Unleashed Potential K9 - New Jersey
Allendale, New Jersey
(34)
Allendale, New Jersey
(34)
34 customer reviews
Rebecca Bernstein
Update:We adopted our dog Caily in early November of last year. Since she had been a stray for 2 years and then adopted and returned to the Shelter once before, she had numerous emotional and behavioral issues. She would bark and growl any time anyone even approached the house. If they came in the house her hackles were raised, she barked non-stop and would follow them around the house barking whenever they moved. She also hated any dog even walking by the house and cried whenever she saw them on walks. It was so bad we had to lock her in our bedroom at Thanksgiving. At our wits end, but not wanting give up, we turned to Kristen.Kristen gave both Caily and us the tools we needed to succeed. Truly sticking with her advice, and being consistent with it, has made all the difference. Caily is now the perfect host. She sits on her mat when people come in and once she quiets down (which is now out of excitement and not fear), which only take a minute or two, she hops off and begins greeting the company with kisses. She then finds a spot to settle and quietly watches the ongoings. She even sits at the door when people deliver and quietly watches as we sign for packages and talk to them. We had 15 people (including children) over for Thanksgiving and she was completely unbothered. She loves when we have company over, especially kids. She has even started playing with the big dogs in the neighborhood and does not cry when she sees dogs on walks. All our friends and family who met her when we first got her instantly remark that she is a completely different dog. Our neighbors have even commented on it. We could not have done it without Kristen, she was truly a god send for us all and we couldn't recommend her highly enough!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Back in November my husband and I decided it was time to add a furry family member. We adopted a 2 year old rescue (Lab/Pit Mix) from the Cayman Islands, Caily. She is an absolute sweetheart, truly loving but was wild and highly reactive to people coming to or in the house. She would bark non-stop (ears back and neck hair raised), follow people around the house barking, or not even let them in the house. This included my father, who had even come with me to pick her up from the shelter and who she was very fond of day one. She also began tearing apart the house. She had been returned to the shelter once before after living on the street as a stray for two years so we weren't going to give up on her. However, knew we needed to help. That's when we found Kristen. She helped us immediately identify Caily's issues and triggers. She also helped us identify where we were making the situation worse and gave us suggestions of how to immediately begin implementing structure and behavioral change (on Caily's and our parts), even before we took her to the board and train. She went to the board and train in Jan/Feb for three weeks (during which we were in constant contact and getting regular updates) and came back a happier, healthier, well-mannered and calmer dog. Following Kristen and her staff's instructions to the letter, Caily has become a wonderful household pet. She listens, walks calmly on leash, and calms down when people come to the door or in the house. She knows the rules that applied at training apply at home because we made sure to enforce the program in our house. She even excitedly licked my dad and sat on his lap when my parents came over after she got back from training. She also has stopped destroying and stealing things.Kristen and her team have been available via phone or e-mail at all times to answer questions and come with new suggestions for small behavioral issues (ex: whining). My parents, neighbors and Vet have all noticed and commented on her behavior change, how happy she is, and how well-behaved she is. I would recommend Kristen and her team to anyone and Caily loves them! More...
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Lorenzo Tattoli
Where do I even start....my wife and I bought ourselves a little fury friend his name is Bear and he is a beautiful Rottiwieler. ...this is my fourth dog and second Rottiweiler in my life and my wife’s very first....We found Kristen and UPK9 and let me just say it was the best thing we could’ve ever found.... we learned just as much as Bear.... what she brings to the table I’m going to honest I don’t know if you’ll find it anywhere else. What she taught us and Bear is beyond what words could ever explain....if it’s your first dog or 4th dog and you want the true potential of an obedient companion where there is nothing but smiles and laughs then this is the business you go to!!!! More...
