We should have listened to the lower ratings. This place is an absolute money grab. We spent over $200 for the first virtual appointment as an "intake", then another $500+ for a second "intake" with our dog. After an hour of "assessing" our dog's behavior and throwing 2 meals worth of treats, we were told our dog needs psych meds. We were very clear in the paper work and initial intake that we would like to consider training first before going to medication. But it wasn't until after the second appointment that we were told to monitor a "wait list" for reactive training (not an official waitlist; just first to sign up gets in when the email comes out). Now after shelling out $800 and waiting 8 weeks for these appointments, we are back to square one and feeling a lot of regret for going to this business. read more

This place was the worst! I have raised 5 puppies, fostered dogs for 30 years and volunteered at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. I took my puppy here for socialization and basic skills group class. I knew something was off from the beginning when they said do not approach our front door under any circumstances. The three small puppies were separated off by 5 foot partitions. There was strategically no communication between pet owners and now I know why! After about two minutes of play time at the beginning of class, we were sent to our isolation sections. My puppy whimpered to play with one of the other pups. The staff immediately took the whimpering as a crisis and privately told me that my dog needs medications, has ADHD, and is interrupting class! We were put in a janitors closet for the rest of class. I was told if my vet won't give him Klonopin, their vet will. I was stunned and shocked. I should've walked out right then. My 5 month old puppy is the calmest, best behaved pup I've ever raised. This place is a scam and I would not recommend it to anyone! I hope we can get this sort of place out of our community. Please spread the word. Not to mention the exorbitant fees! if you want to spend hundreds of dollars for bad advice and total humiliation, this is your place! read more

All the staff are so nice and helpful, especially Dr. Eng and all the reception/administrative staff. Feel so relived that I found this place for my dog. read more

We adopted our Lexi when we still had two older dogs. She was scared of alot of things, but followed her big sisters everywhere. Even though she was scared of alot of things, she loved other dogs and had no issues meeting them. Then we lost one of her older sisters, and five months later lost the other sister. Lexi was devastated, and became leash reactive very quickly. We could not even begin to approach another dog without Lexi sounding and looking like a mean dog. She didn't know how to act. We tried a variety of methods to no avail, even went so far as to adopt another dog a little older than Lexi to try to help. That didn't turn out the way we wanted. We talked to our regular veterinarian about the problems we were having and she referred us to the Animal Behavior Wellness Center in Fairfax. It has changed our life! At our first appointment with Dr. Eng and staff, we had a long appointment and answered questions and discussed Lexi and her issues. We left with a plan - meds and a plan to sign up for the next available Reactive Leash Training Class Level I. I was scared to have Lexi take this class because she was reactive. Little did I know that Kayla and Courtney are phenomenal trainers and made us feel safe and that we weren't alone!! In our Level I class, there were 4 dogs in a big room, all separated by secure partitions. Gradually the dogs are shown a fake dog, and then glimpses of the other dogs, all the while Lexi and I were learning the clicker technique. After Level I, I felt two things - that Lexi's meds could be a little stronger, and that we needed some individual time with a trainer to help strengthen my skills. We talked to Dr. Eng and to Kayla and made both of those things happen. The extra meds helped Lexi be more calm, and Kayla's extra time with us really helped me with clicker timing and the logistics of my feet and hands in relationship to Lexi. From there we enrolled in Level II training which was outdoors and was fantastic. We also had one home visit and one standalone workshop with another owner and their reactive dog. Next up is Level III training. In the meantime, our daily walking experience around our neighborhood is much improved. Yes we have to be watchful and avoid other dogs. We still use tactics like switching directions or taking a different street if we see other dogs coming at us. But we are able to disengage Lexi with a click before she goes bonkers barking at other dogs which is wonderful. Most walks now are pleasant rather than dreadful. There is no way we could have ever gotten to this point without ABWC. We love the whole staff there, and thank them from the bottom of our hearts for helping us help Lexi live her best life. read more

Animal Behavior Wellness Center - Lexi - Veterinarians Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

We waited 6months for an appointment with Dr. Pike. it was virtually impossible to reach her after this appointment. My dog was having adverse reaction to meds that she prescribed and ended up requiring emergency treatment. It seemed that once we walked out of the office after our first visit, there was no support from Dr. Pike. Emails to Dr. Pike were responded to by "Office Manager". Incredibly disappointed. read more

We never ended up going for a consult. I was told that I had to pay $100 to "hold" the appointment 2 months in advance. Basically, I had to pay prior to services actually being rendered. I made the appointment in desperation, but now realize that it is a deceptive business practice. There are so many behaviorists don't settle for poor business practices. Lesson learned. read more

