All Testimonials

Konfident Kanines quite literally saved Georgia’s life

Wednesday 15 April, 2009

When I first met Larry, my boxer named Georgia was hours away from being dropped off at the humane society. Larry quite literally saved Georgia’s life.

I already owned a male boxer when I adopted Georgia from another family. I wanted a friend for my boy and felt that this bouncy, very smart, almost clown like little girl would be perfect for him. A few months after Georgia settled into our family everything changed. Georgia became uncontrollable on leash, lashing out at other dogs. Off leash wasn’t even an option as she was so aggressive that I was sure that she would injure another dog. She was destructive in the house, would urinate on our floors, bark hysterically at dogs as they walked past our house, dug holes in our back yard and the list goes on and on.

I was at my wits end. Every time I was going out for a walk my heart was pounding. I was so embarrassed of Georgia’s behavior that I didn’t even want to go for walks anymore. My boxer boy was so well behaved and I couldn’t believe what a nightmare Georgia was! I decided that I was going to take control of the situation and set out to find a trainer to help us.

I tried four different trainers, training books, videos, extensive research and nothing was working. No one was able to help at all. We were told many different things. Put a coat on her so she is more aware of her body and feels more secure, muzzle her and “good luck”, medicate her, and even maybe you should get rid of her.

I was heart broken. I was so worried that Georgia was going to get worse (if that was even possible) and I couldn’t have an out of control dog around my new born son. I was sitting at my computer crying, looking up the number for the humane society when an email popped up onto my screen. It was from Larry. He had heard of our troubles with Georgia and wanted to help us and said that there was no reason to put our dog to sleep. I was very skeptical. What could this guy do that four others couldn’t?! “This is your last chance.” I said to Georgia.

So, off we went to meet Larry. Larry had Georgia meet another dog and he got to see how she really acted. Larry was able to gain control of Georgia by the end of the first visit. He even had her sit right next to another dog. I couldn’t believe it! I couldn’t even Georgia walk past another dog on the other side of the street! I was truly in awe.

It was from that day forward that I finally got the help that I so desperately needed. What sets Larry apart from other trainers is his compassion and knowledge. He is truly passionate about dogs and their relationship with their owners. With a situation like mine, Georgia had broken me and Larry knew that. He was able to restore my confidence not only through training but by just talking about my fears over a cup of coffee.

I am now very proud to say that after a lot of hard work and utilizing the tools that Larry taught me, I now have a fantastic dog! The destructive behavior is GONE!!! My house is now calm. Our walks are fun and relaxed. Georgia can walk right by another dog – on the same side of the side walk even- with out any signs of aggression. It is more than I could have ever hoped for. Thank you Larry. Words can not express how grateful I am to you for everything that you have done for us.

Lisa Marra

Handsome Hank

Thursday 03 July, 2008

I was fortunate to met Larry through a co-worker. I adopted a 10 month old Basset Lab cross, who was gorgeous, but clearly was abused by his previous owners. I wasn't sure of how to handle Hank as he was very timid. Hank's centre of gravity was low and boy did he pull when walking on a leash and he loved to jump up at me. My first appointment with Larry was incredible, within 5 minutes Hank was all business. He paid attention to Larry's every move. Larry's vibe with my dog was almost envious, however Larry teaching/training me is something I will always carry with me and value forever. Hank was a diamond in the rough and now is a treasure and the greatest dog. Thank you Larry, I admire you and the gift you have with dogs. I know Hank thanks you, I see it when he looked at you. I will continue to use his technics on my new dog Ruby.

Karen Burke

Bowser the Bernard

Monday 21 April, 2008

Being a first time dog owner I knew I wanted professional training not only because the dog I got (St. Bernard) could grow to be 200 lbs. or more but for my self. I called around and started asking friends about there experiences, a girl I worked with recommended that I call Larry at Konfident Kanines.

