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- Stormy Lee
- Buddy, Golden Retriever
- Enzo, Vizsla
- Nakota
- Dakota, German Shepherd Dog
- Charlie
- Rocky, Boxer-German Shepherd mix
- Dakota, Siberian Husky
- Group class students
"This is Stormy Lee, she was adopted from the Lancaster Shelter and was very skittish. When Lynne first met her she would hide behind our legs. She had failed her first CGC test because of her shying away from the evaluator.
With the help and few sessions with Lynne she passed with flying colors and is becoming more social every day. Lynne works wonders with shy dogs."
— Raymond and Kathy with Stormy Lee in southern California
"I have a beautiful 2 year old Golden Retriever name Buddy that came to be a nightmare for us. He would get so excited when he would see people that he would get so obnoxious and jump all over everyone. Could not take him for walks or to any social places as he would pull so bad and jump all over us that we could not even walk him.
When we contacted Lynne we were looking just to be able to walk him. As far as him being obnoxious that was just something she would not be able to fix as we thought it was his personality. I could go on and on as to the many things that we had problems with him.
Lynne took Buddy for just a week and in this only 1 week she did change Buddy so much that I even told her she switched dogs on me. He is so wonderful and listens to commands now and we are able to control him from jumping on people. We are able to take him to social places without him being OBNOXIOUS. Lynne's stern but gentle approach with him was amazing. We are so grateful to Lynne as she has given us a new beginning with our dog. I now have a closeness with Buddy that I did not have before. it so great!
Thank you SO very much Lynne!"
— Vicki Dodson with Buddy in Southern CA
When we got our Vizsla puppy, Enzo, we knew we were in for a challenge. Not only was he a high-energy puppy but he was also very smart therefore needed to be challenged. We enrolled him in Lynne's Basic Obedience Class at the tender age of 5 months not knowing what to expect. With Lynne's expertise and guidance, we were ecstatic to find that our high-energy pup was growing into quite a respectable and obedient dog. After the completion of the Basic Obedience Class, we remained in touch with Lynn through email to solicit advise when needed. Her availability has been a great support as we continued to train Enzo beyond basic obedience.
After a couple of years, Enzo went through a major life change... a new "baby" had entered the household. With the birth of our child, Enzo showed his jeaulosy by acting out. Once again, we called Lynn to the rescue. She suggested we bring him back to basic obedience for a refresher course for FREE! We are happy to say that Enzo responded very well to the extra attention and the reinforcement that the training class provided. We even decided to go on and take the Intermediate Class, which was a lot of fun. He was challenged with learning new obedience behaviors but also rewarded with learning some fun skills. He now knows many tricks that he can show off for friends and family and get the attention that he so loves!!
I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND Lynne to anyone who is looking to help shape their dog into a respectful and obedient companion. She has created a great program that allows dogs and owners to have fun while meeting their training goals. Lynne is truly a master at what she does!
— Kinga & Matt Scott with Enzo in Valencia, CA
"Lynne's classes are fun and provide a safe environment for Nakota to have positive experiences with other dogs. He has been less reactive to dogs and more responsive to me. Lynne continues to teach me skills so that I can be a more confident handler. Nakota has worked with other professionals in the past, however he has come a long way in the last year with Lynne's training techniques and strategies, and we couldn't have done it without her support."
— Abby with Nakota in Valencia, CA
Lynne Gifford has an amazing rapport with animals.
We adopted a four year old German Shepherd with some issues and Lynne immediately zeroed in on what would (and what would not) work to train her. I love that she doesn't have a "one size fits all" approach to what will work with every dog. She adapts her program quickly and easily to each dog's unique situation, and her perceptiveness and insight into my dog's personality really impressed me.
So far we've had two private sessions with Lynne and will attend her group class soon. (I can't wait!)
I highly recommend Lynne for either specific "doggy problems" or general obedience training.
