Matan Dog Training

I can wholeheartedly recommend Matan Dog Training based on our experience with our Rottweiler, Sequoia. Sequoia spent seven weeks in their Board & Train program. She is a two year old Rottweiler who, despite a tremendous amount of effort on our part with training, socialization, and exposure to both people and dogs, had become increasingly reactive toward humans and other dogs. With a large, powerful working breed, that level of reactivity is something you simply cannot take lightly. I don’t believe in saying that a dog like Sequoia is suddenly “cured.” She is still naturally cautious around unfamiliar people, and she is not, and probably never will be, the type of dog that every stranger should walk up and pet. But the change in her behavior after seven weeks with the Matan Dog Training team has been dramatic. Her human reactivity is now virtually nonexistent. The lunging is gone. We can actually sit with her on a bench or at a coffee shop and relax instead of constantly worrying about how she might react to a waiter or someone walking past us. That alone has been a huge change in our lives with her. She is substantially less reactive overall, more confident, much better with commands, and extremely responsive to the e collar system they introduced and taught us how to use appropriately. Just as importantly, I feel more confident handling her and better able to provide the clear, consistent leadership she needs. The program didn’t just improve Sequoia’s behavior. It gave us better tools and improved our relationship with her. I also can’t say enough about the people at Matan Dog Training. Matan Shaibi himself has built an incredible team and clearly understands dogs, particularly dogs with more challenging behavioral issues. Amelia did an amazing job working with Sequoia, and Heather, Michael, Josie, and the rest of the staff were consistently kind, communicative, responsive, and supportive. Throughout the seven weeks, I trusted them completely with Sequoia’s safety, happiness, and well-being. That means a lot when you are leaving a dog you love somewhere for that length of time. They were professional, compassionate, reliable, and have continued to make themselves available when we have questions or need advice. I genuinely feel like Sequoia now has an extended family there. For anyone dealing with serious reactivity, particularly with a large, powerful working breed where the stakes are higher, I would recommend Matan Dog Training without hesitation. They understand that some behavioral tendencies are deeply rooted in a dog’s temperament and cannot simply be erased, but they know how to work with those traits and create meaningful, practical, real-world improvement. We are incredibly grateful to Matan, Amelia, Heather, Michael, Josie, and the entire team for what they have done for Sequoia and for us.

I’m highly upset and disappointed with this company. If you didn’t read my husband’s review already, I want to explain my frustrations. My sweet 1-year-old German Shepherd, Oso, was scheduled for a 2-week board-and-train and came home under horrible circumstances. We’ve had Oso since he was a baby and taught him the basics ourselves (Sit, Down, Wait, Up, Free, Spin) using positive reinforcement. See Video 1 on yelp review. Oso has had high reactivity toward other dogs, which we made very clear was something he needed training on. The trainers kept saying that he likes to “pick fights” with other dogs. I understand Oso has a big bark, but he has never once been aggressive toward another dog. We understand aggression can occur, and I’m not a dog trainer, so if that’s what you call “picking fights,” so be it. (See Video 2 on yelp review.) In Video 2, you can also see two trainers come together to talk about Oso’s dewclaw. They didn’t even know what it was called and referred to it as “weird,” which I took offense to. Keep this dewclaw in mind, because that story isn’t over. Communication overall was poor. For $2,000, I would expect, at minimum, pictures or videos every day. Mind you, when Oso was home, I had a dog walker who walked him for 30 minutes every day and sent me multiple videos along with a map of where they went on their walk. With this company, the pictures we received were mostly just Oso sitting outside on their dirt patches. We received two videos of Oso on the dog treadmill, with no explanation until I asked how long he was on the treadmill for. I felt like I constantly had to ask for information, and if I didn’t ask, it wasn’t a priority. Oso also came home with what looks like pimples on the inside of his mouth (see image). He did not have these prior to going there, as I am very conscious of everything regarding his health and appearance. The facility may not have noticed this, but I believe they would not take responsibility for it. I’d love to hear the excuse they would give: “These things happen.” On the last day of his training (go-home day), we were already struggling to make the appointment because my husband and I are both active-duty military and can’t just leave work. My husband received a call that Oso was receiving his bath, and during his blow-dry session, his dewclaw got caught in the grate and RIPPED OUT. I can’t imagine the pain he was in. They took him to a local pet hospital, which didn’t even see him until SIX hours after his initial arrival. After many attempts to get in touch with them regarding payment, Matan finally called and said he would cover it and that “things like this happen.” I would love to see the camera surveillance and a written report of what happened. I can only imagine what the excuse will be as to why I’m not able to receive these from Matan. Oso is home with us now and recovering. We are extremely dissatisfied and honestly can’t forgive ourselves for giving this company $2,000 for this treatment. Matan, to make this right, a refund is due—or at least half. We should have known we made a mistake when we paid first and then signed the contract stating refunds are not given. You were so personable and reassuring over the phone before booking, which unfortunately fooled us. Never will Oso or any of us be near this company again. I hope this review helps other responsible dog owners think twice before choosing this company

Matan Dog Training's board-and-train program completely transformed life for my two English Bulldogs and me after they developed severe reactivity toward each other following the sudden loss of their brother. The entire team was compassionate, patient, and professional, providing exceptional care tailored to my dogs' unique needs as English bulldogs while giving me the tools and confidence to maintain their progress at home. Thanks to their expertise and ongoing support my dogs are happier, more confident, and thriving. I look forward to continuing to work with them.