Testimonials

Many thanks to our wonderful dog trainer Dawn Graham Lowery, she has really helped Gibson become a great dog at home with his family and at work with his extended family. He is a lucky dog who gets to go to work with his mom and yes he loves to say hi to the clients:)
For the past 5 years, I have had the opportunity to work with Dawn on a professional level and have seen the success stories. Now as a client, I continue to be so impressed with her knowledge and skill as a trainer and most of all her ability to relate to dogs in a positive way. Dawn has always supported both Gibson and his family along the way, from puppy training to family dog intermediate classes. She has trained Gibson both inside and outside the home, as well as at the animal hospital. She has really helped him conquer his fear of the unknown and of course those moving objects (cars, bikes and motorcycles) he loved to chase…he no longer does:) We are very grateful to have Dawn be apart of Gibson’s care. As both a veterinarian and a dog owner I highly recommend Dawn and One Smart Dog!

~Valerie Blasi, DVM

Hi Dawn,We just had to let you know about our experience today. We decided to take Milo out to Memorial Park in Shelton while “Shelton Day” was in full swing across the street. There were a ton of people, cars, little kids, every distraction possible. We decided to not only have some play time but to also use the opportunity to work on some obedience training. We focused on Stay, Come, and Look. We were amazed and pleasantly surprised how well he did. He never broke focus and never went after any of the hundreds of distractions surrounding him. For his stays we were able to get way beyond his 30ft lead without him moving an inch! My parents, who have had dogs all their lives (various incredible breeds: GSD, Border Collies, Dobermans, English Setters) could not believe how well behaved and obedient our little 5 month old puppy was. He is a great puppy and one of the most well mannered dogs we have come across (outside of class). We have you to thank for all of it. We can’t wait to see how much more he improves from here!
Thank you SO MUCH!
~Kathryn, Daniel, and Milo Fischman

Dawn has been an invaluable resource to our practice (Milford Animal Hospital) and to our clients. She’s accessible, approachable, and has an easy way about her that my clients love. I would not hesitate to recommend her services

~Jeffrey Sachar, VMD

The doctors and staff at Milford Animal Hospital highly recommend One Smart Dog to all our clients. Dawn’s caring and kind personality along with her incredible skills are invaluable. We trust her completely and are thrilled to send our clients to her for all training and behavior needs. The success stories are too many to count! Dawn is a wonderful trainer and asset to our team.

~Melissa Moore, DVM

As a veterinarian, I can say that I trust Dawn, and One Smart Dog, explicitly. She is knowledgeable, caring, and professional. She has a wide range of expertise, but also works closely with the entire health care team of each client, to ensure the best possible outcome. I don’t hesitate to send cases, and highly value her opinion. My clients have had wonderful success as well!

~ Alisa Wayland, DVM

I am very thankful for the training we have received from Dawn at One Smart Dog. Red has been through basic training twice and has now moved on to intermediate. Our dog   Red is a Pitbull that was rescued from North Carolina. I was nervous about calling Dawn at first because I know how some people view Pitbulls. I didn’t want to be turned away because of anyones’ generalization. But to my surprise, Dawn was very welcoming towards us. She treated our family just like all the rest. Red loves Dawn and loves going to class so much that he lays down in the driveway when we go to leave because he wants to stay. Red started off needing the white barriers because he can be easily distracted and reactive towards other dogs. Now, he goes to class, doesn’t need the barriers and even won the most improved reward.
Thank you One Smart Dog and Dawn for giving my family  a chance to learn together!
~Shanna Esposito

My dog Franklin and I loved our experiences with One Smart Dog and Dawn. We started with puppy class and enjoyed it so much we ended up also taking family basic, intermediate, and reliable recall. Franklin just passed his CGC test and I am so proud of him!! Dawn was very helpful and the classes were kept to a small and intimate amount of dogs and owners – great job and strongly recommend!!
~Emily Nix

Dawn was wonderful to work with!  It was clear to us she had a lot of experience in dog training and she made working with the dogs a fun learning experience for us and our pups.  It was amazing to see the results she was able to get from our dogs, especially our 9 year old rat terrier, and how quickly they responded.  We continue to use what Dawn taught us with our terriers and can see the change in them every day.  I recommend One Smart Dog to my friends and family frequently and look forward to working with Dawn again in the future.

