We really gained so much from you and whenever I am not sure of something with Bailey I just ask myself, “What would Claire say?”.

Lauren Bouwer

(PetDog 1 & 2)

Hi Claire

Wil maar net se baie dankie vir jou geduld, hulp, opleiding, geskenkies en liefde met Wagter die afgelope 6 weke! Dit was lekker om saam met jou te werk, en dit is jammer dat jy nou trek, maar ek is saam met jou bly dat dit beter gaan wees julle.

Alles wat mooi is daar en sterkte met die trek ek glo alles sal goed gaan!

Lekker weekie en groete

Lurene Krone

(PetPup1)

After I got my puppy, there was no doubt who I wanted as the ‘guide’ for puppy socialisation. Having gone to various dog clubs over the years, and not being impressed with the manner in which they do this and the classes being far too big, Claire at DogSense was the only, most logical person to go to – this having dealt with her on a few occasions over 3 years and liking her way with animals.

I got to Claire thinking I knew all there was to know having had 4 dogs already and how wrong I was. In the 6 weeks we were with Claire, Nikao and I learnt so much together, that we otherwise would not have learnt elsewhere.But, we also had fun which was important.

The day that the mini obstacle course was set up, we had the most fun, with Nikao running through the tunnel over and over again. With this exposure and his reaction to this course, I knew which sport I would do with him.

Claire gave Nikao and I a wonderful grounding and taught us a great deal in a fun, safe environment and I would never hesitate to recommend Claire and DogSense in the future.

Fyrne Kent

Our Labrador puppy had been diagnosed with congenital deafness and we received a lot of unsolicited advice, especially in the vein of having to have the dog put down because it would turn violent as it became older. Since we had already bonded with the puppy and did not consider this to be an option for us, we started looking for someone to assist us with training for both the puppy and ourselves. After consultation with several other trainers, we were referred to Claire as someone who had previous experience with the training of deaf dogs.

At first we went to her for a private training session and then joined a puppy socialization class with a variety of other dog breeds. Both the private session and the puppy socialization course helped immensely in improving our communication with our dog and the way we make ourselves understood with the basic commands and instructions of everyday life.

Since the course was very hands-on and interactive, we learned quickly and the combination of hand signals and verbal commands used in the class made us feel as if we were just the same as everyone else. Even more complex orders and techniques to train other instructions (with lots of patience and repetition) were taught, equipping us with the tools needed to further train him with commands that may be needed in the future.

Claire’s ease with the puppies, acceptance of the special needs of our puppy and the adaptability of her instruction to these needs has truly impressed. My beautiful boy may be deaf, but with Claire’s assistance and lots of patience and repetition, we hope to enjoy each other’s company for many more years to come.

Marika van Noordwyk

It is with confidence that I recommend going to classes with your dog! I have always been an animal lover and had numerous dogs in my life, but I never took my dogs for classes. When I got a Labrador puppy in 2008, I decided to take my puppy to classes.

What a wonderful decision and I am so glad we ended up with Claire at DogSense. Actually DogSense says it all. Claire has a way to see from the dog’s perspective with deep understanding and compassion, which she uses to instil ’sense’ into the owner, while giving the dog a chance to become sensible! I can honestly say that without the tools and training I got from the classes, my journey with Liesbet would have been very difficult, as she is headstrong and intelligent. Not a good combination, but the understanding and mutual respect that was cultivated for both owner and dog in the classes is a benefit that will enhance my relationship with Liesbet for as long as we are together.

I have learned that love is not enough, a chance to develop potential was so stimulating and now I have a happy dog! Although she still sometimes do as she pleases, but I know the ‘response ability’ is in my hands…

Annalize Vermaak

Dear Claire

I often tell the story about how naive I was when I got Lily and the major role that you played in helping me understand canine behaviour. Lily is a highly intelligent dog that was very used to do whatever she wanted to do. You introduced me to firm yet gentle and respecting ways to work with her as well as interpreting her non-sensible (to me) language.

You may remember that when I initially called on you for help, Lily was more than a handful; she was a roomful as well as the whole ‘erf’-full. She was already 14 months old and in her wild teens, so our relationship started out as a battle of wills. Not being familiar with dogs, you also had to train me into becoming a responsible and sensitive dog-owner. By attending Pet Dog 1 and 2, we both learnt to value and respect the other individual. It made such a difference to both of us.

