Dogwood Canine Academy

I can’t say enough good things about Wil at Dogwood Canine Academy! My dog Sizzles is a 2-year-old stray rescue who used to be super reactive around other dogs — walks were stressful, and I honestly didn’t know how to help him. Working with Wil completely changed that. He really gets dogs and meets them where they’re at. His calm, patient energy helped Sizzles feel safe, and I learned so much about how to handle situations that used to feel impossible. It wasn’t just about obedience — it was about understanding and trust. Now Sizzles can walk past other dogs without losing his cool, and he’s turning into such a good boy. I’m so proud of him, and I’m beyond grateful for Wil’s guidance and support. If you’re struggling with reactivity or just want to build a better connection with your pup, I can’t recommend Wil enough.

So incredibly thankful for Wil and his expertise — my high energy dog spent 28 days with Wil to work on his recall, leash skills, reactivity and general obedience and came home transformed, confident and with some seriously impressive skills. He walks right next to me and gets many compliments when we are out in public or visits the nursing home. His demeanor calmed down without losing any of his personality, and it was obvious that he formed a bond with Wil!

I have a lab/great pyrenees mix, Jamie, who became selectively reactive after a combination of life changes and a scuffle with another dog. We live in an apartment, which made his behavior hard to handle. Wil lived not too far from us, so we got to know him casually and eventually asked for his help. Wil and his family opened his arms to my dog and met him exactly where he was at. We did the 4 week board and train and opted for the e-collar. This wasn’t a tool I ever planned on using when I got a dog, but given the circumstances it has become an invaluable resource. Wil blends training, compassion and a bit of psychology to create a tailored program to support both dog and owner. It didn’t magically erase Jamie’s reactivity and doesn’t “punish” him for having big feelings, it creates a different line of communication and has helped us to redefine what our base level is for reactivity. Jamie went from ~15 trigger dogs around the neighborhood to 4. Our good days are better, and our bad days aren’t as bad. I will be forever grateful for Wil and his crew for being so supportive to both Jamie and I. Would highly recommend Wil and his services!

Will has done an amazing job with our dog Pepper. Pepper is a sweet girl but she used to chase rabbits, squirrels, cars, dogs, and other things. She pulled us on the leash until our arms hurt. We had no control over her. We signed up for Pepper to spend 4 weeks with Will - living with him while he trained her. Having her back feels like we have a new dog. She listens to our commands, and we are armed with tools to use in difficult situations when she may try to not listen. At the end of the 4 weeks, Pepper wasn't trained quite as well as Will wanted her to be - so he asked if we would mind leaving her there a few extra days for additional training at no extra cost. Every night that she was with Will, he sent us photos, videos, and explanations of what they worked on that day. He was always available if we had any questions during and after the training. He is clearly a very experienced dog trainer and was so kind and amazing with Pepper and we could see she bonded well with him. After she came home, Will came over twice to train us - and we will have him back again for brush ups. All of this is included. I no longer dread walking Pepper. We are so happy with the service that Will provided. We recommend him very highly and without reservation.

I was so pleased with the work that was done. I was struggling with my husky pulling on the leash. The trust between us was terrible. We had a love hate relationship and I was about to surrender him because I didn’t know what to do or how to control him. While scrolling on tik tok I came across this company. Here we are 28 days later and way better than we were. We can now enjoy walks together without being frustrated. My dog has all the confidence he needs. Thank you Wil for helping me with a real struggle.