Top Paw K9 Academy

I really can’t say enough about Jen and her team. Tucker, my Great Dane, spent 6 weeks with them for resource guarding. Almost one week home and my 11 year old bulldog is comfortable enough to play with a rope toy and know he isn’t going to come smash into her to get it. He stayed in his “place”. In fact, even not being in place he’s able to settle. Jen and John taught and reinforced lessons not only to Tuck, but to me. Our dogs are capable of so much when we have proper tools to teach them.

We’re incredibly grateful to Top Paw and cannot recommend them enough!! Jen was so easy to coordinate, ask questions to both ahead and after booking. John was absolutely amazing throughout our dog’s training, Kes absolutely loved him. We enrolled our 3 yr old Standard Schnauzer, Kes, in the 3-week behavior modification board-and-train program while we were away on our honeymoon.Since we weren’t able to participate in the check-ins, John kept us thoroughly updated on Kes’ progress, we never had to ask for an update. At first, it was hard to believe the progress Kes was making, but seeing it in person at pickup left us absolutely shocked. Prior to training, Kes was solely focused on playing with other dogs and had no interest in following commands whenever distractions were around. What I appreciated was the training wasn’t just about training Kes but also “training us”. Our pickup session was thorough, didn’t feel rushed and ensured we understood everything Kes had learned and how to continue his training at home. One of the biggest changes we’ve seen is Kes’ ability to settle and relax by himself. Before training, he was constantly moving, always at our heels and probably had some anxiety. Now, he’s more independent and able to lay down on his own. We are beyond grateful for the training John provided. Kes is doing fantastic at home now! We’re expecting a puppy this fall/winter and can’t wait to be back for some more training. Thank you so much for everything!!!

Jennifer is such an incredible instructor. She was patient, knowledgeable, and truly took the time to understand Kisa’s behavior, helping us correct challenges while teaching us how to better understand and communicate with her. Living on a small island like St. John means resources can be limited, so we reached out to Jennifer and asked if there was any way she could help us through virtual training. Without hesitation, she accommodated us. She spent countless hours with us, seven days a week, dialing into our training sessions, making corrections, providing guidance, and continually adjusting our training plan to help us succeed. Because of Jennifer’s dedication, expertise, and commitment, Kisa is now the only certified Search and Rescue K9 serving both St. John and St. Thomas. This is an incredible achievement not only for our team but for our entire community. Having this resource available in the territory will make a tremendous difference when people need help the most. On top of her Search and Rescue work, Kisa is also a service dog for her handler, making her accomplishments even more remarkable. We are beyond grateful to Jennifer for believing in us, investing her time in us, and helping make this dream a reality. Thank you for everything you have done for Kisa, her handler, and our community.