Smart Dogs Training & Lodging

There is an IL State law they are breaking when evertime they put up a sign along the highway. How many customers were found due to those signs sitting along the road? It's free, minus the cost of the sign; which is cheap. I would ask that these owners stop putting up illegal signs along the road. If everyone did so, we'd be flooded with illegal advertising signs. Next time you see a "smart dog" sign on the highway, make sure you realize they are breaking the law.

Thank you Ian and Kristy! Our first experience ever with a dog brought us to Oscar, an very lively and strong willed puppy. We were facing quite a difficult decision on how to proceed with Oscar and his aggressive/alpha dog behavior when we came across Smart Dogs. After the 10 day "Boot Camp", we saw a dog with great potential to be a member of our family, You trained Oscar, but more importantly, you taught and trained us 2 legged creatures how to interact with him. Your willingness to answer any questions, follow up with additional training tools has proven to be invaluable. We give Smart Dogs 4 Paws Up!

We love our rescue dog Lucy so much, but she was having a really difficult time adjusting to our house and her behavior was so inconsistent. She was cuddly and sweet, but then wouldn’t ever listen to anything we said. She was friendly to us, but would jump and bark at guests as soon as they walked in. We were told she could never be crated because she was older, so we never did and it resulted in her completing freaking out when we got home—barking, crying, jumping, and running around like crazy. We realized early she had some serious anxiety issues as well as fear and had no idea what we could do. To say the least, we were stressed out and thought maybe we weren’t able to meet her needs, but couldn’t imagine the thought of giving her back. A friend referred us to Kristy and Ian and I have never met such compassionate and caring people ever in terms of our welfare as well as Lucy’s. Lucy is a work in progress, but knowing that Kristy and Ian are there to ask questions and to share successes makes you feel like you have a support team on your side. We signed her up for the Lodge & Learn program. She’s been back for two weeks and is so much better. She is comfortable, she listens, and she is crate trained! She is amazing on walks, never pulling. When people come over she is calm, most of the time not even barking when the doorbell rings. Our life is so much easier now. She is happier and less nervous knowing that we are in charge and each day we see improvement. The skills that Kristy & Ian taught all of us has made Lucy’s transition into her forever home so much better because we know why she acts the way she does and how to react appropriately. Most importantly, we now set expectations of her behavior to create an environment where she always knows what she is supposed to do in situations that are new. I can’t imagine not seeking out SmartDogs. I know anywhere else wouldn’t have worked for her needs. They are so attentive and caring. They want to see success as much as you do! I feel like we’ve met people we’ll always be in touch with, they are so amazing!

Our puppy, Lobo, is a very energetic Siberian husky that needed to learn some manners and obedience. Since we are in the military and travel quite often, we thought it would be a good opportunity to take advantage of the “Lodge and Learn” service while we were away for the weekend. We took Lobo to Smart Dogs and met up with Kristy and Ian and we immediately felt like our puppy was welcome into their home. Kristy explained what Lobo would be learning over the three days that he would be training with them from learning how to be on a treadmill, walking and running on a leash/ next to a bike, going to his place, sitting and staying, and no nipping. They made us feel very comfortable and we knew that we could trust them and leave him there. Over the weekend, Kristy maintained good communication and kept us updated on Lobo’s progress. When we picked Lobo up on Monday, Kristy taught us how to transition his training into our home and how to keep him going with the things that he has learned. Lobo is still energetic but he listens very well and now does what we say on command. He is so much more docile and we can take him to our family’s homes without feeling like he is going to make a mess. We are so pleased with the results thanks to Lobo’s training at Smart Dogs Training and Lodging with Kristy and Ian Dilworth! - Carolyne Garduno ( Maywood, IL)

We have a 9 month old Maltese puppy, Angel. I began working with Kristy individually and Angel made great progress with the basics. However, she has a stubborn puppy streak. She became out of control barking at everything and mouthing everyone with her teeth and I just could not seem to get this under control. Kristy mentioned the Lodge & Learn training and how this behavior could be worked on with some specific training in these areas. We decided this was the direction to take. Angel came back a completely different puppy. She is no longer barking and mouthing. In addition, Kristy and Ian taught her how to be a well behaved puppy. She is a pleasure to be around. I feel confident that I will be able to continue her new behavior. I have loved working with you both and Angel is nuts about you. This was one of the best decisions I have made. Our home is now peaceful and we are thrilled. She is a perfect little “angel”!