Forte K9 Academy

Forte K9 has been completely transformative for our very reactive dog. Our dog’s aggression with people and other dogs was escalating quickly and we needed help asap. Working with Leah gave us the tools and knowledge to redirect our pup’s behavior and reinforce basic commands. Leah is super knowledgeable and was an asset in our training. We are very happy with our progress and hope that others in a similar situation know that there is hope with highly aggressive/reactive dogs. Don’t hesitate to book the training - it works.

Truly cannot recommend Leah enough! I feel so much better equipped with my new rescue pup. Leah trained my 5 y/o pointer who I had recently adopted on the e collar for recall and heel work - and she's now an even more perfect dog! She spent 2 weeks with Leah in her board and train program and I felt so confident and comfortable with her there. I received many updates, clear communication around the stage of training we were in and where we were headed - and Willie came back a changed dog. Leah is so lovely and caring with her trainees, and its clear how much expertise she has and love for dogs! Would 10/10 recommend.

Leah Belitz (Ott) of Forte K9 Academy is, without question, one of the absolute best dog trainers in the United States—especially when it comes to behavior modification and working with high-drive dogs. Leah has been truly life-changing for our family. She helped us continue advanced training with our retired military working dog while also developing an entirely new training approach for our rescued juvenile Malinois. From the very beginning, she took the time to carefully observe how we worked with our dogs, understand our goals, and assess each dog’s individual needs. Her training is never “one size fits all”—it is tailored, thoughtful, and incredibly effective. What sets Leah apart is her professionalism, patience, and ability to communicate clearly—not just with the dogs, but with the entire family. She taught both the kids and adults the importance of consistency, compassion, patience, and love, while maintaining appropriate standards and structure. Her guidance helped us become better handlers, better teammates, and more confident leaders for our dogs. The results have been remarkable. We’ve seen major improvements in difficult behavioral challenges, including reactivity and off-leash obedience. Our rescued Malinois, in particular, has made incredible progress thanks to Leah’s expertise and steady support. Leah consistently provided clear, actionable instructions for addressing specific behaviors and was always responsive whenever we reached out with questions or concerns. Leah’s impact goes far beyond training commands—she builds confidence, trust, and lasting communication between dogs and their people. We cannot recommend Leah and Forte K9 Academy highly enough. If you are serious about transforming your relationship with your dog—especially a high-drive or challenging dog—Leah is the trainer you want in your corner.

Leah is amazing, absolutely amazing, I can NOT say this enough; in helping my family to continue training for our former military pup and in the necessary new training for our rescue juvenile malinois mix, she ensured we were able to provide the appropriate standards and training for both pups and communicate needs of training standards for the kids and adults that included patience, compassion, love and consistency. Please 100% absolutely to do with Leah for your pups, I cannot reccomend high enough.

We highly recommend Forte K9 Academy. Over the course of our sessions, we have seen an almost immediate and remarkable transformation in our 8-month-old rescue Doberman (Harry) We trained in many different challenging and distraction filled environments, and thanks to Leah’s guidance, he now stays focused on us and is noticeably calmer overall. Leah goes above and beyond. Even outside of training sessions, she’s been available via phone and text when we’ve had tough days and needed extra advice. She’s not just training your dog. She’s training you. She explains things in a way that makes it all seem easy. She’s empathetic, extremely patient and emphasizes that training is a continuous journey. It’s our consistency as owners that will make the long-lasting difference and she has helped us build that confidence. After training with Leah, we have grown immensely in our understanding of how Harry learns and communicates as an individual. Not just training, but every day. Leah’s consistent methods and structured program has taught us so much and reshaped what was once an unsure, rambunctious puppy into a confident, well-behaved, responsive companion.