A great testimonial from a loving dog mom and her five fantastic Chicago puppy dogs. Rehabilitated in one Rapid Rover Session at her home. No more barking, jumping or dog aggression.
Anne, Gary and the Seven Dog Nightmare, Tinley Park IL
September 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
We have a large pack of dogs ( 3 Golden Retrievers, 2 German Shepherd-mixes, 1 Newfie-mix and a Malnois) that we have reared in a very natural way. We allowed the dogs to create their own social hierarchy and we allowed them to create their own rules, regulations and routines. They ate when they wanted, ran out of the yard when they wanted and and pretty much did what they wanted. And it worked for me and Gary. Until we purchased a Golden Retriever named Wilson. Wilson took over. Even as a young puppy he bullied all of the other dogs. If the other dogs did not submit-he would start a fight. We were tired of the vet bills, the stress and the fear that one of our dogs would be killed. We called Ami.
The behavior that really concerned us was the fighting among our pack over food, toys and balls. The second concern was the territorial aggression the entire pack would exhibit whenever anyone walks past our house-it was frightening. Our entire pack of dogs would rush any visitors to our house instantly overwhelming them and even knocking them down. In addition, when we try to walk the dogs, they would pull us all over and charge at other people and dogs. Wilson the golden would pester guests for hours by putting a ball in their lap and barking at them to throw it.
In our first session which took about two hours we learned how to manage our pack better by becoming aware of their moods and trigger events. Now we look at our dogs as individuals and with Ami’s guidance we found out that Wilson did not reign alone, he had a helper– Belle the Malinois. Belle was always the perfect dog in our minds, she never really engaged in all of the big, objectionable behavior that the rest of the pack overdose on. But, by watching her with new eyes we saw that she supported Wilson’s harsh rule. If Wilson wanted to start a fight, Belle was right behind him as his support. Together they were a great team. She and Wilson were a tyrannic duo ruling the other five dogs with an iron paw. Ami Moore told us that we would have to regain our Alphatude from this doggy Bill and Hilary Clinton; and Ami said, “It is going to be tough.”
In our first visit we took back our backyard and our fence. Now our dogs sit and watch people walk by our home and they will respect our wishes not to bark with just one command. We can have all of the dog toys out in the backyard and the dogs don’t fight over them. Bear, the Newfoundland-X would be bullied by Wilson and Belle-but not anymore. Ami showed us how to create an Alpha-Bubble Space that includes anything that we want to control. We place our mark on the toys and the balls and the fences are our dogs leave them alone when we tell them.
Dinner time for the dogs was a nightmare! 
We had one thousand pounds of dogs running all over our house, jumping on us and our furniture due to their excitement about feeding time. Now, they all sit in their places, we place the food bowls in front of them and they eat one by one—nice and quiet.
We have an electric fence and all of the dogs would challenge it and run out and roam the neighborhood. Ami showed us how to retrain the dogs to the fence so that they respect the boundaries and now never cross. We took Wilson for one of his first walks around the neighborhood-and he is three years old! We were scared because Wilson would always lunge at any dog that would cross his path-not anymore! 
Our goal is to walk all seven dogs around our neighborhood at one time and Ami says that it is an achievable goal!
Ami has improved our quality of life tremendously. We are much less stressed, less anxious and less fearful. We enjoy our dogs and enjoy having them hang with us in our yard without excessive barking, lunging and aggression at the neighbors or between themselves. We are enjoying experiencing our Alphatude Attitude thanks to Ami the Chicago Dog Coach.
Moe and Kevin And The Grappling GSD’s In Highland Park
September 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
We called Ami Moore, the Chicago Dog Whisperer to help us with our German Shepherd dogs: Sassy, Czar and King. She had trained my sister’s dog aggressive Greater Swiss Mountain Dog who can now run free in a dog park and not attack other dogs-Amazing!!
Our dogs were running our home and our lives. We could not have guests over because our dog pack would jump up on them and literally tear the clothes off of their backs! Friends and family with children refuse to visit us anymore because they are concerned about keeping their children safe. We could not walk our pack of German Shepherds in public because they would lunge and bark at men, woman and children-which scared our neighbors.
