Dream Come True K9

Blake and the whole staff at Dream Come True K9 has changed our life with our dog Maya - if we hadn't of found them, we wouldn't have our dog today. Maya is a lab mix we adopted when she was 2 months old, about 4 years ago. Our vet recommended that we keep her away from any socialization for the first month because she was so young and susceptible to diseases, so she was about 4 -5 months before we started taking her to a puppy socialization classes. We started to notice some aggression in her play - she was pinning down other puppies and not letting them get up, so often, the teacher would pull Maya out of play for a while. When she got a little older, around 7-8 months she started showing leash aggression with certain dogs. We went through a multitude of different obedience training programs, positive reinforcements, which I believe was the most damaging for Maya. This consisted of giving her a high quality treat, like salami, every time we passed a dog and practicing avoidance of other dogs. This didn't seem to do much for Maya except develop an expensive taste. Someone put us in touch with a gifted dog trainer who works with old fighting pit bulls, and while he was great with Maya we could see a difference when she was around other dogs, it seemed to only make a difference when we were around him, though he did introduce us to a prong collar which was a huge help with leash aggression. During this time she had attacked two smaller dogs on the street, didn't do any damage, but enough to scare us into seeking a better solution. Finally we met Blake and Dream Come True and Maya spent her initial 5 weeks with them and they explained that she is an extremely anxious dog and when she feels like other dogs aren't behaving appropriately, meaning getting in her face, wether it be with aggression or just excited play, she has a difficult time distinguishing the two and immediately reacts on the defensive. That said, she is a very smart dog and loves to work, so learning the shock collar, was a huge gift for her. By giving her a job, like putting her in place or having her hold a sit or down, she began to become a less anxious dog. We had Maya back for about a year, and while she still had some old habits, she was listening to us and was so well trained that most of her old habits were not difficult to anticipate and curb. However one day, my boyfriend was coming home with Maya and a lot of bags in the elevator and he wasn't holding on to the leash tight enough and as soon as the doors opened she leaped on a toy yorkie that was waiting on the other side. The altercation lasted a mere 5 seconds, but it was enough to do some serious damage and nearly kill the yorkie. Not knowing what to do, we turned back to Dream Come True and they took her in indefinitely while we desperately searched for a more permanent solution for her. We visited her as often as we could, working with her and a trainer to squelch her anxiety and work on our skills as her handlers. After 3 months, we decided to try to bring her back, and though I know we a ways to go before we can completely trust Maya, Dream Come True has helped us understand her triggers, become more comfortable with handling her properly and has reversed the damage we may have done early on in not properly socializing her. I never thought I'd say this, but she now has multiple boyfriends at the training center and I can see her anxiety melt away when we are there, so I know that if we get better at home with her, she can live up to her full potential. So, if you ever get to a point when you feel like you have no option with your dog, know that you do, with Dream Come True K9. My only regret is that we didn't find them sooner!

If you have a dog, you should go to DCTK9. It's really as simple as that! No matter where you and your dog are in terms of training, Blake and his team are very patient, caring, and are truly invested in your success! Shortly after adopting my 5 year old pitbull, we signed up for and completed a 5 week intro training course with Blake and Andrew. Since then, we continue to work with the team during socialization classes, private sessions, dog walking, and over night boarding. I can't say enough about DCTK9 and feel very lucky to have found them!

I started following Blake on social media because my dog was lunging at dogs & chasing after stray cats while on walks. I had attended one of his 4 days seminars and by day 4 I had already seen a huge difference in my dog's leash manners. I continued to follow his advice and started attending his private socialization classes. It was after a few weeks of constant training and improvements with my dog that Blake offered me a job to dog walk for the company and now I am a full time trainer with a well balanced dog!

We were struggling with our 10 month old pup who lacked impulse control, barked like a madwoman in her crate and was leash reactive. After completing a 5 week Board and Train with Blake and his DCTK9 Team, which includes training "you" the owner as well, it's a 5 star rave. I can honestly say "I'm in love with the adult dog my Bailey has grown into with the help of DCTK9." Now my very tiny Chihuahua Bean is currently under a 5 week program with Blake and his team, so tiny dogs can benefit from awesome training at DCTK9 too!!

My dog was suffering from extreme anxiety and fear both around other people and on the streets of New York, sometimes refusing to move and with uncontrollable shaking. After her 5 week board and train with Blake and the entire DCTK9 team she has been amazing. They helped her build enough confidence to power through the scary stuff and helped me develop an even deeper and more fulfilling relationship with my little pup. Now she's no longer scared and even thrives around other people and on the street. Thanks guys!!!