Atlantic Coast K-9 Training Service

Ralph at Atlantic Coast K-9 is the real deal! His understanding of dog psychology and behavior is bar none. He is kind, methodical, and patient, and was absolutely brilliant at finding ways to work (very patiently) with me and my 1-year-old Jack Russell, the very aptly named Trixie Trouble. Trixie loved going to his place in the countryside, and we always finished the session with some agility playtime which was enormous fun. I now have a delightfully attentive, responsive, and happy companion who is a joy to live with. She is excellent off leash wherever it's safe, so she now has the freedom to be the dog she's supposed to be, which makes me super happy. When you start looking for a dog trainer, you come across a number of options, and it's really hard to know which is best. There's an awful lot of "I've done a month-long online training course, and now I'm a dog trainer working for a franchise" set-ups. There's the "Send your dog to me for 4-6 weeks for $4-6,000. It's the only way." (Horror stories from that option and how is that going to work if you don't teach the owner too?)). There's the "Positive Reinforcement Only" school, which was actually fantastic when she was a tiny pup, but Trixie would have been morbidly obese by the time we were done - if that ever actually came to pass! The Terrier needed to be outsmarted and Ralph Smith was definitely the man for the job! His prices are very fair and he is extremely generous with his time. I highly, highly recommend Ralph Smith. Like I said, he's the real deal. We're lucky to have him in our area.

Having puppy problems? Call Ralph! Like yesterday!! Working with Ralph at Atlantic Coast K-9 was a godsend for us and our two Great Pyrenese Puppies. Pyrenese are independent thinkers and the boys were tightly bonded, strong willed, and far more interested in each other and their next adventure than in anything we asked of them. The pups had no prior leash training or obedience skills before we started. No sit, no stay, no heel, no reliable recall. We had tried. We were not successful. We have a farm, and while we loved the pups, it was a challenge. Thankfully, Ralph brought calm, structure, and confidence not just to our dogs, but to us as owners. He understands dogs deeply and taught us how to work with them in a way that makes sense to them and to us. It finally clicked. Thanks to Ralph, the boys now walk on leash, respond to commands, and most importantly come when called. He is professional, patient, and genuinely passionate about what he does. We are so grateful for the progress our dogs have made and could not recommend him more highly. I had worked with other trainers in the past with my house dogs. While I was pleased with the results at the time, I can now see that this was a whole different level of experience for us and the pups. My only regret is that I didn't call Ralph sooner. Don't wait. Just call!

My husband and I are about to welcome our first child... and we have a 6 year old, male, miniature dachshund that has historically been VERY protective and covetous of his mommy! We have worked with Ralph for a little over three months now, and have seen a huge difference in our dog’s behavior and temperament towards strangers (to the point that my neighbors text me and ask for referrals)! Our pup is much less reactive, listens better to commands, and seems more relaxed and emotionally regulated overall. One of the tell tale signs that something has changed is how quickly I can get him to focus his attention on me and redirect him when Amazon drivers come to the door or contractors are in the yard. Our weenie dog was very resistant at first (we spoiled him in the beginning and are paying for it later!), but Ralph was incredibly accommodating of our dog’s training pace/small dog/little man complex and worked with us to make the training as effective as possible. Within a week of some subtle adjustments to the training regimen, our dog now LOVES for us to do his daily, 20 minute training sessions. He also looks forward to seeing “Mr. Ralph” (our dog usually hates men)! He is completely relaxed around Ralph and even tries to work him for attention! Ralph is incredibly responsive, and very patient (with both the dachshund and his parents). More importantly, he’s straightforward about communicating how to work with and live with the dog that you have, not the dog that you wish you had. That key piece has made a huge difference in understanding our dog’s behavior and what we can expect of him, and what we probably can’t. As we approach one of our family’s biggest milestones, I know that I will still need to continue to work with our dog to give him the best chance of being a great first pet for my child, but there is a huge amount of relief knowing I have Ralph as a training resource when we have hiccups along the way.

I want to take a moment to comment on the Outstanding job that Ralph Smith of Atlantic Coast K-9 did training my Doberman. Having been involved in Doberman Rescue for a large part of my life, I had heard about Ralph as he is very well known Nationwide for his work with Dobermans, so I decided to give him a call. I was not disappointed! He trained my Doberman to a level that I never thought was possible. Now I have Ralph on speed dial and any issues that I have with any of my dogs he is always very responsive to calling me back and helping. He is an Excellent trainer and a Great person and I would recommend him to anyone that wants their dog trained to a very high level.