Pat is fantastic! I enrolled Harley, my very reactive doxie puppy, in one-on-one sessions followed by a 2-week board and train program and it was the best decision I've ever made. Pat uses these awesome analogies to help you understand the way dogs think and react. You can tell he is extremely knowledgeable and breaks down the training process in a way where it's straightforward for both you and your pup. I can see how it may be awkward to meet a total stranger who is then teaching you how to train your "child", but it never felt that way with Pat. He is super down to earth, hilarious and extremeley personable. I continue to use his dog sitting services until this day and I can tell my Harley girl adores him! read more

10/10 experience working with Pat both in group and Private classes Pat responded initially with clarity and a clear sense of what we needed along with options for working together We got 5 private sessions with and a bunch of group sessions for once our dog was ready for it. Throughout the entire training process, Pat was incredibly helpful and had a guiding voice that helped Gator but also us on how to be the best pet parents! We're still working with Pat and probably will be for some time and the best praise I could give him is that our dog is in love with him and always so excited to see him. read more

You'll not find a better trainer than Pat. He listens to your concerns, observes you and your pooch and then shows you how to solve your problems. My dog and I have had 3 sessions with Pat and it's made a huge difference. My dog was pulling me when we walked. She was jumping up at people she liked. Pat taught me techniques to stop the bad behavior. Plus he's accommodating, fun and interesting. read more

Great improvement with Patrick's help!! I have a 3 year old very reactive Maltese dog named Charlie & we did 3 sessions with Patrick and he is very knowledgeable in the dog world. Seen a great improvement after the 1st session as Patrick gives us homework's to help practice with our dog. Patrick makes training enjoyable & comfortable for both the pet and the owners. Would highly recommend training your pups with Patrick! Thank you! read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Pet Training Near Me

Very quick response with helpful information. Trainer was very personable. During our first lesson, all our questions were answered. Given insight on our dog's behavior. Step by step instructions on what to do until our next session. read more

Well.... I don't know what to say. Pat is a very good person and a great dog trainer. Will definitely bring my next dog here. Finding a good trainer is priceless. I can walk Krispy on or off leash with or without distraction with no problems. read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Pet Training Near Me

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It was not a pleasant experience in looking for a good dog trainer in the Bay Area. I look up each dog trainer in Yelp and Google search for months until I found Patrick from BK-9U Barkeley K-9 University. All I can say is I am beyond happy to find a dog trainer who is not only professional but full of positive energy to help my baby girl - Sophie (10 months German Shepherd) and myself succeed in our training session. I have an exceptional experience with Patrick in just 4 sessions and have already seem tremendous improvement in my baby girl. Patrick is amazing! He is patient and skillful with my baby girl to understand our training needs. I am so glad that I found Patrick among all the dog trainer in the Bay Area. He is not only excellent, but full of positive encouragement and implement effective training methods that helps me to be more confidence with my dog. In each and every session, Patrick provides us with many great tools to help us meet and exceed the standard in raising my girl in a positive way. There are a lot of things that dog owners do not know, but now I can say I have learned so much from Patrick since the first training session. Sophie needs some help that I know I could not help and understand. Patrick has far exceeded my expectations with regards to understand the powerful training techniques for Sophie. I am very impressed with Patrick's outstanding services and look forward to working with him in our upcoming training sessions. I would highly recommend Patrick to those who are struggled in finding a caring / responsible dog trainer in the Bay Area. He can and will work with you to make your dog(s) to have a quality of life while under your care and guidance. With all the training sessions you may have, you will see immediate results if you devote your time to practice Patrick's training techniques with your dog(s) every day after each session. read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Amazing training session today - Pet Training Near Me

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these folks really know how to handle dogs and helped us with some major behavioral problems

I'm trying to simplify all of the amazing things that Clancy and I have learned from Pat but it's impossible. He has an incredible body of knowledge for training dogs as well as problem solving for individual issues. Working with Pat is a fun and interesting process for both dogs and owners and the outcome brings about success for both. We also love his ongoing Saturday classes to keep us both on track and meet up with other dogs and owners for a great way to start a Saturday read more