In our first lesson with Ami, The Chicago Dog Coach, she simply sat and observed our dogs. We thought that Czar was the leader but it was really Sassy!! Our youngest puppy was independent and more bonded with the other dogs than to me and my spouse. This concerned us greatly, we know that if a dog looks to another dog for leadership instead of people, that the dog is untrustworthy. Ami charmed our dogs immediately. Just with a touch and a word or two ( Tap and Tell) she had the entire band of Polish German Shepherds laying at her feet like gentle lambs.
Ami spent a great deal of time talking about the tri-une brain of the dog and demonstrated what our dogs looked like when they used each part of their brain. She taught us about drives of the dog and in which part of the brain they reside. We practiced deducing if our dog was in prey drive, pack drive or defense drive. We learned that we wanted our dogs in pack drive when they were with us in the house. We found that our dogs were in defense drive when they greeted guests at our house and when they challenged dogs and people on our walks. All in all, Ami spent about two hours with us and our pack of hounds. In that two hours, all aggression at the dog was eliminated. Anyone can come or go from our house and our dogs are as quiet as church mice, until we give them the secret word..which is how it should be according to Ami! In addition, all of our dogs will stay in a designated area when we have guests and they will not move until we give them permission. We don’t need leashes or collars for this, we just use “Tap and Tell”.
We can now walk all of our dogs at once in our community and our dogs ignore dogs and people and stay right by our side. Our neighbors just love us now!! In a nutshell, we had had these problems for over four years and in just two hours every single problem was corrected. Ami Moore rocks!! She is very personable, very entertaining, very, very honest, knowledgeable about people and dogs (she is an occupational therapist and coach so she is great with modifying human behavior) and most surprising she has offered her services for us as long as we have the dogs.
We can control all of our dogs at once without leashes, cookies or screaming-Ami works wonders!! 
You will have the experience of a lifetime when she comes to your home!!
John and Garron The Husky
August 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I have always wanted a Siberian Husky as a pet. I am an active outdoors man and I wanted a dog that could keep up with me when I ski or snowboard on vacation on and off-leash. I purchased Garran, a red Siberian Husky, from a great breeder and I followed the breeders advice to the letter. But I still had problems with house training. I found Ami on the Internet and she offered a training package that fit my needs perfectly. She was the only trainer who was not “put-off” by my breed and my desire to have control of my dog on leash and off-leash. All of the other trainers said that it was impossible, but Ami.
At our first appointment, Ami was interviewed by my entire family and we felt very comfortable with Ami’s philosophy and methods. It didn’t hurt that she was a world traveler and shared my families love of scuba diving. She is quite the talker, but the information that she gave me and my family allowed us to understand how Garran’s mind worked-not like ours at all. Ami spent a great deal of time explaining the four skills Garron needed to master in order to be house trained, which made sense-it is exactly how you train children. Garran had to have a way to let us know when he had to go and Ami showed us how to train GArron to ring bells as his potty signal.
The next item was “gentling” Garran. Ami said that I should prepare Garran for the time when I would have a family full of young, wild toddlers. She showed us how to play ‘games’ with Garran’s food and bones so that he learned to view an interruption of feeding or chewing as a “good thing” which according to Ami would make him safer around children in the future. This really was invaluable because Garran was very fond of eating and did get a annoyed if bothered-but that has been completely fixed.
My next concern was about Garran’s well known breed behavior of running, most Huskies will run away from home and not return, this was a huge concern for me since my “yard” consists of several unfenced acres. Ami came up with one of the most innovative ideas that I have ever heard of that would always ensure Garran’s safety. Her premise was, “Hey, he is a Husky. He is gonna get out and run off. That isn’t so terrible in and of itself. The problem is that they run so far off that they can’t find their way back home. So let’s teach Garran to always find his way back home.”
