Reviews (96)

Wendy has been absolutely fabulous with helping us integrate Milo to our family. She has shared amazing resources. Wendy has a wealth of knowledge, and she passes on to her clients with ease, truly a blessing to work with her.

Wendy was extremely helpful with my puppy! She helped us develop lots of skills which set him up for a successful future as a cardiac alert service dog, as well as providing us with resources and ongoing support when needed. The weekly puppy socialization class was also very well run and helped my pup to become much more confident and skillful in interacting with other dogs and equipment. 10/10 would recommend!

Highly recommend! Wendy provided me with great insight and showed complete understanding in our cat issues currently. The tips and advice she provided were very encouraging! Would recommend to any of my friends or family.

My husband and I are first time dog owners. Wendy was recommended to us from our vet. I am so thankful that we took advantage of Wendy’s vast knowledge of dogs and what makes them tick. Quincy took to Wendy right off. Wendy came to our home and could address our concerns specific to our exact space and offer solutions. The follow up emails and links for products and further education kept us feeling like we could handle whatever came up. I highly recommend Wendy and The Life of Riley to anyone wanting to get their new puppies off to a great start.

Wendy Taylor is a truly exceptional dog trainer and caregiver. Her passion for animals shines through in every interaction, and her deep understanding of canine behavior is nothing short of inspiring. From the moment I contacted The Life of Riley, I felt confident that my dog was in the best hands possible. Poe quickly joined in the training. Best of all, the training was done in my home. Wendy’s approach is rooted in positive reinforcement, and she takes the time to understand each dog’s unique personality and needs. Her training sessions are not only effective but also fun and engaging—for both pets and their humans! My dog has made incredible progress thanks to her guidance, and our bond has grown stronger as a result. What sets Wendy apart is her genuine love for animals and her commitment to helping people build lasting, joyful relationships with their pets. She’s not just a trainer—she’s a mentor, a cheerleader, and a true advocate for animal welfare. If you're looking for someone who will treat your pet like family and help you bring out the best in them, I wholeheartedly recommend Wendy Taylor and The Life of Riley.

The puppy training sessions with Wendy were not only informative, but so fun! We learned new skills each session that we could build upon and practice each day. This training was essential for me as a first time puppy owner. Every dog is different, but the knowledge and expertise she possesses allows her to individualize the process and truly achieve the best outcome. She gave me the foundation to raise a confident, happy, and well-behaved dog. Amazing!

Wendy is an amazing trainer and a wonderful person to be around! I sought out her services to help with my two dogs not getting along. We had just brought a new puppy home and my five year old dog was not doing well with the adjustment. They were not able to be in the same room at all. With her help we were able to get them to slowly accept each other. Before long, they were best friends. They play together all day long. This was truly a success story that I never thought would happen. All of her training is also done with positive reinforcement which was a huge selling point for me. I definitely recommend her services!

We had a positive experience with Wendy and our puppy. She delivered so much information in a short amount of sessions but that we can use going forward. Our puppy had separation anxiety and she help work through our problems and give suggestions on how to overcome obstacles. She was so helpful in understanding what the dog is thinking/reacting which is so important when training your dog. She uses only positive reinforcement. She is kind, reliable and we are very happy that we chose Wendy and the Life of Riley! We would definitely recommend her services!

Wendy did an excellent job training us and our rescue puppy! We saw results right away. Her methods of positive reinforcement and explanations on why to do things a certain way were fantastic. She always left us with reading materials and homework for the next session. She helped transform a stressful situation into a very happy one.

I began working with Wendy in Oct 2022, primarily because my dog has become increasingly reactive to other dogs in the last couple of years. We have worked with other trainers (using aversive methods), which increased the problem, creating a great deal of stress on our walks together. In 2 to 3 months time with Wendy, my dog has become more relaxed and able to manage her stressful feelings around other dogs. I was not sure this was truly possible! Wendy is so encouraging and affirming, quickly adjusting to what did not work for us, until we found what would work! I am so grateful to finally understand what my dog has been trying to tell me! We are both feeling more peaceful and happy!

Wendy is amazing!! It was almost by accident that we found her and so happy we did! She came to our house, scheduled at our convenience, has a ton of knowledge and not only taught my dog, Harley, so much but also my husband and I learned a lot as well. She always follows up with written instruction that includes links, recommendations and all kinds of helpful resources. I would definitely recommend her and her services a million times over. Harley loved working with Wendy and so did we!!

Wendy is an incredible trainer. She’s professional, patient, knowledgeable, and kind. She’s always on time for training sessions and she does an excellent job giving owners supplemental educational materials to use at home. We loved her puppy socialization classes too. Our dog adores her-so do we!

We are so thankful for Wendy. She helped us understand why Cooper barked like a fool 😱🤣at other dogs and even some teenagers—something we had struggled with for a while. Wendy not only identified the root of the problem, but also showed us practical ways to help Cooper feel safer and more confident. All with positive reward training. I’ve had dogs my entire life, and I’ve even trained two therapy dogs. But Cooper was a mystery I just couldn’t solve on my own. Thanks to Wendy’s insight, patience, and guidance, we’re finally seeing real progress. We’re deeply grateful.

Wendy is an exceptional dog trainer. The structure of the training program was logical and it was very convenient in that Wendy came to my home and emailed me documents after each lesson to reinforce what was covered each day. I even had a trainer before Wendy who could not get the job done, but I suspect that Wendy is the best dog trainer in the Louisville area because I saw a dramatic improvement in my dog after only 2 sessions.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars, because let me tell you, it is worth it! Wendy is fantastic and incredibly knowledgeable about working with animals. We got a cane corso puppy, and even though we did our puppy prep research beforehand, we quickly realized that we were a little in over our heads once we brought him home. Wendy would listen to our concerns, explain solutions to everything, demonstrate training exercises, and even follow up with a recap email of everything. There was such a big difference after just one week! And now that we have completed all six weeks of her puppy training program, our puppy Axle is a night and day difference. I highly recommend The Life of Riley Per Care!

