Smart Dogs Training and Lodging

A HUGE thanks to Ian, Kristy and Smart Dogs for completely changing our puppy experience!  We adopted a 3 month old puppy (Ozzie) in June and by October we realized we were in over our heads. Our puppy is awesome but to help him develop good puppy behavior we needed help.  Ozzie is very smart and was very easy to housebreak but he didn’t listen, was almost impossible to walk on a leash and jumped and nipped at everyone. Initially we chose to have Ian come to our house for training. After the first session (training us and Ozzie), walking him was a pleasure.  The next session we focused on sit/stay - another good experience. We decided that the best thing for Oz would be to send him to Smart Dogs for more concentrated training. The night before Thanksgiving Kristy called and said they had a last-minute cancellation and asked if we wanted to start training. Off we went. We ended up doing a 30-day program. It was very hard to leave Ozzie for that long but we knew it would give him the best chance for success. Kristy sent regular texts with pictures and updates - it was so fun to see his progress. We were excited to pick him up. He came home a calm, non-nipping, non-jumping and truly enjoyable puppy.  We love him even more! A couple of weeks after we completed training, Ian came to our house for a follow up.  We couldn’t be happier with the entire process. It is expensive but this is a great example of you get what you pay for - money very well spent!?? In addition to the work they did with Ozzie, Ian spent a lot of time training us. In the future, we hope to have Smart Dogs help us train Ozzie to be a therapy dog. ??? Richard & Marlene K. more

We reached out to Smart Dogs about our two-year old rescue, Hamilton. We rescued Hamilton as a puppy and he joined his sibling sister, Hugs, who is also a rescue. We had never enrolled Hamilton in outside training thinking it would be completely reasonable to train him ourselves. We were wrong on so many levels. After two years, Hamilton had developed some really undesirable behaviors – enter Smart Dogs. The first day Ian came to our home, Hamilton immediately warmed up to him and immediately started taking to the training. We really liked Ian’s style because he wasn’t trying to train him with tons of treats – he used Hamilton’s regular kibble, when needed, and lots of love and affection. Ian showed us how to work with Hamilton so that we were consistently reinforcing each lesson we had. After three lessons, Hamilton’s progress has been amazing. He sits without even being told and is walking so much better on a leash, waiting, staying – it has been incredible. We highly recommend Ian and Smart Dogs as they have made us see that it doesn’t take an act of God to train a really, really stubborn dog. more

On the first day, we saw a difference in our dog. Ian is like a dog-whisperer. In a short time, he analyzed our dog's behavior and suggested a few behavior modifiers for us to try. Smart Dogs also realizes that each dog, and owner, is unique. They have multiple training methods in their collection can custom design a plan that gets the best results. Ian is an experienced and educated trainer with genuine love for dogs. Smart Dogs is highly recommended. more

They are amazing! I highly recommend! You will see drastic results after one lesson! more

We have a 2 year-old Chihuahua and a 1-year old Yorkie-mix who were a NIGHTMARE to walk! They both would bark uncontrollably and aggressively at anyone or anything that came across our paths—or even at someone who was four houses away! It was so bad that many times we’d see people walking their dogs or jogging our way and the moment they saw us, they’d immediately make an about-face and go back the direction they came to avoid us. We finally resorted to finding a path in some nearby woods to walk them to spare our neighbors and ourselves from their unruly behavior. That’s pretty bad when you’re willing to speed walk through mosquito-infested woods than in your own neighborhood! But that’s how stressful and terribly embarrassing it was for us to walk them. Then we came across an ad in the mail for Smart Dogs, looked them up online and decided to give them a call. We’re so glad we did! In just ONE VISIT, Kristy taught us how to walk our boys properly and how to establish ourselves as the alpha instead of allowing them to take that lead. She really opened our eyes to what we needed to correct in order to gain a better handle on our dogs. We were impressed with her knowledge about dogs and their psyche. She really knows her stuff! After she left and we walked them later that evening, we were so excited that we wanted our neighbors to come out just to see what good boys they were being! Since then, we've had neighbors actually ask us if they're the same dogs. YES, THEY ARE! Even our mailman paid them a compliment! Thank you so much, Kristy, for giving us much needed relief, for educating us and showing the way! We also really enjoyed meeting you as it felt like we've known you for years! It’s so obvious how much you love both dogs and their owners. You really gave us peace of mind and now we really enjoy taking our boys out for walks! Thank you again! more

