I originally found Shawn researching dog training for my dog- aggressive GWP. After consulting and interviewing several different training groups all over Oregon and even as far south as California I thank God I found Shawn and The Dog Way. It's only been a few days since our first class and already my dog Edwin has much more balanced energy and behavior. For the first time I my life I actually feel like I really know what I'm doing when it comes to my dog and his behavior and I can be assertive in my demands of him. As a bonus the same things we are doing with him we are doing with our other dog Juno, which is a Doberman. She would growl and bark so aggressively running up and down our fence-line every time a person would walk by with a dog. Now she is barking maybe once or twice a day but stopping right away. Within a week I am sure she will no longer be barking or growling. This review is being posted at the very beginning of our training and I am so impressed with the knowledge we've gained and the changes we've seen in our dogs. I cannot wait to get Edwin to the boarding orientation so we can start him socializing with other dogs and learning the appropriate way to communicate and act. If you need help with ANYTHING dog call The Dog Way first. Don't waste your time on any other training. I've done treats, clickers, e-collars, gentle leaders and harnesses but the program Shawn has put together hands down WORKS. If you have ANY issues with your dogs for ANY reasons simple or complex call The Dog Way. It will change your life. I will return to update in a few months. read more

The Dog Way - Edwin - Pet Training Near Me - Tualatin, Oregon

This is going to be a bit of a long review but I have a lot I want to get in and I really wanted to do Shawn justice. First off, training: In 2015 my family adopted a 2 1/2 year old German Shepherd, Lobo. I had no prior dog experience. I found Shawn and decided to take my new family member in. Prior to Lobo being rescued by the Oregon Humane Society he was abandoned at a pound after numerous backyard escapes and running around the streets in Clackamas. This dog I brought home was dominant, pushy, high energy, and totally ignored any command I gave him. He barked, couldn't be left outside for long periods of time, and jumped on furniture. So off we went to Shawn's for his 24 hour observation period. When I came to pick Lobo up the next day he gave us some training videos and a list of rules that Lobo needed to follow. He showed us how to do heel and blanket work and taught us the importance of being a leader. Shawn was informative, and he helpfully dumbed it down to one thing to remember (consistency) and one thing to work on (blanket time). When I put Lobo in the car he was shaking a little bit. A family friend with me at the time noted this and I made a note of it. I assumed it was because Lobo was so used to being in charge and he had been put in his place. Over the next several years I continued to work with Lobo using Shawn's methods and I saw great improvement. My dogs are my children, and I would never want to hurt them or cause them to fear me. Lobo doesn't. He loves me. We have a great relationship and are very bonded. Shawn's methods are NOT about fear and violence as some have suggested. They are about trust and mutual respect. How many times Shawn has said that "you must respect your dog and they must respect you" I can't even count. Lobo has blossomed under this leadership. He is the perfect dog. He is obedient, though he does test me every now and then. He is calm in the house and around people, and nothing makes him reactive. He is confident and will try to do anything I ask, even if I don't always think it through. He has faced fears for me because he trusts me, like swimming in a river. When we go out and about he is aware and alert and keeps an eye out for me, but he is never out of control or even close. He is amazing off lease and 100% reliable. He is great with kids, even when they have accidentally hurt him, and he has overcome dog aggression (he had gotten into 2 dog fights before). While Lobo started off a little put off by Shawn, he now LOVES him. Lobo gets super excited when we pull up to Shawn's place, and he always goes right up to Shawn to say hi. Shawn also loves Lobo and has told me so on numerous occasions. Last year (2020), my family welcomed another young Shepherd to the family. At 1 1/2, Ollie had already been through a lot before she was rescued by an animal shelter. She was anxious, shy, reserved, aloof, and went into panic mode if you clicked a pen. She didn't trust anyone. It felt like I was back to square one with her when it came to my knowledge of training. I knew what to do with a dominant dog, but an anxious one? I took her to Shawn for help, and when she first met him she was terrified. Now Ollie loves Shawn. She is starting to trust more and more and is way less anxious. We are still working with her and she continues to improve. In time I know that she will become every bit of the amazing dog that Lobo is. Thank you Shawn! Without you I am sure that we wouldn't have been able to keep Lobo, or at least be as happy with him as we are now, and we wouldn't have even dreamed of getting a second dog. Second, boarding: The boarding area is wonderful. I have been to the back of the house with Shawn to see it. The dogs get to run around a large secure area all day and play with one another. There is plenty of shelter and they always have fresh water because of a special pipe system. I don't ever want to board them anywhere else! They love it and I love it. One thing to mention is that on one occasion my dogs did get skunked, which was AWFUL. It wasn't Shawn's fault, but the smell didn't go away for months. The dogs usually need a bath after being boarded too because they run around with smelly dogs all day. Third, Shawn himself: Shawn loves my dogs and gives them lots of affection but is at the same time a good leader. My dogs love him. That relationship is very important to me. Shawn himself is loud, intense, and he talks a lot. A lot like me actually. Some people may call this abrasive, but it is his personality. Sometimes I do need to interrupt him to get a question in, and sometimes I have to put a time limit on a conversation. That being said, none of that is unique to Shawn. If you think he is talking too much tell him so instead of getting secretly offended. Having spent more than 7 years using "The Dog Way" training method and working with Shawn, I am confident in my review. read more

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Canine Country is a great place to go for your pups training and boarding needs. Shawn will custom fit a program for you and your dog's needs that has immediate results. Shawn has been training for I think 30+ years and his hands on approach is excellent. My energetic young pup is a handful and Shawn's expertise and training methods has worked wonders. The facility is unbelievable as well. Very clean, well maintained with dogs roaming freely on the enclosed private compound. While my pup is in the training phase now, I look forward to the day when I need Shawn's boarding services because I know Eddie will be well cared for. Check out Shawn at Canine Country. You will be amazed! read more