So Ami got my entire family involved with training Garran to always return to his house if he runs off. Our goal was that if my dog was released anywhere in a five mile radius of our home, that he could find his way back. Well it worked. We can take our dog at least 5 miles from our house by car or foot and he will hightail it back home at full Husky Speed. Ami taught us how to teach him to stay on the side of the road so he has a better chance to avoid being hit by cars. She says that once Garran gets the idea of return to base, we can train him to return to any location with just a practice session or two. A great skill since I love to be outdoors and I want Garran to have the ability to never get lost.
Garran has an impeccable ‘Come When Called” which was taught quickly and humanly with the electric collar. And I can walk Garran anywhere on or off-leash and he stays right by me and ignores other dogs, cats, squirrels and food. These two things mean more to me than anything else because these skills are the insurance that my dog will stay alive even if he is off-leash. Ami was the one that believed in me and my dog.
The next step is search and rescue training, Ami is pushing me toward snow based training, perhaps Ski Patrol or something. But again, Ami says that Garran can do whatever I want him to do. Right now she wants me to teach Garran how to ride a skateboard and do some tracking, which will keep us busy for the near future. SO, this is the end of my testimony for Ami Moore The Chicago Dog Coach. She is honest and tough-but fair! Most of all she will help you realize your dream with your dog-no matter what. Ami has helped mold Garran into everything people tell you a Siberian Husky can not be: reliable on and off leash. She has shown me simple techniques that help form a lasting bond between owner and dog. He is not just a dog but rather an integral member of my family. People tell you that you can not control a Husky or let him off leash, but we have learned otherwise! Without Ami and all of her expertise I do not know where Garran and I would be, but I do not think it would be pretty.
Thanks Ami
John C. Arlington Heights
The saga of Sammy Golden Retriever continues…
April 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The saga of Sammy continues… When our well-trained (thanks to you, Ami) darling boy Sammy turned about 16 months, he started to show some aggression towards other dogs (not humans, due to your training and our concern for how wary he was towards strangers, we did everything you suggested to successfully prevent that).
Initially it was just when the neighbor dog Maggie would come over and steal Sammy’s bones or treats. By the age of 18 months, however, this was becoming a pattern, whether on a walk around the neighborhood or at the dog park.
When Sammy became aggressive with some of the dogs he used to say hi to on walks (Bailey and Maxie), we called you, Ami, to ask for advice. You are an amazing woman, and truly understand dogs and their behavior.
You took a tremendous amount of time to listen to all of Sammy’s behavioral traits, his interactions with his sister Banshee, when the infractions occurred, and specific details about the negative interactions and the dogs they occurred with.
You cared, you paid attention to details, and were so helpful! You gave us a number of suggestions that we are eager to implement, but I am positive will work (they just make sense for who Sammy, Banshee, and who we are and our lifestyles). You were kind towards our attempts to make this work, complimentary of our work to date with Sammy, and you were proactive in thinking of other situations in which we might have problems.
You were also effective in addressing some of the behaviors that I was subconsciously engaging in that were compounding the situation. Sammy and Banshee love their walks and trips to the park (and we love taking them) and your efforts are invaluable to ensuring this continues.
We absolutely cannot thank you enough, Ami, for everything you have done for us and Sammy and Banshee!!!!!
If you are reading this and considering whether to call Ami for advice, sign up for training, or anything else, I can not urge you strongly enough to do so now – you cannot go wrong.
Sammy and Banshee, the Golden Retriever Mix
April 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
We cannot thank you enough for all of your assistance in training all of us (puppies and humans alike)! We had decided to rescue a dog, and as we were either first time dog owners or our experience was as a child, we were looking for a trained slightly older dog. We decided upon a Golden Retriever as a breed that would adapt well to our lifestyle (we both work long hours).
One day, we saw 3 rescue Golden Retriever Mix puppies – the cutest we had ever seen – and unwanted because they were not purebreds. Once approved for adoption, we heard that only 2 were left, and we did not have the heart to break them apart. I had NO idea what we were in for: 2 puppies, 3 months old, and siblings to boot? Wow! Were we stupid; in addition, the mix appears to be Chow, Huskey and German Shepard (none of which are recommended for the naïve dog owners like ourselves).
After two nights of getting up every 3 hours trying to potty train, and enduring the whining, the crying, and the constant assaults on our bodies, carpet and furniture, we signed up for the earliest puppy class available to them when they were old enough.
