Three years ago I raved about Olde Towne Pet Resort to every dog owner I knew. Now I wouldn't board…read morea houseplant here. Great to horrible, entirely self-inflicted. Every booking, every pet, every time: more signatures and "agreements" than a mortgage closing. Somewhere there's a lawyer who's never met a dog and decided the real threat to this business is the guy who's paid them loyally for three years. You carefully fill out the entire grooming form online, pick every option -- then show up and they shove a paper copy across the counter to sign the exact same thing again. And after all that paperwork, they still claim they don't have the phone number they've had on file for three years and called me on before. Let's put this in perspective. I can order dinner to my door in two taps -- Reorder, Apple Pay, done. A stranger drives hot food across town on the strength of my thumbprint. But dropping off dogs these people have known for three years apparently requires a signing ceremony and a fresh liability waiver every single visit. In 2026, that's not caution. That's a business that's forgotten how to trust its own customers. And then there's the membership -- the crown jewel of contempt. They took a system that worked and actively torched it. Gone are the daycare credit packs: fair, flexible, buy-what-you-need, the way a business treats people it respects. In their place, a pricier monthly "membership" that auto-drafts your card whether your dog walks through the door or not, with no rollover for the days you paid for and never used. Read that again: you pay, they keep it, your dog gets nothing, and they call it a perk. It's not a membership -- it's a standing withdrawal from your bank account with a bow on it. It punishes the exact people who kept this place in business: the regulars whose lives don't run on a fixed weekly schedule. Some months my dogs come once, some months five times, because that's how actual life works -- and this program is built to make sure I lose either way. It doesn't serve pets. It doesn't serve owners. It serves a spreadsheet, and it treats every loyal customer as a recurring charge to be maximized rather than a person to be valued. It is, top to bottom, the most openly hostile "loyalty" scheme I've ever been asked to fund. When customers spend more time signing forms and fighting your billing than petting their dogs, you're not a pet resort -- you're a law firm with a kennel attached. Take your pets somewhere that still remembers what the word "customer" means.

Olde Towne Pet Resort is a great place for dog daycare. The staff is very helpful and always takes…read moregood care of my dog. He's been going there for daycare for some time now, and he's also been groomed and gone swimming there, all great experiences. To date, I'd definitely recommend them.

Super cool puppy day care spot. They have been taking care of our boy Caramelo since we got him…read more Did puppy train through them as well. Boy did it pay off!!

Excellent services. Folks were very personable. Owner is dedicated/committed to taking care of…read morepets! Left my dog overnight and they took great care of her.

Archie went to camp with Gina for three weeks and came home a different dog. I'm still a little…read moreamazed. He's a five-pound chihuahua who shakes when someone new walks in the room and basically lived on my lap or behind my knees. I'd worried a trainer would either give up on him or scare him worse, but from the very first day Gina put so much thought into making him feel safe. She texted that afternoon to say he'd already jumped into her daughter's arms. When he barely ate the first couple days and I got worried, she talked me through it and told me he'd come around, which he did. She took him on long walks around the park and the neighborhood to burn off his nerves before she ever asked anything of him. His crate became his safe spot at her house, a familiar place that was all his in the middle of a busy home with other dogs and parrots and training going on. And she started him on tiny, predictable rules, sitting before a door, coming when called, so he always had something he understood to hold onto in a new situation. She explained that for an anxious dog, knowing what to expect is half the battle. She also refused to pick him up every time he got scared, and warned me that part would be harder for me than for him. She was right. Somewhere around the second week he started smiling in the photos. He was hanging out with her little dogs and her family, going on field trips to the park and coffee shops, staying on his place while she walked away, heeling next to her. He knows sit, place, heel and here now, and he does them for me too. The turnover at my apartment took a couple hours and it was real work. She sat me down and explained everything before we ever touched the dog, then had me practice with Archie while she corrected what I was doing wrong. She's kept sending reminders and answering my questions since, including a few dumb ones about shampoo and brushes. Here's the part I still can't get over. We went to a party a couple weeks after he got home, which is a huge deal for Archie. He sat on other people's laps. He licked hands. He barely cowered. Six weeks ago he would have spent the whole night shaking under my chair. Everyone at the party noticed and commented on the change in his demeanor. I was a proud mama that day! If your dog is the anxious type, the one who hides, trembles, won't eat around strangers, or has to be carried everywhere, I really want you to hear this. A lot of trainers are set up for big confident dogs and don't know what to do with a scared little one. Gina does. She never rushed him, never forced him, and never made me feel silly for babying him all these years. She reads a nervous dog and meets them where they are, then slowly builds them up until they can handle the world on their own. That's exactly what Archie needed. I honestly feel like Gina is just getting started with him, and I'm already thinking of when I can work with her again. If you have a tiny, anxious dog and you're on the fence, go with Gina. Archie is a different dog and so am I. Thank you again for everything you did for him, and for me. Archie sends smooches. Sheri

