We are lifetime dog owners and have had multiple trainers over the years. Donna is the best! I love…read moreher non-fear, TLC approach. After 2 sessions, we already see a huge difference. We highly recommend Donna!

Laurie B. Large dog training…read moreI have 2 Irish Wolfhounds. Donna Gleason's training was so helpful for Guinness and Jameson. They are 1 year olds and were out of control in our home. Donna taught us how to feed them so they wouldn't charge in for their dinners. She also taught us how to introduce them to our visitors in our home without knocking down our friends. The 3rd pointer was how to walk them without being pulled down the block. We now have 2 enjoyable dogs!!!

WARM & WONDERFUL!! I would recommend Virginia Dare to anyone who has any type of dog training…read moreneed. She is professional, warm, easy with pets and children as well as adults. Virginia is non-judgmental, patient, attentive and truly loves animals. Her pricing is reasonable and if I have any future needs, I am going back to her! There are levels of training - even if your dog is already good with basic commands, she can get him/her and you to the next level. I have a rescue who had a number of behavior problems (jumping, nipping, uncontrolled enthusiasm) - much of this is related to his age, but Virginia gave us tools that reduced and even eliminated his poor behavior. Training approach - Rewards-based (although there are alternative methods she will work with you on if you'd like) Technique - Praise / non-responsive to poor behavior (no military-style approach!) Responsiveness & Availability - Any question I had I was able to ask her either during the training session or in follow up (email or phone). Virginia's goal was to ensure we were getting the behavior we wanted to see. Whenever I had to reschedule a training session, she was very flexible and understanding. Overall character - Virginia is someone I'd love to call a friend - she is warm and friendly and is kind and consistent with everyone! I'd though my children (both 9) would be 'in the way', however, Virginia included them in the training sessions and it was great! My daughter became very skilled in training our Ivan. Virginia is very gentle with everyone and has a refreshingly open view of living with dogs. Follow-up - Virginia always followed up after each training session to ask if there were questions. She provided detailed reference for us that we could review and more deeply understand the 'why' of the training. She did explain everything during the training, but it was very helpful to have written material to refer to afterwards.

From the owner: North Star Canines provides private training lessons for good manners and obedience skills, and…read morebehavior consultations to resolve a large variety of problem behaviors. Training techniques are very effective, humane, and based on positive reinforcement. Certified trainer Virginia Dare has over 30 years of experience in the field. Serving Scottsville, VA and surrounding areas in Central Virginia.

Laurie is an exceptional dog trainer. Not just amazing with dogs but wonderful with people. I…read morehighly recommend Laurie! You and your dog will see amazing results.

From the owner: My goal is to customise a training plan for my clients and that specifically sets them up for…read moresuccess whether it is puppy training, basic obedience, socialisation issues, or competitive obedience.

5 stars -- Empire State K-9 changed my dog -- and honestly, changed me, too…read more I don't write reviews like this often. But this deserves it. My dog Coco is family. She's also high-energy, distractible, reactive, social to a fault -- the mayor of every block. Walking her was a full-time job. I'd resigned myself to always having a leash-yanking, sidewalk-sprinting, bird-chasing kind of pup. Then I found Empire State K-9. After almost two weeks of immersive training, Coco came home a different dog -- not in spirit, but in structure. She still has her spark, but now there's focus behind it. She heels. She respects boundaries. She listens. She can walk by my side, calmly, even in high-distraction environments. A pigeon flew by today -- she started to glance, and with the smallest tug, she turned back to me and kept walking. That kind of transformation doesn't happen by accident. It's built through consistency, skill, empathy, and serious time on the ground. And that's exactly what Empire State K-9 delivers. From the moment I dropped her off, I felt like I was handing her over to someone who truly cared -- not just about dogs, but about people, too. The trainer spent hours with me upfront: walking me through the theory, the tools, the transitions, and the work I'd need to do when she came back. I got worksheets. Real-time walkthroughs. Space to ask questions. Time to process. He even drove me to and from the train. Brought me lunch. Gave me trash bags when I forgot them. The care was constant, not performative. Coco came home with a new collar, a new leash, and a completely new relationship with the world. She now lies down at my feet when we enter restaurants -- something I never could have imagined before. I can finally take my hand off the leash and trust that she won't bolt. Even now, I get unlimited follow-ups for three months -- real access: calls, texts, whatever I need. No nickel-and-diming, no weird fine print. If I had to offer one piece of constructive feedback, it's that sometimes the sessions ran a little long -- the wrap up one especially. I was promised two hours and hit closer to three. I was totally fried by the end. But to his credit, he noticed immediately, read the room, and got me to the train with kindness and care. So even the one "flaw" was handled with grace. Was this worth the cost? Yes. Would I recommend it to anyone who feels overwhelmed, frustrated, or unsure where to start? Absolutely. Will I be continuing to work with Empire State K-9 moving forward? 100%. Three months of training post I dont know of another bootcamp that offers that. This wasn't just training. It was transformation -- for both of us.

