After searching extensively for many months (+6) looking for a trainer that I could trust with the care and training of my German Shepherd Onyx I found Off Leash K9 via word of mouth. After speaking with Daniel extensively about his training tactics, behavior modification mechanisms, and his overall attitude towards working with dogs I was ecstatic to find a trainer whom I could trust. I signed up for the 2 week board and train with Daniel and Dylan at Off Leash K9. Daniel and Dylan both bring forth an energy that encourages the dogs they work with to want to focus, learn new commands, and execute them efficiently. The tactics they employ (voice, leash, and spatial pressure) allow for a well-balanced training program that allows a wide variety of techniques to encourage the dog to learn quickly and on their own. By using their 5-1 variable ratio reward schedule it does not develop a pattern for the dog to pick up and encourages them to try again until the reward is obtained which I have already noticed in Onyx' behavior when he's actively engaged trying to "win" his random reward. When I picked up my Shepherd Onyx after his two week board and train all of these tactics were explained in great detail, along with answering all of the questions I had, and then by engaging me to perform all of the same tactics they used to train Onyx during his stay. I was in awe of the progression that Onyx had made as prior to his board and train, he had leash anxiety when it came to meeting strangers or meeting other dogs; he was extremely excitable and would pull to meet these distractions. After returning home, practicing the commands and scenarios in my head and letting Onyx rest from a long day, we went on a walk together and to put it simply, I was moved by the drastic changes he had made. He was now fully focused on heeling and our walk. I've never enjoyed my time walking my dog as much as I did on that walk. We encountered many distractions (other dogs and people) which were all ignored as we continued on our walk. I made sure to engage in some free time sessions and allowing Onyx time to explore some himself while giving some random rewards when commands were given. Once it was time to continue, the second I mentioned his name, his full attention was given and we were back on our way. I cannot thank Daniel and Dylan enough for the training they have provided Onyx and myself. They have helped build a better relationship for Onyx and I that is worth more than anything. Onyx will most certainly be making visits back to visit the team! read more

The training I received with Off Leash Cleveland was WELL worth the time and money spent!! I have a completely different, well-behaved dog now! My story starts with a goofy, loving, super excited, somewhat anxious, 7 year old, 110-lb Chocolate Lab named Hank. While he wouldn't hurt a fly and behaved so well at home... going for walks, out in public, the front yard and visits from guests was a bit of an embarrassment. (I used to say that his "listening ears turned off".) After hearing about Off Leash Columbus through Instagram and then finding Off Leash Cleveland, we signed up for the 4-week Obedience Training course. We met with Jamie at a local park for four weeks in a row on Saturday mornings. We had "homework" to complete each week before our next session. (I required just as much training as Hank.) Don't get me wrong, there is work involved and you have to practice, practice, practice. But after it's all said and done, I'd sign-up again in a heartbeat! Our trainer Jamie was very patient and reassuring! She helped build my confidence just as much as Hank's. I was a little apprehensive about the ecollar, as I'm sure many first-timers are. But the way they introduce it to you by having you hold it first to see how it feels, made me feel so good about this company. I would never do anything to hurt my dog and knowing how the collar actually felt made me feel so much more relaxed about putting it on him. So now, my dog walks OFF LEASH the majority of the time and we can visit local stores like Lowe's and Home Depot as well as enjoy going to the local Farmers Market and Pups on the Patio events at our local winery. Our relationship together is so much better overall! Hank is still the biggest goofball ever and nothing changed about his overall attitude, except that he listens to me and acts like a gentleman in public. I will not hesitate to contact Off Leash Cleveland and trainer Jamie again in the future, as we will be adding a new puppy to our family soon! If your hesitant- JUST DO IT, YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! read more

