10/15/2025
One of our all time favorites 😍!
I apologize for this lengthy post, but I wanted to share our experience with Hansen Kennels in the hopes that other struggling dog owners can benefit like we have.
We feel incredibly fortunate to have Denise Hansen from Hansen Kennels work with our 18 month old GSD at their Canine Center in Scandia, MN.
To start, the property is much more like a resort than a training center! The owners are hands on with the entire operation, which is very reassuring when you are leaving a family member in the care of someone else.
When the training began we were extremely impressed with Denise's training methods. She was always kind and enthusiastic, she relied on clear and consistent positive reinforcement. I couldn't believe how well our dog responded and how quickly he was learning without the use of "corrections". Our dog developed confidence and maturity along with his obedience training. Denise provided daily updates and videos of our dog's progress which really confirmed for us that our dog was in very good hands. Denise also spent many hours with me to ensure that I would be able to continue using the same methods when we brought our dog home. Once home, we received daily suggestions as we sent her updates.
We brought them an unruly, somewhat spoiled, barks at EVERYTHING dog who was confused by my many different attempts at a variety of training techniques.
We brought home a happy, confident, well behaved, does not bark at everything, JOY to be with dog who is preparing for his AKC Good Citizen Test.
It is obvious that everyone at Hansen Kennels are as kind and caring as they are skilled. They are committed to improving the "whole" dog, not simply providing obedience training. With the many endless options for dog nutrition, training toys, gear, etc. available ... by far the BEST investment we have ever made for our dog (and ourselves) was the time spent with Denise and the staff of Hansen Kennels!
My lesson learned - Don't be embarrassed by failed attempts, it's okay to seek out help from a good source.
Result - Enjoying everyday with a GREAT dog!
Thank you Denise and Hansen Kennels for all you do!!!
Bruce, Leslie & Yogi 💞