FirstBark
I couldn’t recommend Ridgeside K9 more. My girl Luna is a mix of sport and guardian lines, which means high drive, low impulse control, and a LOT of strength. By 6 months old, she was dragging me down the street, chasing our cat, and making us dread being home. She was also resou…Read full reviewClose full review
I couldn’t recommend Ridgeside K9 more. My girl Luna is a mix of sport and guardian lines, which means high drive, low impulse control, and a LOT of strength. By 6 months old, she was dragging me down the street, chasing our cat, and making us dread being home. She was also resource guarding, to the point where we had to let her keep anything she picked up. Her crate behavior was rough — any noise would set off hours of barking. We truly couldn’t relax in our own home. I called so many trainers and was met with judgment or completely unrealistic expectations. Ridgeside was the opposite. When I explained all our concerns and goals, they took the time to speak with the head trainer and called me back with a realistic timeline for how long Luna would need to stay at board and train. That alone gave me so much confidence. The payment options through Affirm also made getting real help more accessible. We made the 3-hour drive and dropped her off. Four weeks later, we had a thorough 2-hour session where we learned everything Luna had worked on and got to ask all our questions. They even sent us home with all the leashes, collars, and tools we’d need to continue the training. Every single person we met clearly cared about and genuinely bonded with the dogs they work with — including Luna. One of the biggest improvements we saw was Luna’s confidence. She came home more assured, less reactive, and much more willing to try new things. The trainers even discovered activities she absolutely loves — like going on bike rides and working through obstacle courses — which have become amazing outlets for her energy and drive. I was nervous bringing her home, but working with Elissa has been incredible. Luna is in her teenage phase and absolutely tested boundaries when she returned to her old environment, but Elissa has always been available for any questions or concerns — she even called me back about a situation while she was out of the office. That kind of support is priceless. Luna still has puppy moments, but now we have the tools and the confidence to reinforce boundaries correctly. She walks beautifully in a heel, no longer lunges at bikes or runners, can settle on her “place” even when the cat is doing zoomies around the room, and sleeps peacefully in her crate even while we walk around or leave the room. One of the best and most unexpected changes has been our bond. With clear communication and structure, we finally feel like a team. We can actually relax and snuggle on the couch — something we were never able to do before. I am beyond grateful for Ridgeside. They’re truly the only people I would trust with my pup.