“I want to tell you how pleased I am with your help with Rocket. Not only has Rocket made great improvements, but I’ve learned so much from you. Obviously I’m learning how to communicate with her better, which is huge! But what I’m really enjoying is being more “conscious” with what’s going on with my pet, i.e. the pet dander, her body language, confidence level, the shake off, yawning, etc. Many, many times I’ve taken dogs to obedience classes, but in all my dog days no one actually taught me the things that I’ve already learned from you. I love your enthusiasm and your willingness to teach her in such a loving manner, and your level of confidence as a trainer that you’re willing to share things that I feel most trainers wouldn’t share, or perhaps even recognize – the conscious part. That is so important in life in general…at least for me. So having that apply to understanding my pet is so awesome!”
-Kim C
“After a couple of months with our newly adopted pup we started to see behavior signs of her unfortunate previous life. Our shy sweet dog was now acting out on walks and showing signs of anxiety in social situations. At a total loss being first time dog owners a friend recommend we start working with Jennifer. After just one session with her we learned SO MUCH and were better able to communicate with our Chloe Bae! She taught us how to build up her self-esteem again, nurture a trustful relationship, understand when she was becoming anxious and help her cope with the situation. Jennifer is so knowledgable, she was able to recommend products and supplements that have also helped my dog. It is more than just training with Jennifer, it is therapy! My dog is so much happier and flourishing because of her! We now enjoy our walks daily and my bond with my dog is very strong. I have Jennifer to thank for that!”
-Lauren R
Jenn came into my dog Piper and my life at the exact right time. Piper is a high-energy, high-anxiety cattle dog/German shepherd mix that was starting to show signs of reactive behavior. I could tell Jen was a knowledgeable and experienced dog trainer. I appreciated her training style was so positively rewarding for the dog (and owner). After being recommended by friends and other trainers to use some type of choke collar/e-collar, I felt incredibly defeated as a dog owner. However, Jenn insured me that would set Piper off in the wrong direction, and how she had already helped so many dogs with her method of training. Piper is so smart (sometimes too much for her own good), and Jen knows exactly how to turn that into positive behavior.
We've been working together for about a month. Throughout that time, she's shown me so many skills and resources including clicker training to help with Piper's behavior modification. A walk around the block used to be an anxiety provoking experience (for both Piper and me), but now it is something we enjoy to do together multiple times a day. We still have a lot of work to do, but working with Jen makes it manageable to handle. Piper and I are so grateful to have her!
-Carrie B.
Jennifer helped me and my husband with our new pup, Arlo. She is amazing!! We adopted Arlo as a 6 month old puppy right before we were about to move from Austin to Virginia and were in a panic to get adjusted during a very chaotic time (for humans and dogs alike!). Jennifer was so helpful to us, so patient with Arlo, and definitely made us feel much more confident in our continued training. Even after we left, she texted with us when we had a "resource guarding" issue with another dog and helped us know exactly what to do. We can't imagine what we would have done without Jennifer! She was worth her weight in gold to us!
-Madeleine H.
Jennifer has honestly been a life saver. I had a very aggressive French bulldog that was attacking my other dog. It was a highly stressful living situation and didn't know where to turn. By luck, I found Jennifer and she was the perfect fit. She was patient with me, was always upbeat and practiced rewards based training that I could actually repeat on my own and really helped me understand my dogs. She's honestly not just a trainer, she's a shrink for the whole family. She was able to figure out our dynamic and tell me what the dogs were thinking just by their body language and signals and taught me how to read their signs too.
The aggression took not only training but meds too. Jennifer helped with so much input and advise on that too. I honestly could not have gotten though the stress of two dogs in the same household not getting along without Jennifer keeping everything in perspective for me. She would remind me where we started, the plan we were on and where we were going. My dogs are so much happier now with some structure that has been created with daily training. I clearly am beyond thrilled with Jennifer's training. She honestly saved me from having to re-home my Frenchie and for that I am forever thankful!!!!!!
-Rindy H.
Jenn Burns dedication to rewards-based training served as an anchor for me as I worked with my Goldendoodle puppy, Daisy, on potty training, loose-leash walking, etc. I wasn't quite ready for the frustration, anxiety, and questions a new puppy would bring. I was ready to guide her with rewards. It worked! Daisy was potty trained by 16 weeks old, could walk on a loose leash for short distances on the sidewalk, only chewed dog toys, played fetch, socialized well with other dogs, etc. With Jenn's guidance and support, I had successfully learned to manage a puppy. By the time she was 6 months old, I trusted her alone in the house.
When Daisy turned one, she kept a close distance to me off-leash in the Greenbelt, would quickly get back on her leash, and she PASSED the Canine Good Citizen test. I chose to train Daisy for the Canine Good Citizen test for two reasons: 1.) Daisy seems happiest when she is thinking and solving problems 2.) I'm the kind of person who likes happy dogs. Happy dogs are good dogs! It felt like an overwhelming task at first. One failed test offered a practice opportunity and Jennifer's support offered consistent practice. Then - we - passed! Jennifer enthusiastically answered every question over the 8-month period it took to get Daisy ready. She encouraged me to allow for mistakes and to keep Daisy guessing on when and what she would get as a reward.
We are now moving on to train for the Pet Therapy test. Jennifer continues to be Daisy's biggest fan and Daisy hers as we move toward this new goal. When reunited for a training session, even after a 2 month period, the excitement both Daisy and Jenn have for each other can barely be contained. It's I good thing I've learned to be a calm, confident leader!
I trust Jenn Burns with my dog. I trust her recommendations and I trust in her practice. She is a loving trainer who practices with passion and discipline within the changing world of dog training. She is at the forefront of holding dog handlers accountable for excellence in her field and for assisting the dogs she loves toward a rewarding life.
-Renae M.