For a Civilized Dog

If I could give For a Civilized Dog more than five stars, I would. Jacklyn and Cary are an exceptional husband-and-wife team who genuinely care about every dog that comes through their doors. They don’t just train dogs—they take the time to truly understand each dog’s personality, behavior, and individual needs. Their experience, knowledge, and thoughtful approach are evident in everything they do. I have a Rottweiler who developed dog reactivity because of mistakes I made while handling him on walks. Instead of simply training my dog, Jacklyn and Cary trained me as well. They helped me understand where I was unintentionally contributing to the problem and gave me the tools and confidence to handle him correctly. Thanks to them, my dog is no longer dog reactive, which has been absolutely life-changing for both of us. They’ve also become our go-to boarding facility whenever we travel. The best endorsement I can give is that my dog gets genuinely excited when we pull into their driveway. He can’t wait to go inside! That peace of mind is priceless. Their facility is modern, clean, secure, and exceptionally well maintained. Because Jacklyn and Cary live on the property, I know my dog is safe and well cared for around the clock. Unlike boarding facilities we’ve used in the past, he’s never once come home sick. One of my favorite touches is the daily report cards. Every day I receive thoughtful updates about how he’s doing, along with photos of him playing, learning, and enjoying his stay. It makes being away from him so much easier. The entire staff is fantastic, but Danielle deserves a special shout-out. She is incredibly kind, patient, and talented, and my dog absolutely adores her. Seeing how excited he gets when he sees her says everything. Communication has always been outstanding. They’re quick to answer texts, scheduling is easy, and every interaction leaves me feeling like my dog is in the very best hands. I trust For a Civilized Dog completely. Whether you’re looking for behavioral training, obedience training, or an exceptional boarding experience, I truly cannot recommend them highly enough. They have made an incredible difference in our lives, and I am so grateful for everything they’ve done for both me and my dog.

I am so glad I came across Cary and the team—Jaclyn, Sadi, and Dannielle! I had a very active puppy who needed a lot of training, and I had zero experience with a dog this young. From my first conversation with Jaclyn, everything she said just clicked, and I knew this was the right place for my pup. My pup spent 21 days in their board-and-train program, and I loved getting photos and updates almost daily. When we picked her up, my whole family was THRILLED seeing how much she had learned. We also did four in-home sessions with Cary, and it’s been amazing to watch her continue to grow and improve. I plan on continuing with more training. Our household is SO much better now that we have A Civilized Dog as part of our support team. Even when she goes for boarding or daycare, they’re still reinforcing her training every time. I’m so happy to refer them to everyone! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions—you truly can’t go wrong.

I have done 4 training lessons with Cary and it's like night and day for how my dog (Jojo) was before we started vs. now. Jojo is a 9 year old reactive cattle dog / lab mix. We lived in a house with a big yard and in a neighborhood without many dogs, but then we moved to SoCal and into an apartment complex. Jojo's reactivity became much more pronounced and our walks became a source of stress for us both. Enter Cary! He's given both me and Jojo so many tools to create a safe and successful environment on walks, around other people, and around other dogs. 3 months ago, Jojo wouldn't have been able to be within smelling distance of another dog without barking and lunging. Now, he can sit calmly as dogs pass at a distance. When dogs and people are close, he's able to listen to me and follow redirection away from the trigger. That is a HUGE improvement in just 4 lessons! I won't say Jojo is a new dog because he's still the same dog I adopted with the same goofy personality; however, the training Cary has taken us through has allowed that personality to shine over what used to be stress and reactivity. All of this to say that I highly recommend For a Civilized Dog and Cary!!

Cary brings a real and achievable style of dog traininig to those of us who perhaps should not be training our dogs. Cary breaks everything down to understandable steps that are easy to attain, even for the laziest of we amateur dog trainers. You know who you are; we think it's cute when they jump up on things and can't bear to scold. (Note: "we" also probably should not decide on a Jack Russell Terrier... just saying) We can't manage to keep a schedule to do the laundry, let alone remember to take treats out on a walk. Cary makes it make sense. He sets things up in a linear pattern where you know what step is next. If you can't manage to get beyond your step, that's ok. You'll keep working on it. But he's going to ask why. And you had better have a good reason. He reminds me of my favorite teacher in school who was infinitely understanding and patient, but holds you accountable.