More Dog Than Human

Kevin and Heidi at More Dog Than Human ran a 4 week board and train for our sheepadoodle Ziggy, who started at 4 months old, wild, and stubborn. Kevin was patient with him and gave him real attention the whole time, not just obedience drills. Ziggy came home trained. He’s still a crazy, stubborn sheepadoodle at heart, but now he listens. What sets them apart is what happens after training ends. Kevin stays available for questions and follow-up, and he’s boarded Ziggy for us on short notice at a fair price. That kind of ongoing support is hard to find with most trainers. If you want a trainer who treats your dog like his own and sticks around after the program ends, this is the place.

After extensive research and completing multiple training programs with my puppy (puppy preschool, advanced puppy training, private lessons, and intermediate training), I chose More Dog Than Human’s 4-week board and train to solidify his skills and continue building on his strong foundation. Based on their reviews, referrals, website, and my conversations with Kevin, I felt confident in this decision. Unfortunately, the experience did not match what was advertised. A major reason I chose this program was the emphasis on open communication and weekly meet-ups to review progress, which was something many other board-and-train programs don’t offer. In reality, communication was inconsistent. I often waited several days for responses, updates, or even photos, and over the full 4-week stay only two meet-ups were scheduled. My dog is an eager, intelligent English Cocker Spaniel with a solid training background, so I expected to see meaningful progress. However, during the meet-ups and at the final handoff, it did not appear that significant advancement had been made. For a 4-week board and train, I would’ve expected a noticeable improvement, especially for a quick-to-learn & eager-to-please puppy. After the program ended, I reached out to review his skills and understand how to continue reinforcing the training. I tried to schedule a phone call or find time to meet in person and both fell through or were consistently rescheduled. Being ghosted after such a significant investment was extremely disappointing. I chose this program largely because of the promised communication, structure, and follow-through. Unfortunately, my experience did not reflect those claims.

Our 4 month old puppy was already on multiple medications for anxiety, and had been seen by two other trainers that were "highly recommended" by our vet. Both other trainers suggested we rehome him. And then we had Kevin out for a consult for a board and train, and immediately gained confidence that we were with the right crew. After completing his 4 weeks of board and train- were happy to report that our puppy is off ALL medications, seems so much more at peace with life and is so well mannered! We can not say enough great things about our experience with Kevin & Heidi- they were always prompt with responses, very easy to work with, patience with ME as I had to learn how to work with our puppy as well, and clearly incredibly gifted with their training abilities. We have our puppy back home now and feel very supported going forward as well, as we start the process of reenforcing his learning and practicing everyone's new rhythm. I can not express enough gratitude for their experience and the peace it brought to our home!