Jack Russell Terrier

Before we started training with Top Dog Farm my jack russell puppy was totally uncontrollable. I was literally thinking about giving her to a home that could handle her aggressive energy. After a couple weeks with Kara I came to her first appointment and it was unreal how much she had changed for the better. She listened and calm when she needed to be. She waited on my every command! I couldn’t believe it. As time went on she became smarter and we are sharing 4 years of a beautiful , fun filled life together. Shes safe, happy and full of positive energy! This training allowed me to keep the dog I love and enjoy all the benefits of her being a high energy, safe and smart Jack Russel Terrier.

Tito

Mini-Goldendoodle

Highly recommended from close family friends, we decided to send our 7-month old mini labradoodle to Off-Leash Training at Top Dog Farm and are SO HAPPY that we did! Kara worked with our pup to learn a series of commands that solved all of our previous issues with recall, begging for food, and jumping on people. Kara was extremely communicative during the entire process letting us know our pup was in great hands. It was very evident how much our pup loved learning from Kara, especially during the transition meetings. Now that we got Rubi back home to San Francisco, we are able to reinforce the fundamentals that Kara has taught us to keep our pup well-behaved and most importantly, safe in the city!

Nicole + Danny

Labradoodles

When someone says “a picture is worth 1000 words” so is a well-trained dog.

After getting our second doodle we knew training was necessary. The new puppy needed some serious help. Our 4 year old doodle did not get trained and there was no way we were going to make that mistake again. After my husband and I spent time with a friends dog who was trained by Top Dog Farm, we were sold. My husbands words were “Whats her number and sign us up!”. After a productive phone call with Kara, we formulated a plan. I got off the phone feeling happy and excited. My husband and I decided to send both our dogs to be trained together. After a few weeks at Top Dog Farm, we could not believe the progress and what we were seeing when we had our first meeting in Birmingham. I was in shock! We were in awe at how well they listened and understood what was being asked of them.

Life before training was hectic. I felt very out of control, would never take my dogs outside without a leash, hated walking them as I feared an encounter with a neighbor dog and truly did not know how to have control of them. Training our dogs was by far the BEST decision we could have made. I love taking them on walks now, they play freely in our yard, and I do not fear any run-ins with other dogs. The ability to communicate with them in a postive and rewarding way gives them more confidence and freedom. It also allows us to stop unwanted behavior such as constant barking, counter surfing and eating our shoes.

TDF is also our “go to” for boarding. My dogs are comfortable with her and her staff and as a bonus they will work on any commands that may need some fine tuning. Gibby and Vinnie always come home happy, bathed, and tired.

Top Dog is Top Notch! Kara is beyond knowledgable; she has great staff, and they all love your puppy like its their own. I will continue to refer anyone I know to TDF. This has been a life changing experience for our dogs and us. Well worth the investment!

With grateful hearts Mikki + Josh R.

Labradoodle

We were referred to Top Dog Farm by a stranger we met in the park. Their dog wowed us with his perfect behavior. We had just gotten a new puppy and we were totally in over our heads. He was taking things from around the house, making us chase him to get them back, jumping on people, pulling the leash on walks and not consistently listening to commands we taught him. When we first contacted Kara we were unsure about sending our new puppy away for so long and the cost wasn’t an amount we would spend without careful consideration. What if it didn’t work? We had heard horror stories form friends who sent their dogs away, spent a ton of money and got back a dog that only listened to the trainer. Kara spoke with us several times and invited us to the facility, which is a beautiful property and the kennels were astoundingly clean. She listened to all our concerns and was completely upfront about what to expect. We finally decided to go for it and we are so happy we did. Everything Kara said was true; we got back a perfect dog and almost 2 years later he still is. Not only does he get to live a better and fuller life with Top Dog training, but we enjoy spending time with him so much more. We have consistently used every command and would never get another dog without Top Dog training. We also use TDF for boarding. We know our dog is in good hands, in a super clean facility, socializing with other dogs, going on hikes, and coming back freshly bathed. Most importantly, he wants to go! I cannot say enough good things about Kara and Top Dog Farm. We feel so lucky to have met her!

Jennifer G.