My husband and I contracted with Wendy Taylor soon after we adopted CJ, a four year old male pug. CJ came to us fearful, anxious & very reactive to urban sounds, as well as to other dogs and people walking by our house. After our first session with Wendy using positive reinforcement, CJ became responsive to the clicker and sat! Over the next sessions, CJ continued to improve. Wendy is very supportive and we’ve gained confidence through her teaching. She showed us how CJ could go from Lizard Reactive Brain to learning positive behaviors. Thanks to Wendy Taylor, we are all much, much happier.

We adopted 2 collie puppies Shadow & Bailey from Adopt Me Bluegrass. We have never had training for our previous dogs but wanted to give our puppies the best start. Dogwood recommended Wendy which was the best decision we could have made. Her patience, knowledge, and love for what she does is exceptional. From coming to our home, working in her fabulous studio, a social play date with other dogs and ending with a session at Cabela’s were all excellent in helping to train our dogs in multiple situations. We always saw an instantaneous response from our puppies on what she was teaching and their eagerness to learn with her. We appreciate all her tips and will continue to enhance on everything we have learned from her. We highly recommend Wendy and The Life of Riley!

Wendy delivered 100%. Wendy explained not only how to train but why dogs react the way they do. Important step in keeping a happy dog is to keep them busy. Purchased some toys that would keep him busy, it does make for a happy puppy. Learned that training is an ever day (several times a day) process and it works. One example is that my dog didn't like the crate, over time he conquered it, now he walks (sometimes trots) in on his own. She listened to what we wanted to accomplish, what issues we had, she walked us through each one. My only regret is that we didn't do this when he was a little younger.

I did 5 sessions with Wendy for our reactive dog, Gizmo. She provided us with the positive reinforcement tools that we use to work with Gizmo and his reactivity. She also helped us understand why he may react the way that he does. With these tools and the sessions I’m definitely seeing improvement his behavior. I definitely recommend Wendy for any of your pups needs.

Wendy is devoted to assisting owners with training issues. We will do our best to implement her methods as we work with Mikey!

Wendy was absolutely wonderful to work with and taught me as well as my two sweet goldendoodles so much. She is so knowledgeable about dogs and their behavior. She was so patient and kind while working with my girls. I feel so fortunate that I found her. We had 5 very successful training sessions. She is the best!!!

Wendy is professional and extremely knowledgeable. She is a wonderful person and amazing trainer. The wealth of knowledge she provided along with the practice sessions to do between lessons was priceless. If you are looking for a super trainer Wendy fulfills that role. Her training rate is money well spent. Thanks so much Wendy for all did for me and Ginger.

We had such a wonderful experience working with Wendy to help our dog, Tulip! She helped us with everything from improving Tulip's overall behavior - like reducing jumping and getting her to reliably come when called - to understanding how to be patient with her when she's feeling scared or overwhelmed. Wendy gave us the tools, techniques, and confidence we needed to support Tulip in the right way!

I have had the pleasure of working with Ms. Wendy for the past couple months with my dog Ridgely. I was between her and the other board and train that has Canine with Double H's. I am SO glad I went with her. Ridgely was INCREDIBLY reactive, to the point where anytime there was an unexpected noise (not even a startling noise, just something like a door closing, someone dropping a pen, very small things like that) he'd be darting away. He still has his issues, but now I know how to address these and they have gotten MUCH better in just a matter of a couple weeks. She is always on time and works with you on your schedule, not the other way around. She will make sure times/dates work for you and be there. One thing I'd like to say is she's not a dog trainer. She's training the dog trainer, which is you. She comes in and meets the dog, and she starts to train, but what she's doing during these sessions is showing you how to train your dog, since she's not always going to be there. The 'board and train' train your dog, but aren't training you on how to train once they're done with your dog, so you never quite know what to look for, what to expect, and how to further your dog training, whereas she's making sure that once that one hour session is over, you'll still be able to work with your dog since you'll be spending the most amount of time with your pup. Nobody is going to know them like you. Ms. Wendy comes in, asks exactly what you're looking for, what commands you want to teach, how your dog reacts in certain situations, and molds her training sessions on exactly what you want to see out of your dog, then will train you on how to train those specific behaviors/commands. It is EXACTLY what I was looking for. While Ridgely and I have a far way to go when it comes to reactivity and learning to trust his surroundings, i feel MUCH more confident after having her come over and teach us. He is currently sitting beside me after having our last session with Ms. Wendy and is playing with a toy she recommended. Before she came, I couldn't get him to play any sort of games with me because he was that skittish, always waiting for the other shoe to drop (literally and figuratively). Now, he chases a tennis ball, plays tug of war with me and even wrestles. I could not be happier with my experience. There's a reason she has 5 stars. In a one sentence summary: Look no further, this is the trainer you want.

I recently had the good fortune to meet Wendy Taylor, who worked with me and my new 9-week-old West Highland Terrier puppy. I was amazed at how much I (and my puppy) learned in our first session. Wendy is a compassionate and expert trainer, fully committed to having dogs and their owners thrive and grow together. She walked me through steps related to training my puppy, sent me follow-up materials (written and video), and followed up with me to see how things were going. I will admit to feeling a bit overwhelmed with a puppy, and Wendy couldn’t have been more compassionate and understanding. I can’t speak highly enough of Wendy, and I highly recommend her for your consideration if you want to help your dog be happy, well-adjusted, and it’s best self.

