Thank You Shawn for making me a more responsible owner, my Shepard Lasso is a much better dog with your help. As we continue to learn together we will become a better team and you have provided the motivation and tools to make this happen. Thank You Bruce

My husband, son and I adopted a shelter dog on Christmas Eve 2011. She had been returned to the shelter by her first family due to several issues, one being aggression toward other dogs. While WE did not see evidence of that particular misbehavior, there were plenty of others needing correction. We were committed to finding an expert to help us so our new pet to be a welcome addition to our family. Both the shelter (Family Dogs New Life) and our vet (Tigard Animal Hospital) gave us several recommendations to choose from.

We spoke with several local trainers to get a feel for their philosophies and training methods. We knew we\'d be making a sizable financial investment and wanted to carefully select the best fit for our family. Right away, Shawn (Canine Country) stood head-and-shoulders above the rest - his attitude fit right in with the desires we had as a family to have a really great dog.

Our dog, Maggie went for an overnight evaluation and when we picked her up, we met with Shawn for a private two-hour training class. Shawn shared what he had observed and experienced with Maggie and had already begun to implement several important changes in her behavior.

WOW! Every penny we\'ve spent with Shawn has been extremely well worth it! Not only are we learning how to be great pack leaders now - our son will be well-equipped as a future pet owner in his adult years, too. Shawn communicates clear, concise rules to the dogs and is SO skilled at demonstrating facilitation of those rules to the owners. Shawn ENCOURAGES questions, phone calls and interaction! Such an amazing, yet simple focus on building great relationships that pays off in big dividends.

WE ARE THE BOSS in our pack, not our dog! Thank you, Shawn for making that possible. We have only had Maggie one month (and we still have a LOT of work to do with her) but we know we have all the help and resources available to succeed. :)

Just want to give props to Shawn and Jenny at Canine Country for doing the best dog training in Portland Oregon, by far.

I got a very cute 4 week old black lab from the shelter. He was the personal companion I needed and we bonded immediately. I was not, however, prepared for a 93 lb. dog, no matter how beautiful! Nor had I been smart in the fact that I had NO yard, so walks began to be difficult when he discovered squrrils and cats!! I spent more time chasing him down than walking.
I contacted Shawn and shared my problem. Shawn took him for several days and instituted some control. What we didn't anticipate was that I was incapable of being the Alpa dog. One cat and 2 squirrels later I had to make the heatbreaking decision that Mick needed to have a big place to run and a family to love him.
Shawn took Mick and worked with him while we placed ads and screened owners. Shawn made me be patient to get the right combination and we think we have that now. I will owe Shawn and Jen forever for their commitment to Mick. I could go on but if I can share any more information with you, just ask Shawn for my phone or e-mail address. No matter what your circumstance, it can work with Canine Country in your corner!!!

Thank you Shawn
Recently we took in a foster dog, Duke, from a rescue agency. We were told Duke had failed in several homes and had a boatload of poor/bad dog behaviors that had contributed to those failures. But the agency was out of space and answers for Duke. We were his last hope.

Luckily for us, Shawn Riley had volunteered his time with this agency and took Duke for the day and night before Duke was coming to our house. By the time I made it to Canine Country to get Duke, he did not seem at all like the neurotic dog that had been described.

Duke was reserved, but happy when he met me and was lying quietly on a blanket in front of Shawn. Shawn gave me some instructions and lessons to be continued when I brought Duke home. He has also allowed me to write and call him on the occasions I need follow-up advice.

Basically, happily for both Duke and me, a new dog came home with me than the dog that had failed so miserably in those other homes. I attribute that totally to Shawn's time and ability with dog training

My husband and I recently signed on to be 'foster parents' to a little rescue dog named Chip. Although we have had dogs all our lives we had never owned a dog like Chip. Quite frankly we figured his behaviors were not going to change dramatically and let him act as he always had; barking at the drop of a hat, lunging at the car windows when we passed a bike, pedestrian, dog, motorcycle etc. The behaviors were continued on a leash, in our home, everywhere. After a few phone visits and one session in person with Shawn Chip has made remarkable progress in our eyes. He walks quietly on the leash and virtually ignores any passers by whether they are walking, biking, skateboarding even walking another dog. He rides quietly in the car with minimal outbursts and now couldn't care less about the cats at our house. His barking fits with raised hackles have all but vanished. We still have work to do but the great amount of progress we've made in such a short time (two and a half weeks) is encouraging. I know Chip is happy and I feel so much more confident knowing I am giving clear and correct instruction. Thanks Shawn!

I just wanted to write a quick note to express my appreciation for the knowledge Shawn has giving me thus far.

I have a 2 year old Rottwieller who although sweet was a bit confused as to what his role was suppose to be. As I have learned that was due to me not be clear about what I expected from him.

