I meant to write this review for Deena a long time ago, and am finally getting around to it! Deena…read morenot only trained my dog, Teddy, but also boarded him for two months while I was dealing with a difficult living situation. You will never meet a person who loves dogs more than Deena. You will also never meet a person who can communicate as well with dogs as Deena! I'm so glad that Teddy and I found her. Her prices are so reasonable, you wouldn't even believe it. A true dog lover and, and so knowledgeable about training, etc. Can't wait until we can do more training sessions with her!!! Thanks for all your help.

I'm crazy about Deena Jesmok. I swear she is a dog psychic. She can get the most ill behaved dog to…read moredo anything. However, what makes her so valuable as a dog trainer is not that she can teach your dog, but that she really is good at teaching you to teach your dog. Who wants a dog that only behaves when at dog school? My Shar Pei, Toby, was a wild, ill behaved ruffian when I got him at 9 months old. Where he came from he had no rules or boundaries, and he often punished his family when they disobeyed him. For example, if his mother left the house to run an errand, and she didn't take him with her; he would wait until she was home and relaxing and then he would stand in front of her, look her in the eye, and urinate. He also destroyed all of her shoes. True story: when I adopted him we hung out and bonded for about a month. He went everywhere with me all the time, and then I switched from real estate sales to a management position and had a regular 9 - 5 schedule. Well, Toby was so pissed off that when I came home the first day he took a dump right in the center of my pillow, at the head of my bed, all over my brand new Z-Gallery bed spread! Needless to say, he was enrolled in daycare and behavior classes. No more staying home alone for him. Well, after being kicked out of two day cares I was at wits end but determined to turn him into a perfect little gentleman. Deena Jesmok saved us. She told me that all Shar Peis are little bastards and they need lots of training to make them tame and domesticated. Finally, after two and half years of one on one training sessions, my dog earned his AKC Good Citizen certificate and everywhere I go people say he is an little angel. Thank you, Deena!

I cannot recommend Kathy at Cause and Effect Dog Training enough! When we first reached out, our…read moreSpringer Spaniel, Checkers, was fearful, anxious, and often growled at my spouse and sometimes even at our kids. We had already tried multiple trainers, different techniques, and even followed our vet's suggestion to try antidepressants--but nothing was helping (in fact, the medication only made things worse). The moment I spoke to Kathy on the phone, I felt confident she truly understood the problem and could guide us in the right direction. And she absolutely has. Over the past year, Checkers has made tremendous progress thanks to Kathy's knowledge, patience, and the clear guidance she gave us. We followed her suggestions carefully--even switching vets based on her recommendation--and the results have been life-changing. Earlier this year, we had to travel out of the country and trusted Kathy to board Checkers. During that time, he developed a beautiful bond with her partner Dan. This was nothing short of amazing, as Checkers has always been fearful of men. Watching their relationship grow has been such a gift. With Kathy's help (and the influence of her own two balanced dogs), Checkers has learned how to be a dog--something I once thought might never happen. He now participates in pack walks and can even run off-leash in the fields, something I couldn't have imagined a year ago. If you're struggling with your dog's behavior and feel like nothing is working, do yourself and your dog a favor and call Kathy. She and Dan have changed our lives, and I am endlessly grateful for the care and dedication they've shown to Checkers and to us.

Kathy had great techniques and homework for me and my husband. She was punctual in every session…read moreand gave us constructive feedback. I really think having the training sessions with Kathy helped us bond with our dog more. It was a really rewarding experience. I absolutely feel more confident about my communication skills towards our girl Cub. Thank you for helping us work with her Kathy!!

Gusty us AMAZING!!!!! We saw great results after just 1 session and learn tons with each followup…read more If you keep up with her lessons you should see great behavioral improvement and management. Our dog was already amazing, but Gusty helped with the transition of our older rehomed puppy to our family. Something to note about the Bark Busters philosophy- it uses positive reinforcement with solid results...and also acknowledges that your dog is still going to be your dog. Their personality is their personality... so they teach you how to work with the dog that you have instead of the dog that you think you should have.

Their 'training' is entirely anchored on fear-inducing techniques. We were given a contraption that…read moregenerates a harsh noise, and my dog was visibly terrified every time the trainer used it on her. All this while they constantly reassured us all their techniques are based on positive reinforcement - what kind of positive reinforcement is centered around fear?! It gnaws at us that we ever decided to go with this service. My dog - and every dog - deserves better.