Thank you so much Kristy and Ian. We can't believe how much you have taught Nova in this short time. We were so worried about her biting and her aggression if she couldn't get her way. We had tried everything possible to stop this behavior on our own with no luck. We are so lucky to have found you. Your passion and talent are amazing. We now have our special, smart and sweet addition to our family. We are all very excited to continue her education with you. Thank you. more

Phil is an AmStaff/Boxer mix and joined our family in December of 2016. It did not take long for challenges to surface. He was reactive to other dogs when on walks, and as weeks passed his reactions became more severe and prolonged. Inside the house, he was not welcoming to our guests and it took considerable time for him to wind down after getting excited. We were frustrated. We signed up for a Reactive Dog Class at a local training facility and were optimistic. Our first class was not good, we made it 10 minutes before having to leave. We came back to class over the next 3 weeks and after 4 sessions, we knew we had to do something else. We could see that the approach and methods employed in the class were helping the other dogs but they seemingly had no impact for us. Throughout this time, we also had separation anxiety developing. We adjusted our routine and were starting to feel trapped in our own home. We found Smart Dogs Training and started reviewing their program. We sent through an inquiry and heard back from Kristy almost immediately. We were set up for the Lodge and Learn program and they were working with Phil within the week. Kristy and Ian set-up an individual training program based on Phil’s needs and they also focused on educating and supporting us so everyone was ... more

I'm so happy to have found Kristy and Smart Dogs. My dog was getting more and more out of control every day and I didn't know how to fix that. She is a rescue dog that was mistreated in the early months of her life. I felt sorry for her and overcompensated with lots of love and no discipline, no boundaries. Not only is she anxious but is also hyperactive, fearful, and acts out aggressively sometimes. Dealing with her bad behavior became exhausting, embarrassing around others, and scary because I didn't know how she would behave around strangers. I will be the first to admit that she became the boss in the family. By the time I figured out I needed to take charge, I did not know how to do it. She was not going to listen to me. Despite all her issues, I love her dearly and she is a very sweet dog. I wanted to get this fixed so that others can see what a sweet dog she is. I contacted Smart Dogs on Sunday and Kristy responded quickly. She started training the next morning in the learn and lodge program. Kristy communicated daily giving me an update on her progress and things she had figured out about Zoey. When Zoey came back five days later, I was amazed. She had gained control and taught Zoey who was the pack leader. Zoey was a challenge. Her bad habits were deep rooted and she was very stubborn in changing her habits but Kristy bonded with her and helped her learn limits. Kristy worked with me at the end of the fifth day so that I could learn those skills as well. It requires consistency and patience. We have more work to do and I will be practicing the skills every day now. Thank you Smart Dogs for making our lives so much better. I can't tell you how much I appreciate waking up in the morning to a calm, quiet, sweet dog rather than that loud nonstop barking. And I'm so proud to take her for a walk and show off my well behaved dog. I can't recommend Kristy and Smart Dogs enough. You will be happy with the results! more

I am amazed at how well my dogs did with Kristy and Ian. My 2 dogs spent a week with them and their facility is simply incredible! They put a lot of effort and thought into the entire layout of the program. Our dogs learned general commands, walking, moving on the treadmill and bike riding. One of our bigger concerns was the aggression they had while eating. They came home and were able to eat side by side in harmony!! Next was working on their anxiety whole going for car rides. They now are able to go on longer car rides without a sound or whining! We continue to work on introducing them to strangers and they are doing great. Most of all, I appreciated the constant updates on their progress and the love they showed for our dogs. Overall, it was a great experience!! more

