There are not enough words of praise and thanks to Stonehill Kennels and Cassidy Stone for giving us the gift of a well behaved dog . Rascal left us 7 weeks ago having well earned the name Super Naughty Rotten Rascal. We struggled with having done multiple trainings and in home behavioral consults, that just left us with an out of control dog, out of control home, chaos and an unfortunate incident with one of our cats. (Hank is alive and well after his own recovery). We were faced with a very hard decision. Many others were telling us to rehome our beloved pup, we were the problem (we acknowledge some of it was us). We were using gates, muzzles, crates, interactive toys, walks, doggy day camp among other things. NOTHING we tried worked. We were at the end of our ropes. We found an advertisment on Facebook for Stonehill Kennels, spoke with Chris and we were sold. After a few weeks of waiting Super Naughty Rotten Rascal was sent to Bootcamp. The first four weeks he did great and we were scheduled to see our baby boy however Super Naughty Rotten Rascal had one more trick up his sleeve. Boy did he test his trainer Cassidy. They worked through him trying to exert his dominance on her and the situation. We waited five weeks to see our baby and he was a new dog. Doing every command beautifully for Cassidy and us. (insert a very ugly mom cry moment). We are so proud of you buddy. Today he has returned as a super fun loving well behaved Rascal!!!! He even got praise in Lowes (some guy) "that's how behaved I want my dog to be". Insert another ugly mommy cry moment! My heart if full having all my fur babies at home. When others told us to rehome him, Sonehill Kennels and Cassidy came through delivering exactly what they said they would. We can't thank you enough. There are just not enough positive things we can say about you all. We are fur-ever grateful!!!! read more

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We are so grateful for all the support K9 One Dog Training (www.k9one.com) showed us through the entire training process! After having 3 dog companions throughout our lives, we had no idea bringing in a new dog into our home would cause so much havoc. Ruby was sweet however, painfully mouthy, wild, and dominant. I was almost ready to give her back to the rescue group however, my friend sent out a text message to her neighborhood community requesting suggestions on dog training facilities. The one that repeatedly came up as the BEST was K9 One, so I called and spoke to Chris Byrne, the owner and he listened to my concerns and he "guaranteed" his team would be able to train not only Ruby but us as well! Landry Rogers our assigned Professional Trainer is phenomenal. At our first meeting he gave us insight on how dogs think, the importance of administering consistent consequences for bad behavior and rewarding good behavior. He would send us photos and send Ruby's training session videos which gave us comfort knowing how she was progressing. We can not thank him enough for the kindness, patience and professionalism he showed us throughout the 6 week training program. RESULTS: Ruby knows all her commands and is controllable. She is no longer mouthy or wild however will test us to see if we allow her to be dominant. We now have the tools necessary to give our girl the alpha leadership she deserves and respects. With Appreciation & Gratitude to the entire team at K9 One, Larry & Jeanette Krueger read more

We brought our two-year-old shiba inu named Rocky to Stonehill in January on a referral from friends and we could not be more thrilled with the results. Rocky had serious disobedience issues, as well as anxiety and aggression in many different situations. Before we went to Stonehill, we were at a complete loss as to what to do (he is our first dog), and had tried a number of local trainers. I can't state strongly enough how glad I am we made the decision to send him to Stonehill. Our trainer, Melissa, is an outstanding trainer. She has a gift for reading canines, and with Rocky she seemed to understand him immediately. I was hesitant to send Rocky away for so long, but we very quickly realized that he was being so well taken care of, and that everyone at Stonehill really just cared about the dogs in their care, and what dogs, specifically (since they are not humans!), need. Now when we go back for follow up training sessions, Rocky runs up to Melissa and heads straight to the kennel as if it is home. We also had a great experience with Chris, who explained very clearly to us what his training methods were as well as enormously helpful information about dog psychology. We now have such a better understanding of what Rocky is going through. Back at home Rocky is so much more relaxed and obedient. He goes to his place on command (and often on his own). Walking him is a calm and fun experience now, whereas before he screamed on the leash and it was often a struggle even to get him to leave the house. We still have more to work on in terms of recall (very hard with shiba inus--although of course he does it perfectly with Melissa!) and heel while walking, and we will continue to go up for sessions to perfect these. The value you get out of this training is far more than we ever could have hoped for. It's a life changer. We will definitely be bringing Rocky back for boarding when needed. Thank you Melissa and Stonehill! Anne, Barrett, Adlai, and Dashiell White May 3, 2021 read more

