Shelmar Kennels

We are so grateful we found Shelmar. Leaving your dog in someone else’s care is never easy, but from the moment we met Martin & Shelly we knew that Bridger was in the very best hands. Martin has such a calm, patient, and nurturing way with dogs. It’s obvious that he doesn’t just train them—he genuinely cares about them. He took the time to understand Bridger’s personality and worked with her in a way that built her confidence while teaching her the skills she needed to succeed. It was evident during our lesson when we picked her up that he had spent substantial time with her & really earned her trust. It is already so fun to see her transfer her new skills back into our home. The biggest change has been her leash walking—it improved over the course of 3 weeks more than we ever imagined. Walks have gone from being frustrating to something we genuinely enjoy, and Bridger is so much more focused, responsive, and confident. She also lays at my feet while I cook dinner instead of surfing the counter for snacks. It’s very clear how much time, consistency, and care Martin invested in her. What impressed us most was that Martin’s job didn’t end when we picked Bridger up. He spent almost 2 full hours with our family—including all four of our kids—patiently teaching each of us how to communicate with Bridger, reinforce her training, and set her up for continued success at home. He answered every question, demonstrated techniques, and made sure everyone felt confident before we left. That level of dedication is so rare, and it showed us just how invested he is in the long-term success of both the dogs and the families he works with. We are beyond thankful for the care, patience, and expertise Martin gave our sweet Bridger. He didn’t just train our dog—he gave our family the knowledge and confidence to continue building on everything she learned. The kids have already asked if we can take her back sometime for a visit just to show Martin how well she is doing 🙂 We wholeheartedly recommend Martin to anyone looking for a trainer they can completely trust.

We sent our dog Harry for training with Martin and WOW. I was a little skeptical, but at pick up it was clear Martin knows what he is doing. Not only did Martin do an excellent job with Harry, but the owner lesson at pickup was great. The training program sent home is a helpful reference to keep up the work at home in order for the initial training to stick. Happy we chose Shelmar and hope to be back for boarding in the future! Thank you!

Martin did an awesome job training our 4-month-old Doberman puppy. His approach is centered around structure, mental stimulation, and fair correction—not physical punishment—and it made a huge difference. Nala came home more confident, engaged, and clearly much smarter. Now it’s on us to stay consistent and keep reinforcing what she learned, which Martin has done a great job preparing us for. If you’re looking for an honest trainer who truly invests time in your dog—not someone who only takes them out for a few minutes each day—I can’t recommend Martin enough.

Before Shelmar, my dog would not stop nipping at people and chewing on whatever she could around the house. After their three week program, she hasn't even tried to playfully nibble a single person, and whenever she tries to bite things around the house she immediately stops when told, which I couldn't even fathom before. Martin was awesome to work with, as he provided comprehensive advice on how to handle her and keep her trained as I picked her up. I also really appreciate the fact that they are willing to help out after you pick up your dog, taking the time to thoroughly answer any questions I had while making the adjustment to having her back at home. Highly recommend.