I reached out to Nate because we wanted to support a local, small business that came highly recommended and has experience with challenging, working dog breeds. In quick summary, I have nothing but positive things to say about our experience. I'd like to share our story and offer some feedback regarding some of the negative comments.
As a young, energetic, couple with no kids yet, my husband and I always knew we wanted to introduce a Belgian Malinois to our "pack." The working dog is smart, exceptionally loyal, driven, agile, and very energetic. However, this combination of extreme characteristics has the potential to lead to highly volatile situations if proper training isn't introduced early on and maintained throughout the life of the dog--it certainly isn't a breed I would recommend for anyone. We did over a year of research on the breed and knew it was going to be a challenge, so we wanted to be sure we were prepared.
At 10 weeks old, our Malinois puppy, Mateo, began his in-home, on-leash basic obedience training with Nate's business partner, John. I was amazed how John commanded respect from Mateo, and how quickly Mateo abided. John never speaks over a whisper and uses very simple, limited, but effective corrections. I was immediately impressed and so excited to learn. In just a few weeks we had all the basic commands (heel, sit, down, stay, spot, come, leave it) down. An incredible trust and bond developed to the point where we could teach any commands as well (e.g. speak, shake, roll over, smile, etc.).
When Mateo completed his in-home, on-leash training, we were able to begin his off-leash advanced obedience training and attend the group socialization classes. The group socialization classes are WONDERFUL. Dogs and humans are able to work on distraction training, integrate, and learn how to properly socialize (P.S. - BTW, just taking your dog to a dog park and hoping for the best is NOT the way). In group class, Nate teaches advanced commands such as stand, come around, food refusal, and basically everything you can imagine with 20 other dogs trying to distract your pup. The group classes have a "family" feel to them and we have made some great friends there.
When you sign up with Innate Dog Training you are clients for life. That means Nate and John will work with you and your dog for as long as it takes until the training is complete, and the socialization classes are free to clients. Yes, the training programs may appear to come at a hefty price upfront, but the quality and results speak for themselves and are worth every penny. I would rather invest now than have to deal with a potential lawsuit later if I had no control of my dog going after a child on a bike. I would rather invest now so my dog understands that he needs to come to me immediately when he doesn't see that car in the road. I would rather invest now so my dog knows when to be intimidating, when to protect me, and when to be quiet on my command. I would rather invest now for a million reasons.
An important thing to note is that you have to be open to education Nate and John will provide if you want results, and you have to be respectful of that relationship. I find my husband and I are really the ones being "trained," and it's mostly learning how to communicate and build trust with our dog. The more we focus on that, the more we can communicate with him to do just about anything. I want to stress that not every day will be rainbows and unicorns--not everyday will yield results. We continue to address new challenges, new bad habits, and new situations that we did not anticipate. But we approach those challenges with open arms, and most importantly, patience and persistence. We dedicate at least 4 hours a day to training and exercise on our own. We meet with John for one-on-one sessions once a week, and attend every Saturday group class. It takes a lot of time and a lot of patience, and to me, it's the best way to show your dog love, ensure the safety of our community, and guarantee a long lifetime of happiness. read more