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!

I recently took my little darling Parmaranian, Winnie, to Crispy Paws. I was a little nervous…read morebecause she had never been boarded. However, after meeting with the owner, Chris, I was taken in by her welcoming attitude and caring personality. After chatting with her for a while, I felt my little doggie would be well cared for while I was away for 14 days.

From the owner: Crispy-Paws offers in-home boarding, doggy daycare, convenient pet taxi pick-up and drop-off, and…read morebathing services for dogs up to 40 pounds. Your pets are family to us, so we provide top-notch care and a loving environment for every furry friend. Chris, our owner and Pet CPR certified caregiver, ensures your dog receives personalized attention, daily playtime, and plenty of cuddles in a cozy home setting. Whether you need reliable daycare or a safe place for overnight stays, Crispy-Paws is your pet’s home away from home, giving you complete peace of mind whenever you’re away.

Used several times. After the first the dogs went running to the door…read more Extremely well organized and careful. Love that they require a test visit. Worth the drive

On November 11, 2019, my three-year-old dog Sally was hit by a car and killed at K-9 Divine. It's…read moretaken me almost two weeks to write this because I am so devastated I can barely move. But with the holidays approaching I want to make sure that Sally's story is told before you make a decision to trust your dog with K-9 Divine. I typically don't write reviews--but this is serious and very hard. Nearly every time I booked Sally to stay at K-9 Divine, I made a special note reminding them that she hates the car. Nevertheless--according to what K-9 Divine told us--on Monday the 11th, as they were loading the dogs into the van to return home (I had just returned from my grandma's 96th birthday in Florida) the staff defied all of their own (and common sense) safety protocols and opened the garage door to the street while Sally was sitting in the garage, unleashed, untethered and unattended. In her effort to avoid the dreaded car trip, she ran out - right into the street where she was hit and killed by a passing car. They admitted negligence and said it had never happened before. But it did happen, and it happened to the most important being in my life. Do not trust them with your dog. My vet, my family and friends share my shock and grief--I carefully chose K-9 Divine and thought it was a good fit for my social, loving, adorable Sally. Now she's gone. It's a living nightmare and my life's goal to prevent this from ever happening again. I imagine K-9 Divine will respond to this review by saying this tragedy will never happen again. From their promotional protocols, it never should have happened in the first place. No apology can make up for their negligence.

If there's a negative star, this deserves one. From the moment we pulled into the driveway, we saw…read morepiles of dog poop. At the filthy front porch we saw discarded, broken bits of furniture and trash. She wouldn't let us inside because there was one dog who doesn't "like people" - wait, WHAT?? We NOPED out so fast!!

Deena takes such good care of our dog. He's difficult to say the least, very wary of people after…read morebeing a COVID puppy who didn't get socialized properly then after a very traumatic accident, our dog is mental. But he loves Deena. Because of her we can take vacations and go out of town once in a while. Then it's a fight to get our dog to leave!

Unfortunately we can no longer recommend Leila Knows Best for dog boarding. We were frequent and…read moreloyal clients for years, but the relationship changed over the last 10 months as Moe increasingly focused on how to extract more money from us instead of cultivating a continued positive client relationship. It started with less and less updates and photos when we boarded our dog. When Moe did provide updates it was usually in conjunction with an offer to purchase credits for future stays (which we did and later came to regret). Then Moe started asking us to pay additional fees for stays we had previously negotiated and paid for, going so far as to request those additional fees while he was already watching our dog. This behavior started to make us feel uncomfortable in continuing to use his services and more concerned about leaving our dog in his care. Moe's behavior did not present as someone thankful to clients that consistently supported his dog watching business. We had been loyal clients for years and, this year in particular, had already used Moe's services nearly every month with more scheduled trips through the rest of the year. Despite our concerns, we continued to use Moe's services since we had pre-paid for two more stays through the end of the year. That changed when we requested to reschedule one of the stays. Well in advance of the trip, we asked Moe if he was available for a week the month before our trip. He confirmed he was, but when we requested to reschedule our original trip to that earlier week and use the pre-paid credit, Moe stated he was no longer available. When we referred him to the cancellation policy on his website, he offered the credit, but wouldn't let us use it until the end of the year. We reminded Moe that in the years we've consistently used his services, we have never rescheduled, and explained the importance of rescheduling our trip. Moe subsequently offered to board our dog for the requested week, but wanted an additional $150, despite our pre-paid credit exceeding the amount of time we were rescheduling for. We felt hustled and tried to handle this issue privately, but Moe stopped responding to us. Unfortunately we have lost over $1,000 in pre-paid and unused credit--a costly mistake that we won't be making again. We're sad that our relationship soured in this way, but we could no longer trust Moe and would suggest prospective clients be cautious about doing business with him.

The best pet sitters ever! Our pup Prince was in great hands , i knew from the moment I dropped him…read moreoff. Moe made us feel very comfortable leaving him with him. He right away won Prince trust with cuddles and Leila Moe's dog was the sweetest ever!! She was so sweet to Prince , even when prince would jump on her and bark ( as he is still a puppy ) he is extra playful! I recommend to anyone who does not want to leave their pup alone for a few hours or day. They will care for your pup / dog with love and just as of it were their pup. They also shared updates with me through the day, with pics and i just felt at ease. So happy to have found them and we will use their services in the future for sure! Also, thank you for the last minute accommodation!