I cannot speak highly enough of the work Daniel has done with our dog! We started taking our puppy to Daniel when she was 5 months old and have since then we have taken a total of 8 lessons. Prior to meeting Daniel, we took puppy classes at a local box store but felt that those classes were basically a waste of time/money especially after we saw the results Daniel was able to achieve. After each lesson with Daniel, we learned a new skill and we were amazed at how well our dog responded to Daniel and his direction. Now after only 8 lessons our dog is ready to be certified as a therapy dog which would not have been possible if not for Off Leash K9 Training. I have recommended Daniel to everyone I know and to everyone that stops me and asks how we got such a well behaved puppy. Aside from my wife wanting to volunteer with our dog, we are now able to (and look forward to) take our dog with us to many places that we would not have been able to if she was not so well behaved. Daniel does employ the use of an e-collar which my wife and I were hesitant to use at first but during the first meeting with Daniel, he made both of us hold the collar so we could feel the amount of sensation it provides. The level that I could at first feel the collar working was higher (18) than the level that we normally use with our dog (8). In perspective, at level 18, I describe the sensation I felt as similar to taking my own pulse, absolutely no pain, just a slight muscle movement. I feel that this is so much more subtle and gentle on the dog than seeing people pulling their dog on the end of a leash because the dog has not been properly trained. Plus now that my dog has completed her training, and is well behaved, I almost never have to use the collar but still have the peace of mind knowing it is there if the situation arises. read more

I took my 5 month old German Shepherd puppy to Nick with Off Leash Traning for a couple reasons. 1st. they where the only orginazation I could find in the twin cities that would work with Vets. As most know we are not made of money and Off Leash Training was the only org that seamed to know that. 2nd. Looking through what they offered and after talking to them Off Leash was the only org that didi not want to keep my dog for 3 months for basic obediance training that did not want to tell me no promises because I have a puppy. Now let me tell you about what I got, I could not have been happier, when I turned My Shiloh over to Nick that was the first time we had been apart since I got him at 3 months. He did some things but trained he was not he really did what he wanted. What I got back was a puppy that in 2 weeks was Heeling, sit, down, down at a distance, heel off leash, place and stay w/extended stay. Then he told me he was not just handing him off, Nick was Siloh's Trainer for life. When everyone else is telling me what can not be done Nick is showing me what he did do, and Shiloh is so happy at the same time. read more

I took my overactive, young, German Shepherd pup here for training. When I picked her up she was a different dog. She went from unruly, disobedient, oblivious to a little angel. Our relationship went from me frustrated with her, to a mutual respect and fun relationship. We now regularly go jogging, hiking, and doing various other things together in public. At the time that I rescued my little girl, Stormy, I didn't think there was any hope for her to be able to be in public around other dogs. I had seen other "behaviorists" and they all told me that there was no hope, or little to no hope. Now, she lives with another pup and we frequent the dog parks, dog stores, and even walk off leash within a foot of an outdoor cat in our neighborhood, and she doesn't think twice about acting out. He does train with an e-collar, which can be a point of conflict for some people, but I almost never have to use it. That being said, I also refused to put it on her, until I shocked myself with it. At the highest setting I use on my Stormy, I can barely feel it. He is a magic worker, and I swear by him. read more

Where to start? We have a 1 year old Chocolate Lab mix who is highly distractable, but was very good and knew basic manners. We live in the country and travel with Bruno quite a bit and needed him to be obedient even with distractions. I researched quite a bit before givie Off Leash a try. I could not be happier with the results! Bruno is able to walk well on a leash, come when called, and we even did the Advanced training! Daniel is such a delight to work with, and Bruno and us both loved him! Our friends and family comment all of the time how well behaved Bruno is and it is all thanks to Daniel! Perfect example - we were at my parent's lake house,and a big, ol' fat groundhog darted out from under the deck about 50 feet from Bruno. He started running at the groundhog to chase him, and we said "Bruno no, come" and he stopped dead in his tracks turned around and came right to us! No joke - it's amazing! We would highly recommend Daniel and Off Leash to anyone. It's made Bruno such a better companion, and we're thrilled! Thank you! read more

