Your Canine Resource

My husband and I adopted a cocker spaniel a few years ago named Wilson. He didn’t have a great life before we met him. His owner surrender form stated he lived in a shed and was just a guard dog.
Life with Wilson was difficult from the beginning. He had reoccurring UTIs and ear infections. He had bladder stones. After our first (and last) trip to the dog park, we realized he was very fearful of dogs bigger than him to the point where he would attack. When he settled into his new home, he was very vocal if there was anyone at the door. Wilson was also afraid of men. We had our work cut out for us!
We were told by everyone that we had to go to a group «reactive rover» class. It was the only way, they said. Well, that didn’t work for Wilson. He was too scared just getting in the car. So we gave up. We thought that there was no hope and he was just going to be that way forever.
This year, we decided to give it another shot. His health was much improved at that point. After emailing just about every trainer in western WA, Patti was the first to return my call. When I spoke with her on the phone, I could tell that she really loves dogs. She asked all sorts of questions that the other trainers didn’t ask. What’s his diet? What’s his history? What do you do for fun? Stuff like that… really wanting to know everything about Wilson and our relationship as a pack. We talked for about 30 minutes. I knew she was the one after I hung up the phone.
We had set up an appointment for a consultation. Patti came to our house. After talking for about an hour, she came up with a training plan. We had 4 sessions after that, all at our house except for the last one which was at a park. She gave us homework that made sense for Wilson. She advised us on his diet. And she took the time to explain why we were doing what we were doing and what was happening in Wilson’s brain as a result.
It has been about a month since our last training session happened and I just cannot believe how different Wilson is. He can walk past a barking dog in a fenced yard like nothings wrong! He waits for permission to go outside. He will stop barking most of the time with a «quiet». And he seams far less itchy. Patti has also been fantastic about answering every one of our questions. And we email her a lot!
We are so grateful to have Patti as our trainer. She is an amazing resource. I can’t recommend her enough. Seriously, why are you still reading this? Give her a call already!

Patti Howard is an excellent choice in dog training. She IS the «canine resource » !! She comes to your home so she can get in and see the strengths and weaknesses and put together a plan that will work best for you and your dog. Soon, you and your dog are working like a team rather than constantly pulling at opposite ends not just the leash but everything else too!
Patti is very patient, warm, kind and sincere. She watches and listens to you AND your dog.
I highly recommend Patti if you are having difficulty with you pooch (s). I am one of her clients and happy I am. Patti was recommended to me by my Veterinary clinic. I would say, if you have questions about Patti’s work call Companion Vet.

I started working with Patti in February for a nutritional plan for my Cocker Spaniel. We had a lengthy phone conversation and came up with a plan to help Duchess with her stomach issues. With the recipe and extensive advise Patti gave me — Duchess was doing better in just a few weeks. Patti was always available to talk to and you can tell that she really cares about her clients — and their people too! She would periodically check in with me about Duchess and she how she was progressing. Patti helped me with supplements as well. I did fall back into my old habits and started feeding Duchess normal wet food — and we paid the price! I contacted Patti, with my tail between my legs — and she was very understanding and non-​judgmental and got Duchess back on track again! And this time — it was a process in which Patti and I spoke every day. My little girl is doing great now — and Patti still checks in with us. I’ll be reaching out to her again in a couple of months to transition Duchess to her long term diet. Patti’s knowledge is vast and her support and encouragement are an added bonus! My Duchess is doing great and we are on the track to a lifetime of nutritional wellness — thanks to Patti!

Our rescue dog Rusty was anxious and constantly on guard against the world. Any exposure to his triggers meant a LONG cool-​down time and lots of work to distract and reorient his attention. It was exhausting and stressful.
The first time Patti came to our house, I could see she was the person I wanted to work with! She was intuitive, clear, and so calm and capable. She was also completely upfront about fees, and at the first consultation/​evaluation, simply recommended that we change Rusty’s food and then re-​evaluate his behavior.
We started training sessions in December 2013 with the goal of having a relatively harmonious visit with the in-​laws (5 people staying at our house!) in February 2014. Due to scheduling conflicts on both sides, we had fewer training sessions than I had hoped, and I was really worried that we hadn’t made enough progress to achieve what I wanted in February. But Rusty was AMAZING with my husband’s family — there was not a single bark in the first 20 minutes, and even when the chaos got to him, he was easier to calm down.
Since then, I’ve continued to work with Rusty based on Patti’s methods, and the difference is just amazing. Rusty can walk away from one of his triggers with just a little encouragement and can greet people at the door without barking. He will always be an anxious dog, but he is SO much happier and calmer, and it’s all thanks to Patti’s expertise and patience.

Hello Unilocalers! I have 2 dogs (German Shepherd mix and Chow mix) who have been fed kibble most of their lives. One of my dogs, Duke, had been experiencing several health related problems so I started researching pet nutrition and home cooked diets and this is when I stubbled across Patti Howard. I met with Patti and she educated me on the best way to feed my animals. I was a little scared at first to take the leap but as I began to see real health benefits in my pups I knew what I was doing was the right thing to do. Here is a quick summary of some of the positive health changes I have seen in my two dogs– Duke and Lola– from moving off kibble and to a part home cooked/​part raw diet.
Dukes «special» conditions: I took Duke completely off the Cyclosporine and the Pannus in his eyes has not come back. This was of course against the doctors orders but I truly believe with a healthy diet and the Chinese herbs i am giving him he can completely recover and not have to be on a prescription drug (with side effects) for the rest of his happy doggy days. This is truly amazing to watch and makes me so happy i know that I am doing the right thing for his health. In addition, Duke was having his annual glands expressed manually every month at the vet because his body was not expressing naturally. Of course the vet said they don’t know why this happens to some dogs and gave me no direction on how to help his poor glands. Well, I am happy to report his glands have been expressing naturally ever since I started the home cooked diet. So no more very uncomfortable visits to the vet for us!
Teeth: Both Lola and Duke’s teeth have never looked better. All the brownish plaque is completely gone and their teeth have never looked more white. The best part is I used to attempt to brush their teeth with a tooth brush and some «tooth paste» the vet gave me. I haven’t had to brush their teeth once since I started the new diet.
Fur: Feels the softest its ever felt! Their ears especially feel like velvet :-)
Duke the picky eater: is no longer picky and loves his food. He gets excited for meals and sometimes he even finishes before Lola! Which is quite the challenge.
I know the softer coats and shinier teeth are outward expressions of the inward health changes that have occurred for my dogs. The biggest success is that Duke’s Pannus is no longer in issue– which all traditional pet medicine told me was not possible. I know diet plays a huge part in this so I am so thankful for Patti sharing her wisdom with me.

I have two large dogs — one of them was an anxious barker and snapped at the cats if they got too close to her food. She did, that is, until Patti Howard of Your Canine Resource came to our home. Patti did a free behavioral assessment and made recommendations for nutritional changes and training. Just a few training sessions with Patti, and the whole family of animals now coexists quietly and amicably. Patti is the best!