Ashley & Lefty

Ruth and the See Spot Run team are like Lefty’s second family. Our lifestyle is very unusual and requires lots of flexibility. If it were not for Ruth, our lives would be so much harder. From late night airport pickups, organizing someone to drive him to us, baths, walks, training, nail trims, extra play time, and helping us navigate having a German Shepherd with a newborn baby. They have done it all for us and been through a lot with us. There is not a single day that goes by where I have to worry about how Lefty is being treated while being boarded. From week-long stays, to just coming in for a bath, Lefty always leaves with the happiest attitude. The last five years that we have been clients of See Spot Run, I have recommended so many friends to come here and everyone always leaves with a happy dog and often times extra knowledge, because Ruth truly wants everyone to be the best dog parent they can be.

Ruth & Waco

I have worked with trainer Coralyn virtually for a year, training for competitive Rally. I wasn’t brand new to the sport when we started, but Coralyn still had a big job on their hands helping my dog and I relearn from the ground up how to build the joyful engagement and beautiful precision I craved. Working a rescued hound mix isn’t always easy but Coralyn used their brilliant eye, superb skill breakdowns, creative reward markers and never ending enthusiasm for heelwork to patiently mold us into the team I really wanted us to be. After a year of hard work we finally got our rally advanced title with the scores I wanted, to earn us a CARO RA- MCL. We have many more titles ahead of us and I know I’ll always want to call on Coralyn’s expertise when I meet new skills I need to learn. You will absolutely not regret approaching a career in obedience with trainer Coralyn navigating your journey. Whether you’re just starting or have already taken steps, Coralyn has the knowledge and love of the sport to get you where you want to go.

Molly & Oona

I adopted Oona, a 4-month-old rescue puppy, just before the pandemic. Coralyn immediately recognized my dog’s spicy personality and interest in trick training as a behavior management opportunity. Through a variety of virtual and in-person lessons over the last few years, we gained skills for reactivity to other dogs, polite greetings with humans, advanced tricks, and even learned freestyle doggy dance choreography. Coralyn tailors their instruction and approach to you and your pet — I have learned so much from their classes!

Daphne & Riot

Coralyn is an exceptional trainer. I wanted to learn more about the world of IGP with my puppy Riot and Coralyn has been our Jedi master. They break down their lessons in a simple and effective way that is easy to follow and allows us to build up on once we grasp the concept. I’ve taken some of their ideas to add on to my own tool belt as a professional trainer. Riot and I were excited to show our progress and eager to learn more each lesson. We also love their helpful homework handouts and video examples of the behaviors they have taught us. Their pups Cupid and Mars are goals for Riot’s sport dog journey. We appreciate everything we have learned from them and look forward to learning many more things from them!

Lauren & Luna

We’ve used See Spot Run for two of our very different dogs. Most recently, our Newfoundland Luna, she attends daycare multiple days a week. Having worked at a dog daycare myself, Ruth’s team is the only one I trust. I love knowing my girl is having the time of her life, playing with other dogs while being monitored closely by trainers equipped with extensive knowledge of dog behavior. I never worry about something happening due to negligence or “sorry I was on my phone.” I know Luna is safe, cared for, and happy.

We also used Ruth to help us train our very leash reactive Neapolitan Mastiff, Poe. We’ve worked with a few trainers back in Connecticut and her methods were the most effective when it came to his reactivity. Ruth taught us, not only how to navigate walks in our neighborhood and at parks with Poe, but foundational skills to work with any dogs we may have in the future.

In a place where dog daycares are a dime a dozen, Ruth, and her team at See Spot Run are the real deal.

Natalia & Lucy

Ruth is my sanity saver. I didn’t know if I can go on owning a dog with a toddler and expecting another on the way. Things do not come instinctively when it comes to dog training, and we needed the help to make things work for our family. We enlisted Lucy in behavioral training at 9 months and it was a great time to do so ( habits are not too hardwired, she still seemed pretty impressionable). Biggest lesson though as a new owner- the skills we learned here need to be applied for life. Kids don’t learn to become adults in a month, same applies to dogs. We got great feedback, Lucy got lots of love , and I got back most of my sanity.

Nina, Daniel & Suki

We adopted Suki straight off a beach in Ecuador. She and her litter mates had been abandoned next to a pile of rotting fish that the local fishermen tossed up on the beach near the house where we were staying. Three of that litter came home with us, two were adopted out, and we kept Suki.

On Suki’s first day in Chicago the difficulty of her transition was abruptly marked when in a flash she nipped at the heels of a runner who had passed by the front door of our home. In the following two weeks she would make countless biting attempts like this: fearful bites when her new urban environment triggered some feral instinct. We both began to wonder if she would have been better-off left on the beach in Ecuador. However, it was when she successfully bit a very close friend, himself a lover of dogs, twice, in one evening that we became truly unsettled about just what we had taken on. While I began looking at adoption options, Nina looked up See Spot Run, and we made our first SOS call to Ruth.

It was when Suki met Ruth that our training truly began. Through a patient practice of building structure and predictability, Ruth and her team at See Spot Run, provided us with the tools we would need to create a foundation of trust that allowed Suki to be at ease in her new environment. Within weeks we saw marked changes in Suki’s, and our own, behavior. Within a few months we were able to breathe with relief as we realized that Suki was not some little devil-dingo delivered to make our lives miserable, but in fact a loving member of our family who only needed some critical guidance from us, her adopted parents, in how to navigate the newness of her surroundings.

