Clickstart Dog Training Academy

We recently did private lessons with Cassie for our newly adopted dog and honestly couldn't be happier. She was so understanding and never made us feel rushed. She came to our home, walked with us, met us at nearby parks... really went the extra mile to work in environments that actually matter for our dog's day-to-day life. She also gave us supplementary material to reference on our own which was so helpful. We've also done group classes at the Clickstart facility with our other dog and every single staff member and trainer there has been incredibly kind and patient. It's just a genuinely good vibe across the board. 100% recommend Cassie and the whole Clickstart team. Whether you're working with a new rescue or puppy or just want some solid training support.

Greta and I have been training with Clickstart since she was in puppy school. Training an energetic German Shorthaired Pointer has not been without its challenges but the trainers with their positive reinforcement methodology have been with us the whole way supporting our journey, providing clear instruction, showing patience with me as well as the dog and offering encouragement. The group sessions are carefully planned and administered to minimize conflict with the other classmates. As a bonus, after each session, the lesson plans are distributed via e-mail to give us further direction with our homework. We are in the high school group class now and plan on attending the college upon completion. Our obedience journey may be a little longer than a that of a golden retriever, but we are at the right place to achieve the goal. Thank you Clickstart.

My service dog in-training (Noodle) and I have been working with Liv before we even picked him up! It's been nearly a year, and this review is so overdue. Today is his first birthday! We met Liv for the first time 1 week prior to make sure we have everything set up, and been taking private classes with them for about 6-8 months to get all of our basics in, and only recently slowed down to every other week or so to allow more time for us to train on our own in between sessions. I have been following Liv and their dog on Instagram since they got Mouse, and I have just been so inspired by them. From the get go, Liv suggested a series of foundational skills, such as settle and chin rest, which were extremely helpful to keep our sanity intact as Noodle got older and became more rambunctious at times! We never specifically trained "obedience". Rather, we were taught to focus on skills that will help Noodle to live comfortably and harmoniously in a human-centric world. In our first weeks working together, we were given a list of recommended books to help Noodle become emotionally resilient and to prevent separation anxiety. We were taught to train Noodle to breathe when he is overly excited, to get in a down position or to sit when we no longer want to engage in his play. For every challenge we have, Liv always had a solution. With all that, though we obviously at some very difficult moments, we overall had a very very pleasant experience raising our puppy, or one what most people would call "obedient", but really just a dog that is emotionally regulated, calm and taught skills that set them up for success. What is more impressive to me, is that none of this is done with harsh techniques. Liv practices force-free and positive reinforcement techniques only, meaning we give lots of positive associations like treats and praises when something goes well. In our year of having Noodle, I can count with less than 5 fingers the number of times I've yelled at Noodle and it was only because he was playing a bit too rough and accidentally hurt me (totally understandable and age-appropriate). We never used any physical punishment. Liv always made sure to sprinkle fun and humor in all of our trainings - mix in spins and twirls with boring settles and practice teeth brushing and giving lots of treats to keep things exciting and light hearted. Some people have seen me train Noodle and were like "wow he gets a treat for doing everything!", I mean, don't you get paid for doing anything? Sometimes when Noodle is a max toddler mode, force free is admittedly not the fastest way to end the chaos, but I would choose prioritizing my dog's happiness over my own convenience any time - and this is also something Liv exemplified over and over with their own dog and through their ways of training. Moreoever, Liv is concerned about our dog's wellbeing outside of being a "good dog". Liv taught us Cooperative Care, which is practicing going to the vet, and working at your dog's pace to make things like nail trimming, ear cleaning, and even injections a game. This was a concept that was new to me but makes so much sense. It is a lot of work and time, but in all worth it if you prioritize your dog being comfortable in uncomfortable scenarios. In all, thank you SO much Liv for being in our lives, for helping Noodle grow into the best version of himself, and for inspiring us to be better humans <3

We’ve been clients of Clickstart for two years with our rescued Golden Retriever, who struggles with anxiety - and we can’t recommend them enough! The trainers at Clickstart are absolutely amazing. They use positive reinforcement only, which has made such a difference for our dog’s confidence and happiness. Over time, we’ve learned so many helpful training techniques and enrichment activities that have improved our dog’s life (and ours!). We’ve done private 1:1 training sessions weekly and also attended sniff classes, both of which our dog’s confidence loves. The team is patient, knowledgeable, and truly cares about each dog and their family. Thanks to Clickstart, our puppy is calmer, more confident and thriving. If you’re looking for compassionate, effective, and fun training - Clickstart is the best!