We just wrapped up a six week puppy training class and it was fantastic. They focused on the right…read moreskills and gave us step by step instructions that made it easy to train our dog in the little free time we have. I cannot recommend them enough. Worth every penny!

Liz is a great no-nonsense dog trainer. She worked with us and our reactive dog and provided many…read moresuggestions and practical techniques. Se really knows working dogs, and our GSD loved her. We trained at her facility and then went for two "practicums" at a nearby park. She is thoughtful and was responsive to our anxiety about our dog. Highly recommend.

I had my first meeting last week with Elsa for my submissive, timid puppy Cal. Elsa was great and…read morevery informative. Within a few minutes Elsa had approached Cal in such a way so that Cal stopped barking and was calm enough to start the training. Elsa instructed me on the appropriate way to train Cal and then watched as I then followed her instructions. I really appreciate her letting me take control for majority of the session and for bringing yummy high value treats for Cal. When the session was over I felt confident in my skills to train Cal. I would recommend Elsa. She is reliable, a fast communicator, backs up her training with research articles, and shows obvious knowledge in dog training. She followed up Cal's session with an email reminding me of the points we went over which was very helpful for my foggy short term memory. I could tell that Elsa genuinely cared about Cal's future and was dedicated in helping me!

As a first time dog owner I was having trouble wrangling my new puppy but after 3 sessions with My…read moreWonderful Dog I felt like I was back in control. She gave me the tools to continue to train my dog on my own and offered me some insight on pup psychology. Highly recommended!

The place is a palace for training! A huge barn for indoor classes, fenced area for agility…read moretraining and wide open fields for a romp before class. There are several trainers to choose from, all of whom are very knowledgeable. Worth checking out if you want to up your game with your dog.

Great trainers and facilities…read more The trainers provide independent observation and correction to both dog and handler -which doesn't happen at other facilities. The sessions are fun and informative for all involved. Very highly recommended.

Working with Dogwise Obedience and Christine was game changing for us. We have a 1.5 yo St Bernard…read morewho was diagnosed with congenital juvenile epilepsy as a young puppy which resulted in a lot of hospitalizations and behavioral issues due to heavy medication. With Emma growing to be a large dog, getting her behavioral issues under control was critical. Christine was able to build a curriculum for us and work with us in the most productive, flexible and respectful way. We never felt judged, she listened to our concerns and we were able to learn incredibly effective ways to manage this big special girl. We feel very confident and hopeful about the future as we continue to work with our puppy and knowing that we have Christine on our side!

Dogwise Obedience was incredible in giving us new perspective and training tools for our dogs! We…read morehave had our dogs for many years and we able to gain new insight on our relationship and communication with our dogs. Christine was always on time, supportive and honest in he training. This training was a game changer for us! We are so grateful to Christine!

She changed our lives with one session. My 10 month old German Shepherd was trained in less than an…read morehour, we are forever grateful. He was impossible for me to handle outside around other dogs, he pulled me down, I broke my foot. I was committed to finding the right trainer. Everyone else wanted at least 3k. I spent less than $200 for a trained GS.

