Phenomenal Training and Trainers (Sarah and Stefanie out of the Fayetteville branch)! We enrolled our two Australian Shepherds, age 7 months at enrollment, in the two week Board and Train program. The dogs are siblings from the same litter and had developed some of the littermate syndrome characteristics. They also have high drive to chase/herd. Our poor cats couldn't move in the house without the dogs literally on top of them. The dogs would chew up anything they could get their mouths on too, we puppy proofed our house by basically putting everything away where the dogs couldn't get it. The dogs would also bolt through the front door and run off every chance they had. The only time I could truly get them to listen to any command...sit specifically, was when I had a treat in my hand. The Board and Train program either resolved the issues or gave the dogs the training and us the tools to properly deal with the issues. The dogs will always have their natural instincts to herd and chase, it's what they have been bred to do, but now with a single command I can stop them from chasing our cats or performing other unwanted behavior. We can take our dogs out on walks/hikes and can trust them to be off leash and respond to our commands. We can take them in public and they behave wonderfully. I can have them lay on their cots while I cook, do housework, or watch TV without wondering what they are getting into and chewing up. They will still chew on stuff if they get the chance, but with the training I can leave them on the cots while I'm busy and can't keep an eye on them and know they are not getting into anything. I initially started with the basic obedience classes, but realized quickly that with two dogs with littermate syndrome developing that I was in over my head and I signed them up for the Board and Train program. During my first Basic Obedience Lesson I was very nervous about using an e-collar on my dogs. Sarah gave me in-depth training on how to use the e-collar and I even tested the e-collar on myself to see how the e-collar feels and works. I discovered during that first lesson that my dogs respond on much lower settings on the e-collar than on the setting where I could first feel any sensation at all from the e-collar when I tested it on myself. My dogs look forward to putting on their e-collars each day because they know we are going to have an adventure together. I can not say enough about how great the training and the trainers are, they have made our life (the dogs' and my family's) together much more relaxed and enjoyable. I hate going anywhere without our dogs and we take them everywhere we can now because they are so well behaved and such a big part of our life. We also go places now just for them so they can enjoy some outdoor adventures (like the pond and hiking) and we know they will respond to our commands so we can relax and enjoy the time outside too. Another great part of the Board and Train program is that if I feel the dogs and I need assistance with training in the future it is included as part of the program for the life of the dogs. My puppies, and they are still puppies at just under nine months old, are now some of the most well behaved dogs I've seen! Thank you Sarah and Stefanie for doing such an amazing job with my boys and my family to make sure we have a happy life together. You two are the best! read more

My husband and I adopted a rescue Boxer/Newfie mix last year as a 9 wk old puppy and did basic obedience training with him through a different agency which was a good start. He was a great dog with the best personality, but unfortunately saw kids as playmates that he wanted to nip and tug on. We are planning to adopt a child in the next several months, so that behavior made us very nervous. After he had already reached 60 lbs around 8 months of age and added counter surfer, personal dishwasher (of dirty AND clean dishes), and leash puller extraordinaire to his less than ideal play drive with kids, we thought it was time to bring in a professional trainer. I sent an email to Off Leash K9 and received a very prompt response. Alisa, the owner, set up a call with me and spent well over an hour discussing my concerns about our dog and whether their methods could work for him. I had talked with other training groups and none had been as confident that the issues with nipping and possible aggression vs. overly playful behavior towards kids could be fixed. We signed up for the two week Board & Train and were matched up with Sarah who we could not recommend more highly! We got daily texts with videos and updates which made those two weeks go by much more quickly. We were amazed to see the crazy fast progress he was making!! At the end of the two weeks, we took our 7 yr old neighbor (one of our dog's favorite playthings prior to training!) to the turn over where we all received training on what our dog had learned and how to continue the process at home. Our dog not only respected our neighbor as a "handler", but was completely different in the way he interacted! At one point, we were all talking and looked down and our neighbor was sitting on the ground and our dog had his head in his lap. That NEVER would have happened before. Sarah obviously enjoys and is fantastic at what she does. Our dog loved her!! She sent us back a dog who not only had every behavior we were concerned about fixed, but who also was more secure, confident, and calm. We are loving seeing his training in day to day life now - this week we took our dog on an off leash walk down the street to our neighbors who have three girls under the age of 5 as well as baby chickens, just a couple of things that would have sent him over the edge before. He laid calmly on their kitchen floor while we visited for 30+ minutes. Never in a million years could we have done this before this training!! If you're looking for training for literally ANY issue for your dog, don't hesitate to use Off Leash K9. We have been nothing but impressed through our entire experience! read more

