Testimonials
Carol is working with my 3-year-old male Picardy Shepard. He is a rehome and came to me with very low confidence and very under socialized. In a short period of time I’ve seen excellent progress in my boy. She has so much positive energy and my Cobie loves her working him. Of course, she’s training me as well. I’ve learned a lot from Carol. She has all the patience in the world. I now feel confident working all of my dogs. Confident that I’m doing the right things so that they all learn with consistent training techniques. Both Cobie and I are doing great! Everyday I see him becoming more and more confident and, in turn, so much happier. I now very much enjoy walking all three of my dogs at one time. Carol is very professional and knowledgeable in her field. I highly recommend DePaul K9 Academy. Lisa English, Melbourne, Fl
Carol has been such a wonderful trainer and support to our family since we got our sweet Aussie puppy! She took time to get to know and bond with our family/children which made training and connecting with her and then our puppy very effective. Each time she came with energy, passion and wisdom to “train” us so we could best train and raise our puppy. Even after our training sessions, she is always a text or phone call away if we have questions about our puppy or his training. She consistently checks-in and makes sure we aren’t losing sight of our goals. We are grateful for her sincerity and wealth of knowledge and experience she brings to each session. Those most important qualities along with the convenience and effectiveness of in-home training makes her an invaluable part of raising a wonderful and well-trained pup. We highly recommend her!
Rebekah Jause, Melbourne, Florida
I contacted Carol after we suddenly lost our beloved 8 yo shepherd mix which was a few weeks before Christmas in December 2020. We were struggling with mourning our loss while our 6 yo lab mix (Mya) was learning to be the alpha dog and she was getting snippy toward our two indoor cats. Carol responded to my message within an hour, and we scheduled a home consultation right away. She listened and assessed our home dynamics as well as providing feedback what to do and not to do during our transition. We decided during the home consultation to enroll in Carol's 4 week private in home training program which we started in January 2021. Carol's private training started with Mya's basic behaviors, we started using the Herm Sprenger prong collar for walks (this has been a game-changer!) and honing in on my leadership skills including some adjustments we made in the house. Our very social cat joined us for each training session which was a true distraction training for Mya, and we were seeing steady improvements. Carol checked in with me in between sessions, and if I needed to talk with her over the phone she was readily available. Mya and I have a new relationship and we have healed our hearts. I am so grateful for Carol's expertise, her hands-on approach, her love of dogs, and belief in me when I didn't believe in myself! I highly recommend DePaul's K9 Academy Private Training!! Kristina, Heifferon, Melbourne, Florida 3/28/2021
We have a 5 year old Labrador husky dog that we adopted from the SPCA. Although Champ was a good dog Carol is turning him into a great dog. Trading is fun for both owners and their dogs. JoAnn Buckley, Melbourne, Florida
Carol is such a wonderful person! You can really see how dogs respond well to her. Something that really stood out to me and I thought was amazing, was her patience with my 5 year old during the weeks she was coming to my house! She took the time to not only train our pup but to teach my 5 year old how to also train our pup! Highly recommend her services!
Thank you Carol! Amanda Pinsky, Melbourne, Florida
Carol came into our lives when we were at our near wits end with our highly spirited, energetic, and often defiant, 8 month old Golden Retriever. From the moment Carol came into our home for the initial assessment, we knew that she had an amazing gift. Our Golden is extremely excitable and typically jumps on all of our visitors, but Carol came with such a sense of calm and a take control attitude, that our dog immediately responded. Carol is highly talented and our family has had an extremely positive training experience with her. We were having problems with our dog jumping on people, nipping, lack of control when walking, and just general defiance. Carol gave us the tools and direction we needed to combat all of these issues and more. Having a dog has become much, much more enjoyable. We’ve worked with Carol in our home and she has taken us out to work among other dogs and distractions and we’ve done a one week board and train. Each and every experience has been amazing!
Prior to hiring Carol we worked with two other area trainers, and while they were both great and we made some progress, nothing has compared to the results we’ve mastered under Carol’s direction. Carol truly goes above and beyond and our investment in training with her has certainly paid off.
We highly recommend Carol and DePaul K9 Academy!
