We just sent our 1.5-year-old great Pyrenees to Megan over the holidays for 2 weeks and it was such a great experience. Megan not only has a gift with dogs but also took so much time during pickup to educate us on how to set boundaries and interact with our dog. The difference in our dog's behavior has been night and day. He has a new sense of calm because he better understands our rules and boundaries, making our relationship smoother. I highly recommend Megan to anyone who wants to help their dog be well-balanced and how to provide that life for them. read more

When our big Great Dane puppy started getting really BIG, we realized we needed to seek out professional training. He was definitely in need of some structured training, and we needed some structured guidance since he is our first dog. Yeah,yeah, I know what you're thinking....why the HECK would you pick a Great Dane as your first dog!?! Anyway, we googled "doggie boot camp" and came across this group of amazing trainers. We made a quick phone call to them, gave them some details, and were contacted quickly by the trainer directly. He explained their program usually lasts two weeks, and they would focus on some of the problems we mentioned. For instance, we explained that our not-so-little puppy was behaving as puppies do, but at his size the jumping, puppy craziness, nipping, leash pulling, and not coming when we called him was starting to be a big problem. We knew if we didn't do something soon, it was going to become an even more enormous problem to deal with! Though the training was a stretch for us on our budget, we took the plunge anyway and committed to the program. A couple of weeks later we dropped Merlin off on his new adventure. The trainer gave us a tour of the facility, and set our minds at ease. In fact, within the first ten minutes Merlin was acting remarkably well behaved with his new trainer! It's no wonder the trainer was like the "dog whisperer"...the trainer explained that he has actually trained with Ceasar Milan, and they use the same training techniques. We felt very comfortable leaving him, and were soon off on our way already missing our pup. It was tough leaving him, but we happened to be going out of town during that time and knew we were leaving him in good hands. Throughout the two weeks, we got occasional updates and pictures to show his progress. Towards the end of the two weeks, we spoke with the trainer and he wanted to keep Merlin for a third week at no charge. Though we missed Merlin, we knew we picked the right trainer because it was obvious that they wanted to make sure Merlin was fully trained to their satisfaction. To be honest, I wasn't that surprised that Merlin was being a stubborn boy! When the third week was up, we finally got to the day we could pick him up! It was bitterly cold outside, but we made sure to bundle up because the trainer said we would spend a couple hours with him working with Merlin. When we got to there, Merlin saw us the window and it was clear he was excited to see his mommy and daddy! The trainer spent a long time guiding us through the techniques, and giving us tips and recommendations. It was clear that this was mommy and daddy's time to get training! Merlin was amazing, so much more mature and calm...and such a good boy! After a couple hours we got to bring him home for some major cuddle time. I honestly believe that putting Merlin through his training has enriched his and our lives. We can take him places now that we never could have before. He goes to the dog park, has walked in parades, has been in the 5k9 walk in Chicago, and everyone loves to be around him. They truly did solve all of the problems we had with him. And the most amazing thing is that my mom, who was previously afraid of dogs, now adores Merlin and is even thinking about getting a dog of her own! The best part of completing the training is that we now have a place to board Merlin when we have to go out of town. We have taken him twice for boarding, and it is great because it is basically a "refresher" on his training while they have him. The most recent time we left him there, he was actually wagging his tail and EXCITED to get there! It was like we were leaving him for his own little vacation. In fact when we got there, he ran to greet everyone and forgot mommy and daddy were even there! I cannot praise this group enough...and I will be sure to bring all of my future dogs to them for their excellent training program. My biggest recommendation is to not wait until your dog has terrible habits...bring your dog in early so that his or her life can be lived to the fullest. read more

Our pup went to Megan Wallace for a 2 week board and train and Megan ended up keeping him for an extra week (free of charge) because he needed extra work as our puppy was lacking a lot of confidence. Megan also worked with me during those 3 weeks and helped me understand my own energy that I was putting on Winston unknowingly. She recommended our family read the book, Cesar's Way by Cesar Milan to help us understand that dogs need calm/assertive leaders to live a happy and balanced life. She is incredible and has helped us so much and is a continued support for us when I have questions. We feel so blessed and grateful to have found Megan and would give anyone a recommendation for her! Winston is going back to board with her when we go on vacation and am so grateful he will be in her home when we are away! read more

I can't say enough great things about this team of truly dedicated individuals that go above and beyond, to train YOU and your dog. Mine is a rescue, and though we love him dearly I was at my wits end...wouldn't come when he was called, "heel" oh no that's the bottom of a shoe, chasing cats, squirrels, bright shiny objects! He couldn't be left with just anyone; oh, and I travel for a living. Midway Dog Academy to the rescue...he comes on command. "Heel" is NOT the bottom of a shoe; our walks are amazing :) His eye contact...wait...there's actually eye contact! We've never had eye contact before the Midway Dog Academy. I can take him anywhere and everywhere and feel confident in his/my training and ability. The greatest compliments about my dog come from those that new him before and after Midway Dog Academy...they can't believe he's the same dog. I highly recommend this team of people read more