They were so nice that we used them twice! Alisa was our wonderful guardian (doggie) hero! She showed patience, kindness, authority, and professionalism. They can train any dog, literally!! To know it is the truth is to know a little about my guys...(both rescues) Jackson (pit/lab mix & 1 year when started training): He was special needs and had many psychological issues. He literally could not walk in a straight line and circled (constantly). Everything frightened him and he also suffered from Epilepsy. He was so lost inside his own mind that basic training programs were not helping. Then came Alisa!!! She taught Jackson how to be a dog again! After the 4 weeks Basic Obedience package he was able to focus, walk in a straight line (off-leash), and became a healthier dog overall. Because we were able to help him focus and give him something to think about (the training), his seizures started occurring less and less. He was having them every 3 weeks, but he did not have one seizure during the 4 week training program! He even hit 200 days without one! I know (and my Vet agreed) that the training actually helped him lived longer than was expected! Alisa and Off leash K9 Training gave Jackson the life he was supposed to have! I am forever grateful for them!! Forrest (lab & 5 months at training): He is your typical lab puppy that pulls, runs away, and chews on everything! Now he is 9 months old and sits, lays down, and heels on voice command. Can you say that about your puppy?? He is a joy to be around and is able to live a better life because he can run free (meaning off-leash) in the woods behind our home. The training has helped him become more confident and is helping fix his fear over loud noises! Alisa did it again! Forrest will have the life he deserves because of his excellent trainer and her team. So if you want your dog to listen to you because you are his master (not his best friend), then I recommend Off Leash K9 Training to you. They don't train with treats because your dog should (and wants to) have an Alpha that enforces rules without the promise of something. Forrest is a lab and they are prone to obesity; therefore, we did not want to train him with treats. We trained him to listen because he was told to and his reward is hugs and kisses! We will ALWAYS bring our new dog additions to Alisa at Off Leash K9 Training in the future! -The Aranda Animal Clan read more

I could try & keep this short, but I do have a lot to say & can't say enough about Lauren & the Off Leash K9 Training Team!! We got Roscoe (boxer) at 11 months old from someone that did not train him and lived outside. We had our work cut out for us. He is a very hyper dog for one, and gets bored easy. Roscoe became too wild and we did not know how to control him. He was tearing our doors and walls up when he saw people or things outside. He would pee in the house, especially if we left him in the crate and then let him out bc he was pissed. He constantly and I mean constantly would be "playing" rough fighting with our other dog. You couldn't talk or watch TV or get him to stop and it drove us crazy. We struggled with getting him into the crate so bad to the point he bit my face. My fiancé and I was fighting so much about him and all the problems he was causing that it was to the point of getting rid of him. I seriously could go on and on about how much trouble he was causing us and making tension in the house. I was in tears almost every night. So, I searched for help and found Off Leash Training and it sounded like the perfect fit. I checked several places and I could just tell they were right for me. I worked with Lauren and she was awesome. She kept me updated with videos and pictures while away for two weeks and it was amazing what he was learning in a few days. Now that its been a month, he is so much more calmer! We can actually sit and watch tv or talk with friends without him fighting judge loudly or jumps and attacks us. He LISTENS to us now and it makes a huge difference!! Lauren trained me well in knowing how to control him and what to do. I can walk him without him pulling!! I can get him to stay which I worked on forever with him and couldn't teach him myself after watching youtube videos. He GOES into the crate when we say too and its not a fight!! It took a couple of weeks for us to get things going with learning and teaching but he is now another dog and I am so glad I did not get rid of him. Off Leash Training really did help us and it was worth the money. I can still text them with any questions which is so nice and helpful!! They take the time to make sure you understand and get it right. I am now obsessed with Roscoe and his sweetest I didn't know he had. Thank you Raleigh Off Leash K9 Training!! read more

