My dog, Julep, was very reactive on the leash and would get extremely overwhelmed with meeting new…read morepeople and hearing loud noises. After working with Kassondra for four weeks, Julep has shown tremendous improvement on her walks and has gotten more comfortable with meeting new people and dealing with loud/scary noises. During our training, Kassondra was extremely patient with Julep, who often takes a while to warm up to people. Kassondra was also very patient with me as I was learning the proper ways to handle Julep on a leash. In the past, I had dealt with trainers who were not as patient, so working with Kassondra was a breath of fresh air. After each lesson, Kassondra would send a write-up with homework, which was a great way to get an outline of our session and what I needed to work on in between trainings. Kassondra also helped us work through some of Julep's separation anxiety issues and gave us some great resources to use on addressing this anxiety. Kassondra is extremely knowledgeable on dog training and how to handle reactive dogs with high anxiety and fear of new people. When looking for a trainer I talked to several local businesses/trainers, but after speaking with Kassondra I knew she was the pawfect match and would give Julep the support she needed! I wish I had found her sooner!! If you are looking for a dog trainer, I highly recommend contacting Kassondra as she has plenty of programs that can fit your dog's needs!

Had Kassondra come to train my new Golden Retriever puppy as a first time dog owner. On top of…read moregiving me great guidelines for where to start and how to go about teaching a new puppy in general, she made herself available for questions and concerns about generic puppy care and things to expect. Couldn't recommend her for new pup training, and am looking forward to following up with her for more advanced training as my girl gets older!

We trained with Jeff over the Summer time after an extensive period of research on who we wanted to…read morehelp us with training our dog, a toy-reactive golden retriever. Jeff helped us contextualize our dog's behavior and understand their psychology better, so we can more effectively curb behaviors we did not want and promote behaviors we do want. As a result, not only has out dog behaved better, but we feel a stronger connection with them. This, in my opinion, is the benefit with Jeff. We all see our dogs as our perfect companions, and when we go through with training we want the outside world to see them the same way we do. Jeff helped us with this; not only does he get you and your dog on the same page regarding training and behavior, but he allows you to springboard your relationship with them to a level of greater understanding.

Jeff really knows his stuff and his tips and tricks work really well. Highly recommend!read more

Pamela has been SO incredible at getting our lovely but very active and somewhat addictive (to…read moreballs, sticks, anything she can put in her mouth) golden retriever puppy to learn to let go, to calm down, and to behave. She has also helped us to be better at understanding Darby's motivations and emotions. Fun and effective training for everybody!

Pamela is the best!!! I just adopted a second dog this week. My new dog Chance has been through a…read moreterrible tragedy in his life. His owners were killed in a double murder. There were three dogs in the home when it happened. One of the dogs was also shot and killed. Chance and his brother Champ survived the attack and were taken to an animal shelter in rural NC where they have been for the last month. I felt compelled that I need to adopt one of the dogs so they would know love once again. A good friend of mine is looking to adopt Chance's brother. I reached out to Pamela after I had a disaster in trying to crate train Chance. She was able set up a consultation in a very timely matter. She was so kind and you can tell she really cares about helping Chance make the transition to his new home. I really can't say enough good things about Pamela, she is a special person for sure. She has helped lift a huge weight off of me knowing we can work through things with Chance as he gets used to his new home and his second chance at love in his life.

I have used Frank for many years to walk my dogs. He is amazing with all kinds of dogs- he…read morestarted with my 15 year old lab mix (80lbs), and when she passed away he walked my new shelter rescue beagle mix (40lbs). Barley was hesitant around men when I first got him due to prior abuse, but Frank won him over almost instantly! He loved his daily walks with Frank and I know Barley misses him. I would highly recommend Frank to anyone who needs a phenomenal dog walker.

