Pamela is exceptional in understanding a dog's character, energy level, and body language. She…read morehelped us with several issues over the last two weeks and we continue our sessions to reinforce learned behaviors. We met with Pamela while discussing the possibilities of socialization for our 9-month-old puppy. She asked more questions, quickly understood the things we wanted to work on, and suggested the best plan that fitted the needs of our puppy and our lifestyle. Over the last two weeks, she met with the puppy, took him to different places, assessed his reaction to people and other dogs, and build fundamentals of better reactions. After two training sessions, I noticed how much more responsive my puppy is and how less he is nervous about distractions on walks. She also gave us a lot of advice regarding jumping (before that we tried multiple methods and those have not been as effective), counter surfing, how to redirect out puppy energy into useful work, so on. Pamela is a very experienced trainer and we are looking forward to learning more from her and our collaboration.

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!

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 had a wonderful experience with Whole Dog with our new puppy, who is a 5-month old rescue. Irina…read morecame over for a 90-minute in-house consultation and training. She was excellent, gathering info about our puppy and then doing some basic training work with treats. But most helpful was the great method for potty training. Because our puppy was OK being in a crate the method was perfect. The puppy is in the crate for a couple hours, and then is out for 2 or 3 hours on the leash with us or very close at hand. We keep her on a regular schedule of eating, doing business, games, training, etc. She only had one mistake in 2 weeks of using this method, and of course the mistake was our fault. We plan to enroll her soon in some of the group puppy classes Whole Dog offers. They are excellent and have very fair prices. Robert

Whole Dog is a great place for training, terrific resource to our community. Wonderful instructors…read moreand great selection of courses. If you are looking for a place to build strong relationship with your pups, learn about positive training methods to change behavior over the long-term - this is the place to be! Liz is an amazingly patient instructor and people are really the ones being trained here. Even for the tough(er) nuts like reactive pups they can assist - you will not be disappointed by committing to your future happy household by taking classes here!

Quick professional and welcoming response that focused on my dogs areas of need. I wasn't expecting…read morea response this soon, but was happy to have a quality response like the one I received.

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!

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!

MEEEE-OW!!!! These guys rock!!!…read more I am a traveling contractor who does not get the opportunity to be at home with my pets very often and the majority of that responsibility goes to my partner. With an ill pet, all you want to know is, "Is he going to be ok?" "Is she getting better?" Our pets are more than a part of our family, they ARE our family. When my pet, Sparky, became distant and annoyed, and began to eat less, he also had a growth on his chin that I could not help him with...because I am not a doctor. Ah-ha! I reached out to HOPE Animal Rescue and I can't be more grateful. They stepped in and helped get Sparky to a veterinarian within a few days, after the application process was completed, and Sparky is a HAPPY CAT. Laurel was especially helpful in that she made the process seem like there wasn't a process...even though we all know what it takes to get things done today. Feats like this are not marginal notes in life...they are magnificent, loving, caring moments in time that help us to remember, "Wow. I really don't feel so alone out here in the world." I cannot say enough about HOPE Animal Rescue. In a way, Hope Animal Rescue rescued my pet AND me, because I was so distraught over what was happening to him and the not knowing is what creates the fear. Thank you to Laurel and the entire VOLUNTEER staff and businesses that help to support Hope Animal Rescue. You rescued the best part of me today...and if you're doing that for me, I know that you're doing this for a lot of other people. THANK YOU for all of the hard work that you're doing out there for the animals that aren't a part of our health care system.

After seriously searching to adopt a dog for roughly 5 months, Hope Animal Rescue made the process…read morequick and easy. Not to mention, they gave me the absolute greatest gift and the most perfect dog. I am so grateful to them for their cooperation and haste with the adoption. They have a specific system where you submit an application, meet a dog at an event, and demonstrate considerable interest in a dog. After that, you have a home visit and you get to adopt! Our dogs foster parents came to the adoption as well. Our dog is everything I could have wanted and more. Obedient, friendly, quiet and outrageously adorable. Thanks so much Hope Animal Rescue!!!

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.