We sent our GSD puppy to Megan about 2 years ago and ever since then my poor dog has been traumatized. I'm sure she has read all the Cesar Milan books out there but basically what you get when you send your dog to her is your dog in a crate all day while she tends to her kids and her own dogs. I had to call/text for updates that were promised to me. All i got was her walking my dog. Then, you will get a call asking to keep your dog for just one more week because they "are lacking confidence" or "not adjusting well to the crate." But actually, she is just getting them accustomed to the electric shock collar she used on my dog without even asking! I believe she was a factor in making my sweet boy reactive to all dogs and humans. My dog has not lived a normal life since we brought him home from her. She offered to help when i sent videos to her of my dog being completely reactive to everything, but she never got back to me, and I've never heard from her again. I would never recommend her to anyone in need of training, EVER! read more

Great experience, wonderful people. Midway Dog Academy saved our dog. Our dog was scared of everything including other dogs and people. Because of this, she started to become aggressive with our family. We thought that it might be best to get rid of the dog. Instead, we found Midway Dog Academy. Scott took time to talk with us and explain what was going on with the dog and how they could help. The day we took our dog in for training, Scott took a little time to work with our dog, just to see if it was a good fit. We could tell right away that they love dogs and have a connection with them. After the training session, we picked up a new dog. She is now a wonderful part of the family. She has no problem with other dogs or people We have also used them to board our dog. Kendra does a wonderful job and loves the dogs. They are not just stuck in a cage barking with a bunch of dogs. They are in a wonderful caring place. They get out an run in large grassy open areas with other wonderfully trained dogs. Scott and Kendra are wonderful people that love what they do. They dedicate their lives to making dogs and their owners live happier lives. read more

Midway Dog Academy saved our family from having to give up our dog. After having spent thousands of dollars on every training collar,harness,thunder shirt, toy, treat and many other trainers we finally found Midway Dog Academy. Our dog would lunge on the leash, break out of her kennel, try and chase every squirrel or animal she saw. She was always nervous and was never able to be off of her leash or come close to another dog. After sending our dog to Midway Dog Academy we now enjoy the lifestyle we always wanted and dreamed of with our dog. We enjoy going to off leash dog parks, hiking with our dog and letting her run off leash with other dogs in open field socialization. The off leash and recall training they do is absolutely amazing, our dog never used to come when called, now she will come back to us when her name is called even if all the way across a field or in the woods. Midway changed the way our dog lives and the way we live for the better. Upon doing more research on style of training they use, we found out these are the same techniques that Cesar "The Dog Whisperer" uses. Midway Dog Academy was always available for follow up questions and if we ran into a problem they were always willing to help correct the issue. We couldn't have been happier with the final result. My wife used to call me crying and balling her eyes out because our dog would constantly be acting up, now I just get happy photos of her playing with other dogs, rolling around in the grass and snuggling on the couch together. Our family can't thank Midway enough and we highly recommend them. read more

We adopted a 5 month old high energy dog who was initially always tugging on her leash and always looking for her next great chewing adventure. We were hesitant at first to leave our dog at a training academy, but when we came back to get her and spent 3 hours being debreifed by her trainers on when to initiate commands, when and when not to let her know she has our attention (not giving in) and how to properly use an E-collar. We were more than pleased with the results we got for our money. Our now 1 year old pup walks alongside us without jumping or tugging on her leash, is much more relaxed on walks and around strangers in and outside the house, and now knows which chew toys are hers and which are our prized couch pillows. An E-collar (shock collar as it is known by those who don't pay attention on how to use one, is a collar with 127 settings, we personally tried it on ourselves on settings 1-50, and could not even feel it. We found through the training that our dogs range is between 9 and 13. We do NOT shock our dog. It is just one of many tools they trained us on to train her. It is the equivalent of tapping her on the shoulder simply when she is out of reach. We have worked in tandem with it and commands to train our dog so that now she does things on command even without the E-collar on. We now have a relaxed, well behaved member of the family who we otherwise would of had to give up due to her initial antics. We had tried other trainers using treats and methods that simply never got results, regardless of how much we reiterated the training. All we got from it was a dog that loved treats. If you don't put in the time to regularly train your dog, whether it be leash work, interacting with other people/dogs, or simply creating a place in your home for your dog to sit in the living room that is their own place (other than the furniture) then you haven't payed attention to the training methods midway dog academy instills in YOU as an owner to relay the best methods that work for your particular four legged friend. We can't thank you enough. read more

