I am working with Sidekick to teach two old dogs (three, if you count me) new tricks, namely how to get along so they can live together. Both have been solitary dogs and preferred to stay that way. Jennifer from Sidekick has been great with laying out a stepwise process to follow, giving homework assignments, tracking progress, and illustrating techniques. She provides additional reading, notes, and encouragement between sessions via emai. These are the most important of the services. But what makes this all possible is the ease with which scheduling happens, communication occurs, and payments are made. For a small business with no real back office, Sidekick uses technology very well to support customers. read more

SideKick Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Honestly got frustrated with my puppy and quit training him and no follow up after spending thousands.

My dog Bean has been in need of obedience training (and dog training in general) for quite awhile now. While I thought we had finally come to an agreement of sorts that "no, my mom's shoes are not for eating" and "Bean is not the one walking the human", she still feels the need to prove to me that she has the heart of a lion and will not be tamed. At my wits end and standing amidst a few piles of fun Bean left for me, I finally decided to make a move in the right direction and find someone to help me get a handle on the ferocious, yet perfectly lovable and fluffy, Bean. Enter Jenn and Sidekick Dog Training. After just one session, I immediately felt that Bean and I would make it after all. Jenn showed me how I can preserve my sanity AND improve my relationship with Bean by getting rid of punishment style training (like when I would yell at Bean for eating my shoes) and relying on incentive based training and positive reinforcement (giving a treat when Bean notifies me that she needs to be let out to use the potty - something we've struggled with, even though she is technically housebroken). Long story short: Jenn knows her stuff. If you're looking for a dog trainer for behavioral issues, general obedience, learning to walk on a leash, or just in an attempt to save your favorite pair of Jimmy Choo pumps, stop searching right this instant and contact Sidekick Dog Training. read more

Having worked here some time ago I can say with all honesty, don't take your dog here. Hearing that they are still treating their employees like crap and up to their same sad practices, I thought this review was long overdue. I know it's long but it's the truth. I have photo proof and past employees that will confirm my words. Depending on who is working that day. Because each employee has various levels of effort they put into this job. When you drop off your dog they will get a thin blanket to pad them while they lay on the cement/plastic floor of their kennel. If a blanket wasn't placed on top the night before then it's a 50/50 chance someone is going to put effort into walking all the way to the blanket rack and getting your pup some comfort. Yes, you can send their bed with them but most of the time it doesn't get put in the kennel with them. Mostly to prevent it from getting dirty or damaged. Platform mesh beds are great because they are easier to clean yet still comfortable for your pupper. It still takes more time to clean that up in the bathtub though. So again it goes back to effort of the employees working that day. My superior at the time often skipped duties because she wanted to get out on time or simply didn't want to do the task at that time. Dogs without vaccines are not turned away. They instead are kept secluded in the bathrooms, break room, or offices. They still use the same outside space in playgroup the other dogs use. That means they are drinking from the same water bucket. Pee and pooping in the same space. Play groups are 10-20 minutes long depending how many dogs are currently there. Groups are sorted by play style. Puppies, gentle, rough play, and human only. Dogs that are human only play are suppose to have a kennel tech giving them love or entertainment during their playtime. However this is again 50/50 . Often they are left only to watch the dogs beside them playing. Speaking of play groups, your dog gets to enjoy a fenced off concrete slab with a bucket of water. They never touch grass. They pee and poo on the concrete. In the summer if it is too hot the groups are made smaller and shorter before going back inside. Each dog is supposed to get to go out at least 3 times. If it starts raining during outside play groups and the dogs get wet, they get put in their kennel wet. Same for in the summer when they are playing in the small plastic kid pools. It takes an extra 2 minutes to towel off a dog but this is a hard concept for them. If your dog is boarding with Sidekick they go out in the morning to potty while the kennel is cleaned then 2-3 plays and an after dinner potty. Then they sit in their kennel waiting up to 12 hours overnight. The first kennel tech gets there at 6:15 but your dog might be waiting till 10am before they get to go out again since the night before. If you are paying for Sidekick to train your dog while in daycare you might be wasting your money. Often dogs go home before the trainer gets around to them, or the trainer shows up late in the day. The hot dogs they use as training treats are left open in the break room fridge. They are often crusty and dried out. They expect you to keep your lunch and drinks in this same fridge that they also keep dog poop samples in. The place is gross and needs a DEEP CLEAN. There is built up hair, pee, poop, blood, and other gunk in corners and on the walls. Stains that don't come up with your basic sweep and mop duties before closing. The cleaning staff can only do so much with the time they are given. I have seen them busting butt to clean that place but at the end of the day it still needs so much work. They will talk about you behind your back to other employees, bully you, and belittle you if you don't meet their standards. I am grateful for what I have learned working at Sidekick. I learned how to introduce new dogs to each other, how to break up fights, and what their body language means. As well as different types of playing styles. The dogs were always the reason I went back to work the next day. read more

Jenn is the BEST! We had an amazing experience working with her the past few months training our Aussie puppy. She helped us learn a lot of the basics, but also addressed our concerns specific to our puppy (counter surfing, house training, barking, etc.). She gave us tons of good tips and followed up with notes/homework assignments that we will continue to use now that our sessions are over. Also appreciate her willingness to answer questions over email! Our puppy loved our training sessions and we feel more bonded to our pup than ever thanks to this training! Totally worth it. read more

My dog Zeus has never been successful when it comes to leash walking; his wild behavior was my main concern. When we went on walks, Zeus would often lunge and bark at people passing by. There were times he would pull away from me, run towards a person or dog but stop short, lose interest and return back to me. Sometimes if another dog approached Zeus, he would hide behind me. These problems weren't going away with my methods, so a search for dog training began. Working with Jenn through SideKick Dog Training opened my eyes to why Zeus was behaving the way he was. Before getting my border collie, I most definitely knew this specific breed needed a lot of exercise. My problems with Zeus were further exacerbated by the fact that, by nature, he is beyond energetic. Jenn suggested that I take Zeus to a local dog run for daily exercise and more socialization. Working with Jenn, she designed a positive reinforcement walk strategy. Each time a person or dog came into view, I would talk to Zeus in a happy tone and pull out a handful of treats. While continuing to move past, I would encourage Zeus to nibble at the treats. After the person or dog was a few feet behind them, I would praise Zeus on a job well done along with another nibble of treat. I am very pleased with Zeus' progress. We are able to enjoy our walks now and Zeus is receiving even more exercise and socialization! Because of Jenn I now have a calmer, well-behaved dog, and I have the tools to give Zeus the structure and love he craves! I am so lucky to have connected with Jenn at SideKick Dog Training. She has been a godsend! Living in New Berlin, I was excited to know that the business wasn't far, just a quick drive from Milwaukee for Jenn to provide us with in-home training sessions. Who doesn't love supporting local businesses? Not only that, but with Jenn's prices I knew I wouldn't have to break the bank to obtain positive training for Zeus. Win-Win-Win! read more