Island Canine Academy, LLC

I cannot say enough good things about our time working with Julia at Charlotte Canine Academy. I was looking for a board and train service where our 4-year old French Bulldog would be able to interact with dogs on a daily basis and be cared for in a home setting. I knew I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for a typical training class that includes a few hour-long group classes that act as more band aids than long-term changes so Charlotte Canine Academy was a perfect fit. During our initial consultation, Julia's expertise in dealing with dogs from all different situations was apparent. She was detailed and specific in how she would handle our French Bulldog's training and gave us confidence that his aggression would be curable. She only trains a certain number of dogs at once so you know you are getting consistent 1-on-1 training while your dog is away and was very flexible with making schedules work with one another (we were going out of town and wanted to drop our dog off a day early which she was totally fine with). We got to see where our dog would stay and learn about what a typical day would look like during their training. I left the initial consultation with 100% confidence in what type of training our dog would get. The best part about our training with Julia actually happened after our dog's 2-week stay. As is the case in most of these situations, the bulk of the training actually needed to happen with the owner and how WE interacted with our dogs. Before we left with our dog, we went through an hour+ of training on what was taught over the past week and how we can go about his continual training outside of Charlotte Canine Academy. Unlike other training services, she doesn't just hand your dog off and you never hear from her either. We have met numerous times to check in on how training is going and re-enforcing any hurdles we may be going through. In our case, there were years of untrained behavior that needed to be fixed so we met with Julia for walks near our house, in parks and other public places to continue the process and really give us the tools re-train our dog. It has only been a few months since our training with Julia and our dog can now walk without consistent pulling, go to festivals/breweries without going crazy at other dogs and acknowledges commands that we were never able to teach him - all things I couldn't dream of doing with him before. We cannot thank Julia enough for her help with our French Bulldog and would recommend Charlotte Canine Academy to anyone considering a training service!

It was extremely hard to go on walks, he pulled me everywhere. He was barking at cars, people and just hard to handle at times. He was anxious in the car and we didn't know what to do. We were at the end of our rope. We were told about Island Academy and we went to talk with Julia. She was very knowledgeable in her field, took the time to talk to us and make us feel very comfortable. The training her and her staff did was amazing. Are walks are enjoyable and he is a better balanced dog. He listens to his commands (most times I am a work in progess learning him) I am so happy we decided to have them train him and so grateful to them. I would recommend anyone who is struggling to contact them for help. Thank you Island Canine Academy!

Julia was amazing. As soon as we emailed her she quickly responded, answering all of our questions. We had a free consultation where she got to meet our dog, tell us about everything that goes into training, and answer all of our questions. We immediately felt confident and comfortable leaving our dog with her for training. Our 1 year old black lab was sent off as a rambunctious puppy and came back two weeks later very well trained. He is able to now walk on and off leash and we can control him with just verbal commands. After the two weeks of training Julia met us twice, once at our house and once at a public park to work with us even more (for no extra charge). She texted us frequently asking how he was doing and was always willing to help with anything we needed. We are so grateful for the amazing work Julia did with our dog, and we would highly recommend Charlotte Canine Academy to anyone who is looking to get the most for their money!

Umm...can I just say BEST trainer my husband could have found for Apollo (10 month old full blooded American bully)!!! We initially were going to PetSmart for training but we soon realized that it wasn't the place Apollo needed. Julia was very knowledgeable and helpful with Apollo and she had him for only two weeks!!! We knew that we would have to learn as well because we didn't know what we were doing. So, Julia also took the time to come to our house after Apollo's training ended to help us with the commands AND on/off leash walking. It is AMAZING how much Apollo has changed! I just can't say enough with how pleased we are with Julia's training! It's good to know that if we have any questions or need extra support that Julia is a phone call away and she will come back out to help us!! We are so happy that she loved our baby while he was with her. We could tell by the excitement he had when she showed up at our house!! Thank you Julia!!

Our sweet boy biscuit was having some anxiety/aggression issues as well as not listening to us. I really had doubts that anyone could help us correct the situation. I was apprehensive to leave biscuit for a full 1-2 weeks with Julia, but let me tell you, it was the greatest decision my fiance and i have made. She came to our home and met with him first and immediately could tell us what his issues were. When we went to pick him up at the end of his training we were shocked to see him off leash listening to commands. We take him to the park all the time now and he loves to meet new people which he never did before. We don't have to worry about him biting anyone. The biggest thing that we learned was all that we were doing wrong, it is very important to do what she tells you to do. Biscuit is a new dog, but we are also new owners. I am so happy with how calm our previously chaotic home is now. Thanks Julia, you really change our family.