Highland Canine Training, LLC

Warning: Do Not waste your money. I attended Highland Canine in January 2022, only to discovery the school is unprofessional and woefully unprepared for Covid. Of the two instructors assigned to 30 students, one was unable to communicate effectively because English was her second language and the other had graduated in the class before us. No textbooks are used for academic learning; only power point slides and disjointed lectures by a man who may be a talented trainer but is not an educator. School was closed twice for multiple days during the month of January because of staff and student Covid exposure due to no social distancing and mask requirements. When Zoom learning was required for academic learning during shutdown, technical difficulties and a hard to understand instructor lead to frustration from students and faculty alike. Working with dogs at the outdoor facility was completely eliminated, causing a deficit in any training progress we had made. A complete lack of academic and training structure to the program made learning impossible even in the best of circumstances. In 4 weeks the only practical skill I learned was how to lure and bait a dog using treats. You would benefit more from reading the book, A Dog’s Mind then attending Highland Canine School. These people are Not educators. Save your money

We rescued a sweet, spunky, tenacious pit bull mix puppy early this summer, and it became evident rather quickly that my limited training skills were insufficient to help her learn how to be a happy member of our family. My brother recommended I contact Highland Canine because he had had an excellent experience with them and his own rescue pup. To say I am pleased with the experience is a massive understatement. While I was immediately impressed by how quickly Carlos could teach my puppy new commands, my deeper appreciation comes from the patience with which he taught me and the guidance he gave me in how I could be successful when I work with her on my own. He always took the time to explain to me what we were doing and why, and how that would help my puppy not only learn the behavior I wanted from her but also deepen my relationship with her. He is truly gifted with dogs and people. Many trainers may be able to teach your dog commands, but that's worthless if you don't understand and follow through in your home. Working with Carlos was worth every penny and more. He provided lasting value that has made every member of my family happier and calmer. If you find yourself out of your depth with one of your pets, the best investment you can make is to contact Highland Canine. One million stars!

So just a little back story - My dog had always had some aggressive behavior. So, when my dog was young, I called a trainer from Boone, and they said, “once aggressive always aggressive”, and there was nothing they could do, which was very disheartening. Fast forward to this year and my older, very gentle dog dies in March. After she passes, my dog, Leo, started escalating, and I started to worry he was actually going to hurt someone. I take Leo to work with me, and he was barking at over half my customers. I went on vacation and he dragged my mom down on the greenway going after another dog. So, needless to say, I was desperate. I scoured the internet and called Highland Canine hoping for the best. Matt came to complete the evaluation within a couple days, and since then everything has changed. We have almost completed a round of private lessons, and Leo is a different dog. I am so grateful for this organization. I am not saying Leo is a perfectly behaved dog after six weeks, but now I feel like we have the tools to be better. Matt came to my work and brought 10 students to challenge and teach him not to bark at customers. After just two sessions, we could go on walks and both Leo (and I) could relax. I am just sorry that I didn’t find this company when Leo was younger. I would recommend them to anyone who needs help with their dog.

I worked with Carlos and Miranda at Highland Canine Training. They were both professional, knowledgeable and very willing to make the training experience work for me. I travel for a living so I wasn't able to follow the normal schedule for training. My dog Marley responded well to both of them and was always excited to work with them. Carlos made sure the training experience worked for Marley. I highly recommend Carlos for puppy training.