SIOBHAN FLAHERTY'S BACKGROUND
Siobhan was born in Washington, D.C. and spent her younger years living in Maryland, China, and South Korea. She moved to Golden, Colorado in 2001. Siobhan has always been passionate about animals of all kinds. She grew up around animals ranging from lizards and rodents, to ferrets, dogs, cats, and horses. Siobhan attended Colorado State University and majored in Equine Science. While attending CSU, she took a horse training class during which she fell in love with training animals.
Siobhan worked several years in the horse industry before becoming a dog trainer. Dogs have always been an important part of her life, although not all of her dog experiences were positive ones. At the age of two, Siobhan was attacked by a food aggressive dog, which resulted in 10 stitches in her face. Her family’s dog was also food aggressive, so she grew up thinking that ALL dogs would bite while they were eating. That did not change her love for them one bit.
At age 13, Siobhan got her own dog, who would be her best friend, companion, and rock for the next 16 years. Wanting to be a responsible dog owner, she took her Lab mix puppy, Hershey, to a pet store for training. Hershey was the best dog in the class, but as soon as Siobhan took her out into “the real world”, Hershey was a nightmare. She would pull on the leash, show aggression to dogs that walked past, and would run away if she got loose. Hershey’s bad behavior improved later in life but never went away completely. Siobhan always felt like there had to be a better way.
When Siobhan found Lorenzo’s Dog Training Team, she knew she had finally found the dog training solution she had been looking for. When she joined the team, she adopted her current dog, Titus, and feels his puppy stage would have been disastrous with any other training method. She and Titus spent 8 weeks in Cleveland learning from Lorenzo and other trainers on the team. She is excited to bring Lorenzo’s Dog Training Team to the Denver area. Siobhan loves that she gets to help teach dog owners how to live in better harmony with their canine companions. As she works towards her goal of becoming a Master Trainer, she looks forward to keeping dogs out of shelters, educating dog owners, and giving back to these amazing animals which have given her so much.
Siobhan enjoys spending time with her family, riding and training her horses, and hiking with Titus.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
I adopted a Pyrenees mix 8 months ago. She is now 5. She arrived with a great deal of baggage. I was unable to walk her as she was very strong and untrained. I was fortunate enough to hear of Siobhan. She recommended a behavior modification boarding program. Within 1 week, Shyla was a different dog. She is home now and completing the in-home training. I am able to walk her now and really enjoy it. She is so well trained, relaxed, and happy. I cannot say enough about Siobhan's skill and love for dogs. It is a real pleasure to observe her in action! I thank my lucky stars for Siobhan!!
Liz Pixley
Denver, Colorado
We have a Yorkipoo puppy who was very difficult to train. We started working with Siobhan, who was referred to us from a friend, 2 months ago. Teddy was disobedient, having accidents all over the house, and all around difficult. He went to live with Siobhan for "boot camp" for a month and is SO much better. The most important part is that she trained me very well with how to reinforce what he learned while living with her. He is a totally different dog, and I am so grateful we found her!
Kimberly Coughlon
Denver, Colorado
My husband and I were referred to Siobhan for dog training. I did not think our two 6-year-old Irish Setters were trainable. Siobhan showed us that it could be done. She was very patient with us while we learned to work with these boys. Much to my surprise, we were able to work with them off leash both in our front yard and in a nearby park. Siobhan was always on time for our appointment and worked with us for a few cancellations. She was always professional and encouraged us all the time. We are pleased with the results of our training sessions. We highly recommend her to anyone thinking about training their dog. Her passion for working and training dogs is obvious. She was very good to our dogs. We will miss having her come to our house and work with us.
Mary Alice "Sweets" Bross-Evans & Jeff Evans
Denver, Colorado
I just finished up Basic Obedience training with Siobhan for my dog, Katie. She (Katie that is) is just over six months old, and we have had her for a bit over four months. Katie is a very sweet doggie, but we were at our wits' end over how to control her behavior. We found Siobhan in November, and she came to our home to see what her training might offer. We started working with her right away, and we are very glad we did. We have a much different pup dog now thanks to the training of Siobhan. It takes some work because you have to spend time each day practicing the commands, but it is well worth the effort. One little example: Katie used to show affection by biting our hands when we petted her, which is no fun on the receiving end. Now she only licks our hands, which is a joy to receive.
The training does not rely on treats for obedience but on praise for reinforcement (you do not want to be out of luck if you run out of treats). Katie obeys a ton of basic commands that went in one ear and out another before we started the training: like coming when called to come for instance.
The training is divided into on-leash and off-leash sections. I can take Katie to the park and have her keep by my side even when she is off the leash. That is a miracle compared to what we were dealing with before we started with Siobhan and the Lorenzo training method. She ran around the back yard like a crazy dog and she would come in and jump up on us in a way that put us at risk of serious injury, not out of malice but just out of exuberance. Now she comes in quietly and lies down and chews her dog toys in peace.
If you have a problem dog, Siobhan and the Lorenzo's method are the way to go. We still have work to do, but the basic structures are now in place. We really enjoy Katie now instead of dreading what she might do next. Siobhan comes to the house where it is possible to focus on what needs to be learned and on what to learn next.
We are awfully glad we found her. That is all.
Ed Whitney & Rebekah Levi
Denver, Colorado
We used Lorenzo's Dog Training in Dallas for a 3-1/2 year old rescue English Black Lab with severe anxiety and socialization problems to bring him to normalcy and find the sweet, loyal pet we knew he could be. Lorenzo's Team did an absolutely amazing job with him.
