I feel so lucky that we met you, . . . you’re awesome. It is so nice to have a dog that will listen to us and that we can take him with us without being totally stressed out”. – Lori Primas, Nambe, New Mexico
"Hello Almudena, I don’t know if you remember me but we met once with my dog Che. After meeting once so much changed for me personally that I could not continue meeting, however, meeting with you just once offered so much support that I had renewed my work with Che. We created ABC charts, and worked at home at first each night baby steps through the spaces in the house he showed the most resistance such as the kitchen /bedroom/ bathroom/ we did baby steps each night. It took many many months of not pushing past his threshold but offering a positive association. I cannot tell you how much reading, observing, and being patient paid off.
Little by little Che became less and less afraid. To the point that he became engaged in smelling his house/playing tug-a-war and ball. Occasionally he would get stuck in a place (like the bedroom) and start crying and we would help him patiently to move forward but I have not seen him do that in three months. Tonight, he is lying by the washer and dryer as they both are going -he did not even move when I opened the dryer door.
He is like the other dogs around the house, no longer showing fear of the house environment and goes about the house naturally, definitely a different dog from last year.
On our walks now he is weary of people and will bark, but he also is curious and smells the air, compared to last year when he would want to bolt and run from the slightest presence of a human. Though we only met once you sent me in a direction with Che that proved to be a positive direction. Although I understand we would have benefited from many lessons I cannot tell you how thankful I am for your insight direction and support that one meeting provided. It would be great to meet again. Thank you.
Here is a picture of Che with my youngest when she made him peanut butter cookies and had a tea party with her, willingly. This was very huge, but he tends to feel confident around her, we say Che is her dog. This was after aprox. 7 months of daily gentle experiences." - Haley Tucker - Los Lunas, NM
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"We just wanted to update you about Gator. We were thinking about you when we walked up the Arroyo with Gator yesterday without a leash. We go on many hikes and walks with him without a leash and he is so deeply attached to us. We wanted to thank you once again for the excellent start that you gave us with him." - Betsy and Joseph Riggs, Tesuque, NM
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"Well, here's another testimonial to the great training you've done with Clifford. I had to take him to the vet this afternoon to have Cliffy's skin examined. He developed a minor rash on his underside and has developed some "hot spots," on his hind legs where he's broken the skin. He's also been rubbing his muzzle on the carpet everyday after we get back from our morning walks. So here's a chronology of how the visit went from the start to the end:1. Gave Cliffy a chewy, and his tennis ball and then we went to the car. Fortunately, Flower took her chewy to another room so I didn't have to deal with her wanting to come along.
2. Cliffy was calm on the drive to the vets. When I arrived, I took him out of the car and had the clicker and some treats with me. No one was in the waiting room. Cliffy walked in calmly, no visible signs of stress as he looked around. I grabbed some treats from the desk and had him get on the scale, He weighs 96 lbs. As I talked to the receptionist, he remained at my side. I requested that Dr. Dobesh see Clifford as he knows him very well.
3. We went to the waiting area and I had Clifford sit. As people and technicians were walking about, I would ask him to "look away," click and give him a treat. Again, he stayed calm. A few minutes later, Dr. Dobesh comes and greets us. He approached Clifford calmly and petted him on the neck. No signs of anxiety in Clifford. I think he remembers Dr. Dobesh. I showed the Dr. the areas where Clifford's skin was irritated and we talked for about 5 minutes.
4. We went to the exam room. Dr. Dobesh commented that Clifford was "another dog." He said he could tell we've put a LOT OF WORK into training him. He agreed that Clifford's demeanor has improved significantly.
5. I asked the doctor to examine Clifford's ears. He left the room to get the ear scope and came back with a muzzle and a technician to steady Clifford's head. This was the only time that I saw some anxiety in Clifford. I suspect that the combination of having the muzzle put on him and a new person in the room put Clifford on guard. His eyes got real big. But still, in the past, Clifford would bark and shake his body when a muzzle was put on him. None of this behavior occurred. As soon as the technician left, I took the muzzle off and Clifford relaxed, eyes were soft again.
End of story.
Thanks again for everything you've done to help Clifford. His life and ours is much more manageable due to the training you've done with him." - Yvonne Becerra, Santa Fe, NM
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"I made the first call to C.H.A.C.O. Dog Training & Behavior Consulting LLC after yet another frustrating and negative walking experience with my Jack Russell Terrier Petey, only this time I was in tears (I don’t cry easily). The combination of her fears, high energy, dislike (?) of other dogs and the resulting uncontrollable behavior was just more than I could take.
