Puppy Dog Luv, LLC
Puppy Dog Luv, LLC

Puppy Dog Luv, LLC

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Introduction
You time is precious, so: •I train in Boca Raton, Delray Bch & Boynton Bch! • Private Lessons only. My style is unique; (force-free, non-dominant) positive reinforcement ONLY & is successful because it's all about priorities: Your pup is #1 always & in all ways when we train. Tell me what you want for your dog & that's exactly what your dog will achieve. Training begins at the very 1st lesson. I encourage everyone who hires me to chat before they either get a puppy or just after the puppy comes home, to make sure they know what it will mean to their busy lives. (For example, they'll need to start potty training asap with a Puppy Training Package. Puppies must be housebroken first, so they "earn" the privilege of roaming their human's home freely.) I can help with what you'll need so you're ready from day one. Rescues, may need a different course, with rehabbing + obedience & they may already be housebroken. Pups are sentient beings whose hearts, minds & memories need loving care as we train; some may need to heal from their past experiences. Each scenario calls for a conversation about your life as it is & how it will change with a new family member. Because it reaps the best & fastest results, I train at your home (no boarding.)* That's where your pup's "safe haven" is, where they spend most of their time & where they have the least distractions. (*Except if someone smokes or vapes nicotine/marajuana there or has a cat in the room. I'm very allergic, so I can't.) I've trained pups & their people for 30+ yrs. with consistent success. Once hired, I'm available by text or call, at no charge (morning, afternoon & night) for questions, emergencies, advice, research on best doggy day care, boarding, vets, ER hospitals, foods, treats & supplements. When it's neuter/spay day, if you want my support, I'll be there with you - no charge. I create courses with individualized lesson plans to assure success for you & your pup. I graduate students, never abandon them. Pet parents should be able to make at least an hour/week commitment to their puppy & 10 mins./day for practice inbetween lessons to insure success. My clients get the results they request in reasonable amounts of time -and for reasonable cost - (prices "starting"@ $800 for a 10 lesson course paid up front) but they're not locked into a set schedule regarding day/time slots from lesson to lesson; I flex my schedule to meet their's if given 24 hour notice. Payments accepted: CASH paid up front or CREDIT CARD using the "Square" banking device - they add a small processing fee - also paid up front. (Note: All training packages are non-refundable.) You'll have a signed, legally enforceable, contract at the start of the first lesson, so that you're protected & feel secure that your pup will receive the entire course. (The 10 lesson course is best if completed in 10 wks, but 6 mths maximum.) Two requests: •Please, don't ask me to "audition" for free or for a 1 lesson charge - no can do. There are no "pay by the lesson" arrangements. •Lesson appt. changes need to be within 24 hrs. notice. ☆IMPORTANT NOTE☆ I also train legitimate therapy & service dogs; I work with an attorney who is knowledgeable in the Federal ADA & Florida laws. The length of time & costs are different from the "starting" scenario above. All documents needed for POAs, HOAs & COAs can & will be provided at no charge. $$ DISCOUNT ALERT $$ If you want more than 1 pup in your home trained, you will get a reduced course rate. If you've adopted your puppy from a rescue, there'll be a discount, too. Keep an eye on holiday discounts, also. Because of my experience & education, clients get what they pay for - training, done by a professional, 1-on-1 at their homes, that will last their pup's lifetime (LIFETIME FREE support via calls and/or texts). How does it work? Well imagine your pup's training like a 3-layer cake: • The top layer will result in extraordinary manners you'll be proud of & strangers will compliment you & your pup on; a strong, mutual trust & respect between you & your pup - a deep, loving bond between you two, as well. All commands (beginner, intermediate & advanced) will be taught. • The middle layer will result in techniques for using learned & memorized vocal+hand cues in combinations to prevent and/or extinguish patterns that don't serve your dog's life or yours. Problems will be avoided, nipped in the bud or patterns reversed. • The bottom layer will result in a calm, centered, "Zen" pup who can control his/her own impulses as a result of the distinct style of my training from lesson #1 through graduation. Your pup will take & pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test, in a public environment with the distraction of other people & pups. So... whether your traumatized rescue needs rehabbing/the rebuilding of trust in humans + good manners or your new puppy will need to be trained to be your beloved family member, or maybe even your service dog eventually, the course curriculum of training, lesson plans & corrections will be individually designed to work for both your pup's & your goals.
Overview

Hired 179 times

Background checked

2 employees

16 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash and Credit card.