Canine Country is operated on the owners private property, this would explain the strict guidelines for going to the facility. From the introduction tour I received it lead me to believe Canine Country is more geared towards training than boarding. The owner seems knowledgeable about training and handling dogs. He made it perfectly clear that he prefers one on one training with the owner and dog than large groups, but he is open to training groups if necessary. His teaching style is a little too X type management style for me, from the what I got from his speech to the group. I will not be using this company to train my dog. As I mentioned earlier he appears to understand dog behavior and training. I'll leave his dog training ability to another reviewer, I'm going to focus on the boarding aspect of the company (even though I did not have my dog stay there). My concern was that the entrance to Canine Country is off of a major road with fast moving traffic and the dogs are allowed to roam throughout the area. The kennels are behind the house so I'm assuming the dogs would be kept in the back yard away from the road (he claims the dogs have full run of the yard when the gate is closed). With that said, the kennel appears to be aimed more at large dogs than smaller and medium size dogs. Take a look at the websites photo album and it will give you a feel for the boarding, the types of dogs that should stay here and the area they get to roam around at. As I mentioned earlier I can't really speak to how the owner is as a trainer because I haven't put my dog through a training course with him, so I'll leave that to other reviewers. For boarding, I can't speak to it because I never boarded my dog there. Yard is nice, the kennels I saw were outside. The company is within the owners home. Update: Upon further consideration and experience of others I personally know, who have been to canine county I couldn't in good conscience keep an okay rating hence the one star rating. read more

The Dog Way - front yard of Canine Country - Pet Training Near Me - Tualatin, Oregon

Shawn is awesome with the dogs, I know my pup is always having the time of her life when she spends the day at Canine Country. The training is simple as long as you stay consistent with the program, my dog has responded so well for her young age. So happy to have found Canine Country! * Update* 08-01-18 I have been with Canine Country for 13 months working the program. I have a very well behaved 17 month old Doberman we work hard every day, And lots of fun. Thank you Shawn read more

I have known Shawn and The Dog Way training for quite some time now and I am truly impressed with him and the heart he puts into his work. When I first met Shawn, I had 2 schnauzers and I brought them both to The Dog Way training to get help with their barking and not consistently listening to me. After working with Shawn and learning the process that he has developed, my boys no longer were barking at people walking by my house and especially no longer barking at the neighbor's dog. I learned the importance of being clear on what the rules are and making sure we both followed them. Establishing rules and then being consistent with them helped me to have healthy dogs who no longer were anxious and now listened to me. Shawn's method is about consistency, so it seems simple. However, it is a lot of work from the owners. If you put the work into it, the results are amazing... Now, a few years later, I only have one of my schnauzers, I lost one to cancer. I still bring him to Shawn's facility and he loves it. He trusts Shawn and always knows what to expect while there and exactly what Shawn expects from him. It is a great opportunity for him to hang out with other dogs in a large outdoor, happy, safe and structured environment where all the dogs are taught and expected to follow the same rules. And it is a very nice change from being inside. Shawn consistently goes above and beyond to make sure the owners and dogs are taken care of. The dogs that visit his facility are not just dogs to him, they are part of his family. He knows each one and their personalities and behaviors and always treats them as if they were his own. If you are in the market for training for you and your dog, I highly recommend calling Shawn and experiencing "The Dog Way" read more

I used this establishment for training and boarding. With hindsight, training methods are borderline cruel. Training methods, however, are nothing compared to problems when it comes to boarding. The website says no clickers, training collars, etc. What a joke. When my dog was boarded there she was (supposedly) acting aggressive toward other dogs. As all dogs are boarded together in one large enclosure this can be a problem. Shawn's solution? A shock collar -- which I never gave him permission to use. When my wife picked my dog up she was a bloody mess and had to go directly to the vet where she was treated for puncture wounds caused by the shock collar. According to my vet, the wounds were infected, which indicated that the collar had been on for a few days. If you care to see photos and read more about the ordeal check out http://caninecountrytualatin.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/shawn-riley/. Worse still, the owner wouldn't even do the right thing and cover my vet bills. I had to take him to small claims court (where I won my case). Even though this happened a few years ago I remain furious and think it's important other dog owners know the real deal about this place. Update: as for the nonsense in the "partner's" reply below (a reply from someone who I've never met and who wasn't involved in the lawsuit) follow the link above and look at the vet photos to see what a liar's definition of "slight redness" is. I NEVER gave permission to use a shock collar. Even if I had, proper use of a shock collar doesn't result in puncture wounds and infection. You might not have thought Shawn was negligent, but the judge sure did. read more

