Wolfe, Allison Gans & Pepper
Pepper stayed with Tina for three weeks and the difference was remarkable. There were commands she knew cold-sit, place, down; she heeled like a champion; she was better able to calm herself; and she was remote collar trained, so we could work with her on a long leash at the park. Tina then taught us those commands and the importance of practice with Pepper.
Tina has also taught us so much about how to work with Pepper (and how Pepper works!)-how to tire her out (and it isn’t running around town), how to work with her diet, how to think about when she is uncomfortable or nervous, how we need to have a plan for new experiences and how important practice is. We talk about what Tina taught us all the time and do our very best to make her proud. Pepper’s improvement is remarkable-and she, and we, are so much happier!
Finally, we also feel like part of Tina’s family. We text her with questions and with big wins (and pictures of those wins!) and we keep in touch. Pepper will always go stay with Tina when we are on vacation-we know she will be loved, taken care of and kept on her training regimen!
Erin Wolfe, Allison Gans & Pepper
I got Maggie at 10 wks. Old. She is now 6 yrs. always a problem barking at other people, dogs, pulling on leash. Just fresh behaviors. Lots of training through our years, being asked to leave training sessions, too much distraction for other dogs. I started watching Tina's videos about 1 yr. ago, and was impressed. Could we change Maggie?
She's a sweetie who gets a bad rap for her barking, growling, but will roll at your feet for a belly rub. At 14 pounds, she thinks she's 100 pounds with her bark.
I reached out to Tina, and we set a date. Peoples reactions were: your going to go that far for training? They have training around here. You are going to use a prong and E Collar around her little neck? Your sending her away for 2 weeks? You won't miss her?
Well we trudged ourselves and Maggie 5 hrs. Away for 2 weeks. Just getting back 2 days ago, she's a changed woman. Walks nicely on leash now, I have many disabilities, so an easier walk now. One tap on leash, and knows all commands, along with following them. Always had been under our feet during cooking, searching for food droppings. First night home, was put on mat during cooking, dinner, never moved, just like it was expected. Yes we have mistakes, but a quick tap, and she fixes herself. Day 2 home, and a quieter home, happy mommy.
So don't let people judge, till they walk in your shoes. I have a hard time walking, but a much more enjoyable walk now.
Karen Pollio & Maggie
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Moro did a board and train with Tina and I have to say, I thought she would come back better but I never expected her to come back completely transformed. Our once wild pup, who would barely focus on anything for more than a few seconds, was now able to go from running around in the yard, to laying calmly by my side. We’ve still got plenty to work on (squirrels!!) and we’ve been working hard every day to sharpen her skills, but thanks to Tina I can now take her for walks without having to worry about her going crazy at other dogs. I can bring her to people’s houses and know she won’t steal food off the table. We can go for car rides and she’ll lay calmly in the back. I can take her hiking with me off leash and know she’ll come when I call.
Over Thanksgiving, we went to a dog park — which is something we haven’t tried since before her trip to Tina’s. And Moro was great! She played perfectly with the dogs, and when things got a bit too intense I was able to call her away from the scrum every time to come lay down by me. While the other dogs got super riled up and even came over to nibble her ears and try to goad her into breaking her down, she stayed by my side. Everybody at the park commented on how good she was! I was so proud. I would highly recommend a trip to Tina’s if your pupper needs some help with their manners. She didn’t just change Moro, she helped us understand how to keep Moro on the right track. Now everywhere we go people comment on how well trained she is! And our relationship is much stronger because she knows what to expect, and I know how to set her up for success. Rose Eveleth & Moro |
My husband and I have a 5-year-old male chocolate lab named Peyton who is a sweet big-hearted dog, but definitely has had some overexcitement issues throughout his life. Peyton has surpassed our expectations in terms of behavior over the years, so we truly thought that adopting a cat would come with some hard work, but would be doable. We were wrong. Peyton would get so unbelievably worked up at the sight of the new cat that he would literally shake like a leaf, eyes dilated, incessant whining and initial barking at the cat, complete tunnel vision. The cat was pretty tough luckily; he would mostly perch high up and just stare at the dog.
We tried all the online training sites, including Cesar Milan, for months, but nothing worked. Feeding them on opposite sides of the door, using treats and other positive reinforcement, everything you can think of. We weren’t sure if our 110-lb dog wanted to play with our little furry cat, or kill him, and we weren’t willing to find out. Peyton is a solid boy with lots of strength and excitement.