I discovered Timber Ridge Farm in Saco, Maine about a month after I moved to Massachusetts from…read moreCalifornia (military orders). I was in search of a German Shepherd Dog breed specific breeder on the East Coast to add to my family in addition to my German Shepherd Dog I had from the West Coast. I must've looked at 20+ websites for various GSD breeders, until I stumbled on Timber Ridge Farm's website. I contacted Doreen about a litter of pups she had and made a deposit on the last available male from the Tux Z Arnultovic IPO3 and Piper Z Timberridge IPO3 FH1 litter (May 30, 2014) and arrived on July 25, 2014 to pick up my new puppy, Jax. Doreen even gave me a military discount on the final balance of Jax, which was very generous of her. Subsequently, I brought Jax back for further obedience training with Doreen. I underestimated the "working dog" in Jax, and blame myself for not meeting the level of need/demand he required as a working dog. We lived in a townhouse with no fenced yard, and my husband and I figured that walking Jax and dog park visits would be adequate for Jax as it had been for our other GSD who is 2 years old than Jax (she is now 4 and he is 2). Jax had basic obedience training that I taught him (potty trained, sit, stay, down, speak, etc.), but he was also very smart and knew that he only had to behave when I was watching him. He tore up every single bed we bought him throughout his life, destroyed two crates (eventually we had to invest in a $600 military working dog aluminum crate for him), ate cardboard boxes if we left them on the floor, yelped and screamed (temper tantrum) during the entire duration of a walk outside (so much that people would stop and stare as if we were beating him), walked around the house and high pitched whined non stop until my husband and I would give him some attention, he was just an all around monster dog (like the animal planet TV shows) that demanded our attention otherwise he would throw a tantrum. We love Jax and even at times we thought it was "the last straw," we just knew that he was a member of our family and we needed to make it work. We tried a dog trainer in Massachusetts for a few weeks, but they were unsuccessful in training Jax nor did they even reply to my last email regarding my concerns with Jax at their facility. We even signed a new lease at a higher rent home just to be able to give Jax a 1/2 acre fenced backyard to play in. We were doing all that we could to give Jax the best life and environment to thrive. So I got back in touch with Doreen and drove the 2 hours back to her facility with Jax in tow. I dropped Jax off on April 2, 2016 and picked him up on May 2, 2016. On Jax's first day back home, he was a brand new dog. I recognized him, but then I didn't. No more whining, no more leash pulling, no more attacking our other GSD, I fell in love with Jax all over again. I was nervous taking him out on a walk (despite the other nightmare walks), but he walked out the door with such grace and plopped his butt down on the porch and waited for me to lock the door. He had his full attention on me during the walk and every time I abruptly stopped, he simultaneously looked up at me and sit his butt down by my side. When I had him "sit," he would stay put (despite me walking around the house), until I gave him the command that it was OK for him to move. He was still the same dog (inside). He still loved to cuddle with me on the couch (when I let him up), and he still followed me around yearning for affection and to be petted. Doreen thoroughly briefed me on what I was doing wrong (I was boring to him) and gave me some direction on how to improve and what to continue to do further. She consistently provided me updates on Jax throughout his 30 day stay with her, sent pictures, and videos. At my request, she also started protection dog training with Jax, and it was amazing to see my friendly dog, who can run up to the UPS guy wagging his tail, bite a trainer's arm on command. At no point during his long boarding at her facility was I ever worried about his well being, like I normally am when boarding him at another boarding facility. From the beginning, Doreen has always been responsive to my e-mails, questions, and inquiries. Her business offers a variety of services that is not only limited to GSD breeding, but also includes obedience/tracking/protection dog training, dog boarding, and equestrian boarding. All at amazing prices, considering the level of service you receive from her. Her facility (that I have been to a few times so far) shows her dedication to these dogs with many spacious kennels, a separate building for indoor dog training, and large fields for outdoor dog training as well. I've taken my dogs to various boarders and trainers where walking inside makes me feel bad for dropping off my dogs, but here, I feel as if I'm dropping my dog off to doggie vacation. It's a two hour drive for me to this place, but it's well worth it!

I love A1K9! My black lab Tucker has been going here for the past year and loves it…read more I can't say enough good things about everyone that works here. Between the owners Terresa and Taylor who are just so so nice, fun and compassionate, to the rest of their staff they're all genuinely happy to see my boy Tucker and seem to enjoy what they do which is so rare. I'm never worried that the staff can't handle a situation with all the dogs in the yard which I've felt before with other doggie day cares. Taylor makes sure everyone outside with the dogs has a good calm energy, which when your working with a pack this size you need. I was worried too about the hot summer weather that it would make the turf too hot for the dogs but they do a great job flooding the turf with the hose so the dogs can cool off, they also have great frozen treats you can purchase for them to give your dog during the day. Tucker has never been happier with a daycare, nor more tired when he comes home, which to me and I'm sure most dog owners is the sign of a successful day. Thank you A1K9.

