Michelle was wonderful and responsive when I contacted her. I signed my 2 year old Frenchie up for…read moreher basic obedience class and it was great. Michelle is very patient and shows the class different ways to train your pet if a certain way doesn't work with YOUR pet. When Michelle explains dog behavior, she makes it seem so simple and now I feel like I understand my dog better. Will continue taking training classes with Michelle and would definitely recommend to others.

Michelle was very responsive and came to help us with a very troubled dog we had just adopted…read more Excellent analysis of the issues, and she even gave us written notes to follow. I did reach out to her a few months ago and unfortunately she didn't answer. Doing some online research, it seems that she either moved out of the area, or retired. What a loss for us as Michelle is excellent.

All I can say is WOW!! I dropped off my 2 year old Staffordshire terrier. She was a good girl…read morebefore, not aggressive just like a teenager... She did the initial training for a week long, while I had a work trip. I picked her up this morning, and was given so many hugs and kisses, then immediately she showed me what she had learned. Then we went and did the obstacle course, everything was great... but that's not even the best part... I took her on a 4.5 mile hike down by Calvert Cliffs, and being the holiday weekend, it was not packed, but there was a great deal of traffic , both human and canine ... She was EXCELLENT!! Not trying to meet everyone, no rambunctious action, ignored aggressive canines or loud ones, and listened to almost every command given. It was a perfect hike!! I am so looking forward to working more and more with AppleJack and progressing her training even further.. Like the saying, you get what you pay for... and if you want the best, don't look anywhere else!

My JRT had issues that kept him in trouble but after working with Applejack I realized it wasn't…read morejust him. The trainers really understood Duffy and could see how I needed to change to help he become the "good boy" I knew he could be, I cannot stress how amazing the transformation was. Duffy is now my constant companion who I enjoy having by my side at home and on the road. We both learned so much from Ryan and the others that it changed our lives. I can never thank them enough. The positive attitude,patience,kindness,understanding and their amity to teach and explain simply blew me away. Without a doubt Applejack is by far the best place for dogs and their humans to be schooled. Training is and understatement of the services they provide. I would recommend them to Pet Owners world wide. Thank you Applejack Duffy and I were so lucky to be referred to you.

We had a great experience working with both Lynn and Donna with our dog, Pepper! They were both…read moreknowledgeable, friendly, and wonderful to work with. Their expertise and kindness made the experience enjoyable, and we really appreciated their help.

I started my 6 week class with Donna feeling defeated. My 6-year-old dog had recently started…read moreexhibiting bad behavior in public and I was afraid because of his age that we weren't going to be able to fix it. But she was encouraging through the whole process and at the end of the 6 week class, I am very satisfied with the results! It is extremely evident how knowledgeable Donna is in animal behavioral science. Because of this, she is able to tell you not only how to tell you how to correct your dog's behavior but also why they are doing it so you can understand them better. It's also obvious that she cares about the dogs and wants to help them and you. HIGHLY recommend!!

Melissa is very professional and has a wealth of knowledge and experience. She uses positive…read morereinforcement and will not resort to any negative punishment for training. Whether it be behavior modification or simple basic training, Melissa will be able to provide you with a training program and all the support that you need!

Working with Melissa has been an extrodinarily positive experience for both us and our dog. Our…read moreexpectations have already been far exceeded and we continue to be impressed with Melissa's expertise, dedication, and willingness to go above and beyond. We love her positive philosophy towards training and it is certainly producing results with both our dog's basic training, and the more complicated behaviors and issues we are working on. We are so thankful we found such a dedicated and effective trainer to work with, and highly recommend looking into Paws of Change for any dog training needs.

April is fantastic! April is also very accommodating and kind. She genuinely cares about her…read moreclients. She makes sure that you walk away from each class with the tools you need to keep practicing with your pup. Everything that's covered in class were taught in bite size pieces so when I left class I could keep practicing it. I enrolled my pup in her kindergarten puppy class and we will be doing her middle school class! My pup had so much fun in her classes and learned so much (I probably learned more than my pup!). We had to miss one of our regularly scheduled classes and upon notifying April quickly made arrangements for us to go to a different class the next day.

I am very late in writing this review, but I wanted to share how meaningful my experience was. I…read moreenrolled my puppy, a red standard poodle, in her classes, and very quickly realized she was exactly the kind of trainer I had been searching for. She is clearly knowledgeable and skilled, but what truly sets her apart is her holistic approach and genuine care for animals. She treats every dog as an individual and tailors her training to meet each one's specific needs. That same thoughtful approach extends to her human clients. During this time, I was dealing with significant health challenges and was not able to attend every class. She kindly offered makeup sessions, which I deeply appreciated. When she learned that my absences were due to my health, she checked in on me personally and even asked if it was okay to call me at home to see how I was doing. Her compassion meant more to me than I can easily express. She showed more care and concern than many people I have known for decades. Anyone looking for a dog trainer should go to her, not only for her expertise, but because she is genuinely kind, attentive, and deeply invested in both her clients and their dogs.

We started taking our dog to see Mark and his team on recommendation from a friend for behavior…read moretraining. First impression: Mark and his staff genuinely care about the animals they work with and helping dogs reach their full potential. They offer a variety training options at very affordable prices. From individual training to group work every session is unique. They use real world situations and train outside (inside due to weather) to make sessions easily translate to every day life. My husband and I drive over an hour from Baltimore because it's worth it!

