After doing a thorough search of trainers on the area, I had consults with a few and Michael at…read moreProTrain sold me on their process and methods. I was on the fence about an e-collar and I have never been so happy to be proven wrong. We brought our 6 month old, male Catahoula to board and train for fear-based issues and general disrespect due to lack of socialization opportunities (thanks covid). We had a scared, pushy a*hole on our hands and 3 weeks later, we had a respectful quasi-gentleman returned to us. Full spunk and happy disposition intact. I have been blown away in the change in our pup's confidence and obedience (especially with a young puppy). He is a true joy to have as part of our family and even more so that he mentally balanced. Shell and Michael have always been available for our questions and the complimentary refresher training has been wonderful. It really proves that they stand behind their training. I look forward to working with them in the future!

Hannah was awesome! I almost gave up on my hyper pup, but Hannah worked with him and like magic! He…read moreis a dream dog now.

Highly recommend the instructors, Patti & Sarah. Training is very organized & always a positive…read moreenvironment for the dog & owner. I have taken my 3 dogs through Puppy Preschool, Kindergarten & obedience. Every class has been excellent & educational. A very positive aspect of the classes is the recap of training covered, question & answer period at the end of classes. This is the facility to train at if you want exceptional training for your puppy.

Patti was such a great help when it came to training our puppy Winnie! She tailored every session…read moreto our dog's needs and how we can better support/train her. She also took the time to send us a recap after every session with resources so we always had something to refer back to. We enjoyed every session and have nothing but Pawsitive things to say :)

I'm really disappointed in how this business handles communication and customer service. I enrolled…read morein a 4-week group training class for my 9 month old puppy. I reached out nine days before the first session to ask about moving to the following 4 week session since I would be missing two out of four classes. I wasn't asking for a refund--just to switch sessions. My email went unanswered, and I had to call the facility to leave a message before the owner finally texted me back. I was told there are no changes or cancellations allowed, and to simply watch videos for the weeks I'd miss. One of the main reasons I chose this trainer was for the in-person group training and socialization, which can't be replaced by videos. I can find plenty of training videos online. This 4 week training was expensive, but I was very much so excited to grow with a training facility nearby. As a Carlsbad local, I love supporting small businesses, but this experience has been very disappointing. A little flexibility and better communication would have gone a long way.

I have taken classes with Laura since 2004, and just graduated my third dog/student with her... I…read morereally can't say enough good things about her thoughtful, positive reinforcement common sense approach to training, dogs and their humans! She really understands dogs and is a gifted trainer. Highly recommend her, and we will be back again and again!

Nikki is amazing. She took me and my 3YO dachshund - neither of whom had ever stepped foot on…read moreagility course - and turned us into competitors in the agility space. We are so happy that we started our training with Nikki, who is kind and patient, while also pushing us to be a competitive team while running. That means that we're not only taking home ribbons, but also bonding and having a blast on the course. Dash LOVED attending Nikki's classes; he was always so excited to run, and the courses Nikki put together were always fun and exciting while also being accessible to dogs of all skill levels. We loved training with Nikki, and if she was still in our area, we would 100% still be training with her. Because of her guidance and support, I'm a better handler and Dash is a happier dog, and we're both having a ton of fun together. Don't hesitate, try out these classes. Guarantee it will be a memorable experience.