From the first time I met Larry I knew I had made the right decision, he was very easy to talk to. Larry never made me or my dog (Bowser) feel uncomfortable. He was very patient and never pushed anything. Larry relates well with the owner and understands the dog. I can’t say enough about Larry; this is what he was meant to do. In the end my dog and I have a great respect for one another and my dog understands the rules and consequences. Bowser continues to learn and so do I.

Submitted by S. Spielman
April 2008

Devil in Disguise

Wednesday 12 March, 2008

Hi Larry,

Just thought I would write a success story for you to share with your clients.

We rescued Charlie from the Heaven Can Wait Rescue foundation. Kim interviewed us to determine if we would be the appropriate home for Charlie. He had been with Kim's foundation for 3 weeks and had been fostered with a family friend who owned a farm. Charlie was a little too interested in the livestock so it was determined that he would need a home without large livestock. When we met Charlie he was a little nervous but within a couple minutes of walking him he was calm and easy to walk. He was also very affectionate. We decided to foster him for a week to see how he was at home. This way if there is a problem in our home environment Kim's foundation would take him back to find an alternative home.

When Charlie came home he was great. Full of energy, he was house trained, and he seemed content. After a week we decided to Adopt Charlie and welcome him to our family. Within a week of his adoption we went on a camping vacation and of course brought Charlie along. Well, this is when everything crumbled. When we went on a hike and we came across people Charlie would go nuts. He would pull, bark, snarl, lunge, just go crazy. We didn't know what to do. It was stressful, embarrassing, and disheartening. At the campsite if someone walked by on the road he would again just run to the end of his rope and go nuts. Other dogs, it was worse. Charlie was "the devil in disguise".

We came back from our vacation more stressed then relaxed. We did not know what to do. It was like he was two different dogs. The easy going, fun loving, affectionate dog at home and then the aggressive, mean, hard to handle dog outside of the house. I was at my wits end and even contemplated taking him back to the rescue foundation as I did not know what to do. I did not want to give up and then Kim from the foundation recommended that we call Larry and see if he could help.

I cannot say enough praise about Larry. Without Larry I do not know where we would be now. He taught us so much that today we are all a much happier family and Charlie is a different dog. Charlie is an intelligent dog that needed this. He needed someone to take the time with him and learn from someone like Larry. Larry told us it was okay to make mistakes. He told us not to be hard on ourselves when we got frustrated and felt like we took a step back. When we had days when I wasn't sure what I was doing was working Larry took the time to come and take Charlie for the day so that he could interact with other dogs and Larry could witness any behaviour problems. We have learned so much in our class and I am so glad that Larry came to help our family. I still have more to learn in order to ensure that Charlie stays on track and it takes practice. It does not happen over night but if you just make the commitment to put the time in it will all be worth it. From when we got Charlie in August 2007 to when our lessons started in October 2007, to now in early 2008 the time has been worth the reward.

Charlie is such a pleasure now. We enjoy taking him to the dog park to play. He loves catching his ball and jumping in the air to do it. He can jump so high!! My husband and I feel so relaxed now when we take him out. Instead of a stressful time, its a stress reliever. All I can say is I cannot wait to put him into an advanced lesson with Larry so we can see Charlie do even more great things. Thank you Larry you have really made a difference in our lives.

Steve and Darlynne McKenna

Mild Mannered Murphy

Monday 11 February, 2008

We met Larry when he was working at The Pet Stop and used to talk to him every time we went in. We had just adopted an older anxious Border Collie who needed some confidence, and Larry told us he was a trainer. So he came over to our house to go over how his training worked...we were impressed, and decided to give it a go.
Larry was great! He was patient with our dog Murphy, and good at explaining how to do each step...and correct us if we were doing it wrong.

Murph responded to Larry and the training, and after his training is a different dog! He's confident, has nice manners, and has bonded to us even more than before. We get people complementing us all the time on how well he's trained and we owe it all to Larry.

We have used the same techniques on Daisy our newest adoptee, and she has responded as well.

We recommend him to people all the time - esp people in despair that their dog is "not trainable". Larry taught us that all dogs can learn - its often the owners who need to be trained :)