Back in the Pack

Dari is a great trainer! We adopted a stray 11 pound dacshund (Penny) from a rescue and she came loaded with problems. First she had major separation anxiety which after 3 months we got under control. But then she started attacking any person when she was inside. After she bit our first trainer and then my mom, we really needed help ASAP.
By the time we found Dari, we knew Penny was very aggressive towards strangers and there was a 99.99% chance she would bite our next trainer. But Dari had no problem, wore steel toed shoes and didn’t care. I liked that she used positive reinforcement as opposed to our last trainer who was of the dominant, alpha dog mindset, which as a former SF/​SPCA volunteer I disagree with.
I’m hopeful that her techniques will work and in a few months I can update this review to say that Penny is fixed!

Back in the Pack owner/​trainer Dari Ferguson is the female Caesar Milan!
I have two large German Shepherds who are sweet as can be, until they are on a leash and then they are little monsters. Dari helped me learn tricks to keep two 90lbs shepherds under control while on walks. She not only corrected their behavior but also «corrected» my leash behavior — making me a much more confident leader and therefore giving me control over my dogs.
I learned a lot about animal behavior from her and have become a better mom to my two four-​legged children.
She is incredibly professional and extremely patient and caters her training program to fit my personality and schedule. I was very nervous walking my dogs and she reconized that my fears were translating to my dogs and turning on their protection mode. She showed me tricks to increase my comfort level (special collars, clicker training, etc) making me less fearful of walking my dogs. I really did not realize how much my emotions played into my dogs behavior.
I met Ms. Ferguson through Virgina German Shepherd Rescue where she volunteers her time training dogs with behavioral issues. I met some of the dogs she was training and they were in rough shape — fearful, aggressive, terrible habits — and after a week or two with her it was a complete transformation. Many of these dogs had been through hell and back and had no training (or love) but after Ms. Ferguson’s boot camp they were the dogs they were always meant to be! Sweet, disciplined family dogs :) after her these dogs found loving homes.
Ms. Ferguson offers her services to the entire metro area and has clients in MD, DC, and VA. I know this because i recommend her to all of my friends around the metro area. I am so lucky to have found her!