Drew and Laurel Rector
Melbourne Beach, FL
I contacted Carol after researching several dog trainers. We have a 3 year old German Shepherd, Remington, who needed to learn basic manners, and specifically how to behave when people enter our home to visit. I was also struggling with walking him as he is dog reactive (not aggressive). And lastly, we recently rescued a Staffordshire puppy, Bullet, and wanted to introduce them properly. Carol arrived on time, came to the door, and started working her magic. She truly did provide the tools which unlocked our dogs potential. Remington’s response to her was immediate, with desired behaviors beginning in our first session. She shares strategies, explains dog behaviors, and offers support between sessions via text and phone calls. The results speak for themselves. I can now enjoy walks with my dogs and relax in a harmonious house. Carol is a professional, skilled at what she does. Her love for the dogs is apparent, as proven by their affection for her. I would recommend Carol to anyone seeking the best training for their pet. Sherrie Predojev
Carol is the most gifted and effective trainer we have ever met...and we have retained many over the years, including a behavioral veterinarian.
We have a 7 year old French Bulldog who came to us with serious aggression issues toward other people and other dogs. We were unable to have visitors in our home and worried about confrontations when taking her for a walk. We were also unable to leave her in a kennel to enable travel or vacations, a serious lifestyle impediment for a pair of retirees.
After just a few sessions with Carol, we are learning how to train and control our beloved Frenchie. For sure, we still have a long way to go, but the improvement to date has been nothing short of amazing, so much so that the soul crushing possibility of an eventual euthanasia is now OFF the table!!! What an incredible relief!
Carol has saved our dog and our future together.
Hope has returned. Don Gudzune February 27, 2020
We adopted Beau, a six yr old male Golden Retriever from a rescue organization in mid August. Due to his poor living conditions he had little training or outdoor exposure. Despite all of that he is a wonderful and loving companion. But.....he is like a puppy in a big boys body. He got overly excited greeting visitors, didn’t listen to commends and had a stubborn fixation on wildlife. We knew it was time to call in an expert personal trainer. Through a recommendation from a friend we contacted Carol DePaul to see if she was up for the challenge and thankfully she was! From our initial evaluation we knew she was true professional with the skills and knowledge to help us solve Beau’s behavior problems. Her positive energy was infectious! Carol is quite organized in her approach to training by providing us with expert recommendations for his proper training course and tools to assist in solving our many issues. In a little over a month Carol basically trained “US” to be the pack leaders we needed to be in order to train Beau. What she taught us has been invaluable skills which have allowed us to be feel confident in our daily training exercises. Beau is doing wonderfully and we are so proud of how far he’s come. We are forever in Carol’s debt for restoring peace in our world and highly recommended her services!!
Nancy and Bill Meyers, Melbourne Fl
About eight weeks ago we had enough of our 5 year old male Black Labrador (75) pounds. Basically Shadow is a great dog. We had some problems though and not sure what to do about them. We tried different books and used different corrections, but it did not seem to work for us. Shadow had a problem door crashing, knocking children over (we teach at home), problems during the walk and not staying in the yard. We hired her for 6 sessions to address several different concerns, and after the first session with her we saw a major improvement with Shadow. Just her presence in the room, the energy she projected had an impact on Shadow’s behavior. Not only does she train the dog, she has a great skill in training the owner’s which she explained to us that this is a result in the dog’s behavior. After 6 weeks of training Shadow we no longer have the anxieties we once had when the door bell rings and people come to the door. He knows to go to his place and stay calm. We can now walk without the constant pulling, we really enjoy our walks with him now! We plan to continue these efforts with her on a periodic basis and know that Shadow will continue his progress and so will we. Thanks again Carol for all you have done!
Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Young, West Melbourne, Florida
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Carol has helped us with our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel since he was just about 12 weeks old. Her knowledge and expertise, together with her love for dog and her compassion, made all the difference. She has been instrumental in the success we have had with our dog and we will recommend her to anyone looking for an exceptional trainer. You know you have a wonderful trainer when the dog himself is delighted to see her. Carol is an exceptional trainer. Not only will your dogs listen to her, they will love her.
In fact, not only will Carol teach how to train your dog, she will also personalize the training for your specific lifestyle and home. Right upon visiting you for the very first time, she will pinpoint any area in need of correction and attention. Within just a few lessons, our puppy was no longer chasing the cat or bothering the bird. Today, they are all live in peace.