3-17-2012. Both owners at CC wrote 5 star reviews on Yelp (& were removed for violation of content) claiming they were customers (scroll, see filter). Same on their website. CC was awful. Wish I could give them ZERO stars. Immature w/ control issues is the best way to describe "dog trainer" Shawn Riley. Not the description I would want looking after my puppy. Shawn said to train there you had to drop off your dog for 24 hrs. What about it being the PERSON who needs the training? Canine Country: dog boarding, training in Tualatin, OR off I-5 on SW Tualatin Rd. Is at the trainers house w/ single fence & keypad to open gate. Dogs stay outdoors 24/7 & exercise by being given run of the property. Kennels seen in website pics (in 2011). Fencing is mostly cyclone, but 1 length is goat & sheep fencing w 4x4 in squares (ie: puppies can crawl thru). Email from Shawn on address, gate, collar to wear primed me for the confusion that would follow once we all met face to face. 5-1-2011: Our sm dog meetup group went to see abt partnering w this trainer (Jenny N. contacted us). The idea: our group of 9 humans & 9 dogs shows up, the dogs play & those who gravitate towards trainer do. All else? Have fun like at our other meetup groups at Hazelia Dog Park. Several+ of us talked later w/ same conclusion: boarding facility was not good for sm dogs, uncomfortable meeting, ?'s to the trainer either went unanswered or answers were not applicable. 1/2 wanted to leave early. 1 person said they got helpful info, but agreed w above. Shawn said he has had "only had 7 dogs escape" & "only 1 dog has died". It is not clear how long he has been in business, said he has been training since age 5. An impromptu training by a trainer I met at a pet store once gave me more insight into dog training then 1.5 hrs here (ie: Shawn was repetitive). We had to stand in hot sun w black dogs & Shawn even reprimanded a good dog for whining. (1.) I have never heard that dog whine & 2.) dog was communicating that she was hot & thirsty). IMO: I did not feel that Shawn was alpha when it came to the dogs. I got the feeling that we have pets & he has dogs. He was more knowledgeable than some dog owners but this does not mean he is an alpha personality, or that he was effective, all which is imperative to be in charge of a 'pack of dogs'. ie: The trainers own dogs did not respond to his commands, nor the neighbor dog. After the trainer tried to power trip my husband & I, I had to wonder what was going on. All I wanted was a safe place to play & for the trainer to make it worth his while. I asked where the dogs would play. He said we'd shut the gate & use front yard. I said that the new puppies could get out of the fence that had 4x4 in squares he said: "I didn't think about that." Red flag. There will ALWAYS be a puppy in our meetup group. (if puppies are safe? all will be safe) I could not recommend it to members w small dogs (all of us), puppies, dogs who will not come back on command. I was not allowed to check the fencing for holes per his email (ie: a 'serious security breach' if I went past the house). Boarded dogs are allowed run of property once single gate is shut. Shawn tries to control by fear & not respect. He is not tuned into the PERSON who needs to be taught how to work w/ their dog. He was not tuned into us that day or else he would have known we'd have loved to walk a few feet & stood in the shade for 1.5 hrs. The part that got me: I told him we needed a good fence, that our dogs came to play off-leash, this breed is not known for good "recall". He said: All dogs can learn to come back on command. ?? It is a dog play group! I need the dogs SAFE *now*, not after you train them all (I never had any intention of him interfacing w/ my puppy in any way shape or form). Shawn also wanted to wait til the last person arrived to start playing. We waited 1.5 *hours*. We never did get to play. It was the longest 1.5 hours ever. This was not going to work. Our meetup group let's you arrive WHEN YOU DO, no strings. Meetups are for fun & leaving in one piece. Some dogs sit at their owners feet, but not mine. Shawn's email said If my dog/puppy went behind the house? I could not go look for him. Count us out. I had to leave at this point. I sent my husband in my place w/ water for the dogs who were desperate for a drink. I stayed w/ my puppy in the car. Then 4 of us left & met at our regular dog park where we finally got to play! Ask for a complete tour. Ask questions. What is the worst that can happen? You have to go elsewhere? That is a responsibility of a good dog owner. I was there. I asked questions for me & you. Maybe some don't care about the safety of our dogs but I do. read more

Bottom line here is: save yourself $550 dollars and go spend $25 on a Cesar Milan DVD or book, you will get waaaay more out it. I'm so glad to see all of these bad reviews on here, I've seen some reviews for Canine Country on other sites and his wife / co-worker goes on there and defends all of the negative review with some pc response, and really I find it to be a total joke. What Theresa said about the "free phone consult" is spot on, he babbles on and on, doesn't let you talk and dodges every single question you ask him. So then you go meet with him and he convinces what a great training program and facility he has but before any training he has to do an evaluation (an extra $99 on top of the lifetime training course), which consists of leaving your dog with him for a 24 hour period, while he observes the dogs behavior and does some basic training with the dog. What Sean does in this evaluation seems to be very sketchy, he says that he takes your dog into his backyard with all of the other dogs, and basically leaves them there for a few hours to observe behavior around other dogs, and by then your dog is so freaking exhausted that it doesn't want to do anything except lie around. Then he does some blanket training and who knows what else. So the next day you go to pick up your dog and she is sitting cowering in a crate inside of his garage, I'm not sure if the dog sleeps outside or inside of a crate (he says they are outside always but does crate training as well). But he sits you down and goes over all of his observations. Then he tells you that the first steps to start the training are all about correcting your dog and being the pack leader, which I agree is a important thing. He then tells you that he will explain the first steps of this training, and it is literally the exact same things he says in the free phone consultation. So he shows you the proper way to get your dog in the car, then sends you on your way, and says "call me anytime, if you have ANY questions." He doesn't say anything about phases of training, specific methods and steps, he just says to go home and give it a couple weeks working on blanket work and correcting your dog. Now the whole reason my wife and I did this was because our lab was having some food aggression issues, and she was a hi-energy puppy. So my wife and I mentioned the food aggression thing SEVERAL times from the start, it seemed like he would never answer the question and kept saying its all about being the pack leader and he saw no aggression issues with her when he did his evaluation. So for about 2-3 weeks my wife and I tried what he said which was correcting her every time, especially when she showed aggression after eating. We began to get frustrated and called Sean to talk about it, after my wife became irritated with him dodging the question on the phone he finally agreed to have another meeting with us. My wife and I took our dog to meet him one morning. He sat down and began lecturing us saying the EXACT same things he said in the 'free phone consultation.' I cannot tell you how many times Sean told us "ITS NOT THE DOG, IS YOU!" Okay maybe it partially was our fault, but I can't correct something if I can't figure out why its happening. I kept asking him the question, "okay you said she showed no aggression to you but why is she doing it to my wife and I even after we correct her?" I asked him several times and he wouldn't answer me so i finally got irritated and raised my voice at him, all I could get him to say was that it is anxiety, which makes sense. So my wife and I need to find a way to help our dog not become anxious before feeding her, and correcting her when she growled after eating wasn't working, she bit me several times. After the second face-to-face meeting with Sean, my wife and I we gave up, we decided not to call him anymore because its a waste. He is very knowledgeable with dogs, but I think that his methods were not meant for everyone, and his repeated dodging of questions and blaming the owner rather than the dog got old really quick. Sean is just a sketchy looking person in general. Again to reiterate, Sean Riley's Canine Country is just a waste of $550, just send an email to Cesar or buy one of his DVD's. There are also other stories around the internet of his questionable methods, I wish we would've done more research before paying this scam artist, but someone from our vet recommended him and we took their word. Sean also says there is a 'moneyback guarantee' if you aren't satisfied, what he doesn't tell you until after you pay, is that you have to 'complete' the training course before he will refund your money, but there are no set guidelines, it is up to his discretion at what stage you are at in the training. So if you sign up, and don't like his methods, too bad, you are screwed. read more

