Art of the Dog Canine Academy

We had recently acquired a dog that had resource guarding and reactivity to unknown dogs. Our dog Paxton spent three weeks in the board and train program. He did so well, and learned to pay attention and listen. We understand that we have work to do ourselves and continue with the training process. But he has a good basic foundation now to build on. He is very smart and lovable, and has been a joy since being back home.

Really long review… Assessment: Ian hosted a no-pressure consult to help us determine if AOD was truly the right fit for our needs & goals for our dog, Bear. He provided a concrete overview of AOD’s immersive program; the logic behind their methods; the steps they take to ensure the health & safety of all dogs in their care. Drop-off: The training area was big, clean, & busy (in a productive nobody-is-sitting-around way). I took a double-take when I noticed numerous dogs on their beds contently watching the surrounding activities. This was beyond impressive; & now something our dog does on command. The tour further reassured us that our dog would be well cared for. 21 Days: We’d never been away from Bear since we adopted him. I was anxious about him being away for so long. These fears disappeared when got the first daily update from Ben (Bear’s primary trainer). Every day we received a training summary: health/weight info, pics, and a video. It was clear that Bear was safe & having a blast with the AOD team. When Bear lost a few pounds from being extra active, AOD reached out to us immediately & worked with us on a plan to fatten him up, keeping him safe & happy. The care and attention AOD puts into these dogs, was wonderful to see in action. Graduation: When Bear saw us, he didn’t freak out with uncontrolled excitement. He was completely focused, responding to Ben’s body language, & waiting for his next command. It was like Bear had become a working dog on duty. He even ignored a steady stream of kids and dogs passing by. As soon Bear heard “be free,” he transitioned to a working dog on break; giving us tons of attention & affection (but listening for commands). Bear’s fun-loving, silly personality remained unchanged after returning home. His drive to learn and please, is now aligned with improved 2-way communications; standardized commands; & clear expectations (for when he does/doesn’t follow commands). Post-Graduation Communication: AOD helped us make the transition home seamless. They equipped us to expand upon Bear’s training. When AOD says they value teamwork, they mean it. They have a communication plan that covers the first year home. AOD treats us like team-members and every message/call is personalized, helpful, & friendly. Continuing Education: the new AOD+ member site is chock-full of easy to apply courses, principles/tips/tricks, progress/milestone trackers, gear recommendations, etc. The videos are short & focused; making them easy to fit into a busy schedule. They even have a collection of videos with solutions to common training and behavior problems. I can’t think of anything they’ve left out. We’ve been having fun putting these lessons into practice in different environments; Bear loves the extra field trips. Investment: We’re so thankful we found AOD & invested in the immersive 21-day program. Working with a pro training team continuously, in a positive environment, helped Bear adopt a new system of behaving, & gave us a better way of communicating with him. We look forward to being part of the AOD team throughout Bear’s life. Best company we’ve ever worked with. Thanks AOD team & a special thanks to Bear’s lead trainer, Ben! *Pics: samples from AOD daily updates & one of Bear getting ready for a nap outside on his new bed (chilling while I work).

This is one of the best interactions with any business of any kind, ever. Every single person we interacted with, from the owner to the trainers to the scheduler to the person who came to our home to help coach us was top notch. We felt totally comfortable with them taking care and training our dog. She came back with skills that let us take her to restaurants, in walks, and with visitors in a way that everyone feels great and she is having fun. Before, each of these was either impossible ( she went crazy around food) or stressful ( she would jump on kids, try to greet everyone who walked by at a running pace, and so on). Now we can confidently take her anywhere and no one is stressed. The whole process was seamless. Initial information call where they described in detail what her training would look like. Drop off was easy, on pickup they showed us everything and left is feeling confident about taking her training home. They really care about the success of their graduated and they followed up several times afterwards, even coming to our home to give us tips on how to solve some new issues. I couldn't recommend them more!

We can’t thank Art of the Dog enough for the work they did with one of our rescue dogs. She came to us incredibly fearful and insecure, and while we knew she had so much potential, she just needed the right guidance to help her feel safe and confident. Their team was patient, knowledgeable, and truly understood what she needed. By the time she came back, she had gained so much confidence, learned valuable skills, and was able to show people the amazing dog we always knew she was. The transformation made a huge difference in her quality of life and ultimately will help her find the loving forever home she deserves. We are so grateful for their dedication and would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for trainers who genuinely care about the dogs they work with.