I adopted a Rhodesian Ridgeback a few yrs ago through RR Rescue. Although I was experienced with raising Ridgebacks, this one came with a great deal of baggage, as he had been through a lot (and his genetics may also have been working against him). Despite investing much time and energy in him, his continued high anxiety and extreme fearfulness of strangers (esp men and children) still made it difficult to have people over to the house and to take him with me as much as I had hoped. I sure wish I had turned to OLK-9 a few years ago!! After the 2 wk board and train, he seems so much healthier emotionally and we are already able to do so much more together, without me worrying all the time whether his fear will lead again to aggressive behavior, etc. Ann was our trainer and did a fantastic job working with him, as well as keeping in touch with me daily. She provided insights into the probable roots of his behavioral issues, what she was doing to get him past those, and how I would need to handle him in the future in particular situations to maintain the gains she achieved in altering his behavior. Her updates included video clips and phot9s, which helped a lot with my own separation anxiety! It was really hard for me to turn my dog over to her because he tends to panic in new situations and I knew the experience would be good for him in the long run but very tough on him inbthe short-term. But, he needed to be pushed to overcome the panicked behavior he automatically defaulted to, and to rely instead on me to advocate for him and handle the situation. I'll admit that I was initially a bit shocked by the price of the 2 wk board a board and train program. But, believe me, it is worth it! My dog should now have a longer and healthier life than otherwise, now that he is in a better emotional and mental state. And, both of us will undoubtedly have a better quality of life together. I highly recommend OLK-9 and Ann Quigley, in particular, if you are struggling to combat your dog's behavioral problems. Ann said that my dog was one of the most anxious she had ever worked with; nevertheless, she was very successful in effecting a dramatic-- and very positive-- change in his behavior. read more

Our family could not be more thrilled with our Off Leash K9 Training (Durham) experience! Our active and strong-willed golden retriever puppy, Piper, spent 2 weeks doing the board-and-train program with Lauren and came back with such confidence and a sense of purpose; you can just tell she's a happier and more secure puppy. Lauren sent us pictures and videos of Piper's progress every day she had her, which we all really enjoyed seeing. And then when it was time to turn her back over to us at the end of the 2 weeks, Lauren took plenty of time patiently & thoroughly going over all the training techniques she had used with Piper so that we could continue to keep up her training when she got home. And it was really me and my family that had the most to learn; Piper knew everything she was supposed to do and we just had to get the commands down ourselves and practice until we got the hang of it. Piper is 6 months old now and is doing great at home and follows all our commands fabulously! We know that it is our job to be consistent and continue with the training on our own, but even in just the first few days Piper was back home, we settled into a really good routine and our whole house became calmer and quieter. No one is shouting at the dog anymore or getting frustrated with her disobedience or being jumped on or any of that typical puppy craziness. Piper truly seems calmer and happier, and we humans definitely are too. We will keep up the training techniques, giving Piper plenty of opportunities to "work" (meaning practice her various commands, which she clearly sees as special time with us - all she wants in the world is to be bonded with her family, and you can tell she is happy to do her practice work anytime and clearly sees it as fun time, which we always follow with a rousing session of playing fetch, which is her fav!). We get so many compliments on her fantastic behavior when we take her out in the neighborhood and around town now, it's so much fun! : ) Thanks a million to Off Leash K9 Training, and a big giant "Thank You!" to wonderful Lauren for taking such good care of our sweet Piper girl and being an excellent teacher for her... and for us! read more

Off Leash K9 Training has been a godsend to my family. Don't be put off by the initial cost, it includes the e collar, a Long Leash for training and the lessons. The trainers are much more than trainers, they are animal behaviorist. Trust me it's an outstanding investment. As a first-time standard poodle parent I was left scratching my head often. Diane was an infinite source of wisdom. She understood that I learned best with simple steps and word pictures. I was a hot mess I couldn't get my mouth to say the correct command and click at the same time. (Poor Muffin Head) Diane was soooo patient with me. Honestly parents we are the ones that are being trained. LOL. Seriously. I will use the expert training that we received on every walk and outing from now until ... Let me add, training is invaluable for making grooming easier, taking Coco for other training like dock diving. The trainer at the dock Diving Center was very pleased as she had recently worked with a number of parents that thought their pets would learn how to sit and stay through osmosis. Enough about me though I more than appreciate the time and attention that Diane gave me to help me understand and remember my goals with Coco. Coco adores her. I was concerned about when I booked the class that the classes were going to have to be taken during the cold months. Diane assured me that Coco would never be uncomfortable or at risk. (It ended up being very spread out because I needed time to work and solidify the training.) They were a text or phone call away. Diane paid very close attention during our training with her, whether she was stressed or hot or tired. It was very endearing to me that she cared about Coco as much as I do. Off-leash K9 training has gone above and beyond to give us a successful experience. Please let me stress, YOU have to commit to work the training. Even if you send them to stay with Off-leash K9 training. You have to work it. It's a relationship. Your dog will thank you. Oh and have fun doing it! read more