His "free phone consultation" is everything on his website said by him in a very loud voice without letting you speak. I didn't want to call to hear about how other trainers "are doing it wrong." It was nice of him that he was giving us some of his time by talking with us over the phone, but did not touch on any points relating to our situation. He did not say what this training was, only what it wasn't. At no point did he say what kinds of things we COULD do or give any kind of direction other than pay him money for mystery training that "isn't like those other guys" to have my dog roam around with a bunch of other dogs. read more

I have lived with many animals including dogs throughout my life and have worked with MANY "behaviorists", "Trainers" and care providers. We were fortunate to find Shawn a few years ago and have found a new and improved life with all our dogs. Shawn and his "The Dog Way" training philosophies have guided us to far better, longer lasting and "make sense" results than anything we have ever seen or even heard of. My only wish is that we would have found him sooner. "The Dog way" philosophy is unique and may seem a bit unconventional at first as it did with us but please just be patient because I guarantee soon it will all make more sense than anything you have ever used before. Like Shawn says, our dogs really are the happiest, healthiest (emotionally, mentally and physically) and best behaved dogs you will ever know. AND.....his care facility is by far the best run facility we have ever seen. Whenever we have been there the grounds and home is always extremely well kept, quiet (one of his several safety rules is "no Barking") and is just a really nice place to be. Our dogs have always loved it there and Shawn is always open for questions and some social time as we come and go. Since we have been working with him and "the Dog Way" we have randomly met several other happy clients of his as well as well as our Vet all of which highly recommend Shawn and his unique Canine based philosophies. We have used these same techniques with many of our other animals and in many other aspects of our lives. read more

This guy is awesome! I thought I knew about dogs until I got one that I just could not deal with. I found him online and saw some conflicting reviews but decided it couldn't hurt to call him and feel him out. Greatest decision I have ever made for my dog! Not only did he teach me some rather simple methods for correcting my dog's behavior, he taught me why my dog was acting out and how much influence I have over him. I learned specific things I was doing that were sending confusing signals to Toby (my dog) and what to do differently to make it easier for him to obey. I would highly recommend him for those who truly want to give the best to their dogs and help give them a better quality life. read more

I'm sitting here looking at my calm, submissive, affectionate 23 month old Rottweiler, Ivy. She is a joy now but this wasn't how I felt about her 19 months ago, before we took her to Shawn at Canine Country. She is our 4th Rottweiler and by far was the most challenging. She was a confident, fearless 10 wk old puppy when we got her from the breeder. She quickly showed signs of aggression, biting us when we tried to take something away from her or make her do ANYTHING she didn't want to do. I knew I was in over my head with this one. None of my previous training methods I used on my other dogs were remotely effective and she was getting worse by the week. Biting our granddaughter on the thigh when she tried to take her sock out of her mouth was the last straw. As I was picking up the phone to let her breeder know we were sending her back, my husband suggested we take her to Shawn who was highly recommended by our neighbor. My first conversation with Shawn was over the phone. I could sense his passion and conviction for his tried and true philosophy. He spent 20 minutes pouring as much information about this philosophy in my ear like a fire hose. Everything he said made sense as his methods come from the perspective of how dogs learn in the pack. When we showed up to his beautiful and well maintained facility for our first training, he greeted us warmly and sat a while on the tailgate of our SUV while getting to know us and mainly our puppy. Training began with her the moment he took her by the leash. She immediately responded well to his Alphaness. It really took less time to train her than it did us. We needed the most work. When we did things Shawn's way, establishing our rules with firm and consistent consequences, our relationship with Ivy improved immensely. When we got lazy and fell back into our old ways of dealing with her, we lost her respect. Shawn is strong for us because he knows how much we stand to lose and how serious the consequences can be to live with an aggressive, disrespectful dog. He is passionate about helping humans and canines live in harmony together. We gave up on taking our dogs to dog parks to play after a couple of past bad experiences with aggressive dogs. So we are so glad we can safely board Ivy twice a week for the day knowing that Shawn only allows dogs trained by him on the fenced property to roam freely. They are monitored closely and trained not to bite or growl during play and NO aggressive behavior is tolerated. Ivy loves it and the training and socialization she gets with other dogs has helped her behave well with other dogs who visit our home. As a teacher, I have adopted Shawn's philosophy of balancing firmness and authority with love and speaking belief into my students. I have gained more respect than ever from even my most challenging students and there is a great spirit of joy in the classroom as my students are clear about expectations and consequences. None of our previous Rottweilers were as well behaved at such a young age. Ivy is confident and happy and shows no aggressive behavior to children or other dogs. We highly recommend Canine Country to anyone. read more

