Island Dog Obedience

Kristy did an amazing job with my dog, Knight, during his boarding and training program. Knight has a ton of energy (and still does!), but thanks to Kristy’s expertise, he has made huge improvements in obedience and listening skills. The training was thorough, and I can tell she genuinely cares about the dogs she works with. While we still have some work to do, life is already a lot less stressful because of the foundation she helped build. Kristy was patient, professional, and really knew how to work with Knight’s high energy while reinforcing positive behaviors. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for an experienced, reliable, and skilled dog trainer. Thank you, Kristy and island dog obedience for all your help!

We had the pleasure of working with Kristi. Our 4 year old Maltese/Shih Tzu Kuma was very anxious and reactive to new places and people. He engaged in a lot of leash pulling and aggressive behavior on walks when novel people or dogs would cross our paths. With a big move to Japan coming up we knew we needed help. Kristi was very patient and encouraging. After our consultation, Kuma surprisingly took to her quickly and worked well with Kristi’s guidance. After our first training session Kuma’s leash pulling on walks improved tremendously and he began reacting less to people and dogs on our walks. We even received compliments from people in the neighborhood! We started working on commands like “place” which really helped when people came into our home and also noticed Kuma being able to tolerate social situations better with more confidence. We are very please with the positive changes as a result of working with Kristi! Thank you for your patience with our Kuma!

We recently had the pleasure of working with Maria to train our two dogs: a 9-year-old goldendoodle with deeply ingrained habits and anxiety issues, and a 6-month-old puppy who needed foundational training. After their two-week train-and-board program, we couldn’t be happier with the results! Our 9-year-old, who used to bark at everything—dogs, people, random noises—is now calm and composed. Walks, which used to be stressful and full of pulling, are now enjoyable, and she’s even close to walking leash-free! The transformation has been remarkable, and her anxious behaviors have diminished significantly. As for our puppy, she’s learned excellent habits that are easy to reinforce at home, and her training has set a fantastic foundation for her future behavior. Both dogs are now more confident, well-behaved, and a joy to have around. Maria’s experience and dedication shine through her work. She is not only great with the dogs but also an excellent communicator with her clients. She sent us daily updates, including photos and videos, which made us feel connected and reassured throughout the process. At the end of the training, she took the time to teach us how to reinforce the lessons at home, ensuring we were confident in maintaining the progress made. We are now looking forward to taking both dogs to outdoor restaurants and other public places with confidence—something we never thought possible before Maria’s help. We can’t thank her enough for creating a more peaceful household and giving us the tools to enjoy life with our dogs. If you’re considering a trainer, we wholeheartedly recommend Maria. Her expertise, communication, and results are unmatched!

One word Confidence... Confidence for both the owner and for the dog. That’s what Kristi and Island Dog Obedience has provided us. This is our first forever pup after fostering and we discovered Bishop had some reactivity issues. He came from the Humane Society and was brought in as a stray so he had a story that probably led to his reactivity. We didn't want to give up on him as he quickly became a beloved family member. After being with Kristi he is more behaved and willing to learn. I walk him with more confidence and understand his behavior more. We still have a long way to go but the tools and baseline Kristi has provided has been invaluable. Our family was so worried sending him to a board and train so early from his adoption but it worked out great. We also appreciated all the videos, photos and daily emails while he was gone for training. Bishop has become part of the family and we are grateful for Kristi’s help.

Ryan did an amazing job at training Ellie. My main concerns were recall/listening, pulling on the leash when walking and jumping. During her training, Ryan was very response and also made sure to send me updates on what they were working on with pictures and videos. When I picked up Ellie, I could tell immediately that her behavior had significantly improved. Ryan took the time to walk me through everything he taught Ellie and how to keep up her training. I had a lot of questions and he was super patient and made sure I was comfortable before taking Ellie back home. Ellie is so much better on walks and has a lot more confidence in public. I no longer have any issues when I let her run around outside because she listens when I call her back in the house. She is also much better at bedtime and will walk straight into her crate when I tell her to go to sleep. Overall my experience with Island Dog Obedience was amazing and I 100% recommend Ryan to train your dog!