I've known Barbara for several years, and have enjoyed training dogs with
her immensely. Compassionate, patient and very knowlegeable about dog
behavior and training, Barbara explores ways to balance the harmony between
dog and human, with simple, easy-to-follow directions.

She was awesome helping me to socialize my little Papillon puppy, who at
that time was very fearful of larger dogs. Working in her quiet, upbeat
and positive way, she gradually had her large German Shepherd dog and my
fearful puppy interacting very comfortably. Barbara is not only a
fine dog trainer, she's an attentive, flexible teacher who can quickly
adapt to the person's individual learning style and particular needs. I
consider her one of my most important mentors. Oh, and that puppy she
helped socialize? He now loves other big dogs, thanks in large part to
Barbara's assistance.

Debi Davis
Tucson, AZ

Lisa Polazzi writes about Understanding Children's Grief:

Barbara,
I just wanted to tell you that I think your info is among the best I've seen in short and easy to read format. As something I am way too familiar with this subject (I do emergency veterinary work), I will definitely be encouraging parents to read your website. I will definitely recommend your website as a good resource for parents.

Best wishes
Lisa Polazzi, DVM

Scott C. Brown writes:

Dogs are a central part of our lives - our two Rottweilers were in our wedding! After one passed away, we welcomed Mojo, an 8 week-old puppy into our home. Barbara introduced us to clicker training - and frankly I was surprised at how effective it was –fast and positive, it tapped deeply into Mojo’s interest and capabilities. It was wonderful to see him so excited about learning and making marked progress in each short session.

Barbara is the reason Mojo progressed as fully as he did. She drew upon a great deal of her own experience with dogs, her training as a licensed psychotherapist, and common sense to help create a program that met our particular goals.

Working with Barbara is like having a favorite aunt who happens to be an extraordinary dog trainer. She is remarkably proficient, patient and wise and her nuanced understanding of dogs enables her to give continually helpful feedback in a direct and understandable way. She always left us with steps to practice after the lesson was over.

I think the best illustration of Barbara’s superior caring and skill came when, over a period of three years, she observed troublesome and progressively aggressive behaviors in Mojo. She helped us to identify and recognize those behaviors ourselves, despite my very stubborn resistance. She helped us face the risks apparent in our having this particular dog in our home at that time. We have three children, who were, at that time, all under the age of five years. Barbara was perceptive enough to assess our home circumstances and the reality of our particular dog in it. With Barbara’s help, my wife and I thoroughly assessed every aspect of the situation, and came to the agonizing, but undoubtedly right decision to give Mojo up.

In less able hands the scenario could have been very different—others might have missed the key cues related to Mojo’s evolving aggressive behavior and allowed a potentially dangerous situation to occur. She not only recognized the problem but also adroitly and compassionately walked us through a most difficult decision. I look at our decision as a testimony to Barbara’s creativity, her commitment and her courage to help us create the most ideal environment possible for our pets and our family.

Scott C. Brown, Ph.D.
Director
Career Development Center
Mount Holyoke College