Dak is a Labrador who came to Off Leash K9 Training Southwest Missouri at a year and a half old, full of energy and getting bigger by the month. His owner had already worked her way through the pet-store aisle looking for a fix.

You can read Dak’s owner’s full review on Google, written a week after he came home.

Where Dak Started

Walks were the worst of it. Dak pulled through every type of no-pull collar on the market, which is a sentence we hear almost weekly. Those collars manage a symptom. None of them teach a dog what you actually want.

He was also selective about commands. A sit or a stay took several repeats before he would do it, and he jumped on anyone and everyone. His owner could see where that was heading with a young Lab who had not finished growing.

The Training Journey

It started with a phone call to Maegan, one of the owners here, who answered her questions without pushing her toward anything. A few weeks later Dak started our two-week board and train with trainer McKenzie.

His owner describes drop-off as simple and the two weeks as well documented: daily updates on his progress, and on where the two of them had been that day. That last part matters more than it sounds. Obedience learned only in a quiet room is not obedience yet, so the dogs go out into real places while they train.

Dak’s Wins

He walks at his owner’s side with no pulling. He listens on the first command rather than the fourth. The jumping on people stopped.

The result his owner leads with, though, is off leash: Dak walks beside her off leash with plenty of distraction going on around him. That is the whole point of a board and train, and it is what separates it from an hour a week.

What It Changed at Home

In her words, she can finally let Dak be a dog. She takes him everywhere without worrying he will run off, and strangers comment on how well mannered he is.

She is also honest about the price, calling the program pricey and a great investment in the same breath, and she was still keeping up the training a week after he came home. Both of those are worth repeating, because the second one is what makes the first one pay off.

Why This Story Matters

Dak was never aggressive or fearful. He was an ordinary, happy young Lab with more power than manners, which is the single most common dog we see at Off Leash K9 Training Southwest Missouri.

If you have bought three different collars this year, the collar was never the problem. Nothing you clip to a dog teaches him what you want.

Ready to Start With Your Own Dog?

Start where Dak’s owner did, with a phone call and some questions. We work with families across Springfield and the surrounding towns, including Nixa and Ozark. Every program is listed with its price on our plans and pricing page, and payment plans are available. Call us today to learn more about payment options.