From Overwhelmed to Unstoppable: Pixie’s Online Training Journey

Pixie and I first came to Eryn at Believe in Magic just after I bought her home as a 5-month-old pup in 2020. I was really struggling—I’d never had a puppy before and was so overwhelmed and confused by all of the conflicting advice on various internet sites that I decided I needed professional advice! Eryn was incredible and just made everything so straightforward—it really did feel like she’d waved a magic wand! 

After our initial consultation I jumped at the chance to sign us up for a Beginner Life Skills class, that covered so much from basic essentials to focus games and free work.  I was astonished after every class how much we’d both learned and most importantly, Eryn made it so much fun and coached everyone in the group to get the best out of every session. We have not looked back and still train weekly with the Superior Group. 

The online format is perfect for us; there is no doubt that it has accelerated our learning. Pixie can be very ‘fizzy’ and moves at 1000 miles an hour and as a pup, was wary of other dogs, so I doubt we’d have been able to progress as quickly in in-person classes. Online has also been so much more accessible and has allowed me to commit to training very easily from wherever we are, with no travel and no need to think about weather, etc.  It’s the one hour a week where it’s just about spending time with Pixie, I can forget about everything else going on in life and have fun with like-minded people and their amazing dogs. I feel you get much more 1-1 support than if you were at an in-person class.  Eryn is so patient and makes each process easy to follow, ensuring you are clear at every step and is a master at noticing when you need help or something is not working for you or your dog and suggests an alternative so you always feel you are making progress.

Along with Eryn’s expert advice and support, our group is an amazing community that I feel so lucky to be a part of. Everyone is so supportive and always on hand to offer advice, support and laughs!  Eryn goes above and beyond every week to ensure we all get the best from class, always coming up with new ideas and fun classes, including puzzles for us humans! I love that we can work on shared and personal goals, which has allowed me to work at Pixie’s pace on things that are unique to her. I don’t think this would be possible to do in in-person classes without disrupting other participants. 

Aside from having loads of fun, I’ve learned so much from Eryn over the last few years, particularly about the importance of enrichment, mental stimulation and advocating for our dogs . It has been incredible to see Pixie’s confidence grow from when she was a pup - our training has helped me to understand her so much more deeply and made our bond so much stronger. 

I could give hundreds of examples when I’ve been so proud and delighted by Pixie’s achievements, from her first days learning to sit, to learning scentwork and her impressive recall! We have also loved working on the APDT Good Companion Awards recently - I’ve loved showing off Pixie’s rosettes ❤️  

Thanks for being incredible Eryn ❤️