Hook's K9 Training : Testimonials

This is where my students and clients have their say!

"With Nancy's help, our rescued dog Pepper was transformed from a fearful, anxious, leash pulling pound-dog into a noble, loving, exceptionally mannered therapy dog. Pepper's evolvement after training with Nancy (and homework practice) was astounding after only a few months. Pepper was not only able to pass the Delta Society certification test, but was readily accepted in a variety of public and clinical care environments.
In the short time Pepper was with us, he touched the hearts and lives of numerous children and adults in hospitals, schools, and other settings where those involved needed a special kind of healing. Nancy was an integral part in making these wonderful things happen.
Dave and I would recommend her and her training methods without reservation, to anyone that loves their dog!
--Amber and Dave Alsobrooks

Hi Nancy! I know I've been very lax about giving you an update on Axel. It's been a little more than 5 months since Axel spent time at Hooks K-9. Since then, he's been a MODEL citizen. He still walks beautifully on the leash, is a gentleman in public and more than that, has completely learned his place in our home. He's respectful, patient, and has kept his sweet, sweet nature (with a little naughty thrown in, on occasion). He does really well at daycare now, we've finally found the right mix of days and dogs for him to consistently get good reports from the girls there.

We do have occasional "bow ups" at the dog park, but generally speaking he's pretty respectful of other dogs. And as long as we keep a close eye on him, and help him head off trouble before he gets into it, he's doing great.

Last Saturday was his 1-year anniversary living with us. And while it's been an exciting year, the difference that you made in his and OUR lives is indelible. Thank you SO, SO much for helping us understand him and to provide him with a life that fulfills both him and us. We've already joked that next dog we get will be coming to see you ASAP, and we'd recommend your services to anyone! KB

He's doing so well! He's at daycare today for the first time today, I'm hoping for an excellent report. Unsurprisingly, our 10 year old has been the one we've been most amazed at. She just barrels over him, if he's in her way and he scrambles to get out of her way. The other day, he got one of her socks and she barked at him, and walked over. By the time she got there, he'd spit it out. He's fully cowed by her. He also been great with the cats, curbing that bullying instinct and really just nosing them a bit. He takes a pop in the face from them without reacting except to leave them alone. We're using the "stand down" command with him for them, if he's harassing them. He consistently turns around and walks away. He also did really well with my mother-in-law, who is in a wheel chair. It was the first time he'd met her and he just sat down so she could greet him. We had a big party on 12/24, and after getting corrected once by Scott and once by me, he never even looked at the table which was groaning under the amount of food on it. The difference is absolutely amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you! KD

"Nancy was the first SAR K-9 trainer who worked with my Labrador, Keen. She laid an excellent foundation for Keen's successful SAR career. She has a gentle approach and an amazing understanding of dog's behavior".
Chuck

Chuck and Keen

I have been remiss about giving you an update on Holly. She is doing SOOOO well both at home with our 2 dogs, and at daycare. Her introduction at daycare went very smoothly, and while we did have a few testy moments the first few days at home with our dogs, they all seem to have melded into a happy pack.

The biggest difference I see in Holly is that she is much more patient and calm, and she has developed very nice dog manners. The daycare staff seems quite impressed with her! And she loves to play with all the dogs.

I remember speaking with you on the phone when things were so chaotic with Holly, and feeling encouraged by what you had to say, but truthfully, I had no idea things with Holly would turn out as great as they did. I can't thank you enough for the work and training you did with her...also, with me and George. Truth be told, we probably needed educating more than Holly did. SB

I have a complaint.....the dog I came home with is not Ava. She is so different....in every way. She's much calmer and listens much better. She spent most of yesterday afternoon outside with us while we worked in the yard and stuff. She didn't run off, didn't worry the
crap out of the other dogs and now she's lying quietly/sleeping in the
kitchen.

I just keep waiting for the old Ava to return.

