Reviews

My life changed forever at age 16 when I first walked through the doors of Helen Woodward Animal Center. As a shy teenager who’d just moved from Tijuana, I found my voice teaching scared shelter dogs to trust again. Now, 20 years later, I run Doggies University—and it all started…

I’ll never forget the moment a simple whistle saved a dog’s life at Sunset Cliffs. A Border Collie named Rocket had slipped his collar and was sprinting toward the cliff edge, completely ignoring his owner’s desperate screams. Then I pulled out my whistle—two sharp blasts—and Rocket froze, turned, and came…

Last week, a desperate owner from Rancho Peñasquitos walked into Doggies University carrying a shock collar. “Maria, nothing else has worked,” he said, his voice breaking. “My dog keeps running into traffic, and I’m terrified I’ll lose him.” I understand that fear. After 15 years training dogs in San Diego,…