Canis Familiaris

This is my second review of Curtis Scott. The first was for training, this one is for boarding.
We have tried six other boarding facilities before finding Curtis. I can say, with zero hesitation, this is the best place we have ever boarded and we will NEVER go anywhere else.
The environment Curtis sets for the dogs «in residence» is like a clean and calming sanctuary. Curtis was genuinely concerned with Antonio’s food and walk schedule, he took the time to get him exercise and stimulation, and (what I think the best part was) every day I got a picture of my dog. I have wished other places would do that, but I never wanted to be a pain and ask. Curtis did this without me even having to ask… BECAUSE HE GETS IT.
Every time I leave town, I’m always a little sick because I love my dog so much. This was the first time I had zero anxiety. I was actually happy to let Antonio spend the weekend with Curtis. Even more, for the first time since we’ve had Antonio, we can actually imagine going on vacations.
Curtis Scott. One of the best things that’s happened to dogs (and owners) in Chicago.
First Review for Training below…
My husband and I just had Curtis over for a private training with our pit bull and we could not be more impressed, grateful, relieved, and overjoyed with the results.
Our dog is 2.5 years old and is overall a very good dog. However, after he was attacked by two dogs at daycare, he had been exhibiting major signs of aggression and anxiety.
Curtis took the time to listen to our goals, assess what our dog was really doing, and then he actually trained us to make the corrections we needed in that hour. Curtis trained us on what we were doing that was exacerbating the issues and what we could do to fix it… IMMEDIATELY.
Then, he went on a walk with us and trained us how to better control the situation so our dog can learn to trust not only us being in control of him, but of the situation in general.
It’s been about three days and (because we are diligent about implementing the lessons Curtis taught us) I have noticed a significant improvement in our dog. He has stopped barking so much, he no longer «mohawks» at every dog, and (get this) he actually walks by our side, doesn’t pull, and looks at me to see what he’s supposed to do.
We have signed up for the Saturday walking class and I couldn’t be more excited. I finally feel like I have the tools to set my dog up for success. If you’re thinking about it, go with Curtis. His talent is undeniable.

Curtis is a wonderful teacher for both me and my dog. He is very knowledgeable about dog’s behaviors, kind, patience and discipline. We went through a group training for over a month and since then, my dog has behaved much better. Thank you for everything!

Curtis has been amazing in every interaction that I have had with him in the past 2.5 years. I first got my puppy a few Februarys ago and immediately enrolled him in one of Curtis’ classes. Curtis told me in our first email that Frankie was a little too young and I should probably wait for a puppy class, thinking I knew better I convinced him to let me attend with my 5-​month-​old giant puppy.
The class was great and we learned a lot. Frankie listened to commands, respected our commands and everything seemed great. Fast forward 2.5 years and Frankie developed a newfound aggression which led to a few scary situations. We emailed with Curtis, set up a private consultation and within the first 20 minutes Frankie was doing great. Curtis has been responsive to emailed questions since day 1, he realizes that training is ever evolving and doesn’t stop the support for you and your dog. I went so far as to ask him how to remedy Frankie’s barking when my non-​understanding neighbors continually called the police on his every movement. He responded almost immediately with a whole plan on how I could fix the situation.
I recommend him to everyone I know that is having dog issues, he is the most amazing person I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I feel so confident that we can have the dog we want and need with Curtis’ help. He’s simply the best.

We recently brought home a rescued pitt puppy that seemed to have some aggression issues toward dogs when on a leash. We had an assessment done by another trainer that wasn’t very favorable to a good outcome with this pup. Something told me she was wrong. I found Curtis online and contacted him. He responded very quickly and made arrangements to come out the next day. Curtis did a hands on assessment when he arrived and determined the dog was extremely adoptable with no human aggrerssion. He then took him outside for a meet and greet with his dog. I was very nervous about our pup’s reaction but Curtis was confident it would be ok — and it wasn’t ok IT WAS EXCELLENT. Next up, our two dogs got to meet the new addition and another great experience. Within an hour or so of coming by all 3 of our dogs were walking side by side. Curtis took the time to evalauate the dog, go on an extensive walk with us to show us how to handle his reactions to other dogs and gave us tons of tips on training at home. Our pup has made great progress. He has gone to the dog park with us and Curtis and we have joined the walking class to help him continue with his progress. I would highly recommend Curtis to anyone looking for a trainer that understands dogs and doesn’t give up on them. Nothing but good things to say.