K9one LLC @ Stonehill Kennel - Pet Sitting Near Me - Goshen, Connecticut

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I cannot recommend Landry Rogers from K9One Stonehill Kennel enough! I brought my 160 pound Presa Canario to him for training because he was exhibiting aggression and lacked any discipline. Landry worked wonders with Kobe and now he is a completely different dog. He follows commands and exhibits no aggression at all. Landry also took the time to give me extra strategies to use with Kobe at home, which has been incredibly helpful. I also appreciated the open communication while Kobe was at the kennel, with regular text messages and videos to keep me updated on his progress. Thank you, Landry, for your amazing work! You rock! read more

I cannot speak highly enough about K9One/Stonehill Kennels! I am not a novice dog owner and I have worked through many issues with my various rescue dogs throughout my life. I have also worked with a few trainers on certain issues and learned a lot about dog behavior and training. NOTHING AND NO ONE COMES CLOSE to K9One and its staff! In the Fall of 2020 we brought home a 9 week old Boerboel puppy. Fully grown, he will be 200 lbs of natural guard dog. We also have 2 young daughters (10 and 9), a 16 y/o female Catahoula/mix rescue and a 2 y/o Staffordshire Bull Terrier rescue living in our house. We knew that getting our Boerboel proper training in advanced obedience was an absolute must. Boerboels are not your run of the mill guardian breed and bad training would be worse than no training so we had no room for error finding the right place. After interviewing several trainers and not feeling confident, I found K9One. I was unsure about an "away-stay" training program, but after looking at their credentials and speaking with Chris I knew we found THE place. None of the other trainers we interviewed knew the breed. When Chris asked what breed of dog we had, I paused, thinking this could be the deal breaker. NOPE! They actually had another Boerboel training there at that time! CJ was/is our trainer - He is AMAZING! He did what I could have NEVER accomplished on my own, even with all of my prior experience with dogs! Boerboels are highly independent and intelligent, making them willful and stubborn. If they do not respect you, they will not listen to you. LEO had a few basics when we dropped him off which he pretended not to know after dropping him off. CJ started from scratch with LEO and went at LEO's pace of bonding and learning. He never pushed him through the program to simply graduate him. Our 6-week program ended up being 9 weeks because ensuring that LEO "got it" was more important than freeing up a space. At K9One, the dogs come first. Just like with LEO, if we needed extra time to work with him at our weekly training sessions, because things just weren't clicking or because we needed some repetition to get it down, CJ gave us the time. I never felt rushed and he always graciously answered my 9,000 questions (and every email - then and now). It is so obvious that their focus is on the well-being and quality of training of the dog, the education and confidence of the owners, and the long-term obedience of the dog. CJ even took the time to send me extra pictures and videos to help ease the sadness/impatience of my daughters because they were really missing their puppy having to stay longer. You do not need to worry if your dog is being cared for! CJ and the staff had to contend with the monumental growth spurts of a Boerboel puppy and they knew exactly how to adjust his feeding amounts to support his growth while ensuring that he wasn't growing too fast to do damage to his joints and overall health. They also arranged for their vet to administer the remaining series of his puppy vaccines while he was there. I can't envision a scenario (even emergent) that would be out of their ability to handle. CJ and K9One delivered the MOST ROCK-SOLID foundation of advanced obedience to LEO as well as providing us with education and skills we need to maintain and build on his obedience. We have followed CJ's instructions and continued to really work LEO after coming home and it is paying off beyond measure. When I am working him in public, people ALWAYS comment on his good behavior and I tell them "K9One!" Being able to come back and work LEO with CJ for any reason (needing more distractions, bigger challenges, set-backs, new behavior issues, to say hi) is incredibly comforting. The fact that K9One/Stonehill Kennels is also a boarding facility is a bonus. I have a safe place for LEO if we want to travel! Shout out to Melissa and Landry too who were fantastic substitutes when CJ had to be out! LEO loves them all! All of the trainers are fantastic - you will not be disappointed!!! read more