Midway Dog Academy is the BEST. First and foremost, I must tell you that I have had dogs all my life and for the most part knew that with consistency and positive affirmation, I could my dogs to obey. Well ..... my challenge was on when we adopted a black lab/pit mix. This puppy was a challenge from the get-go. Basic commands, taking a walk, potty training, riding in the car, feeding time - you name it, they were all a disaster. I knew we needed professional help. From the moment I had my phone consultation with Scott at Midway Dog Academy, I felt hopeful that our boy was not a lost cause. Sincerely, prior to that phone call, I thought there was little hope. The training weeks could not have arrived soon enough for me. I was very frustrated and quite frankly, needed a break from the day to day challenge of our new addition. When I met Scott and Kendra at Midway Dog Academy, we immediately knew 'all was well'. Both Scott and Kendra are such AWESOME, good people. You know when you 'just know'. Don't get me wrong, even though our boy was a challenge, we don't entrust handing over 'one of the family' to strangers lightly. Following drop off, Kendra sent video's, pictures, and kept us abreast of the training progress. We missed our guy each and every day but the end result was worth it. It turns out that Scott and Kendra were right on with our boy's anxiety which caused him to act out and contributed to his inability to absorb basic commends. Today - our boy is a different member of the family thanks to the love and training from Midway Dog Academy. We are SO grateful! read more

We got a Siberian Husky puppy last summer and had never had a dog before. She was fun and playful but somewhat wild and excitable. We were always afraid she was going to run away and never look back! We took her to Midwest Academy when she was about 4 months old and talked with the trainers to understand that an "excited" dog is not a "happy" dog. After her training at the academy we continued the training including good manners when walking, proper socialization with other dogs and just being a good dog! Ellie is now 10 months old and is the sweetest and happiest dog I know. And I think a big part of it is that we were properly trained as well as Ellie was. We take her back to board with Midwest Academy (and mostly because of Kendra - she is great). We would definitely recommend new dog owners look into the program. Early training with Ellie has resulted in a wonderful experience. We are already thinking about getting another "happy" addition to the family! read more

Our dog used to bark at every noise, jump on or bark at people we let in our home, even if she knew them. We couldn't take her on walks because she would pull the whole time and sometimes hurt herself in the process. If she saw another dog that made the walk even worse! I had had enough of this craziness and knew something had to change because we were miserable and knew our dog couldn't be happy in this state either. I decided to call around and after talking to a highly recommended professional who had been training dogs for thirty years, said my dog was untrainable because of her age, I was discouraged. I came across Midway Dog Academy and gave them a call. Scott agreed to meet with me and access my dog's behavior to see if they could help. After meeting me and my dog, Scott and Kendra said she could be trained. After her training, she was a completely different dog. We now can take her on walks on and off leash. We had used different training methods in the past such as clickers and harnesses but these did not work. I used to be one of those people that thought the recall method was "being mean". Scott and Kendra walked us though the process of using it and explained how it works. My dogs still wears her collar as a precaution but I don't need to use it very often. My dog is very well behaved around my house guests and doesn't run around barking anymore. I am so glad I found Midway Dog Academy, I only wish I had found them years ago! I look forward to boarding with them in the future. read more

I contacted Midway Dog Academy in September of 2014 after my husband and I picked up our 8 week old chocolate lab, Seamus. Scott returned my request for information by email and by phone. Scott and I spoke for nearly an hour about his training philosophy and services. I was not looking for a board and train option initially as my husband wanted to have Seamus field/hunt trained with another trainer. After my extended conversation with Scott, I suggested my husband speak with him. We ended up bringing Seamus for a visit to their W. Chicago property. After seeing how Scott interacted with Seamus, both outside and inside, we were sold on his approach and signed our Seamus up - a calm/chill dog is a happy dog. We scheduled our drop off date for their Naperville property. It was very difficult to leave Seamus but we didn't regret our decision for a minute. Scott and his training partner Kendra really seem to love dogs and I believe they treated our boy with kindness and respect. I trust this because on both occasions when we have brought him back to board, Seamus has been overjoyed to see them both. Scott and Kendra gave my husband and I a common language to use with Seamus and tools to help our boy grow into a wonderful young dog. Touch = technology with the training collar. There is correction and reward in their training and we were given much guidance on the appropriate use of both. Seamus is now seven months old and he is a joy to have in our home. We will continue to use their boarding services and rely on them for training/guidance when needed. It is a shame to read a negative review of MDA, as we have had nothing but positive experiences with Scott and Kendra. My husband and I would strongly recommended MDA for training. read more