Janet McMillian is an excellent trainer. She was on time for our appointment and showed up prepared for the training. She was kind and gentle with my dog but firm. She showed patience in showing me what I needed to do to work with my dog and made sure I was confident with the training and able to continue when she was gone. I highly recommend Janet to anyone who need any kind of training for their dog. read more

Janet is absolutely awesome! She demonstrated both expertise AND professionalism, and we truly appreciated that. I was literally in tears as our 9 week old Bernedoodle was nipping me constantly... I knew that we needed some training support, but she was too young to attend any puppy classes at that time. Janet responded to my email inquiry quickly, and we were able to have her come to our home to help within a few days. Janet spent several hours with my partner and I-- giving us tips and techniques for positive training and enrichment. She provided detailed notes and resources after our session, and called to check in with me a couple weeks after to ensure that we were in a great place and still progressing in the right direction. I am so appreciative of Janet and the impact she has made with us in our home. We are now able to attend puppy classes for socialization, but I plan to reach out to Janet again as our puppy gets older for 1:1 skills reinforcement. read more

Janet is a fantastic trainer who has helped me better understand how my dog thinks and how to better communicate with him. She patiently helped guide me through several training exercises in preparation for moving to a big city. Thanks to Janet's training, my dog has developed great new habits and moreover, the training really strengthened the bond between my dog and I. After moving, our walks through the city have been stress-free and enjoyable. My dog stays close to me and ignores stimulus from other dogs, people and mopeds... and now he's even polite on crowded elevators as well. I started noticing improvements after just a couple sessions, and Janet's advice is helping keep the behaviors consistent. I highly recommend Janet for specialized dog training needs! read more

Janet is a expert in dog behavior and problem solving as well as basic obedience. Her technique and approach to training is engaging and fun! I really appreciated how thoroughly she explained the details of her theory and approach to training my dog. I have explored many methods of training and even became certified to train dogs myself! Nevertheless I was having challenges with my very smart, very confident pit bull and his desire to ignore recall commands. With a high energy dog, we need to have the opportunity for off leash running and without this solid recall, we couldn't rely on him coming when called if distracted. I tried many methods and training options, but I was at a loss. Janet agreed to help us out and I was thrilled at the immediate results! She not only trained us on traditional theory, but she helped us identify how to best adapt and incorporate real world events and rewards into the training! I am so excited to make this work for us. So far incorporating her techniques into our day to day activities is easy, fun, and extremely effective!! As a dog person myself, I am extremely critical and discerning when it comes to reviewing training professionals. My background is in professional adult learning. I do not take this review lightly. I am impressed with Janet's professionalism and expertise. I cannot say that about many of the dog trainers I have encountered. I have worked with many skilled dog training professionals. Janet is by far the smartest, most professional and adaptable of anyone I have met in the industry to date. If you are looking for the best for your pup. Look no further! Janet will make your training experience fun and effective in way you could have never hoped. read more

Best Behaved Dogs - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

We just got a puppy we have been wanting for years so we wanted to start training right away. My husband finally gave in after 10 years of asking! My sister highly recommended Janet because she had her dog trained by her and her dog is one of the best behaved dog I've seen. We are first time dog owners so we had many questions. Janet was very patiient and also made it fun for my kids to participate in the training so they didn't get bored. She spent 2 hours going over the basics of puppy training such as crate training, potty training, ways to have fun and exercise the puppy indoors, dealing with biting, safety for the puppy, etc. we are grateful for her training and advice and will definitely ask her to come back to help us more. read more

Best Behaved Dogs - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

My frustration and worry about my puppy over his fear-based aggression kept growing until Janet met him. She helped me understand what's going on in his head and taught me exercises for communicating with him. I am most appreciative of her vast knowledge and truly caring about my pup. read more

Janet is amazing. I adopted a 2-yr old mixed breed with multiple behavioral issues that were exacerbated by vet visits. Janet gave me practical and effective advice that helped my Roscoe acclimate better to the veterinary environment. She truly understands animal behavior and helped me find solutions that worked best for me and my dog, creating a less stressful environment for him. Highly, highly recommend! read more