I was going to wait until the completion of our basic and advanced lessons before leaving a review, but I just cannot wait any longer. My husband and I had been through two other training companies with our 1.5 year old dog. She was reactive around other dogs and very fearful of new situations. She also had "selective hearing" and would completely stop listening to commands if there was another dog around. She wasn't food motivated and we were at a dead end with training ourselves. After reading some reviews and asking a few questions, we paid for the basic and advanced package and essentially flipped a coin to pick the trainer for our first lesson. Hannah has been incredible. We just finished our 6th lesson with her today and I am convinced she could train any dog and fix any issue. She even brings her own dogs to most lessons and is able to provide distractions while training that mimic real life scenarios. I knew we were getting somewhere with training, but I had the realization today that it has been worth every penny. It was our first fully off leash lesson and we had just finished for the day. As we were all walking back to the car, Hannah's next clients had already arrived. It was their first lesson and their dog was barking uncontrollably at us and our dog (exactly as our dog had done on our first lesson). My dog starting running towards them and their dog and for a split second I panicked and hoped the interaction would be friendly. Then muscle memory kicked in, I gave my recall command paired with the remote, and our dog did an immediate turn around, came straight to me, heeled at my side and sat. Realizing the difference that training had made in that moment made me feel like I could cry. In the past there would have been nothing in this world I could have done to get her to listen. I cannot recommend Hannah (and the entire Off Leash K9 training methods) more highly. read more

I have nothing but positive things to say about OLK9. I had had some reservations about signing up for these lessons, mainly just the price, but it is, without a doubt, worth every penny! Even before I had signed my pup up for lessons they were extremely helpful and extremely professional. They responded quickly and thoroughly to my emails and addressed all my concerns, no matter how trivial they were. After signing up, I had a sudden change in my schedule and they accommodated me without any hesitation, so even before our lessons started I was impressed. Once lessons started, I just became more impressed. After just one lesson my pup was coming and sitting on command, something he would never do before..He was even offleash during lessons and didn't bolt, which was a shock to me because I was afraid to take him outside without a leash. Later in the lessons when my pup was showing off his extremely stubborn side, Alisa remained cool and continued to work with him until he got it right, no matter how much he protested. She also explained everything she did with him and explained his behaviors to us in a way that completely made sense and even called our attention to his behavior/what she was actually doing during lessons when he would try to trick us into taking his collar off. Overall, I have nothing but good things to say and would recommend OLK9 to anyone and everyone with a dog, whether they have behavioral issues or if they just want to impress everyone with their dogs obedience skills. Had we remained in the NC area, I would have, for sure signed him up for the Advanced lessons(We only did the basic obedience package). The only negative thing I have to say is that they don't have a location within reasonable traveling distance from TX. read more

We have a bull mastiff mix (Jake) who showed up a year ago in our yard and started playing with our pit/boxer mix Emily. He was terrified of people, but Emily insisted that we adopt him, so we managed to trap him after almost two weeks of trying, at which time he totally surrendered to us dangerous (in his eyes) people. He had obviously been abused and has a TON of anxiety issues. I mean, this is a dog who was afraid of his own food bowl! But he and Emily play all the time, and he has been very loving, eager to please, and slowly gaining trust in us. However, a few months ago he started getting aggressive to other dogs at the park where we walk them, even attacked one, and we decided we had to do something about it. When we started with Off Leash, I was afraid that the shock collar would set him back in his trust of us. We tried feeling the shock on the inside of our arms at a fairly hight level -- about as high as we ever needed with him -- and it was more unpleasant than painful. But I was still worried. Ann, the trainer who worked with us, explained that an anxious dog is just more comfortable when he feels like you, the owner, are in control, so they can relax and not feel like they have to protect you from things. And she was right. After the VERY FIRST week of training, he started acting more relaxed at home, being more willing to listen to us when we encouraged him to, for instance, approach and sniff new things or to enter the kitchen (which always terrified him because of the noise we make cooking and cleaning up out there). I was truly amazed. And at the park he pays attention more to us now and hasn't been aggressive toward other dogs. So we highly recommend Off Leash! read more