We had adopted our Kody boy 8 months ago from a shelter. It was a very hard five months trying to…read moreget him settled with a routine. We all had different ways of how to train him and it was causing a rift in the family. I was turned down by some trainers until I came across Jonathan Wong's page. He was local, he was fast to get back to me and he was willing to give us a chance after everything I told him. Kody still has a long way to go and I will continue with Jonathan as his trainer, but it is night and day after three months of training with Jonathan. He was dog and people aggressive, to the point we had to avoid them entirely. We can now go for walks, albeit we move opposite of any dog and can keep walking without any barking or pulling. He was always actively pulling on the leash and bad at recall. He is loose leashed now and responds with recall with our daughter. In the end I had to get use to the idea that Kody was a crate or muzzle dog when it came to large crowds or people in our home. I felt awful but Jonathan was so supportive and positive as I came to terms with it. I hope as we continue to train with Jonathan and Kody builds his confidence that soon things might change for him. Jonathan has such a kind soul and so encouraging when it comes to both us and Kody. I cannot thank Jonathan enough for what he has done for us. He left solid foundations for us to grow on. Kody is such a sweet and smart boy, and we always want the best for him. Jonathan truly is the best.

Jonathan was very, very good. My spouse and I found a puppy not to far from our house. The pup was…read morehiding in a bush and upon pulling him out and knocking on various doors, posting on social media, and check if he was chipped, we concluded someone had just left this pup. After deciding to keep him and not knowing anything about dog training, we decided to look for some formal training classes. The group class at PetCo did not fair too well so private lessons were the next step, We had one assessment lesson and four lessons afterwards. The things we learned, the questions Jonathan was able to answer were all fantastic. The pup is about a year old now and if we did not have formal training, who knows what state his behavior will be. We are very grateful for the time, care, and lessons we were given to help train our dog and perhaps look forward to a couple more lessons here and there.

I first worked with Karen about five years ago when we first brought our puppy home, and she made…read moresuch a positive difference with my dog that I didn't hesitate to reach out again recently when some new issues came up (admittedly because I had become lazy with enforcing the rules). Once again, she was fantastic to work with. She has a great way of observing what's really going on and then offering advice that is both effective and manageable to implement in everyday life, and specifically within my house. Nothing felt overwhelming or unrealistic--just clear, practical strategies that made a noticeable difference.She takes the the time to understand me, my dogs and our routine before making tailored recommendations. I'm really grateful for her help (both then and now) and would absolutely recommend her to anyone looking for thoughtful, practical dog training support.

Bark Busters contacted me to offer additional assistance. Some unforeseen personal events were…read moreoccurring with the trainers, and they apologized for the disconnect and offered to make things right for me. I now have a better understanding of the steps I need to take (and not take) to deal with my pup's unique challenges. After I put this advice to use for a week or two, I plan to schedule a follow-up visit.

Just completed Flynn's obedience class here at Oakland Dog Training Club! It's located in Richmond,…read morejust a few miles from Shoreline Dog Park -- which makes it perfect for a post-class treat and playtime for Flynn. Laurie, our instructor, was amazing. She really understands both human and dog body language and gives clear, practical advice on how to improve and practice at home. Her positive reinforcement approach makes training fun and super effective. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for a supportive and knowledgeable environment to train your dog. Flynn loved it -- and so did I!

Wonderful place to get your dog some training. We are doing scent training, but started with…read moreAlbert's beginner training and also a session on tricks. The trainer really gets to know each dog's personality and seems to get the best out of them.

My best friend lost her mom to cancer a few weeks ago. My friend lives out of state- so I have been…read moreassisting her locally. Her mom adopted the sweetest chihuahua from Arf back in 2021, the fur baby went blind about a year ago. So we were really concerned about how she would settle in a new environment, and we're trying to rehome the dog I went to Joybound a few weeks ago to ask if there was any chance they take back their animals in these circumstances. The woman at the welcome desk was so helpful explaining yes they do. She walked me thru the process to fill out the forms online They got back to my friend promptly to setup an appointment for a behavior assessment and vet evaluation. We had our appointment yesterday at 2. We arrived a half hour early so we wouldn't be rushed , and to help Lily stay as calm as possible. Everyone we encountered was delightful and so kind. No judgements- Lily came alive with tail wags and enthusiasm to be back at such a supportive rescue group. She was just basking in the attention and love. She passed her behavior test with flying colors. We were told she most likely will be going to a foster home first for a few weeks before she's available for adoption. We were told we can follow her online with her name, and see when she becomes available and she won't be on the website anymore once she finds her next loving home. Thank you Joybound for standing behind your animals and supporting families We also did not have to pay a surrender fee. We were encouraged to take our time and enjoy complementary coffee or tea, also offered a box of tissues We were already pulling out of the parking lot before our scheduled appointment time Can't think you enough for your kindness all around this hard experience