I cannot recommend Nikki enough when it comes to dog training. Before I started training with…read moreNikki, I was seriously considering rehoming (giving back to the original rescue) my dog as I felt ill-equipped and completely lost with his behaviors. I genuinely believe that if it wasn't for Nikki, my dog would likely not be alive right now as he probably would have been marked for behavioral euthanasia. Nikki saved my mental health and saved my dog Waldo. I hold immense gratitude for all of the help she has provided us. Nikki exemplifies what it means to be an expert in the field: her methods are evidence-based & she is always staying up-to-date with the most relevant information available. I found Nikki when researching private agility lessons for my reactive dog. While I never had any intentions of performing, I knew that my high-energy dog, Waldo, would benefit greatly from learning new experiences and confidence building. The first time Waldo and I met Nikki, I knew I wanted to work with her. She wasn't phased by his loud barking or lunging. Nikki immediately started guiding me on ways I can change my posture & breathing as well as informing me what Waldo's body language was telling her. After just one session, we discovered his reactive behaviors were actually fear-based (not solely aggression-based as other trainers had led me to believe). Then came the hard part: the (unintentional) reinforcement of these behaviors that I had caused due to my own ignorance. Nikki was realistic about progress and the time it would take. She won't lie or cut corners to tell you what you want to hear. It was her honesty and humility that had me sold. I only saw Nikki once a week with Waldo, but after working with her for almost 2 years we saw SO much progress. Waldo is much more confident in high-stress situations. I have a full tool kit of tricks I can use inside as well as outside the house. The training never stops when you leave the session! Nikki taught me so much about reactivity & threshold. That training has to happen when they are below threshold!! She doesn't assign morality to dogs. I remember saying "Waldo is a bad dog and I don't know what to do with him" and she gently corrected me by saying "Waldo is not a bad dog, he is A DOG and he is scared. What we have to do is show him that he doesn't have to be scared and that takes time & trust." We were able to slowly work our way up to having Nikki approach Waldo without a fearful response. And eventually even had Waldo take treats from her hand and respond to her giving him commands. AND THEN, we were able to have Waldo in the same space as Nikki's dog Charm. Charm was so unbothered by Waldo's barking it was honestly a comedic relief. Charm lives up to her name. She is a beautiful, smart and oh-so sweet dog. Just having neutral // positive interactions around another dog was vital to Waldo's success and confidence building. Also, knowing that Nikki trusted me and Waldo to be able to interact with Charm after we spent so much time in 1:1 training helped MY confidence as well. I learned sooo much from Nikki, I could probably write a book just singing her praises. While I was devastated when I found out she was moving, knowing that she is going to continue educating dog owners and offering these valuable training lessons helped lessen the tears. Everyone in my life that knows Waldo has seen long-lasting, impactful changes in his behavior. And all of the praise goes to Nikki and her techniques! Come to Nikki with an open-mind and a willingness to learn. She very well could change your life for the better, the way that she did mine (and Waldo's!).

I am so thankful I found Topline K9. My dog Buster is from a rescue so I was already concerned with…read morehaving him go with someone else for training but he needed it. Leash walking was a challange and he was pretty hyper at home and all over the place. When Stephanie met Buster he already took to her. Stephanie is so sweet and has this calmness about her and you can tell just adores pets. She worked with Buster for 3 days and the results are amazing!!! Buster used to always jump on my bed no matter what, last night he actually listened and went straight to his doggy bed and slept there all night no problems. Took him walkin for the first time and his leash manners are incredible. I can't believe how much of a change! I highly recommend Stephanie and Buster will definately be boarding there at her home. Her home is so clean and the yard is nice and big for the pets to play in.

My black Labrador retriever Skylar first went to Stephanie at Topline K9 when Sky was about…read more18-months-old. She was a hot mess. She begged, went potty in the house, refused to get in the car without being dragged, pulled on walks, had zero manners, pushed into me when she wanted attention......you name it and she did it. So I signed her up do Topline's in-house training program. She posted daily pictures of Sky so I could see her progress and then one week in I got to go visit and I was literally shocked. I thought she had replaced my dog with a well-behaved one. What I saw next was a true miracle....Stephanie posted a YouTube video where she trained Skylar to willingly get in the car!!! Since then she has always done it and it has been a life changer.....she weighs 80 pounds so not being able to get her into the car meant to going to parks or on hikes and now we do them several times a week. Stephanie was firm.....with Sky and me and we both needed it!! She is always available now for a question or a refresher lesson! I went through lots of trainers....she is by far the best!!

After trying to manage some of Sage's behaviors on our own, we decided to enroll her in the board…read moreand train program at Kandid K9 Dog Training, and it was one of the best decisions we could have made. Our biggest concerns were her reactivity around other dogs and her tendency to jump on people. Josh and Ali did an incredible job working with Sage, but just as importantly, they taught us how to continue the training once she came home. They were patient, encouraging, and made sure we understood how to be consistent so Sage could keep improving. What really sets Kandid K9 apart is the ongoing support. Josh and Ali have continued to answer our questions and help us work through things after the program ended, which has been invaluable. You can tell they genuinely care about the dogs they train and want both the dogs and their owners to succeed.