Under her guidance, we have now a well adjusted dog that does not fear to be in his crate when we leave, who can go out with us anywhere and behave, and who is not fearful of noise and new situation. He has learned to behave around other dogs, to patiently sit until told to come, and to walk without pulling on his leash.
We are so grateful for her help that we have continued to have training lessons even now that our dog is well behaved and adjusted. We will continue the wonderful relationship we have established with her and look forward to many more lessons.
Katia Chenet, Melbourne
Il but fearful, and insecure boy. Carol helped me change my behaviors d expectations when working with him. Within a matter of weeks, he was more focused, less insecure, and made huge strides in not only his obedience, but his willingness to try new experiences.
In the past year i have adopted another little boy who had a very rough start in life, and had very little impulse control. Carol has reinforced some basics with me to give this little guy a smoother transition into family life, and encouraging his development with obedience and appropriate behavior. She is a constant source of information, ideas, and support. Sharon Deligdish, Melbourne, Fl
My dog is very good, with the exception of her habit of growling (and sometimes snapping) at larger dogs upon introduction. Carol's take-charge demeanor calmed Cady's insecurity almost instantly. I am not exaggerating when I say that in less than five minutes, my dog's behavior changed. One of the things I most appreciate is Carol's clear communication with Cady and me! Susan Badgio, Melbourne, Fl
While I'm on the subject of this owner's part in her dog's behavior improvement, I think it's important to mention that we have to be willing to make changes in our behavior if we want our dogs to be successful. It takes work and consistency but the results are so exciting! I am very impressed with Carol's knowledge of dog behavior, training, and canine/human interaction. She is good...really good. You can tell that this is her passion and her calling. I feel blessed that our paths have crossed.
Hi, Carol, just wanted to share something with you. So VERY glad you suggested the E-collar for Queso! He was outside playing with his buddy next door, when another neighbor that has 2 dogs, a Shepard and a pit bull, came out to walk his dogs. They act as a pack when together, and we always avoid them with Queso, they try to charge him, and he reacts the same. So today, when they came out, he walked them down the street and they saw Queso, and started to act aggressive, so Queso thought it was a good idea to charge after them at a full clip growling and his hackles up. Calling him back, Frank hit him with 10, no response, 20, no response, then 35 he yelped and did a quick 180 and ran back to us. It was unsettling to hear him yell, but better that than get mauled by those 2 dogs. They are so strong, the owner has a hard time controlling them together. When walked alone, they are good dogs, but together, not so much... So very glad we had a way to avoid disaster! Thank you again!
Cheryl Hernandez, Melbourne Beach, Fl
Carol went above and beyond for me and my dog! I had only two weeks in town before I was going to move away into an apartment with my dog who was dealing with separation anxiety and would bark constantly while I was away, even if I was only in the other room. Carol adjusted her training schedule to meet my needs and taught both me and my dog valuable lessons that have helped my dog overcome his separation anxiety – now I can leave my dog at my apartment without the fear of my neighbors complaining! I have seen drastic improvements with my dog! Carol also helped us work on basic obedience commands (which he never learned because he is a retired show dog). Carol is very kind and her love for dogs and animals is so evident! I really recommend DePaul K9 Academy to anyone looking for professional help with their dog – from basic obedience to problems that seem unfix-able, Carol is the one to see! Lauren Selice, Melbourne, Fl
Carol is amazing - she is calm, assertive and loves working with us and our 11 month old German Sheppard. We are better owners with Carol’s guidance to train our dog with the basics. She cares for the whole dog (asks about diet and behaviors) and keeps in touch with clients to monitor progress - her videos showing correct training very helpful. We look forward to her training sessions! Laura Glass, Whittier, California
By far Carol is the best dog trainer in Brevard County. I am so sorry I didn’t know about DePaul k9 Academy sooner. My dog has had 7 trainers before Carol. He is a 98 lb highly driven Lab. Ely seems well trained when not distracted by squirrels and cats. I asked several trainers to please help me because I became so frightened to walk him. Other trainers were not willing to take on the challenge of training with distractions. In the first training session with Carol she had my boy around squirrels and other dogs while off leash. I’m so amazed. She is teaching me how to keep him focused on me.