We finally called Tina at Balanced Life K9. We were totally desperate and ready to give up and find the cat a better home than we could provide him with. Tina came over and assessed the situation. We had a planned vacation approaching soon, so we decided to send Peyton away for boarding and training for the 2-week program. Of course I was already attached to the cat at this point, so I was willing to settle for a dog that could just remain calm around a cat and respect the cat, and I had faith that it was possible with the proper training. I’ll admit, we were initially worried that Peyton would no longer be his normal, lovable self after the training.
When we returned to pick Peyton up after the 2 weeks of working around Tina’s own cats, he was a different dog. He is still his goofy, excitable self, but much more in control of his emotions and listens so much better than he used to. He’s not on edge like he once was, and he has actually become best buddies with the cat, believe it or not. This obviously isn’t going to be the case with every dog who may have prey drive issues, but luckily, it happened for us.
Now the important part: I’m not going to lie and say everything was peachy the moment we got Peyton back home. This required continued hard work at keeping a close eye on him whenever the cat was present. It was exhausting, it tried our patience, and honestly made us consider re-homing the cat anyway, and accepting the fact that just maybe Peyton would never be able to coexist peacefully with a small furry animal. But we kept at it, with each other’s support, as well as Tina’s advice when we needed help. A few hours per day here and there as we could handle it, calmly, and we started noticing that Peyton would look away from the cat on his own, pay more attention to his food rather than the cat, and the shaking-like-a-leaf nonsense was improving. Each week we saw substantial improvements that gave us hope, and eventually, Peyton stopped shaking with excitement completely. Though it wasn’t easy, like all the other behavioral hurdles Peyton has jumped over, he got past this in just about 5 weeks with the cat at home after the training, and he’s no longer fixated on the cat. It has now been about 8 weeks since he completed his training and sudden moves by the cat sometimes still trigger a bit of a chase response in Peyton, but without even using his training collar most of the time (not always), he usually listens to verbal commands, or even self-corrects before we say anything to him, which is amazing. He normally just wants to follow the cat around to see what he’s doing. He is rarely in place command around the cat at all anymore, and usually walks away from the cat on his own when the cat swats at him to let him know he’s getting annoyed, which is hilarious. We still say “no” when the cat reacts that way, to re-enforce that training and so that Peyton can improve on listening to the cat’s cues on his own.
They now eat together, try to steal each other’s food, share a water dish, look out the window watching squirrels together, and even cuddle beside each other on the couch while napping. Sometimes the cat even lays down and lets Peyton push him along the floor for several feet like a mop. It’s a truly amazing transformation and we are so happy, not only to have a household that is harmonious and peaceful for us (not to mention more entertaining), but to see that Peyton now has a buddy to hang out with, as well as the cat having a companion.
Thank you so much Tina! We never, ever could have achieved this without your help!
Sincerely,
Alexis, Matt, Peyton, and Wolfie
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After an unfortunate fight with another, much smaller dog, we turned to Tina for help with our 3 year old Pit Bull who was unpredictable around strange dogs, had a huge prey drive, and was obsessed with our cat. She also went nuts when someone came to the door and needed improvement on leash skills Patches spent 4 weeks with Tina training. We also also had 3 hours of training when we picked Patches up, which was really important. The commands that Tina teaches make so much sense. Place, down, no or nope, break and good job are simple and effective. Her calm assertive energy is the key to her training. Tina's videos and Facebook page are great. We got to see Tina working with Patches on her commands. Patches has come home a transformed dog, calm and content. Her indoor and outdoor manners are much improved. Patches is now able to be in the same room with our cat (in a place command) with little or no interest in chasing. And, we are now able to do her nails using the dremel tool. We would not hesitate to recommend Tina and Balanced Life K9 Training to anyone who is looking for a solid, effective training program that has proven results. Thank you Tina !!! Don and Karen Morris & Patches |
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When we first got Louisiana, our pitbull puppy, we were very overwhelmed. She was aggressive with other dogs, reactive when new people came into our home, and overall extremely anxious and excitable. After trying to work with her largely on our own for about four months, we were feeling pretty uncertain and discouraged about how much progress Louie would be able to make. Then, during a six-week trip to Asia, we had Louie stay with Tina. While we were away, Tina posted regular updates. Seeing these updates was always such a highlight, and we were completely blown away by Louie's growth. After just a few days, she was peacefully coexisting with other dogs, something we had no idea could happen. We were nervous about the remote collar training, but Tina's thorough documentation of the whole process put us at ease. One of the best parts of Louie's stay was when Tina brought Louie and all the other dogs staying with her up to Vermont to hang with her friend Rhonda, owner of Vermont Dog Pack -- it seemed like such a joyous doggy retreat. Never thought we'd see Louie roaming off leash with a huge pack of fellow dogs, and looking carefree while doing it! It was clear Louie was being challenged, but also given an environment to just be a dog in, enough exercise was no concern as Tina prioritizes activity to keep her student pups engaged and stimulated during a board and train stay. |
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When we returned from our trip, Tina spent all day with us making sure we knew how to build on the very strong foundation she had laid for Louie. Today, Louie is a MUCH more confident dog who can better reign in her energy and cope with her anxieties. Before her time with Tina, Louie was a big leash-puller and would start lunging and freaking out when we saw dogs from even a block away — it made walks stressful and not so fun for us or her. Although she still scans around on walks, she now does a LOT of loose-leash walking and is able to walk past dogs without even barking, even if those dogs are reacting! If she does bug out, we are better able to work with her and snap her out of her anxiety. In fact, shortly after Louie's stay with Tina, we stayed with some folks who had dogs, and Louie was able to live with and befriend them! This felt nothing short of miraculous to us.
