Going to CPT was the best decision we made for our dog, Balou (rat terrier). We adopted Balou when he was 4 months old and shortly after we discovered he had some aggression issues towards other dogs and strangers. We enrolled Balou in the Puppy Class at CPT, which we loved; however, Balou wasn’t quite ready for that kind of exposure to other dogs. One of the other couples in the Puppy Class told us about Mark Spivak (owner of CPT) and how he had helped one of their friends whose dog had aggression issues. So we decided to move forward with private lessons. We were committed to doing whatever was best for our little boy.
Over the next few months we had 4-5 private lessons with Mark and worked on several different drills to address separation anxiety, fear aggression towards dogs and people, anxiety, as well as leadership training for me (my husband was clearly the alpha male and Balou would not listen to me). At each lesson we learned a lot of helpful tools and the leadership training for me was life changing. It has made such a big difference.
Balou has definitely made a lot of progress and we owe Mark and his team to that success. We still have some things we need to work on but Mark provided us with the tools to help Balou and in due time we believe his aggression will be minimal. What dogs need most is consistency and unfortunately with our living arrangement at this time we haven’t been able to give that to Balou. But we are very hopeful for the future:-) Our goal is to get Balou in a group class, and we’re going to make that happen!
One thing in particular that I love about Mark’s training style is he strongly believes in positive reinforcement and setting your dog up to succeed, not fail, which I truly value and respect. This particular approach may not be for every dog, I don’t know, but it’s definitely worth finding out. Hiring a private trainer can be an investment, but CPT’s goal is to equip you, the owner, with the tools to train your dog to be the best companion he/she can be. As long as you do your homework and are consistent with your dog then you won’t need to keep going back for more lessons. After 4 or 5 lessons we felt well equipped to help Balou with his fear aggression and anxiety level and what’s awesome is so much of what we’ve learned can be applied to any dog we have in the future:-)
-Ben and Kara S.-
_________________________________________________________________________
This was a great experience and the best money I spend for both me and my doggie. We bonded, he learned, I learned, and now I feel much safer to have him out socializing, around children, where cars are dominant, and even where other alpha dogs rule. The trainers were all highly knowledgeable and made sure we worked hard to accomplish our set obedient goals. Looking forward to take it to the next level – perhaps advanced training and agility.
-Ilana K.-
_________________________________________________________________________
We recently moved to Atlanta and looked to start a new training regime for our 3-year-old American Eskimo, Sunshine, a rescued dog. In her short life so far, various trainers, and friends doubted Sunshine could overcome her extreme insecurity. Mark Spivak evaluated Sunshine and let her into the CPT program immediately. We have worked with Mark and another of his extremely talented staff, Patricia, for only five months now. But the results are astounding. Sunshine is a different dog! She has so much confidence. She still has a road ahead of her, but CPT has, in our eyes, performed something like a miracle in seeing Sunshine’s potential, and in working patiently with us. The rates for individual work and group classes are very reasonable in the hyper-priced arena of dog training. If you are looking for solid dog training, CPT will not disappoint. Sunshine is a living example. Thank you!
-Kathleen R.-
_________________________________________________________________________
I have taken both of my dogs to CPT for beginner and intermediate obedience, beginner and intermediate agility, canine good citizen, private lessons, and boarding. I have worked with 4 different trainers (Mark, Patricia, Alex, and Karen) and they are all very knowledgeable and competent. They will recommend different methods or training supplies depending on the dog s personality and temperament to make sure that the appropriate methods are being used to address each dog s different learning abilities. All of the trainers have been willing to stay after class for additional questions. I appreciate that they do not use a single training method on all dogs but instead adapt the training methods needed to the dog-I use different equipment and methods on my dogs who have opposite temperaments (one is very energetic and friendly and the other is very shy). They were also taken care of very well when boarded- they were given ample play time, given baths, and didn t have to stay in noisy, stressful kennels like at the vet. I have worked with 2 other training companies at different times before I came to CPT and the other companies were very one dimensional and did not come close to matching the quality of training at CPT. Their prices are also very reasonable and well worth it. I highly recommend CPT.
-H. A.-
_________________________________________________________________________
The trainers are very knowledgeable and hands on. They definitely helped us enjoy our young dog even more with some basic training.
-Jason L.-
_________________________________________________________________________
Excellent agility class! Our dog Heidi (1 1/2 years old) totally enjoyed this class, and also learned how to be more obedient and improved her listening skills. I highly recommend this class and will enrolled our dog in more classes at CPT. Thanks so much Mark!
-Chris C.-
_________________________________________________________________________
Working through some agility issues with my Border Collie. Excellent training tips and help. Mark finds a way to help you work with your dog in a positive way. I can not be more pleased with the results.
-Robin P.-
