Cedar Creek Shepherds

I can’t say enough good things about Pedro and Amy. I originally reached out to them because my 9 month old German Shepherd was regressing on some previous learned obedience training (from a different facility). Our first meeting was very informative and they spent a lot of time watching my pup and really assessing his behaviors, temperament, etc.. I also was very appreciative of how direct they were with me on where they thought he was at and what they thought he needed moving forward. I ended up signing him up for the 2 week board and train package (that was very reasonably priced compared to the previous training I paid for). Amy and Pedro were very accessible during the time my dog was with them, and I got constant updates, pictures and videos which really kept me at ease and let me know he was in good hands while he was in their care. The dog I sent to Cedar Creek Shepherds is not the dog that returned after those two weeks. He is obedient, doesn’t jump, listens to all of his commands and remains in them until I release him, he is heeling (on leash and off leash) like he’s a show dog, and he was weened off the treat/food positive marker to just a “good boy” praise and pat on the head. Amy and Pedro are amazing at what they do, and worth every penny I spent to have the dog I do now. I more than highly recommend them and will not go elsewhere in the future if we ever need any additional training.

“Listen, I’ve forgot more dog training than you’ll ever know…” was the first sentence out of his mouth, which can clue you in to how the conversation went to try and recuperate some of the training fee from poor performance by Pedro and Amy at Cedar Creek Shepherds. I thought at least 2 months about how to do this fair… and consulted vets, attorneys, as well as other trainers. I felt asking for a percent of the very high fee wouldn’t harm anyone financially but was enough to remember to prevent future problems since we didn’t receive any what we were assured and only a small portion of what is outlined in the contract. It has been 3 months since we brought our 9-month Presa to Cedar Creek Shepherds after a suggestion from a friend and discussed some very basic training that we wanted. The dog knew how to sit and stay so we didn’t need to go very far. It was understood that we weren’t show dog people and were not interested in having the dog sit and come from 10 feet and walk slowly in a circle or pose for a camera, that is not training. We asked 3 basic things and were assured repeatedly all that was covered under what the trainer called teaching manners. We asked for training not to jump on folks, for training that small young folks could handle him that lack brute force, and for training that we could take him in public to restaurant or park etc. with people and dogs. Upon return to us “it took 20 minutes of shocking on level 60” to calm him down. The trainer seemed proud of this for some bizarre reason. Our pet was filthy, stunk like a barn animal, had deep wounds on his neck, and had lost 18 pounds in 14 days. You could tell his personality was broken from fear. I was beside myself. A trusted vet said it is near impossible for a 110 pound 9-month dog to lose that much weight that quickly. The trainer assured us at a follow up that we can get the information to stick if we continue to work with him, which we did for 1-2 hours a day, every day. At the ends of these sessions, he is calm and will listen. The problem is we could get him to tap-dance if shocked enough. We expected as we should, the dog that already knew sit and stay would be able to execute a few basic commands and remain calm doing so. None of this translated. He is very excitable, and it takes the force of a large man accompanied by continuous high-level shock to get him to slow down. THAT IS NOT TRAINING. The trainer insisted this is our fault. I thought we paid him to train the dog. He would not budge in a couple hours of discussions and should be ashamed. I find this team negligent at best. If you don’t notice dark bleeding injury out the neck of an animal you are supposed to have eyes on 24/7… or the fact that he is losing weight rapidly and can’t answer how much you have fed him… and smells like a trash truck… is often fearful… was not trained… to the tune of $1000 / week, you have a problem… That aside: shirking of any responsibility, not providing half of the items in the contract, and post-training lectures of what I did wrong, it was unreal.

We took our 3 year old gsd rescue Ruby, who was not listening to us no matter what we tried, to Pedro and Amy and they recommended board and train. After 2 weeks with them our Ruby came back incredibly improved and able to listen and follow basic obedience. They are continuing to work with us and Ruby to build on what she was taught. We highly recommend them especially for the sometimes stubborn German shepherd.

By chance, I happened to see Pedro and Amy's daughter, Samantha, training her dog in a field near my house about 6 months ago. It was the best trained, happiest dog/owner relationship I had ever witnessed. I asked Samantha how she did that, and she said, "Did what?" Lol. I explained and she handed me her parents business card and explained that they trained, boarded, competed..... Short story - I would give 10 stars if I could for Pedro and Amy. They are patient to novice GSD owners and absolutely fair in their training of the dogs. Our 10 month old GSD has gone from a handful to a well behaved dog with their training. Their boarding facility is state of the art. You can't go wrong here, and to say that these are "Dog people" is the understatement of the year. Absolute experts in their field. Remarkable.