As a professional dog trainer, I have referred many dogs to Dr. Pike over the years. Those families were very pleased with her professionalism, compassion, and treatment plans. So, when I needed help with my own dog, Dr. Pike was the natural choice. My dog Splash came to me with a set of serious behavior issues that steadily escalated as he got older. Even with my years of experience working with dogs with significant behavior problems, it was clear that we needed additional help. I trusted my veterinarian and she agreed that Splash's behavior issues really required the expertise of a veterinary behaviorist. When I contacted Dr. Pike, I was worried there was nothing she could do to help Splash -- who was getting worse by the day -- but I could not be more pleased with the progress he has made under Dr. Pike's care. Dr. Pike carefully reviewed his lengthy history and came into our initial consultation with an in-depth understanding of Splash's behavior issues, his medical history, and the behavioral and medical interventions we had already tried. I was very impressed by how prepared she was. She listened closely to my concerns and provided insightful feedback, advice, and a new treatment plan. She quickly filled my prescriptions and sent me notes from our consultation so we could get started right away. We started to see improvement within a few weeks! Over the past year and a half, Dr. Pike has been exceptional! She has been available to coordinate with Splash's regular veterinarian on medication and handling plans for procedures that he has needed. And she always seems interested to read and reply to any updates I provide. This care is evident in Splash's continued improvement. My review is based on both my personal and professional experience. Truly, I cannot say enough positive things about The Animal Behavior Wellness Center. The office staff, nurses, and assistants have all been exceptional. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Pike and her team.  While having a dog with behavior issues is always difficult - Dr. Pike and everyone at the Animal Behavior Wellness Center make it immeasurably better! read more

Animal Behavior Wellness Center - Splash! - Veterinarians Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

As a referring veterinarian, I am so thankful for Dr. Pike and her incredible team. They have helped so many of my patients, and I love being able to refer to Dr. Pike, as I know my patients will be in great hands with her. She is also a leader in the veterinary community, and an excellent resource for general practice veterinarians and our behavior cases. read more

This is a review of their Richmond Office. Dr. Learn has been seeing our dog for behavioral issues. We had our first follow up today. There was a misunderstanding on my part, and I showed up to their office when the appointment had been intended for zoom. They seemed very put off that they had to see me in-person. Confusing, since I'm the one who drove 2 hours round trip. She proceeded to act extremely judgmental and critical during the meeting. As part of her program, I was to work with a trainer of her choosing. Her office and the trainer were supposed to be in contact regularly about my dog's progress at training sessions. Apparently, Dr. Learn's office had not heard from the trainer, and they assumed it was because I had not met with her. This was not the case. We've met with the dog trainer at least 4 times, and she seemed to feel positive about my dog's progress. She seemed to have no immediate concerns, in fact, we agreed to take a break to give my husband and I space to work more on the skills she showed us. So, it came as a complete shock when Dr. Learn was extremely concerned about our progress. She was extremely critical and accusatory, implying that I must be doing something wrong. How did she put it? I must have "skipped a step" if he wasn't already proficient at the skills we were working on. When I expressed confusion over how different her tone was from the trainer (again the one she recommended and who had expressed positive things about our progress) she put the blame back on me saying I had not been providing her office updates. I shared that I was under the impression she and the trainer we're touching base regularly because that was literally what she said at our first appointment. I also shared that I had responded to every email her office sent (they only sent one) asking for an update. Honestly, for more than $200/30 min session, why is the onus on me to keep her current and make sure she prepares for her patient appointments. She also seemed to imply that I had something to do with not hearing from the trainer, repeatedly saying, "she sends us updates for every other client, but not you." What are you implying? That I'm lying about going? I am willing to take accountability for my dog's progress or lack thereof, but I am getting conflicting guidance from two professionals. I also felt like she was accusing me of willingly inflicting pain on my dog because of continued use of the prong collar. This is something we've been working with the trainer on to move away from, and something I thought we were on track to discontinue using in an acceptable timeframe per the trainer. If it wasn't acceptable, one of the professionals should have made that clear to us. And I would expect NOT to be berated if I had been led to believe otherwise. I mentioned to the assistant afterward that I didn't understand why they hadn't reached out to the trainer. Again, I was told she usually follows up with them, and they have too many clients to initiate the follow up. That doesn't make sense to me, at all. You literally said you'd be working on our case together - they made it sound like a team approach. If you can't devote the time necessary to conduct due diligence and preparation for your patient appointments maybe the responsible thing to do is to stop accepting new patients. I can't imagine telling one of my clients, "Sorry I couldn't connect with my colleague about your work with us in preparation for this important meeting today. I just have too many clients. I'd be fired. To top it all off, when my husband called to cancel our next appointment because we were so put off by the experience, the receptionist put him on hold - using her hand to cover the receiver not the hold button - and shouted out to her colleague. Her colleagues only response was that they won't be filling our medication. I think this says a lot about how she runs her office. We'll continue to do what's right for our dog. We aren't perfect, but we will endeavor to find professionals who can clearly and competently help us help our dog. P.S. I want to emphasize that we had a very positive experience with the trainer she recommended. She is very professional and kind. She brings training down to our level. I think this boils down to her office not having the ability to manage their current patient load and Dr. Learn not having the emotional intelligence to deal with her human clients. read more

