Training Tracks Canine Learning Station

Nothing but praise for the Training Tracks crew and the work they do! This team is full of people who really know and love animals and their people! It’s clear they are drawing on years of experience and take pride in their work. By the time we came to Training Tracks, we were sort of at the end of our rope with our almost-two-year-old rescue dog, and it was such a relief to find them. When I initially reached out, Shana, the office manager, took time to listen to our history and even put me in touch with Jeff so we could ask questions and see if their board and train program would be a good fit. Communication with Training Tracks is, for the most part, excellent. The scheduling and payment software and automated reminders they use make the administrative side of things run smoothly. The team is very responsive to phone calls, emails, and texts. During the three-week board and train, Lindsay and Mel sent us videos and photos to get us through the long separation! One small complaint is that logistical details are sometimes lost in translation. Our dog came home without some supplies we were supposed to get: a new harness and some print-outs for our reference (though this was attributed to a new team member starting). And sometimes, Jeff was running late to our in-home transition lessons (I’d recommend that Training Tracks space home visits out a bit to account for horrendous Cincy-area traffic). Neither of these things were big deals to us! I’m just bringing this up so others are aware: keep an open mind, be flexible with timelines if need be, and ask lots of questions. As for the work with our dog and the improvements for both her and us, we couldn’t be happier. We elected for three-week board and train because we had moved into a busy neighborhood and have a very smart, high-energy, leash-reactive mutt (Aussie Cattle Dog / retriever / some other stuff mixed in). She already had good manners and knew many commands, but was reactive to just about everything in the outdoor environment while on leash. The team did a good job preparing us for what to expect: that in this situation, she wouldn’t return to us “fixed” but we’d probably see marked improvements in three weeks, and then expect to work really hard to build on that foundation once she got home. This instilled confidence: the Training Tracks team is knowledgeable and realistic about expectations, and wants their clients to be as well. Our dog came home with some great new habits. The in-home training sessions were fantastic because — let’s be honest — this is really about training the people! Jeff was very thoughtful about talking through questions, giving lots of ideas, and redirecting us when we needed it. The whole team is a wealth of knowledge. We’ve learned a lot, and have incorporated many of our new practices into daily life with her at home. The team told us to send photos and videos if we had questions, and they were responsive all along. I appreciate their philosophy that promotes learning and having a good partnership with your dog so everyone is happy!

Jeff/Mel and their team are absolutely amazing, first rate professionals. I actually now call Jeff, Uncle Jeff as our standard schnauzer thinks of him as family. The depth of knowledge they have, and the level of caring, shows that they simply do what they love. Even when my wife sends lots of text messages asking for advice, they always respond and provide fantastic advice. I can't say enough good about our experiences with Jeff and Mel. My sincere heartfelt thank you for all your patience with us and our pup. I highly, highly recommend Training Tracks to anyone and everyone, and believe me it is worth the time and investment.

Prior to being referred to Jeff Silverman, my wife and I reached the point of feeling helpless with our 6-month-old adopted dog (maternal half Boxer, paternal half unknown). At baseline our dog had excessive anxiety, something he never “grew out of” from when we adopted him at 9 weeks. More importantly, his occasional and unpredictable aggression towards people (including us) was dangerously escalating. Our vet recommended we contact Jeff because of his expertise in properly training aggressive dogs. Jeff’s initial analysis was insightful and his strategy in moving forward gave us a sense of relief/hope for the first time. Throughout 4 sessions, Jeff taught us how to extensively condition our dog to correct his maladaptive behavior; not just in overcoming his aggression, but also in addressing each and every bad behavior/trait. By the 4th session, our dog was nearly unrecognizable compared to when we began with Jeff: Our dog’s level of obedience, responsiveness to commands, and dramatic improvement with anxiety and aggression was more than we’d even hoped. Jeff completely turned our dog around- something that changed our lives as well.