JenzasDad

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

This is a reference letter for Ms. Lisa Skidd, an experienced and extremely competent and compassionate dog behavioral specialist. While Lisa has been handling, training and caring for dogs for many years, our personal experience with her over the past two (2) years has been unique.

We rescued a small but strong pit bull terrier/lab mix over a year and a half ago from a Hernando County rescue organization. Lucy had been severely abused and was afraid of people and noises and difficult to handle. We used Lisa’s training program to get Lucy to learn basic commands and discipline and continue to attend her group classes today.

Lisa is an astute behaviorist in that she recognizes people need as much, if not more, training as the dogs! Her insights go far beyond just instilling discipline in the dogs she handles; she cultivates the relationship between the dog and his or her owner. She explains the meaning behind the training rules and techniques and relates the meaning to animal and human behavior. This has allowed my wife, Linda, and me to develop a close connection to our rescued pet. And it is significant because Lucy would only bond with Linda at first because she was so afraid of men.

In addition to her expertise as a behaviorist, Lisa is a very compassionate person. Eight months ago, Linda broke her leg and arm while playing with Lucy in our backyard. She was in casts from her toe to her hip and from her wrist to her elbow. We had to move to a friend’s home in St. Petersburg which was on one level. Lucy would not leave Linda’s side and Linda had no way of handling her and I had to work. Lisa offered to come to our rescue. She took Lucy to her own home for the eight weeks we were away. When Linda was able we visited at Lisa’s home. When Lucy came home she was much more comfortable with me. Without Lisa’s intervention, we could not have kept Lucy. Now that is a dedicated trainer!

Good people make good professionals. Lisa Skidd is good people. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone who needs special attention to their dogs and wants to learn about dog and human behavior.

Sincerely,

Jeffery L. Myers

RE: Lisa Skidd Referral

To Whom It May Concern:

I have worked with Lisa Skidd in what I call “Dog Class”, in both private and classroom scenarios, and have found her to be professional, effective, results-oriented and a strong educator.

“Dog Class” is a tern that I use to describe something more than a traditional obedience course, because Lisa uses a holistic approach to enabling a dog to be a better-behaved, mannered and socialized family member.  She can, of course, teach a ‘sit’ and ‘stay’, but for a more advanced approach, she also educated the owners on why the dog acts a certain way and how to get a better response from them.  She also suggests other tools, such as collars and leads, which lead to further improvement.

Lisa appears quite knowledgeable about reading reactions from a dogs behavior, and then, while putting her students and their parents at ease, makes the learning experience enjoyable.  It’s easy to see this by the way the dogs respond to her and her fondness for them.  It’s a fun and positive experience that keeps several of us returning – even once we’ve learned new behaviors.

I would highly recommend Lisa for anyone with a dog, and I have, – whether they want to learn basic commands, social skills and manners, or the correction of problems.   The kennel where I keep my bulldog mix while away suggested Lisa and called her the ‘Other Dog Whisperer’.  All I can tell you is that she’s truly provided a very enriching experience for us.

Sincerely,

Judy Safer