Instinct Dog Behavior & Training, New Jersey and Philadelphia

We have an 11 year old pitty and a 5.5 year old pit mix who stopped getting along earlier this year. We tried in home training but decided that we didn’t have the time to dedicate to the boys in order for them to get what they needed so we were recommended Instinct in New Jersey and are so happy with our experience! We drove from Nashville to drop the boys off for 5 weeks of board and train where they worked with Brianna and Emma both on individual goals but also the ability for them to be around each other again so we could have our home back. We loved the weekly updates with photos , the phone call check in and just knowing that the people who were with our boys were loving up on them as much as we would. We are currently doing at home lessons now and looking at driving them back up both for 3 weeks in January and possibly 2 weeks in May/April because of the value and wonderful experience working with them.

I usually don’t write reviews, but I felt compelled to share my incredibly disappointing experience with Instinct Englewood’s scheduling and client service team. I booked a 15-day reservation online for my golden retriever, Teddy, assuming the process would be straightforward. Unfortunately, this turned into a frustrating back-and-forth because their online system does not allow for basic updates — such as adjusting training dates or changing a reservation type. After multiple emails with their front desk, the “Client Service Manager” stepped in. Her response was curt, dismissive, and frankly unprofessional. Instead of offering to resolve the confusion or find a reasonable solution, she simply canceled my reservation altogether — citing kennel capacity and implying I should find another facility. What made this worse was that I had already provided updated vaccination records in person, which they later claimed they “didn’t receive,” even though I had to re-send them again by email. Communication was inconsistent and tone-deaf to the situation — especially given that their own staff had confirmed my reservation earlier in the week. It’s frustrating that a facility promoting itself as behavior-first and empathetic toward dogs and owners has such an unhelpful, rigid, and poorly managed client services process. I genuinely expected more professionalism and coordination, especially for a premium-priced training and boarding service. I won’t be returning to this location, and I strongly recommend other pet owners confirm everything in writing before trusting this team with your dog’s care.