Packman Dog Walking & Better Behavior is AWESOME! The "Better Behavior" is in there for a reason…read more Not only is Frank a great dog walker, he is also an excellent and effective dog trainer. The concept of combining walking and training is genius - I only wish I had found Packman Dog Walking sooner! I have an 2 y.o. 80lb mixed breed pup. In general, he is well behaved but there were some behaviors that I had just learned to "live with" - i.e. pulling on the leash, barking when the doorbell rings and not always listening when I say "come." We had tried most of the "puppy classes" and trainers in the area and spend a lot of money without much success. Amazingly, within 15 minutes of meeting Captain, Frank had him sitting quietly greeting the postman at our front door. In addition to his excellent dog training, Frank is unique in that he has a keen understanding of dog psychology. Before finding Packman, I was sending my dog to a few different "doggy daycare" facilities in the area. Unfortunately, on a few occasions, my dog came home with cuts and limps and acting out of character. I don't fault these facilities (it is impossible to keep your eye on 20 dogs at one time...), but Frank has offered a great alternative way to socialize my dog in a setting where there is always a human in control. No matter how many dogs Frank is walking, he is always aware of each dog and is therefore able to facilitate healthy, fun socialization. I have a fitness tracker on my dog and I've noticed he gets the same amount of activity in a 1-2hr walk with Frank as he did when he spent a whole day at a daycare facility. Furthermore, Frank is incredibly professional. There is a great deal of trust involved in letting someone into your home while you are not there. Frank has been professional, responsive and respectful of my house and roommates on each and every occasion he has been here. I am at ease knowing that my dog and my home are in great hands while I am working.

Valerie is amazing. My 5 year old Lab rescue mix was a giant ball of anxiety. He had separation…read moreanxiety, tennis ball anxiety, you name it. As long as he was with people, he was great but could never be left alone without tearing things up or hurting himself. I had done crate training with him but could never get him to buy into the crate. He would eat blinds, butter dishes, loaves of rising bread (that was a fun day). He would hide to keep from going in the crate - including in the neighbor's bushes for hours without making a sound. You name it, he did it. I have never seen such an anxious dog especially after a lot of training where I had worked with professionals! Val came in and within 2 visits, I could tell a HUGE difference in Montross. Don't get me wrong, Montross and I have put in the work but Val saw some minor changes that have made a WORLD of difference. I cannot recommend her more highly. She is worth every penny and worth the calmer, less anxious dog! (Hint - she cost me less than 2 sets of our wooden blinds!)

I have been attending Val's agility classes for many years. My dog loves the class. Val is…read moreextremely knowledgeable and experienced in agility competition and knows how to bring that to her students. There are other agility instructors much closer to home, but I will gladly drive the hour it takes to get to Val's class.

We sent our pit bull, Ollie, there and we are happy to report that he is now the best boy. We…read morerescued him from the shelter in 2018 and we quickly saw that we had some work to do. He pulled on the leash, barked at the door, and had bouts of aggression when he didn't get his way. I felt uneasy having guests over because I felt like I had no control over my dog. Basically, my dog owned me.. not vis versa. He did ~2 weeks of the board and train program at SMS Raleigh and even though we were nervous to send him away (it felt like forever!), we loved getting bi-weekly updates from his trainer and seeing his progress. Training Ollie will always be a work in progress but the biggest different we have seen is that HE LISTENS! Hallelujah. My friends come over and say they see a huge difference in him - he's calm, sweet, and charming. He is still a dog.. he does bark at the mailman, and sometimes pulls on the leash, but if we correct him, he is happy to obey. I also love the fact that we have free access to the group classes 2x a week and have the opportunity to continue training him. Overall, we are very happy with his progress and we are dedicated to continue training him with the SMS methods.

The training is nothing short of amazing. You and your dog will be happy with the results…read more No one was more apprehensive about going to an e-collar for my dog's training than I. Colby the owner explained it best to me when he said "It's not about punishment, it's about attention and boundaries. Dogs want to please their owners, so once you have their attention their instinct takes over and training becomes easier. The strides and response to this training are remarkable. So pleased with the results so far. I am happy and more importantly my dog is happy. We have only had 3 private whole day training sessions, and tonight we will attend our first group training. Looking forward to this as it can only help build on the foundation established in the private 3 lessons. The training is not inexpensive, however it cheaper than replacing carpet not to mention several pairs of shoes, baseboards ETC. I recommend sitting down with Colby or any of the other trainers and let them explain why this works. You won't have any regrets. Rick W