Look no further!!! Rick truly is a one of a kind dog trainer and animal behaviorist. If you need…read morechanges, this is who you need! What makes him stand apart is he trains the family as much as he trains the dog so you get a complete understanding of your dog's behavior and the how, why, and when to apply what you learn in the course. We, as a family, learned just as much or even more than our dogs learned! He includes the entire family in the classes which was awesome because it kept my husband and I on the same page so we didn't confuse our dogs and he taught my kids proper dog safety and proper engagement which is crucial! We found Rick about 8 years ago when we got our first dog, Scout, a shepherd/Doberman mix, who was extremely anxious, fearful and aggressive towards anyone outside our family and other animals. It was impossible, stressful, and downright embarrassing to take him anywhere due to his insistent barking, pulling, and lunging... so we sought out help. We had a hard time finding a trainer who was willing to even take on the training of Scout and actually had multiple trainers tell us just to put him down!!! As soon as we met Rick, he was not only willing to work with Scout, but was enthusiastic that he could treat Scout's individual issues and get us the results we wanted which was such a relief!! Scout entered Rick's program and he had a COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION. He gained so much confidence and control through the program and through Rick training us as the handlers, Scout was comfortable in whatever situation he was in because he could trust us as his alphas and that he was safe under our command because of the skills Rick taught us. Flash forward to 2020, my father bought a Rottweiler puppy that ended up being way to much for him to handle so he asked us to take her and my first phone call was to Rick... She was OUT OF CONTROL. We adopted Phoenix, and started her training right away. She had entirely different issues than Scout, mostly no control, no house manners, and had no social skills. Rick worked with her and almost instantly she was a different dog. She was still her happy-go-lucky self, but had manners and control. Through her growth, Rick worked with her and us to mold her into the ideal family dog! Scout & Phoenix are able to enjoy life much more as we are able to handle all settings and bring them along with us anywhere with confidence. He just has a complete understanding and nature with dogs and it's astonishing to watch him work. We are so grateful for what Rick has brought to our family and will always go to him for our dogs in the future!

Sarah is the absolute best!! She is in tune with all the dogs. It's incredible to see how they…read morerespond to her. She has away of instructing that makes all tasks very attainable. I have been to several of her trainings and have read her books and no matter where I go people always comment on my well behaved dogs!! She is so worth it!! Check her out!!!!

Sarah is a kind, loving, highly effective dog trainer. She understands both sides of the pet…read moreownership equation and has a unique ability to connect to both sides of it. I have been around Sarah for a number of years and personally witnessed her ability to connect with puppies, dogs and their owners. For my own family, she helped us find and welcome our beloved French bulldog, Daisy, into the family. When we got Daisy, she had resource guarding issues and Sarah helped us learn how to minimize these occurrences and help Daisy learn some self-control...in a kind and gentle way. :) We most recently asked Sarah for help integrating a rescue into our fur-family. She helped us come to the heart-breaking conclusion that we didn't have the right home for her and that Maddie needed a home with no other pets. Sarah helped my teenage daughters understand that we had to do the right thing for all animals, including Daisy and Bella, our Cocker Spaniel. She explained to my daughters that sometimes we are the portal and sometimes we are the destination. A true life lesson that applies to more than just dogs! Sarah said that we need a "dopey boy dog" and she knew just the one. Our newest family member is arriving this week and we couldn't be more excited to welcome him. We have already signed up for Sarah's puppy training classes and recommend you do the same. Thank you Sarah!

Samantha and TJ are the best. I can't reccomend their services enough. My dog Boo has been for both…read moretraining and boarding and each time I come away feeling supported and grateful that the facility is so close!

Samantha is a wonderful trainer and took extremely good care of our dogs when they spent a few…read morenights at the camp. she even called me to let me know she suspected that one of them had an ear infection. She did. it's a very calm and fun environment for dogs. I highly recommend trusting your dogs to Samantha.

Robyn is our friend, dog sitter and our dog trainer. She is phenominal with dogs and is amazing to…read morewatch her transform the pups and us as owners. I highly recommend her if you need or want someone to watch you furbabies when you're away or any training, whether it be puppy basics or changing unwanted behaviors, Robyn is the person to call. Please take it from me, as I have had the privilege and honor to have learned from her and she has helped us bring Pebbles into our family. With her training and guidance, our Pebbles is on the path of becoming her best self and we are becoming the best family we can be.

From the owner: “There’s a story behind every good dog trainer, 50% of what you get paid for is to train the dog…read more The other 50% is to give the client an expert assessment on who their dog is, what they're up against, and how to best live with, and improve their dog and life together." 

Tim has trained our Dachshund Teddy and he is a wonderful Dog trainer!!! Our Teddy can do so many…read morecommands and listens very well!!! Tim does a fantastic job as a trainer and you can't go wrong with him! He is experienced, patient, kind and loves pets!!!! Thank God we found him! We still stay in touch with him and he is very informative!

From the owner: I have about 2 years of experience training and working dogs. Im very good at taking dogs that have…read moreno obedience and transforming them into well behaved pups. If your dog is a puppy or is an older rescue, let me help you. In just 4 to 6 sessions i can really help! I can come to your house or meet you in a public park. Its your choice. Stop waiting and shoot me a text at 203-644-5573.

Lee has been helping us with our English Mastiff puppy "Blue" for the past few months and WOW what…read morea difference it has made! When we first started with Lee, Blue was terrible in public, was constantly barking at strangers and was extremely skittish. Since working with Lee, Blue now walks wonderfully on a leash, is confident out in public and no longer barks and jumps at every dog or person he passes. We are so thankful for all of the work, time and patience Lee has dedicated to Blue; it has definitely paid off! We would most definitely use his services again!

From the owner: Clark’s Companion Dog Training is located in Shelton, Connecticut. We offer 1 on 1 training for…read moredogs of all ages and abilities. We are a small veteran owned business and strive to provide the best training for each dog and their family. We are certified and use a wholesome approach to training every dog based on their needs. We also prioritize giving back to the community, and donate our time weekly to helping train dogs at the local shelters and make them more adoptable. Our team provides a supportive and fun environment for both the dogs and their owners. Clark’s Companion Dog Training can help you with all your dog training needs. If you are looking for someone to help you train your new puppy, we can help you with that. Or, if you have an older dog that could use some refresher training, we can help with that too.