Hands down one of the best trainers in the DMV. HCK9 trains all kinds of dogs and specialize in…read morecorso's, rot's, pitbull's, presa's, GSD's and other working breed dogs. Saw a huge improvement in my cane corso's within a couple weeks and now my dogs are doing stuff I never thought they could achieve.

Lee is an amazing dog trainer. I've had and loved dogs my entire life but I've never had any so…read morewell behaved as the two that Lee has helped us to train. My husband and I adopted 2 black labs that were bred to be working dogs for TSA. The dogs didn't make the cut so we adopted a brother and sister when they were one year old. We've now had them four months and what Lee has done and taught us to do is beyond believable. When we brought the dogs home they had never been in a house, only in a kennel their entire life. They were not potty trained, were not good on the leash, and didn't know even the basic commands such as sit, stay, come. They barked in their crates non stop and would go potty in the house AFTER being brought in from outside. The male dog would not look us in the face and was afraid of the garage and the car and had to be picked up and put in the car for vet visits. He was 60 plus pounds at the time so needles to say he only went to the vet when my husband or sons could put him in the car. We phoned Lee and that's the best call we've every made. He came into the room and his presence alone prompted very different behavior in our furry babies. He worked with them, taught us to work with them, answered my emails usually within an hour or so, but always the same day, and has had several follow up visits. Every single visit with Lee resulted in marked improvement. Fast forward four months to present day and now our guys will go their crates simply by saying "crate". They rarely if every bark in their crates and if so all I have to say is "quiet". They ring a bell on the door when they need to go potty. They don't bark at the neighbors any longer. They sit, stay and come. Walking them on a leash is easy easy easy now. They go through the garage and jump into the car now. The icing on the cake is that now when the doorbell rings they bark, but when I say "It's ok", they go sit at the top of the landing on the stairs. The male dog not only looks us in the face now but brings big sloppy kisses all the time! They are loving, confident, secure and a source of pure joy to us. They are so well behaved that they had their first visit to the dog park yesterday and did beautifully. A man was passing out hot dog bites to the dogs and they were jumping and climbing all over him. Our sweet girl sat in the middle of them and waited for him to give her a bite...no jumping, climbing, barking, just sitting beautifully until it was her turn. Our dogs would not be as happy and we would not be as happy if we had not phoned Lee at Bark Busters to help us. It's a joy to watch him train the dogs. It's obvious he has a true love of animals and our dogs love their time with him.

Bark Busters is a Sham! $550 and I got 2 training sessions, a leash, and a bean bag to throw at my…read moredog to correct their behavior! Awesome stuff. Received services back in June to assist in training my JRT. Training was 80% talk. Talking about what BB stands for...theory about being the alpha and making noises to correct a dog's behavior. The techniques are so antiquated. Other trainers I have worked with can't believe I went to Bark Busters for help. Working with other trainers has actually led to results. Results I was hoping to see from BB. What really gets me is that after the 2 sessions, I have never heard from Bark Busters. Not the company, nor the trainer. I guess they do not stand by their word or contract. Like Steve Miller sang, " Go on and take the money and run". I will never ever recommend Bark Busters. For those of you who have had success, cheers. Our experience..or lack of...was very underwhelming to say the least.

Nic has been training Parker since she was a puppy, and I truly could not be happier with the…read moreexperience. He is patient, knowledgeable, professional, and genuinely cares about the dogs he works with. From the very beginning, Nic took the time to understand Parker's personality and helped build her confidence while also teaching her good behavior and obedience. What I appreciate most is that Nic doesn't just train the dog, he also teaches you how to work with your dog so the training continues at home. Parker has come such a long way, and I know a lot of that is because of Nic's consistency, skill, and dedication. If you're looking for someone who is reliable, experienced, and amazing with dogs, I highly recommend Nic.

This is Prime's 2nd week in Nic's group iSpeakDogg training program. Before this program I had no…read morecontrol walking with Prime. She was distracted by birds, other dogs etc. Prime has come along way in a short time. Nic is patient and Prime is very receptive. I look forward to his next class.

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!

Kate's K9 Pet Care is exceptional. I was nervous about starting a relationship with a service that…read morewould be entering my home when I was away. They are extremely professional and responsive. They make it really easy to reschedule or cancel services. They were also not put off by my dog's special needs. I really enjoy getting his "report card" at the end of walks and picture updates. You can tell they care about the pets and people they work with.

I can't say enough positive things about Kate and her team. They are truly wonderful, thoughtful,…read morecaring people who will treat your pet like family. From the first meeting, in which Kate personally came to my home to meet my dog and understand his needs, Kate has been amazing to work with. My dog was old and required patience and some special care, which Kate and her team went above and beyond to accommodate. When my dog passed away, I received the most thoughtful card and beautiful flowers - again, so far above and beyond. I would provide Kate's K9 Pet Care with my highest recommendation. You will not find a more loving, thoughtful team focused on great service and providing an abundance of love for your pet. On top of what great people they are, the online system and app are incredible easy to use and convenient. A wonderful service who deserves your business.