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CALL 617-548-2797
info@alanastevenson.com
Serving Boston, MA
Tal K., Bilbo and Gandolph
A case of redirected aggression with a happy ending!
My cats had been together for 8 years — best of friends. One day, the neighbor's cat peeked into my apartment through the back door, and the cats began fighting horribly, with one of them confining the other to hiding under the bed. The fighting was so bad and aggressive they simply had to be separated!!! I was DEVASTATED. I was even more distraught when I read online that it was a case of "redirected aggression" — one cat redirected his aggression from the intruder cat (who escaped in time) to the other cat. Several websites also said that it is a VERY hard situation to resolve, and sometimes requires that one cat be placed in a different home. After more than a week, there seemed to be nothing I could do to make things better. I began to lose hope.
Alana came over at 3 pm on a Saturday. By 5 pm (the end of the session), my cats were able to tolerate being in the same room!! I continued with the retraining program exactly as Alana suggested that evening and the next morning in intervals, and to my great surprise and utter joy, after about 7 hours of training in total (i.e., by the early afternoon the next day) all aggression and hissing had stopped, and by the late afternoon — so only about 24 hours after Alana left — THEY WERE ONCE AGAIN GROOMING ONE ANOTHER!!! I got my happy cats back!!!!
I am writing this as both of them are lying peacefully next to me. I have met many, many cat people in my life, I worked with an SPCA center, I introduced new cats to households, and I really didn't think anyone could teach me anything new about how to handle cats. But Alana just blew me away. THANK YOU SO MUCH ALANA, not just from me, but also on behalf of Bilbo and Gandolph!
— Tal
Justin F. and Cracker Jack
"Remembering what I read in Alana's book..."
I volunteer as a dog walker at the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS). During a recent volunteer session at the OHS, I walked a few dogs, one of which took off on me...Cracker Jack (CJ), a Siberian husky from the Canadian North, who is as high-energy as they come. OHS staff and dog walkers, in particular, are aware of CJ's nature and agree that to walk this "little" guy is to enter into a realm where one is tested on most accounts, both physically and emotionally. CJ is a sweetheart. That being said, he still, and always will, have his wild side in him.
CJ and I were walking on an ankle-high, snow-filled path. CJ seems to be at peace. All of a sudden, CJ jumps what seemed like 6 feet in the air (probably 4 feet in reality). His gentle leader comes undone and in an instant, he uses both front paws to free himself from where it attaches. Impressive.
So CJ is free. Yes, CJ is off-leash. He took off like a flash of lighting. In an instant, he's 600 feet away from me. My instincts taking over, I began to run after him. Remembering what I read in Alana's book, I came to an abrupt halt and started making very loud noises and began to run in the opposite direction. CJ stopped, turned around, and began to run towards me at the same speed he left a moment earlier. 300 feet away. I was thinking to myself, "He's not going to stop. He'll bowl me over." I got on my knees and leaned forward as to position my centre-of-gravity in preparation for a collision. 150 feet. 30 feet. 1 foot.... WHAM! I tackled him into a snow bank! We're both full of snow, CJ on top of me and looking the happiest that I've ever seen him. With CJ in a firm bear hug, and still on my chest with his muzzle on my face, I realized that he truly was having a fun time. Both CJ and I emerged from the collision unscathed.
We had a moment together. Through that experience, we became closer. I believe that was CJ's intent all along. He simply wanted to play. His spirit craved freedom. I shall never forget that experience and the connection that was made on that cold, snowy December night in Ottawa.
— Justin
Kelly and Rusty
"I can't thank you enough..."
Dear Alana,
I can't thank you enough for all of your extremely helpful training sessions with our dog Rusty. Because of your behavioral training sessions we can keep our dog. I spent twenty years working in veterinary medicine and most of those as an LVT. Never during my education or years of work did I ever come across this method of training. It is such a common sense, user-friendly approach. I find this method of training ten times better than the traditional training classes that we attended with our other dog. I also think it's great that you give the background behind the training. Understanding how a dog processes information and thinks is very helpful not only for training purposes but also helpful in day to day interactions. Anyone can be successful using this training method. Thanks again for everything.
Sincerely,
Kelly
Sheldon D. & Peishka
"Alana was so helpful..."