Wendy is wonderful! She has the best tools and tips. Helped me in training 2 puppies with very different personalities and was great with both. I would highly recommend!

Wendy helped me train my Aussie Puppy. She is incredibly patient with my dog. She is 100% positive and I trust her with my dogs 100%. She has also done some dog sitting for me and she is the best. I would highly recommend her.

Wendy and her team have been a huge help to my wife and me! With our busy schedules it is great to have the peace of mind that our two dogs get to stretch their legs during the day. It also brightens my day to get some candid pics of the dogs after their walks. I cannot recommend them highly enough!

Wendy is a great trainer. She cares and loves your pet, and our puppy Rue is much more obedient, and we have all the tools we need to continue to help our sweet girl be happy and well behaved.

I contacted Wendy after having trouble with scheduling and follow through of other local training places. Wendy was super responsive and called me right away. She listened to the needs we had with our new rescue dog (2 years old, 50 lb) and helped me select the package that would work best for us. Wendy came to our home which was GREAT! With our current schedules we really wanted someone who would work with us in our space. She had weekend availability which was also helpful. She gave us strategies for each of our concerns with our dog and sent follow up detailed instructions so we could continue the training with our dog. she uses positive reinforcement which we also appreciate. Training a dog is hard work, we have been committed to training our dog with help and have never felt a board and train program was right for us. Wendy gave us the tools and support to train our dog. Of course training a dog is hard work and we need to be consistent with our strategies but we quickly have seen positive changes in our dog. Wendy has suggestions for everything, from managing dog resource guarding, to games and puzzles to occupy them, to leash and harness recs. I highly recommend Wendy for your dog training needs!!

Wendy with The Life of Riley is incredible. Our small-breed puppy loves all humans, but she very quickly fell in love with Wendy during our first training when our pup was very young. Enough to pee on her at each visit. Wendy is extremely knowledgeable and educated and has an absolute gift with dogs. With dog training, many think it’s just about training the animal, but it really is the owner who needs the training! We couldn’t be happier with our experience and plan to have more sessions as needed in the future as our pup grows. She sends reports and very-informative videos after each visit to keep us on our toes. We highly recommend The Life of Riley! She also offers walking and sitting services!

Wendy Taylor is the best! She works with you instead of one on one with your dog. She customizes your training to fit your lifestyle and capabilities. She is someone who genuinely cares about her work and it shows. I can attest to the dog training sessions and the puppy socialization class. She is professional, personable and makes things fun. She leaves you feelings confident with the amount of knowledge and experience she has. She came as a recommendation and now I know why!

Wendy is amazing. Her training methods are so positive and my dog, Teddy,learned so much! She is very responsive and professional. Her puppy socials were a big hit with Teddy! I also learned how to keep working with her after our lessons ended but I know she is there if I ever need any help!! Highly recommend!!

Wendy is a wonderful trainer! Our puppy was ready to work with her and stayed very focused for a 5 month old puppy! She was so happy to see Wendy every time she came to our home! Wendy is professional and caring. It is very obvious that she loves animals and they love her! She follows up with all the details of each training session via email in a timely manner. She also can recommend everything you need for your dog from treats to harnesses and even a mobile dog groomer who is outstanding with puppies. Another thing she offers at no additional charge, is a puppy socialization class. This was wonderful for our puppy to get the opportunity to play with other puppies. This is so important because you never know how your dog will react to other dogs and this is the perfect, controlled environment! I highly recommend Wendy and The Life of Riley for all your training needs! She is truly the Dog Whisperer! We loved working with her!

Wendy knows dogs. Full stop. She helped us learn how to best manage our puppy’s behaviors with positive reinforcement. More importantly, dog training is a partnership between human and canine; Wendy made this clear. A 5 cookie review!

Wendy is such a wonderful trainer! My dog has improved sooo much and I never thought he would! She is so knowledgeable and patient! I will forever use her methods to continue to improve my dog’s life! Like she says “happy owner + happy dog = happy life” We are more than a forever client, we are a forever family! I will always use her services for anything! Thank you Wendy!

Our Dachshund is reactive due to anxiety and fear stemming from a lack of socialization when she was a puppy during the Covid years, which made having guests in our home and taking her for walks very difficult. We tried puppy training at a popular pet store and other training methods found on various YouTube videos, which failed and did not help us or our girl. I found Wendy on the internet and saw her wonderful reviews and decided to give her a try and we are so glad we did! Wendy is extremely knowledgeable, caring, and patient. She was very effective in zeroing in on the issues we were having and providing do-able solutions that worked for both our girl and us. She is extremely responsive to your questions and flexible in scheduling. She is worth every penny spent and them some! I will definitely use Wendy again for any future training needs.

Wonderful experience with Wendy! She has a ton of information & techniques for you puppy that WORK! She works with you & your puppy in your home or in her studio. Her studio is perfect for all types of training. Plus she focuses on socialization at critical puppy stages which is so important. She can help you navigate problem areas with your dog. My pup & I enjoyed working with her!

Wendy is an excellent trainer. She has a vast knowledge of dogs and their ability to understand humans and provides that knowledge in all of the sessions. I have learned so much about the benefits of positive reinforcement with my dog and our training. Mila has already made great strides in her learning and is doing so good! I would highly recommend Wendy to anyone wanting to learn more about training! Training is 100% about you learning about HOW to communicate with your dog and how they learn which provides YOU with the correct foundation to begin the training process! Wendy is the best leader in helping you along the way!

A shout-out to Wendy and her canine expertise! Our puppy, Tatonka, (and his owners) were skillfully guided through several training techniques using exclusively positive reinforcement to elicit the appropriate responses to ensure a happy and successful outcome. Wendy's comprehensive knowledge and her patience helped to address all the unique behavior contingencies specific to Tatonka and his needs; and, her follow-up reports via email helped us to gel all that was taught in the session so we could maintain consistency. We feel very fortunate to have Wendy's caring, accommodating, and personal touch to facilitate the training process.

