Testimonials

Betsy has literally changed our family dynamic through her skillful intuition and dedication to dogs. Moose was insecure, reactive to people and dogs, had little recall and little self-control.

I packed on the desires, wishes and goals for Moose. Betsy went above and beyond my expectations making them all come to fruition. I really want to speak on Betsy as a person. She never made me feel like a failure, her genuine care for our progress through periodic check ins and a think on your feet frame of mind during training sessions. It’s actually quite magical to watch.

Moose is now conditioned to the E collar, but does not always need it. Fantastic recall, knows I am pack leader and his confidence has completely changed in the best way possible. We are so grateful for Betsy!

Betsy is the real deal. Betsy has helped our fosters and adopters with some of our dogs and has done an amazing job. Our rescue prefers a psychology-based dog training method which Betsy is well-versed in. She teaches in a calm and clear manner which creates incredible balance in dogs. She’s incredibly seasoned and has an approach and teaching strategy that is kind and easy to understand. She articulates training techniques that are seamless and easy to apply. I’d highly recommend her.

When we think about balanced dog training, Betsy is the first person who comes to mind. She embodies creating a program that works for the dog & their owner. We have a household of multiple dogs with numerous needs and various training levels. There is no one we would rather work with to build our relationship with our dogs and deepen our leadership skills for our pack.

Betsy is a gem. She knows how to explain things in a way that is totally understandable and does not make concepts with dog behavior difficult to understand and implement. My relationship with my dog changed when we began working together. She empowered me and my dog and helped me understand how to build the foundations that are necessary for a solid bond.

Betsy has helped me and my dog immensely. We had been struggling with behavior issues and anxiety for years. Betsy was so patient with my dog as we worked through issues and training techniques weekly. I’ve learned so much about dogs and myself throughout our training together. She’s truly changed our lives. We could barely leave the house for daily walks without it being a traumatic experience. Now our lives are very different and stress free.

Betsy is a wonderful trainer who helped us learn to properly use the ecollar. Our dog is completely reliable off leash and I credit that to the foundation we established through working with Betsy! She is always so helpful when I have questions that come up and is an amazing resource.

Betsy is the BEST in the business, and any dog owner that gets to work with her will be better off for it! We rescued our Benny during the pandemic and it was clear that he had been completely deprived of any socialization. He could not handle being outside or on a leash and all he wanted to do was escape and hide. He had zero food drive and didn’t take treats, so we knew we needed professional help ASAP. Betsy jumped in with us right away and upon meeting and observing us with Benny, she got right to work. Over the course of many months, Betsy showed us step by step, session by session, how to best communicate with our dog and help him gain the confidence he needed to function and thrive in the world! What I love most about her style of teaching is that she isn’t really training the dog, she is training you!

Betsy is more than just a dog behaviorist, she’s an amazing person. My fiancé and I came to Betsy a year ago with an extremely over protective dog, the biggest issue being resource guarding (of food, toys, trash, me and himself). Additionally, he pulled a on the leash and overall had boundary issues.

Twelve months and many challenges later, we have a much more balanced dog and it’s all thanks to Betsy. She is patient, kind, reliable, and encouraging. She got our family through some dark times and changed our relationship with our dog for the better. We now get compliments from strangers on the street on how well behaved he is on leash! I don’t know where we’d be without her and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a behaviorist who really focuses on dog psychology. 12/10!

Lucy, our 3 year old, newly re-homed mini-Aussie is perfect in every way- except for separation anxiety. We were not surprised- we are her third family. The last was a breeder who felt she wasn’t the best investment after she was unable to get her pregnant the second time. She has been with us since January and we at a loss how to ease her severe anxiety when we left her alone, even for a very short time.

After doing a lot of research, interviewing various trainers- we chose Betsy. She was amazing! Turns out we were doing everything wrong. Betsy helped us change our behaviors and interact with Lucy in a totally different way.

Betsy explains her training techniques from a behaviorist perspective. Lucy loved her and trusted her immediately. In addition to working on separation anxiety, we also had her work with Lucy together with our friend’s dog. Our goal there was for the dogs to get along with each other. We are making great progress!

I highly recommend Betsy for any kind of challenges you are having with your dog and even proactively to instill good habits early on. She is great with animals and with people- holding us all accountable to practice what she has taught us.

Betsy’s work with our dogs made a huge difference! The behavior changes were immediate- my dogs responded to her instruction without hesitation right away. She was extremely positive in her approach; it was clear they quickly developed an affinity to her so they became teachable. She then helped our family learn techniques to continue using so those behaviors have become permanent. Home life with our dogs is much easier and rewarding now!

