Retriever Ridge Kennels

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I cannot recommend Keith and Retriever Ridge Kennels highly enough. We reluctantly took our two-year-old Lab, Lottie, to Keith because, quite frankly, we didn’t want to leave our best friend with someone we didn’t know. But we had reached a point where we knew we needed professional help. Several members of our family couldn’t even take Lottie on a simple walk without her pulling incredibly hard on the leash—sometimes even pulling toward traffic or other dogs. From my very first inquiry, Keith was incredibly responsive. When it came time to drop Lottie off, he invited our whole family to come. He wanted to see how we interacted with her and, just as importantly, how she interacted with us. It honestly felt a little more like a family therapy session than a dog-training consultation! He wasn’t just interested in training our dog; he wanted to understand the entire dynamic. Leaving Lottie was hard. We initially expected her to be there for about two months, and Keith kept us updated throughout the process. As we approached the time we thought she would come home, Keith called and simply told me, “She’s not ready yet.” He recommended giving her more time. We trusted his judgment and cared more about getting the right result than getting her home on a particular date. That decision was absolutely worth it. When we were reunited with Lottie, it truly felt like we got a new dog—but in the best possible way. She had the exact same personality we loved, but with dramatically better manners, discipline, and obedience. When we picked her up, Keith instructed us not to speak to or acknowledge Lottie for about 45 minutes. After being separated for almost 3 months, she stayed right beside Keith and followed his commands the entire time. Watching that level of discipline from the same dog who once practically pulled our arms out of their sockets was unbelievable. Just as importantly, Keith trained us. We have continued using the tools and techniques he taught our family, and the results have lasted. Walks are enjoyable now. When another dog approaches, instead of Lottie dragging us down the street, we can have her sit or lie down calmly until the dog passes. Entrusting our best friend to Keith was one of the best investments we have made as a family. If you truly want to enjoy your dog without the constant stress of having a dog that feels out of control, I would recommend Retriever Ridge Kennels and Keith without hesitation. My only regret is that we didn’t find him sooner and send Lottie when she was younger. Keith is highly communicative, knowledgeable, professional, and—most importantly—someone we came to trust with a member of our family. Five stars without question!

One of the best decisions I made was letting Keith train Clyde. The work that he put into Clyde is amazing and I know he wasn’t an easy dog to work with, hence the reason for the nickname “convict”. Not only did he take his time with him to make sure he got everything. He also took time to train me to be a better dog handler and to be able to read my dog. I will always be grateful for Keith and have gained a friend!

Keith has gone over and above to help me out with my new puppy. I reached out to him looking for a dog, and even though he did not have any upcoming breeding's he helped me find a great breeder. Not to mention, I have never met him in person but I have quickly learned he is a man of his word! He talked with me for over an hour the first time we talked and I could tell how genuine he truly was. Keith, I thank you!

I was introduced to Keith by a friend, who had his dog trained by him. I had moved here from Seattle and was looking for a lab. Keith didn’t know me, we had never met, but he invested a lot of time in finding upcoming litters from breeders he trusted. He didn’t have to do that but he did and helped me find my black lab, Max. A few months later, Max was in Keith’s program for his 1st year of training. Max is so well behaved at 18mos and had a very successful 1st duck/pheasant season. Having had many hunting dogs, I know to lower my expectations the first year, but Max did so well and I was really impressed. I owe that to Keith. One thing I really appreciate about Keith is his communication, guidance and willingness to spend hours helping me be successful with Max. I called, visited and had tons of questions and he was always willing to help me. Not many trainers will do that. Keith has some amazing relationships in the state and some of the things the dogs he trains get to experience and have access to are truly differentiating. Being able to do retrieves at European Pheasant Shoots for other hunters helped Max connect the dots on bird hunting and why the work he put in before the season w/ bumpers, running marks, etc was for. That was so huge and helped Max get off to a quick start. I can’t say enough Keith’s abilities, talents, program and how good of a guy he is. I highly recommend anyone considering Keith/Retriever Ridge Kennels to use them, if you want the best out of your dog and investment.

If you’re looking for the best in the business then Mr Keith Allison is your man. I choose retriever ridge (RR) because I’d seen what he could do with dogs. He’s trained both of Crash Landings dogs, so when I decided to get my first gun dog I knew he would be in the right hands. It doesn’t matter where your dog is at in training from not started to started. Keith is going to unlock your dogs full potential!