Dogwood Canine Academy Reviews

Susan Perry 2025.07.01

     

Leo, my 5 month old Pomeranian, spent 3 weeks at Wil's board and train program in May. Wil was instrumental in teaching my puppy the basic and not so basic commands so that he is well behaved as we travel together. Wil takes the responsibility of caring for your pup very seriously; he is a true professional, from his detailed contract to the daily updates, photos and videos you receive as you watch your pup's progress. I was extremely impressed with our initial meet and greet interview, but blown away by what Leo has learned, our follow up visits after "graduation" and the training tools included in the program so you can reinforce the new skills and commands at home. Most importantly, the love Leo has for Wil speaks volumes about his process and care for your beloved pet. Leo is a different dog in the most wonderful way, when I give a command, he finds joy in responding as he was trained. Dogwood Canine Academy is simply the best, Leo and I are so grateful to know Wil McBride. And yes, that's Leo patiently waiting for mommy (for 2 hours) on his "place" at the dentist's office. That picture says it all.

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Bev Minton 2025.06.21

     

Wil was amazing. He helped us so much with our dog, Mavi. I don’t know what we would have done without him. He went above and beyond what he needed to do for us to be able to keep our dog in the family. We are so blessed to have met him . We were faced with many challenges with our dog but he has made such great progress with Wil’s help and patience. He is the best and anyone would be lucky to have him as a trainer.

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Tom Favor 2025.04.22

     

I am completely satisfied with the outcome of using Will to train my dog. My biggest issue was recall. My dog got out of the house and ran down a major road once and I thought for sure I was going to witness him getting hit by a car and possibly losing him. The next day I called Will and we set up 10 training sessions after his initial visit to meet me and my dog. It’s took about 8 hour long sessions for it to register with my dog. I now have no fear of him getting out and running away. I walk him in my neighborhood without a leash but will use a leash in public places. Will is fantastic and easy to work with. And the best part is that my dog and I can communicate now. He knows what I want and I know what he wants/needs. Thank you Will!

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Lisa Stilwell 2025.03.17

     

Our Boston Terrier puppy was 8 months old and very out of control. He would constantly bite us, continually bother and bite our other Boston who was 2 years older: take her toys away and get jealous of any attention she was getting. When we left Bentley with Wil, I was worried he may be the first to fail Dogwood Canine Academy’s course. Then the video updates arrived and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Bentley was listening and following basic commands. Every day more progress was made. When Bentley returned, he was very well behaved. He learned so much from his time with Dogwood Canine Academy. Wil was incredibly professional and there was wonderful communication throughout. Daily updates, videos, and pictures enabled us to see his progress. Whenever I had a question, Wil promptly answered. He has followed up with us numerous times. I highly recommend Dogwood Canine Academy for your dog’s training needs. They far exceeded my expectations!!

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Hannah Gage 2025.03.05

     

Wil McBride is a miracle worker! He transformed our 17 month old lab (Teddy) from an outlaw to a manageable and well-behaved indoor and outdoor loving companion. Teddy was the neighborhood terrorist before we met Wil. She was stealing our neighbors' Amazon packages, eating our furniture and generally riding herd over our lives. We were exhausted and questioning whether we'd ever be able to handle her. Wil helped Teddy learn how to contain some of her energy, follow commands, and learn more appropriate ways of showing excitement. She no longer "walks us", we can enjoy walking her and she heels quickly. Yes, she still can be a little over-exuberant and is an opportunist if we leave food on the counter too long unattended but the change in Teddy is remarkable. Wil is a miracle worker. He really understands dogs and has a simple approach to changing their behavior. We recommend him strongly and without hesitation. Call him, you won't be disappointed! Hannah and Bill Gage

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Jessica Roman 2024.12.24

     

Wil was simply wonderful with our precious golden-doodle, Kash. Our pup spent time at the beach, downtown, and all over Wilmington developing his new skills. I don’t think he wanted to come home he had such a good time. When our pup got sick and required a trip to the vet during his time in training, Wil took him without hesitation. He administered medications as required and monitored his health closely. We were completely comfortable, knowing that he was well-loved and cared for. Kash has come home more calm, able to maintain his “place” and is more enjoyable to take for walks. The time he spent with Wil was well worth it and we would highly recommend Dogwood Canine Academy for your dog training needs.

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Gina Mckim 2024.12.12

     

Wil was excellent with our Cavapoo puppy, Birdie. She has been much calmer and obedient, he works wonders! Highly recommended.

