Otter Tail Kennels

My wife and I sent our 7 month old female black lab, Ruby off to Otter Tail Kennels for the Sportsman Training Program with a main focus on upland training as we primarily only upland hunt. We spoke with three other trainers closer to where we live in northern Illinois before deciding on OTK and we are more than happy that we chose them. From start to finish the entire process was smooth. The most important thing we recognized from Steve and Jody is that they CARE. They are professional, organized, and are outstanding with communication which is another other huge plus for us. When we dropped her off they were very thorough on explaining what to expect and also gave us a tour of the training grounds. We spoke to them on a weekly basis to receive a report on Ruby’s progress. We also received pictures and/or videos on a weekly basis of her in action which was awesome to see. Upon Ruby's completion of the program when we picked her up we spent 2-3 hours going over everything she learned and how to maintain her training which was great and much needed as this is our first hunting dog. We have had her home for almost a month now and she is doing wonderful. It is amazing what they have trained her to do so well and consistent and how obedient she is now as compared to when we dropped her off. Additionally after we got home, they did not leave us high and dry like some trainers I have read reviews on in the past do. There is still continuous support after your pups pick up. I have reached out to them with some questions on things I forgot and they answered with zero hesitation and got ahold of them the same day. If you want a trainer that cares, that puts in the effort for you and your dog, does their job well, and communicates like you would expect than OTK is the way to go. If/when we ever get another lab he or she will be going back to OTK no doubt. Thanks again Steve and Jody for everything!

I had my yellow lab trained by Otter Tail Kennels in 2022. Steve had my dog for 12 weeks, sportsmen package. I was impressed with everything about the training process. Steve and Jodi were always available for updates on the training. They called every Sunday to update me with the previous weeks training. They were always thorough and gave me all the good and bad my dog was doing. When I picked up my dog after the 12 weeks of training Steve and Jodi both spent time with me going through everything they have taught my dog. They took all the time I needed and explained everything to me and had my dog do several activities that she had been trained in. About a week after picking my dog up she started not staying and sitting. I sent a message to Steve and within an hour he called me back and gave me several tips on what to do. I've also received emails from them checking on how my dog is doing. I've been impressed with every aspect of Otter Tail Kennels.