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Stephanie Fox
My husband an I welcomed a beautiful Weimaraner named Savannah into our family this past August. While we completely adore her, her breed is known to have a ton of energy, and can be restless and willful. We are expecting our first child this spring (human baby not fur baby) and wanted to make sure we could give Savannah her best chance to be a great big sister. We went to see Kristin at Unleashed Potential K9 based on the glowing reviews of multiple family members and friends. We could not be more happy with the choice that we made. In 10 short weeks our playful willful girl has become a great listener and extremely obedient. We started classes with basic commands that anyone would want their dog to know, but we were always able to incorporate things more important to our daily life as well. Any problems we specifically had at home, were always addressed and worked into Kristins routine. We eventually advanced to E-Collar training, and while I was nervous about that at first I realize now I was just misinformed of the technology and it was truly one of the best things we could have done for her. Savannah has healthy boundaries in our household, and also gets so much more free rein thanks to this training. My husband can let her run and play fetch in open fields and truly enjoy being the playful puppy that she is. You can tell Kristin truly cares about your dogs success. She also has a helper Mya who worked with her, and Savannah adored both of them. I could not recommend Unleashed Potential more highly. Savannah is ready to be the best big sister possible thanks to the skills she learned here! More...
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Kelly McArdle
As a first time dog owner, I was completely lost when I adopted Bailey. I had tried Petco training and private in-home training, but she still needed a lot of work. After meeting & talking with Kristen, I quickly learned that I had no idea how to communicate with Bailey or how to be a proper handler. She provided quality tools & analogies that helped me better understand my actions and how it impacts my dog’s behavior/obedience. Bailey had no impulse control, would only listen with high reward treats, would pull my arm off on a leash, jump on strangers & counters, and the list goes on. After five one-on-one sessions, I gained my life back. The difference in my relationship with Bailey is night and day. Bailey sat in “place” all through Thanksgiving and did not jump on the counter once. She now can walk in a heel through Home Depot, when a couple months ago I wouldn’t dare take her to a busy store. I cannot thank Unleashed Potential and Kristen enough! More...
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Stuart Chizzik
Our goldendoodle puppy, Charlie, gained so much from the board and train program with Deb & Kristen at unleashed potential. We are unbelievably appreciative. As first-time dog owners we were really struggling. Not only did Charlie come back amazingly trained, but we gained a whole language and “toolkit”. He has continued to do so so well and not only maintained what he learned, but he has continued to progress beautifully. It’s literally Charlie 2.0...we are enjoying him so much more. I would encourage any new dog owner in N.J. to contact Kristen. Our only regret is we didn’t engage them sooner. More...
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Christine Anne
NEVER thought my pit would learn so much! Kristen was great with him and taught us a lot! We’re grateful!
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Patricia Palacios
I was referred to Kristen by my neighbor who was training her pup w her. I brought my 4 month chocolate lab to Kristen who was displaying very pushy /borderline aggressive behavior , he was mouthing us, biting, throw tantrums, would chew and eat everything in sight , our clothes had holes in them because of him and the list goes on. I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle him when he’s 80-100 lbs. We opted for board and train for puppy training and off leash training. Kris and Deb took this Sassy puppy and trained him to be an enjoyable puppy, we couldn’t even pet him prior to him being trained. Now, we can walk him comfortably, no leash pulling, no rock/garbage eating . It’s just amazing how well trained his foundation is. Kris teaches you to uphold the training at home and keeps in contact with you to make the transition easy and to encourage you . She truly cares about the wellbeing of your pup. Very professional, knowledgeable, a true dog expert , no BS . You can’t afford NOT to bring your dog to her . Totally recommend!!! More...
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Nick Veenstra Jr
Kristen at UPK9 is hands down the best dog trainer in the area (and I've tried a couple)! She is so knowledgeable at what she does! I am amazed at my puppy's transformation! He went from a crazy puppy (who jumped, pulled on leash, wouldn't listen, dug holes) with no self control to a puppy who is now able to control his impulses. He is able to walk off leash with tons of distractions and is a joy to be around at home. We are all so much happier, including Duke, and enjoy him so much more! I highly recommend UPK9 NJ!! Definitely worth it! More...
