This is going to be a bit of a long review but I have a lot I want to get in and I really wanted to…read moredo Shawn justice.
First off, training: In 2015 my family adopted a 2 1/2 year old German Shepherd, Lobo. I had no prior dog experience. I found Shawn and decided to take my new family member in. Prior to Lobo being rescued by the Oregon Humane Society he was abandoned at a pound after numerous backyard escapes and running around the streets in Clackamas. This dog I brought home was dominant, pushy, high energy, and totally ignored any command I gave him. He barked, couldn't be left outside for long periods of time, and jumped on furniture. So off we went to Shawn's for his 24 hour observation period. When I came to pick Lobo up the next day he gave us some training videos and a list of rules that Lobo needed to follow. He showed us how to do heel and blanket work and taught us the importance of being a leader. Shawn was informative, and he helpfully dumbed it down to one thing to remember (consistency) and one thing to work on (blanket time). When I put Lobo in the car he was shaking a little bit. A family friend with me at the time noted this and I made a note of it. I assumed it was because Lobo was so used to being in charge and he had been put in his place.
Over the next several years I continued to work with Lobo using Shawn's methods and I saw great improvement. My dogs are my children, and I would never want to hurt them or cause them to fear me. Lobo doesn't. He loves me. We have a great relationship and are very bonded. Shawn's methods are NOT about fear and violence as some have suggested. They are about trust and mutual respect. How many times Shawn has said that "you must respect your dog and they must respect you" I can't even count. Lobo has blossomed under this leadership. He is the perfect dog. He is obedient, though he does test me every now and then. He is calm in the house and around people, and nothing makes him reactive. He is confident and will try to do anything I ask, even if I don't always think it through. He has faced fears for me because he trusts me, like swimming in a river. When we go out and about he is aware and alert and keeps an eye out for me, but he is never out of control or even close. He is amazing off lease and 100% reliable. He is great with kids, even when they have accidentally hurt him, and he has overcome dog aggression (he had gotten into 2 dog fights before).
While Lobo started off a little put off by Shawn, he now LOVES him. Lobo gets super excited when we pull up to Shawn's place, and he always goes right up to Shawn to say hi. Shawn also loves Lobo and has told me so on numerous occasions.
Last year (2020), my family welcomed another young Shepherd to the family. At 1 1/2, Ollie had already been through a lot before she was rescued by an animal shelter. She was anxious, shy, reserved, aloof, and went into panic mode if you clicked a pen. She didn't trust anyone. It felt like I was back to square one with her when it came to my knowledge of training. I knew what to do with a dominant dog, but an anxious one? I took her to Shawn for help, and when she first met him she was terrified.
Now Ollie loves Shawn. She is starting to trust more and more and is way less anxious. We are still working with her and she continues to improve. In time I know that she will become every bit of the amazing dog that Lobo is. Thank you Shawn! Without you I am sure that we wouldn't have been able to keep Lobo, or at least be as happy with him as we are now, and we wouldn't have even dreamed of getting a second dog.
Second, boarding: The boarding area is wonderful. I have been to the back of the house with Shawn to see it. The dogs get to run around a large secure area all day and play with one another. There is plenty of shelter and they always have fresh water because of a special pipe system. I don't ever want to board them anywhere else! They love it and I love it. One thing to mention is that on one occasion my dogs did get skunked, which was AWFUL. It wasn't Shawn's fault, but the smell didn't go away for months. The dogs usually need a bath after being boarded too because they run around with smelly dogs all day.
Third, Shawn himself: Shawn loves my dogs and gives them lots of affection but is at the same time a good leader. My dogs love him. That relationship is very important to me.
Shawn himself is loud, intense, and he talks a lot. A lot like me actually. Some people may call this abrasive, but it is his personality. Sometimes I do need to interrupt him to get a question in, and sometimes I have to put a time limit on a conversation. That being said, none of that is unique to Shawn. If you think he is talking too much tell him so instead of getting secretly offended.
Having spent more than 7 years using "The Dog Way" training method and working with Shawn, I am confident in my review.