Debbie

June 9, 2011
Nancy I don't know how to thank you enough! I have a 2yr old Shar Pei named Romeo. He's always been socialized never had a problem until 6 mths ago. Romeo started biting and becoming very territorial. We thought this was just a little phase he was tired or someone petted him wrong that wasn't the story. When someone walked up to Romeo he would wag his tale and be happy until they went to touch him and he would attack them even with me trying to pull him off. We were afraid to have our friends over out of fear of what would he do. I tried a local trainer her in Danville,VA when speaking with her she seemed to think I didn't have a problem at all told me to bring him to her class he would be fine. Well he was there for about 3min when she was showing me how to use a prong collar he turned and snapped at her. In tears I left the class, where she proceed to tell me I had a real big problem and she would call me. The short of it she suggested Euthanasia because he was such a big liability she proceeded to tell me in the 3min she spent with us that Romeo had Sudden Rage Syndrome. Needless to say my husband,son and myself cried all weekend wondering if that was best for Romeo. Sunday I started searching for someone who could shed light on my problem and that was Nancy Hook. I called Nancy on Sunday left a brief message about Romeo and she called me back on Monday and told me I had nothing but a spoiled bully on my hands. I just had a good feeling about her and she gave me hope. We had waited so long for this dog and knew the breed and I just couldn't put him down without someone fully diagnosing him first. Romeo attend Nancy's bootcamp for the longest 3 weeks of my life and I have to tell you when I went to pick him up it was different no stress I felt like a boulder had been lifted off my shoulder. Romeo slept all the way home and has been a little soldier. I have complete control we have friends over on a regular basis I'm comfortable now and thats something I haven't been in a long time. I'm quoting Nancy "Everydog Deserves A Second Chance" And I think God everyday I did a google search and found Nancy because I would have put my Romeo down. Nancy I can't tell you enough how much Chris, Landon and Myself appreciate you:)Thanks again for everything:)
Paula

Nancy is truly amazing. I used two other trainers for almost a year each before I was introduced to Nancy by our local SPCA animal shelter. We just weren't making a lot of progress with even basic obedience stuff. The trainers were nice people.but in hindsight, I don't think they have the success rate that a trainer with Nancy's style does. I am friends with the one trainer in Charleston and when she saw how much better Barkley was after Nancy's, she was kinda jealous... I have an incredibly fearful pit bull and he made infinitely more progress in 6 weeks than 2 years and thousands of dollars with the other trainers.
Nancy is worth every penny! Don't tell her..but she probably doesn't charge enough compared to other trainers.
You will have an incredibly obedient, well trained, happy dog when you pick him (her) up. A well trained dog is a happy dog. Trust me. A bad dog is just as frustrated as the owner. I will never get another dog without sending him to Nancy's early on for obedience. It has changed our lives. My dogs heel when walking, no leash pulling at all, sit-stay, down-stay, know "quit it", come....
People are amazed!
If you have not been to her camp, you should go see it. The dogs are soooo happy. A great testament to a good trainer. The dogs lover her.
When I travel, I also use Nancy for board and train and they love it there!
One more thing...I volunteer at the SPCA in Charleston and we drive dogs five hours up to Nancy's for obedience / rehabilitation training. These are dogs that are on death row because of bad behavior. They left Nancy's with perfect manners, everything mentioned above. They would have been euthanized if we didn't get their behavior under control. We drive these dogs five hours because there is no one here that can do what she can. Really. They now have loving homes with happy owners!
And, no, I am not a paid spokesman. Although I should be!
Julie

Tommy has been awesome since we got him home. He is walking on leash with me without any pulling. I can tell him to go down one step at a time and he does it. He had played Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons with a 2 year old lab in my mother’s backyard. He has come home give out and ready for bed. I can say kennel and he goes gets in and wait for his food. I can tell you really worked on his manners.
Thank you for all you did to help make Tommy a dog we all can enjoy.
I will keep you updated.

Michael

I just wanted to reach out with an update on Draco since he’s been home from training. He is still very well-behaved on a leash, so much so that we are able to take him for 2+ mile walks without much trouble at all. This is something I wouldn’t have even considered doing with him before your training! He has also continued improving on staying when told and coming when his name is called. We’ve been practicing this using the front door, so when people walk into the house he knows to stay put until otherwise told. He enjoyed a few outings to our local brewery and behaved like such a gentleman!