I recently picked up my female German Shepherd and my female Belgian Malinois from their boarding and training program. I can't tell you how pleased I am with their results. The dogs are so well behaved. I take them for runs and they are off leash and so obedient. Today I took my Belgian to Dick's sporting goods. I can't tell you the number of compliments I received on how well behaved she was in a store full of people and lots of distractions, she did well with her commands. I highly recommend Stonehill, especially if you own high energy working dogs!! read more

Chris and the team are absolutely amazing. We found a puppy and had no idea of his breed, but knew we wanted to get him properly trained. Turns out he was a super stubborn Amstaff and ended up needing 23 weeks (had him in for the 20 week program). Through continued hard work and training after he brought him home we now have an amazingly trained dog. I recommend them to everyone and board our dog here whenever we can't take him away with us. read more

We rescued Quincy, an Australian Shepard, from a shelter and we quickly fell in love. However, we did not do our research on the breed and quickly realized his energy was more than we could handle. The last straw is when he popped out the screen of a second story window to run after a squirrel. Luckily I caught him before he left the window but we did not know where to turn. That weekend we happened to drive by Stonehill. We stop by and inquired about the programs and instantly felt that Chris was the most knowledgeable trainer we would ever know. We dropped Quincy off that day for the in-kennel program and he was assigned to work with Dan. Dan trained Quincy to perfection and then us. It was a lot of hard work but a wonderful experience. Quincy is not only better behaved but happy! There are times we need to board Quincy and we will always take him back to Stonehill because not only will they take good care of him but Quincy has made a friend in Dan and he loves to see him. By the way, this is not inexpensive training but 100% worth every penny! read more

K9one LLC @ Stonehill Kennel - Pet Sitting Near Me - Goshen, Connecticut

A few years ago I purchased a Rottweiler protection dog from an overseas trainer. Shortly after I received him I realized he was highly unstable which is not a good characteristic for a protection dog. He was dangerous and a liability. Desperate, I sought the help of various trainers but he only got worse. When I found Stonehill Kennel and spoke with Chris and Dan, they said they could help me and my dog. And, to say that they proved themselves would be an understatement. Now, my once unstable dog, is calm, confident and obedient. He is the dog I always wanted. He is happy and friendly. I can feel comfortable taking him to the office or to an outdoor cafe. And, everyone who meets him says he is the most well trained dog they ever met! Who would have thought this possible? Just as important, Dan spent considerable time working with me so that I could become the best handler I could be. He was patient and explained everything until I mastered it. The entire staff at Stonehill is professional, caring and highly competent. I have been so impressed that I just purchased a German Shepherd protection dog from them and I can't wait to get her! I will be eternally grateful for everything they have done. I would recommend Stonehill to anyone. They are awesome! read more

K9one LLC @ Stonehill Kennel - Pet Sitting Near Me - Goshen, Connecticut

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I purchased my German Shepherd, Martin, from Chris and the folks at Stonehill Kennel in 2008. He is the most loyal, affectionate, and eager-to-please dog that I've ever known (please don't tell my other two dogs, who are also wonderful). In addition to going above and beyond to provide me with a dog that fit perfectly into my life style, Chris also took the time to work with me extensively and taught me a phenomenal amount about dog behavior and psychology. Martin is an off-leash trained personal protection dog that would sacrifice his life for me in a heartbeat, but is still gentle and sweet enough to trust around babies and lets my fifteen year old Cocker Spaniel boss him around. I'll always be grateful to Stonehill Kennel for giving me a life-long friend and would recommend them to anyone that's looking for a companion pet, protection animal, or training for their current pets. read more

