Happy
New Year!!!
We
have all been so very pleased with the training Roxy
(and the 3 of us) received this past fall. She was very
aggressive when we first got her and bitter apple spray
became our best tool for stopping poor behavior. While
protective of us and our home she slowly began to trust
more when we had visitors. There had been times that
she needed to be on the clothesline leash, but they became
fewer and fewer.
Last
night we hosted about 17 people - 7 teens 10 adults.
We had her off the leash and she not only greeted each
person but allowed them to pet her. Even with all of
us blowing horns at midnight she did not do anything
to cause anyone concern. Two of the women in the group
Roxy had snarled and lunged at the first week we had
her and they said she was not the same dog.
After
Christmas we sent our daughter home with a small bottle
of bitter apple for her to use with her American Bulldog
after showing her how to use it. We couldn't tell her
enough how important it is to be consistent with her
dog Shelby. Shelby learned at our home over Christmas
that 4 on the floor is the way to behave. Thank you,
Tina, for the wonderful training and advice. I am SO
PROUD of Roxy!!!
- 01/07/2010 Posted by D.R.
Thank
you ....
I just
wanted to thank you all for EVERYTHING you have helped
us with. Dusty’s behavior has dramatically improved
with the help of persistent training and dietary changes.
2 months ago, our vet suggested either amitryptiline
or Merry Mac because of Dusty’s fetish with rocks,
grass… anything on the outside ground. Though we
struggle outside daily with some things… mulch
and animal waste of any kind, we have made GREAT progress
in “leaving it” and “dropping” it
with most things such as grass, rocks, sticks, etc… though
he’ll sneak a few every now and then J I am positive
that continuous support and training will nip this. I
contribute Dusty’s leaving it and dropping it to
his new found self-control.
Tina, you totally helped me to see that Dusty has his own personality,
and I can’t continue to compare him to our previous dog. Which,
yes, I have to put a shout out to our Corgi, Toby and his memorial
page; visit if you’d like. http://myboytoby.wordpress.com/
I wondered if we would ever have a special bond, as Dusty was so
non-peoplish (new word) when we first got him, and he didn’t
respond well to the typical training methods. I couldn’t even
touch his hind end to coax him into a sit, much less, place my hand
on his back to help him with a down. Yes, we have that bond and I
expect it to grow each day! I can now handle him in a more confident
way without him getting upset. Your mentoring and patience, even
after training hours, is greatly appreciated!
Paula and Max, thank you for putting up with our constant questions
that had to do with types of food. J You’ll probably have many
more. After numerous samples, Dusty, for the most part, has regular
formed stools. YEAH! With all the different prescription diets that
he has been on, it is great to know that there are people out there
that care about FINDING the right food for the right pet.
Tina, I would like to sign up for the distraction class. Do you have
a wheels and mulch specific class? HA!!
Anyway, thanks again, and we’ll see you Monday night!
- 06/16/2009 From Cheryl E.
Best
Trainer in the area ....
(CitySearch
Review)
11/23/2008 I
am so glad that we found Merrymac. My dog. Dillon was
a rescue dog from the animal shelter and was terrified
of people and other dogs. He would bark unceasingly ,
jump up on me amd generally not pay any attention to
what we said. The first night of beginner obedience I
was almost in tears and told Tina I hoped that she could
train Dillon because i didn't know what to do. After
the first lesson he was a different dog. It takes a lot
of "homework" outlined by Tina for the owners
to achieve the obedience sought to make a well behaved
dog. Dillon has just completed his Advanced Beginner
class and even though we have some things we have to
work on he can now go out in public and not bark at everyone
and everything. He has learned to sit and stay and stay
in a down position until released. He follows the command
to wait and not pull ahead and is generally proud of
himself and what he has learned . Tina gives personal
attenton to all the dogs and helps the owners to resolve
any issues by demonstrating techniques to change unwanted
behavior. This trraining facility deserves 5 stars and
I would highly recommend it for all dogs. -
11/23/2008 Posted by frooks725
09/21/2009 We
had people from Direct TV come to the house today and
Dillon barked at them when they came in. I had him on
the leash and after a little while he was O.K. with them.
My husband said put him in the crate but I told him Dillon
has to get used to people. One of the guys he was o.k.
with but the other one was big and tall and I think he
felt threatened by him but I used the bitter apple and
he calmed down. He squatted down and gave Dillon a treat
and he praised him and he was o.k. with him too. I am
really proud of
him and how far he has gone. Dillon did "finish" for me
while they were here and they told him what a good dog he is. I think
with a lot of work he will "get there". Thanks for all
your help and support in training him. Dillon is such a sweet dog.
Your love for dogs is amazing. - by frooks725
MerryMac
is the Best at Dog Training
(CitySearch
Review)
We
love MerryMac Dog Training! Tina's skills as a dog trainer/behaviorist
are unmatched. She taught us how to motivate our dogs
with praise & positive reinforcement. Our pets are
the envy of all our friends. They all know how to display
the best manners. We took her tricks class, too. Our
little stars love to show off what they have learned.
Tina's knowledge of canine nutrition is expansive as
well. Our dogs are well rounded: mind, body & soul,
thanks to MerryMac. - 02/27/2008 Posted
by SchatziSandy
Glad
I found you
(CitySearch
Review)
You
tought me and my dog more in the first lesson than I
received from my entire session at a previous training
facility. Tina has a wonderful repore with the dogs and
she is very clear with her instructions and lessons.
MerryMac's indoor dog park is perfect for my dogs socialization
needs. - 02/07/2006 Posted by catercain
Very
nice store!
(InSiderPages
Review)
I have
not used them for training, but they are very nice and
knowledgeable here. You can really tell they love dogs
and love working with them. They have a decent selection
of all natural dog food - Solid Gold, Evangers - The
staff was super nice when I came in. They gave me great
advice and lots of samples for my dogs to try out. -
06/16/2007 Posted by Bonnie S.
