Off Leash K9 Training, Pittsburgh

We loved this training program so much! The connection with our dog is on a whole new level and she has gained a greater confidence in herself as well as us. Our trainer was very knowledgeable, patient, understanding and you can tell her love of the pups! She took the time to explain how and why we do things a certain way and how and why dogs do things the way they do. It really gave us a better understanding of the training and its effects on our dog.

Choosing to get training for our new adopted dog was an easy (and necessary) decision, but trying to find the right place was a bit more challenging. After a lot of searching, we decided to give the Board and Train option with Off leash K9 Training a try. Our 2ish year-old pup is a mix of two of the most stubborn breeds (beagle and terrier), so we opted for 10-day Board and Train with Michelle. From the beginning, Michelle was an amazing communicator and very flexible with my need to adjust our start date due to some unforeseen circumstances. Once we finally solidified the date, made arrangements to drop off, and got our pup to their facility in Washington, PA, it was clear we were putting her in good hands! I had lots of questions from the very beginning and along the way! I truly appreciated Michelle’s quick and thoughtful responses as well as the photos and video clips of the progress made during her stay. We were thoroughly impressed with what we could see in the videos during the training period, but it was a different story getting her home and working to break old habits for her new skills. Just like a kid wants to push boundaries and see what they can get away with, so did our dog! Admittedly, we were not the best at keeping up with the training out of the gate because of some challenges at home during that time. Thankfully, Michelle met us for a refresher at a nearby public space. That definitely helped us understand some things on which we had questions and get us back on track. We’re thankful that by going with the Board and Train option we were able to take advantage of the refresher! Additionally, Michelle offers boarding so we were glad that our spring travel aligned with our pup being able to go back and spend time at her place. Our dog became friends with one of her pups, so not only did she have tons of fun, but she also got added reinforcement of skills learned! She enjoyed playing with several other pups during her stay so we got a happy and exhausted pup back at the end of our travels. E-collar training takes a little bit of time, but learning and understanding the commands, how to work the collar, and what your dog can accomplish when trained by a professional who knows the process is totally worth it! What I didn’t mention at the beginning was how our dog ran out the front door the second day we had her and was missing for nearly two hours. (We are not new to dog ownership and our previous dog lived 18 years across three continents.) Being that she was a new and a recently fostered rescue, she did not yet know her own name plus we hadn’t yet decided if we’d keep the name she was given as a foster one week earlier or give her a new one. She was microchipped, but we were incredibly concerned about her getting onto main roads and being hurt. Our yard backs to a wooded area with lots of critters and our dog is prone to chasing, so it’s quite nerve wracking. Since the training, I’ve been able to bring her out in the yard to fetch a ball or just relax while I do some gardening. I simply maintain her proximity using the E collar and remote system. Only once did she take off into the woods, but I immediately used the “Come” command with her collar and she came running right back! The second testament to this training effort is something that happened just yesterday. We moved to the state and our new neighborhood last fall so we haven’t yet met all of our neighbors. A nice lady who lives two doors down, has a fenced in yard and two larger dogs of her own, came to my driveway to introduce herself. One of her immediate questions was to ask how I manage to keep our dog in the yard without a fence. I laughed and gave her the background story along with my recommendation for Off leash K9 Training! Long story short, if you are questioning going this route, do it! If you have a breed that’s easier to train, you can opt for a shorter board and train or lessons at their facility. If you have a stubborn pup like we do, I definitely recommend board and train and absolutely recommend Michelle!

We were hesitant at first to schedule for our 1 year old golden retriever to be trained. It honestly seemed to good to be to true. How can a dog understand so much in 2 weeks? After meeting an individual through work, who has used Off Leash for 2 of his dogs, tell me how great the program is I made the call the next day. Samantha was incredible, we met with her 2 months before our dog Lemon was scheduled. She went over what she was going to concentrate on and what we were really looking for Lemon to be trained in. During the 2 weeks she sent us daily pictures and videos of the progress. From day one, I was amazed at how well Lemon was doing. Once we met Samantha for pick up, she went over all the commands and stayed with us for about 1.5 hours. Going over everything. Lemon was a new dog. Completely off leash and listened very well. Since having Lemon home, we go over her commands everyday to keep it fresh in her mind and she is doing great. I cant recommend this company and Samantha enough. If you are skeptical please give them a try. You wont be dissapointed!!