I am so happy to say that after completing the course working with Almudena, Petey’s all round behavior has improved tremendously. Petey and I have learned so much through Almudena’s patient and consistent training. We now take pleasant and calm walks in the park; I am now able
to handle my daily affairs without a barking and demanding dog; and Petey is learning to ignore other dogs that we meet on our walks without a total meltdown. Almudena gives her all and gets results and she does this while showing compassion and great respect for the animal." - Monte McBride, Santa Fe and Taos, NM
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"We wanted to update you on all the goings on since our Saturday morning consult a couple of weeks ago. Our new puppy, Widget, arrived the day after Thanksgiving. We used all of your suggestions working with Cooper, the Schnauzer, and Tom, the toy poodle, for making the transition with the new puppy safe and happy. The first night we had the puppy, we were all able to sit on the sofa together and watch TV. By the 3rd day, we were able to let her walk around the house with the two boys. By the fourth day, all three dogs were in the courtyard outside together. We want to thank you for giving us the tools and confidence needed to bring about such a positive result for our whole family. You made such a tremendous difference for all of us." - Joyce Arsenault and Pam, Santa Fe, NM
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"They say when the student is ready, a teacher will appear...and in my case it was Almudena who is saving the day with my dear wonderful puppy who is now 12 years old. We rescued her from the shelter when she was three- but it is really she who rescued us. She is always there for us showing unconditional love and happiness in just being with us. Looking into her eyes, just walking beside her, there is an unspoken conversation that fills my heart with happiness...and I want to do everything I can for her.
From the start, she went everywhere with us and was a delight to our friends and family. She loved playing with children, going into town, being at events, shopping in stores, sitting on the couch with her head resting on friends’ laps. However, a family medical tragedy necessitated that we had to spend hours and eventually months in a hospital situation which left her quite suddenly alone for most of the day. We all were in a holding pattern...and not socializing at all. She became isolated and very protective of our home where she spent her days alone. Now I hope to reintroduce her to situations so she can feel safe and doesn’t feel the need to be so protective.
At our first meeting with Almudena we didn’t let her into the room...just watched her from behind a gate as she was in her protective mode and not used to mixing with company. By the third lesson, Almudena had her outside, off leash, obeying her command to "sit" and literally eating out of her hand!
With Almudena she became the puppy she used to be- she actually trusted someone besides me... she is learning that not everyone is a threat and it is a joy beyond measure to watch.
Almudena is a pleasure to work with...I am learning so much...I can’t say enough about her approach with both of us who I feel are her students!!! I would trust her with our lives and recommend her unconditionally. We continue to learn and move forward with each lesson - it is a valuable learning process for both of us...an amazingly rewarding experience." - Carol Maloney, Santa Fe, NM
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“My partner Lisa and I had the good fortune of finding Almudena to work with our 5 month old puppy Skylar. Skylar was afraid to get into the car (whoever heard of such a thing?)
And we had run out ideas (and energy lifting her into the car!).
After just one session with Almudena, Skylar climbs into the back seat of the car with just the smallest incentive/reward.
We could not recommend Almudena more highly. Her passion for her work is evident how she trains both the dog and the two-legged parent.” - Robin Brown, Tesuque, NM
"It was a pleasure working with Almudena. Not only did she work incredibly well with our dog, she also has excellent people skills. We were constantly supported, gently corrected when necessary, and always felt valued and listened to. We have put her training suggestions into use and our dog, Molly, is a happy camper and seems to enjoy our interactions with her even more. Thank you so much, Almudena, for all that you have done for the three of us!" - Joanie, Jim and Miss Molly, Santa Fe, NM
Almudena showed amazing patience and an understanding of what Skylar needed to succeed.
She helped us to recognize the little victories that Skylar achieved and taught us how to build on them.
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"It was a pleasure working with Almudena. Not only did she work incredibly well with our dog, she also has excellent people skills. We were constantly supported, gently corrected when necessary, and always felt valued and listened to. We have put her training suggestions into use and our dog, Molly, is a happy camper and seems to enjoy our interactions with her even more. Thank you so much, Almudena, for all that you have done for the three of us!" - Joanie, Jim and Miss Molly, Santa Fe, NM
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"We reached out to Almudena when our puppy Leo was one year old. He was completely out of control terrorizing our small children, mouthing, jumping on, and growling at neighbors and friends who would visit. We were seriously thinking about taking him back to the animal shelter. Almudena helped us first and foremost to develop a relationship with the dog. Once we had a relationship with him, she helped us to train him so that he has some manners and I could trust him with the children. Leo is now two years old and is a loving member of our family. Thank you Almudena for your professional expertise in bringing peace to our family." - Julie W. Hill, Santa Fe, NM
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“We were very impressed with the knowledge and compassion that Almudena showed while helping us train our dog Barney. Although Barney is a good boy, he gets excited when greeting people and uncontrollably jumps up on them. We explained our challenges to Almudena, and she came to our house with a thorough training program already prepared specific to Barney’s behavior. In just one session, we were able to learn the reasons for his behavior and several techniques to correct the behavior. We have since used Almudena’s techniques with great success and Barney has become more calm and comfortable when greeting people.” - Brian Durkee- Oakland, CA
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"My wife Emily and I met Almudena when we were adopting our dog Trudy from ARF.
