"I rescued Jemma during COVID. She is not my first dog—in fact, years ago I trained a Great Dane who weighed over 200 pounds and was an absolute gentleman. His manners were incredible, and I was so blessed to have him. Eleven years later, I got Jemma. I thought I had dog training in my back pocket. After all, I'd done this before. Ha. WRONG! All dogs are different and not the same training works on all dogs.... Jemma is a mixed breed of equal parts cuteness and crazy. When I first brought her home, she loved being outside, played like a normal puppy, was quick to potty train, and was a complete joy to have around during such a difficult time. I took her to puppy classes, and she did okay. My first glimpse of her "crazy" side came when she suddenly refused to jump into the car. What dog doesn't like going for a ride? She was excited to go—but only if I lifted her into the vehicle myself. Teaching her to jump into the car became a major project. She also loved being outside. I practically had to beg her to come in. Then one day, dark clouds rolled in and I called her to the door. She looked at me like I was ruining her fun. Suddenly, it started hailing. Pea-sized hailstones were hitting her all over her little body. Unfortunately, that moment changed everything. Five years later, she was still terrified of storms—so terrified that at times I honestly thought she might have a heart attack. It was heartbreaking to watch. I tried medication, comforting her, touching her, ignoring her—nothing seemed to help. I found myself planning my entire life around the weather because storms would send her into a complete panic. Sometimes she would even make a mess in the house, but that's a story for another day. Then things got worse. She bit the groomer. Thankfully, the groomer didn't file charges. About a year later, she nipped the mailman. Again, thankfully, he brushed it off and said it wasn't a big deal. Then, six months later, she bit another mailman. I caught it on camera and was convinced I was about to get sued. A few days later, my handyman came over—a man Jemma had known her entire life—and she bit him too. At that point, I was completely overwhelmed. These weren't the only issues she had, but they were the major ones. I called my veterinarian to discuss euthanasia because I simply didn't know what else to do. My vet suggested training before we went that route. Adelhorst Training was the only training facility I would trust with my dog. So I texted Anna and simply wrote: "Help." I explained everything that had been happening, and she immediately told me about her in-home board-and-train program. We set a date, and while I was excited, I was also incredibly nervous. Let me be clear—I was never nervous about leaving Jemma with Anna. I trusted her completely. What made me nervous was whether I could maintain Jemma's success once she came home. Could I be consistent? Could I be the leader she needed? Could I do my part? When I dropped Jemma off, I was amazed at how quickly she bonded with Anna. She practically jumped into Anna's truck like they were headed out for ice cream. Thankfully, Jemma was with Anna when the spring storms started rolling through. Anna later told me, "That first storm was hard to watch her struggle through." I knew exactly what she meant. But with each storm, Jemma improved. When Anna brought her to my house for training sessions, I couldn't believe I was looking at the same dog. I had intentionally arranged for people to come over so we could test her. Anna would calmly tell her "No" in the sweetest voice, and Jemma would immediately settle down. No barking. No lunging. No chaos. I knew she would be different, but I never imagined the transformation would be that dramatic. Anna took her back for a little more work, and two weeks later she brought her home for good. I sat on my deck in complete disbelief as Jemma watched the neighbors without barking or acting like a fool. When someone walked by with their dog, Anna coached me through it. After Jemma let out a bark, I quietly said, "No." And she stopped. Just stopped. WHAT?! Are you kidding me? Why didn't I bring her to Anna five years ago? The very next morning, we had a thunderstorm. I immediately thought, "Here we go." But Anna had already given me the tools and skills I needed to help Jemma work through her fear. We sat through the storm together. The thunder was loud. We both heard it. But Jemma wasn't shaking. She wasn't vomiting. She wasn't trying to hide. She simply sat there and handled it. I was stunned. We even walked outside in the rain, and she didn't immediately run back to the door. The confidence Anna gave her during the board-and-train program was incredible. Later that day, the mailman came. Okay, girl, here's the real test. Oh please, let me remember what I was taught! She lunged. She growled. She barked. She was jumping around and completely out of control. I said, "No." (In Anna's sweet voice, of course.) She stopped. In the middle of a bark. WHAT??? The mailman yelled from across the street, "WOW! That is SO much better! What an improvement!" I just stood there staring at Jemma in disbelief. Anna and her team are true experts. The time, patience, dedication, and knowledge it took to transform my mix of cuteness and crazy into a confident, manageable dog is something I will always be grateful for. What impressed me most was how quickly Anna can identify the root of a problem. She doesn't just address the symptoms—she is incredibly skilled at detecting behavioral issues, understanding why they're happening, and developing a plan to resolve them. Her ability to assess a dog's needs and adjust her training approach accordingly is remarkable. It gave me confidence knowing that every challenge Jemma presented was met with patience, knowledge, and a solution. Anna goes above and beyond to set dogs up for success. But just as importantly, she teaches owners how to maintain that success. She showed me how to be the leader Jemma needed and gave me the tools and confidence to continue building on everything she taught us. And did I mention she has the cleanest kennels I've ever seen? WOW. My experience exceeded every expectation I had. If you're struggling with your dog and feeling hopeless, don't wait as long as I did. Call Anna. It may be one of the best decisions you'll ever make—for both you and your dog."