I am a trainer who works mainly with dogs that display anxious and/or aggressive behavior. I refer clients to ABWC frequently and trust them implicitly. If I have a question, Dr. Pike and Christine give freely of their time to assist. Highly recommended. read more

I am a trainer myself, and I took my own client dog to ABWC because he had separation anxiety beyond what I could train. The veterinarian was thorough, knowledgeable, kind; my dog loved her. The behaviorist was a first-class trainer and really impressed me with her professionalism. I am so glad to have another behavioral veterinarian I can recommend, but I love that they work with behaviorists too. I cannot recommend them enough! read more

The doctors here are lovely and kind. The problem is that getting help here is like pulling teeth. I have to email multiple times about the same issues and ask multiple times to actually get prescriptions. The online pharmacy didn't work for me, and getting a prescription sent to a local pharmacy takes multiple attempts (I say takes because it still hasn't gone through). For the amount of money I've been paying, I'm sorely disappointed in this service. I've had much less expensive vets provide caring and attentive service via email and phone. With behavioral issues, that type of care is needed even more. There aren't any alternatives to this level of expertise, but maybe I can find a regular vet who is competent in medication management. read more

Animal Behavior Wellness Center has been a blessing for my family. Dr. Pike, the medical staff, the trainers, and the admin team are compassionate, professional, knowledgeable, and truly want the best for their clients. My dog was blessed the day he walked through their doors, and I will always be grateful for care he got there. read more

My Australian Shepherd started displaying signs of anxiety/fear about a week after rescuing him. I began working with a certified trainer who suggested I setup a consultation with Dr. Amy Pike at the Animal Behavior Wellness Center. My pup does not typically do well with strangers, one of which is my regular veterinarian. Needless to say I was a bit nervous about our initial visit. I was amazed at how well he did once we arrived and Jessey, (Dr. Pike's nurse) brought us back to meet Dr. P. My pup was anxious but accepted the entire staff almost immediately. Once Dr. Pike confirmed his diagnoses she came up with a medication protocol to help my dog. It took about six weeks before I noticed an improvement and I felt we were on the right track. Dr. P. suggested working with Jessey along with my trainer to help my pup with his fears. We worked with Jessey for about a year in which there was a big improvement in his behavior. During that period Dr. Pike would tweak my pup's medication based on Jessey's work. Fast forward - My dog is doing well with his on going training and is now manageable around strangers and my other Aussie. I continue to work with Dr. Pike, her staff and my trainer to improve upon what they have accomplished thus far. In summary Dr. Pike, Jessey and Kayla are amongst the best professionals you will ever meet in the field of Animal Behavior. Their dedication to their patients and owners is incredible. I am forever grateful. Andy G. read more

Cannot recommend enough. Well worth the investment because you receive medical care as well as a training program. Our dog has severe separation anxiety and could not be left alone for more than a few minutes (even under our regular vet's care and medication). Our dog can now be left alone for 4+ hours at a time. She is happier, healthier, and a more confident dog. All of our quality of life has improved tremendously. read more

Dr. Pike and her team were amazing. My dog Cooper was showing signs of fear aggression and he has made great strides since our appointment a few weeks ago! The recommendations I was given were very clear and detailed. I highly recommend Dr. Pike for any behavioral issues or concerns. read more

We are so grateful for the care and support Stella has received here! We realize how few Vet Behaviorists there are in the US and how busy this facility is. We feel so fortunate to be able to touch base by phone in between in person visits. read more

I adopted my Harvey, a cattle-dog mix, from a rescue group when he was 3 months old. Within a week he was showing signs of fear aggression and shortly thereafter other behavior issues (separation anxiety, general anxiety, dog aggression, etc...) became apparent. The most difficult behavior to address was his biting of family, friends, and strangers. I had no experience in navigating dogs with special needs and immediately sought the help of Harvey's veterinarian, a trainer, adopted a second dog (a mature and friendly female dog) and enrolled him in a variety of classes to help with his behavior challenges. We learned a lot and made a little progress, but I soon realized more help was necessary. This is when his veterinarian recommended we seek the services of Dr. Pike and her team. During his first appointment I knew we were on the path to success. Dr. Pike, Jessey, and Kayla provided us with every aspect of care that we needed for Harvey to be the best dog he can be. Through medication, training, and support we have made great progress. I now have a better understanding of his behavior and feel confident that with the guidance of Dr. Pike, Jessey, and Kayla I can be successful in his care. It is imperative that the care of a challenging dog includes the care of their whole family. The amount of stress created by an aggressive dog is quite high for everyone involved and needs to be addressed for long term progress and overall success. Knowing that I can reach out to this team of amazing women for help and advice, and that they will respond not only with professional knowledge, but kindness and care, has been a lifesaver for me and therefore a higher quality of life for us all. Without a doubt, I highly recommend their services. read more