Almudena was the resident trainer and was very helpful in the orientation session at ARF.
Because she so was so knowledgeable, helpful and so easy to work with we had her help us with further training sessions. She helped us deal with some separation anxiety that Trudy had and a number of other adjustment problems. Trudy has turned into a wonderful dog and I attribute part of that to Almudena's skillful help I highly recommend her." - Dan Loeb, Berkeley, CA
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"Almudena, thank you so much for training Poppy and the family! I know we all feel better about handling Poppy and I can feel and see that she's a happier doggie, and there is a beautiful friendship beginning between Ari the baby and Poppy." - Laura Dubinett, Kensington, CA
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"I am pleased to recommend CHACO Dog Training and Almudena Ortiz Cue. I know Ms. Ortiz Cue as a trainer since I bought my little Schnauzer, Puppe, 7 years ago. Puppe was a mess back then; she couldn’t walk on a leash without pulling and would bark at anything and everything. Her anxiety, normal for such a breed, was annoying to visitors. Almudena attracted Puppe’s attention in such a way that would keep her interested in the activity without making her anxious. She worked with Puppe for several days reaching little goals in no time. The first session involved getting-to-know-the-clicker exercises that through easy tasks got Puppe all excited, from that day on she showed a positive attitude towards learning. When Ms. Ortiz Cue handed me Puppe’s leash I couldn't believe the immediate change on her. Following Almudena's homework and advice, which she very kindly gave me as handouts; Puppe became a more social dog with less anxiety problems and developed a special charm with visitors." - Macarena Blanco, Mexico City, Mexico
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"It is my pleasure to highly recommend Almudena Ortiz Cue and CHACO Dog Training. Ms. Ortiz Cue has worked with one of my dogs, Koni, a rescue with all the attendant anxieties that such dogs have. She communicated with my dog in such a calm and tender manner that Koni happily remembered her after not seeing her for months. Ms. Ortiz Cue worked on Koni's barking and anxieties as well as her often out of control antics. After a few sessions, Koni calmed down considerably, learned obedience commands, and became the Perfect Dog as I called her.One notable individual training session involved Ms. Ortiz Cue and me walking Koni around my neighborhood, training her to ignore people and dogs passing us. Koni kept looking at Ms. Ortiz Cue and welcomed the treats given her as she relaxed. Almost immediately, Koni stopped worrying about others on our walks. I was most impressed with Ms. Ortiz cue's ability to communicate with Koni and earn her trust." - Carol Brummerstedt, Berkeley, CA
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"Our dog Ernie loves Almudena. She's a terrific trainer; firm, fun, creative, positive and a great problem solver. Oh, and according to him, she gives the very best treats!" - Peggy Klaus, Berkeley, CA
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"I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to work with shelter dogs alongside Almudena in a California rescue organization where she was a staff trainer. The programs she designed to address issues such as fearfulness, anxiety, and aggression were extremely effective in improving these and other problem behaviors so that the dogs became much more confident and sociable and therefore more adoptable and able to be successful in their new homes. Almudena has a holistic, purely positive approach to training which utilizes alternative techniques such as massage and TTouch as a complement to established professional methods. She is also a natural teacher who makes it easy to understand and implement her advice and recommendations. I do a lot of volunteer work with shelter dogs and find that I make use of what I learned from Almudena all the time and in all kinds of training situations." - Melanie Norris, Walnut Creek, CA
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“Having worked with Almudena since 2007, I find myself continuously surprised and delighted with her professionalism, ability to sensitively interact with our animal friends, and effectively adjust their behavior. She lives up to her company name—a truly compassionate person who's training and commitment set her above her piers. Ask any of her clients - they'll give her three paws up." - Linda Kalin graphic design — pet owner, Richmond, CA
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"I attended two tellington ttouch trainings with Almudena, she is a true professional dedicated to education at the highest level as a professional dog trainer. Her passion for her career shows in her ability to convey the information to her clients and their dogs. Almudena has devoted herself to her business and her clients though her love of what she does and continues to educate herself to further that love." - Dennis Fehling, Oregon
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"Thanks so much for the excellent recall class that Roxie and I attended. I really enjoyed it. You teach important concepts in interesting ways, and your class is a very different experience than other classes I have taken over the years. It was very helpful and thought provoking." - Patty Sciarrotta & Roxie
