Nikki is amazing. She took me and my 3YO dachshund - neither of whom had ever stepped foot on…read moreagility course - and turned us into competitors in the agility space. We are so happy that we started our training with Nikki, who is kind and patient, while also pushing us to be a competitive team while running. That means that we're not only taking home ribbons, but also bonding and having a blast on the course. Dash LOVED attending Nikki's classes; he was always so excited to run, and the courses Nikki put together were always fun and exciting while also being accessible to dogs of all skill levels. We loved training with Nikki, and if she was still in our area, we would 100% still be training with her. Because of her guidance and support, I'm a better handler and Dash is a happier dog, and we're both having a ton of fun together. Don't hesitate, try out these classes. Guarantee it will be a memorable experience.

I cannot recommend Nikki enough when it comes to dog training. Before I started training with…read moreNikki, I was seriously considering rehoming (giving back to the original rescue) my dog as I felt ill-equipped and completely lost with his behaviors. I genuinely believe that if it wasn't for Nikki, my dog would likely not be alive right now as he probably would have been marked for behavioral euthanasia. Nikki saved my mental health and saved my dog Waldo. I hold immense gratitude for all of the help she has provided us. Nikki exemplifies what it means to be an expert in the field: her methods are evidence-based & she is always staying up-to-date with the most relevant information available. I found Nikki when researching private agility lessons for my reactive dog. While I never had any intentions of performing, I knew that my high-energy dog, Waldo, would benefit greatly from learning new experiences and confidence building. The first time Waldo and I met Nikki, I knew I wanted to work with her. She wasn't phased by his loud barking or lunging. Nikki immediately started guiding me on ways I can change my posture & breathing as well as informing me what Waldo's body language was telling her. After just one session, we discovered his reactive behaviors were actually fear-based (not solely aggression-based as other trainers had led me to believe). Then came the hard part: the (unintentional) reinforcement of these behaviors that I had caused due to my own ignorance. Nikki was realistic about progress and the time it would take. She won't lie or cut corners to tell you what you want to hear. It was her honesty and humility that had me sold. I only saw Nikki once a week with Waldo, but after working with her for almost 2 years we saw SO much progress. Waldo is much more confident in high-stress situations. I have a full tool kit of tricks I can use inside as well as outside the house. The training never stops when you leave the session! Nikki taught me so much about reactivity & threshold. That training has to happen when they are below threshold!! She doesn't assign morality to dogs. I remember saying "Waldo is a bad dog and I don't know what to do with him" and she gently corrected me by saying "Waldo is not a bad dog, he is A DOG and he is scared. What we have to do is show him that he doesn't have to be scared and that takes time & trust." We were able to slowly work our way up to having Nikki approach Waldo without a fearful response. And eventually even had Waldo take treats from her hand and respond to her giving him commands. AND THEN, we were able to have Waldo in the same space as Nikki's dog Charm. Charm was so unbothered by Waldo's barking it was honestly a comedic relief. Charm lives up to her name. She is a beautiful, smart and oh-so sweet dog. Just having neutral // positive interactions around another dog was vital to Waldo's success and confidence building. Also, knowing that Nikki trusted me and Waldo to be able to interact with Charm after we spent so much time in 1:1 training helped MY confidence as well. I learned sooo much from Nikki, I could probably write a book just singing her praises. While I was devastated when I found out she was moving, knowing that she is going to continue educating dog owners and offering these valuable training lessons helped lessen the tears. Everyone in my life that knows Waldo has seen long-lasting, impactful changes in his behavior. And all of the praise goes to Nikki and her techniques! Come to Nikki with an open-mind and a willingness to learn. She very well could change your life for the better, the way that she did mine (and Waldo's!).

We adopted a 7-month-old, 45-pound Husky mix, and after my wife was pulled to the ground while…read morewalking her, we knew it was time to get some professional training. After reviewing all of the referrals provided by SPOT Rescue, we chose Kindred Spirits, and we're so glad we did. The experience was absolutely worth it. They didn't just train our teenage pup--they taught us how to work with her, communicate with her, and reinforce the right behaviors at home. Each week, we were given homework that helped us practice what we learned and prepare for the next class. In just six weeks, we've seen a huge difference in her behavior and in our confidence handling her. The best part is that they gave us the tools and knowledge to continue working with her long after the classes ended. We would highly recommend Kindred Spirits to anyone looking for dog training that really involves and educates the owners, too. Look at that eye contact.

