Canine Inspired Change

Updated Jan 2026 to add a review on the Big Feelings Class: One of our dogs has "big feelings" about a lot of things (new people, UPS trucks, certain dogs, etc), and for him that looks like barking, lunging, growling, hard staring, and/or becoming stiff. We have relied heavily on his basic obedience skills to "manage his behaviors," but I always felt like we were not actually addressing the root causes of his reactivity: stress, fear, and frustration. Canine Inspired Change's Big Feelings Class was our first training experience where I left every week with a big a-ha moment about WHY he has such big feels and HOW to actually care for his emotions. We also learned how to address our own nervous systems when his reactivity was big and loud because dogs fuel themselves off of our own emotional state. The 8 week class was small (3 other dogs), and the trainers, Sydney and Taylor, gave each dog individualized suggestions throughout. CIC was a safe, welcoming environment and they intentionally set the space up for success for every dog. Some of our big takeaways included: why our dog was doing what he was doing, how to keep our dog under-threshold with specific strategies for walks (where our dog really struggled), how to help our dog recover better and faster after stressful moments, and other ways to proactively fill our dog's emotional cup. If you have a reactive dog, I can't recommend this course enough. It has made a huge positive impact on our dog and family. Our dog is happier and less stressed, and his reactive moments are much less intense and less frequent. August 2025 - My dog and I had a great experience taking Canine Inspired Change's therapy dog course. Taylor and Beth, the trainers, created a welcoming, non-judgmental space for everyone. My dog always was so excited to attend class. Something that sets CIC apart from other organizations is that they bring in volunteer students to practice working with the teams. I gained more confidence as we worked through real-life scenarios together. I would definitely recommend Canine Inspired Change and hope to take the tricks class next!

My dog and I attended Foundational Skills training class at CIC. The facility was large and welcoming. The trainers made a possibly stressful situation into an enjoyable experience! I’ve gone to other training classes at different facilities that produced anxiety, but the first class put me at ease! By the end of training, both my dog and I looked forward to the hour class every week. Thank you CIC! We are signed up for another class and can’t wait!