Real Stories fromHappy Families

"We adopted a dog from a shelter in February 2025 and quickly realized he was demonstrating anxiety and fear. We originally hired a trainer to help us acclimate our pet, but discovered he was not the "trainer" he proclaimed to be. We did try a few of his methods, but we still did not feel our dog was adjusting. After some extensive research, we found Matt at K9 Learning Academy LLC. We reached out to him and made an appointment to meet him, and for him to meet our dog. After some discussion we all felt he would benefit from the Board and Train so Matt could have one on one with him. It was a difficult decision to make as our "fur baby" would be away from us for several weeks, but we wanted to help him any way we could. When he finally came home, it took a few days for him to adjust to our routine again, but he adjusted well. Matt made us aware his anxiety was from fear. Matt is very knowledgeable of behavior as well as nutrition and has an extensive "tool box" of staff as well as connections with other professionals he has reached out to. If he is not quite sure of a behavior, diet or medication he reaches out for advice. We had questions about several issues, and he always gets back to us with answers. We have also made some changes to his diet and it seems to be helping. Matt continues to train at home with us once a week and will continue to do so until our dog has overcome his fears. We highly recommend Matt and his staff at K9 Learning Academy. We can't thank the entire staff enough for assisting in his training as well as the compassion they provided our dog while there!"

"Our Diesel was almost 1 year old when he went to be trained with Matt. He is 165 lbs. We had not been able to walk him in over a month! He pulled so much when my husband was walking him, my husband was having terrible back pain. Diesel was with Matt for 3 weeks. Diesel is now able to be walked with no issues! Everyone is amazed at how much calmer and obedient he is now! Matt is wonderful! We are very satisfied with the training Diesel recieved! Worth every dollar!"

"I have a pit bull puppy that was wild as can be. Sent her to the academy for the board and train program and she came back a completely different dog. Im absolutely amazed at how well she behaves now. Thank you Matt and the rest of your crew for helping with my molly!!"

"Matt is amazing!! We got a 2year old rescue black lab last fall after being told he was great with people, including children, just had no training. When we brought him home he was a nervous mess. Would not come into house, once in wouldn't go out w/o us carrying him, wouldn't look at us, etc. over 3 weeks we got him to trust my husband and I, and got him house trained and he was very sweet with us. But whenever anyone came over he was very wary, bristling and occasionally lunged and snapped at them(no biting tho). We knew it was fear aggression but had trouble finding a good trainer who would work with him. We have small grandchildren and a lot of people come to our house so I was a nervous wreck, which also fed into Chester's anxiety. Then we found Matt! He is so calm! He didn't over sell what he could do(which I greatly appreciated after being oversold in the beginning), but he was confident he could help. We did board and train and it was the best money ever spent! Chester is perfectly trained(Matt is still working on training us tho!). Matt is great with working with the owners after training to make sure we are doing what we need to do to maintain the training! He is getting better with other people, although I still was very nervous. We boarded him w Matt and he took him around people, and said he did well. So the big test was this past weekend-I had all 6 of my grandkids(. 5 years and under) and their parents for a long weekend and Chester did great!!!! I was a nervous wreck the 1st day, but was able to relax after. He mostly ignored everyone, but that was perfect!!! Thank God for Matt! He did an amazing job not only training Chester, but working on his confidence and teaching us how to do the same! I would 100% recommend k-9 learning academy!!"

"Stu and Matt have really been a blessing to me and my baby! For the last 3 years it's only been him and I and he's only gotten more protective of me. I couldn't really have him around any others except close friends/family. He was always barking at other dogs and didn't like kids at all. I have never left my dog with anyone but family and a close friend so I was super nervous about leaving him with someone new. They were awesome with communicating and letting me come visit. After sending him to Matt and Stu, he's been the sweetest boy. The look in his eyes has gone from scared and protective to gentle and loving. Now I can have him around anyone who comes over and I can take him everywhere with me. He hasn't reacted to anything since coming home and I'll forever be grateful to them for allowing me to integrate my dog with my outside life. They truly are the best."

"There aren't enough words in the dictionary to express how amazing, talented, professional this agency is! I don't think there is any one more talented and gifted than Stu. The money is well spent and to have my wonderful fur baby happy, trained and she has a home in the heart of Stu - well, that's priceless! They are 12 stars company, not 5! Choose them, you will have no regrets but a happily ever after with your fur baby! Thank you Stu! There is no agency I could recommend higher than this one! Run to the phone and make an appointment!"

"Matt at K9 Learning Academy is absolutely fantastic! He is much more than a dog trainer. He understands dog behavior, how to help them overcome their issues, and he works with owners to help them learn what their pet needs. Our dog was a rescue, and she suffered from fear aggression. It was extremely difficult (and scary) to introduce her to new people. We chose the board-and-train option, and it made all the difference! After our girl came home, Matt continued to work with us on introductions, leash walking, and basic commands as well as helping us to manage her frequent barking. She is happy and so much more comfortable meeting people now. Matt truly goes above and beyond your expectations. He and his program have likely saved many dogs' lives and helped them to be happier and more relaxed in their surroundings. We highly recommend Matt and the K9 Learning Academy program!"

"We recently completed a training program at the K9 Learning Academy with Stu, and I cannot recommend the experience highly enough. From start to finish, Stu's expertise, patience, and passion for dog training were evident. His approach is both professional and personalized, ensuring that each dog and owner receive the attention and guidance they need. Stu's in-depth knowledge of canine behavior helped us understand our dog's actions and how to effectively communicate with him. The training sessions were well-structured, progressive, and included a variety of techniques to keep both the dogs and their owners engaged. Stu also provided valuable resources and follow-up support, making it easy to continue training at home. Sammy's behavior has improved dramatically, and our bond is stronger than ever. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, dedicated, and effective dog trainers, the K9 Learning Academy is the best choice."

"Stu did wonders for our boy. He was only 1-1/2 years old when we adopted him, but wasn't socialized and was very reactive, at times even redirecting towards our other dog. Over the next 1-1/2 years we tried two different trainers. He learned some commands but it didn't address his fear. My stress level was high all the time because he was unpredictable and I'm sure he fed off that too. Short of taking him back to the kill shelter we got him from, we didn't know what to do. We decided we had to give him one more chance. Four weeks at K9 Learning academy saved his life! They focused on impulse control and confidence building, and the change in him is remarkable! My stress level plummeted. The package also includes at-home training sessions, and new tools and methods for working with him. We knew they wouldn't be able to resolve all his issues but in four weeks we were so impressed by the changes in his behavior that we now know he has a forever home with us. He's been home for two months and continues to improve as we implement what Stu has taught us and continue training with K9 Learning Academy. Most importantly, there has been absolutely no reactivity towards our other dog. Had I gone to K9 Learning Academy first, we wouldn't have endured so much stress for so long and would have saved the money spent on the other trainers. Thank you, Stu and K9 Learning Academy!!"