We had a wonderful experience at Kindred Spirits Canine Education Center. Tanner made so much…read moreprogress over the six weeks of training, and we are so grateful for the support and guidance we received. Kate was an invaluable asset throughout the program. She gave clear examples, helped us understand the challenges that came up, and always approached training with such positivity and patience. She made it easy to ease into the process by providing supplemental reading and exercises that gave us the fundamental tools we needed to keep building Tanner's training at home. Every class was truly a joy. I loved watching the other dogs and owners succeed, and it was so encouraging to see major progress from each dog and their family. Tanner will absolutely be continuing his training with Kate. Karin was also such a pleasure to have in class, and we loved the adorable photos she took of all the pups. Everyone we met at Kindred Spirits was kind, understanding, and patient. Their ability to problem-solve, adjust, and customize each dog's training based on where they were at was incredible. We cannot recommend Kindred Spirits enough!

Disclaimer: This review reflects my personal experience and honest opinion. It is shared for…read moreinformational purposes and is protected under my First Amendment right to free speech. All statements are based on my own interactions and are not intended to defame, harass, or misrepresent anyone. Please view all the reviews and make your own decision about this place. Zero stars. I want to clarify that this review is not about dog training, but rather about the behavior of the individual ( Chris Libs) who trains the dogs and owns the property. Our family has been attending Oceanside Equestrian Center for nearly a year through a therapeutic equestrian program serving autistic children. The program itself has been wonderful, and the staff from Harmony and Horses have consistently shown professionalism, compassion, and trauma-informed care. Unfortunately, we have had repeated concerning experiences with the ranch owner, Chris Libs. This is our second encounter where she has handled communication through intimidation, yelling, and verbal aggression. The first time, she approached us with three dogs, accusing me of "disrespecting" her property. I apologized, complimented her dogs, and tried to build a friendly rapport. I believed the issue had been resolved and thought nothing more of it--until today. While calmly walking and FaceTiming my sister on the property toward a duck and a brown-and-white horse, my autistic son was holding a small stick. He was not acting aggressively or swinging it at anyone. We did not see any dogs nearby, nor anyone else around us- just horses. Suddenly, I heard yelling and turned to see where it was coming from. Chris approached us shouting, accusing my son of swinging the stick. As she approached, the dogs also came toward us ( they were not aggressive- I want to make that clear), and she stated that they are trained to attack and demanded for my son to put his stick down. My son out the stick down and one of the dogs took the stick and walked away. We had never been informed of any rule about holding sticks, nor were we made aware that loose dogs on the property were trained to attack. In a setting where children--especially children with disabilities--participate in therapeutic services, this was alarming. Despite my calm response, the yelling continued in front of my child. I felt threatened and wanted to protect him, so I raised my voice and said, "Don't you yell at my autistic child!" My son froze, shut down, and began crying silently--an involuntary response when he feels overwhelmed or threatened. I was shocked, saddened, and frustrated; I even cried afterward. As I was walking away, she continued yelling "Get out of my property!" three times, which only escalated the fear and stress of the situation. As a parent of a child with autism, it was upsetting to witness the interaction regarding our child holding a stick. The manner in which it was addressed left us feeling uncomfortable and concerned. When we reached the other area of ranch, Nicole from Harmony and Horses immediately stepped in and handled the situation with kindness and professionalism. She apologized multiple times. I am deeply grateful for her support and for the care that Harmony and Horses provides. I later went back to address this and approached her calmly by saying: " Excuse me Ma'am, you cannot yell at my autistic son." She began yelling again and I matched her energy which she did not like. As you can see, there is a pattern of hostile and intimidating behavior from Chris Libs. No child should be yelled at in a therapeutic setting, and no parent should have to defend their child from verbal aggression. Because of this experience, I cannot recommend this location under its current leadership. While Harmony and Horses' mission and work are invaluable, the ranch environment does not reflect the safety, respect, and trauma-informed communication that children--particularly autistic children require because of Chris Libs and her behaviors which made me and child feel very uncomfortable. The good news is that Harmony and Horses will soon be relocating to a better location where this kind of behavior will never be tolerated. Families deserve transparency, and children deserve to feel safe. P.S. I arrived home, my son is withdrawn, silently crying and refuses to eat. He cannot process what happened. As a parent, what would you do? Would you let this go? I am so disturbed and saddened by this. This could have been avoided by her simply having a professional and calm conversation instead of berating and yelling at a mom and child over a stick.

