Instinct Dog Behavior & Training, New Jersey and Philadelphia

I used the board and train program for my rescue who needed a lot of help regulating her big emotions. Everyone from the evaluation to the training to the board staff were accommodating and kind. We had a great experience and although she has a ways to go to overcome some of her fears, we BOTH have the tools and support we need to succeed thanks to Instinct. They even celebrated her birthday!

I usually don’t write reviews, but I felt compelled to share my incredibly disappointing experience with Instinct Englewood’s scheduling and client service team. I booked a 15-day reservation online for my golden retriever, Teddy, assuming the process would be straightforward. Unfortunately, this turned into a frustrating back-and-forth because their online system does not allow for basic updates — such as adjusting training dates or changing a reservation type. After multiple emails with their front desk, the “Client Service Manager” stepped in. Her response was curt, dismissive, and frankly unprofessional. Instead of offering to resolve the confusion or find a reasonable solution, she simply canceled my reservation altogether — citing kennel capacity and implying I should find another facility. What made this worse was that I had already provided updated vaccination records in person, which they later claimed they “didn’t receive,” even though I had to re-send them again by email. Communication was inconsistent and tone-deaf to the situation — especially given that their own staff had confirmed my reservation earlier in the week. It’s frustrating that a facility promoting itself as behavior-first and empathetic toward dogs and owners has such an unhelpful, rigid, and poorly managed client services process. I genuinely expected more professionalism and coordination, especially for a premium-priced training and boarding service. I won’t be returning to this location, and I strongly recommend other pet owners confirm everything in writing before trusting this team with your dog’s care.

Instinct has proven to be a great resource for help with our reactive dog, Carmine. No one expected him to be completely "cured" of his poor behavior, but we have seen great improvements throughout the course of his training with Instinct. The periodic updates, videos, and photos are much appreciated. The bonus is that I am able to view the videos over and over to better understand what/how the trainer is working on and to observe the body language of both, Carmine and his trainer. It is super helpful in my learning path in continuing the foundation Instinct is building. There is no doubt that Carmine and his trainer are putting in the needed work, but as importantly, I can tell he is enjoying the new people friendships he is making and all the play activities the staff engages him in. Instinct threw us the lifeline we so desperately needed. THANKS!