— Melissa in Santa Clarita, CA
"When we first started our training with Lynne our puppy was anxious, aggressive, and quite stubborn. Within a few weeks of training he had mastered basic obedience commands like sit, stay, come. Within months he was learning to heel without a leash, sit for greeting, and hold long down-stays. We now feel comfortable letting him off-leash in our home and at the dog park with strangers. We’re confident that with Lynne’s help and our consistent efforts, our puppy will grow into a great companion. "
— Ryan with Charlie in Valencia, CA
"The experience that my Boxer/Shepherd mix puppy, Rocky, and I had with Lynne Gifford was wonderful! We began in her group class and also added three private training sessions. My puppy learned great obedience and social skills in the group class. In the private sessions, Lynne really helped me to train Rocky in the areas of need unique to him. While we were reluctant to leave Rocky at a kennel while we traveled, Lynne even puppy sat at our house he LOVED it! Lynne's availability through email and her helpful hints on her website were also invaluable to us. I would highly recommend Lynne and Blazing Trails K9 Academy to anyone who has a dog!"
— Sharon Smyth with Rocky in Valencia, CA
"I was at my wit's end. I had adopted a beautiful 1 year old Siberian Husky from the local shelter. Dakota was a very sweet, loving, friendly boy. Within days he was bullying my 11 year old Siberian, pulling me around the block on our walks, and literally screaming when he saw another dog. He wanted to play, but freaked out when he saw another dog. We knew Husky's like to dig but he completely redecorated the lay of the land in our back yard. We'd call him and he'd just keep running. Getting him to behave was a nightmare and we knew we needed help.
We didn't know anything about looking for trainers, so we began looking through the yellow pages. I called one local trainer who told me that she'd never take on a Siberian Husky, especially one his age. They were un-trainable and good luck to me. I was beginning to worry.
Through a few of the rescue people in southern California we were referred to Lynne. She assured me that our boy wasn't hopeless and was indeed, completely trainable. By the end of the first lesson, he was heeling, sitting, and not pulling my arm out of my socket. We went on to tackle other problem areas; dominating the older dog, staying, going to a specific place and laying down, and the ever popular, going bananas with other dogs. He's turning out to be a wonderful companion with exceptional manners, as well as a joy to take for walks.
Lynne also was tremendously helpful when a new neighbor moved in with two "fence fighters". Thanks to her suggestions, we had them pretty well trained in an afternoon!
I would wholeheartedly recommend everyone getting their dogs trained. We learned as much as Dakota did. I ABSOLUTELY recommend Lynne as someone's who's EXTREMELY knowledgeable and kind to her students. She LOVES dogs!"
— Lorie and Kim Leach with Dakota in Palmdale, CA
"Great class! I learned a lot and so did my dog!
THANK YOU!"
— a satisfied group class student
"The things I enjoyed most about class were the games
we played and the things my dog learned! GREAT class! Thanks!"
— another satisfied group student
"It was a fun learning experience and well worth
the fee. Lynne LOVES dogs and she understands each breeds peculiarities.
My dog accomplished more then I thought she ever would!"
— L.B. with Isabella the Chihuahua
"I like how laid back the dogs atmosphere was, it made
me feel more at ease in trying to teach my dog. The dogs seemed relaxed
most of the time too. You do a great service!"
— shepherd mix owner in group class
"overall we thought the class was great. We bonded even
more with our dog and have learned alot on how to control her bad habits
by rewarding with the positive. Thanks for everything!"
— group student
"I like Lynne's classes as she realizes that each dog is an individual. You aren't bunched together as one, training too softly or too harshly. Training is based on each dogs individual personality.
Lynne at one point told the class: 'Ok next let's work
on the extended sit on the long line' upon hearing the word "sit" my dog
sat. I thought to myself 'great, I'll just go wait in the truck!' LOL"
— owner of 2 german shepherds and a golden retriever
Need help with YOUR dog?
t: (661) 478-3326
e: trainer@blazingtrailsk9academy.com