Balanced Tails Montana

I have a 2 year old Yorkie and 5 young grandchildren. Ozzy was very reactive to the children playing, inappropriate barking and basically bad behavior. At my wits end, I saw an ad for Balanced Tails and took a chance. At our first meeting, Nathan showed us that Ozzy could be a better dog. He is so compassionate and calm, not only with Ozzy, but with me as I too learn. Amanda and Nathan have been so accommodating and kind. And the best part…Ozzy is listening and following commands, actually plays with the grandchildren, and is a much calmer, happier boy. Nathan has given me the tools to succeed. It makes me sad to think that training will come to an end. They are amazing!

Like most folks we reached out to Amanda and Nathan with our dog, knowing if we weren’t able to change her behavior it wasn’t going to end well. After a he initial evaluation let me tell you I was sobbing. For the first time since adopting our dog I had hope she could life a safe and long life with us. Neither of them judged our failures with our dog, and instead assured us it was a normal reaction, and workable behaviors. Amanda and Nathan have been nothing but amazing, honest, upfront with direction and training, and have honestly saved our dog and our home life. They’re more than just our dog trainers to us, they feel like family. Their facility is beautiful, well kept and comfortable. And the dogs they have in training and boarding are happy, healthy, and look forward to working. Their ability to turn our dog around 180 degrees proves they’re more than competent, and the love and care they show for the animals at every session is palpable. Thank you Balanced Tails, you’re truly amazing!

We were truly at our wits end with our 9-month-old Great Pyrenees, Cyrus, when we found Balanced Tails Montana. Cyrus was sweet, but also wild—jumping on everyone, ignoring commands, and playfully biting. We were even considering rehoming him, which was heartbreaking. Our first contact was with Amanda, Nate’s wife and fellow trainer, and she was incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and encouraging. From that first conversation, we felt a glimmer of hope—and we knew we had found the right people to help us. From the first session, Nate made a huge difference. He was patient, direct, and deeply experienced—not just with Cyrus, but with us as owners. He helped us understand the importance of being confident and consistent, and that mindset shift alone was powerful. Even before the final session, Cyrus was consistently responding to both verbal and nonverbal commands. He’s gone from chaotic to calm, and we finally feel like we’re living with the gentle giant we always hoped for. Yes, it was more expensive than other training options—but worth every single penny. Nate addressed every concern we had, and the transformation we’ve seen in Cyrus (and ourselves) is nothing short of amazing. Thank you, Nate and Amanda, for changing our lives and helping Cyrus become the best version of himself. With gratitude, Don, Teresa & Cyrus

Nate and Amanda at Balanced Tails Montana are a phenomenal team! Their balanced training approach is both effective and compassionate, helping dogs of all backgrounds build confidence and reliability. They truly understand how to communicate with dogs and empower owners with the knowledge and tools they need for lasting success. Their professionalism, patience, and dedication shine through in every interaction. Whether you’re dealing with behavioral challenges or just want to strengthen your bond with your dog, Nate and Amanda provide top-tier training that delivers real results. If you’re in Montana and looking for skilled, caring trainers who genuinely love what they do, Balanced Tails Montana is the way to go!

Last year we brought home our Newfoundland puppy, Magnus. We started right away attempting to train him ourselves. We went through all the training instruction on YouTube and took some classes with a positive reinforcement trainer in the area. Magnus was not responding much at all. Oh, I could get him to sit and down, but we couldn’t get him to stop chasing us down and biting us (enough to draw blood) on the legs, arms and ripping about every piece of clothing we wore! We knew we’d better get him in control fast before he grew into a hundred-plus pound monster. Enter Nathan and Amanda from Balanced Tails! They have such a great reputation here in Bigfork. A friend recommended them after they did amazing work with her (probable) Great Pyrenees. They immediately commanded Magnus’s respect and explained exactly what we needed to do. After that first lesson we could start to see the difference. We got the 10 lesson program. After each lesson we had homework and exercises to practice. He’s become an amazing dog and the more consistent we are with his at home training the better he gets. He’s still a puppy, and a work in progress, but we now have the tools we need to control him and get him to behave in the way we want. Anytime we have questions or issues Nathan is a phone call away to give us advice and instruction. They also have periodic workshops at Murdoch’s to touch-up our skills, which is much appreciated. We love Balanced Tail’s and have recommended them to our friends too.