When we moved to Denver and acquired a new golden retriever puppy, we sought out Lorenzo's Team locally and met Siobhan Flaherty. Our Gracie Belle was a normal puppy but very headstrong and barked incessantly when not in our immediate presence. At 5 months of age, Siobhan began working with her, intensely at first by boarding her in her home for four weeks, making amazing strides on all behavior fronts in only one week! Gracie's barking stopped and her response to distractions as a puppy immediately became more disciplined.
Siobhan trained us as owners as much or more than our pet! We met each Saturday for 1-1/2 hours for 4 additional weeks after Gracie's intense daily training. These sessions were aimed at ensuring that my wife and I handled Gracie correctly and to learn new techniques with her. We just finished that work today.
Siobhan was a delight to work with throughout the training of Gracie and us. Very accessible, flexible on her hours, very patient with us as owners (who typically need more training), and wonderful with our dog. Equally important, she has a comfortable personality which made every session with her something we looked forward to.
We now have a well behaved and effectively trained puppy of only 7 months - an amazing feat on Siobhan's part. We are thankful to her, and we highly recommend her to anyone seeking help in helping their pet achieve their potential as a disciplined family member. We also are now twice impressed with the quality of care and service in a non-pressured relationship with members of Lorenzo's team. Give Siobhan the chance to make your relationship with your pet rewarding!
Tom and Marilee Harvey
Denver, Colorado
Lorenzo’s Dog Training Team, especially Siobhan, has been great with our dogs! She worked with us and our dogs for a few training sessions, and we’ve seen vast improvements, especially with our most stubborn pup. She even offered to work one on one with him while we had to go out of town at the last minute. She was able to educate us on leash handling and commands for our dogs which really helped with making our walking times easier. The sessions have come in handy, especially with having three dogs. Siobhan has been personable, patient, and knowledgeable throughout the training sessions. Thank you so much for all the help you’ve given us and our pups!
Kunthea Kry (with Buddy, Youji, and Grayson)
Broomfield, Colorado
My Corgi, Logan, is a sassy little guy (like most Corgis), and he started showing aggression dominance. Siobhan with Lorenzo’s Dog Training did an excellent job with Logan and took the time to explain the process of the training and listened to what my needs were as an owner. Logan is like a new dog! His dominance issues are 100 times better, and, as an owner, I could not be happier. Siobhan is the best trainer I have met, and I recommend her training 100%.
Chelsea Coleman
Denver, Colorado
I have the highest praise for Siobhan and Lorenzo's Dog Training! A year ago, I adopted a shelter dog that was terrified of everything. She came from a kill shelter in New Mexico and was abused by men. Siobhan started working with us a couple of months ago and the change in Pippi is amazing! She may never love other people, but has learned that it is okay for them to visit without barking and growling. Some can even pet her! Of course there is a change in me as well. We are both happier with each other and much more relaxed! I can't thank Siobhan and the training enough. I wish I could have done it sooner!
Karen O'Leary
Arvada, Colorado
Our experience with Siobhan was excellent. Throughout the course of our training, Siobhan got to know our German Shepherd, Athena, very well. Having a good understanding of Athena's personality was a key detail in the success of her training. Siobhan did a great job of knowing when to push Athena to do more and when to take a break to give praise. Not only are we pleased to have Athena be more obedient, but she is also a noticeably calmer dog. We are very grateful for Siobhan's dog training abilities!
Bob & Justine Egrek
Mantua, Ohio
Today again, a few months after Bella spent 3 weeks with Siobhan, I walked Bella without a leash, and she was only minimally distracted by other dogs during the walk. There hasn't been a single day since we got Bella home from boarding that I haven't thought about Lorenzo and his team, especially Siobhan. We took her to Lorenzo one Monday evening extremely desperate since we had been advised by a former trainer to place Bella in another home where she would not be around young kids. We'd had her for 2 years and had seen terrible resurgence of resource guarding and food guarding that kind of caught us completely off guard. I have little kids and thought it was extremely dangerous to have a dog whose behavior, especially such as this, could not be predicted or safely controlled. Lorenzo came recommended from a friend. He took a look at Bella, assessed her, and told us that he could help us and recommend boarding her with Siobhan for 2 to 3 weeks. Lorenzo assured me when we left Bella with Siobhan that when she comes home we will have a tool to manage her behavior. She did come back to us still very much the same puppy, energetic and lively, but at the same time came home with us feeling a bit more empowered to control her bad and dangerous behavior. We were taught how to use the e-collar as well a prong collar, and in the few weeks after Bella came home, we followed Siobhan's instructions to the letter, and tried to create mutual respect between the dog and humans as Lorenzo said.
During the 2 to 3 weeks boarding, never once did the trainer, Siobhan, appear to be in a hurry to send Bella home, and I was assured that unless all the kinks were worked out, Bella won't be sent home.
Siobhan always answered my questions and showed extreme patience working with all 5 of my family members one by one, including the youngest one. Even after training boarding was completed, she came over to our place and made sure that we felt empowered in taking care of our dog and controlling her bad behavior in the house and around the family so that we could continue to keep her as a member of our family. Since then, I have enjoyed walking with my dog who looks like the best behaved dog in the neighborhood!
I will always be extremely grateful and thankful for Lorenzo and his team for helping me to keep our beloved Bella a part of our family.
Ila Tamaskar
Highland Heights, Ohio
Siobhan worked with our Kuvasz, Bleu, who is a guard dog and was challenging for us to train. We worked with several other trainers, who have different training philosophies and techniques, with little success. Lorenzo's Dog Training Team was recommended by a family member who has German Shepherds and understood the difficulties of a guardian breed. Thanks to Siobhan, we are now confident in our ability to control Bleu's behavior in all situations. I highly recommend Siobhan, she is an excellent trainer and a patient teacher.
Lisa and Erik Pieramici
Denver, Colorado
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