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Kara German Veenstra
I highly recommend Kristen and UPK9NJ!!! Kristen trained our crazy 10 month old goof ball Vizsla into a very obedient puppy after 3 weeks! Our puppy had no control and would jump on counters, jump on people, pull on leash and she trained him to control his impulses while walking on a busy street/in a park/Home Depot with tons of distractions, both on and off leash! Kristen is extremely knowledgeable and so good at what she does and she will take such good care of your fur baby!! She puts in all of the hard work so that you will have an obedient dog to love and she will teach you everything you need to know to maintain all of the work she did. No more counter surfing, jumping on people, pulling on walks, running off to chase birds and opening doors by himself. I am honored to have had you train Duke and I can tell he loved working with you You will always have a special place in our hearts ❤️ More...
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Tommy Salerno
Finished our initial 10 sessions with our golden Willow and couldn’t be more satisfied. Extremely professional, knowledgeable and responsive! Great results, exceeded our expectations. Will return for therapy training & trick training. Highly recommend Kristin & team! More...
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Katie Greeley
My husband and I had an amazing experience working with Kristen at UPK9 Academy in Allendale. We rescued a black lab/shepherd and finally decided we needed help. We choose UPK9 after seeing them at a local dog fair and after watching online videos. My husband was skeptical about needing a trainer in the beginning but now raves about the amazing transformation that we have seen because of Kristen. She was fun to work with and you can tell that she absolutely loves what she does. Thank you Kristen! More...
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John Lawman
We had a great experience working with Kristen at UPK9 Academy in Allendale. We rescued a black lab/shepherd mix named Chase and decided we finally needed some help. We saw UPK9 at a local dog fair, and despite my initial skepticism about needing a dog trainer, I’m so happy we made the investment. Kristen is fun to work with and made it enjoyable for both us, and Chase. We are very happy with the results. Thank you UPK9! More...
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Emily Pfeifer
If you or someone you know has a dog or a puppy that needs excellent training please check out Kristen at Unleashed Potential. Kris is passionate about what she does and is committed to helping individuals and families have a better relationship with their dogs which will lead to better obedience. I have seen, first hand, many of the dogs that Kris has trained (including her own dogs) and I can say that it is nothing short of amazing! You won’t find a better place to get your dog trained. More...
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Andrea Lucanto
I cannot even begin to express how amazing Christine and Debbie are at Unleashed Potential! My sweet Chloe was a hot mess and I remember crying and stressing on what to do and how to make things better for both of us. She had zero boundaries, always pulled when walking, and had absolutely no recall. After getting her back from the three week board and train I have a completely different dog. For anybody that is looking for any type of training I highly recommend Unleash Potential. I will not hesitate to send any of my future dogs for their training to them. More...
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Anthony Loffredo
Kristen is an amazing trainer and the results are unbelievable. To be honest I was very concerned about the e-collar but Kristen showed us how it worked and we were able to feel what the stim actually feels like to the dog so we were put at ease. It has become a great communication tool and Zelda is always getting compliments on her behavior. She truly cares about our dog's success and checks in on us to see how she is doing. Your dog isn't the only one that learns, you learn as well and become a better dog owner too! I would definitely recommend to anyone! More...
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John Hefferon
Owner operated, extremely knowledge dog trainers, great facility
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Shannon Spring
What an amazing transformation that Kris and Deb were able to offer my Bernedoodle, Murphy. He is a 2 year old, smart and stubborn pup that me husband and I were struggling to communicate with. I could no longer walk my 75lb dog without him dragging me if he saw another dog to go say hi, bark at anyone that walked by our house or choose to ignore any of my commands of “come or stay.” UPK9 taught me and my husband valuable tools to enable Murphy to obey, giving me the confidence to walk him again and bring him to new places. They even taught him to run on the treadmill so he and I can work out in the morning together and he loves it! We have received so many compliments on his model behavior from family, friends and our neighbors in the short duration we have had him back from our board and train program. We are committed to maintain and enforce the training UPK9 taught us and Murphy to set him up for success as our best friend and obedient family pet. No “basement dog” for us :) thanks Kris and Deb!!! More...
