We sent our pit bull, Ollie, there and we are happy to report that he is now the best boy. We…read morerescued him from the shelter in 2018 and we quickly saw that we had some work to do. He pulled on the leash, barked at the door, and had bouts of aggression when he didn't get his way. I felt uneasy having guests over because I felt like I had no control over my dog. Basically, my dog owned me.. not vis versa. He did ~2 weeks of the board and train program at SMS Raleigh and even though we were nervous to send him away (it felt like forever!), we loved getting bi-weekly updates from his trainer and seeing his progress. Training Ollie will always be a work in progress but the biggest different we have seen is that HE LISTENS! Hallelujah. My friends come over and say they see a huge difference in him - he's calm, sweet, and charming. He is still a dog.. he does bark at the mailman, and sometimes pulls on the leash, but if we correct him, he is happy to obey. I also love the fact that we have free access to the group classes 2x a week and have the opportunity to continue training him. Overall, we are very happy with his progress and we are dedicated to continue training him with the SMS methods.

The training is nothing short of amazing. You and your dog will be happy with the results…read more No one was more apprehensive about going to an e-collar for my dog's training than I. Colby the owner explained it best to me when he said "It's not about punishment, it's about attention and boundaries. Dogs want to please their owners, so once you have their attention their instinct takes over and training becomes easier. The strides and response to this training are remarkable. So pleased with the results so far. I am happy and more importantly my dog is happy. We have only had 3 private whole day training sessions, and tonight we will attend our first group training. Looking forward to this as it can only help build on the foundation established in the private 3 lessons. The training is not inexpensive, however it cheaper than replacing carpet not to mention several pairs of shoes, baseboards ETC. I recommend sitting down with Colby or any of the other trainers and let them explain why this works. You won't have any regrets. Rick W

Absolute jackpot! This is our 3rd attempt at getting a dog trainer that can help with our 60lb…read morerescue dog. She's been very fearful and timid which translates into a lot of behavioral issues. When we met with Tim, she calmed down and almost immediately transformed into the dog we knew she could be. Happy, confident, and listening. We are one consultation and one full appointment in and we couldn't be happier! Thank you, Tim, for helping us become the dog parents that our girl deserves!

If you are looking for an excellent dog trainer who really loves and understands dogs then Tim…read moreCrane is the best! I have a 1 1/2 year old Pit Mix who is a great dog but a bit neurotic. We struggled with walking him and it was very difficult and unpleasant since he pulled so much. With Tim's guidance, we were able to correct that early on in our four session package. Now, even my 84 year old mother can walk Asher with ease. I highly recommend The K9 Commander!

They neither show show up for appointments, nor return calls. Quite disappointing! I guess they…read moredon't want business.

My 8 year old Shepherd/Pit mix has had anxiety his entire life. It was close to impossible for me…read moreto take him anywhere on my own. From the screaming at the top of his lungs, to lunging at other dogs, I had to basically just keep him home all the time. I had hired 4 dog trainers in the past and spent several thousand dollars trying to control my dog. I ended up having to drug him if we wanted to go anywhere. He used to take prozac regularly, and trazodone & xanax as needed. He would be on enough drugs to knock a grown man out and still be screaming in the car trying to jump on my lap. I decided to take my Bentley to Triangle K9 for their board and train program to hopefully get his anxiety under control to a manageable level. They had him for 3 weeks and it was hard to be away from him for so long, but it was so worth it! I couldn't believe how well he behaved in the car on the way home, not medicated at all!! Mike the head trainer was awesome to work with, and he offers a lifetime of touch-up training sessions if we need it. He even offered to help me take him to public places to get him completely acclimated to being around groups of people and other dogs. I was beginning to think there was no hope for Bentley to live a normal dogs life, but I am so so glad that I took him to Triangle K9! Thank you Mike!!

5 years ago, I got a Beagle for NC K9. He didn't fit as an FAA contraband detection dog but was…read moreeasily retrained as a diabetic detection dog. He has saved me more than once from a diabetic coma. His ability to bay when the fuityness of my breath indicates a blood sugar issue has yet to fail. NC K9 has evolved to the changes in our society but continues to offer the highest level of animal training in the region.