Natalie, Romeo, Melbourne, Fl
Carol did an amazing job with our Golden Retriever puppy, Summer. She taught us all the tools to work with our dog. She knows all her basic commands, she doesn’t jump on counters and she is a pleasure to take on walks. I’ve gotten many compliments at the park on how well behaved she is, thanks to Carol. Laura Scott, Satellite Beach, Fl
Carol was a lifesaver with my pit bull rescue. My dog behaves better than I imagined possible before our training started. Her enthusiasm and consistency have truly changed both our lives for the better. Jacob P., Cocoa, Fl
We thought that Kaylee (our yellow lab) would not turn into one of those crazy dogs that everyone always complains about. We can teach her. No problem! WRONG!!! Carol told us we should start soon after getting her at 8 weeks but we put it off. Pretty soon we could not take her anywhere because she was too big to control with a leash. So we called Carol when she was 7 months old and from the very first visit Kaylee changed. We can safely take her to the in-laws now, welcome people into our home, and feel safe when we open doors so that she doesn't bolt or mow the kids over trying to get out. Carol is amazing and she has a keen sense with dogs. They understand her and she understands them. I recommend her whenever I can. She's worth every penny.
Estafany Vargus, Melbourne, Fl
Carol is a fantastic dog training! She had our two shepherds listening and obeying her in no time and then taught us how to have control over our dogs within a training session or two. We now can walk our dogs without becoming frustrated. When visitors arrive the dogs no longer act like animals but rather well disciplined dogs. Carol displays a true love for dogs and would like every dog owner to have well behaved dogs. Thank you Carol for being awesome and helping us to not only love our dogs but to really enjoy them.
Steve Smith, Melbourne, Fl
We rescued a 2 year old Chocolate Lab about 3 months ago. After a few hours with him, we knew we’d need some expert help. He was quite the wild animal, jumping on counters, people, other dogs etc. Being 75 pounds, he’s quite strong. He’d take us for a walk, not the other way around. We knew he’d be around young children, so we wanted a trainer who would not only teach him obedience but also help develop his loving personality. Carol exceeded even our highest expectations. Within 2 months, the beast had been tamed! We can now take Cooper on a walk and he will stay right by our side regardless of how fast or slow we walk. Even 7 year-old children can walk him with ease. He understands a variety of commands and performs them proudly. Carol is very patient with our 8 year old daughter, working with her to ensure she is comfortable (but safe) around Cooper. We were quite impressed with Carol’s level of knowledge. She always explained the methods she used so that we understood how to reinforce what she worked on with Cooper. We would recommend Carol without hesitation.
Lee Isenman, Melbourne, Fl
Carol was outstanding with our 6 month old dog Maggie. She came into our home once a week and brought many helpful tools and information. Maggie took to her right away. We could tell a difference after just the first week of training. Carol is very professional and educated in the field. We enjoyed having her in our home and would recommend her to anyone looking for a loving and well trained dog. McKenzie Schrock, Melbourne, Fl
We have a mini golden doodle he is so warm and loving and he loves Carol!! We have learned so much it’s been a great experience. My advice is to do what she says because it works and she knows dogs!! Thank you Carol we are looking forward to ongoing training!!
Patricia Prince, Melbourne, Fl
Carol has taught myself and my family so many great techniques. Our lab, Benson, has become a happy and balanced member of our family as a result of Carol ‘s excellent training. Carol has such a huge heart for dogs and it shows in everything she does.
Sally Liebler, Melbourne, Fl
Our Benson came to us as a stray from Lab Rescue. Before Carol we were considering giving him back to Lab Rescue. She helped us turn a barbarian into a great family dog.
Rick Liebler, Melbourne, Fl
I highly recommend Carol DePaul as a very competent dog trainer who excels in helping dog owners and their dogs with behavior challenges. She is dependable, caring and supportive. Gale Novak, Melbourne, Fl
Carol is an excellent trainer. We were quite impressed with the bond she established with our Akita pup, Mitsu, as well as with her training methods and abilities. Carol is thoroughly professional, wanting only what's best for her clients and their pets. It was great working with her, and I would recommend her to anyone thinking about hiring a trainer to work with them and their canine companion. Dennis Willis, Melbourne, Fl
Carol worked with our two rescue dogs over a period of 6 weeks. I feel Carol is an excellent trainer and very dedicated to her profession. Upon our initial visit, she took the time to evaluate, get to know our dogs and came up with a plan to help our dogs overcome the behavior issues we had concerns about. Each time she returned, she re-enforced what she had taught the week before and introduced new skills along with written materials. Our dogs responded very well to her training commands, and over the next couple of months as we re-enforced each of the commands and skills they became proficient at each. Carol was gentle, but yet firm with our dogs and taught us how to handle them in a positive way to accomplish the results needed. We know that it only works with consistency and that is something she stressed to us. We have recommended her to others because of her attitude and professionalism. Thank you Carol.
