Our dog who has always been stubborn started showing sign of aggression with our newborn. We quickly reached out to Colonial training and they were able to get our first session booked within a week. Not only has Jamie addressed our biggest concern of having the dog and baby peacefully cohabitate together but she has also helped us better control our dog on walks, confronting triggers, and helping our dog relax in the process. She has a great method of using both negative but mostly positive reinforcement to get results and in turn helping us keep up with the training techniques. We are so grateful for her help and have already recommended colonial dog training and Jamie to our friends in similar situations.

Finding trainer Jamie was the best thing to happen to me since getting Chloe, my now 5-month-old German shepherd mix, which I rescued on a whim... when I say "whim," I attended an adoption event to "look" and left with a puppy, having only purchased a dog leash I had left at home. This was the most uncharacteristic thing I've ever done. I'm not spontaneous. I'm a planner and a researcher both professionally and in nature... but that face, those puppy dog eyes, and wow! She's so calm (false: she was exhausted from adoption day). I went with it, knowing only that I had the means and would give this dog every bit of love I had. Raising a puppy on my own, I quickly realized that I could use support. I needed someone with the expertise to answer my many questions, interpret behavior, educate me on milestones, and physically stand beside me and train me so I could, in turn, train my dog. When I first met Jamie at the consult, it was clear that she understands dogs. She has studied dog training and has seven years of professional experience. Her confidence instantly put my nerves at ease. I was impressed with her ability to effortlessly capture and hold the attention of my adorable but distractible 3.5-month-old puppy, Chloe. Towards the end of the consult, she offered a demo of one of the commands we would be working on. Clo went off script and started chewing on a forbidden item; Jamie instantly dropped to her level and, on her first attempt, without even touching her, got my dog to stop and redirect. How?! Who is this woman? I was sold. Session after session, it became clear that Jamie was born to work with dogs and yet is equally skilled at teaching humans. She understands the "why" behind each instruction- from why we teach a command to even the quickest, most minor corrections. She almost always has the answers to my questions; when she doesn't, she will find them and proactively follow up. Outside of sessions, Jamie is helpful and generous with her time- always there for guidance and to offer her expertise without judgment. Jamie deeply cares about Chloe and is committed to seeing her clients progress- both in training skills and owner/dog bonding. I'm thrilled with how Chloe has responded to our training. I know our lessons with Jamie will pay off, and she'll be an important person in our lives forever!

Maggie Mader is an absolute to joy to work with. From the first time I contacted her she got back to me quickly, answered all my questions, informed me of the process, and got us scheduled for a first appointment. From the first lesson with Maggie I saw immediate improvement in Tundra. Each lesson had a new focus and was individually tailored to Tundra and I’s needs. Tundra came to me with resource guarding and I had tried everything I could think of and research and nothing worked until I started working with Maggie. Given that Tundra is a husky, I never thought I could teach her recall or to trust her off leash as huskies are notorious for running off and not coming back, however with the skills Maggie has taught us, Tundra was safely able to be recalled after slipping out of her collar, something I never thought I’d be able to say about a husky after growing up with two others. Maggie was so fantastic to work with the first time around with Tundra, that it was a no brainer to use her again with our newest puppy, Denali. After just one lesson, Denali has learned skills that I tried for months on my own to teach him in just an hour with Maggie. I do not know how she does it, but Maggie is truly magical in her way around dogs and I would recommend her to anyone. Not only is she fantastic with the pups and treats them like her own, she is also incredibly personable, funny, kind, easy and comfortable to be around, quick to respond, and always available to answer questions even if it is months away from the last time you have worked with or talked to her. I could not ask for a better trainer and would recommend her without hesitation to anyone looking for a dog trainer.

Since their first lesson with Maggie, my dogs have improved so much in their behavior inside and outside the house. I can't wait to see how far they will get with the training!

When we first got Elijah, he was so sick for several months. After he was better, he was a big boy at 7 months, and very hard to control because he was too sick to really train well. I learned about Colonial Dog Training, and Maggie from a co worker. From running around, and not listening at all to being outside OFF LEASH, Maggie really helped us get to a good place with him. I didn’t see how it would be possible, but it happened! Maggie helped me get to live a dream I always had…to walk my dog down the street safely, and so we both could have a good time! I can’t say how much I recommend this company, and this trainer!