Wendy's training was a great help with our Dachshund Oscar. He has anxiety issues which are much worse as a result to our recent move. But shortly after her arrival she was able to calm him by getting his mind on to what she needed him to learn. She answered each question I had about Oscar and had a lot of insight as to the reasons behind each behavior. In addition she provided a lot of practical information with links to websites that further builds upon the training session. Wendy's experience and care is evident, and you can tell loves what she does . She did a great job communicating with him and with me. So I definitely believe you should contact Wendy from The Life of Riley. You and your pet will be glad you did!

Wendy is absolutely fantastic. She has helped us train our American Bulldog puppy to be the kind of puppy we hoped she could be. If we continue to follow her instruction, Layla's going to be a terrific dog. Busy humans trying to train dogs and puppies without understanding how canine behavior works is difficult and frustrating. Wendy helped us eliminate the frustration and make the difficult much easier. It's still a lot of work and there is no silver bullet or magic potion, but if you're willing to follow her instruction and put in the time, your results will almost certainly be as good as ours. I highly recommend Wendy's force-free approach, especially for puppies. It has been a revelation for us.

Initially I was hesitant to hire a trainer based off internet reviews, but I had nothing to worry about with Wendy. Wendy was exceptional with my dog, Millie as well as with me. Millie is a rescue who was painfully shy and scared. Within a few sessions working with Wendy and practicing the tips she gave us, Millie became brave and confident. Wendy took the time to teach me how best to support and work with Millie. She used positive reinforcement 100% of the time and explained why and how her tactics work. Wendy sent follow up emails with write-ups of what we worked on for reference and was always responsive to any questions I had. I highly recommend Wendy - I couldn't have asked for a better training experience. She tailored every session to the needs of my dog and things I wanted to work on. Kudos to Wendy and I know Millie will miss her too!

Wendy has been so helpful in showing us how to deal with our puppy’s reactivity and help her gain confidence as she grows up. Wendy is very responsive and provides guidance and notes to go with every session - we had a wonderful experience and can see so many improvements in our sweet pup already.

Wendy is the best! She is extremely knowledgeable and professional. Ruby Rose loves when Wendy comes to the house for a training session. I highly recommend her services.

Working with Wendy was such a pleasure and very instructive - - not only did she teach us specific training exercises, she modeled how best to respond to our puppy and educated us about his developmental stages/behavior. We also participated in her puppy socialization class, which was an invaluable part of our training as new puppy parents. Thank you, Wendy, we couldn't do it without you!

Wendy did an amazing job with our Shepherd. Our dog Tilly is 140lbs, has got too old to jump in the car and was afraid of steps and ramps. Wendy patiently taught Tilly (and us) how to use the ramp and not be afraid. Now we can take Tilly to the park again. Thank you Wendy. Awesome job.

Wendy is an exceptional dog trainer. She worked with my two rescue dogs, Barack (2M) and Reyna (4F). I sought out Wendy for a few reasons: (1) Barack was having behavioral difficulties: he did not feel confident in his own skin, he would sometimes snap at his sister Reyna. (2) Both of my dogs pulled me on walks, making it impossible to walk them together. (3) Both of my dogs needed manners polishing: not jumping on visitors, barking less at passersby, etc. Wendy interacted well with Barack and Reyna. They loved meeting her and trusted her right away. She taught us basic drills to build their confidence before moving to more difficult lessons. She helped me identify the triggers for Barack’s anxiety, which helped us mitigate his flashes of aggression. She accompanied us on training walks and after following her advice, now I can walk both dogs together. Today we went on a two-mile walk and before working with Wendy, that would have been totally impossible. My family has noticed and complimented how little my dogs pull the leash. Wendy is also a consummate professional. She sends training notes after sessions to help you continue the work you do in session. She promptly responds to messages. It was never difficult to schedule a session. I bought a package of sessions online in one quick, secure transaction. The best thing about working with Wendy is her deep affection for dogs. She thinks about training from their perspective. She never recommends punishment or other coercive methods. She lets your dog be themselves and then targets and reinforces good behavior. She comes prepared with high-value treats. She suggests strategies for keeping the dogs entertained throughout the day: frozen kongs, puzzle toys, more walks to give their curiosity full reign. She cares that dogs lead happy, full lives and at the end of the day, that is what training is all about.

Wendy is great!!!! As a canine professional myself, I know how much can go wrong with a dog walk. One of my dogs has in particular has leash aggression and reactivity issues that we are working on, and he is also somewhat fearful and slow to warm up to strangers, so I knew that not just anyone would be able to work with him. The fact that Wendy is also a positive-reinforcement dog trainer made her a perfect match for our needs, because it assured me she would know the best approach to working with a fearful dog. Wendy displayed great knowledge of canine body language, which was crucial in gaining Wyatt's trust. She was patient and gentle with him, never rushing him as he slowly warmed up to her and grew more confident with each session. You can see how much Wendy loves dogs and is passionate about her work, and she has taught us some very useful things that we can implement during our walks with Wyatt. Work with Wendy, and you will be glad you did!!!!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Wendy. Wendy, you are truly gifted when it comes to pets/animals. Wendy came to our home, worked with us & our 3 kids & 2 Scottish terriers. She taught us so much! She gave us hope that our dog would have a happy life. . She taught us how to read dog’s body language to know what situations trigged his fear. She guided us to a full understanding of what positive reinforcement training really was & how to implement it to help our dogs live their best lives. Wendy we can’t thank you enough for putting us on the right track. Fergus & Wallace thank you too!!