I cannot thank Stonehill enough for what the taught my GSD during his stay at the two week board and train. My guy went from a fairly reactive brat-one could even say dragon, to a pleasure to walk with such better manners. He's been back for boarding since, and is as happy to see them as he is to see me! I wish I would have done it sooner. read more

Extremely unsatisfied with Stone Hill. I adopted a dog with anxiety issues beyond my own basic training skills and had tried a variety of training methods/classes prior, but we weren't making any progress. I contacted Stone Hill, explained our situation, what I knew of my dog's past, and was assured, numerous times over the phone, that my dog's reactive behavior could be improved with their training methods. I dropped my dog off for a six-week board and train. After a couple weeks, I went there to do training sessions with my dog. I noticed she had sores on her feet, and mentioned it to my trainer. He told me that it was likely from anxiety from being in the kennel. These sores persisted for the duration of her stay. I struggled to get even weekly updates from my trainer. Texts, emails, and phone calls would not be responded to for days. I brought the dog home after seven weeks. They wanted the dog to stay an additional week because they didn't feel she was ready to go home. I was told that for the first week or so after she came home, she could only be out of her crate for short periods of time, and when she was, she had to be holding a command, such as "place" or "down." We followed these instructions, and all the others given exactly as they were taught and described to us. The dog was slightly more calm in our home, but she was still barking and lunging at people and dogs whenever we went out for a walk. We live in an apartment building and have no exit that doesn't involve narrow hallways and people. When I told our trainer that we were having all the same problems, we were told to come back for weekly training sessions. We did this for three weeks, with no discernable results. Her behavior was declining, and she was getting more anxious in our home, whining and barking in her crate, barking at things out the window. We followed the training methods precisely. The last training session we had, such excessive force was used to coerce the dog into complying, that my dog was physically shaking. Her e-collar, which we had been using between a 20 and a 30, was turned up to 60. I decided to end our training sessions. I felt misled about Stone Hill's training methods. They used a lot more force than I would have agreed to, had I known. My dog could not perform any of the basic skills they guarantee without a prong or an e-collar persuading her. When I voiced my frustrations with how I felt misled, my communications were ignored for days. I don't feel I got the value of what I paid for. I felt taken advantage of. It was suggested that my dog wasn't responding to me because I didn't have a deep enough voice. We followed their instructions exactly and my dog struggled with the training methods, and they just kept telling us to be firmer with the dog. Before you decide to use Stone Hill for training an adult dog seriously consider the amount of force you think is appropriate for training a companion animal. read more

Stonehill Kennels is the real deal! We purchased a guard dog and had our large Swiss Mountain Dog re-trained by them. With excellent results! Moreover the kind competence of Dan has permeated our dogs. their happiness and confidence is reliably apparent daily. Chris and Dan are always in contact and ready to support. We have all benefitted from this journey but and we've met some remarkable, talented people on the way!!! Not ruff!!! You can't go wrong!! read more

I have to admit we only had medium-sized expectations when we brought Bakso to Stonehill. He was a two-year-old, very independent and sometimes stubborn dog who lived a semi-feral lifestyle roaming the beaches of Bali, Indonesia during the day and coming home to us every night for a bath and his dinner. He was ours but also belonged to the island. Then Covid hit. We left him in the care of a friend, but when she had to leave too, we knew it was time to bring him home to us (which took another three months, but that's a story for another time.) The story we'll share here is about Stonehill, our trainer Melissa, and our dog Bakso. The results have been beyond impressive. He's just as happy here as on the beaches of Bali, but now he knows how to live in a much more restrictive society. He comes when we call, hops in the car on command (something he was never willing to do as he can get carsick.) He sits, downs, heels anywhere, and anytime we ask. One thing to note is that we have been on top of continuing his training. Yes, there have been times when he has tried to cheat, dodge, or avoid commands, but if you stay with the program, that dissipates quickly. Transition from Stonehill to you is probably the most important part of the training. We took responsibility for keeping the training up (we even built him a climbing platform), and Bakso has thrived. Between myself, my wife and our two sons, Bakso knows exactly what's expected of him. Melissa taught us (and is still teaching us with follow up visits) everything we need to know to give him what he needs. We also had communication and sessions with CJ, when Melissa was out with a really bad flu for a week toward the end of our training. Stonehill did not miss a beat in Bakso's program and it was actually nice to get to work with and steal some knowledge from another trainer too. Anyway, short story is, it's a big investment, both in time and money. We weren't sure how any of this would turn out, but Stonehill has made it possible for us to bring our wonderfully wild boy 10,000 miles from his birthplace to a happy new home in Northern CT. Ted, Sarah, Ellis and Theo. Lakeville, Ct. read more

