Residential Dog Training

My dachshund, Alfie, spent a month with Dalia to work on his reactivity, recall, and general training challenges. The difference after his time with her has been amazing — his behavior has improved so much, and we’ve continued to make great progress since he came home. Dalia didn’t just stop at the initial training; she’s also been incredibly helpful with follow-up guidance and advice for a few post-training issues. I’m really grateful for her support and would absolutely recommend her to anyone looking for a caring and knowledgeable dog trainer.

I was at my last hope with my rescue reactive dog Sam when I found Dahlia and Naughty Dog training online. Dahlia immediately responded to help me with sam and came to meet us and I felt at ease right away that she understood him like I did. I just lacked the tools and communication with him. I did a board and train with Dahlia for a few weeks, and it was so worth ever penny. She kept me updated on Sam's progress and sent videos of his training. I saw he was improving and able to be trained to be nonreactive in formerly overwhelming situations for him (and me) The time with her was invaluable for us both, as I was able to decompress after moving from the US to the UK with Sam and also see once she was able to establish a language with him and he understood, he wanted to obey, and things were less confusing for him. I saw him improve immediately. When she returned Sam, she worked with us on a weekly basis or so until we were at a good place. She is an expert at what she does, pours her heart into the dogs, and really has a passion to help. I can't recommend her enough. I thought initially I would have to rehome Sam before I moved to Spain, but with Dahlia's help, Sam and I have a great relationship and trust each other more, so I am comfortable taking him with me. I will be forever grateful for her!

I did online training with Dalia virtually as I own a dog walking/boarding/training company in Canada. I wanted to advance my skills as a handler and dog owner as I still had challenges with my own bully breed mix. Dalia is extremely knowledgeable and kind and has helped and supported me through my training journey and personal development. She has an extremely in depth knowledge of behaviour and obedience and is one of the best trainers I have ever worked with in my career!

We reached out to Naughty Dog training for help with our terrier as we were struggling with reactivity and unable to advance our training to let him off lead. We had struggled to find a balanced dog trainer who would really solve the route of the problem and not patch over the symptoms - I came across Dalia on TikTok and immediately gave her a call. We had an initial in person consultation which lasted over 2 hours and was the best advice and understanding we'd ever had from a dog trainer, Dalia completely understood where we were going wrong and what needed to be worked on. We made the decision to send our dog for a 6 week residential training course for intensive training which was a huge decision but were do glad we did it. We were so reassured that our dog was staying in a home during his stay and was also learning off of Dalia's own dogs. We had an intensive handover session when we went to pick him up, learning how to carry on the fantastic training as well as several follow ups. The training has been completely lifechanging, we can now walk our dog off lead and take him into pubs, cafes etc with confidence and we have all the tools to continue with his training into the future. Dalia offers lifetime advice so anytime we have any questions we can reach out for honest and helpful advice which is invaluable. I would highly, highly recommend Dalia at Naughty Dog Training she has truly changed our and our dog's life. Our bond with our dog is so much stronger now and we are truly excited and happy to be with him out in the world, and he is so much happier and fulfilled for it.

A fantastic start to training! I highly recommend. I have a Bernese puppy and, as he is going to grow into a beast, knew I need to get his training off to the right start. I found Naughty Dog Training on IG and it was everything I’d hoped for. From the first visit Dahlia gave us so much great advice on settling him in and giving him boundaries while still allowing him the freedom to be a mischievous puppy and explore the world. After the initial visit we had a series of training sessions in the park where, thanks to her guidance, we developed his recall and he quickly learned to walk to heel. Thanks to Dahlia my Berner is a big gentle well behaved giant (and still growing!). At 9 months he is still a little mischievous at times (time for some naughty dog training with the big boys now!) but well behaved and brilliant. He is a walking celebrity who is well behaved in cafes and tolerant of other dogs. Thank you Naughty Dog Training!

My rescue dog Norah came to me from Ukraine, having lived through the war. In the beginning, she was generally fine, sensitive at times but manageable. She had previously trained with another trainer, which helped to a certain extent. However, after a series of stressful experiences, Norah completely shut down. She refused to go for walks and became so anxious outside that I had to carry her to a tree just so she could relieve herself. If we stayed outside, she would shake, pant, and desperately pull towards home. Nothing, not even her favourite food, could calm her. Once she recovered from the larger traumas, it felt as though everything else became a trigger. Everyday sounds such as car boots closing, doors slamming, bins rattling, buses hissing, or motorbikes passing would send her into a panic. She could not walk with anyone other than me, and her world had become very small. Working with Dalia completely changed that. From our very first session, she identified the root of Norah’s anxiety and gave me practical, effective steps to follow. We began with box feeding indoors, and Dalia skillfully transitioned this training outdoors, proving to Norah that she could be calm and safe in the world again. The transformation has been remarkable. Norah has learnt to walk in a heel, recall reliably, stay off-leash both in urban settings and at the beach, and not rush up to other dogs. She no longer reacts with extreme stress to everyday noises that once paralysed her. Most importantly, her recovery time has improved dramatically. For example, since her board-and-train, there have been two separate instances where children set off fireworks next to a park (a fire risk in itself here in Portugal during the summer). Norah’s first instinct was to run, but when I recalled her, she returned immediately. I was able to use her marker word, reward her, and we then continued our walk. She was slightly stressed but calm enough to finish without issue. A year ago, that same event would have set her back for months. I can now take her to pubs, cafes, and restaurants without her becoming distressed by noise, which has transformed both her quality of life and our relationship. What was once a constant source of stress is now a joy. In addition, due to personal circumstances, I had to extend Norah’s board-and-train program multiple times. Dalia was incredibly understanding and flexible throughout, which I deeply appreciated. I am sincerely grateful for Dalia’s expertise, patience, and dedication. She has given me my dog back, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for professional, compassionate, and highly effective dog training.