Arsenal Canine Academy - Calgary

M

Mandie Black

via Google

Apologies this will be a long review , but if you’re on the fence - pls read ! We were at our wits end at home with our 1 year old pittie Riah who developped resource guarding and aggression towards our 11 year old alpha female pittie (Zoey) in the home. On a few occasions Zoey was bit, Riah was bit and in trying to seperate the two, I was also bit.  It was stressful, sad, and exhausting not being able to trust our girls together at home . Riah would growl if Zoey ( or even Jax, our 3rd pittie ) went near a toy, a kennel, joined us in the bed, or sniffed an empty food bowl. She would switch from happy to aggressive in a split second. Amy explained to me that the board and train program would teach Riah confidence and better decision making. As a pittie, she wants to have a job. And it had become clear that she was confused about what her job / role in the home was. Riah started the 3 week program in October with Canine Arsenal . We noticed a change after the first week. Although her work clearly wasn't complete , there was definite improvement after one week. There were still a few growls here and there but she was able to be redirected easily. By the end of the program, there was a huge difference. She carries herself differently and takes pride in completing tasks/ commands. She regulates her emotions better and consistently makes good choices. She barely cares what Zoey is doing and I am finally able to leave them home alone together without worrying. There have been 0 incidents at home , no bites and no blood since Riah completed the program. Jess and Amy gave Riah lots of love and attention during her time there and I received updates . When Riah returned to school for her 2nd week she was excited to see Jess and wiggled her way through the front door and wasn't even sad that we were leaving her there. That speaks alot to how she felt at Canaine Arsenal. I could not be more greatful for the tools that Riah and I learned through this experience. Highly recommend !

V

V S

via Google

I am so happy I chose Arsenal Canine, trusting Jess and Seph with my 3 yr old reactive German Shepherd was the best decision. They are knowledgeable and compassionate. Absolutely amazing people who love dogs and are great with them. They are experts at understanding canine behavior. Our dog came out of the board and train program with a better ability to focus and problem solve. The down in motion and being under my feet at a bench is so cool and we practice it all the time! We have noticed that he is calmer and more confident. His improved obedience makes it easier for us to navigate the human world. I can't recommend the arsenal canine team enough. Thank you for doing such a great job with Balto. We will continue with the training and things we learned!

N

Nicole Dupont

via Google

We can’t recommend Arsenal K9 enough! Jess and Seth probably changed our lives forever. Skye is a 3.5 year old female Blue Heeler who is the sweetest little girl but extremely unpredictable. We have done a LOT of twining with her, spent thousands of dollars with multiple trainers, and put in a lot of effort. But Skye still was extremely unreliable, despite her training, we never could predict when she would “listen” to us and follow her training or just do whatever she wanted. This let us to make her world smaller and smaller to try and “manage” her behaviour. Her aggressive/reactive behaviours were never truly under control. We now have a human daughter and Skye is the absolute best big sister. But her behaviours towards other people got even more unpredictable, to the point we wouldn’t even know when she would have a reaction despite in the past learning how to read her cues and body language. We decided it was unfair to Skye and to us to continue to make her world even smaller to “accommodate” our lack of structure/knowledge to be the handlers she deserved and allow her to thrive. We did a lot of research and eventually came across Arsenal K9. After a (very) lengthy call with Jason, we decided the board and train program would be our best bet at getting results that stuck. And we were so right! The team has been lovely and her training was stellar. She graduated with flying colours and we couldn’t be happier. Now that she knows a structure and we know it too, it’s like a total turnkey moment! She is thriving and we couldn’t be happier! We will forever be grateful to Seth, Jess, Amy, Jason, and the whole crew that made her training possible! Thank you, truly! Love, Nicole, Yuri, Claire & Skye P.S. We didn’t know we were getting the “out” command in the mix and HOLLY COW!!!! What a game changer! You’re telling me we can play fetch properly now because she will actually drop the ball?!?! INSANE! 🤯

C

Carolina Sternberg

via Google

My Australian shepherd was struggling with leash reactivity, leash pulling and herding behaviour that became stressful and difficult for us to deal with. I reached out to ArsenalK9 for help as a last resort, because unfortunately he just wasn’t a good fit for our lifestyle. He did the 3-week board and train program and his improvements have been life-changing for all of us! He’s able to listen to us, control impulses and be an overall better dog! He walks on a loose leash, he has great recall, and we can now enjoy adventures with him whether it’s hiking, walking or sitting calmly at a patio. I can’t say enough amazing things about Arsenal K9, their staff and their facility. They have treated us excellently, cared for my dog, had amazing communication with us and offered resources and continued support after the completion of the program! Of course- the training doesn’t stop after graduation, but we now have the foundation and skills to make sure this is a life-long learning process and our dog can be a part of our active lives. I cannot recommend them enough! Jess, Jason, Amy, Sath and the entire team have been lovely 😊 thank you so much for helping us!

V

Vy Nguyen

via Google

Would highly recommend! Arsenal has done an amazing job helping us with our reactive dogs, Matcha (3) and Mochi (4). Within the first week we already saw results — I couldn’t believe how quickly the changes happened. They’ve completely proven wrong the old saying that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Before sending our dogs to Arsenal, we struggled daily with pulling, barking at people, animals, and pretty much anything that moved. Introducing them to new people or socializing them with other dogs was nearly impossible. Walks were stressful — we often had to cross the street to avoid others, and sometimes even used muzzles on busier days. After just 4 weeks, the transformation has been incredible. Both dogs now walk calmly on a loose leash by our side, pass by people, bikes, and other dogs without issue, and no longer need muzzles. They can stay in one place for short periods (and are steadily improving at holding it longer), and their recall is excellent, even in crowded areas. Overall, they’re less stressed, much happier, and so are we! While they’re still a work in progress, they’re well on their way to being beautifully trained dogs. Of course, the training doesn’t end when the program ends. Arsenal gave us the tools and knowledge we need, but it’s up to us to keep practicing with Mochi and Matcha and maintain their progress. Consistency and upkeep are just as important as the training itself, and we feel well-prepared to continue working with them every day. The staff are incredible — knowledgeable, patient, accommodating, and they truly cared for our dogs. We especially loved our trainer, who went above and beyond. I honestly can’t say enough about how amazing the Arsenal team is and how much they accomplished in such a short time. I highly recommend Arsenal to anyone looking for dog training — whether it’s for a new puppy, an older dog, a heavy puller, or a highly reactive pup. They have programs for every need, and the results speak for themselves!