Chris and the team at Stonehill are excellent trainers and extremely knowledgeable. My 1 year old Silver Lab "Colt" was becoming a handful and after meeting and chatting with Chris I realized his staff and facility would be perfect. As an out of state owner I was reluctant to trust my dog to just anyone but Chris made it clear that my pup would be fine. I was so impressed with his organization and the care / training of my dog that I've recommended him to several of my closest friends...of which 1 recently had his white Lab "Bogey" trained by Chris. All of my future dogs will make the trip to CT for Chris and his crew to work their magic. As a long time dog owner and a visitor to Chris's facility I take extreme offense to "Karen F's" review and would think the hundreds of satisfied owners that visit his facility annually would agree with me. I also find it disheartening that she chose this forum to complain and that her "concern" wasn't genuine enough to visit his facility and see the operation for herself. read more

I brought my very rambunctious Rottweiler Zeus to Stonehill and Cory did a great job training him. When we brought him there he dragged me in the office, but after his training he walked out like a gentlemen! Thanks Cory and thanks Chris for always being available to answer all our questions. I highly recommend Stonehill kennel for both boarding and training. read more

I was so excited the moment we got our little boy Boston Terrier puppy home with us! He was 8 weeks old and just so cute! We had waited a couple years to get a puppy to ensure our children were old enough to handle some of the responsibility. We named him Cooper and he immediately became part of the family. When Cooper was about 6 months old we noticed he began to play a bit too rough with the children. He had also started to become aggressive with other dogs. We tried to correct the behavior but nothing seemed to work. The entire family seemed upset by what was happening and I knew something would need to be done before things got worse. I began searching for dog trainers in the local area. Chris Byrne from Stone Hill Kennel in Goshen, CT came highly recommended by a few close colleagues of mine at work. They warned me that Chris was serious about dog training and that I would need to be committed to work with Cooper at the training facility. I reached out to Chris a few days later and booked a meeting with him so that he could meet and assess Cooper. After meeting with Chris, I enrolled Cooper in 6 week resident training course at Stonehill. It was really difficult to leave my "baby boy" at the strange place knowing I would not be able to spoil him at home with love and affection....but I trusted Chris and knew it was for the best. I wanted to come back right away and visit him the next day but Chris had told me that part of the training was to "separate" Cooper from me so he could build the "right" type of bond with the trainer (Dan) which was critical to the training plan. Chris assured me that later this bond would be built between me and Cooper and eventually with the rest of our family. Although it was tough for me to leave Cooper at the training facility it was the best environment for him to learn and break bad habits that we probably unknowingly taught him. I am sure Cooper went through a transition period...perhaps he barked and barked in his pen, not liking the change in environment! He probably barked at the other dogs for hours and hours and jumped up and down and scratched at the pen gate. I am sure he did not like it! I bet it was much like my 5 year old when he used to throw a temper tantrum when he did not get his own way. Cooper wasn't being spoiled and learning bad habits at home any longer. He was learning good behavior in his training classes each day and when he threw temper tantrums with the trainer he was swiftly corrected. When he had a temper tantrum in his pen he was just simply ignored. I guess if you were seeing this for the first time or had no dog training expertise you might think this was a negative way to treat a cute little 6 month old puppy. In fact, it is quite the opposite....it is a brilliant way to correct negative behavior! Praise all the good stuff and correct or ignore all the bad stuff. Ultimately after the bond was built between Cooper and Dan, Cooper just wanted to please the trainer and gain his praise....so eventually he stopped acting badly. I came to train with Cooper at the training facility several times before I could bring him back home. The transformation in Cooper was amazing. After 6 weeks he was calm, obedient yet he was still the happy go lucky puppy we all loved! The most incredible part was that Chris and Dan took the time to walk me through the entire training process. They explained to me that Cooper needed to understand that in order to receive praise and affection he needed to be following commands and always display good behavior. Dan and Chris warned me that Cooper might always have a dog aggression tendency but if I was committed to the training exercises, Cooper would be a "normal lovable happy dog". It's been 9 months since Cooper finished his resident training program. Our family is committed to Cooper's training exercises each day and every few months I head up to take a refresher training class with Cooper at Stonehill. I also board Cooper at Stonehill when our family travels. I would not trust anyone with Cooper for a long period of time....I know that when Cooper is at Stonehill that good behavior is being reinforced in a loving and caring way! I am not sure what would have happened to Cooper had we not found Chris, Dan and the Stonehill Team! Thanks Guys! The Mathews Family read more