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Top Pro status

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2019

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2017

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2016

Featured Projects

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Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for professionalism, responsiveness, and work quality.

Great 4.7

70 reviews

5
90%
4
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pro avatar
Karen K.
Apr 3, 2023
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Puppy Dog Luv & Wendy have made my life with my puppy, Benny, easy, calm & fun. She's a living encyclopedia of dog knowledge & from our 1st call answered every question I had. She was immediately friends with us both & made each lesson successful. I never saw her look at her watch - I don't think she cared when a lesson went longer than an hour. Her patience with us both gave me such confidence. I followed the short homework she gave, so that by our next lesson we could move on. We passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen test & for our last half-hour, she was willing to teach some agility stuff, as my little furbaby has enough energy for two puppies. I plan to come back to this within the year so we can do more with her. Her technique is so calming & she held Benny's attention for the whole lesson. She gave him short breaks, but he wanted to play with her & brought his favorite ballie to her during his breaks. So, he quickly learned fetch or as she called it, "trainer's fetch," because various words she uses reinforce the commands for "drop it" & "come." He needed 1 week, following her method, to be fully housebroken. That was a miracle! If he got barky, she got him to obey a hand signal & funny word to make him settle down. Very professional, reliable & patient, Wendy earned our respect & Benny's love. We're having his diploma framed & look forward to continuing working with her in the near future on agility training. I completely, without reservation, recommend her & Puppy Dog Luv, LLC. You'll regret wasting your money & time on anyone else. You can tell she loves your puppy as much as you do.

Details: 0 - 6 months old • Extra Small (1 - 15 lbs) • Private lessons • Puppy training • Leash pulling • House training • Chewing • My home, venue, etc.

Puppy Dog Luv, LLC's reply
Dear Karen, Thank you for your fabulous review. I appreciate your what you wrote so much. Please let Benny know we'll be working together again on his agility training. Your little guy was born for it & if you want him to compete in agility, it would be fantastic to get him ready for that. He's not just sweet, he's extremely smart. What a joy to work with you both! Remember, I'm still your trainer & you can call or text me any time you have any concerns or questions. When you set his appt. for neutering & want my support, let me know & I'll be there with you. (I'll bring puppy hugs & kisses for Benjamin pre & post his "snip-snip".) Thanks again!
Dog Training
pro avatar
Lisa L.
Dec 18, 2022
·

Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Dog trainers may come and go, but not Puppy Dog Luv, LLC. Wendy Heller is a highly trained, well educated, empathetic, kind, internationally certified, dog-training & canine-behavioral pro. She keeps current with all of her training and uses only positive reinforcement with her behavior modification course. Her way with Cookie, my puppy, clicked at the 1st lesson. Cookie listened to her, did what she asked, & then did the same for me before Wendy wrote out our "homework." She stresses two things in her lessons that add up to success: (1) 10 mins. a day of owner-pup practice, using her hand signals & mirroring her techniques to reinforce lessons & your puppy's training. So, bottomline, your puppy listens to you whether Wendy's there or not; and (2) no yelling or anger from the human toward the puppy even if there's a potty training accident. Wendy's personal belief & training philosophy, that pups are "intelligent, thinking, & feeling - aka "sentient” beings, is obvious. That's why she's successful with people & their puppies. She actually trained both me & my little one, saying she thinks of pups as "people in dog suits." I saw that's exactly how she treated my baby. Her insight is unique, her talent is rare, & her commitment to my puppy was crystal clear within minutes of my first meeting with her & seeing her interactions with Cookie. It felt like magic. She got my puppy housebroken within 5 days! (She gave me a "recipe" which I just followed.) Wendy taught me how to set up bells on my doorknob & taught my puppy to ring them to let me know she wanted to go out. That my puppy took to her on sight, just blew me away. It was like they were "long time friends." Cookie wags her tail so fast her whole body wags when I say, "Wendy's at the door!" I found Puppy Dog Luv/Wendy through a neighbor whose dog she trained last year. That Goldendoodle caught my eye because he had the manners of a service dog. I asked my neighbor & she said, "No, Baxter's not a service dog. I just found a great trainer. Look on Thumbtack. Her name is Wendy & her business is Puppy Dog Luv." Before I brought my puppy home, I did look and, after searching, found her. One additional comment: I saw a couple of "1-star" reviews of Wendy's services. I carefully read them & all the rest before contacting her. Weighing all of her reviews (she told me on our 1st phone call she doesn't ask for reviews), it is clear that each reviewer has their own "agenda," & lacked the necessary commitment to their pup. One used this platform as a way to trash Wendy for some personal reason – seemed like she just didn’t want to pay. The other one seemed like it was a hoax to me. (They made no sense to me after speaking to & working with her.) I'm glad I ignored them. My neighbor agreed when we met again walking our dogs the other day. Social media can have trolls, crazies, & the like. That's what these two must be. My advice is: talk honestly with & listen carefully to this trainer. None of this is about Wendy’s ego. Your & your pup's success are her only priorities. I may have texted her 3x so far after 11pm because I was frightened about something with my baby girl. Wendy was kind, offered advice, was willing to come by to see my puppy the next morning (free, btw) or meet me at the Veterinary Emergency Group office she'd already recommended from day one. And at 11:30 pm! (My own doctor wouldn't do that for me!) Clearly, I recommend this trainer with no reservations.