Wendy has been absolutely fabulous with helping us integrate Milo to our family. She has shared amazing resources. Wendy has a wealth of knowledge, and she passes on to her clients with ease, truly a blessing to work with her.

Wendy was extremely helpful with my puppy! She helped us develop lots of skills which set him up for a successful future as a cardiac alert service dog, as well as providing us with resources and ongoing support when needed. The weekly puppy socialization class was also very well run and helped my pup to become much more confident and skillful in interacting with other dogs and equipment. 10/10 would recommend!

Highly recommend! Wendy provided me with great insight and showed complete understanding in our cat issues currently. The tips and advice she provided were very encouraging! Would recommend to any of my friends or family.

My husband and I are first time dog owners. Wendy was recommended to us from our vet. I am so thankful that we took advantage of Wendy’s vast knowledge of dogs and what makes them tick. Quincy took to Wendy right off. Wendy came to our home and could address our concerns specific to our exact space and offer solutions. The follow up emails and links for products and further education kept us feeling like we could handle whatever came up. I highly recommend Wendy and The Life of Riley to anyone wanting to get their new puppies off to a great start.

Wendy Taylor is a truly exceptional dog trainer and caregiver. Her passion for animals shines through in every interaction, and her deep understanding of canine behavior is nothing short of inspiring. From the moment I contacted The Life of Riley, I felt confident that my dog was in the best hands possible. Poe quickly joined in the training. Best of all, the training was done in my home. Wendy’s approach is rooted in positive reinforcement, and she takes the time to understand each dog’s unique personality and needs. Her training sessions are not only effective but also fun and engaging—for both pets and their humans! My dog has made incredible progress thanks to her guidance, and our bond has grown stronger as a result. What sets Wendy apart is her genuine love for animals and her commitment to helping people build lasting, joyful relationships with their pets. She’s not just a trainer—she’s a mentor, a cheerleader, and a true advocate for animal welfare. If you're looking for someone who will treat your pet like family and help you bring out the best in them, I wholeheartedly recommend Wendy Taylor and The Life of Riley.

The puppy training sessions with Wendy were not only informative, but so fun! We learned new skills each session that we could build upon and practice each day. This training was essential for me as a first time puppy owner. Every dog is different, but the knowledge and expertise she possesses allows her to individualize the process and truly achieve the best outcome. She gave me the foundation to raise a confident, happy, and well-behaved dog. Amazing!

Wendy is an amazing trainer and a wonderful person to be around! I sought out her services to help with my two dogs not getting along. We had just brought a new puppy home and my five year old dog was not doing well with the adjustment. They were not able to be in the same room at all. With her help we were able to get them to slowly accept each other. Before long, they were best friends. They play together all day long. This was truly a success story that I never thought would happen. All of her training is also done with positive reinforcement which was a huge selling point for me. I definitely recommend her services!

We had a positive experience with Wendy and our puppy. She delivered so much information in a short amount of sessions but that we can use going forward. Our puppy had separation anxiety and she help work through our problems and give suggestions on how to overcome obstacles. She was so helpful in understanding what the dog is thinking/reacting which is so important when training your dog. She uses only positive reinforcement. She is kind, reliable and we are very happy that we chose Wendy and the Life of Riley! We would definitely recommend her services!

Wendy did an excellent job training us and our rescue puppy! We saw results right away. Her methods of positive reinforcement and explanations on why to do things a certain way were fantastic. She always left us with reading materials and homework for the next session. She helped transform a stressful situation into a very happy one.

I began working with Wendy in Oct 2022, primarily because my dog has become increasingly reactive to other dogs in the last couple of years. We have worked with other trainers (using aversive methods), which increased the problem, creating a great deal of stress on our walks together. In 2 to 3 months time with Wendy, my dog has become more relaxed and able to manage her stressful feelings around other dogs. I was not sure this was truly possible! Wendy is so encouraging and affirming, quickly adjusting to what did not work for us, until we found what would work! I am so grateful to finally understand what my dog has been trying to tell me! We are both feeling more peaceful and happy!

Wendy is amazing!! It was almost by accident that we found her and so happy we did! She came to our house, scheduled at our convenience, has a ton of knowledge and not only taught my dog, Harley, so much but also my husband and I learned a lot as well. She always follows up with written instruction that includes links, recommendations and all kinds of helpful resources. I would definitely recommend her and her services a million times over. Harley loved working with Wendy and so did we!!

Wendy is an incredible trainer. She’s professional, patient, knowledgeable, and kind. She’s always on time for training sessions and she does an excellent job giving owners supplemental educational materials to use at home. We loved her puppy socialization classes too. Our dog adores her-so do we!

We are so thankful for Wendy. She helped us understand why Cooper barked like a fool 😱🤣at other dogs and even some teenagers—something we had struggled with for a while. Wendy not only identified the root of the problem, but also showed us practical ways to help Cooper feel safer and more confident. All with positive reward training. I’ve had dogs my entire life, and I’ve even trained two therapy dogs. But Cooper was a mystery I just couldn’t solve on my own. Thanks to Wendy’s insight, patience, and guidance, we’re finally seeing real progress. We’re deeply grateful.

Wendy is an exceptional dog trainer. The structure of the training program was logical and it was very convenient in that Wendy came to my home and emailed me documents after each lesson to reinforce what was covered each day. I even had a trainer before Wendy who could not get the job done, but I suspect that Wendy is the best dog trainer in the Louisville area because I saw a dramatic improvement in my dog after only 2 sessions.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars, because let me tell you, it is worth it! Wendy is fantastic and incredibly knowledgeable about working with animals. We got a cane corso puppy, and even though we did our puppy prep research beforehand, we quickly realized that we were a little in over our heads once we brought him home. Wendy would listen to our concerns, explain solutions to everything, demonstrate training exercises, and even follow up with a recap email of everything. There was such a big difference after just one week! And now that we have completed all six weeks of her puppy training program, our puppy Axle is a night and day difference. I highly recommend The Life of Riley Per Care!

