Pavlov Dog Training - Portland

tl:dr Is the program pricey? Yes. Is it worth it to help your reactive dog? Absolutely yes. Without going into a lengthy backstory, my 4 year old rescue, Fig, an Australian Shepard, has been high reactivity to other dogs small and large, but was inconsistent on what set him off and at what distance. He wasn't aggressive, but more screaming and jumping in the hopes of scaring them away. I'd worked with trainers in the past (in-home, private at a facility, and group setting) and while some were able to help with training manners, none of them were able to really help with his reactivity or to help understand it. We eventually moved to a new area and during a walk which could have resulted in a trip to the ER for Fig if he hadn't been wearing a harness, I decided attempting to avoid others wasn't going to help Fig with his reactivity and something needed to be done to improve both of our lives. Pavlov Dog Training was instantly at the top of my list because their website specifically showed several videos of client dogs during and after completing the various courses. The price though is high and though they do have a payment plan of a portion down-payment, part during drop-off and the remaining at pick-up. My trainer with Fig was Ashley in the Portland area. My first time meeting and speaking with her was during Fig's drop-off at her home. We spent time talking about Fig, touched on some of the things I listed in my application for the 3-week training and boarding program for reactive dogs, and brought up any questions I'd hoped to get answered. I got weekly photos, videos, and email updates giving general on what was being covered that week and how Fig was doing in the program. Only once did I send a follow up email in response to ask about more details and Ashley was not only quick to respond but thoroughly detailed and clear in explaining the answers. After picking Fig back up from the training program, there's been a significant improvement in his reactivity. I will say, he can still be reactive, it's not 100% gone, but he's been able to see and walk by other dogs he previously would have fixated and reacted to with little to no issue now. The 3 times in the last month he has reacted to another dog have been easily and quickly redirected in under 4 seconds and each time it's been due to another reactive dog similar to how he was prior to the program. All in all, though the monetary price is high for the course, if you have a reactive dog and you want to finally do something about it, I would highly suggest reaching out to the Pavlov Dog Training team. Ashley was a wonderful and informative trainer and now Fig and I are doing significantly better with being able to go on walks and hikes while having the training and tools to not stress when seeing another dog or feel the need to actively try to avoid them. This was 100% worth it. Thank you!

We did the 2 week board and train with our 7 month cocker spaniel Ocho. Things we wanted help improving on were walking on a leash without pulling (it was a nightmare), not jumping up on people and her recall. Our trainer was Ashley and we are so incredibly impressed with the training both Ocho received and most importantly, WE received. Walking Ocho is now an enjoyable experience and after the training, we are able to keep expanding her skills. She “parks it” and is getting better at her recall. Ashley also worked on Ocho’s fears of big, loud things passing by. We highly recommend the board and train program to jump start the training process. I personally recommend Ashley as a trainer. Every time we meet up for a training session Ocho just listens to every command - Ashley has an incredible way of understanding how Ocho specifically listens/learns and best way to train her. Thanks Pavlov.

Ashley was wonderful with our little 4 year old terrier mix. He’s a tiny dog so we didn’t focus much on basic training, but we knew his life and our life would be better if he learned the basics and we had a set of shared expectations. He loved his 2 weeks with her! We were kept informed via video clips and he’s done great since being home. When we did the follow up visits he was so happy to see her! We’re planning to do the off leash training with Ashley soon! If you want your dog to learn in a caring environment I recommend Ashley!