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John Hadley
My experience with Kris was nothing but great. I would recommend her to anyone that is looking for a good trainer. In one week with my 8 year old Done I saw a difference. John&Thor?
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Deborah Pfeifer
If you or someone you know has a dog or a puppy that needs excellent training please check out Unleashed Potential. Kris is passionate about what she does and is committed to helping individuals and families have a better relationship with their dogs which will lead to better obedience. I have seen, first hand, many of the dogs that Kris has trained (including her own dogs) and I can say that it is nothing short of amazing! The proof is in the pudding. More...
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Joe D'Amato
Kristen and the rest of the crew here are the best! Couldn't be happier with our malamute's progress!
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Melissa Paget
We recently finished a five week board and train with Jonathan, Kristin, and Mike for aggressive behavior modification (we also took Jonathan's behavior modification class) for our 10-11 month old rescue and they performed a MIRACLE.
We rescued our fist dog, a five month old mutt, that was fearful of most people and quickly learned that the best defense is a good offense as he grew and matured. By the time we got him to UPK9, though he never bit anyone because we never let him get the opportunity to do so, he growled, lunged and barked at anyone that got too close and at anyone who walked in our house. On top of that, he was extremely high energy and dominant and did not know how to release his energy, which often led to hours of annoying nibbling and other annoying behaviors until he fell asleep.
We have now had our dog back for about four weeks after a five week board and train and he is a calm, focused, and obedient dog that we never thought he would be and would not have turned into if not for the UPK9 team. Using the tools and methods that they use and have taught us how to use, we have seen unbelievable results. Of the many trainers that we worked with, their methods were the only ones that made sense and the only ones that actually work. From the day we got him back, we saw a change in his behavior and we see momentous improvements everyday. In situations that would have drove him into a rage before UPK9, he is completely calm and focused on us. Even when he's in environments that he does not yet feel comfortable in, he's less anxious and we are able to easily control his behavior.
We cannot stress enough - if you have a dog with behavioral and aggression issues, we have full confidence that Johnathan, Kristin and Mike will be able to control and even completely rehabilitate that behavior.
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Melissa Finn
Had such a great experience! My dog Gronk went from pulling me not stop to walking right next to me in three sessions! Amazing, THANK YOU! �
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Jessica Marie
I will be a lifelong customer here. I can’t recommend enough. Kristen, mike, Vic and deb have completely transformed my demon dogs! !! I can not stress enough how amazing this team is. More...
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Courtney Clark
Where do I even begin?! Our discussion with Kristen started when we were ready to give back our newest dog Sophie. It had gotten to the point where we no longer had control of our house and felt we could no longer handle two dogs.
Enter Kristen and Unleashed Potential K9. 3 weeks of board and train for Sophie and training sessions for Elvis, which included training their humans and we have our house and our dogs back.
Words cannot describe how grateful I am that Kristen worked with us to train both dogs and train us on what we needed to do better. Never what we were doing wrong! No judgments, just good, honest advice and guidance.
I would HIGHLY recommend UP K9 to anyone wanting to enjoy pet ownership to its fullest potential because happy pets make happy humans which makes a happy home!
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Jennifer Cirri-Smith
Kristen is amazing!!!! She is currently training our 7 month old German Shorthair Pointer Dash. He is a very stubborn dog and she has helped tremendously already with obedience. She is always available for advice when needed and her flexibility to train is wonderful. Kristen has gone above and beyond what we ever expected in a trainer. I highly recommend UPK9-NJ!!!! More...