We’ve always been a two dog house. After four months of using the same techniques we had used to potty-train our previous dogs, our new puppy was still peeing in the house and now our older dog was marking inside, as well. We went to group lessons, read two books, and had already tried a different at home trainer. It seemed the only way we could restore sanity to our house was to find London a new home. As a last resort, we called Smart Dogs. The change in our household has been nothing short of miraculous. If you are reading this review, you are no doubt considering whether an at-home dog trainer is right for you. When pets are behaving badly, it places an enormous stress on families. All trainers are not created equal. Ian and Kristy, the owners of Smart Dogs, are not only amazing at what they do, they are good people who focus on restoring peace in families, not just fixing pets. more

We have a 2.5 year old mix named Otis that is full of energy. He does not listen well and can be crazy at times. We looked into a few different training programs and were not really sure how beneficial they would be. We came across Smart Dogs and had done some research. We did not see one negative review of this place! We had our first session with Ian and we can already see a change in Otis. Whenever he would go on a walk, he would pull like crazy and lunge at anything from squirrels to leaves. Just after our first session, Otis is a pleasure to walk. He ignores other dogs and animals. Ian is very knowledgable, We cannot wait for our next session and to see what else Ian has to teach us! more

Ian & Kristy are AWESOME! We were on the verge of giving up our French Bulldog, Lola, because of her wild behavior and terrible potty training problems. We made the desperate call to Smart Dogs and our situation dramatically improved after the first visit. We made the decision to let Smart Dogs take Lola into their facility because we have three small children that acted as a distraction for us in the training process. This was an absolute God send!! They taught us how to control Lola's craziness and most importantly how to properly potty train her. Kristy & Ian have taught us to feel confident as owners and we can now enjoy our Lola instead of resenting her! I highly recommend Smart Dogs for first time & seasoned dog owners. We can't begin to thank them enough!! more

Kristy and Ian have truly given our family the best gift: a well behaved dog! Lucy stayed in their beautiful home for a week. They sent us pictures and updates almost daily. It meant so much to know that our dog wasn't only learning, but also getting so much love from Kristy and Ian. Lucy had some major anxiety and "puppy" tendencies and we had tried EVERYTHING! We actually came to the point of we either need to get rid of her or try Smartdogs. We are so happy we chose the latter! She's been home all evening and seems so calm now! We can't thank these amazing people enough!! You can tell this is a true passion for both of them! I would highly recommend them! more

Kristy and Ian worked wonders on our little man, Blake. We brought Blake home to our other furry baby, Bella who is 7. They were not getting along at all. Bella was agitated by Blake's "puppy" behavior and Blake was ill mannered. Blake spent 5 days at Kristy and Ian's home. We CANNOT believe the amazing change in him! Blake has settled down considerably. He listens to commands, he does not bother Bella like he used to, he FINALLY sleeps through the night...but most importantly, Blake's screaming and howling when we are not in the room with him has stopped. We are absolutely amazed at the work Kristy and Ian have done with Blake! We went from frustrated puppy parents to happy puppy parents. In fact, we are setting up Bella’s time with Smart Dogs Training! We want Blake’s big sister to be a good example to him. We will recommend Smart Dogs Training to anyone who will listen! more

We can’t thank Ian and Kristy enough for saving our Tucker’s life! We know that sounds dramatic, but when our rescued dog began to show increasing aggression toward strangers we knew that Tucker’s life was at stake. We couldn’t take him on walks, have family or friends to visit or trust him in any situation. Ian and Kristy recommended their lodge and learn program to break the cycle of aggression and retrain us to be the leaders in our relationship. We are so grateful that Tucker is back home and the transformation is amazing! I forgot how nice it is to stop and talk to neighbors without fear. We know that we have to keep doing our homework and seeking guidance from them to face challenging situations for Tucker. We will definitely rely on their guaranteed lifetime continued support, but from what we can see already, Tucker has gained the training he needs to have a beautiful life! Thanks so much! Sheryl and Michael Cebula more