I
absolutely love this place!!!!
(Yelp
Review)
I absolutely
love this place!!!! Tina McCain is the owner / dog whisperer
and I love her to death!!!!! This is where I took my
dog Charlee when he was old enough to go to school. Tina
gave me a free puppy consultation and with all the stuff
I knew I could learn from her, how was I NOT going to
take her training course?!?!?!?
Charlee was the youngest of his class but turned out to be the best
student of his class. Tina not only shows you how to train your dog,
she also trains the owner of the dog as well. She has been training
people and their dogs for over 30 years. She is the president of
the Atlanta Westie club and has won numerous dog shows with her Westies.
FOOD, FOOD, FOOD!!!! A good food source is key to a happy and healthy
pet. Tina has been a big supporter of some of the best food brands
on the market to date. Probably her biggest and best food to use
are the Solid Gold products. In addition to her training classes
Tina offers her customers the Paws-ativly play weekends sessions.
This is where you bring your dog on Saturday mornings to play with
other "well behaved" dogs in a "PAWSATIVE" manner.
Only good dogs play here!
30 + years of dog training coupled with an over whelming passion
and love for all dogs Tina McCain and MerryMac is amazing!!!! She's
great with difficult dogs and even better with difficult people.
I have sent a number of friends to Tina for dog training and advice
and I believe every word she tells me. She will not steer you wrong
just to make a sell. - o9/24/2007 Posted by Eric
S.
Excellent
Trainer
(Kudzu
Review)
I met
Tina this past summer when I brought my black lab pup
to her for an assessment. We were accepted in the Advanced
Beginners class and we both learned so much. Tina has
the class meeting in the park, at a shopping center and
we work with "real life" distractions and obstacles.
Tina is very professional and coaches everyone in the
class with their dogs. I highly recommend her and will
be taking another class soon.- 11/20/2007
Posted by DesiBear
The
Best Trainer
(Kudzu
Review)
Tina
was referred by my Vet and I was impressed since she
has a designation as a Certified Master. I had a large
breed Newfoundland Mix that suffered from fear. He was
afraid to go on walks, and just about everything. He
was unhappy unless he was close to me. Tina provided
private lessons, and turned his life around into a happy
dog free from fear, and was able to enjoy life. When
I got a Newfoundland puppy three years ago, I went to
her beginners class, advanced beginner,and her Canine
Good Citizen class, which resulted in my Newf becoming
a therapy dog with the HappyTails organization. Tina
is the best.
- 7/30/2006 Posted by xrunner
We
love Merrymac!
(Kudzu
Review)
When
we got our Golden Retriever pup, Bailey, two years ago,
we researched several trainers and were eventually referred
to Merrymac by our dog walker. Two years later, Bailey
has graduated from four classes and is a CGC. He challenged
us along the way (as puppies often will) but Tina gave
us the consistent training and guidance to help him grow
into a loving, obedient and trustworthy member of our
family. In two years I have never seen a dog treated
inhumanely at Merrymac, and harsh training techniques
and devices such as choke collars are simply not permitted.
Anyone can see that the dogs adore and respect Tina.
Tina's classes are especially educational because unlike "boot
camps" where owners send their dog away for weeks
at a time to be trained, Tina challenges owners to become
active participants in their dogs' training. She educates
owners with the ultimate goal of earning the dog's respect
(absolutely key to effective training). Bailey and I
continue to attend the weekly organized play/socialization
group at Merrymac and will continue to take classes for
his (and my) ongoing education! -
7/24/2006 Posted by jenhulak
WOW!
Professional, Innovative, Effective Training!
(Kudzu
Review)
My
dog was 9 months old when I took him to MerryMac Dog
Training. To understand how WONDERFUL MerryMac Dog Training
services are you must know my dog's history. We started
training at 10 wks old and had gone through 3 different
training facilities. All of their training methods were
different. My dog was aggressive and headstrong. All
3 told me to give up on him. Thanks to Tina at MERRYMAC,
my dog is not aggressive, very obedient, and passed the
CGC test. We have taken 5 classes from MerryMac Dog Training
and will continue to take as many classes as she will
offer. All of Tina's students and their dogs adore and
respect her greatly. MerryMac Dog Training is Top Notch
and deserves 10 Stars.
- 7/13/2006 Posted by haynes
Great
Choice for Training!
(Kudzu
Review)
One
of my westies was very submissive and afraid of almost
everything. After attending classes and using the methods
taught at Merrymac, he is a far more confident dog. He
will walk on a leash, come when called and has far better
manners than he had before. He is a joy to live with
and he enjoys life more, too. I chose MerryMac because
of the humane and up to date methods used at this facility.
I recommend them to everyone. - 6/14/2006
Posted by planetwestie
We
love MerryMac DogTraining!
(Kudzu
Review)
Tina
McCain is the finest trainer anywhere. We were unable
to train our dog without her incredible knowledge and
skills. We learned what motivates our dog; praise, applause,
and enthusiasm. Her humane approach and fun atmosphere
taught us how to communicate clearly with our dog. After
completing 3 classes we have a well behaved dog that
is the envy of all our friends. I have recommended MerryMac
countless times and proudly display our diplomas for
everyone to see.
- 6/14/2006 Posted by rockahulapaula
The
Best in Town!
(Kudzu
Review)
I have
utilized this trainer for several of my pets and have
recommended her many times to others who have also utilized
her. Not only is the pet learning what is acceptable
behavior in the most humane manner, the owner is learning
how to manage that behavior. Maybe the person who did
the initial review has issues she needs to address herself.
- 6/14/2006 Posted by LabsAreFun