Bob Cusick Enfield,NH Call for a reference 6033062754 We got a rescue dog named Hoover about 5 years ago.115 lb mix Boxer/Mastiff. He was found on the streets of Cincinnati possible breed for fighting. Took him in and had problems that local trainers could not handle and advised us to euthanize him. Chris Byrne and Dan Hartley did an absolutely amazing job with Hoover and taught us how to be a good dog owner. Hoover owes his life to Stonehill. When we travel we always take Hoover but when we can't he goes to Stonehill. It is 200 miles from our home. Hoover was always in great shape when we picked him up. These people really love their charges and take care of the dogs like they were their own. Bob Cusick PS My wife and I spent two days (all day) there while our dog was in training (6 weeks). Karen F does not know what she is talking about. Never heard an incessant barking or saw anything but loving care. read more

Our experience with Stonehill was life-saving. We have a 5-year old rescue dog, Miss Foxie, dachshund-terrier-pitbull mix, who became more and more dominant over the time and got out of control (attacked a dog). We tried a couple of experienced trainer for a few months, working mostly with positive reinforcement, with no result. Walks were very stressful for the dog and for us as she was the fear of the whole neighborhood and we got worried for her safety as well. We would walk her less and less and she would get more and more nervous. We were in negative cycle. Our vet recommend Stonehill and we had a few conversations with Chris before we put up MF for a 6-8 weeks training. It was the best spent money of our life. Cory got into MF's mind and trainer her with firmness and love. Most importantly, he trained us on how to handle a dominant dog. Our dog is much happier and calmer now, we understand how to handle ourselves and prevent stressful situations. We could not have asked for a better trainer and we will be thankful to them forever. When we go on vacation MF goes back to Stonehill and she cannot wait to get off the car and run to Chris and Cory. Trust them as they love your dog and they know what they are doing. read more

Chris, Diana and the whole team a re just wonderful to work with. Very knowledgeable and they can handle dogs of every temperament and size. I highly recommend their in-kennel training - you won't believe the results! read more

Chris and his team..."The Dog Whisperers"...the ultimate professionals. Their expertise and training methods; passion for their trade; respect and love of dogs, is clear. As family members, our training provided us with the tools to support ongoing healthy habits in our dog and has made us all more thoughtful and responsible dog owners of a dog who now feels useful, respected, loved and happier than ever with his new self. Cassandra B. Durham, NC read more

We were at our wits end with our wild, misbehaved young boxer Mack. We heard about Stonehill from another boxer owner and realized that Mack was going to Stonehill or we could not keep him in our home. After 6 weeks our family and Mack were trained and reunited and there was peace in our home again. Mack is still full of personality and lots of energy but he knows how to behave and is a great addition to our family. Stonehill is a great place! read more

I took my dog there and never mention boardatella shot or any kennel shot at all. When I picked her up she was 10 pounds thinner and had pneumonia. I call them and they could care less. My girl almost died and my vet bill was 4 thousands dollars. They never called to see if she was alright nothing. I think what they do is scare the crap out of them. My dog had same issues with nails. She didn't have any left from being left in on concrete floor. There style not cool at all.... 6000 thousands dollars for a sick scared dog. Shame on you.. read more