On the first day of puppy training you told us that if we did what you said, our dogs would come when we called instead of chasing a squirrel. I thought surely you were wrong, but if you could just help us to get those puppies potty trained, I would be happy. I had no idea how lucky we were to have happened across you as an instructor. You taught us everything from what leashes are the best, how to know the amount of food our puppies need, what toys to buy, appropriate and inappropriate ways to play, and so on.
Absolutely everything we did the way you told us to worked! Our puppies will sit in front of a full food bowl and will not eat until we tell them too; our puppies sit, wait, and come when we call (off leash, in the dog park, while chasing a squirrel or bunny).
The issue of deep attachment with each other is under control, and they have truly bonded with us dispite being from the same litter. This is not because they are naturally sweet, loving, and well-behaved dogs (they are not); it is because your methods are fundamentally successful. Absolutely everything we did as you suggested, worked.
If we decided to try a different approach, the puppies simply did not learn the task and we had just wasted time having to unlearn what we tried and then adopt your methods. Your advice and tutoring absolutely works, and I cannot thank you enough.
When the puppies were a little over 1 year old we were at the vet, and a big well-behaved Golden Retriever came out of an exam room. The owner looked at our dogs and commented that they looked like big versions of dogs in her puppy class. It turns out her dog (Jersey) was in the same class, and equally (well, perhaps better) well-trained. We spent 5 minutes discussing how wonderful you are Ami, and how beautifully your techniques work, and recommending you to other clients at the clinic.
Jersey’s mom even shared how you took care of Jersey when they ran into a kennel backlog during spring break, and how happy he was to have stayed with you. Ami, you probably have no idea how much you helped us all in our tiny household. You created a positive environment from which we could all learn. You were strict with us in our being disciplined, and you were kind yet firm with the puppies.
Within one week our household was on its way to some sort of relative peace (it hasn’t been calm or clean since, but peace we achieved thanks to you), and at the end of the puppy class we were all well-trained, and ready to enter adolescence!
Tom and Katie
April 21, 2009 By 2 Comments
I really cannot thank you enough for the CGC class and the three agility classes. For me, there were several benefits. It was a bonding experience for Katie and me to share the challenge of learning new and difficult things together.
It was a regular weekly outing to which we both looked forward. As you can tell, Katie loves being with the other dogs and the other owners. The Petsmart staff is always most welcoming, but the most important benefit was Ami Moore.
I may have told you that Katie is the first dog I have ever trained. My mother trained the black cocker spaniel we had as a child and my wife trained the next two dogs, both buff colored cocker spaniels, which we owned successively (there was about an 18 month overlap when we owned both). As you can imagine, I needed all the help I could get.
Thus, in addition to the CGC “mechanics” and the agility drills, I learned so very much from you about how to train a dog in other ways. As I think I explained, she is my starting retirement project. I am enjoying it and everything to do with dog ownership and training. All of your training will stay with Katie and me, and possibly a new puppy, perhaps a sister of Katie’s, that we may get.
Thus, a legacy is born – the Ami Moore legacy. This is why I am so grateful to you. you are always so willing and so generous in your giving of yourself to others.
All the very best to you, Ami, and good luck in your future. I hope our paths will cross again.
Tom
Zeus the Alaskan Malamute
April 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I have a 140lb alaskan malamute-he’s been that size from about 10 months old.
I’ve had him from 8 weeks old, and have read about every book on training and on malamutes that’s out there. I’ve used
“Good Owner, Great Dog”, “The Monks of New Skete” , “Koehlers Method of Dog Training”, gone to puppy classes, and even had a very well-known local dog trainer at my house once a week from 8 months to 12 months to help me train Zeus.
Zeus although very lovable would be descent on leash with no one else around, but with any distraction on leash or off- I had a 140 pound freight train dislocating my shoulder. He would destroy furniture by chewing, would knock people over by bumping into them, he would steal food off the counter-which is about eye level. And the most frustrating thing was I could never trust him. I felt bad for the dog because I always imagined bringing my malamute with me wherever I went, but with his sheer size I never felt comfortable in other peoples houses or in large public gatherings-when rowdiness wouldn’t be tolerated.