Best Behaved Dogs - Roscoe Lonestar, thankful prior client of Best Behaved Dogs - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Janet is wonderful. She really helped our dog Meshki, who suffered from extreme anxiety (think dog PTSD) and stranger danger behaviors (growling, lurching, being a weirdo around new people). Her techniques were no nonsense, straightforward, and easy to follow. Meshki will never be totally normal, she had a really rough past before rescue, but she is 10 times more comfortable in her surroundings thanks to Janet. Meshki engages much more with new people without fear and is much more obedient. We were very happy with her services, and if she can help Meshki, I think she can help just about anyone. read more

Best Behaved Dogs - Meshki says "Thanks Janet, now I can finally enjoy the park without panic attacks!" - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

We used Janet several weeks ago, outside, in the heat! I thought oh this is going to be difficult my dog hates the heat but with COVID we can't come inside. My almost 5 year old Portuguese Water Dog loves to jump but unfortunately she loves to jump on people. She also barks at runners when we are walking. She also thought she didn't need to always come when called inside the house. After two hours in the heat Janet gave us great tips and we are amazed at how there is almost no jumping now and the runners are free from barks ( at least from my dog most of the time)! She is not jumping up when I bring home groceries, etc. Big changes! Happy Family! Thanks Janet! read more

Janet did a phenomenal job helping me train my dog who had some unique issues. She was extremely knowledgeable and responsive to all my questions and gave very intelligent solutions to help improve my dog's behavior. I recommend her to anyone needing insights to improve their pets behavior and/or anyone who simply wants to be a better pet owner in general. 5 out of 5! read more

I hired Janet to help us have better control over a Labrador. Janet uses effective leash-training techniques which worked well for us. We found her advice informative & she answered all of our questions to help address behavior issues- barking, getting paws up on the table, staying off furniture, sitting on first command, etc. She is also compassionate and helped us better understand what our dog may be thinking/ behaving the way she is. I highly recommend! read more

Best Behave Dogs is a wonderful place to turn to for your dogs training, Janet is a true professional, definitely reach out to her for any of your dogs training needs! read more

Janet is fantastic. She really knows how to tailor the information to the dog and person at-hand. My young dog still has a puppy-brain (can only maintain attention for so long), and she did a great job in trying multiple methods until she found one that worked for him. She also thinks through not only the obedience side of things, but also the practical side -- survival skills like being able to grab his collar in an emergency. Can't recommend her enough! I'll also add that she was extremely careful in the age of this pandemic - I felt completely comfortable working with her. read more

A friend of mine recommended Janet's services to me when I told her I was having problems with house training my newly adopted Dalmatian Mix. I called Janet and she went over what my exact needs were and we set up a consultation to take place right in my home! I was very impressed with our first visit, that I agreed to set up a one week training course with Dolly to cover some other training issues I had with her. Janet is very knowledgeable about dogs and their behavior. She's also very patient with Dolly. I've been keeping up on what I've learned from Janet, and Dolly has messed the house yet and she even comes to her new name now! If you are looking for a friendly and knowledgeable trainer, call Best Behaved Dogs...I couldn't recommended it more. read more

I called Janet because I had had 2 dogs for 8 years and I was unsure how to get my remaining dog socialized again after my Golden died. I was very worried about getting a trainer because, in my experience, they can be judgmental and harsh. Also, they want your dog to be an obedience master, and all I wanted was for my dog to be comfortable with other dogs. Well, Janet was PERFECT!!! She said she was fine with just doing what I wanted, she was accepting of me and my dog, and she had a very positive approach. She helped me to understand why my dog was acting the way he was, and came up with a way to more slowly have him meet other dogs. I still use the method she taught me. Janet came again when we got a new second dog and helped us through the process of introducing them. Then, when the new dog exhibited behavior problems, she came and helped me work through them. Again, her methods were positive and clever, based on the specific dogs involved. I was able to call her several times and ask lots of questions. She was always kind, and thoughtful in her answers. And on top of all that, she was very nice to and supportive of me. I cannot recommend her highly enough!! read more

We recently used Best Behaved Dogs and Janet for our 4 month old black lab named Lilly. Janet was terrific-especially working with my ten year old daughter. Janet was patient and kind and used humor to teach us how to train our puppy. By the end of the six sessions, Lilly knew how to sit, come, stay, heal, down and even a few tricks like twirl and jump through a hula hoop. I would highly recommend Janet and best behaved dogs!! read more