Makayla

Caveat Emptor--"Let The Buyer Beware"

The only reliable way to know if a trainer can help you and your dog is to talk to others whose dogs have been trained by that person, or talk to vets or groomers who have had clients' dogs trained by that person. There is nothing to protect the public from a potentially unethical, dishonest, or incompetent self-crowned dog trainer except the word of people who have firsthand knowledge of that trainer.

Dear Nancy,
Your website mentioned getting "hooked" on your training. Well, we are doubly "hooked."
You did a marvelous job with our beautiful Aussie Hildy. She is no longer the fawning, trembling. "tail-between-her legs" creature we got from the pound. She plays confidentally with other dogs. Her tail
maximally high. She smiles her beautiful smile all the time, and it
warms our hearts. Best of all, she does not growl at our human
neighbors. It is a joy to have her in our home.

Sev and Joel

People just can't stop raving about Brinkley. We went to the office yesterday and the staff was amazed. I fully expect Jo and her husband to call you about their golden-doodle. At lunch we had 4 compliments on behavior as well. The last 2 nights he's slept on the floor in my bedroom instead of the crate. He doesn't move until I get up and tell him 'let's go" then we stop and talk to others he sits at my feet and if it takes longer he lays on his side with his head down. At first I thought he was sick or depressed but as soon as he is acknowledged he pops up and wags his tale. ZS

We’ve been working with Hooks K9 Training since we moved to Raleigh in 2005. We moved with our black lab Bear, who was then 8 months old or so, we think the alpha of the litter & quite a destructive & aggressive puppy. My husband is in a wheelchair, and not only was Bear chewing everything in the house, he would bite and scratch Barton & he also knew where Barton couldn’t reach him to discipline him. We were on the verge of deciding that we couldn’t handle him when we found out about Nancy’s weekly classes.

We started him out on a weekly class where we learned just as much as Bear did & we decided that Boot Camp was worth it. Some of the issues we wanted to work on included aggression, responding to discipline, following instructions, jumping & nipping/biting. Nancy knows the personality of the dogs going through Boot Camp (as well as Camp), what they need & how to get them to where they need to be. She also spent time with us to show us what Bear had been working on & how to change what we had been doing so Bear would listen to both Barton & I. As soon as we got Bear back from Boot Camp, we noticed a complete difference & now, he is a well-mannered & behaved dog. Now, he even teaches our new puppy Basho manners!

When we go on vacation/travel, we still take them to Camp because they love it so much & when we pick them up, they are tired, happy & extremely well behaved. We have been very pleased with how Nancy approaches dog training and she has taught us so much as well. MC

Wow! What can I say... We took Daisy home after about 3 1/2 weeks (yes she was a problem child so she took a little longer) and she is has transformed into a self-controlled, well-mannered dog. Daisy will sit, go down and come on demand. She has almost stopped the mouthing and when she forgets she stops herself and finds a toy to put in her mouth. With a 130lb plus dog this is a great feat! I'm a proud doggie mama! A simple thank you isn't enough but what can I say! You are the best!!!!! KS

Hi Nancy! So, I have to tell you about our visit to Hayes Barton last week. We walked over and purchased some heart worm pills and flea medication early one morning. When we arrived no one was there….except for two cats in a crate. Josie looked at them but didn’t react in a negative way. Then in walked a lady with her dog and another lady with her dog and toddler son. Now, the last time I took Josie to the vet I had to keep her outside because she was so hyper and would not listen. Let me just tell you that she sat right beside me and did not move. It was so AWESOME! As soon as I got her outside I gave her tons of love and told her how amazing she was. I made sure to tell all of the employees that I took her to you and this is what you did to my dog!
Thanks so much,
Kimberly

Hi Nancy!
I wanted to let you know that Emily is doing so well. After I wrote you the email about her insane barking at other dogs, I decided to just keep up with the training and see where that took us. I actually saw the moment that it clicked for her...we were about to pass another dog and she was about to go crazy and I gave her the signal that I didn't want that behavior and she looked at me, relaxed, and kept walking by with no incident! It was like a miracle. Since, she has been much better in many ways. She has relaxed more and more, and her personality is getting more interesting and funny. She still has issues and is in no way "perfect" but is changed enough that it feels like a different dog.
Thank you so much. We so appreciate all that you have done for Emily and pups like her.

