Ridgeside K9 Central Florida

We had worked with another training program before, but after a bad experience with another dog, mine developed some reactivity and I honestly felt a little overwhelmed and unsure what to do next. Meeting with Jay for a consult made me feel like there was actually a path forward again. I’ve only had two sessions so far with Kendall, but I already feel really supported. She’s very encouraging and patient, and I feel like she truly understands what I’m going through. Knowing she’s worked through similar struggles herself makes a huge difference. It doesn’t feel scripted, it feels real. She’s also been amazing about answering questions in between sessions. Every time I’ve reached out, she’s taken the time to respond, which makes me feel like I’m not doing this alone. More than anything, I feel like I’m actually learning. Not just what to do, but how to think through situations with my dog so we can keep improving. It’s still early, but I finally feel hopeful again, and that matters a lot.

BIG THANKS TO RIDGESIDE K9! The entire Ridesdide K9 team was amazing to work with throughout the entire process. I had researched, contacted, and visited other trainers but after speaking with Nikki and Jay along with visiting their house I immediately decided to move forward with them. My girlfriend was so impressed that she even decided to send her dog as well. Two very different dogs with different owner goals: I have a 1 years old staffordshire bull terrier and my priorities were off leash recall, leash pulling, and consitency/maintaining commands over longer duration especially around distractions. She has a 5 year old great dane with anxiety, barking, and distrust of new people. Both pups came back after enjoying a great time, same energetic/happy/personalities, but with the ability to live and enjoy a more fulfilling life with us. From traveling, hiking, etc. we can now do these activities with more structure. The communication throughout was also proactive and keps us informed throughout their time there. When we went to do our training with them for pickup/return it exceeded our expectations as well as they ensured that it can take as long as needed for us to feel confident. They also made sure to reiterate if any questions/follow-up do not hesitate to ask. A challenge arose a few days later and they were there no hesitation on a Friday afternoon for an at home visit further ensuring success. I cannot thank Jay, Nikki, and Taylor enought from Rideside K9! Truly appreciate all you have done to help me and the pup!

We had an incredible experience with Ridgeside K9 training our Lab puppy, Bohdi. From the very beginning, the team was professional, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what they do. Bohdi came to them as a typical energetic puppy, and the transformation has been amazing to see. Our trainer Casey, took the time to keep me updated on Bohdi’s progress during his 2 week board and train session. During my pick up session for Bohdi, I knew that I was going to learn some of the behaviors and training that he had while he was there, but I never thought that it would be so in depth. Casey was so patient with me while I worked through trying to learn the techniques. She was very reassuring. Not only did Bohdi learn important commands and better behavior, but I also gained the tools to continue reinforcing his training at home. What really stood out was the level of care and attention they gave Bohdi. It’s clear they genuinely love working with dogs and want every pup to succeed. Bohdi is happier, more focused, and much better behaved thanks to their work. I highly recommend Ridgeside K9 to anyone looking for professional, effective dog training. They exceeded our expectations, and we’re so grateful for the incredible job they did with Bohdi!

Just let me say that I am much older (almost 200 years) than the average pet owner. I have enjoyed the companionship of many wonderful dogs since the age of 5. However, visiting my son and daughter-in-law's lively home with two very active, well-trained dogs made me realize I was missing the gift of canine companionship. A Christmas event changed all that. The Ocala Equestrian Center has a beautiful Christmas-themed event every year and my family and I happened upon the Dog Rescue area. My daughter and I both focused on a small black puppy with a white chest maybe 3 months old. When I pet her she immediately had a new awareness in her eyes akin to recognition. My daughter and I bonded immediately with this puppy, and made a commitment to take her home. My daughter has two beautiful dogs, and this puppy was to be mine. However, because of my ancient frame, serious thought was given to locating a trainer when the puppy was of age. My concern was: would I absorb the many things that the trainer would weave into my puppy's behavior? My daughter is a gifted researcher and a well-qualified and trained nurse. She understood my concerns that a dog in my home not be a causation for a fall and ultimately a broken hip. She immediately reached out to several friends who trained dogs and knew of reputable dog training facilities. The one and only name that was consistently recommended was Ocala Ridgeside K9 Dog Training. The recommendation for training was to wait until our puppy was at least 4 - 5 months old. As my puppy grew and her breed began showing, it was obvious she was a beautiful Bull Dog, which I named "Belle". During her waiting-to-be-trained period, Belle was housed with her two female cousins at my daughter's home until she was old enough to undergo training. When her waiting period was completed we took her to Ocala Ridgeside K9 and did not see her again until her training was complete 30 days later. However, during her stay we were kept abreast of her progress via videos and text messages. Yesterday (March 9th) we met with Kendall, her trainer, to hear how Belle fared during training. Seeing her for the first time after such a long waiting period was like Christmas all over again! She was obviously very Happy to see us and very respectful of her boundaries. Kendall shared all of the ups and downs of training Belle and how she learned to listen and follow direction and be happy in doing it. Belle was such a young dog when she arrived at the Training Center she was an immediate favorite. Her sweet disposition and Kendall's gentle patience with her allowed Belle to blossom and become a confident and obedient young dog. Kendall patiently educated us in the best way to support Belle with her training routine to ensure she adhered to her training. It was a lot of information, however, thanks to my gifted daughter, copious notes were taken and regularly reviewed to keep us on track in supporting Belle in her new way of life. We are thrilled with the transformation of my dog! Certainly I could never have executed this kind of therapy on my own, and hiring a true professional - such as Kendall through Ocala Ridgeside K9 Training, guaranteed that she would deliver 100% on the expectations we had for our puppy. Thank you Kendall and all of the Ocala Ridgeside K9 Team!

I took my almost 5 year old Great Dane that I have had since he was 8 weeks old to Ridgeside K9 to help with basic obedience, but mostly fear aggression. Darko has always been a very timid and fearful dog, and when we had our initial overview we were assured thoroughly that they were confident they could correct these behaviors. Today I picked him up after 4 weeks and am absolutely blown away about the new and improved Darko thanks to his amazing trainers Talylor and Jay! He was immediately introduced to two new people upon arriving home and there was no barking, no aggression, just a neutral calm encounter, I was shocked! The photo I have attached is him sitting off leash with me on my front porch which I was never able to do before because he would just dart and run down the street with no recall. While we sat outside my neighbor across the street was working on a car, my other neighbors children were playing with a ball in their yard, and he just sat calmly with me the entire time. I never could have imagined he could behave this way, and my only regret is not doing this sooner! From day one of Darko being at Ridgeside I was given multiple updates on how he was progressing with training and coming out of his shell. No questions were left unanswered and all doubts have gone away. I would do this over and over again with any dog I ever owned. I can’t say enough good things about Taylor and how thorough, patient, understanding, and loving she was to my dog the entire time he was in her care. Thank you to everyone at Ridgeside K9 for accepting Darko as a part of your family and molding him into such an amazing boy! This will be life changing for both of us.