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Dog Training in Chardon – Success Stories at the Geauga YMCA

Written by Ohio Dog Trainer (Middlefield)

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MIDDLEFIELD DOG TRAINING SUCCESS STORIES – NORTHEAST OHIO | Middlefield Ohio -Dog Training - Articles | Puppy Training - Middlefield Ohio - Articles

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April 24, 2025

I love teaching owners to build a strong foundation of success with their dogs. For years in Ohio I offered only private dog training. I am excited to be offering group dog training in Chardon. The first level course is called the Elementary Obedience Course and it is held at the Geauga YMCA.

I have been teaching the Elementary Obedience Course since Sept of 2024. It’s been successful. What sets our classes about from other group dog training classes? Why would you want to choose to enroll in our Elementary Obedience Course?

Have you worked with another trainer and didn’t get results? Were the classes too big? Did you feel left out because your dog learned differently? Did you not get enough personalized attention to gain success with your dog?

Do you just want to get your dog to listen to you? Are you frustrated by how cute and unruly your dog can be? Are you annoyed that your dog ignores your commands?

Imagine the Peace You Will Feel When Your Dog Listens to You at Home

Do you struggle with a dog that….

jumps when people come over?
pulls on the leash even in the easiest locations?
barks for attention while you are eating or chatting with someone else?
runs away instead of comes at home?
grabs a sock or object that he/ she isn’t suppose to have?
mouths / play bites you?
chews things he /she isn’t suppose to chew?
pees in your house?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Elementary Obedience Course at the Geauga YMCA might be a good fit for you and your dog. We understand your stress and how uneasy it feels when your dog is being unruly instead of listening.

We get that your dog is a good dog at least some or most of the time. However, I hear that you want your dog to listen to you a bit more and or much more. What you have to say to your dog is important. We got your back, and we will empower you to teach you how to get your dog to hear your command.

Take this course and come out with a dog that reliably listens to you at home so that you feel more peace. Imagine a dog that consistently listens to your command in the home environment. This could be you! Let’s help you reach your goals with your dog so that you can gain peace of mind now.

What others are saying about our Elementary Obedience Course at the Geauga YMCA in Chardon

Cary Worked With Another Trainer and Didn’t Get Results Until She Came to Us

Cary Klingensmith had an English Springer Spaniel named Stella. She was a fearful dog. However, her fear was minor and she was easily able to be in a group class setting. However, Cary took a 12 week dog training course in Chardon and Stella did not learn anything. By the end of the 12 weeks she still was not listening to Cary. Cary called me in frustration and was looking for something different.

She had a different experience with us. Both Cary and Stella needed personalized attention. Because my classes are small (4-6 dogs), its easy for me to give one on one attention to everyone in the course.

The personalized attention that Cary needed involved lessening Stella’s fears and stress level. I taught her to do a massage called TTouch. This massage helps relax the nervous system and release endorphins. Once Stella started to relax she was able to learn much better in the course.

Also, Cary was feeling stress when Stella wasn’t listening. Stella was feeling this stress and shut down. When I was able to point this out to Cary and help her learn a more relaxed and positive way to respond, Stella then mirrored that energy. Stella became relaxed more and began to listen.

Here are some tools that Cary learned to help Stella be more relaxed:

to loosen up on the leash instead of tensing it.
to use a happy voice instead of a firm one.
to change her thoughts from focusing on the stress to wondering about how to make dog training a fun game.
to reward the good behavior that Stella was doing.

Cary’s Review of the Group Dog Training in Chardon

Cary’s husband is Paul. This what they stated about the Elementary Obedience Course at the Geauga YMCA.

Diane Blanchard Said Our Group Dog Training in Chardon was Almost Like Individual Training

Lady, a Golden Retriever, came to us with her owner, Diane Blanchard. Diane, also, had taken group dog training courses before and they had 10 or more dogs in the classes. She stated it was hard to follow the instructor and to know how to train her own dog.

She loved our classes because she received individualized attention in a small setting of 6 dogs. Lady learned all of the basic commands that she wanted her to learn.

Sit
Down
Come
Walk on a loose leash
Stay
Wait at the Door
Settle
And more!

Diane’s Review of our Elementary Obedience Course in Chardon

Kathleen Wanted Henry to Listen Without Having to Yell

Kathleen Battista had fun with her dog Henry, a cavapoo, in the Elementary Obedience Course. She didn’t want to yell at Henry, a cavapoo, and she wanted Henry to listen to her. She learned how to get Henry to listen to her because he wanted to listen to her rather than being forced to listen.

