We not only sent our now 8 year old dog to Charlotte Dog Wizard for off leash training, we use them for "boarding" again and again. However, it's so much more than "boarding", when we tell our dog she's headed to "camp"....she KNOWS and gets so excited. We live in WNY and gladly drive to CLT for extended vacations because we trust and love the atmosphere, STAFF and all that our dog gets to experience while she is in their care! They really are the BEST! read more

The best, Helen was great with our stubborn Shiba Inu, A little pricey but well worth it

The Dog Wizard deserves more than 5 stars - seriously some of the best money we feel we've ever spent. After trying another trainer/group in Charlotte, we were about at our wits end with some of our dog Moose's fear-based reactivity. The group we originally tried seem to make his problems worse and we were desperate for something. After an initial phone consultation, we made the difficult decision to send our dog to their facility for 2.5 weeks. WE ARE SO PLEASED! Our dog came home more confident, well-trained, and happy! When we got our weekly updates (and sometimes more) via a private FB group - we could tell that our dog was well cared for and having a great time. Beyond training, the dogs get social time, sleep in large crates, and have a specific trainer that they work with. Plus, with our plan, we can continue training with them for the next year. Helen was our specific trainer and she is awesome! All of her video updates were informative and helpful. She worked with us for 2 hours upon pick up to make sure we really grasped his training and NEVER made us feel bad about mistakes we've made in the past. If you are looking for a major change in your dog (and are willing to put in your part of the work) then look into The Dog Wizard! read more

I can't speak for their training skills because I never got that far. I filled out an inquiry online and someone reached out rather fast to set up a phone consultation. We set a time for 4 days in advance to have consultation and they completely blew me off. They are unprofessional and unreliable. I would be weary of spending 100s of dollars on a company with this business practice. read more

Charlotte Dog Wizard - I texted to follow up and never even got a response - Pet Training Near Me

We brought our 4 1/2 year old Sheepadoodle to the Dog Wizard to address some behavior issues around children. Virgil has always been a very sweet boy around adults he is a big goof ball and an all around very sweet boy. He however always acted a little strange around children of all ages, he just never seemed to be able to relax around them. When we were expecting our first child my husband and I realized we needed to get him some help so he could be comfortable in the house and so we could be comfortable with him around our new baby. We had reached out to some other trainers who told us we needed to use a muzzle and consider that we may need to re-home him (this was not an option, he is a part of our family). After speaking with the Dog Wizard we finally had some hope that Virgil was not beyond help and just needed to learn to relax and that we were in-charge and there to be the leaders. Our son ended up arriving a few weeks early so Virgil had not gone to sleep away camp quite yet and those first 2 weeks were a little stressful for us. After is 18 day board and train Virgil came back the best version of himself! He is so much calmer in our home and he is great around our son. When he needs a reminder to keep some distance he is sent to his place for him to calm down and relax! Not only is he calmer in our house he is a complete gentleman on a leash!!! Overall I can not say enough fantastic things about the staff especially Helen who was his trainer. We have done a follow up lesson with her to reinforce good behavior and he was so excited to see her!!! Our home is a more calm and relaxed place to be now and he has improved in areas we didn't realize needed work! read more

We love the Dog Wizard! We took our Shepherd there 2 years ago for the stay over program and she came back a better version of herself. She listened better and looked to us for directions. We are now taking another dog to them for the puppy classes and are loving them. The trainers are very knowledgeable and fun to work with. read more

I contacted the Dog Wizard to help with my 2 year old dog who can be fearful of men or people who wear hats in certain situations. I wanted to do in-home training classes so my husband and I could gain knowledge and skills to help her through her paranoia. I was told the best option for my dog was a 2.5 week stay at their facility, for $3,000. This fee also included additional services. I contacted the trainer and told her we felt our dog did not require a 2.5 week stay and additional services to get the issue under control. This isn't a debilitating issue, and doesn't consistently happen. I asked, again, about in-home, one-on-one sessions or different options. The trainer responded after some time and said she "thought about it" and we could do a different program for $1500. Overall, I was extremely disappointed that what we wanted to try (one-on-one sessions) was never offered to us or even mentioned. The trainer simply ignored it. I felt like the trainer did not listen to our needs. In addition, our dog experiences stress when away from us, to the point she got colitis after we went out of the country and she stayed with a well known family member. I have also read that Dog Wizard uses shock collars. I will not let someone make my dog uncomfortable or fearful trying to teach them something. During our initial phone conversation, I asked if I would be able to see my dog if we did the 2.5 week stay. I was told they HIGHLY advise against this. I refuse to put my dog in the hands of someone using shock collars and who doesn't want me seeing my dog during training. Since this occurrence, we have found a fantastic dog trainer in Charlotte who is meeting with us one-on-one every week. We are working on positive reinforcement and coping mechanisms to help get our dog's actions under control. This has given my husband and I the opportunity to work alongside the trainer and our dog, giving us the knowledge to continue what we are learning well after training stops! So far, the results are beautiful! read more

