The Dog Wizard Lake Norman

I don’t have enough good things to say about Melanie and her team at the Dog Wizard - Lake Norman. We just got our Australian shepherd, Marigold, back from the 21-day Jumpstart program and the difference is night and day. Prior to her board and train experience, we simply didn’t know what else to do. Her resource guarding and territorial nature were on full display at all times. She had to be crated in a different part of the house when guests came over and barked incessantly the entire time. We felt defeated and overwhelmed. Marigold came home relaxed, happy and calm. She no longer chases our cats out of the room and family walks are now a dream. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for giving our girl the confidence to live her best life. We are so grateful!

We just got our dog (a 7 year old 57lb Aussie/Pitbull mix) back from a 21-day training program targeted at her leash reactivity. I have been at my wits end. My dog reacts with extreme thrashing, lunging, and howling whenever she sees another dog. It had gotten to the point where I no longer walked her or took her anywhere, which was bad for both of us. I went through a number of trainers and spent thousands of dollars to try to fix this. Either the other trainers "couldn't replicate" the issues or they just gave advice that I can only describe as quackery. Honestly, the thought of being away from my dog for 21 days was heartbreaking to me. I also was worried about throwing good money after bad. I wish I did this YEARS ago. Melanie and her team kept me updated on their status. Very few days went by where I didn't have a text message with photos or video, or where my dog wouldn't be featured on an update on their social media. Instead of telling me they couldn't replicate the issues, they specifically went and sought out the situations that would trigger the issues. Obviously you can't magically fix a dog's issues in three weeks, but the progress that was made was jaw dropping. I am able to walk my dog now and have even been SEEKING OUT neighbors walking their dogs so I can work on how my dog reacts. I have been given the tools that I need to feel completely in control and able to communicate with expectations to my dog. The support from Dog Wizard isn't over yet, either. I still have more follow up sessions with Melanie in the future, including walking around a park full of other dog-walkers and eating a meal on the patio of a dog-friendly restaurant. I can't say enough how thrilled I am. I am hopeful for the future for the first time on years. My dog and I are going to be able to live the life we deserve to - out with the rest of the world.

Thank you Dog Wizard - Melanie for helping us with our furry family members! We are so grateful for your service and especially for our trainer Corey! He was absolutely wonderful with our pups and also with us. 😊 He taught our dogs some new behaviors to replace unwanted once they had displayed for years and had consistently gotten worse. Our dogs are no puppies they are 5 and 8 years old. So you can teach an old dog new tricks! Every walk was stressful. They were out of control whenever they saw another dog. Barking, growling, pulling and getting at each other in displaced aggression. They would also bark excessively when people cam to the house and rush them at the door. Plus very skeptic of new situations. All of this has changed since they went through the program with Corey. We now go on walks wherever we want, other dogs not a problem anymore. They learned a new way to deal with that even if they still get a little nervous sometimes. They learned if they behave in the new learned manner they get rewarded with praise and the occasional treat. And this works out for all of us! We had extended Family over for the holidays, even a 2 year old (they didn’t really ever have contact with small children). And everything worked like a charm. They now go to a place position so people can come in unbothered. And then meet them in a calm manner. Tea couldn’t be happier and our dogs I think feel the same way. We will recommend Dog Wizzard to anyone who wants to better their life with their furry best friends. Again thank you Corey our dogs love you, which you could tell by the reception you got when you met them again a couple weeks after the training. All the best to everyone at Dog Wizzard, Merry Christmas and a happy new Year.