Testimonials
Emmett
Lauri F.
I found Jen just as Barks and Recreation was opening and I am sure glad I did. I had a two year old German Shepherd who was reactive, escalating and what I thought was out of control. Jen came to my house for a one on one consultation. We decided the Board and Train would be Emmett’s best option to redirect his brain and give him some time away from me. After three weeks we were reunited and I brought home a different dog! I couldn’t believe the transformation Jen and her team were able to do with my beast. The most important part of it all was that Jen took time to train me in what I needed to do to continue with my dog’s success. I confidently walked away with the knowledge and skills to maintain the journey at home. I have recommended Barks and Recreation to lots of my dog owning friends and will continue in the future. I am proud to be a Barks and Recreation success story!
Kylo, Khaleesi, Kennedy
Sarah G.
I have three Great Danes that all have completed the E-collar training at Barks and Rec. I chose to do the day train which consisted of dropping off my dogs Monday-Friday for training for two weeks. As I live out in the country, I love the freedom the e-collar gives my dogs to be able to run free and play yet I have the peace of mind that they're still under well-trained control. The collars are so easy to use and wonderful for any type of additional training I want to do with my dogs, such as not barking when the deliveries come to the house! I love that the collars cause zero pain to the dogs- yes I've tried them on my own hands!- yet offer a very effective prompt when they need to be following directions.
All three of my dogs left training with strong fundamentals and multiple skills to help them be well-rounded, well trained dogs. It's important to give your puppies a strong foundation of training to help them develop into well behaved adult dogs, which is very important with dogs as huge as mine. I love that I can also send their collars with them to daycare and all of the staff continues to enforce their skills as they are all trained in using the e-collars.
As part of the training I also went in and worked with my dog(s) and Jen one-on-one so that I was a part of their learning process and fully understood how to best continue working with them at home on the skills they were learning. Jen was great with any questions I had and is so incredibly knowledgeable with ALL things dog-related! I still ask her questions about behaviors or skills and she has been so helpful. It's very clear that they all want each dog to be the best version of themselves and they give you the help and skills to ensure your dog achieves it.
I can't recommend Jen, Hannah and all the Barks and Rec staff for the excellent training my dogs received. I would highly encourage anyone looking into training to meet with Barks and Rec. I'm positive you'll find it's the right fit for you and your dog.
Murphy
Stephanie N.
Jen is a truly talented dog trainer. I have watched her progress as she has trained multiple dogs over the years, including her pup and my own. The combination of training techniques she uses are effective both short term, and long term. We are still currently working with my boy, Murphy, but he has progressed significantly since Jen stared working with him and training him with the e-collar, rather than simply using only positive reinforcement and treats. I can honestly say I wouldn't go with any other dog trainer out there! Jen is amazing!
Red
Grace & Jason
Over the summer of 2021 my family was called by the local humane society because they had an active Irish Setter get surrendered. They called us because they knew that we are a very active family and could keep up with his energy. Red joined our family in June. We immediately knew that we wouldn't be able to train him as easily as we thought. One of my patients came in and recommended Barks and Recreation in Eau Claire (We live in Rhinelander). I immediately called and talked with Hannah and she was so kind and understanding on the phone. Red also has an autoimmune condition and occasionally has flare ups, so I was hesitant about all of his extra needs and sending him 3 hours away. Hannah assured me that he was going to be more than fine and they could handle it.
Red left early October for training and has done absolutely amazing. They worked with him on leash walking (he had been bike-jor trained with a martingale collar in his past life so this was no easy task)! He now walks amazingly well on leash, he can ride in the car without a crate, his recall skills are much better (he is a known runner), and he is awesome with his commands taught by Hannah, Jen, Hannah L and Haylee!
While Red was at Barks and Recreation he did in fact have a flare up of his autoimmune condition. Jen was absolutely amazing, she called right away and then immediately monitored temperatures, started his medications per the veterinarians recommendations, helped him to eat and even went home and made him fresh burger and rice.
If you are considering sending your dog to the board and train, DO IT! You will not be disappointed. This team does an amazing job and they take excellent care of the animals.
Koda
Courtney E.
Barks and Recreation is the best place to send your doggos for training! They have great training programs! After my puppy was denied at another daycare because she was having separation anxiety and was nervous around other dogs, Barks and Rec welcomed her with open arms (and now I think she likes being at daycare more than home). Jen and the other trainers helped my GSD do a complete 180, and become a more confident and obedient dog!
Griffin
Cory & Paige P.
We contacted Barks & Recreation with hopes that they could help us with Griffin, our eight month old German Shepherd. He was having challenges interacting with other dogs and people alike.
Our main goals were to have Griffin properly interact with dogs and people without barking and lunging. We also wanted him to be confident and not fearful. We also wanted him to be able to attend daycare at Barks & Rec.
After a few short weeks of training he was able to come with us out and about in the community and even attend daycare at Barks & Rec. They gave us the tools and knowledge to set him up for success!
We could not be happier with the results from Barks & Recreation and will continue to bring all of our future dogs to them for training.
Margo
Courtney H.
Although I grew up with dogs, Margo is the first that was entirely mine. I'd never done formal training with my family dogs and after Margo started daycare at Barks and Rec, I valued the teams relationship with her (and me) enough that I decided to see how it worked for Margo. My goals for her were to make sure she was well mannered and trustworthy enough to listen off leash.
As a hound, listening off leash was a struggle for her, but after doing the two week e-collar day train program it's no longer a concern! She is a different dog entirely, so well mannered that I regularly get compliments on her behavior - considering she is still a puppy that makes me doubly proud. I also love that I can ask any of the trainers if something is becoming an issue for her - such as being wary of men - and they work with her on it and give me tips on how to combat it.
Margo loves her trainers at Barks and Rec and is so excited every time she gets to go to daycare. As soon as we're pulling onto the road she's wiggling with excitement and ready to hang out with her human and furry friends - I am no longer important to her.
I will say, I had anxiety initially that the e-collar would hurt Margo and scar her for life. Hannah was quick to alleviate my concerns, showing me how it feels on her skin and explaining why they only use dogtra collars. I'm now a HUGE advocate for both Barks and Recreation and e-collars! I recommend them to everyone. You could try to do it all yourself, but why bother when you have access to professionals who love your pup as much as you do and have the time to nurture your baby into the best they can be?