If I could give them a zero I would. I actually went to jail for 2 weeks and Chris was trusted to…read morecare for my dog .... The pictures speak for themselves. Not only was my dog dehydrated and emancipated he had obvious wounds. She tried to tell me he did it himself by scratching. Not once had he scratched his ear since I picked him up. When I got him home and bathed him I was able to see the extent of his injuries. I have not stopped crying. I promise this woman Chris will no longer run this place before the year is over. This is straight animal cruelty. I even tried to call her and give her the chance to tell me what really happened and she still stuck with her scratched himself. To be honest I was homeless in a tent and have had my dog since he was so tiny and I'm hear broken cause he has NEVER looked like this or coward like I was going to hit him like he did last night. I swear I already contacted an attorney SO DO NOT USE THIS PLACE!!! MY DOG IS NOT OK AND THE OWNER IS LYING OR HIDING WHAT REALLY HAPPENED!!!!

I can't say enough amazing things about Gina and the way she trains. After multiple trainers we…read morestruck gold with Gina, she not only trains and works with your dog but trains you to look for key behaviors and leaves you with homework that will set your dog up for success. Our dog loved training with Gina as much as we did, since completing our training we constantly get compliments from strangers on how well behaved our once rambunctious puppy was. The tools and fundamentals Gina provided us will last a lifetime, truly the best, most caring and informative training around. It was a sad day once our puppy graduated, we would've stayed with Gina forever if we could she's that amazing! Thank you for everything, we couldn't have asked for a better trainer and experience!

My husband and I hired Gina to help train our dog in our home on a couple of separate occasions…read more She helped us potty train our new rescue dog, Fozzie Bear, on command and to use the dog run and dog door so he would go outside and relieve himself independently. He is now 100% house training I am happy to say! Gina is incredibly experienced, friendly and affordable. She made herself available to us after the training sessions and would quickly respond to our many questions. When we brought home our new rescue cat (who was quite shy and scared from his shelter experience), Gina helped us navigate these first few days of their new lives together as this can be a tricky time. As a result, the cat and dog are now best friends and play constantly! We will be calling on Gina for future training. My husband and I highly recommend her and can't say enough good things!

Sarah is an awesome teacher, very knowledgeable, articulate, and patient. She is passionate about…read moredog training. She keeps her classes small for lots of individual attention. We highly recommend her class! Steve and Brenda

Patti was such a great help when it came to training our puppy Winnie! She tailored every session…read moreto our dog's needs and how we can better support/train her. She also took the time to send us a recap after every session with resources so we always had something to refer back to. We enjoyed every session and have nothing but Pawsitive things to say :)

We love our agility classes over there :) Beautiful training…read morefield , enough parking for all the students

I've been attending Anne Platt's "Fast Track" agility class for about 2 months. Fast Track is her…read morebeginning group sessions designed to give handlers and dogs an overview of the sport and get up and running very quickly. Anne is a very experienced, knowledgeable and patient trainer. She primarily trains the handler (generally the dog owner) how to train the dog. Thus, sessions are active and physical for both dogs and handlers. The facility is nicely setup -- great equipment, securely fenced, lit in the evening, and nicely maintained. I enthusiastically recommend the class to anyone interested in agility training with their dog. Dog Quest Agility offers classes at every level, from the beginners in Fast Track to the competition-focused advanced classes. As far as my participation goes, we're just enjoying ourselves and learning about this exciting sport. I get excercise, my dog is becoming more socialized (not really a goal of agility, but it's bringing him out of his shell), and we get to spend time working together outdoors in a nice open air facility. I'm glad I found Dog Quest. If you're looking for a fun activity to do with your dog, check it out!

Pam and her entire crew at Woofingham Palace are amazing. There is no doubt how much passion they…read morehave for the pets in their care, providing training and guidance to pet parents, and providing a safe facility for the fur kids and her staff. I got a new boxer puppy that was in desperate need of some socialization and proper etiquette when playing with other dogs. I signed up for the puppy socialization classes and within a matter of a few sessions I noticed a dramatic improvement. I'd give Pam 100 stars if I could.

Pam Chandler, of Dog Sense Training is truly amazing! I've been using her classes, pack walks, and…read moreprivate sessions for two dogs over about 2 1/2 years. She truly knows dogs and makes it fun and interesting for the humans too. She recently expanded by purchasing Woofingham Palace, so her new business name is rebranding to Woof Academy. Still amazing and just added a great location for classes, socialization sessions, and boarding.

CJ is awesome! Super knowledgeable and patient. My puppy is a nervous dog, and the training gave…read moreher the confidence to at least approach other dogs without as much drama. My family and friends have definitely noticed a difference in her.