Unleash Fido — Local services in Jacksonville

My family and I spent a long time trying to find the right trainer for Aria. We visited many other trainers in the area and tried some of them out, but ultimately Unleash Fido was the best decision we could have made. Before we got Aria trained, she was very fearful and reactive. Being 66 pounds and all muscle, her strength was formidable, and she'd lunge while barking at motorcycles, cars, people, bikers, runners, other dogs, and little kids while we'd hang onto the leash for dear life. We were scared of taking Aria out to do the simplest things like go to the bathroom, not to mention going to PetSmart or other, busier places.

When we brought Aria into Unleash Fido, Travis told us her problems from observing her behavior and we left her there the same day for a 4 week behavior modification boot camp. The team is amazing, they prioritize the well-being of your dog and the thoroughness of their training. Aria is very picky with her food is not driven at all for treats or food, so it was very hard to train her to get over her fears, especially loud sounds like thunder and fireworks. Aria ended up staying for 9 and a half weeks! And she came back amazing. It wasn't necessarily like she was a completely new dog; her personality was still the exact same; she was still our baby through and through. But, all the bad behavior was gone.

Now she has no negative reactions to anyone. Every high stimulation thing that could pass she ignores. She also greets people happily, wanting to meet them and wanting to say hi and get pet. We've taken Aria to PetSmart, Petland, the Town Center, and the beach. When we first dropped her off, Travis and Jade had to deal with a dog that was snarling and barking at everyone. They helped Aria go above and beyond and had her achieve the highest achievements possible in their program. Most recently, we're having a friend over for 2 weeks. Aria had never met this person and before her training would have made hosting nigh on impossible. 3 days ago when our friend arrived, Aria went out to the driveway and happily greeted our guest. After a short walk, Aria let her into the house with no problems. Every day after, there were no problems with our friend coming downstairs to greet Aria; we've even left Aria at home alone with our friend when we had to go run some errands.

On top of that, we've even been able to take Aria off-leash outside. When Aria only needs to go out for a short pee, I just open the door and let her out off-leash. I come out with her and after she pees, I tell her to "go home", which she understands, and she heads right back to the side door and waits for me to let her in. Additionally, Aria loves swimming to death. Both of our adjacent neighbors have dogs; one of them has 4, and the other one is Aria's nemesis. Whenever she'd hear them bark before, she'd run to the fence or even get out of the backyard through the lake we're up against to go bark at them through the fence. So, we had to keep her on a leash whenever we went swimming and were continually stressed to keep watch of Aria. However, now we can have her go swimming completely off-leash and she ignores our neighbors completely.

On the note of how well Aria was taken care during her stay at Unleash Fido, it was very well. As I mentioned before, Aria is extremely picky with her food and dislikes eating her kibble. In order to get her to eat, which even we find difficult, Jade added wet food to her kibble and returned Aria 0.6 pounds heavier than when she went in. The dogs staying at Unleash Fido are perfectly cared for; there's no reason to worry.

Travis, Jade, and the team truly worked a miracle for us and has made our lives, as well as Aria's life, so much easier and less stressful. Right after Aria, we sent our other dog Artemis to Unleash Fido as well because we know they will do an amazing job once again. If you have any troubles with your dog, whether it be big or small, I highly recommend the professional team at Unleash Fido. In addition to training your dog, they also teach you to how to continue...

I can attest to how amazing Unleash Fido is. I couldn't be more thankful. Writing this actually makes me tear up because the freedom and happiness Unleash Fido, and specifically my head trainer Macayla, has brought Franki and I. She has taught me it's ok to be a beginner and to make mistakes. She's given me confidence. She's given me a push I needed. The things she (and all the other trainers that handled Franki) taught Franki is amazing. Franki met like 15 different trainers in his time working at Unleash Fido and I was amazed with the videos sent to me! The work they did has allowed me and my dog Franki to have a beautiful relationship. It has been truly life- changing to say the least. I would do it again in a heart beat.

Here is some history on Franki and I... I rescued Franki about 2.5 years ago. At first he was timid and shy and very friendly. He met about 10 people and 4 dogs within the first 2 months which he has great friendships with. As he started becoming himself his behaviors started to surface and I was having a hard time managing life and knowing how to help my boy. I went to 3 different trainers and spent thousands of dollars with no luck in helping me manage his reactivity or anxiety. I chose to keep Franki safe and not allow him to come in contact certain people or dogs. The main issue wasn't that he wasn't a good dog ( all dogs are good dogs!) it was I didn't know how lead him for what he needed and he in turn had no one he trusted to take care of him.