What can I say that hasn’t been noted in other reviews. Curtis is the best! I adopted a pitbull named Kayla 8 years ago from a shelter (she’s about 10 years old now). I was introduced to Curtis thru the shelter and he worked with her for a short time on standard commands. Fast forward almost 8 years and something spooked her so bad that she refused to go outside. I tracked down Curtis and asked for his advise. After chatting many times on the phone, I asked him to come over and assess her fear.
When he came in, Kayla looked a bit confused on who he was. It took her about 2 minutes to realize it was Curtis and she went completely nuts and jumped all over him. She remembered him from 8 years ago! She walked right outside in the back yard by his side.
He quickly identified the issue was pretty deep rooted and it would be a learning process. He asked us to follow specific steps every day and eventually she would feel comfortable going outside by herself. After a few weeks of the exercises, she is almost back to normal!
I cant thank him enough for his support and expertise. If you are debating on hiring a trainer, don’t! Curtis is the real deal, great to work with, and always available to chat about your pet!
5 Stars!

We met Curtis through a mutual friend when we were looking for someone to watch our dog while we were out of town. We were going out of town for several weeks and needed some place for our then 6 month old Dogo Argentino puppy to stay. Bringing our puppy Kona to a regular boarding kennel was not something we felt comfortable with especially with her age and her being a bit needy.
We brought Kona in to meet Curtis and instantly knew it was going to work out great! Curtis was able to get her to sit still and listen right away even with her wandering puppy brain.
While we were gone Curtis was great about texting us updates and photos throughout the weeks to let us know that Kona was doing good. Kona was listening to commands better and also walking better when we returned. It was a worry free experience leaving Kona with Curtis that now whenever we need to go out of town we know where she is going to stay.

If you are going out of town and want to leave your dog in the best hands possible, Curtis is the way to go. Our dog is always so happy to see him! Curtis really gets to know the dog’s personalities — he knows when our boy needs to burn off some extra energy, or whatever he me need. We feel really lucky to get to board our dog with him and would recommend it to anyone looking for a place for their dog to be safe and happy while they’re on vacation.

I have been boarding with Curtis since he opened his facility on Western. My dog needs a calm environment and this place is exactly what works for him. He clearly loves Curtis too.
Whenever we arrive he practically races to the front door. It’s as close to home as I can get for him and I don’t worry about him getting sick. The facility is spotless. There are many places that I could board my dog that are closer to my home, but I go the extra distance because having the peace of mind that my boy is safe is worth a lot.

Curtis is truly amazing with dogs. He has given us hope with our troubled dog. His boarding is friendly and allows us to travel worry free. I would strongly suggest him to anyone who needs a reliable boarding solution.
Thanks again Curtis!
Sincerely,
Macy & Hugo

My bulldog is a needy girl, she gets all cranky when I’m gone and wont move or eat or do anything for anyone… except for Curtis. Every time I bring her for boarding its like she is on vacation, she gets so excited to see Curtis. I know he takes great care of her when I’m gone as she always comes home ready for a nap.
I love the fact that Curtis exercises her and takes her for walks. She would sleep all day if she could, and Curtis takes the time to take her our for her own personalized time… what other place does that for you?
I would not hesitate to take your dog here, 100% positive experience. I’ve done the large location dog boarding places where your dog is another number, here my bull dog is the queen she is.

We just refer to Curtis Scott as the local dog whisperer, he has such a calm soothing way of dealing with both owners and their dogs!
We adopted a 3 year old lab/​beagle mix and I after about 2 weeks I really thought we were not going to be able to keep him as he had become aggressive to my husband, 16 year son and some of their friends. After the first session with Curtis, when he explained why Buckley may have been reacting that way and giving us very simple things to change in our interactions with him we all started to calm down. Now we have had Buckley for 5 months and no one believes when we tell them about the rough beginning.
Boarding with Curtis really is the best, the comfort of knowing that your dog is in such a quiet, stable place instead of the chaotic environment of a regular kennel makes it so much easier. And getting text and email updates gave me such peace of mind — I agree wholeheartedly with previous reviewer, I can’t recommend Curtis highly enough!

