NorCal Canine Academy

My name is Din, and I’m 75 lbs of mostly head. My parents busted me out of the shelter, and when I was finally free, I wanted to meet EVERY dog in my vicinity with a 70 mph approach and the manners of a drunk guy at a bar. My parents decided boot camp was necessary. They honestly thought, “Your dog will sit patiently underfoot at a pub in 5 days or your money back,” was too good to be true. Honestly, that’s a little hurtful. Day 5: Against all odds and my humans’ expectations, I sat quietly under the table surrounded by a group of dogs at a pub like a distinguished gentleman while an entire pizza passed directly over my head. Apparently, “distinguished gentleman” does not come with pizza privileges. 5 stars for NorCal Canine Academy. 10 stars for Sam. 0 stars for pizza delivery.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I honestly do not know if words can adequately describe what NorCal Canine Academy accomplished with Mirra and me during their five-day boot camp. Before choosing this program, I spent months researching at least half a dozen trainers, behaviorists, training methods, and facilities. I watched videos, read reviews, contacted professionals, discussed board-and-train programs, and even prepared information for a behaviorist. I did not make this decision quickly or lightly. Mirra is a loving, intelligent German Shepherd inside our home, but she had developed serious territorial and reactive behavior. She would bark, lunge, pull on the leash, and react to people and other dogs. Because I live full-time in a motorhome and also have a service dog, I needed more than basic obedience. I needed reliable, real-world control that would allow Mirra, my service dog, and me to live and travel safely together. After five days at NorCal Canine Academy, I am still in complete shock and amazement. Mirra is still the same loving house dog I adore, but her behavior outside has completely changed. I took her walking both last night and again this morning. There was no pulling, no barking at everything, and no lunging. She walked calmly with me and listened to me. For the first time in a very long time, our walks felt peaceful and enjoyable instead of stressful and unpredictable. Sam, the manager of the Sacramento location, was simply amazing. She was patient, knowledgeable, encouraging, and completely committed to helping both Mirra and me succeed. I have physical disabilities and chronic pain, and Sam continually made sure we took breaks when I needed them. She told me to let her know immediately if I was hurting or feeling unwell. I never felt rushed, embarrassed, or as though my limitations were an inconvenience. That level of empathy and personal attention meant more to me than I can express. The entire staff went above and beyond. We also had the unexpected benefit of working with several gentlemen visiting from Australia, and they were every bit as caring, patient, and impressive as the rest of the team. Everyone treated Mirra with kindness and treated me with dignity and respect. This was not simply about forcing a dog to behave. They helped me understand Mirra, communicate with her more clearly, and become a better and more confident handler. They gave us practical skills that work in the real world, not just inside a controlled training facility. I arrived hoping for improvement. I left with what feels like a completely different dog—but without losing the loving, affectionate personality that makes Mirra so special. Would I recommend NorCal Canine Academy and the Sacramento team to someone struggling with a reactive dog? Absolutely—150 percent. After all the trainers, behaviorists, programs, and approaches I researched, I genuinely believe I found the right people. Sam and the entire team gave Mirra and me something I was beginning to fear we might never have: confidence, control, peace of mind, and the ability to enjoy our lives together. Thank you, Sam, and thank you to everyone at NorCal Canine Academy. What you accomplished in five days is nothing short of amazing.

A few months ago I had adopted a 4 year old miniature Bull Terrier who was extremely reactive to other dogs. Every walk where we encountered another dog she would go crazy barking if she wasn’t restrained, I was sure she would attack the other dog, no matter the size. Otherwise she was friendly with children and adults. When I talked with Samantha about the NorCal Canine Academy about my dog’s severe aggression against other dogs she assured me that by the end of the 5 day training, my dog will have learned to control her aggression and be at ease with other dogs. Today was the last day of training. I was very skeptical of her claims and was pleasantly shocked at the progress we made in just 5 days. My dog is now calm on walks and enjoys some freedom off leash where permissible. I’m incredibly grateful to Samantha and her team for their guidance and wisdom this last week. I’ve had an incredible journey learning how my dog thinks and how to fix her issues. I highly recommend the NorCal Canine Academy to any dog parents with aggressive tendencies. You won’t be disappointed.

I took my rescue dog Scooby to NorCal Canine Academy Scooby had severe dog reactivity and strangers in close proximity reactivity. Day one Sam and staff wanted to see how reactive each dog was so we brought our dogs out 1 at a time with a stooge dog as the trigger. Scooby went wild. By the end of day 2 I was walking him near other class mate dogs without a peep, and it improved every day. He is better with strangers and we are still improving. The biggest takeaways are Sam and staff are caring and firm with instructions. If you follow their instructions and do the work you will have great results!! If you are struggling with a reactive dog that is effecting it's life and yours, trust me when I say sign up for a boot camp and make you and your dogs life better. Thank you Sam, Tanner, and Kristen for helping me!

Before Bootcamp: - Evening walks at 9pm or later to avoid running into other dogs. - Keeping him in a constant heel to avoid loosing control. - Crossing the street constantly to keep a distance from everyone. - Sticking to the neighborhood because he doesn’t do well in the car. - Anxiety anytime someone comes into the house because we don’t know how he’ll will react. After Bootcamp: - Walks off leash, even around other dogs and people. - Free to sniff and explore on every walk, with confidence. he’ll come back when called. - Adventures out and about because I can trust him in the car or at a restaurant. - Guests staying for the weekend and commenting on how well behaved he is. We’ve tried other trainers before and we’ve always been disappointed. So we were hesitant, this bootcamp is an investment of time and money, and even hope if I’m being honest. But we’re so glad we did. He’s free to be a dog now and we’re free to enjoy life with him instead of worrying about what might happen. Thank you NCA!