I can't say enough wonderful things about Pat and Barkeley K-9 University. We have a German Shepherd puppy with lots of energy. From helping with basic commands, to helping us address behavior issues, helping recommend all things (from toys, to collars, leashes, and even best place to put the crate). Puppies can be stressful, so having the right guidance makes all the difference. Pat has a wealth of knowledge and really listens to our concerns and offers really solid advice. We are consistent with home training between sessions and have already seen marked improvement in our pup and our relationship with him. Working with Pat was one of the best decisions we made. I highly recommend his services to anyone with a dog. read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Walter practicing his perfect name recall and sit. - Pet Training Near Me

I've had the best training sessions with Pat! He's responsive, friendly, informative, and a great teacher for BOTH dogs and humans! I've struggled communicating w/ my 4 y.o. deaf Aussie, and Pat has taught me so many creative and effective ways to train her using positive reinforcement. I first started off with a 10-day board-and-train for my Aussie (while on vacation), and I was beyond impressed with the progress! Before, she would constantly and stubbornly pull on the leash, making it hard for both of us to enjoy walks. Afterwards, she became so much more attentive and has learned to walk w/ loose leash. Now, we enrolled in private training sessions to specifically target certain behaviors. And we def enjoy learning something new with each session. 10/10 would recommend to everybody! read more

Patrick Gibbons is nothing short of amazing! Our 2yrs old Husky was driving us crazy. We took Koda to Patrick and he trained us to be better guardian / dog companion. He's super patient and very knowledgeable. Patrick breaks thins down to simple to understand ways to train your dog . It's like night and day with Koda. Highly recommend BK-9U! read more

Pat trained our first pup, and he is now training our second, with periodic updates to our older dog. He's AMAZING! We recommend him highly!! read more

We like to joke that there's "pre-Pat" and "post-Pat" when it comes to our dog. Before his 3-week board-and-train program, walks were stressful--he pulled constantly, and recall felt impossible. After training with Pat, the transformation has been incredible. He no longer pulls, his recall is solid, and I can now take him confidently to more places, even off-leash. What really stood out is Pat's kind, patient, and caring approach. He doesn't use harsh discipline--instead, he focuses on the natural logic of how dogs learn and behave. Training sessions in public settings made the transition was easy. Best of all, my dog hasn't lost his goofy, happy personality--he's just more confident, better behaved, and easier to enjoy life with. This has been truly life-changing for both my dog and me. I can give him more freedom, we both have more fun, and our bond is stronger than ever. The program is absolutely worth the investment, and I can't recommend Pat highly enough. read more

I had some experience with group dog training classes, but my new puppy had grown into a reactive adolescent. By the time a friend recommended Pat, he was lunging at other dogs and people, and I was afraid he might bite someone! Pat was able to help me learn to walk my dog in my neighborhood. With maturity, management, and training, we were able to overcome his reactivity and earn obedience titles: IGP (Schutzhund) BH and AKC CD and CDX. His group classes are inclusive, with plenty of space for dogs that aren't ready to work close to other dogs. Plus, you can be confident that the other participants are capable of managing their dogs. He's also very skilled at meeting adult novices at our level. When we're thrilled that we said "sit" and the dog sits, he's thrilled for us. When he knows we're ready to improve, he points out the slow and crooked sits and how to fix them. I would recommend Pat to anyone who is having trouble with their dog, and also to anyone who wants to take their training to the next level. read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Jaivant's BH - Pet Training Near Me

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I can't say enough good things about pat! I came to him with my 3-year-old pitbull who is full of energy and had some leash reactivity and had a very bad problem with pulling on the leash. He taught us how to have her heel, listen and check in with us. He also gave us some great tips with her dealing with and reacting to other dogs. I really appreciate how he caters the training to each individual dog. The progress we've made has been incredible -- she's now more responsive and me and my partner actually enjoy walking her instead of feeling anxious about it! If you're struggling with a reactive or high-energy dog, I cannot recommend him enough. read more

Patrick Gibbons is an extraordinary dog trainer, and I highly recommend him. He was great with our Belgian Malinois puppy, Max, who is high energy and needed direction. Patrick was able to give me tons of advice on how to work with Max, ( all of which worked, by the way ) in a caring and professional way. His knowledge is extensive, and he is clear, and communicates well. He cares about your dog, and your relationship with your dog. He's a problem solver, and absolutely great. read more

