Linda, Brady and Pinoe

Stephanie Rigney
Troutville, VA

“I cannot praise Dr. Maxwell enough. Everything she did for us displayed both professionalism and compassion.

She was responsive to electronic contact, she was always on time and maintained excellent communication during our contractual sessions, and has seemed genuinely happy to hear updates post contract sessions. She presented us with a clear contract and an exact price with no surprises. After every session we received a summary of the appointment along with exercises/homework to do until the next session.

Dr. Maxwell listened to our story and our concerns before making any assumptions. She treated our family as a unique group with unique needs and interactions. Our story, briefly, is that we had two rescue dogs that were very easy keepers. Then my daughter found a stray, bloody, emaciated dog near where she lived in a small Texas town. Due to her job and travel, she could not keep her. I said she needed to be dog and cat friendly and we would take her. We met her in Tennessee and brought Linda home. Linda turned out to be neither dog or cat friendly and heartworm positive. I had my house set up like a rescue... there were gates everywhere and rooms set up with dividers. I was also working on muzzle training. After about 3 months we had reached a point where the dogs could be right next to each other with just a fence and no barrier gap, but I was afraid to take the next step of allowing them to freely interact. Here is where Dr. Maxwell came in. She listened to our story and set up an appointment within a very short time. She gave us practical tips and even when correcting things I was doing wrong, never made me feel bad. She always explained the why and taught what body language to look for, both positive and negative. I felt amazingly empowered. We realized Linda (our newest pup) was less about aggression and more about fear. She is now a loving, devoted member of the whole family, not just the human part. The dogs play, snuggle and love each other dearly and Linda has secured herself firmly as the annoying, lovable little sister. She still has issues, like being terrified of the dark, but we see it and create solutions.

I honestly don't know what we would have done without Dr. Maxwell. She gave me the tools and confidence to move forward.

Side Note: We had a different "trainer" (not a behaviorist) come before we found Dr. Maxwell. They put the dogs in the back yard and dropped leashes before assessing the dogs and obviously did not listen to us and our personal story. Their recommendation was to bring Linda to a shelter and not even try to integrate her into the family (not an option for us, especially two weeks into her arriving). It was a disaster for all dogs involved. I knew immediately when talking to Dr. Maxwell that she was different. She listened, asked questions, and then observed. You will not be disappointed in the results. She is worth every penny plus more.”