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Rachell Ann
If I can give this place 10 stars I would. My family and I decided to adopt a rescue and even tho we loved him he was a challenge. In addition to our two boys we had a senior dog and it was chaos. We heard about Kristen and UPK9 through a family friend. Although I was hesitant to leave our new 4 month old pup Kristen made us feel at ease and her love for the dogs absolutely showed from the very beginning. I was interested in doing classes but after speaking with her and knowing what her recommendations were, we decided on a board and train. We were in constant contact during those three weeks! We saw progress each time we face timed. During our two private sessions we were taught how to continue her hard work and our pups progress. A few days in and I can’t say enough good things about Kristen, Deb and UPK9. Our pup is still goofy but actually listens and is so much more gentle with our kids and our senior dog. We can finally have company over without worrying about nipping or jumping or crazy behavior. His potty training has absolutely improved and there’s more structure which has been a TREMENDOUS help. I can’t thank you enough Kristen for helping us with our new addition. I look forward to bringing our Grayson on the Saturday classes to continue our training! More...
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Denise LaPorta Blackmore
When I met Kristen I had a reactive dog. Barked and lunged at everything. Walking in a leash was not fun. After a few short weeks my dog walks in a perfect heel. With the introduction on place commands and crate she has enormous impulse control. Resisting the urge to chase cars, bikes, squirrels while on and off the leash is huge. I cannot day enough about Kristen and the tools she has given me to train my dog. The best part is my dog is happy she loves “working” and completing the tasks I give her. I need to mention I have an Australian Shepherd with a tremendous amount of energy and drive so this accomplishment is huge. THANK YOU KRISTEN!!!! More...
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Jeanette Schick Waldman
I can’t say enough great things about Kristen at UPK9. Absolutely hands down the dog whisperer! I have a one year old rescue mutt who’s very reactive.
We couldn’t walk by other dogs and sometimes even cars that drove by without him barking like a maniac and jumping 3 feet in the air. He once went as far as correcting me by leaning in and biting my leg.
After working with Kristen for just 4 weeks I feel like I have a new dog! It’s so much more fun to take him on walks now. I’m able to walk him past other dogs now while having his full attention. I especially love how everyone who walks past us acknowledges what a well behaved dog he is. He’s also mastered place command and comes when I call him.
Thank you Kristen!
Mr Benson and I are so glad we met you on that fateful day at the park.
Thanks again!
Jeanette
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Stephen DePaola
Dedicated, supportive, hard working and enthusiastic are only some of the ways I would describe Kristen Tedesco and her training methods. As you can see from her highly rated reviews and sick resume, she transforms dogs in many ways, but i don’t feel that enough people understand all she does as a trainer. It is because of Kristen and her talent that I can say my dog is truly a part of my family and is 100% off leash. I have a 1.5 year old Pit Bull Lab mix. I have been to my fair share of local trainers and none of them have met my expectations. Kristen, however, not only surpassed what I thought was possible, but gave me the tools and confidence to set goals for Chaco and me even higher. Kristen makes sure that you fully understand everything you need to achieve and gives you the means to do it. She also explains why that training exercise is important and how it will benefit your dog. She made dog training something that I looked forward to and wanted to do each week, as away to connect and bond with Chaco. I just completed our 5 week private session and I am very excited to say I am looking forward to be a part of her next group class and a future therapy dog program. Chaco and I are continuing our training not because we need it or our expectations were not met, we are continuing because she makes training so much fun and wants you to be successful. So yes, if I could give her more then 5 stars I would and yes I highly recommend her. More...
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Erica Spagnuolo McKay
I wish I could give this more then 5 stars!!!!
My husband and I rescued a 4 month old border collie mix, Jameson. After getting him home and trying to help him become comfortable in our home, we realized he had SEVERE separation anxiety.