Here are some ways that Kathleen learned to make dog training fun

Use praise
Use treats
Change her energy from stress to a game
Be clear with her body language so that Henry knew what she wanted him to do
Be confident
Reward the good behaviors and focus on the good behaviors

You can watch Kathleen in the video at the top to hear her personalized experience.

Doug Kintop and Bradley Woodrum Did Both Private and Group Training

Doug Kintop Loved How Amran Was Motivated to Listen Through Positive Reinforcement Training

Amran, was a Mudi,a small herding dog, and Doug began training Amran immediately. Doug wanted Amran to listen to him because he wanted him to listen. He knew this breed was sensitive, and he didn’t want to motivate his dog to listen through punishment and fear. Through training with us Amran learned all the basic commands and responded very reliable through reward-based training.

He, also, loved taking Amran around other dogs to help socialize him. During the first class, Amran was barking almost non stop at the other dogs. Because my classes are small , it was easy to give Doug the tools he needed to help Amran be more calm.

Doug learned to do a training technique called LAT (look at that!). He clicked when Amran looked at another dog while Amran was quiet. In order, for Amran to be quiet he had to be far away from the other dogs. At first, he was outside the glass door looking in and learning to be quiet there. Then he progressed inside the door while doing LAT. Eventually he progressed to his spot in the classroom. It was cool to see Amran learn to settle and feel safe. He became very calm and settled in our group class.

Doug’s relationship and bond has grown with Amran through the positive training as well! We hope you can gain this too with your dog by training with us!

Doug Kintop’s Review of Four Legged Scholars Dog Training

Bradley Woodrum Loved How Calm His Dog Became

Bradley came to me with a hyper border collie named Leo. Because he started training so young we were able to channel his puppy’s energy into commands and learning instead of destruction.

He loved how Leo learned how to respond so well to sit, down and target. Target was one his favorites. Target is getting your dog to touch your hand on command. You can move your dog around with the target command. Target is a favorite for many of my clients in our Elementary group course.

Bradley used Target with Leo to do the following:

Move his dog into an exact position instead of having to grab his collar
Teach Leo to follow him during leash walks
To redirect Leo off of smells and get his attention

Our dog training in Chardon was very fun and both Bradley and Leo enjoyed the positive reinforcement training experience.

Bradley’s Review of Four Legged Scholars Positive Dog Training in Chardon

What other people are saying about the Elementary Obedience Course at the Geauga YMCA in Chardon

Gain Peace of Mind and Get Your Dog to Listen to You Now

Join our Elementary Obedience Course and teach your dog to listen to basic obedience commands in the home environment. Peace is just around the corner!

Sign up now for our 5 week Elementary Obedience Course at the Geauga YMCA in Chardon.

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Amy Heller

20:07 12 Feb 25

Johanna is super! We had a great time in our classes at the YMCA and learned a lot of skills to take forward with our Goldendoodle puppy! Highly recommend!

Hayley Woodside

19:21 09 Jan 25

I just finished the group obedience class at the Geauga YMCA with Johanna and had a really great time! She was very helpful and did a great job not only training my dog, but also helping me understand how I should be training. Being a first time dog owner, I didn't know what to expect and Johanna made sure it wasn't too overwhelming. I highly recommend Four Legged Scholars for your dog training needs!

D Kintop

19:10 07 Jan 25

Working with Johanna in both a private and group setting has been the best thing we could have ever done for our dog! Amren is an 8 month old small but sassy Mudi that really benefited from the positive reinforcement approach that Johanna takes. With Johanna's help Amren's recall vastly improved, we learned ways to help decrease her reactivity towards other dogs, increased her obedience skills 10x, and even went as far as beginning to teach her how to pick up sticks in the yard! But most importantly, the bond between Amren and I has grown exponentially and our time training with Johanna will always be a fond memory.

Sandy Sterrett

22:49 21 Dec 24

I am older and have an energetic beagle mix, very loving but out of co tr to the point I was contemplating returning her. Now that is t necessary as she can sit and allow me to clip her lead and wait til it’s safe to go out! She also is excellent at coming quickly to the “HERE” command which is safer for her. Thank you! A rare moment of rest after playing in the snow.

Jessica Weinman

15:28 12 Nov 24

Johanna transformed the behavior of my two large dogs. She not only helped them, but help me become a better dog mom and trainer for them. The improvement of the dogs was immense and it’s easier to handle them together now. I can’t thank her enough for the work she put in with them and me.