We have a Cane Corso Italian Mastiff who was very people shy. Kira definitely needed some socialization and Dog Wizard was perfect for that! We signed her up for puppy preschool which we got a coupon from living social so it was very affordable. They have a huge warehouse where they have 10-15 min puppy play time then each session they choose a different area to focus on whether is agility, obstacles (fears) and recall. It took Kira several classes and constant training to get comfy. All the trainers were awesome and were very helpful! They knew Kira's limits and were willing to try different things to get her moving forward in her fear of humans. We have graduated from puppy preschool and recommend it to everyone who has puppies! Kira is still shy around new people but hasprogressed immensely! Thank you Dog Wizard!! read more

Charlotte Dog Wizard - Kira - Pet Training Near Me

We have completed our 3rd puppy preschool with our almost 3 month old Alaskan Malamute and already excited about what Lightning, my sons and I have learned and experienced... I highly recommend The Dog Wizard Puppy Preschool for every family with a new puppy.. The socialization with other puppies and people and objects.. And the tips and tricks. My favorite so far is the wooden spoon/electrical tape Lickidty stick to help with our walks (vs tugs) The staff are so nice and helpful and looking forward to Tuesday nights and Saturday afternoons for the next 3 months!! read more

Charlotte Dog Wizard - Listening in class - Pet Training Near Me

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Had a great conversation with them, agreed to have a home visit with Doug. My three boys and I and our puppy rush back home from our classes and errands and had rearranged our schedule to meet Doug at pre-arranged a time for a consultation. This business did not call, no email, did not text. At 2:30 I called and the girl answered and told me in a friendly casual way that they had to cancel our appointment because we live too far away. Remember they had our address ahead of time. Bad business I do not recommend if you have nothing to do but sit around and wait and you don't mind being stood up. read more

Awful. I have a lot of training experience being involved in rescue. The best trainers have a full arsonal of training techniques...not just shocking the dog into submission. I guess with some dogs it works....but with others it doesn't. And if it doesn't work they label the dog as bad. Plus they are afraid to work will bullies and if you have more then a couple of dogs they call you a collector. I would never reccommend. Ever. read more

This is the absolute best place for training. I call it doggie charm school. First impressions when you walk in - clean and orderly, and this is despite having LOTS of dogs there. Walk inside and it's a doggie playground of all shapes and sizes and ages. All of the handlers truly LOVE dogs. The dogs follow their orders and all of the commands are given with love and compassion. No stern voices or yelling at all. They transformed our already wonderful rescues into amazing companions. I can't say enough things about the experience we had. Our Great Pyrenees were great before, but now the pups are off the charts awesome. read more

If I could give them 10 stars I would. Our trainer, Brady, has made a world of difference with our 5 yr old German Shepherd, Kona. We adopted Kona 3 yrs ago from the Humain Society. She had very serious dog aggressive issues and had to be placed with a family that would be a one dog household. Kona is great with people. She is very sweet and affectionate. However, when she saw another dog she would go into full blown attach mode. It was so bad that she even tried to attach our TV when she would see dogs on the screen. We had to walk her late at night to try to avoid dogs. Riding in the car with her was challenging as she would bark and scratch at the door whenever she saw dogs, motorcycles or bikers. We had other trainers try to work with her but it didn't make any difference. Then we found The Dog Wizard. Kona was enrolled in the three week program where she stayed with her trainer Brady 24x7. On her 5th day in the program Brady uploaded a video on Facebook of Kona walking around in the pack of their training dogs. It was amazing. My husband and I had to watch the video about ten times before we could believe this was really our Kona. On our 10 day update call Brady updated us on her progress. He said she was not a dog that had been trainer or was by nature an aggressive dog.Most likely she was never socialized as a puppy and as a result she was fearful of other dogs. Over the next two weeks we continually received video updates and with each one we saw a huge change in Kona. We have had her back from training for three weeks now and it is wonderful. We can walk her around other dogs. I can walk her without worry that she will drag me down the street. She gets excited each morning to put on her collar and do her daily training. She is great in the car now too. She was always a sweet dog with people but now she seems happier than ever. She is so much more calm and relaxed. No longer a nervous dog. This change has given her and us a new life. We love traveling and being outside and now we can do those things with her. We know this is a lifetime commitment that requires we continue her training daily but we would not be where we are today without Brady. He showed Kona so much love and kindness. You can tell he loves dogs and has a natural talent to bring out the best in them. We are forever grateful to him and The Dog Wizard. We recommend this program to anyone. read more