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Turid Kaehny 2024.10.16

     

I was ready to turn my super hyper active, aggressive, bullying rescue girl to military canine school. She was beyond a handful, yet I was determined to keep her, just needed expertise help in training her. By chance I found Wil McBride of Dogwood Canine Academy, or rather he leaped out of a FB page to our rescue. My Rescue girl is no longer Ms.Jekyl, ...just Ms.Hyde. It's heavenly! Like night and day! Wil worked wonders on Luika and I am ecstatic with the changes. I definitely won the jackpot with Wil training my girl! BIG thank you Wil!

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June Sweeny 2024.10.06

     

Our nine month old cavalier, King Charles spaniel returned home to us this weekend after a 30 day board and train with Will Mcbride. Although it was a hard decision on our part to give him up for 30 days, we are convinced it was the best thing we could have done For all of us. Benji was doing damage to our home, chewing on fine furniture, rugs, and such. In addition, he just was not obedient, even though he was the most loving dog we have ever had. We could not be more pleased with Benji since he has been at home. He understands the commands that WILL taught us on graduation day and has been almost completely different in a good way. Our neighbors and friends have all noticed how much better behaved he is. Although there have been a couple slip ups on Benji‘s part, as long as we use the proper corrections with him, he shapes right up. This never happened before The training. We Highly recommend WILL, and his training methods. We gave him our treasured pet along with our complete trust and have no regrets. Just the highest praise and gratitude for a job well done! June and Chuck Sweeny, Wilmington NC

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Vernon Foster 2024.09.11

     

My wife and I were, at first, both apprehensive with two of our pets away from home. But, Will McBride took excellent care of our Aussie and Yorkie teaching and instilling obedience and temperment neither of us having either the time or knowledge to replace what Dogwood K Nine Academy accomplished. So, this is both a high recommendation and a BIG THANK YOU to Will. Everyday over the two months of Board and Train we received images, videos and text to follow their development. His follow-up with their post training continues as we now have great tools and knowledge on how to have outstanding dogs that we can take anywhere! You won’t go wrong with KDA!

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mimi western 2024.09.06

     

I cannot recommend Will highly enough!He has been an absolute lifesaver in training our reactive dog. His intuitive approach to understanding the inner workings of a dog's mind is nothing short of remarkable. Will's confidence in handling reactive behaviors immediately put both me and my dog at ease.His calm demeanor made every session enjoyable and effective. What truly sets Will apart is his ability to customize the training to suit my dog's unique needs and extreme sensitivity. He took the time to thoroughly understand her triggers and tailored the training accordingly & in various settings while offering practical and compassionate solutions. Our dog has made incredible progress thanks to Will's guidance and I am beyond grateful for his expertise. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, patient and confident trainer who truly understands dogs, Will is your guy. He has given me tools and strategies that have transformed our life with our dog Cocoa. I highly recommend him to anyone with a reactive dog or any behavioral challenges. Thank you Will!!!

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Anna Tankersley 2024.08.08

     

Such a great experience using Canine Dogwood Academy to train my dog!! She’s improved so much and I can see a real difference now that she’s home! I would recommend using this training program to anyone who is serious about wanting their dogs well behaved! Great communication about the program and daily updates helped ease my anxiety about being separated from my pup for so long but it was well worth the time!

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Jerry Owens 2024.05.19

     

I would recommend. My dog now understands all commands and is leash trained. I liked the constant pics and videos of the progress!

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Melissa Gordon 2024.04.22

     

Sending our puppy to Will at DCA was the best decision we’ve ever made. In just 3 weeks, he transformed her lovingly from a wild child to a calm, obedient pup. We received updates of her progress with pictures and videos every night. He also spent a lot of time training us! I highly recommend his services as a fabulous dog trainer!

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Joe Cox 2024.03.08

     

Wil did an incredible job with my lab, Mabel. I struggled with getting Mabel under control on a leash and struggled to correct her overstimulation. What Wil accomplished in three weeks is amazing. Leaving your dog for an extended period of time may seem tough but Wil's communication is exceptional, I received a photo and update every day during her stay. Do not hesitate to chose Dogwood Canine Academy for training your dog. My only regret is I didn't reach out sooner.

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Cayln Coggeshall 2024.03.01

     

Such a wonderful experience! My dog learned so much in such a short amount of time. It has completely changed the way we communicate in the best way and allows her to be able to do almost everything with me. 10/10 recommend Dogwood Canine Academy!!

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