Pack AMO

I am not one to normally write reviews, but I seriously cannot say enough nice things about Aaron and Pack AMO. My 4 yr old Australian Cattle dog, Nova, was extremely dog reactive. It was so bad, I am pretty sure everyone in Iowa city recognized Nova for her ferocious outbursts. I tried literally everything. I was beginning to feel hopeless after spending 2 years trying to fix her all on my own. That’s when I came across Aaron & Pack AMO after searching the internet for local dog trainers that specialized in reactivity. Upon submitting my request for a board and train, he emailed me back within seconds. From the very beginning, he demonstrated his promptness. Nova’s reactivity was so bad, even I was skeptical that Aaron would be able to help me out. Seriously like the worst of the worst reactivity: lunging, pulling, screaming, barking, foaming at the mouth, you name it. Fast forward, 9 weeks later and Nova is a completely different dog thanks to Aaron. He truly exceeded my expectations. I really did not think I would ever be able to pass by a dog without Nova going crazy. He is extremely thorough, attentive, and resilient when it comes to his job. He went above and beyond in diving deep to understand Nova and her neurological patterns. Some of the things that took me two years to understand about her, he realized within a few days of interaction. But the best part about Aaron was his follow though in doing everything in his power to make sure the training translated at home. My only regret is that I did not send her to the board and train program much much sooner. This was so hard to write down all my thoughts into one small review but morale of the story is Nova and I are so happy we found Aaron. She is a happier dog because of him and I will forever be grateful! I will never use anyone else for daycare, boarding, or training! He has our business for life!

***UPDATED REVIEW as of 3-2-24*** I took our Colorado Mountain Dog Palmer who’s 1.5 and 135lbs went for a long walk circuit in Scheels. I had Palmer by the harness with only my 3rd finger through the ring and a loose grasp of the harness. I was also purposely weaving in and out of aisles, taking sharp turns and steering him with a small tug to the left or right on the “T” of the harness near his neck. Palmer stayed in sync with my pace and by my side the whole visit. If he became distracted I simply tightened my grip on his harness, and he would refocus and look forward and once again syncing with my pace instantly, the distraction forgotten. It was AMAZING!!!! I heard comments as I was walking by patrons “wish my dog behaved and walked like that!” I felt so proud. Pretty sure we were Prancing! Haha! During past visits Palmer would be jumping and barking to get another dog or a human to play. He would go right up to kids and people for pets, uninvited. Prior to attending Pack Amo, Palmer would not have been focused on my body language, and was comfortable and projecting confidence as he was today. This was our first visit to Scheels since attending Pack Amo since October 2023. Palmer kept his head and forward looking with confidence. As I was walking he did not seek our attention by patrons passing unless they asked to met Palmer and only when I stopped. There were four other dogs in Scheels and a ton of people! When we left two other dogs were entering Scheels, that was the only moment Palmer “broke” his form He was excited but did not jump or bark. He did pull a little but not the usual pull my arm off. I had loosened my hold when we were exiting and he had full leash extension. I did a quick correction and Palmer called down and returned to me and focused. We then walked to my parking spot with a LOOSE leash. Palmer was right next to me! You could have knocked me over with a feather! Pack Amo takes multiple 6-10 dogs in a pack the walks are loose leashed! Palmer attends Pack Amo daycare once a week, and occasionally twice a week in the cold months. What initially attracted me to Pack Amo is the pick Palmer up at our house!! When he’s dropped off Palmer is worn out and happy! He then sleeps for 20+hrs! Hahaha!! BTW-we cannot say anything that’s similar to “Pack” or “Amo” on a day he isn’t attending PackAmo or he will instantly head to the front window howling/whining looking for his ride and Carson. Heehee. Aaron and his crew are great!! I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Pack Amo! Such an awesome daycare for our Colorado Mountain Dog -Palmer. Not to mention Door to Door service- he gets picked up at 9am and Dropped back off at 3’ish. They do multiple FB Reels throughout the day and it’s fun to see all the dogs interacting and going on Pack walks- with zero pulling - I might add!

Our 1.5 year old Brittany Spaniel/Poodle mix completed a 6-week Day-and-Train program with Aaron. She did very well and we greatly appreciated that Aaron helped to educate us as pet owners alongside training our pup, giving us the highest chances of success post-training. Another highlight of Pack AMO is the pick-up and drop-off service they offer - so convenient! I highly recommend Aaron for training!