Success Stories

A few years ago, I started having behavior issues with my Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Cory. Though obedience trained and working as my service dog, she was reacting negatively to other dogs and in some cases to men. I took her to see Ann Waterbury who, to my surprise, identified that Cory was anxious and afraid. She seemed happy to me, but when Ann helped me see our situation through Cory’s eyes, I understood what was affecting her. We started Nosework training under Ann’s guidance and the change in Cory’s attitude and demeanor has been significant. She is so much more confident and relaxed. We are getting ready to compete in a Nosework trial. As I see other dogs working in that sport, I can’t help but compare how they work with Cory. Ann taught us to go slow, to build a solid foundation and to let Cory lead. Now, I understand how much that foundation will benefit us in not only the sport of Nosework, but in life. I also took our son’s dog to see Ann. Sai is a Cardigan Welsh Corgi who I incorrectly thought was having dominance issues. Again, Ann helped me identify his fears and once we worked through those and built his confidence through Nosework, Sai is also a different dog. I highly recommend Ann Waterbury’s training methods. I can attest that she can transform your dog’s, and your own, life if you work with her.

A few years ago, I began searching for a behaviorist to help with my very reactive Golden retriever, Noah. Noah was so overcome with fear and anxiety that he wasn’t enjoying life to the fullest – even walking through our neighborhood was sometimes traumatic, if someone rolled by on a skateboard, or someone parked a big scary boat in their driveway, he’d simply shut down. He was fearful of meeting new people and aggressive toward other dogs to the point that I was afraid of what we might encounter simply going for a walk. That’s when I met Ann. Ann is absolutely remarkable in her ability to understand dogs – and they know it and adore her for it! Not only did she help me to understand Noah’s reactivity, she taught me how to help him overcome his fears. Today, he is pure happiness and joy, a total goofball that loves people and even has wonderful relationships and play-dates with other dogs. And while we do face the occasional scary moment, he recovers quickly and isn’t tormented by the world around him. To further build his confidence, Ann introduced us to Nosework, something for which I will always be thankful, and will participate in with every dog I have the joy of sharing my life with moving forward. (Noah’s big sister, Olive started Nosework, too!) Through Nosework, Noah learned to just be a dog and enjoy life. His confidence has grown by leaps and bounds, and he even seems proud of himself when he finds a hide and is rewarded for something that comes so naturally to him. I owe so much to Ann and to the sport of Nosework for helping my sweet boy come out of his shell and love life again.

I first began working with Ann about 7 years ago. The first nose work sessions were for a foster dog that had significant fear issues that resulted in fear biting. Nose work turned out to be a very good addition to the plan for him. It helped him build confidence and learn to work through some times of frustration by solving the “puzzles” nose work provided for him. In the years that followed Ann assisted our rescue group in many ways with the dogs in our care. She educated our foster team as well in better ways of communicating with their fosters. I also participated in nose work and training with my own dogs. Ann is highly skilled and takes great care in the services she provides to her clients.

Two years ago I adopted a rescue who was quite a bit larger than previous pups who had been part of my life. I wanted to start her out on the right paw in the obedience department. My vet recommended Ann! He was spot on. What I love about Ann and her approach to working with your dog is the positivity. She not only introduced Cinder (and me) to the basics of good dog citizenship but we now have branched out to K9 nose work, and odor recognition. Small class sizes and large amounts of positive reinforcement. Florida’s loss is Washington state’s gain!

I first reached out to Ann after adopting a dog that was extremely fearful and dog reactive. Through training sessions, we learned how to help manage Leroy’s reactivity and give him better behavior options. Nose Work classes were truly life-changing for Leroy – he developed confidence and focus that have made him a much happier dog. Ann has been wonderful to work with and we’ve learned so much over the years! I really enjoyed her two-day nose work seminar – it was a great opportunity to continue to learn from Ann.