Charlotte Dog Wizard - Pet Training Near Me

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Wow. Watched a dog handler at Freedom Park with a German Shepherd today. I didn't realize what was happening at first as I walked past. This poor dog kept crying out and slinking away, trying to get back to the company (Dog Wizard) van. Then I realized the handler kept SHOCKING this poor dog. Over and over. Before I realized that the dog was literally being tortured, I whole list of possibilities ran thru my mind. It must have been abused. It had some sort of neck injury. It was scared of people. But no. It was suffering severe pain. The worst part is that the dog wasn't doing anything wrong. At all. There was no simple "heel" command. Or sit. Or stay. The handler was "training" it by only shocking the dog. It was simply horrible to watch. read more

We decided to use the Dog Wizard dog training on our dogs, Addie and Wilson, but we had our doubts. The pulling on the leash, jumping on visitors, and lack of listening when called had gotten WAY out of hand. We saw that the Dog Wizard methods were guaranteed, and this was important because it felt like we had tried and failed at EVERYTHING thus far in terms of correcting bad dog behaviors. Well, I can assure all of you that we WERE NOT disappointed, and in fact fully regret not doing the training earlier on. Our dogs live a different, much more fulfilled life now. They are off leash 75% of the time, and we can rest easy because they actually listen now. They walk right beside us on a long walk, no longer jump on visitors, and come when called. It's amazing, and I know THEY appreciate it most of all! They are now able to experience freedoms we never thought possible - running free on the beach, walks without a leash, leash-free hiking, and playing outside without the confines of a fenced enclosure. The Dog Wizard trainers are also very responsive, friendly, and do their part in helping dogs in need around the area. Couldn't ask for a more compassionate, dog-loving group. Not to mention, if you ever need a refresher session, or have a question because of a new bad behavior pops up, they are right there to help. Use the Dog Wizard to train your excited, unruly pup. It will be the best decision you ever made, and your dog will thank you TEN FOLD! read more

I would highly recommend the 3 week board and train program for those of you with dogs that are out of control. We adopted Cooper, a ridgeback/boxer mix, in January 2019 who was 9 months old at that time. After a few weeks with him, we realized we needed help as he had no manners, jumped on everyone and everything, didn't listen and thought all of us were his play mates to chew on. We did some research and had luckily been recommended the Dog Wizard by others. We made the decision to send him to Dog Wizard and it was the BEST decision we made. Cooper is now a loving, listening, and fun part of our family. The best part is they trained him with an eCollar, which allows us the freedom to have him off leash anywhere that is allowed. We are so happy with all Dog Wizard did to get us started, and with the continued follow up support. I will be honest and say this program is an investment and may give you some 'sticker' shock, but for us it was either invest in him or take him back to the humane society. So glad we decided to invest in him, it was totally worth every dollar. read more

I love love love the dog wizard! You can tell everyone that works there is an animal lover. I took my collie there a couple of times for boarding and was really interested in the training program because I never really trained my dog at all. He's old and I thought it might be too late but their mantra is that no dog is untrainable (money back guarantee). I took him in for a free consultation and the muscle stimulation collars they use aren't brutal shock collars like the other review made them sound, they put the collar on your hand so you feel exactly what your dog feels ( I could barely feel it at all). They went over all of his problem behaviors and recognized some quick fixes in my behavior as an owner that could help as well (putting him on a feeding schedule for instance). I have a friend who had a very aggressive dog that is now doing great so I signed up for the program. He will train with them for two weeks (They even post photos of your pup at parks and things on their FB page while your dog is in training) and the package comes with a lifetime of free lessons. I just want my dog to learn commands, stop marking in the house and stop his food aggression with other animals. I can't wait to see his progress! They were so nice, answered all of my questions (and I asked about a million) and went over all of my concerns with me. I totally trust my dog is in good hands here. read more