Best Behaved Dogs - This is our little pup Lilly ! - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I would recommend Janet time and time again. We rescued our English Bulldog from a bad situation and over time, she got very leash aggressive. To the point where I couldn't walk her because I couldn't control her. My Vet recommended Janet and we started right away. Janet came to our apartment in Fairfax and we practiced very basic commands at first. When it comes to dog training, it really is people training. Janet trained me on exactly what to do and by the end of 6 sessions, we had a completely different dog. Our dog is by no means perfect now, but she knows what to do when we give her a command and I can actually enjoy walking her now! Janet was well worth the money! read more

I first worked with Janet 9 years ago when I got my now 9+ year old dog as a 7 week old puppy. I had not had a dog in about 25 years, and never a dog this big, so I needed help. What I liked best in setting up the training is that it was one on one, at my home or nearby (for distractions) and on a mutually agreeable schedule (it could be after work on different days of different weeks or on a weekend, she worked her schedule with my schedule). Janet came over with advice about how to train my brand new puppy (puppy biting (my hands were raw), chewing (I still have chewed furniture) and training). My puppy had at least one temper tantrum, she turned out to be fearful and would bolt once she heard a garbage truck or get hysterical during thunderstorms, she backslid into ignoring me after I was away for a week on business, she had a big issue with another dog in my neighborhood after it lunged at her, and Janet was there to help solve each issue. She had a plan for each issue (stick a toy or chewie in her mouth for chewing, desensitize garbage trucks and storms with recordings and play the look at that game and treat for garbage trucks and try a thundershirt and find a safe spot to make the dog secure for storms, and get her attention and walk by happy and smartly in a heel and then have a big party and lots of treats after successfully passing a dog she did not like). Janet refused to take any money for addressing the backsliding, because she had taught my dog and my dog was supposed to already know that (wow!). One day, we were supposed to walk around the outside of a dog park for our lesson to have my dog practice distractions and Janet called ahead of time and said, it is too hot and it is not right to take your dog out in this heat, so could we please re-schedule (Wow! Wow! She cared about my dog's welfare, not just about getting the training done!). Janet also taught basic obedience training and the follow me game and some tricks, so we learned and we had fun learning and I now have an awesomely trained dog. Janet also made me aware of rally and agility and my fearful dog has blossomed as a result. To this day, I think about and use her techniques when something comes up, and if I can't correct it myself, I just contact her and she quickly gets back to me and either comes over and/or offers suggestions. And, guess what, I now have a 7 month old puppy and when I needed help, who did I call? Of course, I called Janet. She is helping me with fine tuning his training too, so he can be as awesomely trained as his sister. I love both of my dogs, and Janet has made all 3 of our lives better together through training. read more

This was not the right dog training method for our family. She may be perfect for others but for us, is was not an effective use of our time or money. We connected through our vet who had not met her but had recommendations from other patients. For us, Janet suggested methods like pennies in a can, spray bottle, collar/leash correction, etc. Again, this may be exactly what you are looking for. But my biggest complaint is that her method for us included our dog wearing a leash in the house whenever we were home for leash correction until he was incident free for a month, which she claimed was usually 3-4 months. I am not a dog trainer so didn't even think to ask about this. We talked for about 20 minutes on the phone and this method of training was never brought up. Had it been, I would absolutely not have engaged her services; it's not a practical solution or practice for our family and also created another problem of our dog chewing on the leash. *Updated on 6-25-16* I have updated my experienced from 1 to 2 stars after a phone call from the owner, Janet. Janet had just discovered my review and was very concerned that we were so unhappy with our experience. She offered a full refund, which we declined because she had given us her time, to work with us again on more positive based training, reimburse us for the special leash we bought, etc. My point being, she very much wanted to work with us to have a better and more effective experience. My husband and I have ultimately decided against this because we just don't think it's the right fit but we very much appreciated Janet's efforts and offers. I just really want to stress that this was not the right ft for us but may be exactly what someone else wants in a dog trainer. I wish I had asked more questions and Janet had been more specific on exactly what her training entailed. I think it's important for anyone, with any trainer, to ask questions, make sure it is what you are looking for. Ask for examples on one thing they would do for your specific problem. The trainer that we went with after BBD came over for almost 2 hours, free of charge, talked over our issues and gave us an example of one way to work with our dog. read more