I have had the pleasure of working with Alisha to provide behavior modification and support to some of my toughest cases. I appreciate her compassion and professionalism. I even took her "Surviving Adolescence" class with my personal dog when I was just starting out many years ago. She works well as part of a team, uses only scientifically proven positive reinforcement training methods, communicates clearly in a timely manner, and is an asset to any behavior therapy plan.
Amy Learn VMD, FFCP, LSH silver, Chief of Clinical Behavioral Medicine at the Animal Behavior Wellness Center in Richmond VA
I have had the privilege of knowing Alisha for the past several years both as a colleague, trainer and most recently providing contract services in behavior consulting for my company, Honest To Dog, LLC in Virginia.
Alisha is already an accomplished trainer, yet continues furthering her education through seminars, reading and workshops and conferences. She is inspiring in how she pursues the most humane, positive methods of training, seeks out the science to back them up and then puts them into practice. This ensures her colleagues and students have the benefit of an exceptional body of knowledge.
She has exceptional skills training both dogs and their people. Her dedication to furthering the human-animal bond combined with her professional communication skills makes her excellent at working with behavior issues. She has the skills needed to analysis a behavior issue and provide a training plan or referral, as needed, for a variety of training and behavior concerns.
Alisha is very skilled at encouraging excellence through positive support and clear communication with both clients and other pet professionals.
Michelle Mullins CDBC, KPA CTP FFCP (Trainer), Owner Honest To Dog, LLC, IAABC Foundation, President
I’ve worked in an animal shelter for 16 years, so I’ve been able to observe and work with a number of different dog trainers. Alisha Fritz is a trainer of the absolute highest quality. She worked wonders with shelter pets that demonstrated very difficult behaviors such as aggression towards strangers and/or other pets. Alisha is responsible for countless pets getting adopted and staying in their homes that wouldn’t have been so lucky if they hadn’t worked with her. Additionally, Alisha was a fantastic class instructor and behavior consultant and one of the most trustworthy people I’ve ever come across. You and your pets couldn’t be in better hands.
Timothy Joyner, Director of Education & Admissions, Richmond SPCA
When Bo started training, he was demonstrating reactive behaviors towards our cats and dog. He also suffered from extreme separation anxiety. The training sessions, recommended literature and at-home exercises in conjunction with time and medication have completely transformed him. He has become such a sweet, happy boy! He and his kitty sisters are fully integrated and his tail wags when they see each other and touch noses. He got a new puppy brother and has bonded with him immediately! Now when he runs into a situation where he feels uncomfortable or overwhelmed, he is able to vocalize that and avoid any issues. We are so glad that we didn’t give up on him and that Alisha was there every step of the way, guiding and encouraging us.
Melissa M. & Bo
Alisha is an incredible and knowledgeable trainer who can make even the most seemingly impossible happen! I was able to keep my recently adopted dog in the home because of Alisha's help with unexpected behavior challenges. Alisha was gracious with her time, and was dedicated to keeping Godric in my home, and she was able to prevent him from returning to the shelter system through training me in how to best work with his specific challenges. I have worked with Alisha in a number of capacities from private lessons to group classes, and learned so much in every facet. My dog had reactivity issues with small pets and other dogs, and had issues with impulse control that seemed at first to be an impossible mountain to overcome, but with Alisha's expertise and help, we implemented her strategies and practiced drills she gave us, and Godric is now a happy boy with many new skills under his belt! Alisha truly saved my relationship with my best boy; we have much to thank Alisha for.
Eva C. & Godric
My labrador Harley and I attended one of Alisha’s puppy manner classes. I was so impressed, I signed up for many other classes that Alisha taught. Although I expected to learn about how to teach Harley manners and tricks, Alisha also helped me better understand how my puppy learns, and how to keep her focused. Alisha emphasized the bond between dog and handler, and was very in tune to dogs' stress levels, being careful to separate shy or anxious dogs from the rest of the group. Harley is very "enthusiastic" and was one of the higher energy dogs in the class. Alisha was good about tailoring the learning to each dog based on their personality and interest. I highly recommend Alisha. She loves dogs and is very knowledgeable about how to enhance their relationships with their humans. And she works well with humans too!
Kim C. & Harley