I was referred to Barkeley by my friend who knew Pat. My 1yr old German Shepherd was ALOT on walks and cried and barked loudly at other dogs. Quite embarrassing!! LET ME TELL YOU... The first training was amazing! He brought out his dog Fubar and Fubar just layed on my lawn while Pat walked around with my dog. Different dog. I was so surprised! She did the same thing when I walked her. She has now graduated to group classes and is doing just as awesome!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! Pat is an excellent trainer! For dogs AND their owners! + read more

We were not making much progress training our dog on our own until we started working with Patrick. We got his name from our veterinarian and a friend who has used his services. We could not even take our dog for a walk around the neighborhood without a lot of leash pull. Patrick listens to the issues you are having, gives you an analogy to illustrate the issue, and then provides specific strategies to coax the behavior you want from your dog. Most of training revolves around training us! We initially enrolled in a session of ten private lessons and now attend Patrick's group classes to keep reinforcing our dog's good behaviors. Can't recommend Patrick enough. read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Pet Training Near Me

Barkeley K-9 (Pat) is high-quality, reliable, and heart-felt dog expertise and care. I have been working with them since I adopted my dog as a puppy, and I have continued to consistently appreciate, respect, and enjoy learning from and working from them. I recommend Barkeley K-9 for training classes or any other service dog related. My dog and I both are big fans! read more

When we first rescued our dog, he was completely unresponsive to training. On day 1 with Pat, he was prancing around the park and quickly learned his name, to walk with heel, sit, down, and even off-leash behavior! We did ten 1-on-1 training sessions with Pat before graduating to the group trainings. Now we also board our dog with Pat whenever we go out of town. We did a lot of research to choose a trainer in the Bay Area, by far Pat is the most reasonably priced for the great results. Now our friends comment on how well behaved our dog is all the time. Thank you for everything Pat! read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Training session to sit still on the pad while distractions go by! - Pet Training Near Me

We rescued our puppy Butchie from a shelter and quickly realized that our seemingly sweet dog, had some pretty severe behavioral issues. We were quite down and out and it was causing stress on our family. We were thrilled to find Pat and even on our first initial phone conversation, I instantly felt relief. We had 6 sessions with Pat and within the very first session we had already had great results. Not only was Butchie learning... so were we! Each week we tackled more behaviors that came up... each week we learned how to work with Butchie in a way that felt very good to us. Pat seems to have the perfect balance of training, not at all aggressive, and not too soft. It feels really doable and our Butchie seems to like it very much. I like the way Pat explains what he is doing and why. I also appreciate the group sessions offered so that we don't fall back into old habits or behaviors. I would highly recommend Pat to anyone that is having issues with their dog. He's really knowledgeable, patient and a good person. We are so grateful for Pat. We are so much happier in our home with our new pup! read more

I was referred to Pat by my amazing veterinarian for my 8-week-old American Rottweiler. After our first visit, I called my vet in a panic because my puppy was progressively displaying serious signs of resource guarding. My vet joked that my puppy was a "rotten rottie" because he was so grumpy during the wellness check, and I couldn't agree more. This is my fourth dog, but my first Rottweiler, and as a concerned pet owner, I wanted to prevent these unwanted behaviors from developing into adulthood. Having owned Rottweilers herself, my vet immediately recommended Pat, saying (verbatim), "He even taught my 11-year-old the basics and strong foundations of dog training." This could not have been more accurate. Pat has provided us with a clear and solid understanding of what is expected from both the dog and the owner. With consistency, it's possible to teach a dog just about anything using positive reinforcement, while also addressing consequences for unwanted behaviors. Just like with children, it's essential to teach dogs that certain behaviors have consequences for the dog's own safety. Since starting with Pat, our puppy has improved tremendously and is now considered one of the friendliest dogs around. I'm incredibly grateful to Pat for guiding us in raising such a good boy and for showing us that training doesn't have to be complicated--it just requires dedication and consistency from us as owners. Now, I have been attending Pat's park group trainings and they are such a nice addition to brushing up and maintaining my pupp's training and skills. I cannot be more thankful for Pat. The absolute best! read more