Need to stop and brag about my experience at Dog Wizard. It has been a full week since Gator has been back and I have a better version of my dog. We walked the greenway today and he passed 3 squirrels, 5 dogs, 6 bikes and a dead bird ---didn't flinch(this is huuuuge). He even got a compliment from a stranger "great walking skills." We did the program where he went away for 2 weeks. It was so hard for me. Yesterday when his trainer Danielle (yes her name is Danielle) came to our house for a 1 week follow up Gator went crazy with . It was clear to me his time away he was loved and cared for. It is a national chain. I encourage you to check out one near you. The consistency and their methods made my insecure dog--- completely perfect. No more pulling me or going crazy with the doorbell rings! Yay!! Thank you Dog Wizard and Coach Danielle! My husbands review: I have to concur. Having hunting dogs my whole life, I've grown up around training a lot of dogs. Training a dog for obedience is a whole different ball game. And doing it like The Dog Wizard did was mind blowing. I NEVER thought I would see Gator change some of the behaviors he had. And it wasn't just training the dog, it was training us on what to do to help him feel less anxious and comfortable, thus more obedient ... As Danielle (dog trainer Danielle) said, "You need to be Gator's advocate, not just his owner." Gator was an abused dog and never had people really on his side. He is learning to focus and keep his mind on the task at hand and let go of being concerned with all the external influences. Because he now has an advocate. It is truly an amazing transformation! read more

A One-Star review is more than The Dog Wizard deserves. I interviewed Dog Wizard in Wilmington, NC and walked away terrified! First, there are dogs running around the yard completely out of control! Then you meet in a room that looks like a torture room for your pet. After the shock of looking around at all of the "tools" hanging on the walls that are used to make your dog be "trained", the shock collar is brought out. It's never called a "shock" collar, but an "e-collar". Of course I was shown the low settings of the shock collar, but do not be nieve......the higher settings are what is used on your loved pet. And the price for this is outrageous! Do you honestly think that I would leave my dog with you while you have the ability to shock my dog! And when it's not being shocked it's inside in a little crate!! I know of 2 dogs that have gone through The Dog Wizard and have walked away completely broken. These dogs have had to be built back up to trust people again. People.....in the long run this does not work. Positive reinforcement is the only way. How would you like to be pinched or shocked every time someone asked you to do something. Think about your dogs wellbeing before you sign up with The Dog Wizard read more

I cannot say enough good things about this business. Every trainer is knowledgable and caring. Our dog went in for some separation anxiety, nervous behaviors, and a general lack of confidence. After two weeks of behavior camp, he came back to us with all of the skills he needs to be the happiest dog he can. He is completely comfortable and relaxed in his crate, where as before he would tear apart the floor and drool all over any kennel we had to put him in. He actually gets excited to put his stimulus collar on because he knows he is going to work and get rewarded for all of his hard work. The weekly pack walks and group classes mean that he gets to exercise all he has learned forever, and the trainers are always happy to give us more advice and practice tools. All in all, we have gotten, and continue to get, our money's worth. Their payment plans made this training manageable, and we are grateful every day for our happy boy! read more

I am a first time dog owner. I got a minpin because they are just sooooo cute. I did not realize how much work they are. One day when my friend came over with her dog , my puppy (12 weeks old) went ballistic. She was barking nonstop in a high-pinched voice from a corner simply because there was another dog in the room. I have never socialized her with other dogs. I understood I have to do something quickly or my life will become very difficult. I took my puppy to a puppy school at the Dog Wizard. I was bringing her over for a class twice a week until she was 6 months. There were always 6-15 puppies in a class. My dog was barking from the top of her lungs for two-three weeks before she finally calmed down. The trainer (I think it was Sam) and other dog owners in the class were very patient. I appreciated it so much. After a few weeks she started to explore and finally she learned to play with other dogs and stand her ground if she were getting teased by another dog. Now she is 20 months old and gets along with other dogs just great. She is very friendly with other dogs and loves playing at the dog park. The class is very interactive and structured to teach dog owners for the first 30 minutes while puppies are allowed off leash to run around and play with each other under adult supervision and the last 30 minutes puppies go through different exercises that help them to gain confidence and learn some basic commands. The puppy school is a lot of fun and I highly recommend it for any puppy! read more