My husband and I contracted with Wendy Taylor soon after we adopted CJ, a four year old male pug. CJ came to us fearful, anxious & very reactive to urban sounds, as well as to other dogs and people walking by our house. After our first session with Wendy using positive reinforcement, CJ became responsive to the clicker and sat! Over the next sessions, CJ continued to improve. Wendy is very supportive and we’ve gained confidence through her teaching. She showed us how CJ could go from Lizard Reactive Brain to learning positive behaviors. Thanks to Wendy Taylor, we are all much, much happier.

We adopted 2 collie puppies Shadow & Bailey from Adopt Me Bluegrass. We have never had training for our previous dogs but wanted to give our puppies the best start. Dogwood recommended Wendy which was the best decision we could have made. Her patience, knowledge, and love for what she does is exceptional. From coming to our home, working in her fabulous studio, a social play date with other dogs and ending with a session at Cabela’s were all excellent in helping to train our dogs in multiple situations. We always saw an instantaneous response from our puppies on what she was teaching and their eagerness to learn with her. We appreciate all her tips and will continue to enhance on everything we have learned from her. We highly recommend Wendy and The Life of Riley!

Wendy delivered 100%. Wendy explained not only how to train but why dogs react the way they do. Important step in keeping a happy dog is to keep them busy. Purchased some toys that would keep him busy, it does make for a happy puppy. Learned that training is an ever day (several times a day) process and it works. One example is that my dog didn't like the crate, over time he conquered it, now he walks (sometimes trots) in on his own. She listened to what we wanted to accomplish, what issues we had, she walked us through each one. My only regret is that we didn't do this when he was a little younger.

I did 5 sessions with Wendy for our reactive dog, Gizmo. She provided us with the positive reinforcement tools that we use to work with Gizmo and his reactivity. She also helped us understand why he may react the way that he does. With these tools and the sessions I’m definitely seeing improvement his behavior. I definitely recommend Wendy for any of your pups needs.

Wendy is devoted to assisting owners with training issues. We will do our best to implement her methods as we work with Mikey!

Wendy was absolutely wonderful to work with and taught me as well as my two sweet goldendoodles so much. She is so knowledgeable about dogs and their behavior. She was so patient and kind while working with my girls. I feel so fortunate that I found her. We had 5 very successful training sessions. She is the best!!!

Wendy is professional and extremely knowledgeable. She is a wonderful person and amazing trainer. The wealth of knowledge she provided along with the practice sessions to do between lessons was priceless. If you are looking for a super trainer Wendy fulfills that role. Her training rate is money well spent. Thanks so much Wendy for all did for me and Ginger.

We had such a wonderful experience working with Wendy to help our dog, Tulip! She helped us with everything from improving Tulip's overall behavior - like reducing jumping and getting her to reliably come when called - to understanding how to be patient with her when she's feeling scared or overwhelmed. Wendy gave us the tools, techniques, and confidence we needed to support Tulip in the right way!

I have had the pleasure of working with Ms. Wendy for the past couple months with my dog Ridgely. I was between her and the other board and train that has Canine with Double H's. I am SO glad I went with her. Ridgely was INCREDIBLY reactive, to the point where anytime there was an unexpected noise (not even a startling noise, just something like a door closing, someone dropping a pen, very small things like that) he'd be darting away. He still has his issues, but now I know how to address these and they have gotten MUCH better in just a matter of a couple weeks. She is always on time and works with you on your schedule, not the other way around. She will make sure times/dates work for you and be there. One thing I'd like to say is she's not a dog trainer. She's training the dog trainer, which is you. She comes in and meets the dog, and she starts to train, but what she's doing during these sessions is showing you how to train your dog, since she's not always going to be there. The 'board and train' train your dog, but aren't training you on how to train once they're done with your dog, so you never quite know what to look for, what to expect, and how to further your dog training, whereas she's making sure that once that one hour session is over, you'll still be able to work with your dog since you'll be spending the most amount of time with your pup. Nobody is going to know them like you. Ms. Wendy comes in, asks exactly what you're looking for, what commands you want to teach, how your dog reacts in certain situations, and molds her training sessions on exactly what you want to see out of your dog, then will train you on how to train those specific behaviors/commands. It is EXACTLY what I was looking for. While Ridgely and I have a far way to go when it comes to reactivity and learning to trust his surroundings, i feel MUCH more confident after having her come over and teach us. He is currently sitting beside me after having our last session with Ms. Wendy and is playing with a toy she recommended. Before she came, I couldn't get him to play any sort of games with me because he was that skittish, always waiting for the other shoe to drop (literally and figuratively). Now, he chases a tennis ball, plays tug of war with me and even wrestles. I could not be happier with my experience. There's a reason she has 5 stars. In a one sentence summary: Look no further, this is the trainer you want.

I recently had the good fortune to meet Wendy Taylor, who worked with me and my new 9-week-old West Highland Terrier puppy. I was amazed at how much I (and my puppy) learned in our first session. Wendy is a compassionate and expert trainer, fully committed to having dogs and their owners thrive and grow together. She walked me through steps related to training my puppy, sent me follow-up materials (written and video), and followed up with me to see how things were going. I will admit to feeling a bit overwhelmed with a puppy, and Wendy couldn’t have been more compassionate and understanding. I can’t speak highly enough of Wendy, and I highly recommend her for your consideration if you want to help your dog be happy, well-adjusted, and it’s best self.

