Brookside Walk + Train referral

Kenzie

I put my 8 month old three-legged rescue lab/pit mix Kenzie in Dinyee’s eight week dayschool training and it was such an amazing investment. We both learned so much. Dinyee clearly loves dogs but is also no-nonsense and taught me that dogs really need you to be in control and they need direction to be healthy and happy. Kenzie was super reactive which I learned was mostly from fear, and she is also just super high-energy so we needed to work on her “off switch.” Taking her on a walk was super stressful because she would constantly pull at the leash and freak out at squirrels, dogs, god knows what that i couldn’t even see . Even just a couple weeks in from working with Dinyee I was able to take her out in the woods and keep her walking right by me, loose-leash, focused on point A to point B and unbothered by all the squirrels and birds and smells, and she sits when i stop. This was an incredible difference given how strong her prey instincts are. In the house, she is trained to stay in her “place,” which can be wherever I designate, and she behaves beautifully in her crate. This has been such a gift because I feel I can take her anywhere and can trust that if I need her to go chill out in her crate or place she can do it. But, she hasn’t lost that amazing puppy energy and I am free to get her riled up and play when it’s an appropriate time.

One thing that Dinyee has been really amazing with is training ME about what is reasonable to expect and what Kenzie needs from me. Dinyee’s program includes small group sessions with the owners looped in so we can learn what the dogs are learning and be consistent at home. Dinyee was always willing to talk me through stuff and help put my mind at ease whenever i came to pick up or drop off Kenzie took. As a first time dog owner and someone who didn’t grow up with dogs I had trouble with projecting my human emotions on my dog or feeling bad saying no and setting limits. Dinyee has been so patient and clear in teaching me about how dogs work and what they need, that they need to be controlled, and that they test your boundaries to see what they can get away with. She also has helped me learn to read my dogs body language and recognize when Kenzie is getting too keyed up and needs to be snapped back to a calm/focused state, or when she is scared and needs to be removed from a situation.

Dinyee uses a combination of methods including a ton of love and positive reinforcement with food, plus prong collar and e-collar. It’s so apparent how much Dinyee loves all the dogs she works with and really knows her shit so i instantly felt comfortable with using the collars at her recommendation. The difference even just using the prong collar blew my mind, it really helped establish the connection in the dogs mind between her behavior and my commands and walks became so much more easy and pleasant immediately. the e-collar has also been extremely helpful in snapping her out her reactiveness and training her not to react, teaching her to stay in place for long durations, and in cutting out annoying behavior like whining for attention. If you live in a neighborhood with a ton of dogs, as i do, the e collar is very helpful in curbing reactiveness to other dogs you encounter on walks, even if the other dogs are aggressive or not well trained. Now when I have someone else walk or take care of her they usually remark on how well-trained she is which makes me so proud, and is a great peace of mind knowing that she can handle herself in different situations and with new people.

For me, it was a pretty big investment financially to put Kenzie in an eight week program, and I know there are some cheaper/shorter options out there. Even though I was nervous about the cost at first, it has been SO worth it, as I feel so much more comfortable and confident as a dog owner and pretty much all of her behavior concerns are under control now after 8 weeks (most were already resolved earlier). I have been so happy with Dinyee i am keeping Kenzie in daycare 2x a week, first of all because she loves it (she gets so excited when she sees we are pulling up in the morning) and because there is always more for us both to learn. Brookside also offers walking and boarding which I have used as well, and pick up and drop off from daycare. It’s great to have a one-stop shop where I know her training and Dinyee’s methods will be applied consistently even when I am away. I couldn’t recommend Dinyee and brookside more highly!

Cash

I’ve had six dogs throughout my life. They were all well trained and obedient. So when I Adopted my seventh dog I assumed it would be lucky #7. He’s a sweetheart but is fearful and has terrible separation anxiety. After trying my best to be able to leave the house without him screaming the entire time. We tried a behaviorist and a psychiatrist for dogs, who wanted to put him on Prozac.
Brookside Walk &train just happened to open in my neighborhood I spoke to the owner Dinyee and though her training methods were different than mine there was something about her something special I knew I could trust her to help my dog. My trust was well-placed she trained my dog & I. we are much more comfortable together now and his separation anxiety has ended. He didn’t need Prozac and I did not need to rehome him as I feared I would. This is one of the of the best investments I’ve ever made and if I ever get another dog I will use Brookside Walk &train from the beginning. This is a great place.