Barbara Baird, Indian Harbor Beach, Florida
I was looking for a dog trainer in the Melbourne area and was drawn to the DePaul K9 Academy! What a find! I had an 8-month-old “puppy” who was not trained! I had trained dogs before but this time, it just wasn’t working. Carol is amazing! She came to the house and started working with Charlie and from the first lesson, I could see the big difference! She is amazing as a dog trainer; her big challenge is training the owners to be consistent! We had 5 weeks of lessons and then I had to go out of town. During the time, I was working out of town, I asked if Carol could recommend a kennel. She did so much better! Charlie got to stay with her and have intensive training with her board and train program. What a difference that made! I am currently home in Oklahoma and now Charlie is just over a year old and still has puppy qualities yet, he is learning and retaining what he learned with Carol! (BIG HINT—it’s up to the human to be consistent and continue to practice daily what has been learned as a team between the dog and the human!!!)
Thank you, Carol, you truly do have that dog whisperer touch!
Sally Trecek, Oklahoma
I was referred to Carol while I was looking for a board and train program. Our two year old Maltipoo had never been boarded or away from our family. We had an emergency situation and needed to leave him for a week. "Papi" has major separation anxiety, socialization issues, and many other issues that needed to worked on and corrected. He was also on medication due to his high level of anxiety, impulsive behavior, and overall hyper. We had worked with another trainer for several months and utilized every collar, gadget and technique to try to correct his behavior but never obtained the desired level of success. "Papi" is definitely a dog that would have ended up in a shelter as a lost cause by a less committed family (and I will admit I had my fantasies of doing this...) Papi completely controlled our lives and often filled it with stress.
Carol was our life saver!!
I contacted Carol in regard to boarding and training Papi for the week my husband was having surgery. She came over the next day and spent several hours getting to know us and Papi. A few days later we met her at the park near her house where she worked with Papi and then at her house to introduce Papi to her dog Journey, house, and family. The following day we left Papi for his "stay." Carol was in constant communication, sending us videos of Papi's training that absolutely blew us away. At the end of the boarding week, Papi was well on his way to becoming the "Canine Good Citizen" of our hopes and dreams. As with any dog training program, it is imperative that the "parent" owners and family learn the proper handling techniques and commands. Carol taught us that consistency, patience, timing, correction, and praise / reward are all key elements in achieving our goals for Papi. As we move forward in our training, Papi is now using socialization / distraction techniques with just his correction collar. He is also medication free and thriving due to Carol's training techniques. One of the many things that we truly value and appreciate is that Carol does extensive research and shares information via email or text on a near daily basis. She "checks-in" often and requests videos from our family training sessions to review and critique. She truly owns her training and offers far more than the standard one hour training session and then I'll see you next week.
Due to Carol's training, our home is fast becoming a stress free, peaceful environment for all family members. Carol is an incredible, loving trainer who is 100% committed to achieving her client's goals. In her own words, "Carol loves all of her dogs" and the end result has been absolutely incredible! She is simply the best!!
Terry and Mary Bruno-Indialantic, Florida
I highly recommend Carol DePaul for any help needed with your dog. Because of her my new rescue Bobbi looks forward to his walks and it is so enjoyable for both of us.
Thank you so very much!!!!
Kathy Palmer reviewed DePaul K9 Academy 5 star
I can tell you that Carol DePaul has done wonders with some of our Coastal Poodle Rescue foster dogs. We have had nothing but success with her guidance and training of the dogs. Every dog she was worked with has been adopted and are in their new forever homes! She's the best!