I have been taking my rescue dog to Shawn since he was about 8 months old - I got him when he was about 6 months. He was a very timid anxious puppy and had obviously had a rough first 6 months. Shawn showed me how with love, repetition, and consistency my boy could grow into a well adjusted well mannered adult dog. I highly suggest if you have a best friend who needs training or a place to stay When you are on vacation that you give Shawn and The Dog Way a try. Tell him Sunny sent you. read more

I highly recommend Canine Country for both training and boarding. I adopted a dog with a lot of emotional baggage (abused, abandoned 3 times, attacked at least twice-2 Rottweilers and a Pitbull). She had an extreme fear of being abandoned and became disoriented when I would leave her. She also would pull me on walks and lunge and snap at other dogs. This made our daily walks unpleasant and I could never keep her with other dogs. I had taken her to traditional training classes as well as training specifically for reactive dogs when she was younger with minimal and short lived results. At 6 years old, fully mature and set in her ways, I decided to take a new approach and went to Canine Country. They do not use the typical treat based training philosophy at all. The best way that I can describe their technique is that you must establish yourself as a strong pack leader so that they don't feel the need (and stress associated) with dominant behavior (tugging, barking, lunging in my case). If you have ever read or watched The Dog Whisperer-Caesar Milan, I would say that their approach is fairly close but a bit more dominant. The key that they teach you is to be a consistent leader. No treats or bribes are required. My dog is so much calmer now as I think that she is not worried about trying to lead. I was shocked to find her communing peacefully with other dogs in an open environment after boarding her there for 3 days. I have had her back for about a month now and she continues to improve. This is not the place for you if you think that you can drop your dog off to be fixed, take them back home and live happily ever after. They can train your dog to be perfectly behaved but if you don't establish yourself as a pack leader by consistently following the techniques at home, they will not respect your leadership and could revert back to their dominant behavior. Barking, jumping, lunging, pulling, and worse are all a symptom of them not respecting your leadership. If you are willing to embrace this technique and consistently follow it at home, you will have a much happier, well-adjusted and behaved dog. They gave me homework when I took her back and the owner has even checked in with me to follow up on my progress, offered tips for challenges and got on me to keep me accountable for the things that I had not followed. The training program is good for life so I can expect continuing support if things start to slip or any new issues arise which is nice. read more

Canine Country, now The Dogs Way, owned by Shawn Riley was close to home and convenient. I made the call and he claimed his method was perfect for my goals. We have 4lb yorkies and needed som support in how to train them better. They HATE going outside in inclement weather and potty training was difficult. We had our meeting and I bright my son, 13 at the time. Shawn met us and we went into his home for this "meeting" but I would rather call it a verbal beating. I have had dogs all my life and never felt I was a poor training until he sat us down. First of all he took our dog and put her on a leash and held her tight in his hand. Then began talking about himself, how good he is, and how others are not. Then he put our dog on a pillow bed, still on the leash. Every time she tried to get up he tugged on the leash and said "BLANKET". Remember she is 4 lbs. she was terrified and kept staring at us for help. This was the longest hour of torture for us and our dog. We paid his $675 just to get out of there without conflict and never went back. We never received a phone call or any follow up instructions. He taught us nothing about his "methods" and sent us home with a sheet of paper that meant nothing. Months later I followed up and he sent more paper instructions that meant nothing. We would never recommend him. We still have our puppies and they are thriving, with no training just love. I think he is aggressive and abrasive. We have a new puppy, a Brittany, and will be taking him to a more gentle training, not one that demands submission. read more

So imagine our surprise when my hubby and I gave each other puppies for Christmas. A Chocolate Lab and a Schipperke. So we needed Shawn's help training since the lab thought the schipperke was a chew toy. I would say we needed more training since it had been forever that we had puppies. Shawn started immediately with a introduction to the facility and 24 hours of observation and review of dogs behavior. We arrived the next morning to start our training with Shawn so he could show us how to continue implementing ongoing training goals and how to control our dogs behavior starting from a puppy stage. Example how to stay on his bed when he comes in the house. Well....this blew our mind after the first 24 hours he already knew how to stay on his bed and he was just 8-9 weeks old. One of our ultimate goals with our dog was to be a dog owner that is able to control their dogs behavior and not the other way around. We didn't want our dog growing up jumping on people or mowing over little kids. This is the third time we have had our dog boarded at Canine Country. unfortunately we have to travel and cannot always take our dogs. The last time we were in Arizona for 10 days. One of our newest obstacles was our Lab eats his dog food so fast and then he eats all of his little brothers dog food too...uncontrollably!! He came home today and imagine our faces hitting the floor when our Schipperke puppies food was left down on the floor and he walked up to it and we said NOOO...and he walked away. We were BLOWN away is an understatement. Shawn had obviously worked really hard with him. He left us a puppy and came back a dog. His demeanor is so gentle and loving. What an amazing job Shawn. We really love the fact that our Lab gets to interact with lots of other dogs. From puppies to full grown. He came home and is interacting with our other dog without any puppy aggression. Now they are playing together really well. We are so Happy!! Looking forward to our future boarding needs. Thank you for the phone calls while we were gone to let us know how well our puppy was doing. It is comforting to know our dog is in the best care when we are gone and we don't have to worry about him. He is probably having more fun than we are!! read more

