It has been our pleasure and joy to own our special labrador retriever, Callie. A significant part of this joy comes from having a well-mannered dog that has been sufficiently trained but not broken in spirit.

Let me tell you about our experience with Jill Breitner. We had not owned a puppy in a number of years nor had we ever properly trained a dog. As we searched for someone who would nurture the spirit and enhance a lab’s personality, we got advice from all our friends and even strangers in the street. Jill’s name came up through a number of sources; all references pointed to her love of the animals and ability to train spirited dogs successfully. After a thorough investigation, we decided to have Jill join the family (my husband, myself and our dog) for a few, it seems all-too-brief sessions. Once again, I’m amazed at how well Jill mannered our Callie while educating us in dog behavior and owner responsibilities.

We could not be more pleased with our results. We have a dog, perfect for us; we now suit the dog as owners and masters, and Jill remains a friend and companion to both Callie and us. She frequently looks in on the dog, with a shy but clever reminder to us of what works and more importantly what doesn’t work.

If you want a dog to suit a loving, warm home, without equivocation we can recommend Jill.

—Diane and Gary Cuccio, California

It is said that a well trained dog is a happy dog.

I have had the pleasure to know Jill Breitner for quite a while. she is a great person and a fantastic animal trainer. Jill helped my own dog, Roz, but the reason I recommend her so often to my clients is because of her gentle yet firm way of training the animals. By analyzing the animal, owner and problem, Jill has always gotten to the source of the problem and worked to fix that rather than make the pet respond mechanically. Her explanations of why something happens and the natural response of the animal to certain situations makes her clients very well prepared to lead to happy and good animal ownership for both the pet and the human. Dave McCrystle, D.V.M.

—Dave McCrystle, D.V.M. Healdsburg Veterinary Hospital, California

It is a pleasure to tell anyone who’ll listen (or read this) what an amazing experience it has been to observe Jill work with our beloved golden retriever, Holly. In 1999, we took Holly, at age six months, to a trainer elsewhere in California whose references we checked thoroughly (alas) before boarding her there for three months. ... To our dismay, his approach to training resulted in her becoming fearful, antisocial and aggressive…traits rarely associated with golden retrievers! In desperation, I consulted Holly’s veterinarian, Dr. Dave McCrystal, for a solution. His suggestion was that I contact Jill immediately, which we did.

Watching Jill talk to and relate to Holly, listening to her assess Holly’s behavior with us and ours with Holly, and hearing her explain to us the “whys” of Holly’s behavior, revealed to us Jill’s rare empathy and understanding of the workings of a dog’s mind. Simply put, I’m convinced she can read a dog’s mind. She knows that what a dog wants to do most of all is to please and to obey, but it needs to understand clearly how to accomplish that for its owner/master/partner. That—the “how to”—is precisely what Jill is able to impart to the dog and the owner, with mutual respect forming the basis for the pet and owner relationship. It’s nothing short of miraculous to see her communicate with dogs…at least, that has been our reaction. (I am confident that this transfers completely to her work with other animals. Although I don’t have a horse, I have seen her work with horses and it’s remarkable.

Because of Jill, we have regained the wonderfully loving and gentle (if enormously energetic!) Holy we had before her experience with the other trainer. It’s as if she’s been given back to us—the aberrant behavior an alarming, but brief (thanks to Jill’s help), “blip” in her life with us. As devoted as Holly is to all of us—her family—she positively worships Jill. And we couldn’t be more pleased…or more grateful.

We have recommended Jill to our friends, who have later thanked us profusely for that advice. We continue the recommendation.

—Marth Kemp, California

Hi. My name is Carissa Chava de Ojai and I am 12 years old.  I am a sweet gorgeous Paso Fino mare (also quite humble) and my mom loves me.  Mom adopted me two years ago and didn't know how to ride.  She was hoping I could help her with that.  Well, I did what I could but I was nervous for her so I didn't move much at all.  Mom became frustrated with riding me and so I got to play in the pasture every day with my new friends.  Then Jill Breitner came along.  Mom told Jill about her frustrations with me.  Whoops!  My life has changed forever.  Mom thinks her life has never been better because Jill taught mom how to communicate with me in my special language and now we go riding all the time.  I love and respect my mom even more than I did before.  Jill enabled my mom to learn to ride safely and to understand my feelings and to communicate with me in my special horsey way.