In 2008 I got my beloved dog Maya from Chris. Dan trained her. I have had GSDs all my life but she has been the joy of my life. I have taken her everywhere and she is calm and balanced and truly exceptional. I just got a second dog from Chris, again trained by Dan. He is on his way to being another remarkable dog. Even though he is still very young his temperament and ability to learn quickly are incredible. He has become a part of our family almost overnight. What a happy dog he is...great breeding. I would never get anther dog from anyone else. The kennels Chris gets his dogs from are breeding healthy and emotionally balanced dogs. That is very rare. read more

My wife and I brought our rescued fur friend to Stonehill Kennel for some basic command training. Having been a stray from NYC, we figured it was going to take a little bit of time and help to get some 'less than desirable' behaviors under control. After just the first session with one of the trainers, our newest family member was more well behaved, followed simple commands and began walking on a lead much better. I have and will continue to recommend Stonehill Kennel to anyone looking for training, whether it's for basic commands or more advanced. read more

Chris and Dan at Stonehill Kennel have trained both my German Shepherds and I will tell you if I even get another that's the place I will go. I trust my pets with them and I also know that they will be trained correctly. I can't say enough about the training and care. Laure P read more

I brought both of my 19 month old yellow Labrador puppies to Stonehill for their 6 week training program and returned after 7 weeks due to my travel schedule to spend 3 days with their trainer to help me understand how to work with them. The puppies I returned to were not the puppies I left, they were disciplined and very well behaved and displayed lots of attention and affection for their trainer. The 3 days went by very quickly and I learned a great deal about how to properly interact with dogs and how to use the commands that had been taught to them. In short they were a joy to work with and their trainer was equally so. Chris Byrne and his team are top notch and I highly recommend anybody with a dog they want to be well trained to consider working with Stonehill. I can not praise them enough and really feel the sessions with my two puppies have made them into much better dogs. read more

Really transformed our high-drive, alpha female german shepherd dog into a wonderful companion. Everyone we encounter is impress by how well trained she is, and my pet-owning friends are now always asking for advice on how to convince their pets to act like her. It's been two years since our dog went to 'boarding school in Connecticut' (as we often describe stone hill) and she's still perfectly trained. 4 stars instead of 5 because they're not terribly responsive--I've contacted them three or four times for more advanced training, and they have yet to return a single phone call or email. Also, they're pretty expensive. read more

Our dog is amazing thanks to Stonehill's In-Kennel training. She is a star now. When we got our dog at four months of age we didn't know what to do. She was more than we could handle. We now have a well behaved and happy dog. We can't thank Stonehill Kennel enough for the incredible amount of time, energy, and knowledge they all put into making our family and our new dog so happy together. read more

My boyfriend and I were brand new to dog ownership when we fell in love with a German Shepherd. We knew she would need to be trained if we were going to enjoy her, but didn't have the experience or the time. We placed her in the hands of the professionals at Stonehill Kennel and boy what a fantastic job they did!! Not only did they train our fur baby but they spent countless hours explaining dog behavior and teaching us how to be good dog owners! These lessons were insightful and priceless and we now have a beautiful 80lb GS that respects us and understands her place in the pack. People stand in awe at the way she "listens" to us when we are out and it's all thanks to Dan, Chris and the great team at Stonehill! We use their kennel services when we go on vacation and always feel confident knowing our dog is safe and well looked after :) read more

I cannot begin to describe how happy we are with the training our dogs received at Stonehill. Cory Becker worked with two of our dogs (who had very different personalities and training issues) and formed tight bonds with both. He was unfailingly patient, firm, consistent, and fair. Both dogs flourished. I had always hoped my Rudy (a three year old Leavitt Old English Bulldog) would be able to pass the TDI evaluations and become certified as a Therapy Dog. But some training issues, particularly reactivity to other dogs when on leash, seemed to make that goal unattainable. Thanks to Cory and Stonehill, I am confident that Rudy will pass his evaluations this fall. Although our six week training course is completed, Cory will be working with me and Rudy weekly as we prepare for the testing. I am grateful to Cory and Stonehill for the education Rudy and I have both received; we are the better for it and I am eager for all Rudy and I will be able to do together thanks to this training. I cannot recommend Cory Becker and Stonehill highly enough. This experience has transformed our lives. read more

