Dog Academy of NC, LLC

Wow! Just WOW! I don't have the proper words to describe how life changing this was for my entire family! My dog, Duke, who is a one year old mastiff mix, weighing around 140 lbs, had aggression tendencies, was insecure, had anxiety in new situations and was dominate. That is a horrible combination. He was touch reactive as well. I tried so many options--other trainers, doggy daycare...you name it. His behavior was almost to the point of euthanasia due to a bite incident. I contacted Sandra and Michael as the last resort, which SHOULD have been the first resort. I showed up in tears and I was desperate. Now...two months later, tons of work, not only for Duke but for ourselves, we are making AMAZING strides and he is now living a more balanced life. I cannot thank them enough for this life changing experience. We have gained so much knowledge and the tools to create complete harmony within ourselves, our dog and our home! Any dog, any issue---these are the folks to call!!!

What can I say about Michael Ward and the Dog Academy of NC.....AMAZING! After adopting an abused 2 year old German Shepherd who was described as "extremely shy" we soon discovered it was far worse. She had major fear aggression. The growling, lunging and attempted bites started immediately after bringing her home.This was horrifying, not only was this towards strangers but towards my children as well. After a month of terror and having one child in the hospital (non dog related) I was completely stressed, exhausted, defeated and without hope. My kids were distraught and terrified of her. I needed to find professional help....immediately. Besides I didn't want to be part of a string of people that return her without attempting to help her. I researched as many trainers I could find. Some had fancy websites, some were largely staffed with all the bells and whistles and some had state of the art facilities. so many to choose from.... but The Dog Academy and Michael's profile kept resonating with me. It just felt right.. I called and spoke to Michael's wife Sandra. She was kind and very personable. I made arrangements with her to bring my dog Xenon the following day. The moment Xenon got there she was growling and lunging to bite Michael's face. I thought for certain he was going to tell me she was beyond help. However, to my astonishment and between the countless attempts of my German shepherd trying to bite Michael in the face ...he said YES! Xenon stayed there for 4 weeks and I came as often as possible to work with the training. I was astounded at the progress he made inside one week. At the end of 4 weeks he bathed her and brought her home to us and did a training session as well. Although Xenon's full recovery will take many months, thanks to Michael we now have hope and a solid foundation to work with.. He educated us and helped give us the confidence to continue with Xenon's rehabilitation. West coast has Cesar Milan........East coast has Micheal Ward KUDOS to the DOG ACADEMY of NC many thanks, Tamara

I'm not sure who loves the Dog Academy more, us or our dog! We enrolled our lab/mastiff mix in basic obedience boarding school when we first adopted him and he didn't even know his name at the time. We visited daily to learn Michael's techniques and practice, practice, practice. The experience was very educational and prepared us to keep up with his training when he returned home. During OUR training (our dog learned more quickly than we did) we regularly performed training sessions around distractions like chickens, ponies, and even small children. It made us a lot more confident that we could control our dog in any situation. We are now able to take our 100lb dog everywhere with us (restaurants, parks, parties, friends' homes, etc.) and are absolutely confident that he will be well-behaved. It's enhanced our lives so much! We've become truly responsible and knowledgeable dog owners. Our vet was very impressed with our dog's improvement. She really appreciated how his silly and friendly personality is still very much evident, but now he is just a good listener that we can control calmly. We never shout or get frustrated, because Michael taught us how to keep our energy calm. Our dog responds so well to just a few calmly spoken words and the occasional firm correction! Michael and Sandra take excellent care of the dogs in their care and we have boarded our dog with them since his training and plan to continue to do so. We are so grateful to have the peace of mind that he is in good hands, and that the training we work to keep consistent won't be undone with one week in someone else's care. Thanks so much, Michael and Sandra! Two paws up from Lincoln and all the gratitude in the world from me and Tim!