Smart Dogs customer service and training is amazing!! We had our 8-month old Rottweiler (Max) for 2 days when we called Smart Dogs for help with crying at night and following commands such as sit, stay, come, etc. After one training session, Max was following commands. We sent him away for the two-week training camp at their facility and were astounded at the results they provided. Max was a new dog! They taught us how to keep up with the training they provided. They did in-home follow ups. They are ALWAYS there if we need them. Their service is outstanding and the cost is worth service they provide. We will not hesitate to use them again. Justinn and Christine more

Kristy and Ian at Smart Dogs trained our 4 year old teacup poodle, and we couldn’t be happier! We sent Meesha to doggie boot camp, and the results were wonderful. She was a stubborn little 4 lb. spitfire, but with consistency, knowledge, and a firm but gentle touch, Meesha is a calmer, happier, and better dog! Kristy and Ian also provided us with guidance as we transitioned Meesha back home. If you are contemplating dog training, Smart Dogs will undoubtedly provide you with the results you are looking for! ~ Missy & Nick Patti more

We recently finished 15 days of “Lodge and Learn” at Smart Dogs. We are first time dog owners and needed some help with our 10 week old Ozark Mountain Dog, Yogi. He was nipping and biting, chewing on my rugs, the kitchen table, etc. He wouldn’t walk on his leash, wouldn’t come when we called him, and would not sleep in his crate and would have accidents in the crate. On his first night home he walked on his leash through our entire neighborhood with out any problems at all AND he slept in his crate ALL night long with out ANY accidents!!! Since he has been home he has not chewed on anything but his toys. He is a much calmer dog. I can’t say enough nice things about Kristy and Ian. I was apprehensive about leaving our new puppy to strangers. But once I met Kristy and Ian I knew he was in good hands. They are wonderful and really know what they are doing. They make you feel at ease right away. They were very good about communicating with us on Yogi’s progress. They even sent us pictures of him training. You can tell that Kristy and Ian love what they do and that they truly love each of the dogs they are training. I wouldn’t trust Yogi with anyone else!! You will be very happy with Smart Dogs training!!! Thank you, Kristy and Ian!!! more

We adopted a 4 yr/ old maltese mix named Kilo - he was given up due to behavior issues. His next step would have been a shelter or worse. We are so grateful we found Smart Dogs Training and Kristy. After just one in home session, and two days later, our dog, Kilo has changed for the better. It is amazing how important the first lesson is, and how it all falls into place to better behavior - we can't believe the change in our dog! He has improved 100 % - best thing we ever did was contact Smart Dogs! more

When we first adopted Cody, we had pictured many different things. Never once, however, did we envision the issues that we experienced. The biggest and worst one had to be the fact that our adorable new puppy had no issue whatsoever urinating in the house and even in his crate—and then laying in it. This occurred several times a day! We were giving him baths almost daily. It was horrible. While I hate to admit it, we actually considered bringing Cody back to the shelter, even though my family and I were completely in love with him. Instead, as a last resort, we called Smart Dogs. If someone would have told me that my dog would have virtually no accidents after just a one-hour session with Kristy, I never would have believed it. That’s exactly what happened, though. Kristy and Ian have taught us how to interact with Cody in a loving but firm way, establishing him as part of the family but also letting him know his role in our “pack.” Cody is a wonderful and friendly pup who makes everyone who meets him want to get one of their own! He has earned a tremendous amount of freedom now! He is a joy to walk on a leash; he rings a bell on our back door whenever he needs to go outside; he is amazing with our children; he sits, stays, heels, comes… I could go on and on. We’ve only had a handful of sessions with Kristy and Ian, and we look forward to many more! I can’t say enough positive things about Smart Dogs! I recommend them to everyone I know who has a new puppy or an “old dog who needs to learn new tricks”! Please, please, PLEASE call them before finding a new home for your dog!!!!! more