I was apprehensive about using collar training for my rescue dog. He's a hound/pitbull mix who is young and very strong. While completely lovable, he was out of control when he first came to our house. While playing in the back yard, he nearly bit my BFF because he was so excited about running around and playing. I had taken another, far more docile dog to K9 Instincts for boarding for many years. Matt & his staff were exceptionally kind and caring to Rachel. I knew they also did training so I decided to call and have Axle evaluated. Axle went for a 3 week "boot camp" and it was completely worth the time and expense. Even though it's "shock collar" training, it completely transformed his behavior. After the first three or four months, we began to use the collar periodically in situations where we knew he may have some problems (he was rescued from a fighting dog situation, so he still struggles with other dogs). It's now really a pleasure to be out and about with Axle. While talking, Matt mentioned that I would probably enjoy Axle much more with training. He was completely right. I no longer have anxiety that Axle will be out of control and a threat to others. read more

I received a recommendation from a co-worker to go here to have my dog trained. I should have listened to my gut instinct during my initial visit to the facility and not brought my dog here for training. I thought Brittany was very rude, condescending and acted like my dog had the worst behaviors of any dog. She is not aggressive and does not behave badly; she is just very vocal and reactive to other dogs when on leash. When I went back to pick her up, I noticed a big difference in her and was not happy about that. I feel like I got a very timid dog back and it took us about a year to get her back to her old self. Does she come when called and stay when I put her in a down and stay, sure, but she is still very vocal and still reactive to other dogs when on leash. So basically, they did not fix the issue that I brought her in for. The training is definitely not worth the money paid. I would not recommend this facility for training. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere that you can get trained with your dog. read more

After much searching for getting help for our 10 month old, mostly deaf Harlequin Great Dane, my wife and I decided on talking to Matt and see if he could help us out. He took our dog, checked out his behavior and spent about 15 minutes interviewing or seeing my dog's reactions and/or behavior. Afterwards, he explained what he experienced with our dog and what his training would consist of. As time passed, we received updates of our dogs training and how he was doing. When we went to finally pick up our dog, Matt said he was going to grab him and bring him outside and show us what he has learned at K9 Instincts. While Matt was outside, one of his trainers was inside his office explaining to us what was going on between Matt and our dog. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The dog looked like my dog that I brought to Matt and his trainers but what I was seeing wasn't what I have been dealing with. My dog was attentive to Matt. Walking at his side, not dragging him or being distracted by passing cars, people or animals. Obeyed every command, his nervousness and anxiety was gone, my dog projected confidence, determination, and didn't mind strutting his new skills with happiness. His tail was wagging so hard and fast I thought he was about to take off flying. Now that our dog's training was over, it was time for Matt and his other trainer, please forgive me because I forgot his female trainer's name, to train my wife and myself my dog's commands and how to handle him. Since we have been home for a week now, we have no regrets of having our dog spend 3 1/2 weeks at K9 Instincts training with Matt and his skilled employees. Actually, we should have brought him months ago. There's no playful biting, jumping, chewing, displays of anxiety and nervousness. If he needs a correction or if he is doing something we don't want, like digging in the backyard, I corrected him once and signaled him not to do what he was doing. He immediately stopped, sat down and looked at me. He wasn't scared, nervous or showed any signs of anxiety. I signaled him to come to me. He instantly trotted to me with his head high and tail wagging then sat down at the left side of me starring at my face. I gave him lots of praise and loving pats and rubs. When we go for our daily walks, he walks and stays on my left side. He doesn't try to drag me in an direction. His leash is hanging between us. He is very attentive to me looking for any hand signals. He doesn't get distracted anymore by outdoor activities going on in our neighborhood. He will look towards the distraction but he doesn't try to drag me to it anymore. Neighbors used to joke with me about who is walking who but not anymore. They are very impressed with his demeanor and body language showing calmness, happiness and confidence. My dog makes me proud even more now. Thank you, K9 Instincts, for everything you have done for my wife, me and my canine family. I can't thank you enough. read more

This is shock collar training. I signed my two year old German Shepherd up for a three week training at this facility. During the initial interview we were handed a collar and told that this is what the dog would feel. It vibrated....nothing exciting. We were told it was to get the dogs attention. When we picked up the dog the she did her commands and I was very impressed. But the collar was always on and we were told to always correct with it. When I got home I took off the collar and figured out instantly that the dog was not trained to respond to commands but to the collar. I put the collar on and sadly out of more curiosity than anything else I hit the button at 50. My dog screamed. Luckily I did not try out the 65 number they calmly mentioned. Brittany had mentioned during the exit interview that the vibration on the collar was only for deaf dogs and was never used on our dog. My dog also lost eight pounds during this three weeks. Going from 80 to 72. I was told my dog was "fat" when she arrived. This would be the opposite of what the Vet called her when I brought her in for an emergency visit. Dog left at perfect condition. Underweight when she came back. Explanation from Matt is its all the exercise the dog gets. Obviously a lie seeing the dog cannot run as far because her muscle is gone. Other fun signs of what went on there. Diarrhea....I assume from stress. Aggression towards another dog....an absolute first for her. She bit me....again an absolute first. She was scared of my fiancé, her best friend. I have spoken with them after this and they have offered to come to my house and show us how they trained the dog. I am too disgusted with myself for subjecting my dog to this and for them actually believing this is good training. Its taken a couple weeks to get the dog back to good health and safe behavior. I will never let my dog out of my sight for three weeks again no matter how good the reviews are. read more