Ruth, Scott, Taylor and the entire staff at See Spot Run have been an indispensable resource for us in our journey with Suki. And for her part, Suki enriches our lives daily. And we are very happy that we made that first call to See Spot Run.

Kathy & Guinness

I would highly recommend See Spot Run! We moved to Chicago from outside Philadelphia with our ten year old German Shepherd and was looking for a place to board. His transition to this new environment was seamless as Ruth and her very competent staff “got him”. I added daily walks to his boarding routine which he enjoyed greatly. I felt at ease each time I left him in their care as he happily entered the office and when taken back to the kennel area he never looked back to see where I was….that is the best recommendation coming from a real Momma’s boy! Thank you Ruth and staff…..I hope we can find another kennel/trainer just like you in our new home outside of Atlanta….we’ll miss you!

Nadia & Addy

We had a fantastic experience with our pitbull, Addy, and the Board and Train program at See Spot Run. Addy is a very social dog, but from living in different shelters and receiving no training as a puppy, she developed some behavior problems on-leash and in groups of unknown dogs. Ruth was fair, generous and spot-on (no pun intended) in understanding Addy’s behavioral challenges and working with her compassionately to overcome them. When visiting Addy about one week into her program, we were amazed with the level of comfort and appropriate play skills Addy developed with other dogs. It was awesome to see that our dog was learning *how* to enjoy the social interactions she always wanted to be part of. Ruth also gave us ample training follow-up sessions, which helped us implement what Addy learned in our busy Bucktown neighborhood. Addy is thrilled to be learning how to be a good citizen, on leash and off, and we are thrilled to watch her grow. Thank you, Ruth and team!

Cara & Rowan

We came to See Spot Run for guidance in helping our new pup deal with his separation anxiety and fear issues around going for walks outside in the city and are SO happy with our experience! Ruth was incredibly helpful, caring, and patient in working with us, and was able to really clearly demonstrate skills and model interactions, as well as taking the time to answer all of our questions. She took the time needed to help our dog, Rowan get comfortable with her, and was creative with engaging him despite his shyness. After working with Ruth we feel much more confident in our training regiment. I would highly recommend Ruth and See Spot Run, and definitely plan to go back to them again!

Mary & Sam

I am so overcome with gratitude for your help with my new Tibetan Terrier puppy, Sam that I wanted to write to let you know how valuable your coaching and expertise were in developing me into a good and confident handler for Sam. I don’t know if you recall how frustrated and desperate I was when I brought Sam’s issues to your attention several months ago, but I was truly at wit’s end. My heart raced when I had to take him into the elevator to go outside to do his business. I knew his issues were not obedience related because he handles all those types of commands like a champ. He’s a lovely and agreeable dog. His issues were behavioral and I didn’t know what to do. I’ve had several dogs in the past, yet this situation was different and I didn’t know what to do. I knew the solution was not to send him to boot camp for several weeks as I had tried that with my first puppy many years ago when I lived in Canada. In that instance, I thought I could send Duke, a large and very active German Shorthaired Pointer, away for 30 days of intensive training and he would come back perfect. It didn’t work and was too harsh. Because of my failed experience with Duke, I knew intuitively that I needed to do something differently this time with Sam, but I didn’t know what. Thankfully, I brought this up with you.

As I was describing what I was facing, you told me that by working with me you could help me develop as Sam’s handler so that my relationship and bond with him would be strong resulting in Sam having confidence, a coping mechanism and the trust in me as his handler. Sam’s issues really stemmed from my lack of skill. It took me a lot to realize I had to put in the time and commitment to help him develop the coping skills he needed. Sam’s my buddy and no one else could do it for us.

With regular work, lots of practicing and consistent application of the techniques and principles you taught me, Sam and I have gotten to a wonderful place. We’ve had virtually no issues in our condo building or on our walks because I recognized that Sam’s issues were because of my lack of knowing what to do to help him when he was confronted with a scary or stressful situation. As Sam’s human companion, it was my responsibility to invest my time to fixing this. As I developed, Sam became calmer and more trusting in my ability to manage any situation. You helped me do that quite successfully and I am very proud of what we have accomplished together.

At the onset, you said it would take a specified amount of time, twice a week for eight weeks, and you were spot on in the amount of time you predicted we would need. We graduated today. We need to continually practice and keep our skills sharp, which we will happily do.

Thank you so very much, Ruth. You are such a gifted, knowledgeable and talented animal behaviorist and trainer. We are forever in your debt.

Britney & Bailey

I reached out to Ruth to help my Great Dane Bailey and I with Bailey’s reactivity on walks. Bailey had been pretty leash reactive to other dogs when we adopted her, and we had worked with a trainer to help manage that. However, when her reactivity started extending to people – barking at runners, men and people around corners who startled her – I knew we needed some new help. I followed See Spot Run on Instagram, and had seen Ruth practicing drills with other reactive dogs that I knew could help us. Over the course of five sessions, Ruth helped us build a foundation of leash skills that helped us better navigate Bailey’s triggers on busy city streets. Ruth recommended acclimating Bailey to a head halter, which helped me more easily direct Bailey’s attention and strengthened our leash walking skills. In the last couple sessions, Ruth brought in other trainers so we could practice our new skills in real life situations where we would need them. That’s what I appreciated most – our training time felt focused on practical advice and fixes that would improve Bailey’s and my day-to-day life (including leash and halter recommendations). It’s been several months, and while Bailey isn’t “cured,” I am much more confident in my handling, and we have so many more successful, reaction-free walks under our belts. The other day when we navigated a busy morning walk encountering men, dogs, and squirrels, I knew I had Ruth/See Spot Run to thank.