I have been working with Shawn and now Jenny for about a year now. Shawn helped me very much with an aggressive rescue I was working with. I have recently used Shawn and Jenny with my other dogs to fine tune small issues. I have read the previous posts and would like to share the following. First I am only speaking on training and have not used Canine Country for boarding. I think if you have a real problem with a dog or own a rescue with issues or if you have a powerful breed, either pup or adult or even if you just are misguided about dog psychology, you should check out Shawn and Jenny. They will give you the facts about how things should work for you to establish a relationship with your dog. I have not witnessed Shawn ever being cruel to a dog. He is an experienced trainer who knows how to set rules first. If you have an easy-going dog that did well in obedience school, Shawn may not be someone you need. There are a lot of trainers out there. Access your needs and what you want to accomplish. If you have a relatively well mannered dog and you understand the basics of your role in dog ownership, you really don't need Shawn's expertise. If you are not getting results from training your dog, or if you are experiencing specific behavioral issues, Shawn is your man. read more

I am a first time dog owner of a loving and stubborn Lhasa Apso. I have tried other training techniques over the 4 years that we have been together but my dog's bad behaviors continued through it all. He would decide for himself when he wanted to listen, bark and scratch when left home alone, and run away at any given chance - sometimes right into traffic! I thought that I was just going to have to live with his bad behaviors and it really limited our activities in order to keep him safe. I am grateful to have met Shawn at Canine Country. I have watched him work with the dogs. He is consistent with what he asks of them. He also shows he cares about each and every one of them. I have learned about his philosophy and now better understand what my dog needs in order to respect and listen to me. I have implemented Shawn's training techniques at home. His process really works! I now take my dog into social settings with people or other dogs safely, can leave him happily at home, and he stays closer to me when not on a leash. We will continue to do the work needed and the progress is wonderful. We are both so much happier! read more

Well I have read all the reviews here and I completely disagree....my big sweet Rottweiler has been going twice a week to Canine County for the past 2 years. Shawn although quirkie at times, is a good person who really does want the best for animals and their families. You have to earn you dogs respect and you do not do that by allowing the dog to be in charge. Prior to meeting Shawn I had a German Sheppard who I used another personal trainer to train....that guy was harsh....he got the job done but it wasn't comfortable at times....Shawn is a walk in the park by comparison. Most of the reviews below seem to be from people who are not strong enough to stand up to Shawn or their dogs which is the problem. Shawn can be a handful but he does know what he is doing and he does care. He would never intentional offend anyone and I have had no problem getting answers and when necessary getting him to stop and listen....buck up people! PS....just so you all know my dog is a spoiled baby, he sleeps on my bed every night, he gets bacon before bed every night and kisses on his face everyday....but I require him to behave as he should at all times, he is happy to comply because he has confidence that I am in charge....if your dog is acting up look in the mirror. Teresa read more

We came to Shawn after a recommendation from another trainer because our extremely fear aggressive border collie allows nobody to touch him but us. Shawn took control immediately and now they are best friends. Our dog loves Shawn and never shows any aggression toward him because Shawn knows how to handle dogs with behavior issues. Canine Country is the only place our dog can stay while we are out of town. He comes home exhausted because he gets to run and play all day. read more

When our beloved Rottweiler, Barrow, was young, he was kicked out of a few doggie day cares because of "personality issues". We then discovered Shawn. He quickly saw dominant behavior issues with Barrow and said, "This is a behavior that most people will put a dog down for" But he also saw that Barrow had a kind heart, like we do. Shawn did not only educate us about the psychology of the dog and training techniques, but also held us accountable as dog owners. What is amazing about Shawn, is that he knows what is the most relevant approach to first coach you to training your dog. With us, it was a lot of physical corrections, once he saw us working hard on that, he wanted to insure that affection is equally important' and not to get out of balance with militant corrections. With Shawn, we all realized that Barrow had a very unique personality that was not for the feint of heart. Shawn not only is a no-frills, say it how it is guy, he is also extremely generous and inviting. We are very fortunate to have met and learned under someone with so much knowledge, wisdom, and kindness. And to add, our kids love Shawn! read more

My cockapoo Olina has been going to Canine Country for over two years now, and she absolutely loves boarding there. She would prefer to be outside, playing with other dogs, rather than cooped up inside or in a cage. One time I left her only a few days instead of the usual ten. When I went to pick her up, she ran over to say hi, then ran back to continue playing. I was a bit hurt, but she obviously had a great time! What I love about Canine Country is the security of knowing that my 17-lb dog will not be bullied by the bigger dogs. Shawn has very strict rules about the dogs' behavior, and Olina has never come back damaged, beyond a scratch on her nose one time, which I could she her doing to herself playing with a stick. Luckily, Olina is a very well-behaved dog and didn't require much training, but I'd never owned a dog before, either. Shawn was a huge help with the typical puppy problems: potty training, biting, chewing, jumping, coming... all done without loading her up with treats. Shawn has an excellent understanding of why dogs act as they do. For example, it's very important for Olina to understand that it's not her job to protect the house, which lowers her anxiety when she's home alone. I'm not much of an alpha personality myself, so I have difficulty following some of Shawn's guidelines. But I also pay the price for skipping the enforcement of some rules, such as her needing permission to go through doorways. We have a routine, so she knows when she's following me out of the house. She'll never bolt out the door on her own, but she'll run right into a neighbor's house if she's off leash and they have the door open. It's quite embarrassing, but doesn't happen all that often, so I don't worry about it too much. Another aspect of the training that was difficult for me personally was the lack of schedule. Since it wasn't a traditional class with set times, I never got around to some portions of the training, like not running to the door, barking when the doorbell rings. Based on Shawn's advice, I know how to train her out of this habit, I just haven't had the time to implement it. And when the UPS guy stops by is not the time to start! Overall, when my mom, who is not a dog person, says that Olina is well behaved, I think that speaks volumes to both her breeder and to her trainer. read more

