K9 Learning Academy
Call or Text 843-400-8025Aggressive, fearful, or out of control? We find the cause behind the behavior.
You may have already tried a trainer, a special collar, or a video that promised a quick answer. When the change does not hold, it is usually because the fear underneath was never addressed. We work with reactive, fearful and bite-history dogs, and we have a certified behaviorist on staff.
Free evaluation. No obligation.
Book Your Free Evaluation
Takes about 30 seconds. We call you back within 1 business day.
4.9
from 52 Google reviews
24/7
Staffed residency
We hear this every week
If any of this sounds like your house, you are in the right place
Growls, lunges, or snaps at people or other dogs
Fear or anxiety that makes ordinary days stressful
You cannot have people over without bracing for it
Walks feel like a gamble, so you have stopped taking them
You already paid a trainer, and the results did not last
You love this dog. You are just out of ideas.
None of this means your dog is bad, and it does not mean you failed either. Something underneath is driving the behavior, and it keeps coming back because nobody has found it yet. That is the part we start with.
Tell us what has been happening. We will tell you honestly whether we can help.
Why the change holds when other approaches have not
Why the results last
An e-collar stops the reaction. It does not resolve it.
When a dog is reactive or fearful, the reaction is only a symptom. The cause sits underneath it, in how your dog feels.
The symptom-focused approach
Put an e-collar on the dog and correct the reaction until it stops. The growling, lunging or barking goes quiet, so it looks like progress. But the fear underneath is untouched. The dog has only learned that showing it costs something.
What we do instead
We find the cause first, then change how your dog feels about the thing that worries them. That takes longer. It is also the only version of the change that holds once the collar comes off, at home, on the walk, and around the people your dog lives with.
Three ways we help
You do not have to know which program your dog needs. That is what the free evaluation is for.
For reactive, fearful and bite-history dogs
Behavior Change Program
A residency built around your dog’s specific challenges, with a certified behaviorist on the case. We take on a limited number of behavior cases at a time so each one gets our full attention.
14-day and 21-day programs
Canine Residency Program
Reliable on-leash and off-leash obedience, proofed around real-world distractions. Owner transfer sessions, including in-home, are included.
Behavior work & obedience, at your home
In-Home Training
Your dog never leaves home. We do root-cause behavior work for reactive or fearful dogs, and basic through advanced obedience. Behavior clients are scheduled in small numbers so each one gets the time it needs.
Who we are
Real trainers. A real facility. Real accountability.
K9 Learning Academy trains dogs in Conway, South Carolina. Our founder trained under Joel Silverman and never stopped learning from vets, behaviorists, and specialists. Today the academy is three people deep: Matt, our founder and lead trainer; Caleb, our dog behaviorist with a diploma in Animal Psychology; and Stuart, a certified trainer who has worked with hundreds of dogs. All three of us work with the dogs in our care, so you always know who has your dog.
We are locally owned, and we keep our numbers small on purpose so every dog gets our full attention.
The K9 Learning Academy team
Readers’ Choice: Best Dog Trainer and Best Business
From dog owners who were where you are now
Serving Conway and the Grand Strand. These are the hard cases, in the owners’ own words.
Food aggression and a bite history
“We have a 3-year-old American bulldog/pitbull mix who struggled with obedience, was very dominant in the house, and had serious food aggression and resource guarding issues, including a bite history. We honestly didn’t know if real change was even possible. … Our dog is now happy, obedient, and listens to commands without hesitation.”
Julia Goldberg
Behavior Change · Caleb
Diesel, 165 lbs, could not be walked
“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! … Diesel is now able to be walked with no issues! Everyone is amazed at how much calmer and obedient he is now. Worth every dollar!”
Kate
Residency Program · 3 weeks
Two other trainers had already tried
“Over the next 1-1/2 years we tried two different trainers. He learned some commands but it didn’t address his fear. … Four weeks at K9 Learning academy saved his life! They focused on impulse control and confidence building, and the change in him is remarkable!”
Henry Peddicord
Residency Program · 4 weeks
Your free evaluation starts with one call.
If you are not sure your dog can still be helped, ask us. Most of the owners who call have already been told no by somebody else.
- A hands-on assessment of your dog by a certified professional
- The real reason behind the behavior, explained plainly
- A custom plan for your dog, with an honest recommendation
- Zero pressure and zero obligation
On capacity: we take on a small number of behavior cases at a time so every dog gets our full attention. If we are full when you call, we will tell you straight and get you on the next opening.
2057 SC-90, Conway, SC 29526. Serving Horry County and the Grand Strand.
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