Holt’s Training Academy

We can’t recommend Holt’s training academy enough. Our autistic son was in desperate need for a service dog but due to his allergies we couldn’t go the traditional route. Holts took our wild child and turned her into the sweetest and most attentive companion. Shiloh has already done so much to help stabilize his anxiety while building his self confidence by working with her. Y’all are life changers and we will forever be grateful!!! He has such a bright future with Shiloh and y’all helped make that possible. Thank y’all soooo much!!!

My border collie was Fairly trained when I took her to Holt's academy, but Brant and his team took my dog's discipline above and beyond my expectations and I am very pleased with the results. The staff adored her and she was sweet and compliant for them. Everyone was very professional and all the dogs they have boarded appeared happy. If your baby needs any accommodations during their stay, Brant and staff will make sure they are taken care of. Highly recommended 5/5

After considerable thought and research, I decided to send my soon to be 5 year old bully mix, Duke, to Holt's Training Academy. I currently live in Charleston and seek to improve Duke’s behavior in busy, high distraction areas. I chose this academy due to its proximity to my family in Alabama, making the 2 hour drive to Holly Springs manageable, along with the influence of positive reviews. I enrolled Duke in the 8 week advanced obedience course. Throughout his time there, communication fell short of my expectations. While I was promised regular updates, I allowed time for them before reaching out, which led me to feel bothersome. Specifics on his progress and any potential issues would have been reassuring. My primary concern arose when I discovered skin issues upon his return. Prior to boarding, Duke had no skin problems. Initially, I was told that the hair loss was due to heat from being outside. However, after a thorough examination, I found significant hair loss, unusual red marks on his front elbows, and irritated paws. A visit to the vet revealed a bacterial and fungal infection, resulting in a prescription for three medications and potentially long-term care. Given the substantial investment in the board and train program, I believe Duke's health issues should have been addressed as part of the service. While I would have been willing to pay for additional care if needed, I was not informed of any problems and was only contacted when it was nearing time for pickup. The lack of communication and untreated skin problems, particularly given the significant cost, has left me rather disappointed. If another individual were in my position, I am confident they would understand and share my concerns regarding communication and unresolved health issues. To improve, I suggest that enhancing communication with more frequent and detailed updates could be beneficial. If the current communication challenges are due to an excessive workload, addressing this by managing a more balanced workload might help ensure timely updates and better service overall. Despite the owners' pleasant demeanor and the training Duke received, I hope my feedback provides valuable insight and contributes to improvements in your service. I appreciate the effort invested in Duke’s training. ETA: While I do agree that my 5 year old bully did exceptionally well considering an unfortunate one time event with another dog that occurred on OUR property in the past, this does not take concern away with Duke’s health. We have sincerely appreciated the time and dedication spent on Duke’s training. We have seen significant changes with him although Duke does need consistency which we are gladly providing. We do feel that this has been a great turning point for Duke despite the unfortunate circumstances.