Breakthrough K9 Training

We brought our German Shepherd, Donnie, for a month-long board and train, and two weeks into that stay his “brother” joined to specifically address inter-dog aggression in the home. We chose this program because their website specifically claimed to specialize in aggression cases. Now, to be fair, verbally they told us that they could not guarantee success. But I imagine they do not add that qualifier to their obedience training. Or at the least, they didn’t mention that during our same phone consultation. Unfortunately, our experience did not match their claims. The training approach was heavily reliant on e-collars, and from the beginning it was made clear that the trainers distrusted veterinary behaviorists and medication. At pickup, the owners seemed apprehensive about even allowing our dogs to interact, while presenting as though the problem had been “fixed.” Their parting advice to us was essentially: “never let up your guard.” When they later followed up and we mentioned considering medication, they reacted with visible frustration and warned us that Prozac would “turn your dog into a zombie.” In reality, working with a veterinary behaviorist and using prescribed medication has been life-changing for our dogs. The science is clear: medication, when used appropriately and paired with behavior modification, is a well-established, evidence-based treatment for anxiety and aggression in dogs (American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior & American College of Veterinary Behaviorists). To actively discourage owners from seeking proven medical support is, in my view, irresponsible and harmful. To be fair, Donnie’s obedience skills did improve during his stay, which is why I’m leaving 2 stars. His obedience improved, but our main issue did not, until we sought alternative help. So, for owners seeking help with complex behavioral issues—especially aggression—I cannot recommend this program. Their philosophy around training and medicine is not only outdated, but potentially dangerous. EDIT: I’ve edited this review because I feel their response didn’t address my concerns or critique. It was very defensive, and argumentative. My advice— remove from your website that you work aggression rehab, stop minimizing behaviorists to all your clients, and certainly do more research into modern behavior rehab. The only rehabilitation that was offered was to use the e-collar on Donnie every time he looked Mac’s way. Turns out, that makes many dogs MORE aggressive. They will tell you that behavior medication will turn your dog into a “zombie” and offer a story about one dog nearly killing the owners wife. With some minimal research, you can find that that the wrong dose can often have a sedative effect, and increase anxiety/aggression while the body adapts (like human antidepressants!), but that traditionally means it’s needs to be lowered. Point being, this location is very narrow minded when it comes to aggression rehab, they do not provide positive reinforcement training which all behavioral research points to the most effective form of training. We sent our own dog with 6 bags of marshmallows, since he is allergic to most treats, and over two weeks of full-time training, they used half of one bag. Frankly, I believed I was being generous with the additional star for Donnie’s very mild obedience improvement. He was there for a month, and we were unable to get him to hold place any longer than 2 minutes. Yes, he heels a little better, and sits perhaps a little quicker than when he arrived. Their response to that was we need to keep training him in order to get his duration place longer. Okay Fine, so we did the homework they subscribed for the first month. No substantive improvement. So I guess if you’re interested in paying thousands of dollars to still continue a very regimented, time consuming training at-home, This is the place. That said, I’ve had several friends that went to Off-Leash, and after 2 weeks their dogs could allegedly place for 30min. Grant it, it’s more expensive, but maybe you get what you pay for.

Lenny and Stephanie and the staff at Breakthrough K9 are amazing! My six-year-old German Shepherd, Tess, is cared for like family. The staff are professional, loving, and truly understand working breeds. This beautiful facility is clean, safe, and full of space for dogs to train, play and relax. Tess comes home happy, healthy, and even a little better behaved after boarding! If you’re looking for a place where your dog will be safe, loved, and truly cared for, Breakthrough K9 is the gold standard. Tess and I are so grateful we found them, and we’ll absolutely continue returning for future stays. I highly recommend Breakthrough K9 to anyone looking for top-quality dog boarding. If Tess hadn’t already received prior training I would have had no hesitation in allowing Breakthrough K9 to train her. They know their stuff!

Lenny and Stephanie have this program down to a science. No matter what your pet level of training needs are or if you just need a home away from home . This is the place for you and your family member. My dog Prada went with them at 16 weeks for for a 2 week board and train and has continued for regular boarding when we are on vacations. They take the best care of her and accommodate all of her medications and diet restrictions. . They are the best!!!!!!!

Stephanie and Lenny at Breakthrough K9 have been so amazing and reliable when we need to board our dog, River. After we realized we needed a different kind of boarding situation for River, we reached out to Breakthrough K9 and were met with understanding and assurance that they could take care of our pup and her needs. Once we were given a tour of the facility and a description of routines, we were convinced! Since then, Breakthrough K9 has helped us with last minute bookings, lengthy stays, and even referrals for additional training beyond what they offer. They are genuinely good people, and River is always so excited to take her own vacation there. The facility is meticulously maintained and they take care of your dog like their own. We love boarding with them and will continue to do so!

We had a great experience with Breakthrough K9! We picked up Junior almost 3 weeks ago. Before training he was counter surfing, chewing all of our furniture, jumping on people, and generally not listening. Now, after training, he is a delight to have around. He listens and follows the commands come, sit, down, out, etc... No more counter surfing or damaging things. He is still overly excited to meet new people, but honestly, even though we want him to calm down, we didn't want his excitement to go away completely. I originally felt guilty sending him away, but he loved it and he loved his trainer Ashley, she definitely loved him too. I think he had a great time and his life is so much happier now because we love being around him and we are no longer screaming "no Junior" every 5 mins. We are keeping up with the training here at the house and doing everything that they were doing there, so I do think that is part of our success. If you want your full money's worth I would plan on being super consistent at home. They were very upfront with us about this. They were also very honest about what they could and could not do. We feel like they delivered on exactly what they told us they would. They were also very kind and generous and our trainer has called us to check in since Junior has been back and has talked us through a few things. She has also offered to drive here and work with us if we really get in a jam and can't figure something out. Only thing we would change is we would have done it sooner!