Jodie Lawless

23:10 20 Aug 24

Johanna of Four Legged Scholars is exceptional. Johanna is very knowledgeable about dogs and their behaviors. I appreciate Johanna and her training of our MiniPoodle pup and us! Johanna taught us alot with patience , kindness, fun, and work! I would recommend Johanna and " Four Legged Scholars LLC" to anyone that needs help training their dogs or puppies.

Danielle Hope

13:48 26 Jul 24

After the loss of our blue heeler. We adopted a young 2 year old blue heeler that didn’t have any training. When we 1st got him he was going to the bathroom in the house, playing with humans like we were pups (strong and bitty), waking up everyday at 4am, jumped on everyone entering the house, pulling/ jumping while walking, playing tug with leash, chasing cars, grabbing food off the counter and barking at us while eating our food.We contacted Johanna with all of this being so overwhelming for our family.Johanna was so much support through all the struggles and was a life saver teaching us how to how to train our young herding dog. She was friendly and understood everything going on through zoom classes. She worked around our schedule. The zoom classes were very beneficial for learning.Thank you so much Johanna for all the support and creating peace in our home 🏠 🐕 ❤️

Cindy Sheehan

18:57 06 Sep 23

Johanna was very thorough and offered many good suggestions and examples to train for or correct various behaviors. I liked that her training methods were very positive and based on science - and that they really worked. Our dog absolutely LOVES her!

Kathleen Clyde

00:10 05 Sep 23

Johanna is a really special trainer. We signed our rescue dog Scout up for training because she almost ran away chasing deer in our neighborhood. Scout also pulled really hard on the leash and I was afraid someone might fall when walking her.Johanna helped us fix all that and more. Scout is a boxer hound mix, so her smell/chase instinct is really strong. Using all positive reinforcement, we were able to train her to go "easy" on our walks and not pull the leash. Scout also comes when we call her, even facing tough distractions like other dogs or food. We can now walk her off leash on trails and be confident she'll stay near or next to us and not run off chasing something. She also learned other commands like sit/stay, go get it, and lay on your bed.We humans were trained too! We learned what harness and leashes to use, which treats were best, when to treat her, how to get her interested in training, how to progress through a more complex command, and more. Johanna really knows both animal and human psychology, and working with her was such a fulfilling and rewarding experience — well worth the investment. Scout loved her and we did too. We cannot recommend her strongly enough!

Kit Blair

18:01 05 Jul 23

When our newly adopted dog started showing ‘stranger danger’ and other anxiety related behaviors, our veterinarian recommended that we contact Johanna Teresi at Four Legged Scholars. Johanna reviewed the issues we were seeing and developed a training plan. We were able to do the working sessions with her using live Zoom and videos of our ‘homework’. Johanna also has a significant file of relevant training videos that she shared to help reinforce the training modification techniques. We are following the training plan and continue to see incremental improvements in our dog’s behavior. We have also been able to apply what we learned to other issues such as separation anxiety and leash walking. We are more confident going forward with a happier dog! Kudos to Johanna and The Four Legged Scholars program.

D Kintop

18:40 08 Nov 24

I highly recommend the personal training sessions! Johanna's approach is to teach YOU how to train your dog using positive reinforcement and she will break down all of the finer details that can really boost the effectiveness of your training sessions with your dog. All of the goals are tailored to you and your dogs needs. You will see improvements in your dogs behavior and more importantly you will feel an improved sense of connection with your dog. Can't reccomend four legged scholars enough!

Bradley Woodrum

18:38 15 Aug 24

Johanna was amazing to work with! This was my first time working with a trainer for my new puppy and she made it fun to learn alongside my dog. It was a very pleasant experience!!

Cyndi Istre

14:34 20 Apr 24

Johanna has been a God send inhelping us learn not only the basic ways of dog training but in how we as humans contribute to our pups behaviors. Biting, jumping and potty training were our biggest challenges and accomplishments. Johanna provided us with the training and informational tools to be successful. She also provided guidance in changing our behavior and reactions to achieve the positive results we were looking for.

Christina Fleck

18:11 15 Mar 24

Johanna has been super helpful and knowledgeable in helping me train our puppy. We went over several techniques including practicing not pulling while on the leash. Our puppy is very responsive to the training tools Johanna has taught my children and me. She’s a wonderful person and a terrific trainer! Highly recommend!

Caleb Edwards

19:11 20 Dec 23

Working with Johanna was an absolute pleasure and my crazy Corgi Skye enjoyed it very much as well. Johanna was extremely diligent and patient with her and myself throughout our learning process. She explained the concepts very well and broke them down into simple to understand steps, which was super impactful for me. It’s a lot of information to learn at once but taking it a step at a time truly helps comprehension. She has helped us get Skye on track to being a calmer and more welcoming household dog and also helped us find better ways to get Skye’s energy out when she needs to. If you need assistance or advice on training or just being better connected with your pets, I would highly recommend Johanna!

