Instinct Dog Behavior & Training

Instinct is awesome! My dog Finn is reactive and territorial; he had some prior training (mostly for leash walking) but was still fearful and anxious around people indoors. He stayed 2 weeks at Instinct for Camp+Coaching, where his trainer Rebecca helped him learn coping skills. Rebecca gained Finn’s trust so quickly! She was very patient with him and I could tell from the daily photos and videos she sent that he was having a good time and learning a lot. We’ve had some post-camp in-home training sessions as well, to reinforce and extend what he learned. While Finn will always be anxious, he is much less reactive now, and with the home visits I’m gaining skills to help him manage his big feelings. His progress is clear: he can sit quietly in the elevator, and will choose to hang out in his crate when there are people around. Rebecca is a terrific trainer, thoughtful, professional, and truly invested in my dog’s growth. I recommend Instinct (and Rebecca!) so highly, especially for pups who need gentle, non-aversive training methods. We will keep working with Instinct — I just booked another Camp stay for Finn!

We were so impressed with Instinct training and are so thrilled that we used them to help with training for our dog Yogi. We were particularly impressed and thrilled with our experiences with trainer: Samantha Bell-Brown. She was extremely professional - always on time and ready to work with Yogi, always prepared with additional snacks, and constantly checking in in-between sessions to ensure good continuity. She taught us so much about dog training with endless practical tips that worked extremely well. Yogi absolutely adored Sam and misses her so much now that our sessions are over. Sam ensured all sessions were centered around what we and Yogi needed - adapting her tips and sessions to whatever was most important at that time. She helped us with potty training, impulse control, walking with good manners, dropping objects she picked up, relaxing when we are trying to get work done - truly everything. Yogi is the absolute BEST - we have Sam to thank for a lot of that and for helping us become lifelong trainers ourselves! Should we get another puppy or if Yogi needs additional training - we would absolutely use Instinct again and recommend it to anyone looking for a wonderful training experience!

I have had two dogs trained at Instinct. To say the trainers and caretakers are passionate about their work with dogs, would be an understatement. These folks go out of their way to make sure the dogs and families they’re working with are set up for success. Oyuki has been our most recent trainer with our 160lbs, protective mastiff mix. She has given us the tools to prevent leash aggression which has been our biggest issue to date and as you can imagine, quite the challenge when walking a giant breed. Jupiter is much calmer thanks to the tools we were given at Instinct and when he’s boarded there, we know he’s well taken care of and stimulated. We’re so grateful for everyone at Instinct for showing love and patience to our big guy.

Instinct was our last hope when it came to training Winston. He has severe anxiety and really had a hard time with going outside and being around new people. He was in the board and train program for two weeks, and the work that Oyuki and Kelly did with him has completely surpassed our expectations. The fact that Winston is excited to see them even after a few months of being back home says so much. We still have work to do with our little anxious boy, but it's easier to go on walks with him and we were even able to sit down for a bit at the park. We also have the proper tools and guidance to continue his training and Oyuki has been nothing but supportive whenever any questions come up. If you're considering boarding and/or training with Instinct, go for it. Beyond the training and their top tier expertise, the care and love they've shown Winston is the most valuable to us. We now feel comfortable that he has a second home if we ever need to board him while we've traveling.