As a first-time dog owner, I am incredibly grateful for Atlantic K9 and can’t possibly say enough good things about their entire team! In a somewhat state of desperation, and after reading many of these testimonials on their site, I reached out to Atlantic K9 for my then seven-month-old Bernedoodle puppy, Chowder, to learn more about the boot camp program. Chowder is a loveable, silly, sweet dog, but unfortunately had developed some separation anxiety and started regressing with his crate training. He had escaped his wire crate twice, hurting himself in the process once, and all of a sudden refused to enter the crate on his own or be left alone for any length of time. I felt at my wits end but was completely reassured during my initial phone call with Ari as she shared numerous success stories about other dogs who also suffered from separation anxiety. I’m proud to say that Chowder is now one of those success stories! 

The intake appointment with Ari prior to Chowder starting boot camp was a great introduction to the Atlantic K9 facility and staff. The grounds are absolutely beautiful, and Ari did an exceptional job of walking me through the training tools and approaches that Atlantic K9 uses. During the two-week boot camp program, I received frequent updates about Chowder’s progress and daily photos of him having a blast with the other dogs. While my immediate concern to address through boot camp was the crate training, I was pleased to know that Chowder would also receive basic obedience training and plenty of social time with fellow dogs in the program. 
When I picked Chowder up from boot camp and stayed for a follow-up training session with Emmy, I couldn’t believe the results! He was incredibly responsive to all sorts of commands; demonstrated good manners when greeting people; had excellent recall; and, most importantly, walked right into his crate with absolutely no fuss. It was as though he was a completely different dog, but at his core, he was still the loveable, energetic, sweet puppy I had dropped off at boot camp. Emmy prepared me well for the transition home, especially to reinforce the crate training he learned during boot camp, and checked in with me frequently through phone calls and text messages to see how Chowder was acclimating. As expected, Chowder tested me a few times during the first couple of days, but by using the tools and strategies Emmy showed me from boot camp, he quickly got the hang of things again at home. I can proudly say that today, just one month post-boot camp, Chowder willingly goes into his crate; remains quiet and relaxed while in there; and, most importantly, has developed his own coping mechanisms to deal with his separation anxiety. 
Since boot camp, Emmy has made a house visit for a follow-up training session to check in on Chowder’s progress and reinforce the training techniques in his own environment. I’ve also relied on Atlantic K9 as Chowder’s go-to boarding facility – which, given his separation anxiety, would have been impossible had he not gone through boot camp – and feel relieved to know that the same tools are being reinforced while he’s there, but also that he receives training refreshers during his stay. Not to mention, he has an absolute blast running around the many acres of land and playing with friends as seen through the daily photostream. Despite having graduated from boot camp, Emmy and others at Atlantic K9 continue to serve as an invaluable resource to me and are some of his biggest cheerleaders as he grows and becomes a more confident dog. 
I remember reading these testimonials when deciding whether or not to enroll Chowder in boot camp and thinking, “This many people can’t possibly all have good things to say about the program!” but yet, here I am contributing one of my own. Atlantic K9 is the best of the best, and both Chowder and I are so grateful to have found them!