German Shepherd/Husky

Before training, Loki was just a puppy. He came back a full grown adult! Loki is a German Shepherd/Husky mix and I was pretty nervous to have a big dog as the only dog I have had weighed a whopping 5 pounds. My biggest concern was that he would be out of control and he would too big for me to handle him. He came back from training as the perfect gentleman. Of course, he was still a puppy and had puppy tendencies still but it was incredible to see how quick he went from goofy puppy to perfect angel in the blink of an eye. He was so well-behaved and I don’t have to worry about people coming over or bringing him anywhere, I know he will listen to anything we say. My favorite part? Has still the big goofball that he has always been! His training didn’t take his personality away. Kara and Becky were so kind and helpful before, during, and after training with answering questions, keeping us updated on Loki’s progress, sending pictures of him while he was there. And Loki absolutely loved being there! We have sent him back for boarding a couple times where we know he will be happy, safe, loved, cared for and will have a blast while he’s there. He loves to work his mind with getting a refresher course of training, playing with other pups, and his favorite is the hikes he gets to take. We have nothing but amazing things to say about Top Dog Farm. Everybody who asks bout Loki’s training gets an ear full of the great things we have to say. There is no doubt in my mind that any and all future pups we get will come back to train with Kara and her Top Dogs!

Katie E.

Golden Retreiver

We highly recommend Top Dog Farm for both training and boarding! We sent our golden retreiver puppy there for Off Leash training last spring. Before she went to training she was constantly chasing my kids, biting their clothes, jumping up on our kitchen table when we were eating, and she refused to walk on a leash. Since she returned home, she is the best behaved dog we could ever ask for. She also loves going there for boarding. Its like a sleep-away camp for dogs. She goes on hikes and gets to play with her other dog friends. We couldn’t be happier with Top Dog Farm!

Jessica U.

Rosie, the cattle dog, was exactly what you’d expect from the breed. She was stubborn, fearless and famously would nip as a way of interacting with everything. It was impossible to walk her in the neighborhood without her dragging me down the street, trying to jump in front of cars, or trying to do anything unsafe. I have another cattle dog that was Off Leash trained and I knew it was important to get her in as soon as possible.

Rosie liked to do anything that was unsafe for both us; including jumping into the street, eating random things on the ground, not playing nice with other dogs or people, and using her nipping to her get her way. This way of life was not sustainable for either of us. Now that Rosie has been Off Leash trained, our experience together has been a night and day difference. She checks in with me and listens to her commands. It has been an incredible transition. Without Top Dog Farm I am not sure Rosie would be able to live the life she deserves due to the nature of her temperament. She is now able to go to crowded areas and I can trust I have control of her. The training not only helped us have more fun, but it created an unbreakable bond between us.

If someone were to ask me if they should do the training? DO IT!!! The dog you receive after the program is priceless and will lead to a happier life for both you and your dog. We can do anything and go anywhere without the worry. The use of the E-Collar is a game changer and has allowed us to go on off-leash hikes and still have the control needed to shift her attention from distractions. The Top Dog team is by far the best dog training company I have ever worked with and I wouldn’t want to work with anyone else. They not only changed Rosie’s life but mine as well, and I will forever be grateful for that.

Best,

Michael P.

Kara and Becky are wonderful- real life miracle workers! They took our crazy golden retriever pup and made him into a well-trained dog. He was not listening, having multiple accidents in the house and jumping up all the time. I was loosing my patience with him! I sent him off for training at Top Dog Farm and he came back a new dog. We enjoy having him around now and are able to get him to listen and follow our commands. I highly recommend them to anyone who needs to get their dog in line!”

Marci K.

We got Roxie as a 8 week old pup in September 2022 after losing our first fur family member in August. Losing a dog is hard and I know so many can relate, because of this we were so motivated to make sure our next dog would spend every moment possible with us. We signed up for a puppy class at 12 weeks old, we quickly realized that with 2 human kids and both adults working full time we weren’t able to invest the time into training that we needed. Roxie was a good dog, she wasn’t terribly destructive or frustrating with her behaviors but she certainly wasn’t reaching her “TOP” potential. Just before we brought Roxie home we witnessed a dog at a campground who had been trained by Kara and my words were “How do we get that?”

Fast forward when Roxie was 7 months old we dropped her off at Top Dog Farm for the Obedience Program. Roxie was a mamas girl and I was so very concerned that she wouldn’t be when we got her back. She is still 100% a mamas girl and every bit of a fun, loving, energetic pup that she should be. At not even 1 years old, Roxie has been to outdoor restaurants, church, youth baseball practices, walk up kid pick up from school (large crowds of other untrained dogs), camping, hundreds of car rides and lots of meeting new friends! She is loving her life with her humans because of Top Dog Farm! We live in a small community and every person who has seen Roxies training is monumentally impressed.

From the human perspective, leading up to dropping her off I was so nervous. Nervous she wouldn’t remember us or think she has new owners. Our first meetup came soon enough and as soon as she smelled me she was so excited! We got to take her off leash and let her run around with another dog. She played, ran, retrieved sticks and then….we said “Roxie come” and she put on the brakes and came straight back. We were sold, completely sold!

Throughout the training we received photos and videos which helped us with missing her. Our family is forever grateful to the owner, staff, family and fur friends of Top Dog Farm!

Trisha N.