I was very impressed with my experience at Canine Country. When boarded the dogs are well protected and yet able to roam in a very large, open and well fenced area. They aren't just locked in a kennel for their stay. Also, Shawn has an instinctive way with the dogs, firm but gentle. He is definitely the pack leader and they quickly learn who is boss. His idea of the "dogs way" truly inspired me. Thank you Shawn and Canine Country! read more

I had a troubled animal that had suffered years of neglect and abuse that I adopted. This made this beautiful animal incredibly aggressive. I was at the point were I was planning on getting rid of the animal and that was breaking my heart. THANK GOD for Shawn. After only a couple of days of training our dog Frannie's behavior became 180 degrees better! He also taught me how to discipline my dog in a humane yet firm manner which allowed all of us in my family to have a harmonious relationship with the poor beast. Now Frannie is fully integrated into our pack (family) and I couldn't have had this joyous outcome without Shawn's aid. I cannot recommend this gentleman highly enough! read more

I boarded my dog there six years ago. He returned to us a broken boy. He had a bright red staph infection covering his entire stomach, and he slept, literally, for four days after we picked him up. We're now treating him for spinal and neurological problems. I have wondered if they might be traced back to injuries he sustained there, but I confess, I have no evidence to prove this--it is just a nagging question about an experience that is still so unsettling. It is my opinion that the owner of this business has a cruel streak. At the very least, he appears frustrated and supremely irritated by the animals in his care, and he has no business being in business. At first, I couldn't put my finger on it, but every part of my intuition told me to take my dog and leave. The owner seemed arrogant, condescending, petulant even, and that was only in his interactions with we humans. As is the way with these things though, I convinced myself that I was just feeling general anxiety about leaving my pup, and, unfortunately, I had a plane to catch and no other options. Then, upon return, all artifice dropped (I guess he already had our money, so why bother?). I witnessed him screaming at the dogs as he opened the gate (not in an alpha sort of way, but in a seriously angry, abusive way) and I witnessed what I can only describe as overly-rough handling and several dog recoiling from him, which is a behavior I have never seen in my own animal before or since. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that my dog whimpered the entire drive back. He was skittish and fearful. It was clear to me that he didn't have a nice time frolicking in the country with other dogs, and by the looks of it, neither did any other pets there. It is sad that these animals can't tell us what really happens at Canine Country (isn't that the perfect set-up for a bully!), but I doubt we would have the stomach to hear it anyway. People who mistreat animals deserve as much cruelty as they inflict. I have always deeply regretted choosing this business, but at the time, I didn't have the benefit of reading reviews from other people. I beg you, beware. My experience may have been on the severe end of the spectrum, but by no means does it seem like a one off. (As a side note and possible point of interest, we originally thought we were taking our pup to this man's business partner, who owned a place in the Gorge. The Tualatin location was just supposed to be the drop off or something, but our dog missed the van, apparently. Not sure if Canine Country is still connected to another business in the Gorge?) I'm sorry to say I would post ZERO stars if I could. read more

I went to pick up my dog today after he just gave her a bath she was soooo sad he let me know everything i go wrong i pay him and then as i'm driving home i see blood in my car because he cut her nails to short. I was soooo mad I can't even tell you i felt horrible. They should file them not cut them so this does not happen. All i can think of is more poor dog yelping in pain cause he can't pay attention. He also told me next time to tell someone how she hates to have her nails done. I have personally stayed with my dog many times while she was groomed and she always just sat there nicely so if she wasn't that tells me she has good instinct. read more

We recently adopted a lab/pit mix from new life animal shelter about 4 months ago. We knew our 1 yr old puppy would need some training, but we had NO clue what we were in for! The intense mouthing, jumping, general craziness, not listening to corrections, everything was a game! He had me in tears of frustration (and pain!) several times!! We knew pretty quickly we would need alot of help to teach us how to work with our new energetic family member ....thankfully, our shelter HIGHLY recommended Shawn's services. They told me his method's were behavioral-focused, and he would be able to work with almost any difficult dog. When I called Canine Country, Shawn answered straight away, and spent 45mins on the phone with me, discussing our issues (already this was WAY beyond my expectations). He was very clear about prices (and offered us a discount since we adopted a shelter dog), and once we decided on the right way to go (i highly recommend the lifetime package - BEST MONEY you will EVER spend- no contest) we took our doggie over to Canine Country to board for 3 days, and be evaluated. After 3 days with Shawn, we saw a different dog...it was unbelievable - he was calm!! no more craziness...like magic. Shawn warned us that a few days at home, he would be back to his old ways (because WE needed the training, of course!). After just one lesson (about 1.5 hrs), we had the tools we needed to get a great start. Shawn called us on his own time a couple days afterwards just to make sure we were doing well, and to see if we had any questions (WHAT other dog trainer would do that...amazing!!) Here we are 2months later, and you would not recognize our puppy! He waits at doors, is calm in his kennel, sits nicely in the back of the car (I NEVER thought that would happen!), and is getting his "stay" down like a pro! Bottom line: there is NO way we could have kept our dog without Shawn's help. Shawn prevented one more dog from ending up back at the shelter, because of inexperienced owners. I really felt hopeless about our situation, until I called Canine Country. It will cost you nothing to give Shawn a call, and just talk with him to see if his methods are right for you, and it will be a HUGE relief to you, if your dog has behavioral issues like mine. FINALLY! someone that can really help!! I am a believer, Shawn is nothing if not completely helpful, knowledgeable, and he has your dog's best interests in mind at all times, which is exactly why our shelter sent us to him straight away! read more