I found Peishka as a 4-week-old kitten along the side of the road. Because she was so young, my vet told me to seek additional help from a behaviorist to avoid any future problems. I had a consultation with Alana and she was so helpful and provided so much information. Peishka was scratching on the furniture and using my potted plant as a litter box. I also wanted to have Peishka meet my other cats without having any problems. After following Alana's great advice, Peishka is no longer scratching on the furniture, is using her box, and is getting along great with my other cats. Her favorite game is fetch, and she can even walk in her harness now.
— Sheldon
Susan D. and Grace
"Grace loved going to class...and so did I!"
Dear Alana,
I wanted to let you know how pleased I am with the results we obtained from your positive reinforcement training classes! Grace learned so much and in such a short period of time. In just six short lessons Grace learned to come when called, to sit, to lay down, to make eye contact with us and to not pull us on the leash. In addition to that, Grace loved going to class. And so did I! I highly recommend your classes to people I meet who have dogs and want to teach their dog using a technique that treats dogs with respect, kindness and love.
Sincerely,
Susan and Grace
Fred & Veda C., and Monty, Patrick & Lydia
"Alana's obedience class has been a godsend..."
Alana Stevenson's obedience class has been a godsend for us and our dogs. I recently decided to take my wife's three corgis to an obedience class. They are wonderful, intelligent, and very good-natured dogs, but they had never had any training, which made life difficult. Any time they were off-lead, they would ignore us, behaving as if humans didn't exist. When Alana explained her dog-friendly, positive-reinforcement methods to me, I wasn't entirely sure they would work, but I was very relieved that I wouldn't be asked to do anything that would upset or inflict physical or emotional pain on these sweet little creatures. Alana's class produced spectacular results — a lmost equally for the ten-year-old and the eleven-year-old dogs as they did for the three-year-old. The dogs enjoy life much more because we can take them more places and allow them to do many more activities. Because of her dedication, expertise, professionalism and caring relationship with animals, I highly recommend Alana's training classes for anyone who wants their dogs to learn quickly and in a positive way.
— Fred & Veda
Sandi K. and Seth
"Seth is happier today because of Alana's training..."
Seth wasn't able to attend puppy classes because of waiting for all of his shots and I wanted him to start training. So I heard about Alana and had her come to our house to train him. Seth absolutely loved her and her methods! I had never trained such a young puppy (he was 3 months) before, so it was all new to me. Seth is a happier and more secure puppy today because of Alana's training. We live near a busy road, and it was life or death that he learn to listen and obey me and come when called. I have really learned better ways to communicate and teach him and have a happier and better-trained dog!
— Sandi
Amy S. and Benjamin
"Alana is really great at what she does..."
I met Alana while pet sitting. Speaking with her, I was impressed by her intelligence when it came to dogs and their behavior. I had a dog my family was taking care of and he was having difficulties with other dogs in the house. I opted to take training with Alana. What I noticed was wonderful! Benjamin became so much better at home and was so much more responsive to us. Alana taught us better ways of dealing and interacting with Benjamin when he was having difficulties associating with other dogs. She was teaching us how our behavior directly has an influence over and affects our dogs' behaviors. It changed our way of relating to our dogs. Alana is such a wonderful, kind, and lovely person and it shines through with her attitudes and interactions with people, as well as dogs. She goes above and beyond others in how much she gives. She is so genuinely sweet and caring to people and animals.
I also suggested Alana to clients of mine who were having difficulties with their dog. Their dog kept biting people and I struggled sometimes to put him on the leash. He would stop and freeze, and would sometimes snap at me when I would try to put on his collar and at times he would not come when called. Since Alana's visit, I noticed a remarkable improvement. He was not only following me around asking for attention, but kept wanting me to pet him around his neck! He couldn't get enough. He has completely stopped snapping at me when I touch his collar or put his leash on. Alana is really great at what she does. I recommend her highly to anyone who wants help with or wants to train their dogs.
— Amy
Nancy V. and Daisy
"Daisy so enjoyed training..."
Alana,
I want to thank you for the effect your group class and private lessons have had on my puppy, Daisy. I did not have a good experience with previous training classes. The instructors were very heavy-handed and did not communicate well with the dogs. The method was more brute force than actual training. Your class not only started Daisy on the right path to training, but also provided an excellent socialization environment. Your private lessons really built on the concepts you taught in class. You also taught me how Daisy thinks. It was a very helpful perspective to have when working with a new puppy. Daisy so enjoyed training and got excited every time we left the house for class. I really believe that early training and exposure has helped Daisy. She is so calm and happy to meet new people. Thank you for giving Daisy andme an excellent start!
Sincerely,
Nancy V. and Daisy