If I could give less than 1 star I would. Not sure if it is because of management changes or what…read morebut the last time I boarded my dog here she came back with what I think was kennel cough. I vowed never to board her here again. I thought after a few months I would try again since reviews looked better. There is new management now someone named Ashley. I called the day before and booked a daycare visit. I even double checked with the girl and had her records sent over the girl assured me it was ok and to bring her in the morning. I even called my vet In Florida and her daycare there also. Her Bordatella shot was good until 12/2021. All correct on their files but somehow this company continues to report incorrect findings. If a business can't be honest and just own up to their mistake it shows poor quality in manager and owners. Notice my first review of this place was pretty nice and honest. I Brought her in at 6:45 am and they said oh her bordatella is due we can't let her out she will be crated until we can contact you further. Mind you at this point I had already dropped her off and was already at work! If I would have known this I would have never dropped her off. I had to leave work and come back and get her and then drop her back off and then go back to work. ** Yes when I called they did give me my package back of 60 some dollars which was good. Another clue dog parents is your dog does tell you if she likes daycare ...at least mine does because she has been going since she was a puppy. I had 3 other doggy daycare centers in NC and one is next to a vet check my dogs vaccination records that state she was good until December 2021. She cowered as soon as I brought her in and she peed on the floor and tried to go straight to the exit door!!!! Should've been my first clue! I feel bad even bringing her back here. After this experience I will NEVER EVER AGAIN BRING HER HERE!

We were visiting for a week and I was working during the day. I would be ok to run back to the…read moreAirbnb to walk my dog during the day but I felt bad she would be all alone in the apt all day. I came across this place on a Google search and reached out. I am glad I did. First they have to interview my dog to make sure she is not Cujo so that makes me feel better that they will screen all the campers there and second they make sure we have all the vaccinations. My dog loves it there and she has been there for the whole week and coming back exhausted. I feel better when I am at work while she is at camp. Definitely using them again if I get to come back to Durham on business.

Absolutely Do Not Recommend - Lack of Communication and Poor Judgment…read more I rarely write negative reviews, but my experience with Go Dog off Miami Blvd leaves me no choice. In late spring, my 9-month-old puppy contracted Bordetella and a respiratory infection during his very first week of doggie day camp at Go Dog. While I chalked that up to bad luck and appreciated that illnesses can circulate in group dog settings, I was hopeful things would improve. He recovered fully, and we returned--until July, when things took a serious turn for the worse. I boarded my dog for 7 nights while I was out of the country. Despite the fact that he had fully recovered six weeks prior and I had gone out of my way to provide a formal clearance note from my vet, management decided--without my knowledge or consent--to isolate him from the other dogs. They made this decision unilaterally, completely dismissing my communication and the official veterinary documentation I provided. Not only did this show an alarming lack of communication and transparency, but it was also an incredibly poor judgment call that affected my dog's experience and well-being during his stay. There was zero accountability, no meaningful discussion, and no respect for the time I took to address their concerns proactively. Go Dog made a terrible decision, and I no longer trust them with my pet's care. I will never bring him back, and I urge other dog owners to think twice before entrusting their pets to this facility.

I can't say enough great things about GoDog! My pup, Luna, goes to daycare here five days a week…read moreand has the best time. The team is so kind, and it's clear how much they love and care for every dog. I completely trust them with Luna, and knowing she's in such great hands gives me so much peace of mind. Today, she got the deluxe bath--what a treat! She had the full spa experience, including a blueberry facial, a nail trim, and lots of love during the drying process. Now she looks, feels, and smells amazing! I'm already looking forward to her next bath--maybe we'll try their new peach scent next time! If you're looking for a daycare or grooming service that truly cares about your pup, GoDog is the place to go!

Loved working with Shana! I am a former student of hers from when she still lived in Chicago and…read moreshe was super helpful during her time then! More recently, I just moved and my dog is having a tough time adjusting. I got in touch with Shana and we talked about what may be going on with my pup. She helped me understand the difficulty he may be having and gave me great suggestions for ways to reinforce his training and re-establish boundaries in the new home! Even though we're in separate states, Shana has been extremely informative, professional, and willing to help out both me and my pup! If you're lucky enough to live in NC, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND her! She is great with dogs of all ages, breeds, and temperaments and knows how to work with the owner to help them feel more confident in working with their pups! Thanks again Shana!!

Shana is fabulous -- my dog also loved her and she was able to teach us how to work with him…read morewithout getting frustrated-- we made wonderful progress--Thank you Shana!

Joe and his team are the best My dog bullet loves to go see…read morehim. He is so good with him.

We've been using them for grooming for a couple of years, but we recently found out they also had…read moreboarding. My dog doesn't mind going and they also accept dogs that are still intact.