Curtis has been an amazing help to me and my pitbull, Sasha. Not only has he lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders by teaching me how to train her, he has also been the best resource I have for when I go out of town. I trust him 100% with Sasha and I know she is in the best hands when I leave her. Sasha can be hard to handle at times and I could never just leave her with just anyone because of this. Being able to board her with Curtis has been a life saver! He sends me pictures often and lets me know how she is doing which I love! Knowing that Sasha is getting the best care when she is with him means the world to me. I am so thankful to have found him and would highly recommend using any and all of his services!

Curtis is awesome! He was a great trainer for our six-​year-​old I were anxious and high-​energy wheaten terrier named Maggie.
This review is for boarding. We have used Curtis on several occasions now (which is a miracle, I can only attribute that to Curtis is calm assertive nature). Maggie certainly has had trouble going to kennels etc. in the past. I believe it’s because she really is a part of their family went to stays with Curtis. She’s not stuck in the «doggie prison camp», where the dog your dog is in the crane fancy crate for 95% of the time. She is truly just part of the family and is treated as such.
Curtis is super reliable and stays in touch. Knowing that I was kind of anxious mom the first time she stayed with him, he emailed send pictures, it was great. He emails every time Maggie stays with him. We’ve never had any issues. But if anything were to come up I am 100% confident that Curtis would treat her as he would his own dog. Maggie will always board w Curtis. He is amazing. I can’t recommend him enough

Boarding with Curtis Scott is the best. Curtis is the only place my dog Madison will be boarded. As a bit shy and timid, Madison doesn’t do well with people she doesn’t know. We’ve sent her to every 5 star place in Unilocal and after every time she’s come back scared and took a few days to get back to normal.
However when she heads to be boarded with Curtis (he’s had her from 1 day to 10 days) she comes back just the same as if I’d just gotten home from work. He does the extra bit, he doesn’t just lock her in a cage and do a few walks he treats her his own dog-​gives her attention, mental activity and lets her join him in life. I never want my dog to go to a kennel when I can send her to a second home with Curtis.
To top it all off he takes great care of us as owners. His schedule is flexible for pick up/​drop off, he’ll even come to us if needed. We always get lots of pictures and updates and when I pick her up he gives a few tips on things to work with her on.
Can’t recommend Curtis enough for boarding – we’ll never go anywhere else.

We were introduced to Curtis when we realized our bewly adopted dog was afraid of many things and people and would become agressive when afraid. He did a great job at helping us get theough his issues.
But then we also realized we couldn’t leave our dog at any regular boarding facility, with anyone. So we started leaving him with Curtis. He absolutely loves going there because Curtis takes such good care of him. And we feel more confident leaving our dog with Curtis when we leave town than at a regular boarding facility where the staff has other dogs to take care of and doesn’t have the time or skills to take special care of our dog and handle his fear agressivity.
Also Curtis is always very flexible!
Trust him with your dog!

A few years back I rescued my pit-​bull from an abandoned apartment building near where I work. Once I took the dog home, we looked for proper training with someone we could trust. Curtis was recommended to us through a friend and it was the best thing that happened to us regarding the dog. Literally, after one training session, our dog listened to commands that were taught to him.
Since then, we have been using Curtis to board our dog whenever we go out of town. First of all, his facility is great. It replicates a typical home, helping the dog transition into his new surroundings. Secondly, he is the nicest guy you’ll meet and is EXTREMELY knowledgable about dog behaviors. After familiarizing himself with our dog, he is able to notice changes in behavior, give advice on what we should be doing, and relay any other tips that he might have for us.
He regularly sends emails updating us on how our dog is doing and even throws a picture or two in there. Any dog owner will tell you that seeing and hearing updates is a very calming feeling when you are away.
Curtis is a no-​brainer if you are looking for an experienced PROFESSIONAL to look after and/​or train your dog. Very reasonably priced and well worth it. Needless to say, we are very happy with our dog and everything that Curtis has done for us