Wonderful experience with training my foster dog and helping me continue the training at home.read more

this guy is amazing! the training he has given our German shepherd is phenomenal. The improvement…read morethat our German shepherd has made over the last couple of months is amazing. We would definitely recommend this trainer to everyone. Sam is definitely knowledgeable in the training of dogs.

From the owner: We provide a highly effective, human-canine, Transformation Process, that properly and uniquely…read moreaddresses specific needs, desired behaviors, and overall Enrichment & Fulfillment, of the lifelong Joy that Dogs bring us. We do this very Transparently and Collaboratively - with the owners involvement. We use browser based portals for VIDEO reviews, edits, narratives and "HOMEWORK" assignments, that are accessible 24/7, and add a higher level of specific pet intimacy, precise development, progress and a visible Transformation.

I am surprised by the negative reviews. My dogs have trained with Nancy and they board with her…read moreregularly and have for many years. I have never had any of the experiences cited. Here is my experience. Nancy understands dogs at a very core level. I have two German Shepherds with one that can be people and dog aggressive. Nancy does not shy away from those types of situations but rather leans into them. She has an innate sense of what is causing the behavior and is highly successful in addressing the issues. Many trainers just go the other way when aggression is involved. But to be clear, dog training is not magic. If the owners are not willing to work with the dog, any training will be only partially successful. Nancy is a long-time trainer of search and rescue dogs. She understands what drives a dog. She works with them based on their breed and what is needed. And sometimes she needs to get their attention which is where "getting rough with them" - NOT hurting them, NOT being abusive - might be needed. On the other hand, one of my dogs is quite shy and Nancy has been instrumental to give her reassurance, building up her confidence with every interaction. Again, she is working with the dog to help it be the best dog it can be. At $1200 for three weeks, her costs are well below other local board and trains. And you are getting some of the best training available. I have had my dogs at other board and trains and what I ended up with was a dog that listened to that trainer and their signals, not a dog that was less scared, less aggressive, and more itself. With Hooks K9 Training, if your dog needs more than three weeks, she keeps them at no extra charge. She does this because she is focused on what is best for your dog not on how much she makes. Again, an amazing level of commitment to your dog being the best they can be. Once your dog has gone through her board and train program, they can then be boarded with her for $25/day which again is an amazing price. She does use a prong collar but I have always used a prong collar on my shepherds. If used properly the dog is not getting the prong correction but it is there if needed. And she does use a shock collar when a specific behavior needs to be addressed and other methods aren't working. And a shock collar is often used on the "buzz" setting as a reminder to the dog. You don't need to actually shock the dog in most cases. Sometimes simply putting the collar on is enough to remind the dog that they need to pay attention. The dogs are kenneled outside. They are well provided for, are with many other dogs and quite frankly, mine like the outdoors better. The kennel arrangement is key to them learning to be a dog and a good dog at that. Where she places your dog and by whom is done quite strategically to benefit both dogs. I will also comment on being early. I am a person who lives by the "if you are on time you are late" adage. But for Nancy, when she is working with the dogs, it is very disruptive for someone to come in early as the dogs are focused on them. She wants to use every minute of training time available so her ask is that you be on time, not early. And yes, she can be rude about it but that is because you are taking away from the dogs. Nancy loves these dogs and wants you to know they are the priority. So, don't be early. On communication, Nancy is very forthcoming on what you need to do when you get your dog home. Anytime I email her, I get a response. During the board and train, I was very nervous and she sent me wonderful stories of how the dog was progressing. She doesn't carry a cell phone as it would be distracting while she is training. But I have found her to be very responsive via email. In summary, this is not a fit for everyone. But I would highly recommend for dogs and dog owners that want results. Do your research, talk with Nancy and make your own determination.