Shawn was recommended to me by a friend and I have to say this was a great referral. My dog, Panzer, did the 24-hour evaluation with Shawn then I went for a lesson. (best dollars ever spent) Our specific problem had to do with excessive barking and over protective behavior on a leash.

This may sound a bit too good to be true but one day later I worked with the dog as instructed on the leash and then took him out for our usual walk. It was truly the most amazing walk I have ever had with Panzer. He didn't pull at all...he didn't react when other dogs were acting aggressive towards him...I had a loose leash the entire walk....I did have a few corrections but they worked like a charm.

I would highly recommend not only the evaluation time with your dog but that when you get home you go right to work on the things he learned while they are fresh in his mind.

I realize I have a lot of work ahead but I can tell you by getting right to it I have decreased to difficulty significantly.

Thanks again.

Although we only spent an hour with Shawn, we can tell our relationship with our dog Gretta will be much improved. Using his techniques for clear communication patterns with Gretta, after 4 days she has stopped barking at strangers, not leaving the car until told, going to her blanket when asked and obeying our commands at the dog park. We knew we had an incredible dog and Shawn has helped her reach her full potential!She would lunge and bark with her hackles up whenever another dog came into view and would bark with her hackles up at anyone who would come to our door or enter our house. It was embarrassing and worrisome. I had always envisioned our dog as a trustworthy companion who could join us on family outings but instead, she often had to be left home in her crate because of her agressive behavior. We would also have to make sure she was the only dog at the local sports field where we would excercise her and would often have to leave the field minutes after arriving because another dog would show up. We live in a suburban area with lots of kids and other dogs and this arrangement was not working.

Our vet recommended Shawn and he took Joey for the weekend so that she could hang out with the other dogs. It turns out she loves other dogs and was confused about her role in our family (pack) and thought that her aggression was needed and wanted by us.

When we picked Joey up Shawn sat us and her down and explained his approach. To be honest, I was a little concerned that with strict rules, Joey would be unhappy living in our house (since before, she was basically the princess) and that other people would think I was being mean to my dog if I had to correct her in public. But I decided to go with it. After the first day home she no longer jumped on the furniture or beds. After a couple days she was walking nicely on the leash at my side. And she is just as happy and goofy as before. She still has work to do when other dogs approach but the reacion is very much subdued and consists mainly of raised hair on her back and she tries to get a good look at the other dog. We have also been working on staying on her blanket when someone is at the door and that has worked really well. We aren't done yet but at least there is hope she is getting it. And if I feel like she isn't progressing fast enough or that I'm doing something wrong, I can just call Shawn and he is quick to return my call. I also like that when we do need to board her, she isn't locked in a kennel but is socializing with other dogs the whole time. It has been two weeks since we first brought Jo to Shawn and like I said, it is a work in progress but at least there is progress and that is a good thing.

I have three furry little male Lhasa's. After getting the third, they started fighting causing injury to my dog trainer who got in the middle and myself. I tried everything and was worried that someone else could get hurt.

I knew I needed help or had to get rid of one of the dogs so began searching for a dog trainer that maintained similar beliefs to the Dog Whisperer. I didn't want to use any shock collars or harsh training techniques. I found Shawn and gave him a call.

After boarding them all for one day and working on the methods Shawn helped me with, I saw a dramatic improvement in their behavior! They became much calmer dogs and quite fighting.

They are all doing well today and I look forward to a long working relationship with Shawn over the years!

I was referred to Shawn by a friend and I am so glad I went with him!!! We have a 5 month old Golden Retriever named Husker and we were trying to train him on our own, but with no real success. We took him to Shawn and had him do the overnight evaluation and we are so happy we did!! When we got to his place the next day, Husker was already behaving and understanding some of Shawn's rules, it was amazing to see!! Shawn spent a lot of time with us making clear what we were to do with Husker when we got home. I feel confident that I can now be my dogs pack leader, which was not the case prior to meeting Shawn. I highly recommend the overnight evaluation, it is so worth the money! I can honestly say that our little 5 month old puppy grew up overnight staying with Shawn and life is getting easier and more enjoyable every day!! Thanks Shawn :)

I have been working with Shawn for over 2 years now. The training course is worth so much more than money. It is priceless. It has make the life I share with my dog 10 times better than I had ever even thought it could be.

I wanted my dog to not bark and jump, what I got was a dog that does what I tell him to, doesn't pull on the leash, stays on his bed, plus doesn't bark or jump!

I wouldn't think of taking him any where else for boarding either. The kennel free boarding system is fantastic, my dog gets to play hard and all day if he wants to or go curl up in a nice warm dry area and get some rest. He is always excited to go to Shawn's.

The level of personal care and professionalism I get at Canine Country is unrivaled. He is so knowledgeable and treats each dog as if it is his own.

The best in the area!