Because of her good behavior, she was able to join us in our wedding ceremony...she walked me down the aisle!
Thanks again and I look forward to seeing you and Lindsay on June 10th!
-Tiffany C.

Hi Nancy,
Wow! You are just amazing!!!
Jack slept all the way home: he was worn slam out. OK, and I sacked out too, immediately after checking in with Tiffany (Emily’s mom).
You know, as you explain what Jack’s thinking, it makes so much sense. And it is so extremely clear what my actions mean to him, now, as you patiently explain it all to me. And I’m slapping my forehead the whole time, screaming “Stupid, stupid, stupid”. Thank goodness we have you to explain all of this to us. And guide me through to more clear communication with Jack.
And you’re crafty, too. In a great sort of grand way. You gave me a huge gift--of your time. And I truly realize how big of a gift that is. So slacking off is so very out of the question this time. I’m on it.
I thought that the miracle you worked on Tess was the really biggest deal ever. Never to be topped. And it was. Is. And then, it turns out, that was just your opening act.
Thank you for Tess and the fabulous life she now has because of your talent, persistence and patience. And for Jack and all the wonderful things he and I have to look forward to together.
Gratefully yours,
Cindy

I just wanted to send you an email to let you know how wonderfully Rigby is doing! My roommates and fiancee have all promised to follow the rules of his training and so far so good! He doesn't pull on his leash or jump on guests any longer. We have also made several successful trips to the dog park where he interacted with dogs, adults, and children flawlessly! Thank you for your hard work and I will consider this money well spent! BC

Hi Nancy,
Just wanted to let you know that the car ride home was blissfully quiet. Coco only barfed once, so that was pretty good. We have already gone for two WONDERFUL and enjoyable treks around the neighborhood. (We feel so snobby to have such well-behaved and cute dogs!) They retreated to their separate crates for bed last night without incident. Although they are not perfect, the going out at the door is vastly improved and I’m not worried that they will just dash out and pull us with them. They did very well with “back” and “wait” by the door this A.M. Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving us the well-behaved dogs we always wanted. I’m sure we’ll need to be in touch as things come up, but I just wanted to let you know how happy we are with their training and will recommend you to anyone we come across who is looking for a top-notch trainer.
All the best,
Misty (plus the guys and Allie and Coco)

I wanted to let you know that Claire is a transformed dog. She is an absolute joy to be around now. When I get home from work I actually look forward to taking her for her walk, excuse me, MY walk. Where she used to plow past me at the door, she now backs up and looks up at me and waits for me to say "ok". I can't tell you how great that is.
There are times that she has to be reminded, but she is doing so well.
Thank you so much for all your work! I was at the point where I wanted to find her a new home before coming to you. Now she is calm and her mind seems calm also. NS

Just a note to say that Pandora's training may have saved her life yesterday.
She found a copperhead. She NEVER barks, so when I watched her spring backward & bark, we knew we had to investigate. All I said was, 'Pandora Come', and she followed me into the house. I know her instincts played a role as well, but without her training, I may have had a heart attack trying to get her away. So, a HUGE THANK YOU for all you do, it has been a blessing. AE

I hope you will remember Sir Pippin and the McAbee family. I want to tell you that Pippin has retained your lessons wonderfully, and, in the year since Molly joined us, he has taught her not to jump up on people. We never corrected her for jumping on us as we wanted to wait a day or two before we started that. Then we realized that she was watching Pippin and taking cues from him. She dances in front of people but no paws on the body. Pippin and Molly walk together. If she gets in his place next to Pat, he drops back and eases into his spot. He loves his “good boy collar” and will lay his head in the collar while I hook it up.

He’s so much happier and so much more self-disciplined. He just looks at his arch nemesis Buddy as he passes and no longer fence fights. There are no words to thank you enough for what you did for our boy. The vets are amazed by his change