Above the Standard Dog Training

I can't say enough good things about Above The Standard Dog Training. My service dog, Riptide, is an 18-month-old black field Labrador who has been nothing short of exceptional. I wanted to wait six months before writing this to truly see the results, and I am beyond impressed. Riptide has flawlessly worked by my side every single day, exceeding all my expectations. The team at Above The Standard is incredibly committed to producing the highest quality dogs. Any time I've had questions, they've been there to provide guidance and support. I recently had the pleasure of catching up with some of their team, and it was clear how passionate they are about what they do. As a retired military veteran, life can be challenging, but thanks to the collaboration between Above The Standard (@abovethestandarddogs), @strut_your_paws, @jay_dog1451, and the @rescue22foundation, I now have a companion who has truly changed my life for the better. Whether it's board and train programs or full-service dogs for various disabilities, they are making a real difference. Thank you so much to everyone at Above The Standard Dog Training. Words and reviews can't fully express my gratitude. If you're looking for a successful companion for life, this is the place to go.

Honestly this is a long overdo review but Above the Standard Dog Training will FOREVER have my business. Every dog I will ever own will go to them! I need to start from the beginning to show how much I will forever be grateful for this amazing group of individuals. At the beginning of my relationship with my now husband he got me a puppy, Skittles. She was the cutest little thing but she had the world worst anxiety. She became the world worst dog so fast. She was turning aggressive to our older dog. She was getting bored and eating our house. The walls. Couch. Etc. She had gotten to the point she was a fight risk and if you walked her she would freak out and got to the point she bit my husband and I knew at that moment I knew everything we were doing was not helping anymore and that we were part of the problem. I called around for a while and had left a message for Emily and she called me back. We got set up so fast. We ended up having to have our appointment in here building in fear that skittles would dart. We set the dates and off Skittles went with Emily. When I tell you my dog is a completely different dog. I can finally take my dog to lake, Lowe’s, the vet. Anywhere. I have 100% confidence in my dog. It makes me cry just thinking about it. When I tell you I am so confident in my dog that Emily has made me feel that I can do this and with the right tools that I can handle all my babies! I decided to get me another furbaby. She is with Emily now! I can’t wait to see her again! I am so excited to see how great she will do! TAKE YOUR FURBABIES HERE. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! We love Above the Standard Dog Training! Signed an extremely thankfully dog mama!

I can’t say enough about how amazing the team at Above the Standard is! Before finding ATS, I was about ready to give up getting a service dog after running into fake companies, 2+ year-long wait lists, and people telling me my seizures weren’t “frequent enough” to be considered for a service dog. However, when we connected with Above the Standard it was immediately clear they were the real deal and cared deeply about their dogs, clients, and individualized training. From our first phone call with Jen to meeting the team in FL, to Jay teaching us the ropes of being a service dog handler when we got Cooper; no details were forgotten. It’s clear how much they all care for their dogs and clients and are definitely in the dog training business for all the right reasons. Jay sat through my college lecture to practice taking Cooper to class and spent time on campus to navigate a normal day in my life with a service dog. We were lucky enough to meet the team in Florida for a long weekend and it was an unforgettable experience! Everyone was so welcoming from the minute we arrived and we left feeling like family. It was hard to say goodbye, but I had so much trust in the team taking the best care of Cooper (and all of the dogs!). Emily and Jay shared how much research they had done and the resources they contacted to enhance their knowledge on seizure alert dogs, as my situation is unlike others. Despite the minimal resources out there given my unique situation, they never gave up! I would trust them either way, they truly know best and kept the goals realistic and functional. Unfortunately, it is easy for people to fabricate social media posts although this is NOT the case with the team at ATS. What you see on social media is exactly what is happening with training, and even more! Seeing Cooper’s progress almost every day on Instagram made me feel a part of the training process! I never thought I would have a service dog that is both diabetic alert and seizure response in my wildest dreams, but above the standard made it happen. Cooper has changed my life for the better and that wouldn’t be possible without Above the Standard. If you are looking for a lifelong relationship with four incredible individuals, look no further! Jay, Jen, Emily, and Jim really are the best of the best.

We brought our 5 y/o Belgian Malinois to Emily for fear aggression and lack of confidence related issues, mainly towards humans coming into our home. We have a baby on the way as well and we really needed more structure and socialization for our sweet, sweet crackhead of a dog. We are not from this area at all so searching for a reputable trainer was a little harder but before I even found Emily, other places were not willing to take Oakley in or even meet him to see how he was and some places simply never got back to me. I finally got a recommendation for this training program and immediately messaged Emily on Instagram…. She not only replied to me within less than an hour, she then called me the same day to discuss my goals for Oakley and felt confident to work with him. Nothing ever felt like it was a push to spend money, like it can with bigger corporations. Oakley completed a 4 week behavior modification program and during that time we saw videos of him working almost everyday and we went once a week for an hour long session to work on what he’s learned. He’s home now and obviously we still have to do a lot of work on our end since he’s more reactive in his own home around his people but has already shown so much progress and we really couldn’t be more grateful. He listens to (almost) every command (we all make mistakes) and his anxiety while out around people is almost non-existent anymore. It is such a relief to have found a place that is clearly in it to help animals. Emily and the other staff really seem to care for each individual dog they work with and take passion in their careers. They work with such a wide variety of cases and communication is 10/10. Cannot recommended above the standard dogs enough!

If you’re looking for a knowledgeable and dedicated training team, I cannot help but recommend Above The Standard enough. I truly wish I made the commitment to send my three dogs sooner. Jen took on our crew who had a wide variety of challenges. Our biggest goal with to minimize reactivity and increase neutrality. As well, be able to walk all 3 dogs at once so that no one was left behind. My one dog, Freddie, had become increasingly fear reactive over the years to people besides my sister and I. My dog, Nox, was extremely prey driven and would perseverate, making it impossible to redirect. Lastly, Bernie, who is a 11 month old Saint Bernard who needed to learn manners. Throughout the 4 week training process I received educational videos and updates on my crews’ progress. When it was time to come home we received an at-home lesson further explaining all we needed to know on how to practice their skills and answer any remaining questions. Jen and Emily actually provided an extra lesson in the community with them. Now I am more than ever confident in my relationship with my dogs, thanks to them! I also know if I have any future needs they are easily accessible and happy to help! We cannot thank them enough and are eager to continue to process with them rooting us on. As a follow up, my family was able to take a family walk around the neighborhood that has construction on every block with no reactions. If you asked me that this was possible 4 weeks ago, I’d say “absolutely not”. THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN LIFE CHANGING.