I was so glad I ran into one of Daniel's trainers at a park in Circleville, Ohio. She explained the services Off Leash K9 Training had to offer and suggested I check their site on the Internet. I was able to speak to Daniel that day about training for our 10 week old American Bulldog, Lola. She is the first large dog my husband and I have adopted, so we wanted to make sure we would be able to handle her in all situations. Daniel set us up with Dylan and Michelle as Lola's trainers. We already did the puppy training and we felt Dylan was very thorough. Lola already does most of the commands perfectly. A little bit of trouble with the out command. Lola does like to nip, so I immediately contacted Michelle and she told me how to handle Lola when this happens. I appreciated this so much! We are looking forward to Lola going to the board and train classes when she turns 5 months old. We are looking forward to Lola being able to participate in all our family outings. Thank you! Linda C. read more

Our six month old female boxer was virtually out of control behavior-wise until we enlisted Kaylie's help with training her. We chose to try private lessons first, but working with our thick headed puppy was more of a challenge than these two senior citizens could handle. Kaylie suggested that we enroll our puppy in the boarding/training program, so intense instruction could be put in place daily throughout the course of two weeks. This was definitely what our canine needed. It's been approximately 2-1/2 months since the last training session ended. We've seen a definite improvement, but our girl still tests us. Following the instructions upon exiting the training program is a must, and we admit we have not been as diligent as we should have been. The e-collar has been a saving grace when company enters our house and when we take our girl for a walk. Working with your pet on a daily basis is a must. We would highly recommend Off Leash K9 Training. read more

I had the opportunity to work with Dylan and Daniel when I took my adopted dog for training. I started out with the basic sessions and was pleasantly surprised at how well Shasta responded to the commands. She was very fearful of thunderstorms and other sudden noises and sounds. Dylan worked with her with several different sounds and items, Daniel gave me a noise cd to desensitize her fears. The first time I was able to let Shasta off leash to run and just be a dog was a huge day for us. She had been on a leash the whole time we had her. Now she can run and play without the tug of a leash to stop her. We then went on to the advanced sessions. I have been so pleased with her progress. I'm hoping in the future to do some therapy training. They answer emails, phone calls, texts in a very timely manner. They are extremely patient, especially with the person that is learning as well. Thank you both for all you do. read more

We are so impressed with our wonderful trainer Carissa. We had a consultation with Carissa initially and learned about their programs. We chose a 2 week Board and Train program. Our dog had become unruly and was showing signs of resource guarding that were more than difficult for us to manage. Carissa worked with our dog to overcome these issues with knowledge, patience and kindness. She taught him other basic commands such as sit, down, out, place, break and heel. Additionally, she communicated with us daily with progress reports, photos and videos so we could see how well our dog was doing and have confidence he was safe and being well cared for. I will request Carissa again if the need would arise. Off Leash K9 Training is a great program and I highly recommend them and especially Carissa! The training was worth every bit we paid for it. read more

When we decided to get an 8 week old Beagle puppy we knew we would need to take Abby thru obedience school. I researched trainers and methods and found Daniel. I called him on a Sunday morning not expecting a response for 24 hours. I was surprised when I received a response back right away. We scheduled Abby for a puppy consultation and enrolled her in obedience classes. We immediately felt at ease with Daniel and Abby did as well. Daniel was so patient and caring with Abby and she did so well with her training, I especially appreciated how Daniel explained to us and taught us how to work with Abby at home. Our friends and neighbors are amazed at Abby's behavior. I am so happy we found Daniel , he has given us so much peace of mind, we know we can take Abby wherever we go and know she will be well behaved, safe and secure. read more

I had done a lot of research regarding e-collars and training methods/philosophies before meeting Kayley at a pet expo in town. She was so friendly, professional, and really knowledgable about their programs and tools and helped me decide on a training package right for us and our dog. Kayley and the crew at Off Leash K9 Training of Columbus have been awesome! We chose to do the basic + advanced package rather than a residency and have been thrilled with the results! Kayley really helped us zero in on the specific areas of training we were struggling with and helped us seek out opportunities to work on those! Our dog had a solid foundation of obedience, but now he is really excelling off leash! The best part is that our lessons never expire, so we can work on our "homework" for weeks or months if we need to! Highly recommend! read more

