Testimonials

In November 2019, Bendito was adopted through PenPals but unfortunately was returned and in search of a foster or adopter. The holiday season was just around the corner and PenPals was unable to find a foster, until Toby Town RVA graciously agreed to take him in.

After an untimely loss of both of our GSD dogs, I began looking into fostering a dog because I couldn't imagine a house without dog hair and someone to greet me after a day of work. I happened to stumble upon the cutest picture of a blonde dog with the cutest "burnt" black tail. He was dressed in winter apparel and was featured by CBS6 and Toby Town RVA. I was so confused how no one had scooped up this little guy! My heart melted - I let my husband know I was considering letting him come hangout at our house (because my husband was overseas with the USAF). I immediately reached out to Toby Town RVA through Instagram and they put me in touch with the correct people at Fetch A Cure & PenPals to start the foster-application process. After a couple of weeks, a doggy meet & greet, & home visit, Bendito was at his new foster home! He immediately warmed-up to my couches and toys, but needed a little extra training from 2SpeakDog to be comfortable going into his crate. He remained stubborn about going into his crate without a high-value treat, but he had so many great attributes I started worrying that someone would reach out to adopt him.

Bendito and I continued walking workshops and training classes to better give me an understanding of how to work with a dog with an unknown or "ruff" past. Thanks to the 2SpeakDog + Toby Town RVA team, "B" was spoiled with treats, play-care, and valuable training experiences that made me feel confident about making him an official part of the family. Since my husband was deployed overseas at the time I brought "B" home, so I wasn't ready to commit to adopting a dog without him getting to meet them. Fast forward to June 2020 when my husband finally returned...I was VERY nervous that Bendito was not going to like him. I had been told that Bendito was a little more reserved or hesitant with men--so I started preparing myself for the reality that our time together could be coming to an end. But the night my husband returned, Bendito greeted him with puppy kisses and snuggled up to his feet immediately. I WAS SHOCKED. And relieved. A few weeks later, Bendito was officially adopted to stay with us! We have continued to work with 2SpeakDog on skills that encourage us to be out & about - and Bendito LOVES a walk or car ride!

Now Bendito has a "little" GSD brother, Maverick. They play very well together & even cuddle on the couch a lot! We were intentional about introducing the two of them to this new life together and made sure we were sensitive to the quirks Bendito had (...like not really loving his crate, not always wanting to share his toys or cuddles with mama). I'm truly grateful that in a year like 2020, that began with a lot of grief for our family, has led us to a new fur-baby, Bendito! We would not have been able to do this without the overwhelming love that 2SpeakDog and PenPals has for this cute & grumpy boy. An added bonus for our B is he gets to see his Aunties Kasey & Barb regularly! He is spoiled beyond belief, you'd never know he was looking for a foster this time last year!

Allyson V.

Hero was a six month old pup when he came to me; I was excited and nervous, as I had never before rescued a dog whose story was so hard, and he was already half my weight in size. Now I know we were both feeling anxious and insecure.

Kasey Herrera and Gabrielle Johnson each worked with me individually, showing me how to establish calm, build respect, and work through some of Hero’s fears. We signed up for classes and workshops soon after and have been training ever since.

I can’t find adequate words to describe the experience we’ve had. Yes, we’ve acquired valuable skills – from loose leash walking to recall and etiquette for meet and greets, focused attention in distracting environments, and respect for space. But, more importantly, Hero and I are developing a relationship based upon a bond of trust. I am learning, quite literally, to speak dog; and he is learning that he can rely on me to be his safe place.

We’ve had our moments. I have felt frustrated and discouraged. But Kasey and Gabrielle have held me up. They’ve believed in me, supported me, and given me the guidance I’ve needed to keep at it. Now, people regularly praise Hero’s calm, polite nature and his good manners in public. They are amazed that he is so well-behaved at just a year old. I tell them about 2SpeakDog. I will never be able to sing their praises enough.

Meg H.

charlie the rescue baby

I wanted to send a note of Thanks to Kasey. Charlie is our rescue baby, and even after 1 year of love and socializing, he remained so fearful of people and dogs. We could not trust him to remain gentle on the leash, and walking him was a struggle.

Kasey came to our home and worked for hours with Charlie and us. We have employed her method for several months and he is a different dog. Just working on healing and sitting provided him with structure that calmed him and shifted control enough for him to build confidence. So much so, that he is trustworthy in most situations. It has made all the difference and all of us enjoy our walks now and we no longer hesitate to invite guests into our home.

I strongly recommend 2Speakdog, and Kasey. It is one of the best investments in happiness that you can make.

Ben and Mary Sexton

Training Leads to Confidence for Connor

In Loving Memory of Connor, who has crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.

In March of 2014, I adopted Connor, a 4 year old lab mix. He was a really good dog in the house, but on our walks would pull terribly on the leash. Around 3 weeks after he arrived, he began displaying leash reaction to other dogs when we were on our walks. Although I had prior experience with dogs, this was a new situation for me, and I was at a loss as to what to do. The rescue group I got Connor from recommended I contact 2SpeakDog. We started with a private lesson in my home with Kasey Herrera. Kasey observed Connor and gave us some things to work on, and recommended he attend Basic II group class.

I have to say initially I was hesitant that Connor could learn to control his behavior, but between classes, walking workshops and some one-on-one coaching he and I learned how to walk nicely, and to control reactions towards other dogs.