I can't say enough good things about Brandi and Perry Bailey of RSK9. Their work has given my pup…read moreand I so much freedom and balance. Pebbles (blue heeler, 1.5 years old) would never listen to me, would not sit or lay still, and had a lot of other obedience issues that caused her to be stressed or confused. She was a TOUGH dog to train and I was concerned I couldn't find the solution for her to get basic concepts. This view has completely changed since working with RSK9's 3 week program. I would HIGHLY recommend them and their methods - you can tell they genuinely love working with dogs and it's made a huge difference in giving my dog the chance to find real rest at home. They send DAILY updates with photos and videos which was so nice. This isn't a regular class or something you just pay for; it's truly an investment that you and your dog will be using for the time you get to share together. Side note: it's worth doing 3 weeks versus 2 weeks. At the 2 week mark is when Pebbles really started to understand her marks and cues. From here there is so much more that can be refined and Brandi/Perry really capitalize on that threshold being crossed!

Our family highly recommends Controlled K9! We adopted our boy Mortimer last year after he had been…read moreliving as a stray, and we were really struggling when he came home with basic manners, reactivity, and having him settle in with our other dog. We ended up sending both of our boys for a six-week board and train with Kelia. It seemed to only make sense to send both dogs so they would have the same baseline training. Kelia was amazing! She kept us informed just about every day with videos and texts so we could see that the boys were happy and making progress. When Kelia brought the boys home, she spent a few hours with us, showing all the commands and techniques that she taught them, so we had a seamless transition. The "place" command alone has been lifechanging. (Although as you can see in the picture, they sometimes refuse to use separate mats, LOL.) We use the command before we feed them, initially when guests come by, and when we just need them to settle down a bit. It has reduced the stress and chaos in our house tenfold, and we actually can see the boys relax when they know they have a place to go and chill out. Kelia also gave us the tools to make leash walking and general obedience so much more successful. There are a lot of options out there for training. What set Controlled K9 apart for us was (1) our boys lived with Kelia, her family, and her dogs during training - they were not staying in a kennel and were in a real-life, loving environment, and (2) the promise of lifetime, free follow-up support. The boys have been home now for about 3 months. The training has stuck, and we feel like we really have the tools we need to make life pleasant for all of us, including the boys. Kelia has also proactively checked in to make sure things are going well, provided tips on the best way to reinforce training, and has responded quickly when we have follow-up questions, including offering a visit. Over three months later, we are still completely satisfied with the training and support provided by Controlled K9 and Kelia, and we would use them again in a heartbeat.

We worked with Julie to have our 10mo old Australian Shepherd trained. The entire process was very…read moresmooth, from the consultation to training, to the transition home. We spent a lot of time reviewing our goals together and our trainer followed through with the plan that we set together. She stayed in constant contact with transparent updates about the puppy's progress and answered any questions we had. Given the puppy's breed and determination, she required quite a bit of foundational training. Since returning home, she's a pro on the leash (complete transformation). Walks are far more enjoyable - no more barking, pulling, lunging towards moving vehicles, and now has a peaceful relationship with the mail box and trash can. Another high priority was addressing the puppy's reactiveness to our child - puppy is now able to follow my lead during potentially chaotic interactions. Overall our program length was 6 weeks long and completely worth it. We are thrilled to have these foundations instilled by a professional who also cares for the dog. Highly recommend!

My rescue male dog about four years old was left non-neutered before I met him. It can be very…read morechallenging to house break a dog that wasn't neutered before "marking" became a real ingrained habit. I had one phone call with Kathryn three days ago and he hasn't gone in the house since. She's friendly, isn't condescending and very caring. I always recognize when people are good at what they do and she's very, very good. I highly recommend Perfect Poochies any of your dog problems.

From the owner: Turn your Marley into a Lassie! Personalized, in-home, training programs for you and your dog…read more Handling everything from puppy 101, to aggressive behavior modification, I am focused on getting your pup on track to be the perfect pooch for you and your family. I now offer group lessons as well! If this is something you are interested in please message me for information :)

Mark is the best trainer we have ever used! Head and shoulders above the rest! We have more than…read moreone dog and he has improved everything about them. He essentially teaches us ( the owners techniques) that dogs as pack animals, understand. Within literally a few minutes of his visits our guys were totally different. I unconditionally recommend Mark. He is smart, kind and very professional. He delivered what our dongs needed and more. Worth every penny and more! The best there is out there!