With the fact that I have a grandmother who frequently visits, and was going to be a father soon- I needed a dog that behaved. Although I spent plenty of time working with him- more than any of my friends have with their dogs-my job as an ER physician made it impossible to devote more then I already was giving. One of my colleagues told me about Ami and Doggie do right.
Since Zeus finished Ami’s 6 week course at her home in 2002, he has become the dog I’ve dreamed of.
I never use a leash (aside from a tab- for legal purposes).
Zeus will easily hold a 20 minute down at the dog park with other dogs playing around him whether I’m in sight or not.
Zeus will respond to the recall command, at full speed, as far away as 1/2 mile, ignore any and all distractions (squirrels,dogs, kids) and hit the Finish to the Left at full speed, without touching me at all. It is a sight that has to be seen to be believed!
I’ve taken him to a dog friendly bed and breakfast in Michigan with my wife and was told that he was the best dog that they’d had at their establishment. I take him to eat at outdoor restaurants, sometimes putting him on a down alone while I go inside and order. Everyone is amazed at his beauty, size and obedience-Hence I keep lots of Ami’s business cards in my wallet.
He and my 11 month old daughter are the best of friends- he tiptoes around her, lets her ride him as she pulls his ears. She uses his tail as her personal rope. Ami has had a tremendous impact on my life and my dogs, as there is rarely anywhere we go without him- which makes both, Zeus and I, very happy.
Thank you Ami- George T. in Park Ridge
Prudence, The Pitbull
April 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I adopted a 4 month Pit Bull “lab-mix” from a local shelter that was rescued off the streets. I was told advised by my vet that this in fact was a pit bull. Having absolutely no idea about what a owning a pit bull meant, i was delighted to have this adorable pup in my life.
We went to a basic pup class at a community center and she was great. I thought that was all she needed. As she matured tho (2 -3 yrs old), some of her dominant characteristics and her prey drive came out. The problems began.
She was an escape artist – broke throught doors, even jumped through a plate glass window in pursuit of a couple of bunnies. She began to develop an edge about her – a look she would give to people and other dogs.
She was attacked by an off-leash golden retriever on a walk and in seconds she had the retriever, twice her size, down – fortunatly we stopped it before an injury. Several weeks later, she escaped, again, and after taking a few wacks with a stick from a neighbor, she bit the neighbor in the butt – fortunately, not breaking the skin.
Prudence spent 2 weeks in quarantine and was given her first strike. It was then I realized that i had a potentially serious dog on my hands and I needed to find a trainer who understood the breed and could help me turn her around. I called several trainers and they refused to work with Prudence or any pit-mix type dog. They told me to euthanize her. I was unwilling to give up on Prudence. I found Ami.
I enrolled in her basic obedience and then into the CGC course and before i knew it, Prudence was a totally different dog. She needed a job, she needed direction and she needed an owner who understood the characteristics of her breed.
Ami taught me about my responsibility in dog ownership, the necessity of taking time to teach my dog manners, boundaries, rewards for good behaviour, that I needed to make the commitment to her to work consistently with her and that i needed to respect the characteristics of her breed and work within that framework. Mission Acccomplished.
Thanks to Ami, Prudence graduated, received her CGC and went on to be a Therapy-Dog. visiting elderly people in assisted living and a nursing home. She is a wonderful dog and at 10 yrs old is retired now – she is wonderful with children and adults alike. She is a stay at home dog. She has raised a young male pit pup and is teaching him manners. My “DEAR PRUDENCE” has survived cancer twice and several leg operations (she still loves to chase squirrels in the yard).
We are most grateful to Ami for all her time and devotion to Prudence showing us how to work with her and enjoy all these years of happiness. And we brag about Ami all the time and tell folks, that we think Prudence is one of Ami’s favorite success stories.
Thanks Ami!
Prudence and we are soo grateful! T& G and Prudence, the Pitbullx and Spencer, the Pitbullx
We are so convinced of the superiority of our dog training methods that we have issued an updated and revised