Details: 0 - 6 months old • Extra Small (1 - 15 lbs) • Private lessons • Puppy training • Crate training • House training • Chewing • My home, venue, etc.

Puppy Dog Luv, LLC's reply
Lisa, What a wonderful review! I appreciate you taking the time to write all your thoughts down. Cookie is a sweet little girl & training her has been a delight. Not only is she smart, but lucky to have a Mom who loves her so much & works with her inbetween her lessons. she's progressed so quickly because you've done that. She'll pass the AKC test easily. Please keep me updated with photos once she graduates.
Dog Training
pro avatar
Susan B.
Oct 31, 2022
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Wendy has been one of my best decisions for my puppy Beau, Beau arrived as a nine week old Maltese and I was a new pet parent overwhelmed by his care and the pressure of a difficult condo renovation. Wendy provided essential training for Me and for Beau with the kindest manner and the most generous and caring energy. In short order he was house trained, sitting, waiting and playing trainer fetch. He was able to transition through moving back in to the completed condo with all the confusion of boxes and workers like a prince. Wendy remained flexible and accommodated my having to postpone the last lessons and was available to help with questions and recommendations. Beau is very smart and he knows Wendy is his friend and trainer. She has respected Beau and his needs and helped me to understand his behavior and manage his care. She has both pup and Pet parent’s best interest and wellbeing as her highest priority. Highly recommended.

Details: 0 - 6 months old • Extra Small (1 - 15 lbs) • Private lessons • Puppy training • Biting • Chewing • House training • My home, venue, etc.

Puppy Dog Luv, LLC's reply
Dear Susan, From the very first lesson you saw me fall in puppy love with Beau. As we've worked I've seen his personality grow into a boy with good manners & a pinch of mischief. His ear kisses for me whenever I came for his lessons made me love him all the more. I was glad I could be there for you in March when he had his dental visit. We waited together, sipping coffee, staying calm. It went well & you two went home happily. I will always be there for you both. If Beau ever needs a puppysitter, just give me a call. Remember I'm always available should you have a concern... just call or text. Thank you for this kind review.
Dog Training
pro avatar
Ethel G.
Dec 25, 2020
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Wendy established a positive relationship with Ellie from the beginning and Ellie greets her like a long list friend. Wendy took time to talk with me about dog needs and behavior which came in very handy later on when Ellie got sick so luckily I had listened but was sure I wouldn’t see that particular behavior in Ellie: wrong, and my preparations were good for my little furry friend. I also failed at first to see the need for us to practice for Wendy. I thought just having Wendy model and do the training would be more efficient but then Wendy wouldn’t have been able to correct my mistakes which would make things more confusing for my pet. She has also been very accommodating through life’s many challenges. You can depend on Wendy and she most assuredly knows what she’s doing!

Details: 6 - 12 months old • Extra Small (1 - 15 lbs) • Private lessons • Puppy training • Leash pulling • House training • Chewing • Destructive behavior • At the pro’s location

Dog Training
pro avatar
Nancy R.
Aug 25, 2020
·

Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

I'm writing this review on behalf on my mother who hired Wendy of Puppy Dog Luv to train her puppy, Pixie. My mom purchased a package of ten 1-hour sessions. Wendy was an exceptional trainer who went above and beyond to assist my mom. She often times stayed longer and even made herself available for phone calls when my mom needed guidance. I would highly recommend Wendy to anyone needing a trainer. She's truly remarkable!

Details: 0 - 6 months old • Extra Small (1 - 15 lbs) • Private lessons • Puppy training • House training • Crate training • My home, venue, etc.

Dog Training
Credentials
Background Check

Wendy Heller