Client Success Stories

Our 8-month-old Lab puppy was full of energy and completely untrained when we started working with Lake Norman Dog Training. After completing the Basic Obedience program, she's like a different dog! She now responds reliably to commands, walks nicely on a leash, and has much better manners around guests. The trainers were patient and made the process fun for both us and our dog.

We enrolled our 12-week-old Golden Retriever in the Puppy Socialization program, and it was the best decision we could have made. The structured environment helped him learn appropriate play behaviors with other puppies while also building his confidence. Jennifer was amazing at explaining puppy development and helping us understand normal behaviors versus ones we should address. Our puppy is now 8 months old and continues to be well-adjusted and friendly with both people and other dogs.

My rescue dog had severe separation anxiety that was affecting both our lives. He would destroy furniture, bark constantly, and show extreme stress whenever I left the house. After working with David on a behavior modification plan, we've seen incredible improvement. The combination of management strategies, desensitization exercises, and confidence-building activities has transformed my dog's response to being alone. I can now leave the house without anxiety for both of us, and my neighbors are much happier too!

We have a boat on Lake Norman and wanted our Labrador to be comfortable and safe on the water. The specialized water training program was exactly what we needed! Our trainer worked with us at the lake, teaching our dog how to safely enter and exit the boat, remain calm while the boat was moving, and even how to swim alongside the boat when appropriate. Now our dog is a confident boat companion, and we can enjoy lake days without worry.

I was hesitant about group classes, thinking my dog would be too distracted to learn anything. I was completely wrong! The Advanced Obedience group class was structured perfectly to gradually increase distractions while building on core skills. Emily did an excellent job of giving each dog-owner team individual attention while maintaining the group dynamic. My dog learned to focus and respond to commands even with other dogs nearby, which has made a huge difference in our daily walks and outings.

Our German Shepherd had developed leash reactivity that made walks stressful and embarrassing. We tried several training approaches on our own without success before contacting Lake Norman Dog Training. The behavior modification program was comprehensive and addressed not just the symptoms but the underlying anxiety causing the reactivity. The trainer gave us clear, manageable homework between sessions, and we saw steady improvement. Six months later, we can walk past other dogs with minimal reaction, something we never thought possible!