Our experience with Pat at Barkeley University has been professional and productive! He was so great with teaching my partner and I how to train with our dog Kaya. We always get compliments on how well behaved she is and we always respond saying it's all because of Pat and what he taught us. Thanks for everything Barkeley U! read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Pet Training Near Me

Patrick was an Amazing Dog Trainer very professional and great work with dogs. My dog Bellah is now off leash and listened to several commands and she was not a puppy. Patrick was able to help me and his training methods worked fantastic I highly recommend him. read more

Pat is a miracle worker! My 10 month old mini Golden Doodle was pulling on the least terribly and also had awful leash aggression. Our daily walks were a nightmare and after taking my pup to 1 trainer and then a puppy class without any success, I finally called Pat and he rescued our walks! My goal was to have a "boring" walk where I could use my left hand to hold the leash and my right hand to hold a water/latte, etc and after 3 sessions, my pup and I are finally having "boring" walks. We still have some work to do, but I am incredibly relieved and thankful for Pat's advice. He is absolutely worth it! read more

We have a rescue pup with anxiety issues and Pat was great at getting her past some behavioral challenges. He explains his training techniques in a way that's easy to understand and remember. In just a few lessons we could see our puppy grow more relaxed and confident. Pat brought us peace of mind and allowed us to help our pup overcome past challenges. We'd recommend him wholeheartedly! read more

For the last 5 years, it has been a real pleasure working with Pat Gibbons at Barkeley U. He is very professional, knowledgeable , kind, and patient; and his very presence evokes a remarkably attentive attitude from my very spirited dog, Aza.The experience of watching this dog in Pat's presence is to see the canine appreciation of a master teacher!! Beyond that, he has been a great teacher for me in setting limits with Aza, as well!! Highest compliments!!! read more

Patrick Gibbons, the Dean of Dogs at BK-9U, was simply amazing! My next door neighbor got a German Shepherd and I have an adult Doberman Pincer, Spike. The dogs had developed a habit of snarling and barking at each other over and through our side fence. In fact, I thought there was no hope, and the dogs were well on the way to knocking down the fence and seemed intent on tearing each other's throats out. On a good day. Patrick came over to work with the Shepherd, and I came out with Spike. He described a plan for how to stop this behavior. However, the amazing part was that we brought both dogs out on leash, and within 10 minutes Patrick had us walking the dogs side by side down the street calmly and with no barking. It really was astonishing. I highly recommend him. read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Spike, who worked with Patrick Gibbons, the Dean of Dogs at BK-9U. - Pet Training Near Me

We got a pandemic puppy who needed some help with greetings, leash waking, and recall. Pat is absolutely amazing. He is so knowledgeable when it comes to dogs and training them. Pat met us at our preferred location which we liked since our pup is very familiar around where we live. Each session he built skills on the previous session and gave us homework. He has tips and tricks for almost everything and we were able to learn so much when it comes to training our pup. Over the past five sessions, our pup has show tremendous improvement in her leash walking and greetings. Pat also gave us appropriate tools to maintain the training in the future- types of leashes, collars, correct methodology for training, etc. you can see Pat just has a magical touch when it comes to dogs. We can't wait to do some group sessions with Pat in the future. We highly recommend Pat! read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Pat and our pup! - Pet Training Near Me

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Pat is a great trainer. I've used him for my Boston terrier and German Shepherd- he is patient and understands different breeds, their needs, and how to handle them. I've never felt more connected or in control of my pet. The park classes were my absolute favorite. Last year I saw a neighbor struggling with their Belgian malanois and I immediately suggested Pat. Since then I have seen the same neighbor several times and now the dog is much more well behaved. He will tell you what the problem is and he won't sugarcoat it, if you're the problem, be prepared to fix you before the dog. Seriously, he's great. read more