LONG POST - Important for North Carolina and people with dogs that use training and boarding camps…read more Our Horror Story with our gorgeous Maia ( 9 months old Golden) BE VERY CAREFUL WITH HOOK K9 TRAINING CAMP! Let me share our bad experience with Hook K9 training camp. Maia was there 4 weeks - 3 training and 1 boarding while we traveled. When we picked up Maia, she had 5 very swollen bumps on her nose and 1 small puncture. We asked them what happened and they said they had not noticed and that these were not there that morning. We took her to the vet on Sunday. She was definitely bitten by something 6-7 times in the nose area. Dog bite out ruled, because it is only on top of the those. Vet thinks she might have gotten stung by yellow jackets or hornets. INTERESTING THING - THE TRAINING CAMP OWNER LIED, TELLING US THOSE MARKS WERE NOT THERE THE MORNING WE PICKED HER UP. WE ARRIVED AT 2PM. They had been there approx 6 days ago. The camp owner was doing leash work, impossible not to see. Vet's diagnosis: Bumps were severely inflamed, were crusty and full of sick blood material and pus. They got infected. This is evidence this happened about 6 days ago (+/-). The owner of the camps answer was that "she had not noticed the swelling and our girl did not have it that morning", this was confirmed not true by vet. When we went back to her demanding answers, she denied seeing anything, and said she cannot be responsible of where dogs put their noses. In the meantime Maia is on an antibiotic, pain meds, anti-inflammatory meds and allergy meds and needs 30 days of steroids. If when Maia was stung, they would have taken her to a vet, this could have been a lot simpler. The vet indicated that swelling in the nose, near to the top of the head, could be dangerous if untreated. Our girl spend ~6 days untreated!!! Beware with your dogs, ours was lucky that nothing else happened. Save your dog!

I am so angry and frustrated with East Wake Animal Hospital right now. I called them on Wednesday,…read moreApril 3rd to let them know that our little Yorkie mix had to be euthanized Easter morning & requested to get a copy of all her records... The lady that answered never once had 1 ounce of sympathy nor did she give any type of sympathy at all and just said she'd email them over. When I said, "I appreciate the condolences by the way", she literally hung up on me. I called back and spoke with another lady & told her what happened and that I wasn't finished with what I needed & before I was even able to tell her what had happened on the previous call, she immediately said she was so sorry about our pup. I thanked her & explained what happened on my first call and proceeded to let her know that I wanted to request no further communication regarding potential appointments for our fur baby because it would be too difficult to get those phone calls or emails; she completely understood. I asked to speak with a manager, so she had one call as soon as they were available. When the manager called, she did nothing but defend the first lady in every way. And the comments she responded with would be considered "gas-lighting"... like "I'm sorry you took it that way." But whatever. I will NEVER take another pet there. I am appalled at how they handled everything. They tried to say that that is completely unlike the lady, she has been there for the past eight years, has been well-known for her sympathy for with customers and that they think it was just a misunderstanding. She told me, "I'm sorry if that's how you took it." She said she talked to the girl before calling me and said that she said there was a pause on the line so she must have thought that I had hung up. I said no ma'am there was no pause at all. Then, when I told the manager that I knew there was nothing that could be done about it now, but that I just wanted to let them know that I felt like having to euthanize my dog could have been avoided had my concerns initially been addressed when she started showing signs of issues a few years ago. I just wanted to give them my feedback and opinion in hopes that maybe it could help someone else. I explained to her that I had talked to them a few times about her constantly licking the air, licking her paws constantly and smacking her mouth that made me feel like there was some issues going on because that wasn't normal for her, but I felt like I was just being brushed off. When the vet just brushed it off when I talked to them about it, it made me feel like maybe I was just overthinking it. When she was seen at the urgent care vet that we had to take her to to have her euthanatized, we mentioned it to them and that vet said that was a clear indication of nausea in dogs. However, it kept seeming like the manager kept trying to put blame back on us. I told her that I didn't feel that we would have been at that point had my initial concerns been addressed when I brought her in about it a few years ago! Then I brought her in in January due to vomiting & diarrhea with blood. They said it was likely a food sensitivity. We had bloodwork done and they said her bloodwork looked normal. Taking their advice, we gave her chicken and rice but she got to where she couldn't digest the rice. That Saturday night she wasn't acting right. Then, Easter morning her stool was nothing but blood. After getting her records & reviewing her bloodwork, her labs were NOT normal! There were 4 results that were abnormal & all levels indicated signs of disease or cancer! Looking back at her symptoms, we believe it was cancer of some kind. But had they listed to us, we may have had a chance to help her! That did NOT do their job. I know it's been a couple weeks since everything happened but it's been a very difficult time for us. I also know two other people whose experience there has been VERY questionable and their dog having to be euthanized due to issues with care received!

