Riverbend Canine Training

If I could leave 0 stars, I would. I thought going into this, my dogs would be in good hands. Talking up front, Brandon seemed really great and knowledgeable. With our situation having 2 dogs being aggressive towards each other and with having a baby on the way, we were needing major help. Brandon took one of my dogs for a board and train. First of all, communication was crap. I never got any updates on how my dog was doing. I was promised updates every 2-3 days per contract. I even tried reaching out multiple times with no response. One of the first responses I got was when my dog got sick and needed hospital care for a few days. He then was cleared to go back for more training. Again, horrible communication with little to know updates. Fast forward to coming home day, Brandon came to our house and spoke to us on some training for said dog. Went through the process on what to do, steps moving forward, etc. When it came time for said dog to come inside we were told “you aren’t going to like how he looks”. I was thinking a little leaner, maybe some cuts and scrapes, etc. When I tell you I was at a loss for words. My dog came in a LITERAL skeleton. NOT OKAY. It took everything in me not to break down or yell. I think I was in too much shock. Immediately the next day I took him to my work at a vet clinic for bloodwork. 30% weight-loss, anemia, and other health issues from this neglect. My veterinarian was in shock. Why was I never notified?! That is the part that angers me. I work in veterinary medicine, all you had to do was contact me. We ended up sending the other dog with Brandon for 10 days because we felt like we had no other choice. In 10 DAYS this dog was not trained, fed, etc. and also lost weight. This dog gets 6 cups of food a day. The container was barely touched when I dropped it off. I could feel his shoulders and spine after this short of time. No communication, nothing. I ended up going and getting him myself because the drop off date was “pushed”. Some other trainer handed him over to me and was telling me completely different things than Brandon did with the first dog and things that did not make sense. I feel like I could go more in depth, but typing this already has me reliving the nightmare my babies went through. We have basically been doing our own training at home since they have been home.

I had a very unruly 1yr old chocolate lab puppy, who I would have to keep a non stop eye on her and she was alway getting herself into trouble. She knew the basics but I didnt have time to fully drill them in her head like they did. She got a nickname of Auto (Autumn is her actual name) from Brandon. Because she is still nonstop go but also knows it’s ok to be doing nothing. Alisha Brandon and their team make you feel like family as soon as you introduce yourself and your dog. They are always there to answer any questions I have no matter how silly they maybe.

We were definitely skeptical but Wow, what an amazing journey it’s been with Riverbend Canine Training and the legendary Mr. Taylor. They just don’t make dog trainers or do business like this anymore. From day one, Brandon’s passion and belief in proper, ethical training stood out. His methods are based on honesty, integrity, and a real love for dogs—and it shows in the results. Our dog went from struggling with aggression and anxiety to becoming calm, confident, and disciplined. Today, our dog has achieved everything from basic obedience to guard and therapy training. Brandon delivered far more than we expected. He stands behind every promise and puts genuine care into every training session. This experience has shown us that when skill and passion come together, the results speak for themselves. If you’re looking for a trainer who believes dogs are not just pets but our best friends and protectors, Riverbend Canine Training is the place to go. Need we say more? Thank you again for your wonderful team, for changing our dog’s life—and ours.

I normally don’t leave reviews, but I feel it’s important to share my experience with Riverbend K9 Training. I hope this allows other dog owners to make an informed decision because, unfortunately, our time with Riverbend K9 Training was not positive. From the very beginning, communication with the owner was extremely poor. It was difficult to get in touch with Brandon (owner) for information on what we needed to set up, scheduling drop-off, and updates during training. Throughout the entire training process, updates were minimal and inconsistent, leaving us unsure of how our dogs were actually doing. Were they even actually being trained during this time? Especially, when the trainer for turnover makes a comment about not training a dog for multiple days after arrival in the past, it makes you wonder. When it came time for pickup, the turnover felt unorganized, with very little instruction or demonstration of what had supposedly been accomplished during training. One of our dogs, Ellie, seemed very nervous and on edge. Turnover was a disaster! After returning home, the same dog Ellie was very fearful and nervous. She was showing signs of food aggression, which she has not shown before. She was scared to eat. She vomited multiple times and was not herself. Post training, dog Ellie displayed noticeable anxiety and nervous behavior when the business owner was present for a meeting to discuss training faults and concerns my husband and I shared. This meeting was set up after sending our concerns via email to give the owner a chance to correct what had been done. Our goal was to communicate and see how to move forward. If our concerns had been addressed and fixed, we would have been happy. The right things were said about where to go from here, and make the experience positive. Unfortunately for our dogs sake, there was no follow through. We are still disappointed and unhappy with the services. We saw very little improvement in their obedience or manners, which made us question what kind of training was actually provided. As a pet owner, my biggest regret is trusting this company/Brandon with our dogs. We truly wish we had chosen a different trainer. I would strongly encourage anyone considering Riverbend K9 Training to research thoroughly and reconsider before moving forward. I hope I can save other dogs from having the same experience my dogs did.