Alpha Instincts Dog Training

I wish I could give Nick and Alpha Instincts a thousand stars. My husband and I have a minpin, Stewie. He is the sweetest, most loving dog- to us. However, if anyone tried to enter our home- he would lunge aggressively, bark incessantly. Same for a walk or any public place - he would go after every person and pet. He loves to walk- so, we started our walks earlier and earlier until we were at starting at 4am. Taking him to the vet was a nightmare, having company over, planning a trip (we could not board him) were all anxiety driven activities we avoided - which only isolated him further and exacerbated the problem. I researched board and trains for months and Alpha Instincts seemed the best fit. In short, best decision made and best investment made for Stew. He is a completely different dog- more confident, calmer and happier. We can now take walks any time of day and even if dogs are barking, lunging and acting out- we keep him in heel and he doesn’t react or go after them AT ALL. It is incredible. I waited a couple of months after training to review to give an honest assessment and progress- it has been life changing for us and Stewie. If you have any hesitation- let me put it to rest. It is the best investment you will ever make. A couple of examples- we had friends spend the weekend with us- after an hour they were giving Stewie commands (sit, break and rewarding him with his kibble out of their hands). We also have had contractors, etc. in our home - we put Stew on his place cot and he doesn’t move, growl or bark. It is an amazing feeling to have him comfortable enough to allow people in and us to have those experiences, as well. We advocate for him- we do not allow people to approach, we have gotten over our embarrassment and stigma of an aggressive dog and embrace that we will always be careful since he has a history. A few additional examples that make Alpha Instincts and especially Nick- stand out: lots of video and text updates during board and train, multiple follow up sessions once Stewie returned home and Nick actually came to our first vet appointment to just reassure me and support Stewie (training was over- who does that?!? AMAZING). Don’t wait- a great quality of life for you and your dog are just a call away. I have attached the photo of Nick/Stew at the vet and of Stewie at the Madison County Nature trail (we never thought we would be able to take him to and enjoy).

The decision to send me dog to Alpha Instincts was one of the best decisions I’ve made. For a bit of background, my 7 year old pit mix Bill has always tested my limits. He was horrible on a leash, around people, and also very reactive towards other dogs. He knew absolutely no boundaries and refused to sit, which was the only command he knew, if you didn’t have a treat available and waiting. It was stressful. Fast forward to today and Bill can be taken out in public, with us minding his boundaries, while we work on his dog reactivity, he places on his cot while food is being cooked or people are eating, he has learned what crate means, and he can sit, lay down, walk on a leash, and has even learned a few door manners. Vanessa, Bill’s trainer, took an absurdly stubborn and strong willed dog and made him into a dog that I feel comfortable handling again. If you would’ve told me a couple years ago that we would be able to take Bill to a super busy area and have him sit next to us and be calm, I would’ve thought you were crazy! I love the dog Vanessa helped him start to become and she also provided our household with the tools needed to continue the process now that Bill is home from his board and train. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made and I will highly recommend Alpha Instincts to every I know. Thank you Vanessa. You gave me my dog back.

I thought my older dogs were a lost cause but the trainers at alpha instincts truly cared about and for them and taught them to have confidence which I never could have done! My dogs are my children and I never doubted for four weeks that they weren’t in great hands! Constant communication, pictures, and progress made this process so much easier for me and in the end I got my same babies returned just with MUCH better behaviors! Thank you to Clarissa, Megan, and Justin for all their hard work and love towards my Skylar and Ollie 🥰🥰

I contacted Alpha Instincts at the advice of a good friend that used their services for her dog. We adopted our French Bulldog “Jack” at 11 months from a breeder that left the litter with the mother for the entire 11 months. Jack wasn’t socialized, had extreme anxiety, aggressive towards other people, wouldn’t eat from a bowl, and was basically like a wild animal. Rachel Moore welcomed Jack into the program for the 4 week board and train program. It was very hard letting him go because of what Jack’s life had been like up to this point, but I trusted her ability. This process was so much easier solely because of Rachel. She provided a Dropbox and shared daily pictures and videos of Jack and his training so that we could feel more at ease and also see his progression. Jack left our home unable to even be around other people except for my husband and myself. He now has been to Destin, Fl with us for our big family vacation and was comfortable on “place” while the family enjoyed some much needed time at the beach! He walks comfortably on his leash, eats from his bowl, and has gained coping skills to navigate his precious life. Jack has confidence now instead of living in fear. I can’t say enough about Rachel and her abilities to connect with animals. Thank you so much Alpha Instincts for teaching Jack the skills to live a better quality life!!