~ Julie Muttitt

“Dawn began working with our 8 month old dog shortly after we rescued her. We thought it was just Ellie that  needed training but as it turns   out, it was the 3 of us that needed it!  Dawn uses a calm and gentle approach to training with both dogs and her clients. Dawn is a wealth of information and her techniques work. We were always encouraged after sessions with Dawn and excited to get home and practice what was taught. We’re proud of how far we have come. Ellie has taken 3 different classes in less than one year and we look forward to more!”

~Mark, Tara, and Ellie Chudy

All I can say is that your will not regret going with One Smart Dog for your obedience training. My 9 Month old Pitbull Harvey has completed Puppy Pre-School, Family Dog Basic Manners, and is currently enrolled in Family Dog Intermediate (CGC Prep) and I am blown away about how quick I started seeing results. Dawn is a phenomenal instructor and shows a true passion for what she does and she is always available to answer questions outside of class.   I searched for a long time to find a training style that i wanted for my Pit and One Smart Dog was the perfect match…You will not be disappointed with the results.

~Patrick Blake

“We had Dawn help us with training our new Labradoodle puppy. As soon as Dawn arrived at our house she immediately took command of the situation and calmly began working with the puppy to settle her. I was amazed at how easy she made this look. She spent time with us and the puppy showing us what we had to do to correct the puppy’s behavior. We had specific things that we wanted to work on with the puppy and Dawn took the time to show us exactly what we were looking to learn. We had worked with a different dog trainer for our older dog with mixed results. Dawn took a much different approach with her professional knowledge of dogs and wanted to know what it was we were hoping to achieve rather then just have a set training schedule of things that didn’t necessarily apply to us. Dawn also made herself available to answer any questions we had via email and was always very quick to respond. We were VERY pleased with the results we got from having Dawn train our Labradoodle puppy. I would highly recommend Dawn’s services for anyone looking for a helpful, knowledgeable and personable dog trainer.”
~Vince Scimeca

We hired Dawn as a personal dog trainer when we adopted our Shepard Mix a few months ago. As soon as she walked in the house we all felt a sense of calm. She listened to all of our concerns and was able to give us reassurance! After just an hour with her we received a number of effective strategies for training the new pup. She even responded quickly with our emergency e-mails after the training was over. We loved working with Dawn so much we decided to bring our dog to One Smart Dog’s obedience class. It has been only a few short weeks and are so impressed with the changes in Marni. While she is not perfect, she looks to us for commands and listens so much better! We promise you will have a wonderful experience with Dawn and One Smart Dog!
~Valerie Yergeau

Again, I can’t thank you enough for the time you’ve spent with us. You’re a miracle worker …

Dawn began working with our dog after several false-starts in attempting to train her. We had invested in every conceivable gadget (vibrating collars, remote trainers, etc) and nothing seemed to work. Our miniature schnauzer, Bella, is deaf. We spent countless hours on the internet and joined several deaf dog support groups looking for some guidance on how to train a deaf dog. Again, nothing seemed to work. In comes Dawn … after session one, Bella was sitting and laying down all by using sign language commands. After session two, Bella was able to ‘stay’ and ‘come’, again using sign language. After Bella’s final session with Dawn she is learning not to jump on people and not to react when someone comes to the door.

Dawn has demonstrated a unique sense of understanding of Bella. She has taken what seemed to be an impossible situation and completely turned it around. We are thankful that we were able to work with Dawn. Bella is now a well-trained dog which will ensure her safety. We highly recommend Dawn and would be happy to speak with anyone in need of a reference.
~Jane & Larry Biagini

One Smart Dog offers an excellent atmosphere for working with your pet.. We brought our baby Gracie to see Dawn and in just one session she was sitting, staying, and listening to comands like a pro. Dawn has a wonderful caring way with the animals she works with but is also very helpful with teaching us humans how to interact with our beloved pets. Our dog loves going to class and loves to learn with Dawn. We highly recommend One Smart Dog for anyone who wants to teach their pet good manners…

~ Jennifer Del Vecchio

“Dawn Lowery was a great student throughout the entire program at ABC. She was a pleasure to work with. Her Mentor Trainer said that Dawn was a great trainer and had outstanding drive. I know Dawn will be a great trainer and will go far in life. I wish her the best of luck with her business.”

Congrats!

~Azure Long Program Manager
Certification Specialist Animal Behavior College

“One Smart Dog has done a great job helping me to teach my unruly puppy turn into a better behaved boy.  He has mastered his leash walking skills and made great strides in his excitable behaviors.  Dawn does a great job getting to know each dog and tailoring techniques to their personalities”

~Bonnie Probst