Dogability Dog Training

Our dog has always been a wonderful people companion, but was an incessant backyard barker towards other dogs and animals that would walk by our home. She has a prey instinct, and was often difficult to control on a walk (she was a very strong leash puller). The final straw was when she worked her way out of her harness and ran towards another dog while our dog sitter was helpless to the situation. My wife found Juan and his team at Dogability. I have to admit I was skeptical at first. After a few weeks and some optimistic updates from Juan and his staff, I had the pleasure of spending some time during the last week learning about canine and animal behavior, and working firsthand with our dog. We even went for a few walks and leash-free roaming on Duke's campus. It was an incredible improvement in her behavior. The training was as important for our dog as it was for us. Anyone who thinks the dogs will arrive trained and remain that way without constant work will be disappointed. We work with Callie every day, and she is maintaining her good habits very nicely. More importantly, she responds to our commands when needed, which will keep her, us, and our neighbors safe. My wife and I did our research before committing to Juan and his team at Dogability. Dog trainers are not licensed professionals in the state, so virtually anyone who has trained a dog to sit can hang a shingle on their front door and open up for business as a dog trainer. Juan's success is that he prepares the owners for a re-integration of the dog back home with its family, provides you the necessary training and tools to maintain the work he and his team have done, and remains a resource to you after the training is complete and you have left with your dog. In the end, we were very pleased with our decision. We walk our dog with the leash draped over our neck, she stops barking when told (if she even begins at all), and she just seems so much happier to us now that she is comfortable with these new boundaries. Callie will be 6 in October, and so I thank Juan, Gene, and the rest of the Dogability team for proving to us that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

When we first contacted Dogability, we were on our last try before rehoming one of our dogs. He barked and lunged at every passerby on walks. He whined to go out, then to come in, then back out, repeatedly. And none of the techniques we tried seemed to work, from treats for positive reinforcement to clicks to choke collars. We were drawn to the idea of a month of training. Clearly, we needed a situation where our dog could have dedicated training and we weren't up to the task. We didn't know much about how it would go, but we just hoped it would help. When I went to the trainings at the end of the month to learn how to maintain the training, I was blown away. I couldn't believe what my dog was doing. He managed to walk, glued to my knee, with a loose leash draped casually over my shoulders, passing dozens of people, joggers, bicyclers, people with dogs, people with children, and not a lunge or a peep from him! We were so impressed, we decided to sign our other dog up for the training, because the control was so life-changing. Our second dog just finished her training and the transformation is just as wonderful. I cannot possibly recommend Dogability highly enough. They understand dogs and know how to train them. And they will make sure that you know how to maintain the training. Worth every penny!

I would give Dogability Dog Training 10 stars, if I could. We have sent both of our dogs to training with Juan and his excellent team with wonderful, lasting results. We took our first dog, a 6 lb rescue, who had many, many behavior concerns. (She even peed on the couch!) Since coming home 3 months ago, she has blossomed under the wonderful training and guidance we learned from Dogability. She comes when called, doesn't bark at other dogs and can even routinely enjoy time off leash (in a safe, observed space). She also actually started cuddling with us. It's transformed our relationship and her life! The training is definitely a lifestyle change but the best one we've ever made! We recently brought home our second dog, a 8lb dog we've had since she was a puppy, to go through Dogability Training. She does not have the personality of our first dog and sometimes doesn't always want to be as responsive, but she continues to learn and clearly knows all the commands she was taught! She also has much improved outdoor manners with other dogs and people and walks with no pulling! Also, both dogs are fully house trained, which could not have been said for our first dog at all! We now have two small dogs that are exceptionally well-mannered and don't go to the bathroom inside our house! I cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience. Thank you, Juan, Gene and all the other wonderful folks who helped us build even better relationships with our sweet pups!

Dog Ability has changed our sweet pups life! We found Juan here on google and was reassured by a friend. It was an extremely tough decision for our family but one we will never regret. Mousse went in as a barking, over stimulated honey badger of a dog and after the hard work and dedication from the team at dog ability he is home and enjoying life! His behavior is manageable, he knows when it's play time and when it's not. His barking is controlled and his manners are impeccable! Thank you so much to Juan, Gene, Sandy and the rest of the team at dog ability! Mousse says Hi and thank you as well!

Mims is the perfect example of an old dog that CAN learn new tricks! Mims is around 8 years old and has been a part of my family for about 5 years. I know nothing about him prior to me, but this sensitive, fearful, tender hearted little guy definitely had serious leash re-activity that has increased over the past 5 years. His leash walking behavior compared to his normal behavior was like Jekyll and Hyde. Whenever we passed another dog his whole demeanor just switched; he stiffened, locked his eyes on the other dog, raised the hair on his back, sometimes bark a mean bark, spin in circles, huff, growl, and redirect on the nearest target. Mims was unpredictable, often times lunging at joggers or other people at random when they passed by. I loved to walk him daily and he loved to be on a walk but it was always very stressful to be on high alert all the time to our surroundings. Enter Dogability! I have been a fan of Maria for a very long time as she was a pet sitter way before the Pet Wagon, so naturally I wanted to investigate Dogability to see if it was a good fit for Mims and it SO WAS! My first point of contact was Jen. She was AWESOME! We spoke on many occasions and she was so willing to answer all of my questions. It was very helpful and reassuring that she had been through the board and train with her own dogs too! Sandy was another staff member that was very helpful in answering questions when we dropped Mims off and another Dogability graduate! I love that the people who are part of this training course were previously clients! That in itself says a lot about the program. There is no question it was a financial commitment for my family, but we were very optimistic going in that it would be LIFE CHANGING and it was. Juan and Gene are AMAZING! No frills, just good old fashioned love for dogs, incredible expertise and experience, and a genuine desire to help families like mine build a better relationship with our pets. Their "train the trainer" style the final week of class provided us with the hands on tools to continue the work that they had begun with our dog. Even though we met with our class for the final training week, we received a lot of personal attention tailored specifically to our dogs needs. It is SOLELY because of the work of Juan and Gene that we are able to enjoy the world we have longed to be in with our dog. The transformation in Mims truly warms my heart! He seems so much more relaxed and less worried about the world around him. The anxiety Mims had about joggers, strollers, hooded or hat wearing persons has disappeared! His reaction to dogs we pass has drastically improved--most times he looks the other way! Our family enjoys walks that were never possible before! It is so relaxing to just enjoy a walk! In addition to all the wonderful things Juan and Gene have done for Mims in terms of his reactivity which was our #1 goal, they have also given him some basic obedience/safety tools like stay, place, and 3 different types of leash walking (free, controlled in heal position, and off-leash with two different types of recall) as well as socialized him regularly with his classmates. I didn't even realize how wonderful these tools were until we got home! We use all of our tools on a daily basis and will continue to work on and use! A walk with no leash pulling, no anxiety for me, no anxiety for Mims...walking off leash in public areas with people, dogs, other activity- worry-free...having Mims come when called (the first time), staying in his "place" when the doorbell rings or while we eat dinner or while we fix his dinner, staying before jumping out of the car or crossing a threshold...the beautiful new connection we have...ahh what a wonderful life! Thank you Dogability - Gene, Juan, Sandy & Jen for all of your commitment, love, and expertise. You have made such a difference for our family! I would highly recommend this class for anyone who wants to build a better relationship with their dog, address specific needs related to your dog, & gain useful obedience/safety type tools too!