Blackheart K9 Services

I have spent a long time writing this review regarding our experience with Vanessa because articulating the impact she had on our family goes far beyond a simple google review. I have some experience in puppy training prior to adopting our dog, so I felt confident going into adoption. However, when the pandemic started to lift and we returned to work, our dog started exhibiting some clear anxiety and aggression. This was astounding ro us considering how much time and love and energy we invest into him. I did everything I could think or find to do, behavior specialists, every combination of medication you can imagine, training sessions, pheromone diffusers, yet nothing seemed to fix the problem. In a final straw effort to prevent his aggression, I found the board and train program at Blackheart after a very long and intensive research process. My first green flag was that the price of the board and train was the same whether it was for 3 weeks or 5 weeks which told me that this was not about making money, but rather truly rehabilitating these dogs. Vanessa has 17 years of experience with (I believe) 16 of those years being specialized in aggressive dogs that have aggression due to anxiety. We arranged to have our pup picked up the week leading up to our wedding. It wasn't the most ideal time to have this abrupt of a change, but again, we were at a desperate place. After pick up, Vanessa agreed to send us in depth details of the training she was doing. We wanted to stay up to date every step of the way so that we can continue the training when she brought him back. I told her in one of our communications that I would do anything for him, including cancelling my wedding and coming to pick him up if that is what was best for our dog. Well, those words came back to haunt me... Two days before the wedding, I received a call letting me know that our big guy was not adjusting to the training very well, and needed to come back home. A crucial part of this training involves quiet decompression time for the dog to sit without a lot of stimuli so they can process what they have just learned. Our dog was having some pretty severe separation anxiety being away from home and was not able to settle enough to even begin to decompress. Vanessa let us know that she would have to bring Gershwin home right away. To be clear, she let us know that this was a VERY special circumstance that had only happened for her 1 other time in her career. This is NOT the normal chain of events. However, before I could finish the thought that our dog is now a lost cause, Blackheart arranged lodging for Vanessa to come to our house and complete the training in an environment more conducive to his needs with no additional charge to us. She did this knowing our wedding was literally in a matter of 48 hours, and she made the difficult decision to bring him home because again, it was in the best interest of our dog. (a gift i will be forever grateful for) This was a gift not just for our dog, but also for us because we got to see Vanessa in action. Vanessa is the rosetta stone for dog training. Her knowledge of dog psychology and behavior is so extensive, our sessions ran over on countless occasions because I had so many questions, and she enjoys talking about dogs. It turns out, caring for a child and caring for a dog are two very different things... She helped us channel all of the love we wanted to give our dog into a much healthier structure that would benefit our whole family unit. It was a complete assessment of our family dynamic, along with the unanticipated therapy to support the training. She helped us build confidence and trust back with our dog. She gave our guy a second chance in this life, and we are forever grateful. I promise to keep this review updated as the years go on to keep you updated on our progress. Training is not an easy fix, it is a lifestyle adjustment. If you stay committed to it, the results are forever. Vanessa is an angel human that has saved countless 4 legged friends. We are forever grateful.

Had a great experience with Josiah training our dog smoke! He’s learned to walk so well on a leash and is ignoring things that would’ve typically sent him over the edge. It’s definitely an investment, but it’s well worth it if you’re dealing with issues you may not be equipped to manage yourself! He also kept us updated regularly with pictures/videos and answered any questions that we had (there were not many because he explained everything so thoroughly). I’m overall very satisfied with everything he’s learned so far and excited to see how he progresses over time!

Ally and Scott and there team are absolute angles they where so good to my girl and she has done a absolute 360 from the time they got my girl to the time she came home. They are amazing people ! When I first called Blackheart I talked to Vanessa and we weren’t even client yet she called me a week later She called to check on to see how we were doing and then I knew that this was the right place to send my girl . They care about the dogs they get and make sure you know what’s going on as the dogs are when they are in there care . We had a really bad experience with a board and train before she went off to Blackheart K9 and if I had the power to go back in time I would choose them over and over again. 100% recommend Blackheart K9 you will not regret it !!

I am so thankful that my daughter found Blackheart! Scott is genuinely interested in helping these dogs, and even though you can hear how busy he is, he still takes the time to listen and ask questions to evaluate what your dog needs. He determined that our Mal needed Vanessa, and OMG! That woman is a true miracle worker! She turned our Mal into the best dog! He now can go on walks, shopping, will go in a crate, and we can leave him without worrying that he will get hurt. She did so great with our Mal that we sent our chihuahua who is a chihuahua with an attitude worse than most chihuahuas. He is old, so we thought he was a lost cause. Nope, he wasn’t! He just needed Vanessa! He came home on Sunday, and my house has never been quieter. No lore barking at the door, no more attacking people who walk near me, no more pulling and trying to attack people when on walks. He went shopping on Sunday with us for the first time! We went to TJMaxx and PetSmart! No reactions at all from him! When I say this woman is a miracle worker, I literally mean she creates miracles! Our Mal had previous training that just traumatized him and made him worse, but she fixed it all! If we ever get another dog, we will be sending it to her for training as a puppy! I can go on and on about how amazing she is, but I’m sure you get the hint. If you need a trainer or behavior management training, please call Blackheart K9 and ask for Vanessa!