Wild Child Dog Training

I would absolutely recommend Wild Child Dog Training. I recently got an Australian Shepherd puppy. At 5 1/2 months I realized I needed some guidance on training him. I researched and read reviews on Wild Child Dog Training and contacted Syndy. I scheduled 3 at home training sessions. After the first session and talking with Syndy I decided to enroll him in the puppy training package. Syndy took Dusty to her home for 2 weeks to work on his socialization and behavior. Once he came home I could already see an improvement. After a few weeks he went back for his 3 week training on obedience. Once a week I went to train with him and Jack. It was amazing each week to see how much he was improving. After bringing him home we continue with the training we both learned. It is such a a joy having a happy obedient puppy. It was the best thing I could have done. Jack and Syndy are awesome, knowledgeable and very caring people. If you are having issues with your dog please don't hesitate to contact them as you won't regret it.

I boarded my young dog for training at Wild Child Dog Training just two months after adopting her. I was reluctant and worried about breaking our bond, but I had a sense of faith that this was worth it. And it was! My dog Olive is a different girl who now knows how to self-regulate her emotions and energy - I noticed this change the day I brought her home. Moreover, the care that Olive received was so gracious; she was recovering from cherry eye surgery, and Maleiyah took great care in ensuring her continued recovery. It was difficult being away from my girl, but the Facebook updates were so reassuring. The most important component of this experience is my own training. Thanks to Maleiyah, Olive's trainer, I am now more understanding of Olive's needs and how to support them. No training is effective without the reinforcement from the parent, and I'm much more confident that I can continue to help Olive blossom. It's ultimately on us as dog parents. Olive's training environment, which I observed keenly (I can be hyper-critical), was full of positive reinforcement and love. What I appreciate is their identification of a dog's specific needs and then developing a custom plan. Sydney, Maleiyah, and the team are absolutely amazing. They're professionals, they're experts. There may be many dog trainers in the area, but Wild Child is the best. I not only highly recommend - I urge you to go with them for your dog's training needs!

After having Aeolus back home, I feel like for the first time, we’re on the same page. Sydney treated Aeolus like her own dog- well like her own kid! She has immense knowledge about the dog’s mind that made me feel secure in my decision to board and train Aeolus. I thought Aeolus was choosing to disobey me. Within 5 minutes of our consultation, Sydney was able to inform me that he has anxiety, and he is acting without thinking. I immediately felt trust in her to not only help Aeolus reach his potential, but even more importantly for me, to give him unconditional love during his stay. Aeolus even got a hot spot during his stay, to which I was immediately informed of and reassured of the immense care Wild Child did not hesitate to give him. They immediately removed all metal collars and gave him a few rest days. They even shaved the area down and kept it clean and dry. I’m extremely happy that it wasn’t a boot camp experience for him. He was allowed to be his goofy self. I never felt like they were diminishing his spirit or erasing his personality. The daily videos and pictures were my saving grace. I’m sure like most dog owners, we do everything together, and we have never been apart for more than a few days. But seeing that each day he had a smile on his face and got to enjoy being wild brought me the strength I needed. To further strengthen my affirmations, the weekly training sessions allowed me to learn right along with Aeolus. I knew entering this journey, that some (if not all) of his behavior problems were my fault. I was so happy to receive Sydney’s gentle guiding to a healthier mindset that helped restore my relationship with Aeolus. Now I have the tools to speak to him in his language, and I have gained an even deeper sense of empathy and love for him, which I did not think was even possible. Before, Aeolus couldn’t perform any obedience, if faced with a distraction and only knew sit, stay, and paw- I could never teach him down or a recall despite trying for 2 years. His brain was constantly going 100mph and he had immense anxiety. Constantly pacing, panting, licking paws, crying. Our walks were filled with pulling, spinning, and running full speed side to side and to the end of the leash, launching me multiple times. He also would jump and demand attention from everybody and would not listen to “no”. He also played too rough. Nibbling at feet and hands, even lunging at faces and sweeping peoples legs when running. We weren’t even able to have him out with the two smaller dogs. Aeolus is now 100% off leash, and I trust him. His anxiety has decreased. He has learned to self sooth and immediately does so for himself, at the park, at a restaurant, at home. I never knew what it felt like not to have tension on the leash with him, but now I do not even notice the leash is there. Now when people come over, if he does jump on them (which he rarely does) all I do is say a simple “no” and he immediately stops. Playing is a team game now. Aeolus can now be around the smaller dogs, and even let a baby pet him at the park while staying completely still. Surprisingly, Aeolus would rather “work” now than play. He still enjoys playing but he sees to have more fun when we do his obedience. He’s been taught down (so stoked about that!!), place, drop it, and heel. He can even heel without a leash now. And he will hold all these positions until I release him, even at the beach when I walk 40’ away! The important thing to understand is this is your foundation for the relationship with your dog. Wild Child gave me the tools, guidance, and continues to give me support to further Aeolus’ success. Thank you, forever and ever, Wild Child for training both me and my pup, but most importantly, for keeping that little bit of wild within him. Our future has never looked brighter, and our days are now filled with sandy paws and peaceful minds. My heart couldn’t be fuller, and sydney and her team will forever hold space within both our hearts.

I don't think I've ever written a Google Review and if I did, it's never been this long but Wild Child is so worth it. From the very first meeting with Kara (Hank's bestie!), I had a feeling we were in the right place. That first day, she took the time to talk through everything - hopes, concerns, Hank's personality, things that I as an owner needed. She really emphasized that this journey was to be unique to Hank - it's not a one size fits all type of training. That was really important to me and truthfully very different from other trainers I talked to. 5 weeks later, I knew that I made the right decision. Hank has come back a new pup. The biggest change was he has more confidence in himself, which allows me to have more confidence in him. They kept me updated often and having the chance to see pictures and videos on the adorable instagram made the time away from Hank bearable. I'll probably keep checking it religiously because the pictures are just so fun! Although I didn't get a chance to work with the other trainers as much, I am confident that you can't go wrong with anyone you get paired up from. It's obvious it's a true family and each trainer wants your dog to succeed and provides all the love and attention they'd get at home. I do have a special place in my heart for Kara - Hank's newfound Auntie. She was so kind and supportive. No question was too silly and she really wanted to make sure that she set us up for success after we left. Every time I visited I could tell just how much Hank loved her which made me feel relieved having to be away from him. I feel very lucky to have found Wild Child. If you are looking for some extra support, I highly recommend them. They are hardworking, kind, amazing with their dogs, and best of all honest about what your journey is going to look like. I think that's the most important piece. It'll be different for each dog and that's ok! It's a clean and safe facility and they have so much room for the dogs to explore and learn. Thank you Wild Child!