K9 Instincts was recommended to my husband and I by my sister-in-law. She knew we felt such despair with our15 month old German Shepherd, Bruno. He had attended puppy kindergarten, obedience and agility. Yet we were at a complete loss with him. He is sweet, incredibly smart and his anxiety was increasing almost daily. He could no longer ride in my car without barking and biting the glass uncontrollably. He had to ride in my husband's SUV, in a crate that needed to be covered. He also was no longer able to work in my studio with me, ( where he had been since 8 weeks old ) due to the sound of the heater kicking in. Along with his anxiety, Bruno decided he didn't need to listen to the commands that he clearly knew. We met with Matt and Brittney, listened to Matt's assessment, toured the facility and signed Bruno up for the boarding/training program right then and there. As we shared our excitement with family and friends, some had reservations. We listened to our hearts and instincts and off to training he went. We are elated! This was the best investment we could have possibly made! Truly worth every penny! When we watched Matt work with Bruno, he was happy and attentive, not at all intimidated. After receiving our necessary instructions, Bruno rode home in MY car. He behaved beautifully.The ride was nearly two hours long. Now home, he executes each and every command incredibly on a daily basis. We are so pleased to highly recommend K9 Instincts. Bruno is still sweet and smart but he is also happy, confident and nearly anxiety free. Matt and Brittney worked magic with Bruno and we will forever be grateful!! Sue Germini-Humble read more

We cannot express enough how happy we are with the training of our two German Shepherds. Before the training we were at our wit's end as it was so difficult to go anywhere with them. Now they are two wonderfully behaved dogs and constantly get compliments no matter where we go. They are part of our everyday life and this is wonderful. read more

Incredible service !!! K9 Instincts has went above and beyond for my family and GSD's. I just picked up my second fully trained pup from them and just as the last one. His attitude and training is perfect i could not ask for a better trained puppy..... Matt and Brittany went out of there way to help us when we lost our first senior gsd just a few short months after she was trained. They are very supportive and a incredible business, i would highly recommend them to anyone who wants puppy lessons or full on dog training or a great Police K9 !!!!!!!!!! read more

The level of service, dedication & passion Matt & his team had for training our dog Gary, was unprecedented. I've been a dog-owner all my life & never have a had greater pleasure interacting with folks in this field as I have with K9 Instincts. Gary went into training a "pretty good dog" & came out of training a SUPER-DOG! We have the ability to walk & hike with him off leash without fear of him jumping on others whom we pass or get "too playful" with other dogs. He was 3 when we rescued him & had ZERO training but you would never think that now! He's become a part of our pack & we are eternally grateful to K9 Instincts for their help AND their continued support when we board him during times when we travel. We owe Gary's newfound happiness & freedom to these folks. read more

I wanted to wait a couple months to write this review to make sure that it would would be accurate - In mid July, I picked up my dog, Bowie, after he spent 2 weeks with Matt and Brittany in the "Board to Train" program. He is now the calm and obedient dog that I have always wanted, but thought that my crazy 2-year-old rescue would never be. K9 instincts has worked a miracle - no more jumping, no more chasing after the cat, no more dragging me down the street... He comes when called, does what I ask of him, and I feel that I have the tools to make sure that the training sticks. I finally feel that I can trust my dog, and it has changed our relationship in a way that I never could have imagined. If you are thinking about doing the "Board to Train" program, just do it. They are available to answer questions or meet with you in person after the training, and check in with you to make sure that you are satisfied. If you board your dog at their facility after he/she has completed the program, they get refresher training at no additional cost. I left my dog with them several times over the summer and he was always incredibly excited as we pulled up and exhausted (and freshly bathed) when I brought him home. Thank you Matt and Brittany! read more

Unfortunately we had a similar experience to the one posted below by Michael B. We brought our rescue pup in for their training program, and initially Matt was very professional, explaining the basics of training and letting us feel the e-collar so we had a sense of what the dog would be feeling. During our dogs stay we tried on a few occasions to contact them and ask how things were going, and how our dog was responding to the training. We received brief and often uninformative responses such as "he is responding well". When we tried to get a clearer understanding of what was going on via email or text, the owner Matt became increasingly short tempered and rude. When I arrived weeks later to pick up our little guy I was immediately surprised by his demeanor. He obeyed commands and did what he was instructed during their run through but was so afraid to do anything he would mostly just lay down and cower at their feet. They instructed me on the levels I should be correcting him at, and to increase them gradually if he didn't listen. He had diarrhea in the car on the way home, this was the first and only time this has ever happened. When we arrived home he cowered on the floor and wouldn't obey my command to "come" so I did what they said and gradually increased the shock till he screamed. I felt physically sick with myself for doing this, and honestly, I still do. It took us weeks to see a glimmer of his old personality. Will he obey very basic commands? With or without the collar? Yes, he will. Would I ever, ever recommend this training facility and their methods? Unequivocally, I would not. I've noticed the owner Matt has a habit of responding to these types of reviews with the reminder that their reputation and results speaks for themselves. And to that I would say, Yes they do. There are enough of these negative experiences to take note. If you care about your clients, both people and pets, our experiences should matter to you as well. And no I do not wish to follow up with you because sadly for our dog, what's done is done. read more

We cannot begin the thank Matt and his team enough for their hard work. Our lab is so well behaved now. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone. read more