Within the first three months of having him, he destroyed and broke out of 4 crates. He would eat and destroy everything in his reach. One day he chewed the cord for the refrigerator off and then ripped the outlet out of the wall with the cored still attached!! This became extremely difficult for both of us to leave him home alone. We constantly worried what mess we would come home to, even worse if our Jameson would even be alive. I was calling out sick from work and taking vacation days multiple times a week just to stay home with him. After months of trying everything we could think of, the vet finally suggested putting him on anti depressants. I really did not want to medicate a puppy, but we ran out of options.
After calling many many different trainers and explaining our situation, almost all of them said they could try to help but with that severe separation anxiety, more then likely nothing would make a big enough difference. On many occasions it was suggested we do board and train but it wasn’t something I wanted to do, more importantly it wasn’t something we were able to afford. No trainer that we spoke with seemed to think anything besides a board and train would help our Jameson. Referral after referral, we were finally given Kristen’s phone number.
We went to our consultation with Kristen. She met Jameson, we chatted about what my Husband and I would like to see changed in his behavior and so on. I explained our situation, the behaviors of Jameson that needed to be addressed and she too suggested her board and train program. After explaining we were on a tight budget, she agreed the next best thing to do would be private lessons (she was the ONLY trainer to suggest anything to us besides a board and train). From the very beginning we were told it’s possible he would be better but we wouldn’t know how much better he would be.
Two weeks into the lessons we saw a HUGE difference in Jameson. He was able to relax on his place and in his crate without fear we were leaving him. Kristen taught us the skills to help him get into a different state of mind while we were home and not home. After our sixth session we felt like we took home a brand new dog. We now can go to work knowing we will come home to our pup is still in his crate and calm!!! We honestly can’t thank Kristen enough for everything she has done for us! She gave us back the peace of mind knowing Jameson is ok in his crate along with other basic commands and walking on the leash without pulling. Her kind words of encouragement along with me texting/send her videos ALL the time we’re also extremely helpful! I would recommend UPK9 to any and EVERYONE I know who is looking for trying.
We can’t wait to get to group classes to continue his training outside of our home! Thank you again Kristen and everyone at UPK9 for your patience with me from start to finish�
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Venus Carpenter
My experience with Kristen was so wonderful. Would highly recommend. My dog is so well behaved.
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Denise Blackmore
I brought Kristen a 1 yr old Australian Shepherd that was fearful of everything therefore reactive to everything. Barked, pulled and chased everything. It made going out with her unenjoyable. Kristen gave me the tools to train my dog. My dog walks in a heel, resists urges to chase things all because of the impulse control and focus drills Kristen teaches her canines. Most important is my dog is happy, dogs live to work and do things for you. I’m thankful everyday that I found Kristen. Her knowledge of how to work and train digs is immense and the proof is in the end result. I couldn’t be happier. More...
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Jeanette Waldman
I can’t say enough great things about Kristen at UPK9. Absolutely hands down the dog whisperer! I have a one year old rescue mutt who’s very reactive. We couldn’t walk by other dogs and sometimes even cars that drove by without him barking like a maniac and jumping 3 feet in the air. He once went as far as correcting me by leaning in and biting my leg. After working with Kristen for just 4 weeks I feel like I have a new dog! It’s so much more fun to take him on walks now. I’m able to walk him past other dogs now while having his full attention.kristen teaches you how to communicate with your dog effectively. I especially love how everyone who walks past us acknowledges what a well behaved dog he is. He’s also mastered place command and comes when I call him. Thank you Kristen! Mr Benson and I are so glad we met you on that fateful day at the dog park. Thanks again!Jeanette More...
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Michelle Sheridan
I wanted to take a minute to express how much we appreciate Kristen and the rest of this amazing staff at Unleashed potential. Our dog did not know any commands and really needed something to change his overactive personality and behavior. Kristen and the rest of the gang showed us how to properly communicate with our dog. They gave us the tools and the knowledge that we desperately needed to get a better handle on our dog. Despite what I thought going in, our dog completely changed we enjoy him so much more now and continue on with the tools and lessons that they have taught us More...
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