Ridgeside K9 NC Reviews

Mark Erard 2026.06.30

     

I cannot recommend Abby at Ridgeside K9 Eastern Carolina enough! Our 9-month-old English Golden Retriever, Finni, just completed a 3-week Board and Train program where she lived with Abby at her home in Sneads Ferry, NC. From day one, Abby made us feel completely at ease by sending daily photos, videos, and detailed nightly updates on Finni’s progress.Abby’s structured approach completely transformed Finni's behavior and confidence. Over the three weeks, Abby successfully transitioned Finni away from a prong collar to low-level e-collar conditioning, built an incredibly solid foundation for the "place" command on various objects, and taught her excellent door manners and impulse control. She also mastered structured heeling and developed a reliable, enthusiastic off-leash recall, even around high-level outdoor distractions.What we loved most was the real-world proof of Finni's progress. Abby took her on multiple field trips—including the beach, a park a busy vendor market and even a Lowes —where Finni learned to stay calm, settled, and engaged amid crowds, noises, and other dogs. On her final day, they did overview work at the park, and Finni absolutely crushed it! Beyond the training, Finni had an absolute blast playing with other dog friends and was loved like family. Abby even gave her a bath before graduation so she was clean and ready to come home. If you want a trainer who is communicative, skilled, and truly cares about your puppy, Abby is the absolute best!

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Jair Varughese 2026.06.28

     

Great experience with Ridgeside K9 and trainer Mackenzie! We have a high energy GSD pup, Lucy. The daily updates, with photos and videos, were great and allowed us to watch her progress. At graduation, Mackenzie provided us with additional tool and training to help us maintain and improve on Lucy’s success. Thank you, Mackenzie and Ridgeside K9!

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.06.28

Thank you so much for the kind words, Jair! We’re thrilled Lucy did so well and that the daily updates, photos, and videos helped you follow her progress. Mackenzie enjoyed working with Lucy, and we’re glad the tools and training at graduation will support your continued success. Please reach out anytime if you need follow-up support or refresher help.

karen walston 2026.06.23

     

We just completed a second round of puppy training with Ridgeside K9, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience! Our trainer, Abby, has been absolutely wonderful to work with. She is patient, knowledgeable, encouraging, and truly cares about helping dogs and their owners succeed. Toby has come such a long way since we started. During this second round of training, we saw even more growth in his obedience, focus, confidence, and overall behavior. Abby did an amazing job building on the skills Toby had already learned while helping us work through new challenges and distractions. One of the things we appreciate most is how Abby takes the time to explain everything clearly and make sure we feel confident continuing the training at home. Her dedication and positive attitude make every session enjoyable. We are so proud of Toby and grateful for everything Abby and Ridgeside K9 have done to help him succeed. If you’re looking for a training program that delivers results and trainers who genuinely care, we highly recommend Ridgeside K9! 🐾 Toby is lucky to have such a dedicated trainer and family cheering him on!

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.06.24

Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Karen! We’re thrilled Toby has made such great progress and that Abby’s patience, knowledge, and positive coaching made training enjoyable and effective. We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to supporting Toby and your family with any future training needs.

Danielle Nittoli 2026.06.22

     

Trainer Taylor did an incredible job helping our Weimaraner, Winston, become a well-mannered and balanced dog while still keeping his fun, lovable personality. Before training, Winston struggled with common high-energy behaviors like pulling on the leash, jumping on people, counter surfing, destructive habits, and anxiety when left alone. Through Taylor’s patient and personalized approach, he developed excellent obedience, reliable recall, and the ability to stay calm and gentle around our newborn baby. Most importantly, she didn’t change who Winston is—she simply helped him become the best version of himself, complete with an “off switch” for relaxing and enjoying family time. The impact on our family has been life-changing. Taylor not only trained Winston but also gave us the tools, structure, and confidence to maintain his success long-term. Her guidance on exercise, routine, and engagement has made Winston happier, easier to include in family activities, and a joy to be around. Even after training, she has remained available to answer questions and provide support. Her dedication, expertise, and genuine care are unmatched, and I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking to strengthen their relationship with their dog. Simply put, the experience was worth every penny.