Louie's behavior has improved in pretty much every way, and while we have work to do to carry on what Tina started, we feel like we were provided a clear map and tools needed to do that continued work. We are able to train her until she calms down and behaves when guests come over, whereas before she sometimes wouldn't even let people come in the house. She is also much better with people knocking at the door. We also learned how to clip and Dremel Louie's nails from Tina. Overall, we feel much more confident about grabbing Louie's attention when she's about to get lost in a storm of adrenaline. Day to day, there are more boundaries and much more structure in Louie's life — she now knows she has to be invited up on the couch or bed, she gets trained before meals, she has to heel throughout her walks — and all of that helps her feel more stable and secure. We are so grateful to Tina and Balanced Life K9 Training for putting down such firm roots for our relationship with our girl, and for staying in touch when ever we reach out with questions about anything. Thank you!!! Steph Yin, Kieran Alessi & Louie |
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When little Jasper first came into my home, he was the cutest little black fluff ball I had ever seen. However, he was also very antisocial with people petting him, he was very defiant, and needed much help with manners. I looked at quite a few different training plans and courses for him in the area, and when I found Tina on Balanced Life K9 Training, I knew this is what he needed. During this time I had planned a trip to Florida months prior, I had family that would have watched him, however I knew he needed much more involved training and boarding while I was gone. Tina worked with me with a very short notice, and when I arrived back home, my puppy, was a different boy! Of course he was only about 12 weeks old at this time, so we continued training with him. I worked with him at home and every week I’d take Jasper back to Tina once or twice a week, and he would work on socialization, manners, handling, working through different fears that I’d notice at home and address with Tina, such as the vacuum, my cat, and any other issues we noticed along the way. Now Jasper is 10 months old, we have since moved to Florida 2 months ago, but up until our leaving the area, Jasper stayed in training with Tina, and grew into such a well behaved boy at a very young age. We still have areas to work on, as he continues to grow and finds new bad habits, but thanks to Tina, I have the ability to work with him and train him positive habits. McKenzie Bresett & Jasper |
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When we first got Renley and found out she was deaf, we weren't sure training wise where to go from there. We heard that Christina does amazing with training and had helped someone we know with her deaf dog.
Before training, Renley was hard to communicate with and her puppy energy made it tough to keep her attention enough to teach her and have her listen. When Christina came to our house to help us train Renley it was eye opening how much knowledge she had. We loved how she took Renleys leash and started working with her right away showing us what to do and answering any questions we had. We practiced ourselves and she corrected us when we needed it and showed us the right way of doing it. Not even a day later and Renley was constantly laying at our feet and just waiting for us to practice training with her. What Christina had taught Renley stuck with her right away and still to this day sticks with her. We are so happy with the training help we got from Balanced Life K9 Training for Renley and would recommend her to anyone! What we have learned now helps us so much with Renley. Mikaela Patnode & Renley |
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Tina and Jeremy are outstanding trainers! We have 3 dogs, one with high energy and one with high anxiety. We were having behavioral issues with our dog with anxiety that resulted in him becoming aggressive with our two females. Angus stayed with Tina and Jeremy for a while as well as our high energy girl. The outcome is amazing. We have harmony and balance and peace in our house again. They both expect a lot from our dogs and nothing less which gave us hope. The lessons with us were very detailed and thorough. Tina and Jeremy are there to support us with follow up lessons and visits and boarding. Angus is happy again. He is playing well with Mabel and the girls trust him again. I can't say enough about the training and structure that Tina and Jeremy provide. They saved our family unit!!
Kris Wright-Duus, Angus, Mabel & Polly |
