Bakers Acres K9 Academy

We got our little lab puppy about 18 months ago. We have for kids ages 14 down to 2 and we’re excited for them to connect with our dog in a way that me and my husband both had as kids. We both had labs growing up. We knew that the puppy phase would be filled with some destruction and frustration but after six or eight months things really weren’t getting any better. We basically didn’t use our backyard very much because it was sort of the dogs domain. The kids were required to play with her for certain amount of time every day but didn’t do much beyond that because it wasn’t enjoyable for them. Both my husband and my dogs were so fun for us growing up so we were at a bit of a loss. We read about and received information from friends and family about other dog trainers and didn’t feel very comfortable with their training methods or philosophies. So, we did nothing and the dog ruled the backyard. Our kids friends no longer came to play. We would try and take her to my dads occasionally to be with his dog but she was so hard to get in the car. I would try and take her on walks with my toddler in the stroller, which always just ended in frustration. Me and my husband feel guilty for getting her because we wanted to take better care of her and spend more time with her but we were so busy taking care of our family and Sadie was just an extra responsibility that came with a lot of frustration. After going through our training with Sara our whole family enjoys her so much more! Playing with her is no longer the chore it used to be. The neighbor kids can play in our yard. We can take her where we need to in the car. We can walk her (and have the kids walk her 👏🏻) without a problem. The biggest success, for me, came when my two year old (who was previously very leary of our dog) WANTED to go out in the backyard and play with her! She is still work but no longer a burden. It is a joy for me to spend time with her and to watch my kids interact with her. I was so surprised how simple Sara made everything. I thought our dog had so many problems that it would take far too long and would be too far beyond our ability to “train” her. It was NOT hard to get her to where she is. We just needed the right tools and instruction. I thought it would take a huge amount of time and was not sure I could commit to that, but it was very doable for a busy mom of four (plus our dog). I chose Bakers Acres after pursuing the internet and coming across the Bakers Acres website. It seemed like the right fit. We met with Sara and could see she was very knowledgeable about all things dog related and she has a passion for helping families enjoy their dogs. She also continues her education so she doesn’t become stagnant in this field. It might be the best money I have ever spent. What an investment for our family. I have no regrets and would highly recommend Sara! (I hate writing reviews, and never do it, but I felt this was worth my time).

We adopted a small 4y/o rescue chi-mix with some anxiety/bullying issues around other dogs. She would often lunge at other dogs or bark incessantly, and we were always worried she would hurt them or provoke them to hurt her. Sara taught us that Benie was putting on a facade to look tough, because she was really just insecure. She showed us that this was not the 'true' Benie. Since our training with Sara, we have been able to see the 'true' Benie. She trusts that we will protect her and no longer feels the need to tell off other dogs. We understand her SO much better and know how to communicate with her in a much more effective way. We have an unusual lifestyle (lots of traveling) and our home base is a very urban environment. Sara tailored our training exactly to our needs and really went above and beyond for our family! We felt so listened to throughout the whole process, and she was so easy to communicate with. We love that we can still correspond with her even after the bulk of our training to ask for help any time. We can tell that she really cares about us and our pup. I would (and already do) recommend Bakers Acres to anyone in the Utah County area!