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.06.22

Thank you so much, Danielle, for the wonderful review and wholehearted recommendation. We’re thrilled Taylor’s patient, personalized approach helped Winston overcome high-energy behaviors, develop reliable obedience and recall, and stay calm and gentle around your newborn while keeping his lovable personality and that helpful "off switch." It means a lot to hear the training and the tools Taylor provided have had a life-changing impact on your family and made Winston easier to include in activities. We appreciate your trust and are always here to support you and Winston whenever you need us.

Liz Morris 2026.06.19

     

We couldn't be happier with the results! Our dog has been completely transformed in the best way—more obedient, confident, and a sense of calmness. Our trainer George was knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely cared about our dog's success. The guidance has been easy to follow, and the results have exceeded our expectations. Highly recommend this training company to anyone looking for real, lasting improvements in their dog's behavior!

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.06.19

Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Liz. We’re thrilled George’s training helped your dog become more obedient, confident, and calm. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to George; he appreciates knowing his guidance made a real difference. We appreciate the recommendation and are here if you ever need additional support or refresher sessions.

Bryan Fitzsimmons 2026.06.18

     

Mackenzie was absolutely incredible as a trainer for our Bernedoodle Teddy. I would recommend this service to anyone who is considering training for their dog. We received daily updates with a detailed description of what they worked on, photos and videos which made us feel so good about the entire experience. I'd give more than 5 stars if I could.

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.06.18

Thank you so much, Bryan! We’re thrilled Mackenzie provided such a positive experience for Teddy and that the daily updates, photos, and videos gave you confidence throughout the training. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to Mackenzie. We truly appreciate the recommendation and would love to work with you both again.

Mo Moursy 2026.06.15

     

Thank you Shannon for your work with Nile and taking him to a different level and behavior

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.06.15

Thank you, Mo, for your kind words. We're thrilled Shannon helped Nile improve his behavior and reach the next level. Nile was a great student and we're proud of his progress. We're here to support you both anytime you need further training or guidance.

J 2026.06.14

     

So thankful for the guidance from George. I appreciate him reaching out for a follow up after my initial review. I should have mentioned in my initial review that my dog has improved in many areas, especially walking, it wasn’t fair to my trainer and I was desperate. My dog has been a real challenge for me when it comes to learning how to not let him manipulate my love. As for whatever happened between my dogs the training portion had nothing to do with it and I apologize if my initial review made it sound like that. I was overwhelmed at the moment when I posted my initial review and was frustrated with events occurring that were out of anyone’s control. The training and guidance your team has offered has been helpful. After the review and Georgie reiterating that I am welcomed to contact him (even if I have to send a dozen messages) I feel a lot of my hope has been restored and that I do have help which does bring tears to my eyes. Here’s to the future!

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.04.15

I'm deeply sorry for what you and your dogs have been through and for the lack of follow-up after training. What you described, including your dog's increased reactivity, the injury to your other dog, and being ghosted, is unacceptable and we take it very seriously. I have escalated your case to our senior trainer and client care team and they will contact you within 24 hours to arrange an urgent re-assessment, provide concrete management steps, and support for any vet-related concerns. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and are committed to making this right so you and your family feel safe and supported.

Alexis Sugar-Miller 2026.05.28

     

My pup had Abby as a trainer! She was awesome. I got daily updates on her progress along with pictures and videos. She learned so much!

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.05.28

Thank you so much for the kind review, Alexis! We're thrilled Abby did such a great job with your pup and that the daily updates, photos, and videos were helpful. It’s wonderful to hear how much your dog learned. We look forward to helping with any future training needs.

Kaylee Parsons 2026.05.27

     

had a great experience with Ridgeside K9 training our Labrador. The trainers were professional, knowledgeable, and truly cared about helping our dog succeed. We saw a huge improvement in obedience, listening skills, and overall behavior in a short amount of time. They also took the time to teach us how to continue reinforcing the training at home, which made a big difference. Our lab is now much more confident, well-behave. I highly recommend Ridgeside K9 to anyone looking for quality dog training.

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.05.27

Thank you, Kaylee, for the wonderful review. We’re thrilled your Labrador responded so well and that our trainers’ professionalism and at-home reinforcement made a big difference. We’ll pass your kind words on to the team. If you ever need a refresher or have questions, we’re always here to help.

