Unleashed Freedom K9 Academy

Highly recommend Stephanie!! We couldn't be happier with our boy Goose after a 3 week board and train. I knew from the moment I met her that she was genuine, knowledgeable, and up front with us. Goose thought he was the boss of the house and would only respond to treats as bribery. He could not focus and more importantly could not quiet his brain and settle. We were not able to take him anywhere because of his poor behavior. The dog we got back was a "think before you act" dog. He responds to commands promptly and is genuinely fun to be around! The best part is we have her in person follow up support afterwards....as long as we need her! She's worth every penny!!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I cannot recommend Stephanie at Unleashed Freedom Academy highly enough! I brought home my Newfoundland/Poodle mix, Ivy, when she was just 8 weeks old. I work long shifts, and although I was fortunate enough to bring her with me to work much of the time during those first few months, by the time she was about 6 months old, I was completely overwhelmed. I love my girl more than anything, but I was at the end of my rope. I realized I didn’t know how to properly teach her, communicate with her, or channel all of her intelligence and energy. Ironically, one of my own subordinates at work (and trust me, I’m not exactly known for being a pushover!) mentioned that both he and his brother had worked with Stephanie and that she had completely transformed their two German Shepherds. I figured it was worth making a call. Stephanie lives an hour and a half away from me, but after our very first appointment, I knew she was the trainer for us. She is absolutely AMAZING—not only an incredibly knowledgeable and talented dog trainer, but one of the most genuine, compassionate, and exceptional human beings I’ve ever met. I’m not exaggerating when I say Ivy was a different dog after just the first couple of sessions. We saw an immediate 80% improvement. More importantly, Stephanie didn’t just train my dog—she taught me. She gave me the tools, knowledge, and confidence to communicate with Ivy, understand her, challenge her appropriately, and help her succeed. I had no idea just how incredibly intelligent Ivy really was. Stephanie helped unlock that potential, and now Ivy is absolutely thriving… and honestly, so am I. She has changed our lives in ways I can’t even put into words. I truly can’t imagine where we’d be today if I hadn’t found her—or if she hadn’t been willing to take us on despite the distance. Our next step is having Ivy complete Stephanie’s board-and-train program as we continue working toward making her a service dog, and I couldn’t be more excited. One of the things I love most is that Unleashed Freedom Academy doesn’t feel like a business you graduate from and never hear from again. It becomes a second home. Knowing Ivy can board somewhere she’s already comfortable, with someone I trust completely, is priceless. This isn’t just a side business for Stephanie. This is her passion, her purpose, and her full-time commitment. She has a gift that goes far beyond anything you can learn from books or courses. She genuinely cares about every dog and every owner she works with, and it shows in everything she does. I didn’t just find an exceptional trainer—I found a lifelong resource and a friend. I recommend Stephanie and Unleashed Freedom Academy one million percent. Finding her has been one of the greatest blessings for both Ivy and me, and I will be forever grateful.

Our pup Louie, a Ski Border (Standard American Eskimo dog/ Border Collie) was out of control. He was perfectly potty trained and always slept through the night in his kennel and took two 3 to 4 hour naps during the day and early evening. He demanded treats, pulled on his leash, surfed the counters chewed on rugs and stole anything that was not tied down. On Christmas eve he ate a rubber stopper and we drove around at 3am trying to find an pet ER that did not have a 6 hour wait. We ended up in Novi, an hour and a half from our home. The gave him fluids hoping to dislodge the obstruction. We waited all day on Christmas to see if he could pass it but it did not work and he required surgery. The surgery went fine and we drove through one of the worst ice storms I have ever seen in Michigan. The ER bill was just under 5k and made us wonder how can we keep this from happening again. Everything in the counter had to be put out of reach, I had installed extra locks on ever door because he knew how to open them and tested each lock continually after someone would open and close the door. He required continual supervision and the only time we could do certain tasks of just relax was when he was asleep. We found Stephanie on Google and she was less than 10 miles from where we live. Louie signed up for the 3 week training program and we dropped him off. It was a long three weeks for us but Stephanie kept us informed of his progress daily and provided videos of his daily training. He is very smart and that I'd whyhe always tested us by pushing our limits to see what he could get away with. Even Stephanie was surprised as he was the only dog that ever went into her room and stole a pair of socks. He also broke out of his kennel, something only 4 other dogs out of hundreds were able to do. She added Capon to the lock and he still broke out and decided to sleep on the couch. Once his training was over it was time to train us when she dropped him off. She had us put all of our trinkets and best rugs out before his return. Our lives have changed so much I cannot put into words what this has meant to us. Our vet had told us before the training that we could never give him away as his fear created so much aggression it would be unfair to anyone who would take him. Stephanie comes by weekly for our follow up training and Louie LOVES to see her.

​Stephanie is a literal miracle worker! 😄We adopted a reactive dog, Loki, and despite trying various methods at home, we saw no progress. After just three weeks of boarding and training with Stephanie, he is a completely different dog. ​Before, Loki would lunge at the mere sight of another dog; now, he is calm and chooses to ignore distractions. He has also learned how to politely disengage from people when he doesn't want to interact. We had honestly lost hope, but Stephanie turned everything around. Even after his program ended, she has been incredibly supportive in helping us maintain his training. We love her, and Loki loves her even more! ❤️

I am so grateful to have come across Stephanie and Unleashed Freedom K9 Academy! My GSD Onyx was dealing with anxiety and resource guarding. I happened to see Stephanie at the gas station and followed up with a call to see what we could do to help my sweet girl. We ended up doing the 15 day board and train. It has made such a difference in Onyx’s confidence. I had researched many training academies and I feel like Stephanie’s prices were fair and she has done such an amazing job building Onyx’s confidence at home and in public. Stephanie was always quick to respond when I had questions and we got many updates of videos of Onyx training. It meant a lot because 15 days is the longest I’ve been away from my girl. The transformation is amazing! I feel that Stephanie is extremely knowledgeable especially with GSD’s which was comforting. We still meet and work with Onyx out in public settings and Stephanie is always there to answer any questions I might have. If you are looking for a knowledgeable/reliable trainer I highly recommend Unleashed Freedom K9 Academy! I could not be happier with how well Onyx is doing!