Working with Betsy was the best decision we ever made! Since our dog Rocky was a puppy, he was anxious and fearful. To make matters worse, he was bit by another dog when he was one year old. Following the bite, Rocky was extremely reactive and defensive inside our apartment building and on walks. We couldn’t even use the building’s dog run if another dog was in the area. Rocky could play with a few select dogs one on one, but if any other dog approached things would get ugly. To avoid any incidents, we had to stop using elevators in the building and adjust our entire schedule to take Rocky out at the least busy times.

It wasn’t the life we wanted, and it wasn’t the life Rocky deserved. Once we met Betsy things began to change. Betsy thoroughly evaluated Rocky in the apartment and on his normal walking routes. She also observed him play with a friend and react to other dogs and humans. After careful observation, Betsy laid out a training plan and we got started right away. We trained with Betsy once a month for a year. In that time, we learned more than we could have ever imagined about Rocky. Betsy taught us how to understand our dog as much as she taught us how to train him. Betsy always listened to us and tailored her approach based on Rocky’s reactions. We felt involved every step of the way.

Fast forward 1.5 years and Rocky is a totally different dog living his best life! Rocky is 100 % off leash trained, sociable with dogs, and continuing to be less shy among strangers. We take Rocky on off leash hikes or beach days all the time without worry. Recently we brought Rocky on a road trip and took him to dog friendly outdoor breweries three times. We would never have imagined that our once aggressive and fearful dog would sleep soundly at our feet surrounded by 40 strangers and several other dogs in a crowded brewery patio.

Working with Betsy truly taught us to understand Rocky’s language and create a much stronger bond with him. She truly changed our lives and Rocky’s life for the better and we will forever be grateful.

I think you helped me more than you helped him! I feel much more confident! And I feel like a pack leader!

Betsy is a remarkable, kind, compassionate and knowledgeable dog trainer. Her patience and understanding as an animal behaviorist have greatly deepened my love and understanding of my newly adopted Terrier mix. She is in command and my dog knows exactly who the leader is when in her presence. She has tremendous patience with us humans who may be more difficult to train than the dogs. Because of Betsy, I am confident that Zeus and I will have a long and loving companionship.

“I have worked with Betsy with many of our Forte Animal Rescue dogs as well as my own dogs.

Personally, I have found most people and basic trainers are capable of learning and teaching simple commands. However typically most dogs need a much higher level of training than sit, stay, and come.

Betsy works to get to the root of the dog’s issues and then designs a plan that caters to that specific dog’s needs. She evaluates each dog individually to understand what is causing the behavior problems and then targets techniques to eliminate the issues.

The key is to follow her instructions in order to get the results needed to improve the dogs overall mental health and to reprogram their brain. Her experience ranges from separation anxiety, dog and people aggression, destructive tendencies, insecurities, fear and trust issues and many more.

I would highly recommend working with Betsy to get your dog back on track and on a road to a happy and balanced life.”

I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Betsy to help the dogs I have transported from the streets of Mexico adapt to their new environments and feel safe in their new lives in the U.S.

Of all the valuable lessons I’ve learned from Betsy, first and foremost is confidence: She taught me the importance of having confidence in oneself in order to transfer the same positive energy to the dog, which in my case are often overwhelmed by the recent changes in their lives and are insecure and shy. Betsy has shared with me the knowledge and tools to help the dogs learn boundaries and gain confidence, dissipating anxious behavior.

The latest rescue she helped me train, Clara, for example, was a very smart, active dog, but lacked confidence and need to feel that her human guardian had her back and that she no longer needed to fend for herself or to fear strangers. Betsy started by advising giving Clara the proper amount of exercise, then training her to follow the command “place” and stay focused on her human while walking on a short leash in order to teach her that the human was there to guide her. Betsy also taught me that recall is a good exercise for both bonding and building confidence; Clara learned that she could get away if she needed, but that if I called on her she had to come back to me, making me her “safe place.”

Betsy’s training goes beyond the needs of the dog to also guide the human to understand the roots of the dog’s behaviors and how the human can help create balance for both.

Betsy is very professional and knowledgeable but most importantly, she cares to improve the lives of the dogs so that they live a fuller life. Betsy taught me to be an advocate for the dog in my care, to prioritize its need to feel safe, and to identify when someone or something is making them uncomfortable so that I can respond with the dog’s interest in mind.

I have known Betsy for a few years as a neighbor with a fabulous sweet dog Opie. When my husband and I rescued a dog last summer I knew that Betsy was the only dog trainer I wanted. If our Kola could be as well trained as Opie, we would be the luckiest people around. We are NOT disappointed.

Betsy is calm, yet firm with her trainees (us humans). She doesn’t judge so you don’t feel dumb when you can’t get your dog to do what it easily does for her.

I recommend Betsy to anyone who asks…. she’s the best! Often while walking with our dog in neighborhood we get compliments. I usually tell them “Our dog is an Honor student at Betsy’s K-9 School.”