We hired Taylor to help us with our 2 year old mixed breed pup. Our main focus for her was recall…read moreand helping her get over her fear of bikes on the trails. He was able to accomplish this in half of the sessions we had scheduled! He is very patient and knowledgeable, HIGHLY recommend A1K9!

It went well from the first moment of contact. We were in town preparing for our daughters wedding…read morethat was coming up in the next few weeks. We have a beloved family dog who needed somewhere to play and be happy. We found happy tails and immediately knew we found the right place. Jay was welcoming and accommodating given our out-of-town status. Enrollment, including uploading health and safety data as well as scheduling the time that we needed to have our pup in their care, could not have been smoother. We did a test run two days before the wedding for 4 to 5 hours and agreed that if we didn't want to be at the wedding so badly we would spend the day at happy Tails! Whitaker was quickly noted to be a "good boy ". We returned on Saturday early in the morning and left him in good hands until the pick up at closing time on the same day. Everyone was happy and we wonder should we move to Portland in order to use this wonderful doggy daycare? It is not a usual experience to connect so quickly and to feel so safe with such an important member of the family. Thank you all! P. S. The wedding was a smashing success thanks in part to your team!

I feel secure in leaving my dog at Happy tails. He always returns happy and tired. 3 other family…read moredogs were boarded at the same time and we asked for family play dates.

It's hard to know where to begin. We could not speak highly enough of A Very Good K9…read more My girlfriend and I got a Malinois puppy in July and immediately began searching for an experienced trainer. Much to our dismay, all of the trainers we contacted were not only discouraging, but had a fairly draconian view of how to "train" this breed. After meeting Austin and Haley for the first time, we cried tears of joy because we had finally found trainers that could help us and trust with our pup. We had a few training sessions with the both of them and each session we left feeling more confident and capable. Not only were they training our pup but also taught us how to be better handlers. We felt so comfortable with them that when our puppy was 5 months old, we sent her to a 4-week board and train (prior to meeting Austin and Haley, we had agreed to no B&T's). Although, we missed her presence during that time it's the best thing we could have possibly done. We knew that Austin and Haley would give our pup the same level of love and attention that we would given her at home. Before, it was difficult to do certain "regular"dog things such as taking her on a walk. She was very impulsive, latching on, lashing out, etc. typical behavior for a mouthy mal. Upon receiving her back, the groundwork had been laid out for us to have a positive and successful relationship with her. She snuggles with us, plays with us and let's us take her on walks but is still the crazy puppy we fell in love with. She has learned so much in a short amount of time and we finally feel like we can breathe. She still has a lot to learn as do we, which is why we are continuing to work with them. We would not trust anyone else as a trainer and would do this again without a second thought. Austin and Haley are very knowledgeable and it is evident in the results they produce. They are genuine people. They care a lot about the work that they do and your pups well being. They want you and your pup to succeed. We would suggest their services to anyone we know in need of dog training. You won't regret it.

Elsa Larsen is a dream! She came to us, and worked step-by-step on individualized solutions to my…read moredog's specific challenges. I can really tell she knows her stuff: there was no behavior for which she she didn't have at least one workable solution to offer. I really appreciate how she modifies the training for my dog and our lifestyle. Also, she is personable, relaxed, funny, and kind. In a field where people-social skills are sometimes eclipsed by animal-skills, it was refreshing to have a responsive, warm, and professional trainer in my home. I have a friend who has spent hundreds of dollars striking out with ineffective or intolerable trainers. Skip the search and go with Elsa! I was referred to her by the owner's of a dog that could barely leave the house until they began working with Elsa. Now we pass each other in the neighborhood, proud of our dogs' attentiveness and calm behavior. I have a completely changed dog! And Elsa Larsen at My Wonderful Dog to thank for it! Thanks Elsa! :)

Elsa is the BEST! It was clear within the first ten minutes of meeting her that she really…read moreunderstood our dog Otha, and also understands how to break training down for humans. Her knowledge of dog behavior is so impressive. Training with her was an investment in our relationship with our dog that will last a lifetime! We are thankful to have gotten to work with her, and will definitely book more training sessions with her in the future when we need to brush up on our skills.