We had adopted a shelter dog, after 2 years of having her she began down a path of bad behavior that was upsetting to us, we were not enjoying her anymore. She would growl, lunge and bark at every person and dog. We didn't know what to do. I researched Kennels in and around Connecticut and we picked Stonehill. We have a 5 year old boxer mix, she growled at Chris when she saw him for the fist time. As the weeks went by we noticed the positive progress she was making. I can't say enough good things about Dan, our dog trainer, he not only trained our dog but he trained us too! He kept us updated on her progress, she was there about 8 weeks. We learned all about the way dogs think and what they need and we learned how to keep the training going with her. Dan and Chris and Stonehill Kennel was a life saving experience for us and our dog. She is doing great, we work with her every day and we are enjoying her again. Everyone that knew how she was before the training can't believe its the same dog now! They are a top notch training/kennel facility and I would highly recommend them to anyone who has a dog and doesn't know how to deal with the bad behavior. It's worth the time and money to send them to Stonehill Kennel. read more

Great experience. Honest about cost and expectations. Our GSD was happy each time we visited her and was clearly making improvements all along the way. She has been much better behaved and less stressed ever since. read more

At first we were pleased but our second visit we left one of our dogs for a week that has a strict diet because of stomach issues and when we picked up our dog she had all of her food in her bag still. We had to move on and go somewhere else. Also they accidentally bathed the dogs and then tried to charge us for it. Nice people but attention to detail is everything. read more

Dan was wonderful. I had gotten a year and a half year old Clumber Spaniel from a very prominent Clumber breeder. She was completly unsocialized and distructive. Dan worked with her for 6 weeks and we worked along with him. As we are older people, but had a lot of experience with Clumbers, Dan finally told us that she was one of the most difficult dogs he had ever worked with and felt strongly that she was not the dog for us, and would probably cause us to fall and be hurt. I am so happy he told us that. It took a lot of courage on his part but it was the right thing to do. Back she went to the breeder. I will always be thankful to Dan. read more

Our dog was getting out of hand due to our coddling him. He underwent the 6 week program with Corey, with us doing sessions with him during the last 3 weeks. He is now a confident, calm dog who is an excellent companion and member of the family. read more

We were having lots of trouble with our newly adopted dog. She was jumping and breaking out of her crate along with other un-desirable behaviors. So, we called up Chris and were able to drop her off the next day. She spent approximately 2 months at Stonehill for obedience training. We now have a NEW DOG!!! Her trainer, Dan, was absolutely AMAZING!!! He called with weekly updates and took his time during each phone call, some lasting up to 1/2 hour, taking time to explain her week, her trouble spots and dog psychology. When it was time for me to visit for training sessions, I could see the difference and could not believe it was my dog that was behaving and listening!! Dan took the time to talk to us and help us understand how a dog thinks and to help us change our ways of thinking and handling her. You can see the staff loves animals and is truly passionate about what they do. She is now home and doing wonderful!!! Not one un-desirable behavior! I cannot believe the transformation in our pet. I cannot thank the Stonehill staff enough for their teaching, their caring for our pet, their attention to detail and their patience with both us and our dog!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! read more

They can train dogs, but the customer service promise fell short. They state that they will provide ongoing support and training; however, they did not return my calls when my dog continued to have behaviors that concerned me. At the outset, they trained my shepherd and we went for the sessions included in the package. After a two weeks home, he started having behaviors again and I was considering re-homing him to a more appropriate family if my husband, children, and I couldn't work through the safety issues we were having. I mentioned this in a phone message to Chris, and we never got a call back. I called him twice more, and still nothing. I went with this kennel because of their promise and was truly let down. I don't know what happened. If they could not work to assist us further, we deserved the professional courtesy of a statement to that effect. Instead, my calls for help were ignored. read more