Instinct Dog Behavior & Training Portland

We did plenty of research on dog training and behavioral specialists before making a choice. We are thrilled with the services and training provided by Instinct. It was well worth the investment for our dogs and our family. They exceeded our expectations. Poppy is an amazing professional and has improved our lives and our dogs' lives, they are incredibly knowledgeable and supportive. We highly recommend them!

We recommend Instinct to anyone looking for board and/or training, you truly have hit upon a gem! Our whole family was incredibly nervous to need to board our sweet/spicy/anxious Pepper for the first family trip he could not attend in the 3 years of his life. During copious research into boarding, we came across the concept of board/train, and then found Instinct. We were impressed from the very beginning of how thorough the intake process was, that it helped us get on the same page as a family about needs of and goals for Pepper. Being anxious the first night, Instinct made special accommodations to make both Pepper and us more comfortable. We loved the pup-dates we received in his portal! I'm pleased to say that while our expectation for a one-week training were low, Pepper made great progress on our goals for him. To be fair, we needed training as much as he did, and the home follow-up was critical. Thank you, Instinct!

Great team of trainers, care providers, and organizers. Excellent training and boarding for all sorts of dogs. We have an incredibly intelligent, well manneree service dog that tragically developed epilepsy and was mauled by a dog 5 times his size. In conjunction with aging pains, he started to develop unpredictable behavior and became prone to fear aggression/reactivity. We had to reduce his public work and consider taking in a new dog. Mostly, we were devastated that such a loyal, good companion was suffering. Instinct's trainers did a great job of actually testing/assessing our dog's personality and abilities. With so many untrained 'service dogs', we are generally prepared for a process of recognition. However, their trainers instantly recognized how quickly our dog learned, his eagerness to train, as well as his fears and anxieties. They rapidly understood his personality and helped him find a new, feasible balance of work/play, built up training practices and communication patterns that resonate with him, and we (and our friends/family) have already noticed excellent improvements in his demeanor and happiness. We also boarded him with them, for the first time in years (as I rarely travel with someone who can also catch signs of impending incidents), and they were fantastic. We expected an anxious, agitated dog, and instead returned home with a happy pup. If anyone might have complaints(?), it may be that, should you have a dog with complex needs, you cannot expect instinct to magically fix your dog on their own. You have to do the homework, you have to be honest in your assessments of yourself and your dog, and you have to be ready to be honest in your speaking and listening. We've worked with multiple team members, and they've been amazing. 5 stars 😊

We were initially hesitant to spend such a big chunk of change on dog training but we are so thankful we did. We chose to work with Poppy for our home school. She was AMAZING. She was so patient, flexible, kind, and answered all of our questions. Our pup Leo made incredible progress through our homeschool and that is absolutely all thanks to Poppy and her training/advice. She genuinely cares about the dogs and people she works with and I can’t recommend her more! 🤍