My favorite gift from Jill is that she made my mom and me closer.  We truly respect each other now.  One of Mom's favorite activities is to companion walk with me (that is, mom and me walking together but with no halter and lead).  Jill showed mom how to walk wherever she wanted and at whatever speed and I was always right next to her.  I'm very excited about our next step; we are going to dance to music together.  I've got the coolest mom and the best trainer/friend in my whole life.  Mom and I often think about the day Jill walked into our lives and transformed us forever.  We will never forget her gifts and she is like a gift that keeps on giving.  Jill genuinely loves to share her training skills with everyone she meets because she genuinely loves animals-ALL animals.  The world would be a better and more peaceful place if more people treated animals as Jill does.   Everyone that Jill meets is left with her gift of humanity.

My mom and I would wholeheartedly recommend Jill Breitner as the best animal trainer available.

—Debra, California

I was having difficulty with my yearling pushing and pulling me all over the place when I was trying to lead her, anywhere. She has stepped on my feet, hit me in the eye with her head, it was black and blue for a week, jumped right into the back of me as if I wasn’t there for seemingly no reason. I was always bruised and becoming fearful of taking her out of her pen. A very good friend told me about Jill Breitner and she has saved my life. I live in Illinois and I called her on the phone. We talked about many things but what I gleaned most out of our conversation was that my horse didn’t respect me and that they are herd animals needing a leader. Jill very thoroughly explained a method by which I could safely lead my horse by creating a safety bubble where my filly knew she couldn’t come into, unless invited. I was so overwhelmed after our phone consultation, that I thought I would never remember what to do. I took notes and did exactly what Jill told me to do and that was to practice with a human friend first, make all my mistakes there and then go out with my filly. The next time I took my filly out we did the exercises Jill told us to do in the pen before ever leaving the pen and when we walked through that gate, she was a different horse. I was shocked how having leadership over a horse can have such a profound effect, once you learn their language. I actually think my filly was relieved that I finally knew what I was doing. She was becoming so bratty and unmanageable our relationship was deteriorating quickly. By becoming her leader, she actually became sweeter. I must admit, I was a little skeptical at first to think someone could help me over the phone, but Jill is very good at explaining things so that you can understand it and will go over and over it until you completely understand it. Jill never lost her patience with me, just kept explaining it in many different ways until I got it. I now have a filly I feel safe around. My filly is a pleasure to be around, to groom, to lead and this is truly a blessing. I highly recommend Jill if you want a better relationship with your horse or any animal for that matter, Jill even answered some doggie questions I had.

—Diane Whitley, Illinois

Jill, what you have done for Brandon and I is nothing short of a miracle. As you know, I'm suffering from cancer and my treatment is making me very weak, making it more difficult to handle Brandon. I was at the point of hiring someone else to take care of him and ride him, when a woman at the barn told me about you. Your guidance and patience with me and my horse has taught me so much about myself and horses and I've been around them most of my life. What you taught me about herd behavior has enabled me to care for Brandon and even continue to ride him. Remember, I couldn't even get his raincoat on without him thinking the world was going to crash in on him. I've learned to be calm when he's afraid and by showing this leadership, he actually trusts me more. This 18h wonder-horse is now looking to me for leadership and I didn't even realize his fears could be soothed by me assuming this role of leader. It makes so much sense and I am so grateful to you for your gift of gab in teaching me what I needed to learn so that Brandon and I could bond in a way I never thought possible. I thought he would be like this forever, that this is just the kind of horse he is and I would have to always be on guard and manage him. I know differently now and I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I know Brandon does too. We are forever grateful and galloping.

—Silver, CaliforniaHow would you like to be able to open your front door and let the dogs out with you to get the mail, with complete trust, that they will NOT leave the yard, or go into the street? THEY HAVE LEARNED NOT TO CROSS THE LINE that separates the yard from danger.   How would you like to take your dog for a walk and every time you get to the corner he sits and waits for the OK to cross into the street,? My dogs do this now.

I used to have a dog that didn’t like other dogs.  It used to kill me – he’s a pack animal and disliked dogs. Now he loves his friends.  He also wouldn’t come when I called him, not any more.
 
Jill Breitner is a doggie miracle worker.  They speak the same language. I don’t know how she does it, a look, a word, a hand signal.  She is one gifted animal trainer and communicator.

Oh, and one more thing -- I took my dogs for a lesson at her barn, to work in bigger distractions, and when I pulled up Jill was riding her horse... WITHOUT a bridle and WITHOUT a saddle.  I couldn’t believe what was happening! How could that be?   After witnessing this fantastic spectacle, I could have watched all day; Jill told me she was doing liberty work with her horse. She does things with her horse on the ground that looks like she's dancing with her horse, it is so beautiful to watch them in action and then ride with nothing on. Jill says this work is built on trust, respect and the intricate way that horses communicate. Unbelievable! I was certain that I had the right dog trainer for my dogs.

—Laurie, California