What amazed me the most of all, however, was how her sense of worth and pride increased as we progressed at school. She reacted very positively to all the praises. The fact that she accomplished new tasks (and the subsequent joy and satisfaction it caused in me) boosted her sense of achievement and therefore her self-esteem notably. Her attention demanding behaviour decreased to the extent that she can now be left on her own all day without being destructive. (The frequency of uprooted shrubs is now down to once in three months, and this incidentally (?) always coincides with a day/few days when I myself am highly stressed!)

Her eyes always light up when we do hand signals; she loves obeying them. She is quick to auto-corrects when she realizes that she is trying to perform a command-a-la-Lily. Many people have commented on her disciplined ways, especially the prompt response on ‘Wait’. She is still very excitable, but the T-touch techniques that I were taught, pacify her immediately.

Claire, your consultations as well as your Pet Dog classes are primarily responsible for the close relationship between Lily and myself; I shall be always be grateful to you. You really taught me DogSense.

With kind regards

Petra Snijman

We got our Alsatian, Costa when he was already 8 years old. Claire helped us teach him how to behave like a civilised dog, and I believe through her help, we gave him the best 4 years of his life. Claire truly showed us that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I heard about Claire and her way with Dogs form a friend of mine. I contacted her as soon as Isis became a part of my family. I must say I always loved animals but did not really understand the way they think. Claire helps me understand that very aspect of animal behaviour patterns. She changed my mind about a lot of stuff, and she is always willing to share valuable information regarding training, playing and loving my newest four legged baby, Isis.

Isis is this typical Labrador Puppy, in short, she is a Hooligan… In the past she liked to chew everything, and she jumped up on everybody. I decided to contact Claire for help. My first Puppy socializing class was so much fun and I thought; when will the training start? But that was just it; they were learning to be dogs and not humans. After a while I began to understand this method, and I think that these are exactly the problem of a lot of people. People think that the dog will automatically understand the way our minds work.

Claire helped me so much over a very short time. Where to begin? Just to share one example of the great work that Claire does.House training! The biggest heartache off all. Claire thought me that a puppy can be house trained so easily within a few days. And the training is strictly without any harsh words or any form of physical punishment.

Today I understand the meaning of having a trained dog. Claire can help you to train your dog, but the best part of it all is that your dog will still be a Happy Dog! Dogs are and should be part of your family. I learned so much and I am grateful to her for all her hard work. In fact, I am so happy about the results that I will tell everybody that has got a new edition to the family to make Claire part of the training process.

Lindi Verster

Duchess, my Doberman and I, have been with Claire right from puppy classes through to Pet Dog 4. I don’t know how I would have coped with Duchess without knowing the basics and learning the skills to train my ‘Child’ in a safe and positive environment.

Clicker training has done wonders for me. I also have a Jack Russel, Duke, and with all the knowledge I have gained from Claire, in the classes, I can train him too. The most amazing part of the clicker training is to watch how Duchess/Duke has to think and figure out what they have to do. I can see in their eyes and the expression on their faces that they are thinking really hard as to what is expected of them. The classes were a lot of fun for me and for Duchess. Claire is a wonderful teacher and is always willing and ready to help with any problem.

Thank you.
Lesley Batchelder

‘Hi there,

We just wanted to let you know how well Rocky and our cats are getting along. You could use us as a reference. The tabby cat – Max is now always in the lounge and will beat Rocky up if he gets too much for him.

The black and white cat – Felix has only recently started coming into the lounge and will hiss and spit at Rocky before he moves off down the passage when he’s had enough. We still keep the gate closed.

Rocky is able to sniff the cats and bump them with his nose. He is still very inquisitive about what they are and we think that he wants to play with them. It’s still not safe if they run because he then still chases them and they don’t trust him outside but it’s SO MUCH better than when we first got Rocky, you have to see it to believe it.”

A few months later with lots of hard work and perseverance:

”Rocky absolutely loves the cats now and the cats feel confident enough to ‘zap’ him on the snout if his unwanted attention becomes too much for them.”

Kind regards,

Pearl Vigus, family and all fury friends

If you really love your dog, then these classes are a MUST for you!!
I am use to the ‘traditional’ way of training your dog, and I thought I knew a lot about training, but nothing beats the Pet Dog classes. My little unsocialized, destructive monster changed into this sweet loving happy dog!! There is no way I would have been able to handle Max, if it where not for these positive training methods. No screaming, shouting or physical punishment. You can train your dog anything with clicker training. It is a lot of fun and you will be amazed of what you can accomplish and how intelligent your dog really is.

Thanks Claire…you won’t know how much you’ve meant to us with Max and Lara. Thank you for your wisdom with our babies and for always being willing to help.

Vasti, Brendon, Lara (7) and Max (1)