The whole process and all the people at Off Leash have been so good to work with. Very professional and always available!!! Emily gave us multiple updates daily with detailed explanations of the progress. W felt so comfortable with her and knowing she was taking great care of our Jo Jo. We dropped Jo Jo off with Emily 2 weeks ago this past Friday. When we dropped off Jo Jo she was a sweet and loving 5 month old pup who was energetic, spooked of all types of things outside, had no respect for her sisters and only listened to us at her convenience. We were amazed at the update videos over the 2 weeks. We were even more AMAZED when we picked her up. I waited a couple days to leave this review so I could better understand what had been accomplished by Emily! Since coming home Jo Jo is still the sweet and loving pup but now she is very respectful of all animals and humans. We go anywhere we want with her and she is absolutely amazing. At home she respects everyone's space. Emily gave us simple and direct instructions when we picked Jo Jo up. She worked with us so we understood the commands and taught us what we need to expect from Jo Jo. She carefully explained to us that we needed to continue the hard work and training she had laid the foundation for. We have taken her advice and it is paying HUGH dividends. I have contacted Emily with tons of questions since picking Jo Jo up and she has gotten back to me in a timely manner and with enthusiasm! We have had training by another trainer and trust me, Off Leash has a method that lets a puppy be a puppy and have fun while becoming a well mannered pup!!! Thanks to Off Leash, its staff and mostly Emily!!!!!!! read more

Hands down the best investment my husband and I have made in our dog. Our 1 year old German Shepherd was a sweetheart with us and folks/dogs she knew, but had issues with fear reactivity, particularly around aggressive dogs. We decided to invest in the 8 session reactivity course, but the results were so quick we ended up using our last few sessions to build additional skills. She went from listening to commands when she felt like it (or when a particularly enticing treat was present) to being completely reliable- so much that we routinely keep her off leash in our (unfenced) yard and on walks. We get tons of comments on how well behaved she is- especially when she sits/lies down easily around other dogs, while those other dogs are pulling on leash and barking up a frenzy. While we had no hesitation with the e-collar, I understand that some people might- however, as my husbands states, it has given her more freedom (running off leash, chasing frisbees in our neighborhood, walking around while we do yard work) than she ever would have had being tied to us and constantly choking herself with lunging/pulling. After a few months of consistent training we rarely need to remind her with the collar when we ask for commands, and it's usually in a highly distracting situation (e.g. a fox runs by on our morning walk). Now she gets excited when we put on her collar, as it means it's time for her morning walk or visit to the park. Working with off-leash K9 was fantastic, and it was easy to schedule our classes online and plan out schedule accordingly. I would highly recommend this training to anyone who wants a more reliable and obedient dog. read more

Totally different dog that we got back after the 2 week in home training. Amazing results with our very stubborn st berdoodle after only 2 days there. Trainers always available for questions or help. Encouraged us to call before he even went to training with any questions and gave suggestions to help us in the interim before he went. Have always been available after the training as well and will periodically check in to see how he is doing still. You can tell the trainers really enjoy what they do. They are also very knowledgeable. They ended up pushing our pups start date back by a few weeks because of his immaturity and just that little bit of time made a huge difference even at home with us working with him while waiting on him to go. They consider the individual dog and not just the age or breed. Great people and program. We worked with Diana who coordinated everything before the training and even came to my work at 7am to pick up our dog because we couldn't make our schedules work out easier for another couple of weeks. That was so accomodating. Tara was his 2 week trainer and she was constantly sending us updates and keeping up with us afterwards with encouragement and more tips and tricks. We highly recommend! But know that you MUST be willing to continue the training after you get your dog back or it will be a waste of time and money. This is a lifelong commitment if you want an obedient dog. It's not an easy fix. read more

I signed my rescue dog Sophie up for the dog aggression training package because she was very insecure and reactive to other dogs, bikes, and motorcycles. It was hard to bring her anywhere and frustrating taking her on walks. I had gone through two different training programs and they were minimally helpful. Then I found Off Leash. The first four Off Leash lessons taught the basic commands and in the next four lessons we practiced handling skills around other dogs. We worked with 4 different trainers over the 8 lessons and learned different tips and pieces of advice from each trainer. With a lot of practice and patience, Sophie has come a huge way over the last few months. I was amazed how she learned to heel perfectly in just a one hour lesson. She has learned that she must stay in a heel when passing other dogs which minimizes or stops any reaction. She is definitely more confident but at the same time sees me as the boss. I learned a ton about dog behavior and body language which helps me read Sophie's signals and temper her reactions. Sophie enjoys practicing training and it has definitely deepened our bond. I've even received compliments of "what a well-behaved dog" while passing other dogs at Piney Woods during our practice sessions. Off Leash is not cheap, but if you put in the time and consistency you will be extremely pleased with the results. read more