Tilley (our chronic fence jumping beagle obsessed with rabbits and anything that moves) is a completely new dog now. Something clicked, and she 'got it'. She runs the entire fenced yard (3 acres or so) with great abandon, NEVER jumping the fence any more. She comes on command every time, often with no collar activation at all. Yesterday she went after a rabbit at full run, toward her spot she used to go over the fence. With no command at all from us she stopped at the fence and watched the rabbit go through! She paced around watching, then trotted back to us. I could not be more amazed in this much time! I took her to my nephews horse barn, and she stayed near while we worked on the barn, playing with the other dogs and coming on command. I can totally trust her! Thank you so much! read more

If you're dog need's some coaching (or in our case a lot of coaching) this is THE place you want to go. Daniel did a fantastic job with our 4 year old siberian husky Luka. Luka is like a compeletly diffent dog in all the best way's possible. Please don't waste your money anywhere else. At Off Leash K9 they also train you so you and your dog are both learning. Anyway im just wondering why we didnt do this sooner. Don't let someone tell you you're dog isnt trainable. Chances are they don't know what they're talking about or aren't very good trainers. Give it a try, they are very knowladgeable and their techniques actually work as long as they're done correctly. I am very happy and very pleased with our dog's progress. I was amazed how quickly Luka took to the training. read more

We picked our dog up last night from the 2 week board and train program. I had previously taken her to a puppy class and an obedience class where I worked on heeling morning and night for six weeks and she still pulled when walking. This morning was the first time I have ever had an enjoyable walk with her. She never left my side once. My husband, the eternal pessimist, walked her this evening and came back saying it was unbelievable. He did not have to correct her once. He was really blown away when he released her in our yard and she went chasing a cat. He said come one time and she immediately came running to him! Thank you for transforming the dog I have always loved into an obedient pet that can now be enjoyed by the whole family. read more

Our trainer, Kirstin, did a fantastic job with our dog, Lola. Lola is a high-energy, easily distracted puppy. We took her to PetSmart for basic training, but nothing (treats, toys, or clicker) would get her to focus on us, so we decided to do the two week board and train with Off Leash. Kirstin would send photos and videos of Lola's progress and she has even been available to answer questions/concerns since we brought Lola home. Our walks are enjoyable again and I love that I can take Lola out in public places. As another review said, "best investment ever" and I couldn't agree more! Thank you Kirstin and Off Leash!! Check out Lola's video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7EOXxFO2v8&t=306s read more

Kirsten did a fabulous job training our puppy, Tanner. Jumping on people, chewing on people, biting holes in clothes, jumping up on counters, defiance barking and going crazy due to excitement in public were the main issues we were experiencing. We tried and tried to train using treats, praise and toys; but Tanner would only respond long enough to get the reward. Kirsten corrected all the behavior issues I have listed and more, yet Tanner is still a fun and loveable puppy! When we picked Tanner up after 2 weeks, it was obvious that Tanner absolutely loved Kirsten. I highly recommend the K9 Off Leash training and Kirsten. read more

Daniel was exceptional with us and our dog. We originally went in to the process thinking we wanted to do the board and train but Daniel suggested that we bring our dog in for training sessions instead due to some of the behavioral issues our dog had. Immediately our dog's behavior was transformed. Our kids even asked, "Did you get a new dog". The information given in the training sessions was very easy to apply and we saw quick results. Our dog is now a calm, well mannered obedient dog. It truly has made having a dog that much better of an experience and a pleasure to have. I would recommend Daniel to anyone. read more

Our oldest Goldendoodle was trained at Off leash two years ago. Her training experience was so terrific that when we got our second doodle I made contact with them again for his training. We did a board and train with him and the difference in his listening, responding to commands, and overall behavior was night and day. They are always there for you to answer questions, process a problem, whatever they can do to help. They want you to be successful and your pup to be happy. I love the place and highly recommend. It is apparent that they love dogs, which is important to me. read more