She’s our dog-guru who answers any questions we have…We respect Betsy’s experience – knowledge and love for dogs and trust her 100 %.

We met Betsy through her work with Forte Animal Rescue. Over the course of three behavioral sessions Betsy has given us the tools, resources and insight to get Hailey through her fears whether it be of trash cans, our parents or e-scooters. Additionally, through additional training sessions she has taught us the power of the e-collar and helped us build up our Hailey’s confidence. Betsy makes herself available to answer questions and concerns, nearly any time, no matter how big or small. She has been incredibly helpful and generous with her time. We’d eagerly recommend her to any one looking to gain a deeper understanding of their furry companion.

Working with Betsy was such an awesome experience! Lexie is 5-year-old Pitbull that I adopted and I wanted to make sure that I did everything possible to give her a full and happy life. Especially because of her breed. We tried a prong collar and positive reinforcement methods but one training session with Betsy was enough get us on the right track immediately! I understood how I needed to communicate with my dog in a way the she would understand. The way Betsy teaches you to work with your dog just make sense and if you put in the work, you will see results right away! Betsy’s coaching and advice has been invaluable to my relationship with my dog. I can’t wait to get started on e-collar training to be able to someday explore and adventure with my dog off-leash!

Sunny, my adorable mostly Min Pin, came into my life as a volunteer. By that I mean she literally showed up in my backyard and I almost stepped on her when I went out one morning. I had no intention of having a dog. My plan was to care for her until I could find her a home. That was two years ago and now I can’t imagine life without Sunny. At the time, I did not consider myself a dog person and had no clue how to care for her – including how to train her to behave.

I was so lucky to be introduced to Betsy! I’m not sure I would’ve kept Sunny without her. Betsy has turned Sunny into a fantastic dog. Sunny listens, uses her place board. Sunny learned to walk on a leash, follows commands, and comes when I call. She did none of this when she showed up in my yard.

One thing that I really like and appreciate is that Betsy’s approach is based upon our relationship with the animal and not based upon food.

I highly recommend Betsy to anyone needing any type of help with their dog. In fact, anytime I see someone with a misbehaving animal, I ask if they would like a referral to a dog trainer, and if they’re open, I text them Betsy’s contact information!

Sunny and I love Betsy!

We started working with Betsy when our puppy, Phil, was 4 months old. He was such a handful! Betsy has been instrumental in restoring sanity to our house! She shares her knowledge, patience, and humor teaching us how to help Phil be confident, responsive, and well-behaved. I truly do not know where we would be without her! Plus, she treats Phil as if he were her own dog. He is so excited when he sees her coming up our walkway — we all are! Thank you, Betsy, for helping us truly integrate Phil into our family.

“Betsy is, literally, a lifesaver. Quick backstory- Niko (our Pittie) I’ve had since he was 10 months. He came with baggage and quirks, but is the sweetest boy with a high prey drive. Gen and I had talked about how Clyde (our St Bernard) got along with cats, but Niko has had a paralyzing fear and aggression towards them since I’ve had him. We joked about a kitten here and there, but never anything serious. September 2018, that all changed. We find a kitten, all of 7 weeks, available for adoption. 2 reckless minutes later, we thought we could make it work, we figured we were well equipped.

Fast forward to adoption day and 1 week of Google dog / cat advice later and we’re convinced this was a terrible move. Gen and I were at odds, we fought about training and the house was hostile. We were frustrated, but we weren’t willing to give up. It was trainer or else. I had Betsy’s card after meeting her at an adoption event months earlier getting dog food. Betsy responded immediately to my request for help and showcased her value and trustworthiness within minutes. She was calm but transparent on the phone. She made sure we understood all of the risks and responsibilities of this endeavor, but was committed to helping us see this through. Consult and a session later, we agreed this has a high chance of failure. And on the off chance that it worked, we could be looking at a long time before we even see tolerance. Niko was that bad.

Fast forward again to just 2.5 months later, Christmas season, and we get the best gift. We walk into the bedroom, there’s the dog, and the cat – sharing a bed. Calm, comfortable and completely accepting of each other. In that time, we saw a dog’s transformation that tested all of us. Betsy’s the definition of the value of a dog behavioralist. She was creative, never ego driven to force anything. She came with a plan and adapted each time with even more creative and intuitive decisions. She engaged us to be committed. She was fair, to everyone. Fast forward a year and a half later. She’s our animals best friend – still with us, helping transform Niko’s most engrained challenges like attacking windshield wipers. She’s helping my friends with their dogs. She’s the only trainer I recommend and the one you NEED to have. I’m thankful every day looking around my house and 100% confident without Betsy this would not have been possible.”