Pat is a remarkably skilled dog trainer who cares for and understands each and every dog put into his care. AAA+++ -My 4+/- year old rescue Luke came to me completely untrained. At 85 pounds, Luke was a handful- he was not even used to being on a leash! But he is smart and eager to please, so we began our journey together with high spirits and hopes. I've had dogs for 65 years including three prior shepherds. I also had experience years ago assisting a pro trainer, so I thought I'd be able to get Luke up to speed on the basics given a little time, patience and practice. Luke and I did okay on the basics at home and around our neighborhood, but I found him very easily distracted in new environments and in the presence of other doggies and people. Our progress slowed to a crawl in these situations. -More troubling was that Luke sometimes showed significant reactivity to some people who reached into "his space" to try to pet him. He would bark and make (fake) threatening lunges. Plus, he reacted in kind to dogs barking at him, bikes whizzing by and runners passing us as we walked. -These behaviors were major issues for us. -At my age I wanted us to quickly (1) be able to go out to our favorite off leash dog parks and hike the nearby trails in Redwood Regional Park and (2) be able to comfortably have friends and family visit us at home and have Luke interact with strangers without fearing an outburst of reactivity (barking/lunging). -We had seemed to have stalled in making progress in these regards, so I began searching for some pro assistance. I spoke with a couple of trainers that seemed suited for our situation, but after meeting Pat at our home I quickly realized he was the right trainer for us. -Wanting fast improvement in behavior and a high performance ceiling, I followed Pat's advice to enroll Luke in a three week "board and train" program. Am I glad i made that decision! -As difficult as it was having Luke leave our home, Pat is an easy guy to talk with and he kept me informed of their progress by immediately responding to every text or call I made to see how things were progressing (I tried hard not to flood Pat with inquiries). We had set explicit goals on what we wanted to accomplish during the "board and train" program including Luke learning and performing the normal basics such as sit, down, stay, place, den, recall, etc. in distracting situations and also doing better in situations where he had shown reactivity. Pat was confident that he could accomplish the basics training and was hopeful that he could improve Luke's reactivity. Pat was honest and said that reactivity was an issue that could take considerable time, practice and patience to improve, but he felt progress could be made. -So let me cut quickly to the chase- Pat (and Luke) did an amazing job! -At our joyous reunion, Luke came back extremely well trained in the basics. Luke always loved being able to please me and now he knows exactly what's expected of him so we're both very happy in this regard. By no means is he perfect, but he's darn near close to perfect and we're getting better each and every day. Luke loves to work on his skills and we use every activity around the house or when we're out and about to practice. -Knowing what's expected of him- plus repeated exposure to reactivity triggers that Pat made part of his training - also made a huge difference in Luke's behavior. Perhaps because he is more confident he has become less reactive. He no longer pays attention to dogs barking at him, turns away from aggressive dogs at the park and loves hanging out/playing with well behaved dogs of all sizes. He has shown no aggression to any dog regardless of circumstances. He no longer cares about bikes whizzing by or being among people in crowded venues and is comfortable at the park hanging out among people. Although he does still have significant "head shyness" when strangers reach into "his space" trying to pet him (disregarding my warnings!), his reactivity is mostly limited to jerking his head out of the way and moving away from whatever or whoever is bothering him. He's barked only a couple of times in these situations and no longer lunges aggressively. -This is still a work in progress, but I think he has earned the Gold Medal for Improved Behavior!!! -Pat's followup with us after the "board and train" was fine. He spent time with us upon Luke's return so I could learn the techniques he uses with commands and the e-collar. And he has offered free followup session although Luke's performance is such that I'm not sure they're needed! Pat's let me attend a couple of his group sessions for free and I've signed up for an additional five of these sessions because they provide a wonderful opportunity to practice our skills in a distracting environment unlike those to which we're accustomed. -I highly recommend Pat and his Barkeley K-9 University for your consideration! read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Pet Training Near Me

We're so grateful for Pat's help solving an extremely difficult situation with our new dog, and our neighbor's dog, who stayed with us and our previous dog 9-5 five days a week while his parents worked. The neighbor dog was very territorial about his and his former best friend's house and was very aggressive with our new dog to the point he could not be at our house at all. We needed the situation to work out for everyone, so we followed Pat's guidance diligently even though he warned us it would take time. It did take some time, but now they are the best of friends, eager to be together every day and great playmates who miss each other when they are apart. The perfect happy ending thanks to Pat's understanding of exactly how to bring that about! PS. leash training, voice control, sit, stay and the other normal things are progressing well too. Pat has insight into how dog's brains work, and how to translate that into actionable training activities. Super thankful we found him. PPS. Stella is our third dog in 30 years, and the first we have invested in serious training, and all I can say is wow, should have done this with all of them. read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Pet Training Near Me

