Success Stories

Ted, a British Lab, came to CapeWest through our breeder procurement program. Occasionally, we partner with breeders to provide foundational training for puppies while they await their future homes.

Ted picked up crate training, name recall, and place work with ease. At five months old, he returned to the breeder—ready for the next chapter. Not long after, he found his forever family in Georgia. 

Champ arrived first, brought directly from the breeder to CapeWest to begin our Puppy Start program. A week later, his humans decided to bring home his brother, Max, who made the same trip to join him. Their family committed to the program, attending weekly sessions, and learning how to support their new puppies at home.

But a few weeks after the puppies went home, the family discovered one of their children had a severe dog allergy. It was heartbreaking, but they made the difficult decision to surrender Champ and Max back to us. 

CapeWest remained fully committed, helping rehome both dogs with incredible second families. We’re still in touch with their new humans and so thankful we could facilitate a peaceful, loving transition for these pups.

Chris asked us to find the perfect dog for his mom—to us, that makes him the best kind of son. With specific requests like symmetrical face markings, brown eyes, and a fully black nose, we searched far and wide before finding Indy, a picture-perfect English Setter in Indiana. 

She spent time at CapeWest for obedience training. Even more beautiful in person, Indy is sneaky, sweet, and truly a precious gift we’re honored to help raise. 

If there were an award for best dog to come through CapeWest, it might just go to Ms. Milly. 

At two years old, she became the only dog to complete full obedience training in just one month. Her humans were fully committed, and Milly crushed every goal—walking nicely on leash, mastering the place board for calm door greetings, and nailing her recall. 

We feel truly blessed to have had her in our program. 

Max (on right), an American Lab, came to CapeWest after a serious incident—he got overly excited on-leash, darted toward a person, and accidentally pulled his owner down, breaking her arm. She knew Max was smart, but simply unaware of his own strength. Instead of giving up, she called CapeWest. With training and structure, Max learned to walk politely, follow commands, and become a safe, reliable companion.

Oh, George. He came in like a wrecking ball—a full Miley Cyrus-style wrecking ball. At 2 years old, he was pushing his family to the brink. Rehoming was on the table (as giving up their toddler instead was not an option). Thankfully, they were referred to us by Champ’s (above) second family—proof that God works in amazing ways.

After four months of obedience training, George had a whole new outlook on life. He comes when called, places calmly, and sits nicely in his kennel when it’s time. Major strides all around—and best of all, his family chose to keep him. That’s always our goal at CapeWest: helping dogs and their humans live better lives together.

Tilly came to CapeWest for our Puppy Start Program and was on her best behavior: for the first two weeks. Then the heel-nipping began—quick, sneaky little bites that were surprisingly painful (and left a mark!). 

With a consistent potty schedule and heel-nipping a thing of the past, Tilly returned home, on-track to becoming a well-mannered house pup. Her owner was so grateful to have her headed in the right direction. 

This beautiful Vizsla came to CapeWest for obedience training, but what he really needed was confidence.

When Winston arrived, he was anxious and unsure, collapsing to the ground and rolling onto his back anytime someone tried to leash him. Even with a leash on, he walked with his tail tucked and his spirit low.

After three months with us, Winston gained the courage to be leashed calmly (without peeing on anyone—progress!), walked with his head high, and greeted people with a quiet curiosity. We’re so grateful his humans trusted us with his transformation.

Blue came to CapeWest to build confidence and start learning the fundamentals of obedience. 

His sister Bella, a Border Collie, joined us a few weeks later—but it was Blue who truly needed the structure and extra time with us to come out of his shell. 

With a little guidance and clear boundaries, we’ve loved watching his personality emerge. He’s well on his way to becoming a steady, well-mannered house dog. 

Cash came to CapeWest for our Puppy Start program.

His owners had never raised a dog his size and wanted to set him up for success as a well-mannered house dog. 

We established a consistent potty schedule that made life much easier—especially in their work-from-home environment, where interruptions are more stressful. 

After completing our Puppy Start Program, he returned home to a smoother routine and confident household. 

Hank came to CapeWest for obedience training—and to learn how to better manage his size. 

While he was with us, he developed strong recall, improved leash manners, and mastered staying on place (no small feat for a dog his size).

He was truly a joy to have in our program. 

Remi and Nellie came to CapeWest as female littermates—sweet, smart, and full of potential. 

While we have littermates ourselves (Gus & Tex), we know firsthand how important it is to manage littermate syndrome early. This issue isn’t limited to siblings; dogs of similar age can bond too tightly with each other and stop looking to humans for direction.

Their owners made the smart choice to stagger the girls’ Puppy Start training. Not only did it give them a break from managing two puppies at once, but it also helped Remi and Nellie develop their own personalities and learn to respond to humans independently. 

Their owners were committed to setting them up for lifelong success—we’re thankful they chose CapeWest.

Dot came to CapeWest for gun dog training and quickly won our hearts. She’s a water-loving, fetching machine—and also a gentle, well-mannered house dog. 

Heath (CapeWest Owner & Lead Trainer) takes pride in the way she was trained: building field skills without compromising her personality. Dot is proof that obedience and field readiness can coexist beautifully.

Penny, a spunky Airedale Terrier, came to CapeWest at just 6 months old for scent tracking work. She was a natural from the start and quickly picked up on Heath’s training techniques. Since graduating, she’s already successfully tracked several animals for her owner.

You can’t look at her without smiling—she was a joy to have in our home. Keep up the good work, Penny! 

Crash and his family were a joy to work with. They found CapeWest through a Google search, looking for a trainer who believed a well-mannered house dog could also be a reliable gun dog. We couldn’t agree more.

Crash spent nearly six months with us, building endurance, becoming steady on shot, and mastering both retrieval and hold conditioning. He proved exactly what his owners believed: with the right training, a great companion at home can also shine in the field. 

We miss having him around but are so grateful to have played a small part in this family’s journey.

Buck came to CapeWest for gun dog training with one big advantage—he wanted to please. That willingness made his three-month program smooth and productive. 

He developed consistent retrieves, built confidence, and left with the foundation of a dependable field partner. 

Sunny, a British Lab full of energy, drive, and heart, spent productive time at CapeWest for gun dog training. 

Her instincts were sharp from day one, and her breeding showed through in every drill. After training, Sunny went on to retrieve over 100 birds in her first season—methodically hunting downed game like a seasoned pro.

She was a joy to train and a clear standout in the field. 

This beautiful American Lab was brought to CapeWest with one clear goal: retrieve birds with confidence. 

He was a bit rough around the edges at first, but with a few months of structure and focused training, he found his groove—and his purpose. He's a born retriever.

With continued work alongside his owner, we know he’s well on his way to becoming a bird-retrieving machine.