By My Side K9 Training

I had the pleasure of working with Gia for my female Rottweiler’s training from the time she was a young puppy. Gia’s structured approach, patience, and deep understanding of canine behavior helped shape her into a well-behaved, obedient dog who thrives around both family and new people. The foundation Gia built has given her an incredible quality of life. I can’t recommend her enough to anyone seeking a reliable, knowledgeable trainer.

I genuinely expected a positive experience with By My Side Dog Training, but my interaction with Gia raised several serious concerns. From the start, her communication was unprofessional — responses were delayed and inconsistent. When I inquired about her credentials, she seemed slightly offended and annoyed that i asked, rather than transparent, which was unsettling…. During our consultation, she appeared more interested in "closing the deal" than ensuring I felt informed and comfortable with her approach. A major red flag came when she stopped responding altogether after the consultation - despite my continued interest in working with her. This silence left me questioning her reliability and professionalism. It also made me wonder if she was avoiding accountability after I asked about her use of certain controversial training tools, such as the prong collar - methods that many consider outdated or even harmful. I left the consultation feeling uneasy, dismissed, and frankly, uncomfortable with the atmosphere she created; at one point she laughed at my wife and i in an arrogant manner saying “you guys both have clickers on?!?” We were both left thinking, “Did she just ridicule us orrr”. It's disappointing because I truly wanted to give her services a chance, but there were simply too many warning signs. If you value professionalism, open communication, and compassionate, transparent training methods, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere if you love and want to invest in your dog. [Update:] I appreciate your response, but my review accurately reflects what occurred; thank you for your tip on the slip lead, i never used it once and have not used it due to your advice. While you mention being closed Sundays and Mondays, your online hours list you as open on Mondays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and you personally offered Monday as an available day to book sessions. That inconsistency contributed to my confusion and concern about reliability. My comments about delayed communication weren’t about a single weekend—they referred to an ongoing lack of timely responses before and after the consultation. Regardless of personal schedule or commitments, consistent communication is a reasonable expectation in any professional service. I also want to clarify that my questions about your credentials and training tools were asked respectfully. My review isn’t meant to cause harm, only to share my genuine experience so others can make informed choices. Like i said in my review "despite my continued interest in working with her"; so yes i agree it was going well but there were simply too many warning signs, which ultimately led us to look elsewhere... My intention isn’t to argue but to provide an honest account so future clients can make informed decisions about whether this approach and communication style fit their expectations. I stand by my experience. I truly am grateful for the consultation.