Pat was recommended by our vet. Our rescue dog was suddenly showing a lot of fear and anxiety and it was turning into aggression. We are first time dog owners and discovered our inconsistency was making our dog anxious. Once everyone learned expectations and how to communicate (something we needed to learn more than our dog) poof, she became a calm sweet dog again. Pat is extremely punctual and professional which I respect. There are different dog teaching methodologies (just like parenting styles) and it's great to see him analyze, based on the dog, which might be successful. Also, if that technique isn't successful, or doesn't work for you, he is very knowledgeable about different options. read more

Barkeley K-9 University - Happy dog! - Pet Training Near Me

We have nothing but a glowing recommendation for Pat. We were making no progress with our dog's training - we had tried numerous other solutions but none of them had any impact. We saw immediate progress on day one with Pat. We are so grateful for the help and couldn't recommend him more. read more

My wife and I couldn't imagine a better dog training service than what Pat has provided for our rescue, Sampson. It became clear when we brought Sampson home that we needed some help managing his behavior as he adjusts to a stable, domestic life after living on the streets. Pat is incredibly patient with both dog and owner, providing useful analogies and expert guidance through any situation we are working through. He is also so flexible and generous with his time, showing that he genuinely cares about process and results. He's pretty much a wizard with Sampson, demonstrating the sought behavior almost immediately before our eyes, but crucially asks us to carry out the training so that the lessons are learned and carried forward long after the classes are over. We feel much more confident in our understanding of his behavior (and of dog's in general) after Pat's teachings and are just amazed to see Sampson's remarkable progress. Boarding with Pat is also a breeze as he takes Sampson without issue, allowing us to feel at ease while we are away. Not to mention he's just a great guy all around! We couldn't recommend Pat any more - you will be forever thankful you went with Barkeley! read more

Patrick is so amazing. Not only is my relationship with my pup getting closer every day, but he is becoming a great canine citizen. Patrick is gentle but firm and really works with what you are comfortable with. I highly recommend him for you and your pup! read more

I've seen Pat train dogs for many years. He has a wealth of first hand experience with a multitude of dog training issues. His professionalism and knowledge sets him apart. read more

Like most others, I did research online to find a good trainer in our area. However, we needed someone extra special because 1- we needed house visits as our pups were too young to go outdoors. 2- we have littermates 3- we have bullmastiffs. We were all well aware that we need to train this big babies fast before they get too big and can do some real damage. Pat came to visit us in our home (which is a floating home nonetheless) and he admittedly has no sea legs! (I digress). Pat could see immediately the Kahlua wasn't taking to her leash and would take more time so we left her alone. Bailey, her sister was all about it! By the end of the first session her had her answering to her name, sitting and healing on command. WHHHAAAAT? They were only 10 weeks old. He left us with lots of advice and an open door policy for any questions or concerned we had. I ended up calling and txting quite a few times as raising littermate mastiffs is a first for our family. It is no easy task. A few weeks in to training we noticed Kahlua was beginning to growl at everyone in the family for various things. Something we felt a dog should never do. Especially with young ones. Pat came over and did everything In his power to rile her up and get her angry. Mind you we were on the verge of spending a fortune on a behaviorist. Pat determined she isn't an aggressive dog. Quite the contrary. She was skittish. As soon as we followed his advice and training, she hasn't growled since!! Pat is a dog whisperer. It doesn't matter the bread or your situation, he will help you make it work. Dogs love him. His approach is positive reinforcement, he helps train humans while he trains the dogs so we can understand the dogs thought process. He's amazing. I wouldn't go anywhere else. He is the ONLY person I trust with our babies- and for all you dog lovers out there, you know that says a lot. I will try to attach a video of one of our first sessions. Bailey is already training off leash. I don't know if this site will allow. read more

Barkeley K-9 University - If it wasn't for Pat we would have gotten with the wrong leashes/ harnesses and wrong commands. We are so grateful! - Pet Training Near Me

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Wow, our dog went to boot camp with Pat and came back eager to learn more. I can't say enough about how important this kind of jumpstart is for training a dog. Pat totally connects with the k9 temperament and then trains the dog's person as well. This was a great investment! read more