We lost our 2 dogs this past summer & fall, an 11-year-old Old English Sheepdog and an almost 14-year-old Great Pyrenees. I was very depressed without my boys and on a whim, after I finished seeing patients, I went to PCAPS to just look at the dogs they had rescued. The 1st dog I saw was an Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyr mix who unfortunately had an "I've Been Adopted" sign on his kennel. Well, that fell through, and I adopted him! We had never adopted through a rescue, only fostered rescues or purchased puppies. We had NEVER returned a dog after adopting. Max almost ruined that streak! He was approximately 18 months old and to call him stubborn was an understatement! He would play catch me if you can in our backyard, would have to be tricked into coming back into the house, pulled terribly on walks, and was truly 1-2 weeks away from going back to PCAPS! This truly broke both my wife and my hearts as he is a beautiful dog. My senior partner told me about Wilson's in Cuba, IL and how he took his 2 dogs there for Boot Camp. So, I called and made an appointment to have him go through a 4-week boot camp. Carla "guaranteed" he would be "off leash" at the end. But she didn't know Max! He had already escaped twice and needed to be chased for hours into Robinson Park and 1 day when I came home from the office for lunch to let him out, he bolted and there started a 1-hour chase through the neighborhood. We went out 3 times during his boot camp to get training and he seemed to be a little bit better. Sasha, 1 of the trainers put us through training with him. He was "better" but needed more work. Well, we picked him up after 5 weeks with him at the Wilson's and we went walking with him OFF LEASH! He has been home for 4 weeks and he is a completely different dog. He comes, sits, waits, heals, walks great, and LISTENS! He is not perfect yet, but 92% better! We work with him at least 2 times a day and he improved every day! Max ain't going back to PCAPS!!!!! He has a forever home! The Wilsons are wonderful, and Sasha is a fantastic trainer! The entire staff truly care about these dogs, and it is obvious when you see everyone there as they interact with the dogs. It is strict discipline, which Max definitely needed, and true love for the dogs! I can't say enough about Wilson's Dog Training except they are 55 miles away from our home and we are going away for 5 days at the end of the month, and I am driving 200+ miles to drop him off and pick him back up instead of boarding him close to home! They are the real deal in training and love for our boy and all of the dogs we saw while we were there! Can't recommend them...
   Read moreWe were new to the dog world when we got a puppy in 2022. We looked to Wilson's for initial training for our English Setter pup. They were very helpful in their dog and people training. They invited the family, adults and children, to attend training with Rocko during his stay. Rocko came home with a huge list of puppy manners for us to continue developing at home. He still uses the commands to this day. Shortly after training, Wilson's began their Doggy Daycare bus. The bus allows Rocko to continue to work on his socialization with other dogs and people and gives him the opportunity to "bird watch" in the countryside while we are at work during the day. He looks forward to the days he gets picked up and almost breaks down the door with excitement when they arrive. The pick-up option allows our family to continue our normal morning and afternoon routines without traveling out of town for drop off. We also use their boarding services when we are out of town. They are very accommodating and are great at communicating pick-up and drop off times. They will also send updates and pictures when we are away to let us know how Rocko is spending his time. Wilson's has been a huge part of making us...
   Read moreWe searched for a place that could board and train our puppy who was suffering from separation anxiety each time we'd leave the room. We started looking for a trainer that could build his confidence and give him a good base in Chicago but most establishments were out of budget for us. Enter, Wilson's Dog Training (4 week board & train). The commutes to Cuba, IL really did pay off. It's amazing to see how our little puppy has matured so much. His exposure to other dogs and people have really improved his overall confidence and he doesn't cry anymore when we leave the room. The farm environment was another factor that played into our decision. Brian and Carla are very patient and kind, which is so important when puppy training. They kept us updated weekly with videos and texts of our puppy's progress but what I really loved is how they presented his progress to us during the in-person visits, where they supplied information on the do's and don'ts of puppy training and answered any questions we had. We do plan to keep re-enforcing what he has learned but are very appreciative for the great base he learned...
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