Mark Simmons 2026.05.23

     

After several years of trying to control our very active Belgian, Coco, we reached out to Ridgeside K9. Very glad we did. So happy with the results. Mackenzie picked her up and had her for 3 weeks. We received daily reports with pictures and video of the progress. Never would had tried to take Coco out into a public store prior to this. Highly recommend. Mackenzie did a fantastic job. Thank you Ridgeside.

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.05.23

Thank you so much for trusting Ridgeside K9 with Coco and for sharing your experience. We’re thrilled Mackenzie and the team could help her make such great progress and that the daily reports, photos, and videos were helpful. It’s wonderful to hear you’re now comfortable taking Coco into public stores. We truly appreciate your high recommendation and kind words about Mackenzie.

Keith Schumacher 2026.05.17

     

I can not say enough about Ridgeside K9 Eastern Carolina. Our Leo had been trained as a puppy, but he was still very reactive to other dogs and anyone who would pay attention to him. He did not come when called. We’re first time dog owners and didn’t know what to do. We had an overseas trip planned and we were deciding if we were going to leave him home alone and have someone come feed him or board him (which we did not want to do). A friend had recently used Ridgeside and was very happy. She said that her dog came beck completely changed and an absolute gentleman. Leo was paired with Abby, who was amazing. She came and picked him up and he lived with her while we were away. Every day, she sent videos of our boy and showed exactly how much he was learning. She truly loved and cared for our dog. When Leo returned to us, Abby spent about an hour with us showing us exactly what he could do and how to maintain his training. Now, we can take Leo just about anywhere and have complete confidence in him. He’s a very well behaved and obedient friend. We get regular updates and his membership and training updates are for life. If we need to go out of town again, we can just call Abby and make arrangements for him to stay with her and he can get some training updates. I highly recommend Ridgeside K9 Eastern Carolina to any dog owner.

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.05.18

Thank you so much for the glowing review, Keith. We’re thrilled Leo thrived with Abby, that the daily videos and in-home training gave you confidence, and that he’s now a well-behaved companion you can take anywhere. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to providing lifetime updates and helping Leo with any future stays or refreshers you need.

M M 2026.05.17

     

Abby did a good job getting Freya, an EBT, back to the basics. Their use of an electric collar and choker collar was professionally sound and safe. She does much better in "Heal", "place", and "come". We are still working issues with "cage agression", and space "possession agression". The owner Mike even came by after her 3 weeks to offer more advice in dealing with the cage agression. Overall very good in giving Freya more structure. M2 and Shell.

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.05.18

Thank you for the thoughtful review. We're glad Abby was able to get Freya back to basics and that you're seeing improvements in heel, place, and come, and we appreciate you noting the professional, safe use of the electric and choker collars. We understand cage and possession aggression remain challenging and are pleased Mike could stop by to offer additional advice. We're committed to supporting Freya's continued progress. Please contact us to schedule follow-up sessions or request resources.

Lauren Coyle 2026.05.17

     

We sent our sweet pup Lulu off to training for the 3 week course with Ridgeside and it was one of the best investments we could have made! Trainer Abby was absolutely amazing working on her reactivity, her manners around the house, basic commands, and more! We are expecting our first child so we wanted to make sure that we were all prepared for the arrival of our new addition and we are so impressed with the results! Lulu has still been her goofy self but her listening skills have been night and day and we couldn’t be happier. Abby and all of the staff I interacted with were so kind, professional, and knowledgeable! We want to especially thank Abby for her hard work and patience with our girl. Lulu was so sad when Abby left our house after we went through all of her training - she loved her time in training and it shows how much Abby cares for the pups she trains and treats them as if they were her own! Highly recommend getting your fur babies trained with Ridgeside - the program sets you up for success as an owner!

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.05.17

Thank you so much for trusting Ridgeside with Lulu and for the wonderful review. We’re thrilled Abby and our team could help with Lulu’s reactivity, manners, and commands and that her listening has improved so much. Congratulations on your growing family; we’re honored to be part of your preparation for your new arrival. We’ll pass your kind words to Abby and the staff, they will be delighted to hear Lulu loved her time with us. We appreciate the recommendation and wish your family all the best.

Hannah Perryman 2026.05.14

     

Our dog just got back from 3 weeks with trainer Mackenzie and we are forever thankful for her! Salem has transitioned back home so well and we cannot believe the change in him just from the last 3 weeks. We feel so much more confident with our communication and ability to take Salem in public. THANK YOU mackenzie!