Coastal Poodle Rescue, Linda Hillard Coastal poodle rescue
Our dog Sadie would get very hyper when visitors would come to the house. She wanted to jump on them and wouldn't leave them alone but Carol came to our house and with her help she taught us what to do when someone rang the door bell or came into the house. We are still working with Sadie but she is so much better now that we know how to stop this behavior. Carol also helped with Sadie to get along with our cat. This is work in progress but the situation has improved and the cat is not as nervous around Sadie.
Carol is a remarkable trainer. She was firm when she needed to be and also showed affection for Sadie and in turn Sadie loves Carol. She really helped us and Sadie.
Jan & Jim Pylman, Melbourne, Fl
After going through 3 training sessions, both private, and group, with 2 other trainers, our vet suggested that we contact Carol DePaul about our year old, Great Dane, Lucy. Lucy was extremely skittish, and very fearful of just about everything. Carol taught us to work with Lucy in a way that would give her more self confidence, and she suggested that our uncertainty was being projected to Lucy. We intensified our training schedule with Lucy, and followed all of Carol's simple, but sensible suggestions. Lucy is like a different dog, now. While she was previously freaked out by any new object I'd place in the house, she's fine with all my Christmas decorations, and even with the Christmas tree. Thank you, Carol, for sharing your expertise, and making Lucy as well behaved as she is adorable.
Helene DeAngelo, Satellite Beach, Florida
My wife and I decided to get our first dog in our mid 60's. We have had . quite a few cats and did not realize how much work a 3 month old, French Bulldog puppy would be. Luckily, we discovered Carol and DePaul Academy on the Internet. We opted for the individual training sessions and they were well worth it! After six weeks we have an obedient and compliant dog. Beau sits when directed too and remarkably will stay seated until we give him the command to get up. He is much more compliant while on his leash. He is fun to have around, something he was not prior to Carol's sessions. Carol loves what she does and we highly recommend her.
Charlie and Linda Higenfeldt, Satellite Beach, Florida
Carol was recommended to me by my Vet. I had rescued a dog 2 weeks before and he was terrified of everything! The first in home visit he paced for about 20 minutes and then Carol got down on the floor with him and fed him treats getting him closer to her. She worked with Pookie and with me (I baby talk my babies). Train the dog, train the owner. After eight weeks you can see how he was.....the picture of Carol and Pookie is in the Private Lesson section, does that look like a dog that is terrified? We were going to continue with a board and train program but he tore his cruciate ligament and needed surgery 6 weeks ago, Carol came to see him! I would recommend her to all owners whose dogs are having problems, she works tirelessly with the dogs and she loves them like they are her own! Alice Jean Cruz Deaton, Melbourne, Fl. 5 Star
Carol retrained my 7 year old Puggle how to walk correctly on the leash in just ONE lesson! She also taught her new commands such as "Look" for her focus and attention! This is extremely important for my dog to stay focused on me when we are out on our walks or I need to get her attention. Erin Verstegen, La Habra, California
We cannot thank Carol enough for training our dogs! We have a 3 year old Weimaraner and little puppy. We were having major problems with her jumping on my wife and chewing up everything in the house. Carol was able to stop these bad habits in just a few sessions. Highly recommend! Dogs are responding to many commands and have much more respect for us. Thank you, Jordon and Amy Luhn, Indialantic, Fl
We did not have a clue where to start on training our puppy. Carol took the time to train our( puppy) golden retriever and our family to be on the same page, she taught our entire family to understand our roles to the importance of consistency and respect between a family and a puppy.We now have great tools to now continue to work with. What a gift she is! Thank you for coming to California to help us out!!!!
Donna Leslie Holmes, Whittier, Ca
I interviewed three other trainers before I selected Carol DePaul. Early in the interview, her knowledge and the love she showed for my dogs while talking with me made me feel at ease. I heard the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, so I was curious to see what miracles she could do for my two dogs. I have a Rat Terrier almost nine years of age and a Chihuahua that is two who feels she runs the house. I was having problems with both of them barking at every little thing inside and outside the house, bolting out the door and running out of the gate. Not only did she correct those behaviors, Carol helped me understand the reason why they were behaving this way. Carol works very hard to accomplish goals that are discussed and makes sure they are completed before she leaves. I find her to be a very pleasant person, easy to talk to and is very prompt to answer your questions by a phone call or emails. Cliff Jones, Melbourne, Florida
Result after obedience and behavior modification training.Can now play together.