I was an anxious mess. Walking him mean't lunging, barking, and growling was going to happen with people and dogs alike. I avoided introducing him to countless friends and family. None of the trainers helped me with my main concerns... but after a session with one trainer I was more confident in learning how to get Franki to walk better with me. I spent 6 months just walking up and down one street every single day after a trainer helped me learn how to teach heel (or just walk without pulling me). I used that time to also work on his obedience and progressively added in more difficult things. He and I started having better walks and he was more manageable! But then I moved. Once I changed environment he went right back to square one. I had mad anxiety even just opening up my front door and I knew I had to do something where it was more immersive and a well-trained dog trainer could help me understand my dog better, not to mention, get him consistent work in every day that I just didn't have time for.

After 4 weeks and 6 days Franki was ready to come back home! I can't thank everyone at Unleash Fido enough because now I happily walk my boy (heel) and look forward to that time with him, he is so much calmer, he listens, is more obedient, he can walk past dogs and people without going wild, he knows how to run on a treadmill, and I trust having him meet new people with a process Macayla shared with me. The confidence this program has engrained in me and Franki is staggering. We still have work to do to overcome all of Frankis traumas but the progress in just 36 days was amazing. We are well on our way. All while still being the same fun-loving boy!

As one final note... I wouldn't even walk Franki in to Unleash fido the intake day without telling them at the front to please make sure no people or dogs would come out. When I just went for his post graduate visit for Obedience boot camp, I finally wasn't full of anxiety and I confidently walking in with Franki by my side, I passed 4 dogs and 5 people all while Franki stayed by my side and trusted me to keep him safe. I MEAN REALLY!!!! SO FREAKING HAPPY!!!!

Finally, I have now had 1 follow-up visit with Macayla. She always leaves me with great homework to help Franki and my relationship. She understands him and also makes me feel good about where I am.

I can't thank you enough Macayla. You and your team have changed our life and I can’t wait to get more and...

Our 3-year-old mini-Aussie was so loving and energetic, but she also had many behavior and anxiety issues we just could not control on our own. We hit a breaking point after an incident with our toddler. Our dog’s anxiety was at such a high point that she was quick to snap at him when he accidentally stepped on her tail. We knew this situation wasn’t sustainable, but we absolutely did not want to give up on her. After reading many positive reviews and getting a personal recommendation from a friend, we went desperately to the Unleash Fido team for help. THANK GOD Christian was there to save our sweet puppy dog. In our first meeting, we told Christian that she had the following list of issues:

She would bark aggressively at neighbors. She was aggressive toward guests. She would jump on people (even those she liked). She would jump on the furniture and on counter/table for food. She would bark out the window at the delivery driver or even a leaf blowing in the wind. She would beg for food at the table. She would pull on the leash while on walks. She would not come when called. She was aggressive toward the broom/vacuum/brush. She would dig in the yard and pull up grass.

In short, she did not listen to anything we said and we felt we had no control over her. Christian didn’t flinch. He was patient and confident during our conversation. He immediately helped us feel comfortable and confident that these issues were fixable. He reassured us that these issues were not occurring because we had a “bad dog”, but instead because of her lack of understanding in the way we communicated with her. We couldn’t speak her language. He told us exactly how he thought he could help. The 4-week boarding and the price were intimidating, but we knew it would be worth it if Christian could deliver on what he said he could -- and did he ever deliver! When we picked her up after 4 weeks, she was like a different dog. While she was the same loving girl we brought in, she was so much more well-behaved. Most importantly, we now had the education and the tools to communicate with her.

We’ve had our girl home for over 2 months now and I’m happy to report that:

She was no longer barking aggressively at neighbors. She is no longer aggressive toward guests. She no longer jumps on people. She does not jump on furniture or on the counter/table. She doesn’t bark out the window. She doesn’t beg for food at the table. She is the best dog while on walks. She comes when called. She is no longer aggressive toward the broom/vacuum/brush. She no longer digs in the yard.

Now, she’s not perfect. We still must be consistent with the commands and practice them regularly. There are times when she will do some of the above, but again, we now have the tools to effectively communicate and correct her. We are so thankful for Christian and the entire Unleash Fido family. Christian has been the best trainer for our dog because he understood so well the temperament of our mini Aussie, and not only that, he really got to know her personality and it felt like her training was catered specifically to her and helping her reach her best potential. This program has allowed us to get our house back under control without having to give up our sweet puppy dog and for that reason, it was worth every penny! If you are experiencing any of the above, I couldn’t recommend this...