First a little back story. 13.5 years ago we came home with Oscar and Tony. They are brothers…read more(JRT). They had never been apart until February when poor Oscar passed away from lymphoma. Brought home Dudley around a month ago. Dudley is now 8 month. Dudley and Tony seem to tolerate each other out side and on walks but can't be left alone inside as they will go at it which is initiated by Dudley most times but not always. As mentioned Tony is almost 14 and has some hearing and sight loss but certainly can get around. Presently we keep them separated by either room or put Dudley in his create ( he is totally crate trained and sleeps in it). Yesterday we had Mark from Bark Buster. For the first hour he went over with us how a dog thinks and reacts. He then proceeded to teach us some tools to help the dogs better understand who in charge. For Dudley the responds was basically instant he immediately started to responds and listen and IMO he is already 75 percent near where he needs to be. Tony still needs work but he is definitely obeying more. What Mark has achieved in one day is unbelievable and this is all done without scolding or treats. I was very concern before Mark came this wasn't resolvable. I see it will take time but certainly will be resolved . I can't say enough how awesome Mark is.

We've taken our dog to two training courses (Basic Group Obedience & Good Canine Citizen) and were…read morevery pleased with both. We learned a lot which translated into a better behaved pet. The staff are helpful, supportive and reliable. The courses were practical and well paced. I would highly recommend their courses.

From the owner: Heeling House is a 301(c) non-profit that provides animal-assisted therapy to children with special…read moreneeds. In addition, Heeling House offers various services such as dog training, behavioral therapy, ABA therapy, and more!

Me and my boyfriend were on the hunt for the perfect hamster- we had spent months and months doing…read moreour own extensive research and had found a massive cage, planned the perfect diet, toys, bedding requirements, ect. So today was finally the day we would get our little hamster: we had gone to all of our local shops.. no such luck due to the fact that the employees would say their hamsters (in all honesty) were bitters/non-social/had anger issues. This was off putting since we had thought store employees would handles their animals daily and reinforce this good behavior of being held and being alert. So now fast forward to the Dulles location (our 5th pet store we had visited that day) I had called ahead to see what gender and breeds of hamsters they carried since they were not close to our home by any means. I spoke with an employee named Grace who let me know they had a variety of hamsters to choose from- both male and female. So we make the drive, get there and this place is HUGE and CLEAN. Both inside and out their logo on the outside was visibly shiny. We go in and to our left as you first step into the store is the SMALL PETS SECTION- where we quickly introduced and welcomed by, no other, Grace! She was very friendly and was saying that she takes time to handle the hamsters personally- seeing that they are familiar with being held or touched. I appreciated that and felt that our hamster would have started in a great place and would surly end up in our sweet home. She introduced us to all the hamsters and let us know about their personality and behavior. We made our decision and also asked if we had everything we needed to care for our new pet- everything from a tank to food. She wanted to make sure this sweet animal went home to a comfortable place. I have never had a high opinion of Petco in the past, probably due to the selection (in my local area) but I would gladly go out of my way if it meant that I revived this type of customer service. In an age where you can find and buy anything online- I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. A huge thank you to Grace. She made the entire experience, from our first step into the store - all the way to checking out.

Kevin is horrible at his job and should be fired. I was delivering food for someone and he was the…read moreworst cashier I've ever encountered. Please teach him how to be a decent human bring and how to treat customers. 0 stars if I could.

Really great personal attention and expertise. Much better than group dog training I think because…read morethere's no other distraction and the focus is on your dog only. Highly recommend

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, SIMON SEZ! My two Maltese needed discipline ASAP and Simon Sez…read morecame to the rescue. Highly recommend her services!

This PetSmart location is filthy…read more The photos of the restroom were taken first thing in the morning. The floor was filthy, there was what appeared to be dirt or dried blood on the back of the toilet, and it was just overall disgusting. I notified an employee that the women's restroom could use a quick clean and new toilet paper in the small stall--she was very friendly and said they'd get right to it! I had come back in the afternoon due to needing more pet supplies to find it the exact same if not worse. There's an abundance of living and dead cockroaches throughout the store. I saw multiple PetSmart workers and the manager look at them and just walk away. The photos don't do justice on how large they are. These roaches are not new either, I was here a few weeks ago and spotted a few! This location has gone downhill FAST.

I always have a great experience at this grooming location. Today Kelly groomed my doodle and he…read morelooked adorable. She takes her time and does a great job!