Rosemary Krupar

18:04 01 Dec 23

Johanna's positive training system has not only helped our dog but has also helped us to be better pet owners. By learning our dog's body language and applying our own calm demeanor and positive reinforcement, we can help her maintain her own level of calmness during what used to be stressful situations for her. The knowledge and the tools we have gained with Johanna have brought about a more peaceful and pleasant relationship with our dog, Ginny. We highly recommend Johanna for your dog training needs.

Kathleen Clyde

17:25 22 Sep 23

Johanna is a really special trainer. We signed our rescue dog Scout up for training because she almost ran away chasing deer in our neighborhood. Scout also pulled really hard on the leash and I was afraid someone might fall when walking her.Johanna helped us fix all that and more. Scout is a boxer hound mix, so her smell/chase instinct is really strong. Using all positive reinforcement, we were able to train her to go "easy" on our walks and not pull the leash. Scout also comes when we call her, even facing tough distractions like other dogs or food. We can now walk her off leash on trails and be confident she'll stay near or next to us and not run off chasing something. She also learned other commands like sit/stay, go get it, and lay on your bed.We humans were trained too! We learned what harness and leashes to use, which treats were best, when to treat her, how to get her interested in training, how to progress through a more complex command, and more. Johanna really knows both animal and human psychology, and working with her was such a fulfilling and rewarding experience — well worth the investment. Scout loved her and we did too. We cannot recommend her strongly enough!

Christi LaPrairie

17:58 16 Sep 21

I felt pressured to pay prior to services.

Donna Shaffer

19:51 04 Sep 18

Our dog, Bella, was skittish around new people. She would bark and growl. Our veterinarian recommended training. We contacted Johanna from Ohio4LeggedScholars. Johanna taught us counter conditioning and commands paired with treats. Bella has responded well to the training. She has become more comfortable with new people and new situations. We learned to watch Bella's body language to know when she is feeling confident and comfortable.Thank you Johanna!

rachel downey

19:32 23 Aug 18

I love them. Before they came, my dog max, didnt know how to sit for anything, he kept pulling on the leash when we went for walks on our road, and he kept not waiting when we tried to take him out. He would bolt out. Now he sits a waits for the leash to get it on him. Hes such a great listener now.

Stacey Brazie

00:23 26 Jul 18

We were ready to rip our hair out when I found Johanna online. I contacted her and discussed our problems with our 1 year old Lab Laney. She was jumping on us, afraid of people, barked at everyone/everything that walked by, walked horribly on a leash, and barged at the door when someone was there. Johanna immediately reassured me that she could help! She taught us the different signs that our dog gives us. She also taught us about counter conditioning. She gave us the tools we need to change Laney’s behavior. It is not an overnight fix. You need to be able to work with your pup until it sinks in. Laney has made much improvement in all areas! We are grateful to have found Johanna!!!

David McCoy

02:49 21 Jun 18

Four Legged Scholars provided our family with the expertise and guidance needed to train our new puppy Drew. Trainer Johanna Teresi was the perfect person to help us. Johanna's calm demeanor, excellent knowledge and organized approach allayed any fears that we had about dog training. Drew responded well to her weekly training visits and our ongoing daily training routines. My family wholeheartedly recommends Four Legged Scholars and Johanna Teresi as fantastic and caring solutions when one considers the best method to train your dog.Dave McCoy Ravenna, Ohio

Karen A

20:25 10 Jun 18

I contacted Johanna when Cooper was almost 6 months old. He had major issues with jumping on people and constantly barking at other dogs. I was impressed with her persistence and patience when training. She probably spent as much time training me as we spent training Cooper. Classes are over for now and Cooper has met all but one of the goals that we set for him. Johanna has given me the tools and techniques to continue to train him, and I am confident that he/we will someday be able to walk in the park without his barking at every dog he meets. Taking the class has and will continue to benefit my relationship with Cooper for years to come. Thank you Johanna.

