Proactive Dog Training, LLC

I signed up my strong-willed pup for the 3-week boot camp, not knowing what to expect—but Proactive Dog Training exceeded my expectations at every turn! I love how they train both in practical outdoor spaces and at home. I already had a trip planned, so the extended board-and-train option was a perfect fit. When I picked up my dog, the transformation was incredible. I also loved receiving videos of her progress along the way—it made the experience even more reassuring and exciting! What truly surprised and impressed me were the continued benefits after the program— It truly feels like the gift that keeps on giving! I continue to board my pup there overnight and use their daycare for additional socialization and training, which speaks volumes about the trust I have in their fantastic trainers! Paws up for the BEST dog care I’ve experienced in the Triangle by far.

We sent our goldendoodle Sadie to 3 weeks at Proactive and would highly recommend it. We were blown away by the personalized touches, the daily videos, and the true care that the trainers take with the dogs. Sadie went in as a wild child that we had a hard time with as we couldn’t get her to perform basic commands such as stay, she would pull horribly on the leash during walks, etc. Sadie came home a changed dog that we can enjoy and integrate much better into our lives as she now listens much better when needed. She is much happier as are we as we all understand each other better. We now can confidently bring her in public such as our sons’ sporting events as in this included picture without fear of her acting “wild”. We are sending our puppy for training in a few months and would recommend Proactive to anyone looking!!!

I have a rescue chihuahua whose aggression and bad behavior was getting progressively worse over the three years we had him. We had done training with other trainers and always hit a wall of progress. We could manage him, but it was a lot of time and energy, and he was unpredictable so we were exhausted. I found Javier online and contacted him after reading a review about two mini aussies who he helped, specifically that when there were still issues after training he took them back in to figure it out. Dobby is a really challenging case and he needed more individual attention than a standard training program. We did two individual sessions with Javier initially, and I felt like he understood Dobby better than any other trainer - Dobby wasn't actually scared, he was actually just kind of a jerk used to biting to get his own way, and our handling (or not handling) of him over the years kept enforcing that behavior. Everything started to make sense. We then decided to go with the Ultimate Dog Program for board and train, which was 21 days with behavior guarantees (given appropriate owner behavior and follow up of course). They ended up keeping him for another week (no extra cost) as Javier did not think he was ready to go home yet. Throughout the training, they posted video updates on Youtube, and I was able to join some of the sessions in later weeks - from both of those experiences it was clear that all of the trainers loved Dobby and had built great relationships with him. He's been home for two weeks now, and we've gone slow with re-integrating him with our other dogs, but it's been smooth sailing so far. Instead of whining incessantly when he is crated, he will happily go in and relax. I can handle him for putting on his collar, leash, etc, with no fear of biting, and the best part is that he is now a cuddle bug! He used to growl or snap after a few seconds of petting (that he actively initiated) due to a conflict of interest in his brain, and now he is all over me asking for attention, to be held, petted, and he loves every second for real. He doesn't chase our cats, he can stay in place for a long time when necessary, and he is doing a great job on leash where he used to pull and sniff at EVERYTHING and not listen an ounce. He is still his weird, goofy self, and he is always going to need some management, but now we have the tools! The e-collar training has been a godsend - it has done wonders for flipping a switch in his brain when he's overaroused, allowing him to turn that off and move on. He really needed the structure that the training provided for him to be his best self, and our household is so much calmer. We now also plan to take him to Proactive for boarding when we travel! He can be a challenge with petsitters, so knowing we have a place where he's already known and loved and comfortable gives us so much more peace of mind. We boarded him for the first time post-training last weekend and he came home happy and tired. Javier makes it clear that the end of formal training is just the beginning of the new relationship and encourages owners to reach out at any point in the future. The Proactive staff truly cares abut the dogs in their care and stands by their work more than any other trainers we've encountered, and after putting Dobby through this program I feel like we have both amazing results and also continuing support as needed. Javier also writes great newsletters, so go sign up for them!