Fast forward to a year and a half later ... Connor has completed Basic II, Intermediate and Advanced Classes. He has earned his Canine Good Citizen and Community Canine/Canine Good Citizen Advanced Designations. He has been in 4 charity dog walks without any reaction incidences. He loves to walk (nicely) with his pack buddies! Does he still react to other dogs? Sure, sometimes, but he and I now have the tools and resources to work at controlling the situation, and I have the confidence to help him to continue to overcome this behavior.

We are very thankful to Kasey Herrera and the 2SpeakDog staff for all of their help, patience and encouragement with me and Connor through this process.

Jackie

What a Great Experience

As I prepare for week six of 2SpeakDog's Obedience I class, I feel compelled to tell you what a great experience the sessions have been for my dog Willie and me. Willie is a very enthusiastic (also, crazy, funny, and silly) 14 month old Golden Retriever.

When my husband and I acquired Willie from a breeder at eight weeks old, little did he know what a big job was ahead of him. He had to fill a huge hole left in our hearts caused by the loss of three older Goldens between 2012-2014.

We live in the Farmville area and have a 1.5 hour commute to get to your facility. I initially wondered if the 3 hours of drive time would be worth it. I can say YES on so many levels. Your facility is perfect for training and everyone there has made us feel like family.

I thought I had the perfect relationship with Willie, but since training at 2SpeakDog and working on our homework - it has greatly enriched my bond him. He actually looks for the opportunity to do good things and get rewarded.

We look forward to future training opportunities at 2SpeakDog!

Terri (and Willie!)

Mental Stimulation Helps a Smart Pup

In December of 2012, we adopted a rescue pup, Molly, a border collie mix. We began our training with 2SpeakDog with a Walking Workshop to address the leash aggression we were experiencing. We had leash rules and she had lots of friends at daycare, but we've never had a dog with this behavior, so we needed some assistance! Not long after we began our training, we realized we have one amazingly SMART girl on our hands and we need to keep her mentally stimulated to keep us all happy.

We have now attended Intermediate and Advanced Level classes, Molly has received her Canine Good Citizen, had a few private lessons, attended several Workshops and is continuing to learn something new each week. We always come away from a session energized about our training, and with a tired pup!

We're confident that we now have a good foundation of tools to help Molly be her best doggie self. It's been a lot of work, a lot of fun, and we look forward to continuing her training with 2SpeakDog!

Julie and Mike

Thank Goodness for Walking Workshops!

It's days like these when every penny and every second of teaching Runner to walk well on a leash becomes worth it. With two ribs out of place, I simply could not have tolerated any amount of tugging/pulling on the leash. We got in 3 miles in the morning and 2 more in the afternoon of near flawless walking.

Thanks to all your walking workshops in 2011 and 2012, I made it in one piece and Runner is happy and not destroying my house! Thank you!

Casey

Annie makes quick progress

AnnieThanks so much again for coming out. We really found your advice so helpful and have been working diligently to apply it. Annie is making a lot of progress in her walking. On Tuesday morning, she'd stopped the biting while walking but also stopped the walking! :) She refused to budge. But she's since progressed very nicely. She's starting to get it. She doesn't nip at my legs anymore and walks nicely beside me for the most part with a loose leash. Yeah! Lots of work still but definitely progress! Thanks so much!

She's doing a good job waiting to walk out the door, sitting when asked, waiting and coming, and is definitely doing less nipping. Still lots of work to do; so nice to see progress so quickly though.

Georgia, Rob, Samantha and Gabbie

Julep's mom learns '2SpeakDog'

I just want to let you know I found your class over the last six weeks to be both wonderful and informative. You have really helped Julep and I establish a method of communication that we might not have found so easily on our own.

Rachael

Ella’s Transformation Amazes

I just wanted to thank you again. We had such a great visit! We all learned so much! Ella has done really well since Saturday! Amazing well! So, where is my dog? What have you done with her? Just kidding! :)

I took Ella to visit with my girlfriend and her dog (7 year lab named Daisy). The dogs absolutely love each other. My girlfriend lives in the fan. We took a long walk together – Did some more of the back and forth walking with the long leash in the Va Museum yard. Daisy joined in and started following behind me too. It was too funny!! Ella did not growl and bark at bikes, runners, baby carriages, and other dogs. It was amazing.

I've been taking her on regular walks through the neighborhood – Every now and then she will get alarmed by dogs barking – But I'm able to tell her it's okay, she's safe with me – and presto – she's calm. Another thing was finding out that she really was looking for me to protect her and to let her feel I had everything under control. That was a revelation to me. I can now tell her "Hey, I got this. You don't need to be growling." and she hears me. She knows what I am saying and she totally gets that!

We've been working on door etiquette and been playing the hide & seek game. We are doing great! Just wanted to let you know how much we really needed your services! We are all very happy! :-)

Kathy

Zoey Learns To Trust

Zoey was a dog who wouldn’t go into the front yard, near the street, allow anyone in the house or get in a car. Through training, Zoey is now walking in a pack with 2SpeakDog, walking in our neighborhood with proper leash etiquette, allowing the doorbell to ring, and riding in our car. She loves sitting in the front yard with her human and watching the UPS delivery person walk up to our house! She has gone from no tail wagging to greeting with tail wags and rolling on her back for her stomach to be rubbed. She no longer cowers but holds her body high. She loves to run in the yard and play fetch. She follows a feeding ritual, basic commands, and is learning more with each class.