Loki is a golden retriever, and by his family’s own account he is a good pup: very energetic, very friendly, no problems to speak of. Families like his are not who most people picture calling a dog trainer, and they are some of the best timed calls Off Leash K9 Training, Jersey Shore gets.

You can read Loki’s full review on Google – his family wrote it themselves.

Where Loki Started

He was six to seven months old, full of energy, friendly with everyone, and nowhere near as obedient as his family wanted him to be. Nothing was broken. He simply had never been taught the basics properly, and a golden retriever that age is strong enough and fast enough that the gap starts to matter.

His family had been searching for a board and train program. Jennifer answered quickly and found him a spot.

The Training Journey

At six months, Loki had just aged past our puppy programs and into the standard one. Our board and train takes dogs from twenty weeks, which is about five months, so his timing was almost exactly right: old enough for the full program, young enough that nothing had had years to set.

He spent two weeks with our team working the fundamentals. His family were clear about what mattered most to them while he was in our care, and they said it in their review: Loki was taught with patience, love and care. They were entrusting a young dog to strangers for a fortnight. That is not a small thing to hand over.

Loki’s Wins

He learned to stay and to wait. He learned to walk properly on a leash, and to keep doing it when there was something more interesting nearby, which is the difference between a dog who has been shown a heel and a dog who will actually give you one.

His family’s own summary of the result is the goal of everything we do with a young dog: obedience should now be second nature to him. Their line is that they never thought their puppy could be this obedient.

There was one more thing they noticed at pickup, and it was not on any command list. It was obvious in how Loki behaved around his trainer that he liked him.

Loki the golden retriever holding a down in a front yard decorated for Halloween

What It Changed for His Family

A young, friendly, energetic retriever who listens is a completely different dog to live with than a young, friendly, energetic retriever who does not. The walks work. The house is calmer. Nobody is negotiating.

Why Loki’s Story Matters

Most families wait for a problem. Loki’s did not. They came in the month he became eligible, before pulling on the leash had become a habit and before jumping had become who he is.

Training a dog with nothing wrong with him is the easiest and cheapest version of this work, and it is the version fewest people book. At Off Leash K9 Training Jersey Shore we would rather teach a good young dog the basics than untangle the same dog three years later.

Have You Got a Young Dog Who Should Know More?

If your dog has just passed five months and has never really been taught, this is the moment. Look at our obedience training and board and train programs, see the whole list on our Plans and Pricing page, or call (848) 221-5161. Payment plans are available.