Testimonials

We are so proud to have worked with so many special dogs throughout the South Florida area.  Each dog we work with becomes part of our extended family and we think of them as one of our own. Working with them has really proven that no breed is too big or too difficult to be trained practicing force-free and humane dog training!

As a long time cat person and a first time dog owner, be that dog a pit bull with special needs at the time, I called upon the services of Sandra Machado.  I was worried about the dog/cat interactions that were upon me.  Not only did Sandra gracefully address my main issue, she bestowed upon me many other lessons that would help build the relationship between me and my new dog.  Her knowledge and skill set is beyond impressive, and the focus and love she gives to even the toughest of cases is one of a kind.  She completely exceeded my expectations and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone.

Heather W.

Sandra started working with my dog Millie about 2 years ago. Millie was very aggressive towards people.  We were seeing some progress with Sandra’s training but Millie started not feeling well.  Long story short Millie was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. Her case was severe and we had to say our good byes to our girl who was only 2 1/2 years old. Our other dog Marley stopped eating!  She had never been the only dog before. Soooo in comes Murphy!!!!  9 week old German Shepard. So of coarse I turned to Sandra for his training needs.  Sandra is so loving, cool, and so calm when it comes to the dogs. They absolutely love her. Murphy has responded so well to her training, that I couldn’t be happier. He is now 7 months and we are going to start scent work training with him.  As for Marley, Sandra also works with her along with Murphy so that they are on the same page with commands.
We just adore Sandra and wouldn’t have anyone else train my dogs!!!  She is the absolute BEST!!

Connie T.

Sandra has been a lifesaver with my crazy Goldendoodle, Daisy!  When Daisy was a puppy Sandra came to the house and not only trained Daisy in the basics like sit, wait, down, but she also taught me how to walk my spirited puppy on a loose leash.  As Daisy has grown Sandra has stayed with us.  She worked with Daisy on scent work, off leash training, retrieving, agility, and now field training.  She has been instrumental in helping me train Daisy not to jump on people as they come into the house.  My Goldendoodle is a sweet, albeit goofy muppet of a dog, and I truly believe that Sandra and her training methods are what has helped to mold Daisy into a great 2 year old, and the dog I have always dreamed of.

Nicole M.

Sandra is a well-trained and knowledgeable resource for anyone looking for help with their dog. She is generous with her time and has a calm and patient  demeanor about her. She does very well in crisis situations and is never put off by dogs with a “history” and/or aggressive tendencies. She produces measurable results when working with dogs and owners who put in the time to implement her training techniques.
Sandra has made herself available to me for countless Rescue situations and she is an invaluable asset to the rescue community. That cannot be said for all trainers.

I highly recommend Sandra and her effective and proven approach to dog training. She is a not a fly-by-night company. She has a proven track record in the training community and is 100% reliable…always going the extra mile. She has been a support for our organization and our dogs at all hours via phone, text and in person. She is THE resource for training and once you get to know Sandra, she will quickly become a family friend to you and your animals. Sandra’s approach is loving but firm and there is no doubt, she loves dogs! And the dogs love her!

Robin D. – Red Hound Rescue

Sandra is a miracle worker!  Rudy, a 90 lb German Shepard, had so many problems when we rescued him that even our vet refused to see him.  Sandra did not let that deter her.  She recognized those issues and started tackling them straightaway, pointing out that fear and a lot of bad things in his young life might have caused his issues. Sandra emphasized that dogs are not born bad and just need to be trained with compassion, positive reinforcement, and understanding rather than through punishment and scaring them. Rudy is so much better now, thanks to Sandra.  We even included her in one of his songs!   Sandra really understands dogs!

Jacqueline K.

Sandra, thank you so much for all your help training Cody (Pomeranian mix).  With all the tools, encouragement, and gentle approach, we were able to get through Cody’s crazy puppy stage.  You are truly a great trainer and best of all Cody loved you.

Doris P.

Our work with Sandra was aimed to reduce fear, stress and stubbornness with our little Pebbles (miniature pinscher). Notice I said, “OUR WORK”. After two failed attempts with other dog trainers, more fear, stress and anxiety set in. This third time when interviewing a trainer we decided to try something different, it was Sandra! We felt a huge sense of compassion, kindness and tenderness for her training techniques and love for dogs, all dogs.

Sandra is very unique in the way she works with the dog, there is no shocking, no choke collars and no “pouch throwing”. We had great results from lots of repetition, compassion and kindness, of course treats too! We conquered some situations that were very difficult for Pebbles and our family. An important one for our family was when my mom (big animal lover) would visit, Pebbles would shake, pace and hide for hours. Another serious problem was when someone would come to the door, she would bite, bark, jump, pace, the stress level was out of control, we conquered that too.

The experience we had working with Sandra was amazing, and the results are proof that Sandra, owner of Learned Behaviors can help YOU help your dog!

Cheryl C.

My training relationship with Sandra started when I had a conversation with a friend of mine that lives in Georgia. She has 2 small dogs and her trainer uses positive reinforcement techniques promoted by Victoria Stillwell. I was very interested in this type of training as I had used trainers in the past for other dogs but they all used a dominant based training technique. I came home to South Florida and found that Sandra was a trainer in my area who trained under Victoria Stillwell and used this positive reinforcement method, and that’s how she came into our lives…..My dog Zayda is a 105 lb Bernese Mountain dog and she became very anxious when people came into our home. I was becoming very worried about her behavior towards people entering our home and from our first meeting with Sandra I began to see changes in how Zayda reacted to people and what we could do in a positive way to help her work through her anxiety. Zayda responded so well to the positive reinforcement training and Sandra worked beautifully with her and our family. My husband and 3 teenage boys did not have a good experience with previous trainers and were hesitant to become involved with this new training. Sandra made the sessions fun and very uplifting, we even got their friends to help with sessions!! Sandra always walks into a session with a smile on her face and eager to work with all of us. We have had very good success with the training and continue to work on all aspects that are necessary for the well being of Zayda and our family. I cannot say enough good things about Sandra and encourage everyone to use this positive reinforcement as their training method.

Theresa L.

I am writing this testimonial about Sandra’s personal canine in-home training services, because she went and continues to go above and beyond to assist us with all of our needs.  Sandra has a genuine love for animals that is evident the first moment you speak to her.  Her interactions with the animals she works with are nurturing and positive.  She embodies patience and teaches a myriad of creative behavioral modification strategies and techniques that are easy to understand and implement.  When my family needed assistance training our puppy last summer, she was flexible and made herself available at our convenience.  She bonded with our puppy immediately and in five session, she taught us positive behavior techniques associated with potty training strategies, staying on her “place” (dog bed), staying when someone comes to the door, waiting and dropping whatever is in her mouth, walking outside appropriately, sitting and laying down, and strategies for minimizing chewing and puppy biting with my children.  In addition, she introduced us to ‘nose work,’ as a creative strategy to keep our puppy busy and entertained.  She modeled the teaching of these behaviors and taught us how to reinforce and maintain them.  It should be noted that Sandra is very knowledgeable regarding all dog breeds, which is important when tailoring training.  Furthermore, she has provided us with numerous resources associated with vet names, holistic vet and dog sitter contacts, pet products, as well as natural remedies that have been effective.  What is most impressive, is that to this day, she checks in on us and makes herself available to answer any questions that we may have at anytime.  I highly recommend her services, and consider her to be an expert at what she does.  We are very grateful that she was recommended to us.

J. Paik-Alonso, Ed.S.