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Gaia Genevieve Richards is THE dog trainer I trust -- and I am PICKY!
My friend and I rescued a dog that had lived across the road for close to a bit more than 1/2 a year. The dog had been neglected -- ants in his food, very little human contact, minimal shelter, exposure to the elements. At one point I called Animal Services and they told us to wait until the weather turned to winter to call again. He lived under the awning in front of the front door to the home, and apparently this is enough in milder weather. Animal Services gave the owners a warning to keep the dog food fresh. Beyond that not much changed. Remember the torrential rain and thunder storms we had summer 2018? There was the furry one with full exposure to the wrath of it all. Over time we were able to convince the owners to let him go and my friend subsequently adopted him. A beautiful mutt - our guess - pit bull, great dane, corgi, and other furry loveliness as part of his mix. Gaia was there from day one, helping us to transition from what we thought would be a temporary home -- to his "forever home".
Doggie dog was anxious and skittish. The smallest sounds, including the sound of the tarp over the car in the driveway - would have him hypervigilant and suddenly afraid. Walking him was an ongoing study in helping a being that had been so traumatized he literally did not know how to walk forward in the world.
Enter Gaia. Over time Gaia has forged a bond with doggie dog that is of expertise, strength, and love. He has become able to walk with grace on the leash, has learned "sit", "lay", be still as the collar and leash is put on prior to a walk, is able to go up onto the couch or bed with a hand pat and "UP!" He is able to snuggle and play and climb tree trunks with joy and some freedom.
Also important is that Gaia not only works with the dog, but with the human companions. Part of the work is learning the language of dogs, the mentality of dogs. Gaia was able to impart her knowing in a way that was easy to adopt, though like doggie dog, she needed to use some repetition - even with us humans!
I would recommend Gaia without reservation and again - I am PICKY!!!! -- Geena Tomassi