I hate to write this review, but my dog and I (and my roommate) have all had a pretty hellish week after my dog was boarded with Curtis.
He took her out for a «run» on a retractable leash in humboldt park and she cut her paw so deep she needed several stitches. Typically in a boarding situation, dogs are taken out on a controlled walk a few times a day, but nothing like what my dog was allowed to do. I should have been asked if I was okay with my dog being brought out like that first but I found out after the fact as my dog was being brought to the emergency clinic on the first day of my trip.
Curtis paid for the emergency visit, but I am now out nearly $ 500 in follow up visits, a new kennel to accommodate her e-​collar, wound care/​medical supplies, and meds. Not to mention the $ 200 for boarding.
Additionally, I had to leave work early every day last week to come home and take care of my dog since she already had mild anxiety and now with the added stress of the cone she was barking all morning and keeping my roommate up.
Curtis is just about the nicest guy ever and clearly very knowledgable about dogs/​training. I’d easily give him 4 stars for his training with my dog, but I found it really irresponsible to not confirm «extra activities» outside of standard boarding with the owner.
My dog is almost at 2 weeks since her injury and is now terrified of her kennel (it took about 6 months after rescuing her to kennel train her) so I’m afraid it will be another long struggle for me and my roommate. Her paw is still swollen and raw and has another $ 100+ vet visit coming up.
I know accidents happen & I am thankful that it wasn’t worse and that Curtis communicated throughout, but, having just moved here from out of state, dropping nearly a grand & having to constantly apologize to new managers/​coworkers/​roommate for all of the concessions I’ve had to ask them to make for me so early on –and for something that was COMPLETELY avoidable– is not okay.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend for training (as long as it isn’t the boot camp), but for boarding I think major improvements need to be made.

Curtis saved my foster dog. We had an amazing neglected pit bull come in to our lives that was the sweetest love bug of a beast but HATED dogs outside the pack in our house. To the point where we thought we may have to let him go after a fence jump at a potential adopters home. This is where Curtis comes in, he saved The Dude. After two weeks of boot camp and a 6 week class, we had a completely different dog. Now don’t get me wrong– he still isn’t great with other dogs, but he can be walked outside safely and actually enjoy himself. We were able to get him adopted to a loving family, and Curtis even followed up with them to make sure his training all continued. And The Dude absolutely ADORED him. Hopeful I dont run into another crazy beast like the Dude but so grateful that we found Curtis just in case I do!

Curtis is amazing! My boyfriend and I adopted our 1.5 yr old pug mix in April and we were having major issues with her barking indoors and could not go on a walk without lunging/​barking at people and dogs. After many embarrassing and frustrating encounters, we were desperate for help (thankfully we found Curtis on Unilocal!).
We signed up for a private in-​home 90min session and let me tell you. there were instant results! She obeyed his commands immediately which showed how little we knew about training.
It’s been two days and we’re extremely happy with the progress she’s made so far. Highly recommend him!

Curtis is great to work with. He is calm and reassuring, something I need as much as my dog.
A little background on our situation, I became a first time dog owner almost 2 years ago when his owner could no longer keep him. He was 3 in human years and while his previous owner meant well, he didn’t get a lot of training and was mostly kenneled.
A few months after discovering the outside world, he gained a myriad of issues, new anxieties to all these new things and he began barking/​lunging/​whining/​growling at anyone and anything that passed us by on walks: cars, people, dogs, bicyclists, motorcycles. I researched and tried my best to train him on my own.
When I moved him to a larger city, to a smaller space without a yard and a neighborhood with people and dogs everywhere, I knew I had to hang up my gloves and call in the professionals. And I found Curtis. And I am so happy I did.
My dog’s progress has been great. Was he miraculously cured of his anxieties? Nope. But after a few weeks with Curtis for doggy boot camp in January I can say it’s been amazing to have 3.5÷5 things crossed off my list of things to watch out for. Bicyclists, trucks and people (at a distance) can now pass us by and see a calm dog with a calm owner. The other day someone even complimented him — I’d forgotten how that was since people are usually cowering in fear from his behavior!
Thanks Curtis! I look forward to continuing to work with you!
quick update −5÷15÷2015 Just met with Curtis again after some time to help with a redirecting/​nipping issue when we come across other dogs. After one session and Curtis showing me what I needed to do, we have since walked by a few dogs and no nipping! By the way still no lunging at bicyclist, trucks and people, so yay!