Wendy is wonderful! She has the best tools and tips. Helped me in training 2 puppies with very different personalities and was great with both. I would highly recommend!

Wendy helped me train my Aussie Puppy. She is incredibly patient with my dog. She is 100% positive and I trust her with my dogs 100%. She has also done some dog sitting for me and she is the best. I would highly recommend her.

Wendy and her team have been a huge help to my wife and me! With our busy schedules it is great to have the peace of mind that our two dogs get to stretch their legs during the day. It also brightens my day to get some candid pics of the dogs after their walks. I cannot recommend them highly enough!

Wendy is a great trainer. She cares and loves your pet, and our puppy Rue is much more obedient, and we have all the tools we need to continue to help our sweet girl be happy and well behaved.

I contacted Wendy after having trouble with scheduling and follow through of other local training places. Wendy was super responsive and called me right away. She listened to the needs we had with our new rescue dog (2 years old, 50 lb) and helped me select the package that would work best for us. Wendy came to our home which was GREAT! With our current schedules we really wanted someone who would work with us in our space. She had weekend availability which was also helpful. She gave us strategies for each of our concerns with our dog and sent follow up detailed instructions so we could continue the training with our dog. she uses positive reinforcement which we also appreciate. Training a dog is hard work, we have been committed to training our dog with help and have never felt a board and train program was right for us. Wendy gave us the tools and support to train our dog. Of course training a dog is hard work and we need to be consistent with our strategies but we quickly have seen positive changes in our dog. Wendy has suggestions for everything, from managing dog resource guarding, to games and puzzles to occupy them, to leash and harness recs. I highly recommend Wendy for your dog training needs!!

Wendy with The Life of Riley is incredible. Our small-breed puppy loves all humans, but she very quickly fell in love with Wendy during our first training when our pup was very young. Enough to pee on her at each visit. Wendy is extremely knowledgeable and educated and has an absolute gift with dogs. With dog training, many think it’s just about training the animal, but it really is the owner who needs the training! We couldn’t be happier with our experience and plan to have more sessions as needed in the future as our pup grows. She sends reports and very-informative videos after each visit to keep us on our toes. We highly recommend The Life of Riley! She also offers walking and sitting services!

Wendy Taylor is the best! She works with you instead of one on one with your dog. She customizes your training to fit your lifestyle and capabilities. She is someone who genuinely cares about her work and it shows. I can attest to the dog training sessions and the puppy socialization class. She is professional, personable and makes things fun. She leaves you feelings confident with the amount of knowledge and experience she has. She came as a recommendation and now I know why!

Wendy is amazing. Her training methods are so positive and my dog, Teddy,learned so much! She is very responsive and professional. Her puppy socials were a big hit with Teddy! I also learned how to keep working with her after our lessons ended but I know she is there if I ever need any help!! Highly recommend!!

Wendy is a wonderful trainer! Our puppy was ready to work with her and stayed very focused for a 5 month old puppy! She was so happy to see Wendy every time she came to our home! Wendy is professional and caring. It is very obvious that she loves animals and they love her! She follows up with all the details of each training session via email in a timely manner. She also can recommend everything you need for your dog from treats to harnesses and even a mobile dog groomer who is outstanding with puppies. Another thing she offers at no additional charge, is a puppy socialization class. This was wonderful for our puppy to get the opportunity to play with other puppies. This is so important because you never know how your dog will react to other dogs and this is the perfect, controlled environment! I highly recommend Wendy and The Life of Riley for all your training needs! She is truly the Dog Whisperer! We loved working with her!

Wendy knows dogs. Full stop. She helped us learn how to best manage our puppy’s behaviors with positive reinforcement. More importantly, dog training is a partnership between human and canine; Wendy made this clear. A 5 cookie review!

Wendy is such a wonderful trainer! My dog has improved sooo much and I never thought he would! She is so knowledgeable and patient! I will forever use her methods to continue to improve my dog’s life! Like she says “happy owner + happy dog = happy life” We are more than a forever client, we are a forever family! I will always use her services for anything! Thank you Wendy!

Our Dachshund is reactive due to anxiety and fear stemming from a lack of socialization when she was a puppy during the Covid years, which made having guests in our home and taking her for walks very difficult. We tried puppy training at a popular pet store and other training methods found on various YouTube videos, which failed and did not help us or our girl. I found Wendy on the internet and saw her wonderful reviews and decided to give her a try and we are so glad we did! Wendy is extremely knowledgeable, caring, and patient. She was very effective in zeroing in on the issues we were having and providing do-able solutions that worked for both our girl and us. She is extremely responsive to your questions and flexible in scheduling. She is worth every penny spent and them some! I will definitely use Wendy again for any future training needs.

Wonderful experience with Wendy! She has a ton of information & techniques for you puppy that WORK! She works with you & your puppy in your home or in her studio. Her studio is perfect for all types of training. Plus she focuses on socialization at critical puppy stages which is so important. She can help you navigate problem areas with your dog. My pup & I enjoyed working with her!

Wendy is an excellent trainer. She has a vast knowledge of dogs and their ability to understand humans and provides that knowledge in all of the sessions. I have learned so much about the benefits of positive reinforcement with my dog and our training. Mila has already made great strides in her learning and is doing so good! I would highly recommend Wendy to anyone wanting to learn more about training! Training is 100% about you learning about HOW to communicate with your dog and how they learn which provides YOU with the correct foundation to begin the training process! Wendy is the best leader in helping you along the way!

A shout-out to Wendy and her canine expertise! Our puppy, Tatonka, (and his owners) were skillfully guided through several training techniques using exclusively positive reinforcement to elicit the appropriate responses to ensure a happy and successful outcome. Wendy's comprehensive knowledge and her patience helped to address all the unique behavior contingencies specific to Tatonka and his needs; and, her follow-up reports via email helped us to gel all that was taught in the session so we could maintain consistency. We feel very fortunate to have Wendy's caring, accommodating, and personal touch to facilitate the training process.