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.05.18

Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Hannah! We’re thrilled Salem’s three-week training with Mackenzie made such a positive difference and that you feel more confident communicating and enjoying public outings together. Mackenzie will be so happy to hear your feedback. We appreciate you trusting us with Salem and are here if you ever want refresher sessions or support.

Nathan Hatchel 2026.05.14

     

So glad I chose to work with them, this is day three since my boy has been home from his board and training.

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.05.14

Thank you so much, Nathan. We’re thrilled you chose us and that your boy is home and doing well after his board and train. We’re here for any follow-up support or questions as he continues to settle in, so please reach out anytime and we look forward to his continued progress.

Vicky Covington 2026.05.09

     

My dog “Dawg” was on his way to being rehomed. He was jumping on my elderly mother knocking her down. He was abusing every body in our home. It’s like day and night. It’s unbelievable how quickly they were able to train him. They brought him home and taught us how to help him maintain what he learned. It was worth every penny we spent and now we have our forever dog

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.05.09

Thank you, Vicky. We’re so glad Dawg is now calm, safe, and part of your forever family — it’s wonderful to hear how quickly the training helped. Teaching you how to maintain his progress is exactly what we strive for, and we’re happy it was worth the investment. Please reach out anytime if you need refreshers or support.

Amy Grover 2026.05.03

     

We had an incredible experience working with Taylor at Ridgeside for our chocolate lab, Jade. From the very beginning, Taylor was communicative, supportive, and clearly invested in Jade’s success. What impressed me most was how quickly we started seeing real results—not just in structured training environments, but in everyday life. Jade went from being overly excited (what we used to call a “meat missile”) to much more controlled and responsive. She now settles when asked, isn’t jumping on people when they enter the house, and is already showing reliable recall—even without the collar in some situations. That level of responsiveness, especially so early, is huge. We’ve taken her into real-world environments like breweries and stores, and while she’s still learning, we can already see the foundation Taylor built. Instead of reacting impulsively, she’s starting to look to me for direction. That shift alone has made such a difference. Taylor also gave us the tools and confidence to continue reinforcing the training at home and in more challenging environments (like our wooded property where distractions are high). It truly feels like a partnership, not just a drop-off program. We’re excited to keep building on this and can already see how much more we’ll be able to do with Jade because of this training. Highly recommend Taylor and Ridgeside to anyone serious about transforming their dog’s behavior.

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.05.03

Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Amy. We're thrilled Taylor could help Jade make such rapid, practical progress, and that those gains are carrying over outside of structured sessions. Hearing that Jade settles on cue, no longer jumps on visitors, and is showing reliable recall even without the collar is fantastic. We're glad the training tools and partnership approach gave you the confidence to reinforce skills at home and on your wooded property. Thanks again for recommending Ridgeside; we look forward to helping Jade and your family keep building on this success.

Ashley Rochelle 2026.04.26

     

I recommend Ridgeside K9 Training for all dogs. My wild and crazy boxer went there for her puppy and "adult" training and I couldn't be happier with the results. Not only did Remi (our pup) receive great foundational training, but Abby did a great job training me, my husband, and our kids! Sticking to her methods means we're all on the same page and Remi gets consistent commands and feedback. Remi is only 6 months old so we still have a long way to go in this journey and I'm so happy for the lifelong support that Ridgeside offers as part of their packages.

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Duke Harvey 2026.04.26

     

Shannon and Lacey trained our rescue "Schnoodle," Pippin (at least we think that's what he is). Pippin "was" a bit of a handful, and Shannon & Lacey transformed him! It was wonderful to work with them as they are true professionals - extremely knowledgeable about animal behavior, extremely passionate about their craft, extremely committed to making sure we are successful, and (most important) extremely kind, wonderful people. We look forward to maintaining our relationship with them.

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Reply from Ridgeside K9 NC 2026.04.26

Thank you so much for the wonderful review and for trusting Shannon and Lacey with Pippin. We’re thrilled to hear about the progress he’s made and that our team’s knowledge, passion, and kindness made a difference. We look forward to continuing to support you and Pippin and helping you maintain his progress. Please reach out anytime if we can help further.