The Dog Wizard Westlake

I took Sky to The Dog Wizard Westlake (North Ridgeville location) for a two-week board and train with Kurtis, and we had such a great experience. What I’ve appreciated even more is that the training didn’t end when I picked her up. We’ve continued with touch-point lessons and daycare, and Kurtis has remained just as involved and available to help us work through things at home. During her stay, they uploaded training videos and shared updates so I could see what they were working on and the progress she was making. I missed her a lot and two weeks felt like a long time, so getting to see her learning and doing well meant a lot to me. Sky is a very sweet girl and willing to learn, but we were struggling with overall obedience, leash pulling, some reactivity around other dogs, crate training, and pretty significant separation anxiety. She knew basic commands but also knew how to test me. Honestly, we both needed more guidance and better communication with each other. Since training, her overall listening skills have improved tremendously. Her leash work is so much better, her excitement/reactivity around other dogs has improved, she learned how to properly work with her e-collar and marker words, and she understands that a command means holding it until I release her. Walking her, especially with her brother, is much more manageable now. I also loved that her training wasn’t limited to the their training facility. Kurtis took her on environmental training trips to places like Home Depot, where they worked around distractions, passing other dogs, and holding commands. Her place command is probably what she has mastered the most! She holds it really well both at home and in public, which has been very helpful with visitors and other distractions. We’ve also made a huge improvement in her willingness to go into the crate & exiting the crate. Her separation anxiety is still something we’re actively working through, and anyone who has dealt with it knows how exhausting it can be, especially when crate training is involved. Kurtis has continued teaching us ways to work on it at home, including crate games and tethering work. There have definitely been days where I’ve sent Kurtis a long, frustrated text because I’m exhausted and feel like we aren’t making enough progress. He always reminds me where we started and how much progress we actually HAVE made. “Stacking wins” is something we talk about a lot, and he helps me recognize those smaller wins when I’m too focused on what we’re still struggling with. He answers my questions, helps me adjust what we’re doing, and if we need another lesson, we schedule one and keep working. One of my biggest concerns when choosing a program was that Sky would come home after two weeks and we’d be left to figure everything out ourselves, and I’ve never felt that way with Kurtis and his team. They also offer free support group ( structured pack walks, training w. The group etc) for life, which I love because we can continue practicing everything she learned. Sky sometimes goes there for daycare too, where they reinforce her training while still giving her time to play and socialize. She comes home tired & still listening, so it’s a win for both of us. Sky has made so much progress, but equally, so have I. Before her program I was overwhelmed by all the different training information out there and constantly questioning if I was doing the right thing. Training isn’t one-size-fits-all, and having someone who knows Sky and can tell me what to work on with her has made such a difference. We still have work to do with her separation anxiety, but for the first time I genuinely feel like we finally have the right tools and a plan to get there. I have hope that we WILL get there. I’m incredibly grateful for how available, patient, and encouraging Kurtis and his team have been throughout this process. Sky is a more confident and manageable dog, I’m a more confident owner, and we’re still learning together. We absolutely recommend The Dog Wizard!

We sent Poppy for a 2 week board and train and could not have been more pleased with results! At 12 weeks we dropped her off having just started to be potty trained and knowing her name. Picking her up was a totally different dog! She knows her name, commands and polite leash walking! We are looking forward to bringing her to the Saturday group classes to continue her learning! Thanks Megan! You’re the best!

I hate giving this review as things started out great. I have tried to connect with Kurtis via email since April with not one reply. Initially he said all the right things. Sent me a contract for $2595 - for 6 'day train' sessions (which included a 20% tip I added upfront given how much "I felt" Kurtis understood Koda - our 1 year german shepherd / husky mix). Koda had fear reactivity and needed help. We took her to her first day train (excited to get her help), but when we picked her up, we were told she was "an extreme" fear case (not agressive) and the day train would not work. We understood the logic. They recommended a 3-week board and train option instead, which I was not comfortable with (for several reasons). They then suggested an on-site 1 hour private train so we gave that a try. They started out by forcing Koda into a 'place' (via very short leash) and bringing in two other dogs to hang out within a few feet from her. She panted heavily the entire hour while my husband and I watched. They explained their logic, but Koda was obviously distraught. She had diarrhea in the house 3 separate times that night (which she had never done prior) so we knew their technique was not going to work for Koda. I explained this to Kurtis and asked for a partial refund. At that point Kurtis suggested moving to 'in-home' private train sessisons, which I happily agreed to and asked for a good time to set up our 1st session. That was in April, and that is when Kurtis went radio silent. After 4 attempts to connect with Kurtis he has never responded. We paid $2595 with 20% tip and only received a 1 day train and 1 hour private train. I had such high hopes after meeting Kurtis and seeing such great reviews. Anyway, despite being ghosted, Koda is doing great today. I work full time and educated myself on how to help her from various professionals who post free videos on YouTube. The techniques were opposite of what we experienced here, and very effective for Koda's specific needs. I am so GLAD we did not expose our dog any further, and feel they were only interested in the $ - otherwise why not respond to my multiple emails. Building a healthy relationship with your dog is not rocket science. Koda was NOT going to get that from this place. Really crappy they kept our $ for nothing in return. :( This was our experience and hence the 1 star. After talking with others, we are not the only ones with poor experience here...but I guess we're the only ones willing to leave a poor review. Glad some others received better help for their dogs.