Sandy Bailey

00:19 12 Mar 18

Johanna Teresi with Four Legged Scholars helped my husband and I so much with our Chocolate Lab, Autumn. It has been years since we have had a puppy and forgot how much work they can be. Our major concern was how excited Autumn would get when we would get company or our grandchildren would come over. Autumn would jump on everyone. The little kids would get knocked down. My husband and I finally said, we're calling for help and called Four Legged Scholars and spoke with Johanna. Johanna was able to see what we were doing wrong and how we were causing more stress for Autumn by being stressed ourselves and within a few sessions we could see a hug change in Autumn's behavior. Johanna showed us how to react to Autumn"s jumping on our guest. We let all our guest know how to respond if Autumn tried to jump on them and they were all great about helping with the training. We providing a video to Johanna that my grandson took while having a birthday celebration with a house full of people. Johanna was able to look at our video and see that her techniques were working and she could see the improvement in Autumn the next time she came to our door. Autumn's behavior is so much better and we are not afraid for guest to come over or be embarrassed at Autumn"s behavior anymore. The leash training was also extremely helpful. Autumn was constantly biting at her leash and actually had bitten them to the point of breaking her leashes. I was amazed at how the clicker training works, but it was great.Thank you Johanna!

Portage Rescue

16:39 24 May 17

Johanna has been volunteering her time at the County Dog Warden for several months. I love her positive methods. She is very patient with the dogs even when they are acting hyper. Johanna explains everything to me and takes notes so I know what she has done with each dog. I strongly recommend her progressive and positive methods. She has helped me learn so much.

Jamie Flanders

19:34 17 May 17

Johanna was a mentor for me when I was first starting out as a dog trainer. I took my very first puppy class through her with my very first puppy. Johanna is unfailingly kind, not only to the dogs that she works with but the people as well, which is a great trait for a dog trainer to have. Many trainers can work with dogs but have very poor people skills but if you want to make a difference for the dog you have to be able to reach the person. Johanna helped shaped me into the trainer I am today and with her initial guidance my puppy turned into a great companion and muse.

Robyn Jones

01:26 13 May 17

Johanna Teresi with Four Legged Scholars is an incredible trainer. She constantly goes above and beyond the expectations of her clients. I watched her train her own dog in the kindest of ways. She thinks so easily from the perspective of the dog, and is always making sure that the dogs needs are being met as well as the owners needs (both emotional and the training goals). Her classes move smoothly as she is very knowledgeable about all things positive reinforcement. She uses the clicker training and it works magically. She really knows her stuff and uses those skills fantastically. She is the only trainer I'd let help me train my dog.

Ruth Weisman

20:22 12 May 17

I had the opportunity to observe Johanna's work for about two years. She is committed to ethical training through humane practices and tuning herself and her clients to their dog's behaviors and needs. In her own home she focused on addressing even the comfort level of her dog as her family grew, making sure that he felt safe with an over excited toddler as well as successful training to lessen his barking at the door. I highly recommend Johanna for both basic dog training and specific needs. She'll tailor the training to suit your pet and your family.

Angie Kieffer

16:05 11 May 17

I met Johanna about 8 years ago, and I was a full-time parent. I had four kids and four animals. One of my dogs needed training. I see my animals as equals, so I was looking for a positive way to connect with my dog that didn’t involve alpha rolls. One of my dogs, Karma, was very skittish.I had Johanna come to my home. She taught me that my feelings of anxiety were being projected on my dog. I learned to shift and let go of my thoughts and emotions especially around fear and anxiety. I was then able to be more present and focused with Karma. She was able to release her anxiety. Karma has gained more confidence around people, places, dogs, grooming, and other animals such as horses and cows. Johanna taught me how to allow Karma to have her own experience and to not project my own life experiences and thoughts onto my dog.Working with Johanna was a rewarding opportunity. I would recommend Johanna to anyone looking for a successful option to positive reinforcement training with their dog.

Susan Steinwand

17:28 10 May 17

I volunteered with Johanna for about one year, attending and assisting in her group courses. Having met numerous dog trainers using varying training techniques, I can say with confidence that Johanna truly cares about her clients, both human and canine, and will work together to ensure a happy, understanding relationship between pet and owner. She teaches with positive methods that help owners understand how to effectively and kindly communicate with their dog, which results in better training outcomes. One thing that makes her training unique is that she not only focuses on how to modify the dog's behavior, but also helps owners understand how their actions can affect the dog's behavior, and how changing them can help the dog to learn more quickly.I have been using Johanna's training methods with my own dog, Aspen, and in the short time we have had her, she has already learned so much and we have clear, mutual understanding of each other. Whenever I have difficulty with training a behavior, or get frustrated, I think back to Johanna's words and am able to re-approach the situation and get better results.I highly recommend Four Legged Scholars for anyone seeking help training their dog. Johanna creates an open, fun, and accepting environment where owners can learn how to have a loving relationship with their well-behaved dog.

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