Sadie

Head trainer and owner Dinyee made it possible for my dream to come true. I have a beautiful German shepherd, who suffered from extreme social anxiety and I have a husband with dementia, this was not a good combo. Dinyee not only trained and loved Sadie, but she did me also. You just don’t find that in many business this day and age. Because of her I am able to keep my dog, who I thought I was going to give up. When I would pickup Sadie from school Diynee would spend time with me ( and I saw this with other owners, who picked up their dogs) and she would discuss how Sadie was doing and the issues, which still need work.
Diynee, Laura, Ruby and other staff members thank you for all the training and love Sadie and I received.

Kevin

We’ve been with Brookside since our 5 year old dog Kevin was a puppy. Dinyee helped us train him as a puppy, and he’s gone on multiple walks a week for the past 5 years. He adores Dinyee and all of her staff, we are thrilled knowing that when he’s in their care he is happy and safe! Recently, after welcoming 2 new babies into the family, Kevin needed some refreshing on his training. He did a two week course at the (beautiful and new) facility, and Dinyee came to our house to teach us and show us how to use his new e-collar. He is doing wonderful since his training. He has always been an anxious dog who would loudly bark and growl at other dogs, and he’d run from us as well. Now he is calm, knows to go to his bed when we command him, and if he does get anxious and amped up, we can quickly and easily redirect him using his commands and the e-collar. My parents now frequently request for him to stay with them and they don’t want to give him back because he’s so calm now! We can’t speak highly enough of Dinyee and her team, we would definitely recommend them to anyone.

Magnus

Dinyee has helped our reactive, fearful pup make amazing strides! She’s 100% committed to his success, and her training approach is the furthest thing from one-size-fits all. She knows us and our dog really well, and she plays to our collective strengths during training. It was really frustrating to work with other trainers who, when something wasn’t working, told us we must just be doing something wrong and we should keep trying. Dinyee, on the other hand, is totally adaptive and can assess whatever’s going on and make recommendations to help us move forward. It’s been so amazing to have the Brookside team on our side – they know when our pup is in a weird mood, and they’re super excited to celebrate with us when he does something well! Absolutely intend to keep using Brookside for training and daycare!

Ruah

Dinyee and her staff are a big cut above any dog training, walking, and boarding professionals in the area. There are plenty of ok services, a few good services, but Brookside has years of experience and extensive professional training under their belts that makes them the only superior service in town. I’ve had two “difficult “ dogs, and tried books, videos, TV shows, and several trainers. Dinyee has more dog sense than anyone around, and the passion for her work that sets her above others. If you’re looking for something beyond “sit”, and “down”, and really want to learn how to work with your dog, go to Brookside. You’ll sense the difference when you walk in the door.

Gemma

I am completely indebted to Dinyee and the Brookside team for transforming my young dog from being reactive, barky, leash-pulling and not-great-at-listening, to a more visibly trained dog with the behavioral skills to thrive in a variety of environments. For a while I had noticed fearful and negative behaviors that were not addressed through the early years of puppy training and beyond. And I just lived with it and tried to correct the behaviors the best I could. Then I met Dinyee and realized that she possessed the expert knowledge to guide my dog – and me – to a better place.

I invested in an 8-week training program which proved to be an excellent choice – my dog learned to acknowledge and respect commands, respond to the e-collar, and stay in her “place” for short or long periods of time. As a result my dog came to be significantly more calm, focused and attentive. I decided to continue with the training by investing in daily structured daycare for several more months. This was an opportunity for my dog to truly benefit from skilled trainers in a group setting with other dogs. As a result, positive behaviors were reinforced and strengthened over time. Dinyee continued to really cement those acquired skills in my dog, as well as to teach new skills and instill desired behaviors. I experienced the dramatic change over time and and remain beyond thrilled!

My dog is doing great, and it’s an absolute pleasure to be with her. We continue to practice what we learned at Brookside. I have become a more informed and better “trained” dog owner in the process – there are many things I have learned from Dinyee as she took to the time to talk extensively with me, educate me, and include me in training sessions where I learned how to interact and lead my dog in a much better way.

I have used many of the services that Brookside offers – training, dog walking, structured day care and overnight boarding. I enjoyed getting to know the dog walkers, and it was an added benefit that they were trained in-depth by Dinyee, and therefore applied the same approach on every walk. I am extremely happy and grateful to have engaged with Dinyee and her company Brookside Walk & Train – and highly recommend them to anyone in need of these kinds of services.