Wendy's training was a great help with our Dachshund Oscar. He has anxiety issues which are much worse as a result to our recent move. But shortly after her arrival she was able to calm him by getting his mind on to what she needed him to learn. She answered each question I had about Oscar and had a lot of insight as to the reasons behind each behavior. In addition she provided a lot of practical information with links to websites that further builds upon the training session. Wendy's experience and care is evident, and you can tell loves what she does . She did a great job communicating with him and with me. So I definitely believe you should contact Wendy from The Life of Riley. You and your pet will be glad you did!

Wendy is absolutely fantastic. She has helped us train our American Bulldog puppy to be the kind of puppy we hoped she could be. If we continue to follow her instruction, Layla's going to be a terrific dog. Busy humans trying to train dogs and puppies without understanding how canine behavior works is difficult and frustrating. Wendy helped us eliminate the frustration and make the difficult much easier. It's still a lot of work and there is no silver bullet or magic potion, but if you're willing to follow her instruction and put in the time, your results will almost certainly be as good as ours. I highly recommend Wendy's force-free approach, especially for puppies. It has been a revelation for us.

Initially I was hesitant to hire a trainer based off internet reviews, but I had nothing to worry about with Wendy. Wendy was exceptional with my dog, Millie as well as with me. Millie is a rescue who was painfully shy and scared. Within a few sessions working with Wendy and practicing the tips she gave us, Millie became brave and confident. Wendy took the time to teach me how best to support and work with Millie. She used positive reinforcement 100% of the time and explained why and how her tactics work. Wendy sent follow up emails with write-ups of what we worked on for reference and was always responsive to any questions I had. I highly recommend Wendy - I couldn't have asked for a better training experience. She tailored every session to the needs of my dog and things I wanted to work on. Kudos to Wendy and I know Millie will miss her too!

Wendy has been so helpful in showing us how to deal with our puppy’s reactivity and help her gain confidence as she grows up. Wendy is very responsive and provides guidance and notes to go with every session - we had a wonderful experience and can see so many improvements in our sweet pup already.

Wendy is the best! She is extremely knowledgeable and professional. Ruby Rose loves when Wendy comes to the house for a training session. I highly recommend her services.

Working with Wendy was such a pleasure and very instructive - - not only did she teach us specific training exercises, she modeled how best to respond to our puppy and educated us about his developmental stages/behavior. We also participated in her puppy socialization class, which was an invaluable part of our training as new puppy parents. Thank you, Wendy, we couldn't do it without you!

Wendy did an amazing job with our Shepherd. Our dog Tilly is 140lbs, has got too old to jump in the car and was afraid of steps and ramps. Wendy patiently taught Tilly (and us) how to use the ramp and not be afraid. Now we can take Tilly to the park again. Thank you Wendy. Awesome job.

Wendy is an exceptional dog trainer. She worked with my two rescue dogs, Barack (2M) and Reyna (4F). I sought out Wendy for a few reasons: (1) Barack was having behavioral difficulties: he did not feel confident in his own skin, he would sometimes snap at his sister Reyna. (2) Both of my dogs pulled me on walks, making it impossible to walk them together. (3) Both of my dogs needed manners polishing: not jumping on visitors, barking less at passersby, etc. Wendy interacted well with Barack and Reyna. They loved meeting her and trusted her right away. She taught us basic drills to build their confidence before moving to more difficult lessons. She helped me identify the triggers for Barack’s anxiety, which helped us mitigate his flashes of aggression. She accompanied us on training walks and after following her advice, now I can walk both dogs together. Today we went on a two-mile walk and before working with Wendy, that would have been totally impossible. My family has noticed and complimented how little my dogs pull the leash. Wendy is also a consummate professional. She sends training notes after sessions to help you continue the work you do in session. She promptly responds to messages. It was never difficult to schedule a session. I bought a package of sessions online in one quick, secure transaction. The best thing about working with Wendy is her deep affection for dogs. She thinks about training from their perspective. She never recommends punishment or other coercive methods. She lets your dog be themselves and then targets and reinforces good behavior. She comes prepared with high-value treats. She suggests strategies for keeping the dogs entertained throughout the day: frozen kongs, puzzle toys, more walks to give their curiosity full reign. She cares that dogs lead happy, full lives and at the end of the day, that is what training is all about.

Wendy is great!!!! As a canine professional myself, I know how much can go wrong with a dog walk. One of my dogs has in particular has leash aggression and reactivity issues that we are working on, and he is also somewhat fearful and slow to warm up to strangers, so I knew that not just anyone would be able to work with him. The fact that Wendy is also a positive-reinforcement dog trainer made her a perfect match for our needs, because it assured me she would know the best approach to working with a fearful dog. Wendy displayed great knowledge of canine body language, which was crucial in gaining Wyatt's trust. She was patient and gentle with him, never rushing him as he slowly warmed up to her and grew more confident with each session. You can see how much Wendy loves dogs and is passionate about her work, and she has taught us some very useful things that we can implement during our walks with Wyatt. Work with Wendy, and you will be glad you did!!!!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Wendy. Wendy, you are truly gifted when it comes to pets/animals. Wendy came to our home, worked with us & our 3 kids & 2 Scottish terriers. She taught us so much! She gave us hope that our dog would have a happy life. . She taught us how to read dog’s body language to know what situations trigged his fear. She guided us to a full understanding of what positive reinforcement training really was & how to implement it to help our dogs live their best lives. Wendy we can’t thank you enough for putting us on the right track. Fergus & Wallace thank you too!!