Trust Shawn Riley with your dog. What he does for animals is great! He will train your canine himself in a safe and comfortable way for the dog. Then after the training your dog can run free and happy with other dogs in a very safe environment. (Obviously there is more to all of the details of the in between which you can find out by calling him or on his website.) Although Shawn is better with animals than with people, his heart is in the right place. I will always choose Shawn to care for my dog. read more

We started going to Shawn's Canine Country about 6 years ago with the suggestion specifically from our Veterinarian. It was our first puppy and we were overwhelmed, this little 5 pound cockapoo was controlling our lives: when we got up in the morning (not to mention throughout the night), when we ate, when we went to bed and everything in between. We had seriously contemplated giving our new puppy up for adoption. With our Vet's advice we went out to Canine Country and met with Shawn, we learned that our dog was perfect (all dogs are perfect, Shawn's quote) and that it was my wife and I that needed the training. Shawn's rules are amazing, starting with blanket training to relieve your dog's anxiety to training your puppy to never have an open mouth near your skin. He helps and guides you through all you need to know to properly care for your dog. At Canine Country dogs have the opportunity to socialize in an outdoor supervised environment. Whenever we go out of town we can't imagine leaving our dog in a kennel for days at a time, we always and without exception leave her with Shawn at Canine Country. For 6 years now our 20 pound cockapoo has been going there without incident. All of the dogs boarded at Canine Country that are allowed to socialize have had the same training as ours, so we know our dog is safe, even with dogs 5 times her size. We went from not being able to handle one little puppy to getting our second a few months ago, and yes! Shawn is helping us with the newest member of our family every step of the way. read more

We've taken our two rambunctious, medium-to-large dogs for both training and boarding many times (at least 6 times, once for a week) over the past year and a half, and have found Canine Country a life-saver. Both our dogs are "rescue" dogs that we adopted when they were 4 and 2 years old, respectively. And both came with "issues." One is hyperactive, and prone to getting into trouble (chewing, barking) if not exercised regularly and also given a clear sense of what the house rules are. The other is very sweet with all people including tiny toddlers but, as we discovered after we brought him home and fell in love with him, prone to aggression when he meets strange dogs on the street. Shawn & Jenny have helped us manage (not cure, I'm afraid) our dogs at home. They also provide a safe, friendly, and BIG place for them to run around when we board them there. We were, frankly, amazed to see that Shawn knew techniques that enabled him to integrate both of our dogs into his shifting "pack." Our sometimes aggressive dog minds his manners, plays and socializes with the other dogs, and has fun. The crazy, full of energy dog has plenty of space and company. So we are quite happy. I'm not sure that I'd bring a chihuahua to board in this facility, although I've seen other small dogs (around 10 lbs in size) there many times. But if you have a big dog that needs to develop some manners--and also needs to be able to run around in a safe environment when you're out of town--then this would be a splendid place. I would definitely bring a puppy here for training--especially one that was going to grow into a large dog. The one slight dissatisfaction I've had is with the fact that the training all takes place on site. This is perfectly reasonable, as they need to be there whenever they've dogs boarding. On the other hand, in an ideal world Shawn would be able to come over to our neighborhood and help us practice managing our dog ourselves in the presence of strange dogs. Still, we've been very satisfied. read more

I have only good things to say about Canine Country. I reached out to Shawn after rescuing a 4 year old Irish Wolfhound who had been abused and chained up outside his entire life. I knew this sweet fur baby and I would need the proper tools to help us move forward in a happy and healthy manner. After my first meeting with Shawn I felt like I had more knowledge at my side than previous training courses I had taken with prior dogs. Shawn listened to my concerns and offered solutions. He was very direct with what I needed to do and how to best help my fur baby. After only two days of working with my baby he was a different dog. Shawn saved this sweet fur boy from being put back into a rescue group. It has been about a month since I first met with Shawn and I can happily say that we adore our fur baby and look forward to future meeting with Shawn to help enhance our relationship between or dog and family. I would highly recommend him to anyone who has a dog read more

My female boxer/shepherd mix started showing aggression toward other dogs and fear of strangers when she was 5-8 months old. I was very concerned and frustrated and after trying two other trainers and needing a place to board her for the weekend, I found Shawn's website. I called my vet and they recommended him. So I called Shawn and he took her in for the weekend. She had a great stay and was out playing soon after I dropped her off. After our consult, I learned that she thought she should be the Alpha in our pack since we apparently weren't stepping up. Nearly 2 years later, I feel comfortable enough to take her to kid baseball games and people compliment me on my sweet natured and well behaved dog. I can't believe they are talking about my dog! She still gets excited when we see other dogs but she is no longer embarrassing me by barking and pulling on the leash and looking like a psycho. And, she now has a couple of canine friends in the neighborhood. It has taken A LOT of consistency, blanket and leash work. You just need to keep at it. Training her to not leave her blanket until she gets the go-ahead has been key. There is still more work to do until she is finished off (she is after all only 2 and a half) but I will keep working on keeping our communication clear so that she can continue to join the family on all outings. We adore our dog wouldn't board her anywhere else as I know she loves to play with the other dogs when we're gone. I wish that I had started with Canine Country from the beginning. I have been very pleased. read more