Lena's Ensure PetCare was a great alternative to boarding my cat somewhere while I went out of town…read morefor a week. Sarafina (my cat) got to run around and play in a home rather than being stuck in a cage for most of the day. Lena took great care of her and sent me updates and photos every other day. High quality service and very reasonably priced, I would definitely recommend!

From the owner: Ensure Pet Care is built on trust, compassion, and a genuine love for animals. We’re more than a…read morepet care service—we’re a dedicated partner for families who want the very best for their pets. From the wagging tails that greet us at the door to the gentle purrs of content cats, the happy squeaks of guinea pigs, and the playful hops of bunnies, every visit is centered around comfort, safety, and personalized attention. Pet parents choose Ensure Pet Care because they value reliability, professionalism, and a higher standard of care. We take pride in providing a calm, stress-free experience while treating every pet like a member of our own family. As we continue to grow, our focus remains the same: delivering premium, dependable care, expanding our services to meet your needs, and building lasting relationships within our community. When you choose Ensure Pet Care, you're choosing peace of mind—and a team that truly cares.

I have brought my dog here several times and the service/staff have always been great…read more Easy to schedule appointments and easy to get in contact with. The doggy daycare along with the boarding is great for my dog.

Friendly staff and lots of walks! Recently boarded my pup there for a month and she was happy and…read morereceived lot of attention. Grooming was great - they even cleaned her teeth! Only quibble would be nice to revive more updates automatically - facility did provide updates/photos on request. Good value for this area.

I have two wonderful, year-and-a-half-old pups who I adore to no-end. Playful Pack's Rosslyn…read morefacility has been absolutely wonderful. I've utilized other day care facilities in the Northern Virginia/Arlington area, but they do not compare to Playful Pack. The staff are friendly and responsive and they instill confidence in me that my girls will receive the best care. The facility is clean and welcoming. The web-services (e.g., online portal, booking and reservations, report cards, photos, live stream) are all unmatched. Further, w/ the Report Cards, specifically, its evident that the staff are getting to know my girls. The comments and descriptions are meaningful and reflective of my pups' very different personalities (i.e., not generic). I've utilized them for day care and boarding at this point and have been very happy. I'll continue to do so increasingly as in-office-time and travel continue to pick up. I've not yet utilized bathing and some of the other services they provide, but plan to do so in the future.

Avoid at All Costs -- Gross Negligence & Pet Abandonment…read more Do not trust Playful Pack Rosslyn with your dog. My dog was attacked by another dog on their premises while boarding with them a month ago.The facility left a voicemail admitting that my dog was 100% blameless, explaining that an unprovoked dog went at her because staff were distracted cleaning condos instead of supervising the playgroups.The injuries were severe, requiring general anesthesia, surgery, and multiple stitches. I had to arrange her vet appointment myself even though Playful Pack had all her information. They said I had to make the appointment and they would take her to it, even though I was abroad. What if they couldn't reach me? I made the appointment to care for my dog, but it was shocking. After transporting my dog to her vet, the Playful Pack staff abandoned my dog at the vet. They walked out without paying the emergency intake bill, authorizing payment, or staying to coordinate updates while I was traveling abroad. The vet staff was so appalled by Playful Pack's complete lack of professionalism that they had to contact my emergency contacts to figure out who was paying and who would care for her after surgery. Playful Pack initially promised to reimburse me, but management is now completely stonewalling me and refusing to cover the vet bill. They have alluded that insurance will cover it, but they refuse to return my calls or letters. A business that neglects your pet, abandons them at the hospital, and then refuses to pay for the damage they caused is appalling. I am moving forward with a small claims lawsuit and reporting them to Virginia Consumer Protection and Animal Control. Avoid this place if you care about your dog's safety.

Stay away. Staff isn't trained on dog behavior, they'll onboard problematic dogs, the dogs will…read moreshare the same water bowls, and their philosophy on allowing all dogs to sleep in a kennel-less environment is dangerous.

My dog seemed to enjoy going to Atlas, and I liked that they were open until 8:00 p.m. during the…read moreweek, but I stopped taking my dog to Atlas once they started overcharging me. Once I brought the issue to their attention, instead of correcting my account, they tried to assign blame on my card, even though they charged the very same card fourteen weekdays in a row after the alleged problem. In addition, I never received an explanation as to why some days I was charged more than others, for the very same service.  All in all, Atas Doghouse is a convenient, affordable option for doggy daycare, but you will want to be diligent about checking the charges to your credit card frequently.

Dog Child has cat sit for us for many years. They have always been reliable, kind and thoughtful…read more When we have had alarms go off and we were away, they were always willing to come by and help like very gracious neighbors. We knew our cat was always in good hands- we highly recommend!

Jessica and Lisimba are incredible to work with. My cat and dog both took to them right away -…read moreprobably because it is immediately apparent that they are wonderful people. They are prompt, friendly, communicative, and always go above and beyond. My work often requires last-minute travel, and they go out of their way to make sure my fur babies get the care they need. They have really increased the quality of my senior dog's life, especially since I work in an office. It's great to know that she is having a fun walk with great people! Don't hesitate to work with this wonderful business!