Fabulous staff and Doctors. Groomer recommended. Very clean and comfortable atmosphere. Front…read moredesk staff is always friendly and compassionate. Doctors are knowledgeable and experienced. Doctors and technicians are always willing to answer questions. -Groomer Ruth

Having worked at this facility I can tell you that all the dogs that come in for board and train…read moreare not trained by certified trainers. What is more disheartening is the owner who is certified to train isn't there most of the time. So she's allowing the inmates to run the asylum. The group classes are run half assed. One training class I audited the trainer and the clients sat the whole time! How do they think training is happening by sitting! And the trainer was pontificating about nothing and eating the the cheese that was meant for the dogs. There was no education of how dogs learn, how many times you use a dog's name or how many times you issue commands. The poor people are NOT getting their moneys worth. Dog training should be taught by Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPTD). Unfortunately the owner of this facility has decided money is more important than doing right by the people and their dogs!

I signed my puppy up for Teamworks per the recommendation of a veterinary assistant when I brought…read morein my 10-week old puppy for her first check-up. I wanted an introductory training class that wasn't at PetSmart, so I tried it when Riley was about 16 weeks old. Riley and I did the 7-week Puppy Class (Positive Socialization and Introduction to Basic Manners) with Christie. There were four puppies total in the class, so I loved the attention we each received in our hour. Christie is a great trainer. She is very knowledgable and helped me get a new harness to walk Riley that would allow me to control her more. Of course, she is patient with the pups (and the humans). I wanted to continue bringing Riley to classes there (Puppy Agility, and Canine Good Citizen), but (1) you cannot miss a class and as the summer came, that became hard to schedule, (2) I moved to Durham, so I was no longer close to Capital Blvd., and (3) I started law school. I would recommend Teamworks to anyone. I attribute Riley's good manners and attention skills to her solid base training. I also gained confidence by training her, which was good!

We met with Ryan for a virtual 2-hr meeting regarding some issues with a new dog we recently…read moreadopted. The issues weren't too serious yet we wanted to stop them as quickly as possible. Ryan gave us great advice and provided the "why" behind a lot of the dog behaviors we are seeing as well as specific steps we could take. He even gave us advice on helping our anxious border collie during thunderstorms which wasn't even on our list of things to tackle. We were able to implement his tactics within 5 minutes of getting off the Zoom call. We definitely recommend Ryan's services!

We were impressed with Ryan and the Born to Lead program and recommend it highly to others…read more We have done a lot of reading and have pursued other training and classes for our dog, but Ryan's approach was unique because it helped us to understand our dogs behavior. We were able to get general information regarding dog behavior as well as specifics regarding what motivates our dog, what triggers our dog, and how to re align our dogs behavior so that he is happy and we are happy!! I appreciated Ryan's use of video to clearly illustrate behavior. His teaching style is clear and effective. He also helped with suggestions about training tools. His approach avoids the use of gimmicks and focuses on what dogs do naturally and how we can tailor what we do to cultivate the best relationship between us. We are already seeing changes in our dog based on the initial recommendations from Born to Lead and we plan to continue to work with Ryan as we help our dog and our family. Thanks Born to Lead!

Pamela has been SO incredible at getting our lovely but very active and somewhat addictive (to…read moreballs, sticks, anything she can put in her mouth) golden retriever puppy to learn to let go, to calm down, and to behave. She has also helped us to be better at understanding Darby's motivations and emotions. Fun and effective training for everybody!

Pamela is the best!!! I just adopted a second dog this week. My new dog Chance has been through a…read moreterrible tragedy in his life. His owners were killed in a double murder. There were three dogs in the home when it happened. One of the dogs was also shot and killed. Chance and his brother Champ survived the attack and were taken to an animal shelter in rural NC where they have been for the last month. I felt compelled that I need to adopt one of the dogs so they would know love once again. A good friend of mine is looking to adopt Chance's brother. I reached out to Pamela after I had a disaster in trying to crate train Chance. She was able set up a consultation in a very timely matter. She was so kind and you can tell she really cares about helping Chance make the transition to his new home. I really can't say enough good things about Pamela, she is a special person for sure. She has helped lift a huge weight off of me knowing we can work through things with Chance as he gets used to his new home and his second chance at love in his life.