I had multiple excellent experiences with Joybound in several different atmospheres. I first…read morediscovered them when they held a pet vaccination clinic in Antioch. I had two new kittens that I took in as a foster, but of course my family and I fell in love with them and kept them. At this event I got both of their first kitten shots, rabies shot, microchips, flea medicines and some cat food all for free!! Everyone was so nice and although there was a lot of people there taking advantage of the free services, they communicated effectively and everything was organized and not chaotic. I joined their mailing list and found out about their next event in Richmond. The kittens and I went down there to get their second kitten shots and cat food, for free! I got on the waiting list for low cost spay and neuter clinic. Friendly staff, nicely organized. I was suprised when I got the call from them for the neutering appts quicker than expected! Brought both kittens down, everything went well, again for free!! Today my husband, our daughter and I went down to their free pets stocking decorating event. Met with smiles, super cute room filled with stockings and puff paint pens on the tables. They had cookies and hot apple cider. All for free. We decorated stockings for the kittens and our other cat, it was a lot of fun and they had a good turnout! While our stockings dried, we walked around a bit and found they had a boutique! We made Christmas donations for both cat and dog items that they matched! And we got our large dog some Christmas Jammie's on clearance for $5. Boutique was well priced, my husband got a Joybound hat! So onto the animas they had there! First we passed the cats. All of them cuddling in super nice beds, they had nice toys, scratch pads, colorful wallpaper in their individual rooms, information sheets on each door for each pet. The dogs had the same, nice fuzzy beds, toys, little slots to give them treats down this tube. So cute!! I typically can't look at shelter pets because I feel so bad for them. These animas all looked happy and very well taken care of! There was staff walking around regularly checking in on people since they had adoption available. I asked a few questions they were able to answer no problem! They seemed very caring and committed to the animals and putting their best foot forward in helping the get homes. Building super clean, staff super nice, animas all cozy. Overall, we have a great opinion of Joybound with all these diverse experiences we've had with them. The people are so nice and welcoming. We're so grateful for them and the help they provided my kittens, saved us a ton of money!!! And for all they do, thank you!!!!!!

I found Brian when I began looking into e-collar training for my reactive dog. I wanted to make…read moresure I introduced the collar correctly so that it was as effective as possible, and Brian was a massive help. Before finding Brian, I struggled with getting my dog (Rumo) to heel, and he's recall was nonexistent. He's a shikoku, a primitive breed similar to the shiba inu, and they are notoriously difficult to fully off-leash train. With Brian's guidance, Rumo now understands communication through the e-collar, and overall taking a balanced approach has had a positive effect on our relationship because he better understands what behaviors I want from him. He's also heeling incredibly well both on and off leash. And last weekend during a camping trip, Rumo was off leash the majority of the time. I was able to recall him despite strange people and dogs walking by, and even called him off a rabbit - pretty amazing for a high prey-drive dog! I absolutely love Brian's approach, and he's extremely thorough in making sure his clients expectations are reasonable.

I found Brian with a Google search for trainers specializing in e-collars…read more Our puppy is a lab / pit bull mix that is sweet, smart, and determined. I started researching electric collars because I believe that a combination of plenty of positive reinforcement, coupled with a small amount of correction, is the best way to train a dog. I'm finding that the e-collar is a gentle way to guide her to the behavior we are looking for, like to come when called. It is a lot more flexible than, for example, a corrective pinch / choke collar that only works with a leash, and is a lot more difficult to control in terms of the level of correction. Brian's training approach starts with identifying the dog's state of mind, e.g., is she playful, confused, rebellious, etc. and working from there. I've already started to learn to use the collar in an effective and humane way, and after just 4 sessions, we've had great results with our puppy. She is already behaving much better on-leash (no more leash biting and tugging) and the off-leash walking is also going quite well. I've also valued the fact that Brian focuses on what I want, that is, to have a good quality of life with the dog. It isn't all about asserting my dominance, or having her do a perfect "sit". It is more about being able to spend time together safely, off-leash, without her running into the street or after another dog. Finally, I should mention that Brian provided a no-commitment consultation upfront, where he shared his training philosophy for around 45 minutes before we got started. You have absolutely nothing to lose in doing the consultation, at the very least you can hear about the approach, and if you are curious, see what the e-collar feels like on your arm.

We had a great experience working with Mark to prepare our 8-year-old cattle dog for the arrival of…read moreour baby. From the beginning, he focused on the basics in a way that was engaging and positive for our dog--she genuinely enjoyed the training sessions! One of the biggest wins was getting her comfortable sleeping in her crate overnight for the first time, something we never thought possible. She also made great strides with basic commands and significantly improved her recall, even when off-leash. Mark was patient, knowledgeable, and clearly experienced working with dogs. We're so glad we invested in this training--it gave us more confidence heading into this next chapter.

My family started working with Mark back in 2023. What drew me to Dogovation Dog Training was that…read moreMark would come to us so we could work on training our dogs in our surrounding area. He got to know us and took the time to learn what our goals were for training. I felt like it was more of a customized training compared to past experiences. And he doesn't only train the dogs. It is also necessary for humans to be taught how to remain calm, confident, and consistent with training. I have communicated with Mark since and have been able to ask questions and get advice when needed. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a dog trainer.

Small spot not a huge selection but they do have a a good selection of chicken feed and great…read moreprices. A co worker told me about this spot so I drove all the way from Oakland. I'll definitely be back for more feed soon.

This place is small but has a little bit of everything. The guys who work here are super friendly…read moreand always willing to help. I love the fact that I can get as much or as little bird seed. They now take cards too and that's great cause it used to be a cash only place.