Layton Retriever Kennels

We have a 2-year old charcoal lab named Tango that Greg has been working with for over a year and a half. Greg and his team have done a great job training Tango, who is really athletic and wants to work, but is also pretty "smart"/sensitive and can get discouraged. We didn't bring Tango to Greg to make him a champion. We only wanted him to be able to make a straight retrieve reliably, so we aren't losing birds. He needs to be properly put on some real hunts this fall, but Greg has gotten him ready. We also really appreciate Greg's eagerness to continue to work with dogs after their initial training. He has a well-run operation that is clean, safe and warm for the dogs. He had no problem with some of our unique asks around medication and supplements. Most of all we trust him and his team. We have returned after the initial training for extended refresh stays, that are really incredible for Tango. When Tango gets out of the rig when we drop him off he is excited to see everyone on Greg's property. When we pick him up a few weeks later he is happy and lean after all of the work he had done. It works well for my family, and we couldn't recommend Greg and his team more highly.

My wife and I recently took our Golden Retriever, Oakley, to Layton Retrievers for obedience training. Before we brought him in, Oakley had a real hard time listening to anything we said. He would constantly pull on the leash when walking, he would steal things off the counter and coffee table, and for the life of us we could not get him to stay in one place for any period of time. Granted he was, and still mostly is, a puppy, but we were at our whits end and needed some help. We heard about Layton Retrievers from a friend and decided to set up a meeting with Greg and Brenda to see what they had to offer and what they thought would be best for Oakley. When we came to the meeting, Greg and Brenda were extremely gracious with their time and were able to reassure my wife and I that Oakley was not acting out and that we weren't doing anything wrong with raising him. They told us that everything we were experiencing was normal for a puppy and that he was actually pretty mild in behavior for a puppy of his age (Oakley was only about 6-7 months old). Greg and Brenda told us that the best time to truly begin Oakley's training was when he started calming down around 10 months old, so, if we were willing to wait, they'd be able to do much more with him once he got to that age. Even though waiting another 3-4 months was hard, we are truly grateful that we did. Once Oakley got to 10 months, we brought him back to Layton Retrievers and after a quick 2 month boot camp, Oakley is more obedient and better than he's ever been! I cannot believe the change in Oakley and, not only, his willingness, but desire, to obey our commands. He still has his moments, as all normal dogs will (Greg and Brenda DO NOT break or abuse the dogs in their care in order to get them to comply, so it is not like our dog been turned into an emotionless robot), and Oakley still has his incredible personality. Everything Greg and Brenda did to work with Oakley was perfect and I hope our story serves as a testament to others who are looking for exceptional trainers for their furry friends. It also helps that Layton Retrievers as a company is extremely affordable, especially compared to other trainers we were researching throughout the Portland Metro area. The hardest part was not being able to see our dog for the first month as Greg and Brenda needed that time to curb Oakley's bad habits and reinsert new ones. During the second month, however, my wife and I were able to visit Oakley every Saturday to work with him and to learn his new commands ourselves. Overall Greg and Brenda at Layton Retrievers are amazing! And I would recommend them to anyone that needs a little help with their dog's obedience.

We have been extremely happy with Greg and the staff at Layton Retrievers. His training and handling resulted in our yellow lab Porter earning his JR Hunter title at 11 months old. He is patient and truly cares for the dogs he trains. He balances hard work with allowing the dogs to enjoy what they are doing and having fun. Porter is back early this year to continue his training and looking to that SR Hunter title before he is 2 yrs old. Greg’s training also produced a great gun dog! We hunted geese and ducks plenty this past winter and Porter performed above expectations, especially for a one year old dog. The kennels are kept impeccably clean. Greg communicates regularly and is quick to give us a call when there is anything out of the norm. We highly recommend Layton Retrievers for a well trained gun dog!

Greg and his crew worked wonders with our very “strong willed” chocolate lab. I was nervous to leave my girl, but was immediately at ease when I saw how clean the boarding area and grounds were. It was obvious that all of the dogs were happy and healthy. Greg provided regular updates and was immediately responsive to my questions. He also went out of his way to work on situations unique to my dog. When I picked up my dog, despite all of the exacting hard work, my dog obviously loved Greg and crew. Greg and his staff also worked patiently to train us to reinforce the work. The results exceeded every expectation. We now have a dog that is not only obedient, but consistent and trustworthy. I give Layton Retrievers my highest endorsement.