Just take your dog there! You won't be sorry. I researched for months, met with three trainers…read morebefore them and I "fired" all three. Two yelled at me, one over the phone. I felt like a terrible dog owner. Mind you, my pup has no behavioral issues, just needs extensive obedience training because she is signed up for therapy dog school next year. And also, I just wanted a well trained dog that I can take anywhere. However, I have had three special needs dogs before her, so can completely understand the training needs for these dogs and Josh and Ali would be perfect for these dogs too. When I talked to Josh over the phone, he made no assumptions about me or my dog and was so kind, positive and welcoming. I sent her to the "day camp" for two weeks, but also see the great benefit of the board and train. What sets them apart though, is the lifelong commitment to my pup. Unlike every other trainer that I researched, once you are done with the board and train or the day camp, Josh and Ali will then meet you at your home and places you often go for additional training. After that you graduate to Saturday group classes that they hold every Saturday and all is covered under the initial cost. And they get you ready for the AKC Good Citizen Test. Really... you cannot find that level of commitment from any other trainer (I looked). What I also really appreciated was that they tailored their training to me and my dog. She is super "soft" and they didn't force anything on us that we were not comfortable with, which all of the other places did without even meeting us. Also, in every Saturday class, Josh has a quick session of behaviors that she will need for therapy school. We get stopped all the time to ask if our dog had training because she is so good everywhere we go. Of course, we tell them about Kandid K9. I cannot thank them enough.

Review for Michelle with Cosmo K9 Obedience for Max's training:…read more Max came to us after being surrendered to the Humane Society. We were told he had been an escape artist, and once we got to know him, we quickly realized just how much help he needed. He had no leash manners, was extremely reactive around other dogs, no recall, and pulled so hard that he left my wrist bruised. He was also very anxious and initially required medication. Oh and he's notorious for giving you the side eye... With my work schedule and limited experience with Mr. Sassy pants...I knew I needed professional help, so I reached out to Cosmo K9 Obedience and was matched with Michelle. She was truly the perfect match for Max. Michelle gave him exactly what he needed: love, patience, structure, and consistency. During his two-week training program, Max was exposed to so many new environments such as beaches, parks, stores, the mall, and more. He learned how to stay calm, listen, follow basic commands, and navigate situations that previously would have sent him into a barking or reactive frenzy. One thing I especially appreciated was Michelle's communication and attention to detail throughout the entire process. She provided detailed progress updates, photos, and notes that allowed us to see what Max was learning and how he was progressing. She even gave us a personalized graduation magnet with Max in a little cap and gown. It was such a thoughtful keepsake and a small personal touch that meant a lot to us. The difference we've seen is incredible. Max now enjoys his walks, responds to commands like sit, down, and recall, and is much more receptive when we encounter other dogs. He no longer bolts out the door, and even my kids feel more comfortable walking and working with him. Michelle didn't just train Max...she gave us the tools to continue his training at home. I know this is a lifelong commitment, and I have homework to continue working on, but I now feel confident that we have the tools to give Max the happy, active life he deserves. We're already looking forward to all the adventures ahead such as hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, bike rides, and so much more. We are incredibly grateful to Michelle for helping Max become a calmer, happier, and more confident dog.

I cannot sing the praises of Michelle enough! When Monty returned from two weeks of Board and…read moreTrain with Michelle, he was a changed dog. He's not just a calmer dog, he's a CALM dog. We've had no out-of-control barking incidents; he can be tethered and remain quiet. He's very good on walks, moving from "heel" to "break" and back to "heel" again. He's very responsive to the "off" command, which we use primarily to keep him off the furniture and out of the kitchen. Last week we had friends over for dinner and after his initial excitement he was a good boy, lying nearby content and chewing on a bone. We even attended the Humane Society Walk for Animals at Kit Carson Park, and with hundreds of dogs and people and non-stop activities, he was again a very well-behaved boy. We are so appreciative of the work that Michelle did with Monty. He is now the dog we always hoped he would be - happy, well-behaved, and living his best life!

We are so delighted that Hot Dog On a Leash has reopened their Carlsbad location. Wahoo! Cooper is…read moreoverjoyed to be back with his friends...his pet friends and his caretakers. It makes me smile to get a picture of Cooper playing during the day. I know that he is safe, loved and happy and he sleeps like a baby when he get home. Thank you Heather and company for keeping our dogs happy. We appreciate you all!

This place has gone downhill since 2020. It was great when Cliff was there, but they are extremely…read moredisorganized. They don't communicate well (simply sending a thumbs up for certain questions, etc.) and never refunded me for my boarding (+I still had outstanding pre-paid dog visits which I am now eating the cost - ~300) which they completely miscommunicated about and flaked (~$600) because they moved to a new location that is completely out of the way to their loyal patrons. Very disappointing considering how much I have spent for daycare through the years - esp considering I have two dogs. So they could make more money if their business acumen and communication was better.