TESTIMONIALS FROM CLIENTS & COLLEAGUES

“I boarded my two golden retrievers here for several days while I was out of town, and we had a fantastic experience with Joel, Jackie, and the rest of the staff. It's clear they love the dogs. One of my dogs runs a little anxious, but I was thrilled to see that when I picked her up she looked completely calm and comfortable in her surroundings.

The kennels are much larger than you'll find anywhere else, and they're also very clean. It is clear my dogs were well taken care of, and they were very tired when we left... which is always the sign of a good time. They were also very responsive, and great to check in with me during my trip. I got several pictures from staff!

The dog lodge is ~45 minutes from my house, but I will drive out of my way any time I go out of town so that my dogs can stay here. It's the best!”

— McKenna King

“There are truly not adequate words to describe how wonderfully amazing Joel is. He took my sweet bernadoodle puppy sisters and trained them so well! I couldn’t even take them on walks at the same time without them tugging and pulling. They enjoy walking so much more now. My dogs absolutely loved and warmed up to Joel and it is so obvious that he loves them so much in return. A true miracle worker, a true dog whisperer! He has made the quality of our lives together so much better and meaningful! And Joel was so patient with me, teaching me the correct way to handle my pups. I had no idea that there were specific things that I would also need to learn along with my pups. It has truly improved the already amazing quality of life for our family and our sweet, loving dogs. I will never be able to repay Joel or thank him enough for how incredible he is.”

— Holly H.

Our two Vizslas, Rose and Iris, ages 2 and 4, recently completed the board and train package. It was a transformative experience both for the dogs and for myself. Before going to training, the girls could not walk on a leash without pulling and jumped on everyone that came to our house. Through the course of the training experience, Joel and Jackie gave us back two new dogs. They mastered basic commands including off, place, stay, wait, sit, down, heel etc. My life is already so different since taking the girls to training. After a few weeks at training, I can now walk both dogs with one pinky finger. It is unbelievable. I recommend Joel Slaven's Dog Lodge without reservation.

— Jesse S.

"An excellent team and thoughtfully designed spaces indoors and out make this the only boarding place our dogs are excited to stay at! Also, bonus points for cleanliness and natural light in the runs. Jackie and Joel have done a great job of making it a little bit easier to leave our fur babies behind when we travel. 10/10 would recommend!"

— Carlin G

"I was introduced to Joel Slaven in 1997 by Jack Hanna. Jack had told me about Joel and his incredible talent for training animals, especially dogs and cats. I was Vice President of Entertainment at SeaWorld Orlando and needed a unique show for a theater in the park. After meeting Joel, I knew that he was the person to provide a unique domestic animal show for us. “Pets On Stage” opened for Christmas, 1997 and featured dogs, cats, mice, birds and even a pig. As always, most of the animals in the show were rescued from local animal shelters. The show became so well loved that it’s show ratings were equal to the park’s feature show starring Shamu the Killer Whale! The popularity of Joel’s show led to new shows at Anheuser-Busch theme parks in Tampa, San Antonio and San Diego. Joel is a master at understanding and training all domestic animals! "

— Art Freeman
SeaWorld-Orlando Vice President Entertainment (Retired)

"I have had the pleasure of working with the dogs that Joel Slaven has trained for many years both professionally and personally. Joel has a true gift for bringing out the best in each dog and the patience and positive reinforcement plan to reach any goal. The attention to detail and quality of every performance that he created for the Busch Gardens and SeaWorld Parks were some of the highest rated and most popular shows in the park's history. I was also personally able to adopt one of the retired dogs and she became a beloved family member and was the envy of everyone due to her training. Joel is THE master of dog training and a delight to work with!"

— Nancy Hutson
Executive Producer and Creative Director at Full Stop Productions
Former VP of Entertainment-Busch Gardens Tampa (Retired)

"I have known Joel Slaven for over 25 years, and I have found him to be a great individual who truly cares for the animals that surround him! His style of positive training and husbandry is superb! I highly recommend Joel and the wonderful way he cares for animals!"

— Brad Andrews
Emeritus Chief Zoological Director, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Parks

"Joel’s abilities as a trainer of dogs, cats, pigs, and other domestic animals, coupled with his creativity in co-producing our Pets Rule show at Sea World San Diego, truly positioned those performances at an amazing and consistent high level. This show was head to head in guest ratings with our Shamu show, and even beat it many times. Knowing him for over 20 years I can confidently say he’s driven to provide the best in animal care and his continual drive for perfection was and continues to be an inspiration for me."

— Don Ludwig
SeaWorld VP Entertainment (1988-2005)