This review is long overdue! I tried reaching out to so many "famous" and well reputable trainers based on recommendations and most were either always busy, ridiculously expensive or didn't even provide their services in Queens. I'm so glad that none of the other trainers worked out, because this led me to awesome Yuruani at Dog Liberty LLC. Yuruani is very professional, kind and knowledgeable when it comes to working with dogs. She asked many questions about my dog prior to coming over and we decided to start with the 4 class, in home training package. As soon as she met my 2 years old Pit mix Simba, she knew what needed to be done. She is very caring and attentive and knew how to point Simba to do the right things. I was surprised as to how quick and how well Simba responded to Yuriani. She was also very patient when Simba didn't respond well or gave up. Yuriani is also available for any questions and very flexible when it comes to setting up future sessions. She listened to all the issues I had and we worked on whatever we could during our 4 sessions. It's been a year since Yuri helped us, and I've been able to use everything that she taught me to turn Simba into a better dog. Although there are many things we still need to improve because Simba is a little slow (I still love him). Most importantly, Yuri has taught me ways of understanding and communicating with my dog which I believe is the most important. I highly recommend Yuriani if you are looking for a kind, patient, and knowledgeable dog trainer. read more

YURI IS AMAZING!!! It is my pleasure to recommend Yuri and Dog Liberty Dog Training Service. We adopted Rosco, a three year old rescue, back in August 2014. He is a great dog but we realized that he was not completely socialized and he needed some training to help him get use to his new home. While walking through our neighborhood, we saw a very well behaved dog and asked their owner about his great skills. They said they used Yuri and that she had worked miracles with her dog. As soon as we got home, we called Yuri. She came over and met us and Rosco. She really asked detailed questions and worked with Rosco for an hour to see what his needs would be. She developed a comprehensive plan and our weekly sessions began. She also gave us a discount for rescuing a dog - which was unexpected but greatly appreciated. Rosco took to Yuri right away and also responded very quickly to training. He responded so quickly that even Yuri calls him Einstein (ok a little parental bragging here). As we went through our sessions, we quickly realized that there were other needs for Rosco and we were able to change and adjust his plan accordingly. Yuri even got her husband involved when Rosco needed to adjust to being around men. He came over with multiple outfits and disguises just to help Rosco get used to being around. On Rosco's last session, they brought him a framed diploma and took pictures of the proud graduate. We hang his diploma with pride Yuri made herself 100% available to us via email, text or phone. She answered any questions we had. She also recommended a great dog walker for us that we use regularly. She also teaches group classes that we regularly attend to also help with Rosco's socialization - he's doing great and we really do owe Yuri so much. She has an easy going, approachable demeanor. She has an abundant love of dogs. She is very smart and is a great yet adaptable trainer. Your dog will be in great hands with Yuri. read more

Five stars may not be enough. Yuri is amazing. She was so patient and attentive with our dogs. Every lesson was planned out, and tailored for our dog and her issues. Commands were clear and very attainable. In four weeks I noticed great progress with our 2 year old. Yuri brings a very caring approach to her training. She also follows up her lessons with very clear emails. It is not only the dog that gets trained but the owners as well... Thank your Yuri for your exceptional work. I look forward to communicating in the future. YOUR DOG COULDN'T BE IN BETTER HANDS THAN WITH YURI. read more

Our furry child is cared for by Loany, one of the team members of Dog Liberty. Simply stated, you cannot teach, empower or influence someone to care. You either care or you do not. The group of professionals under Yurani's guidance simply care about their clients and their pets. I value Loany as a part of our family, and a caretaker of our four-legged kid. Dog Liberty has been a great support to the health and well being of our dog. read more

When I found Dog liberty I was in complete desperation,my dear Pepper(minpin/chihuahua)that we love sooooo much,had taken over the house.Bad behavior and impossible potty training was making our lives miserable. With A couple of training sessions and lots of walks from their staff, now we enjoy having her in our family, it change the experience of having a dog from a nightmare to a dream come true.Thanx again Dog Liberty!!! read more

I absolutely LOVE Dog Liberty! They have been my dog walkers for 3 years now, and Bear is always so happy to see them. My walker, Liz, is so sweet and really loves him. She'll send me updates on how Bear is doing. The manager is also great about answering emails quickly and accommodating last minute requests when I have to stay late at the office. They are also my sitters when I go out of town and have sleepovers with Bear, so he doesn't have to go to a kennel. It gives me so much peace of mind knowing Bear is in good hands when I can't be with him. read more

Yuruani helped our pup get over his fear and anxiety issues and love the outdoors. Her training methods make you feel in control, and that training doesn't have to be difficult or stressful. I highly recommend Yuruani. read more

I am a dog walker in the Roosevelt Island area and I live in Astoria. I know it's uncommon for one dog service provider to endorse another but I'd just like to say that Yuri and the Dog Liberty staff have always been there whenever I've needed them and have been completely flexible and reasonable whenever I've needed someone to look after MY dogs. They give constant email and text message updates with pictures to reassure me that they're doing ok. It's a great comfort to me to know that when I'm out of town Dog Liberty watches my boys like I would watch someone else's dogs and I always know that they're in the best of hands! read more

Yuru's training practices follow what her website promises. I was so impressed with the detailed exercises to teach simple things, like the "come" command. Normally my dog would take off and come back at his own will, but now, just after two sessions with Focus, my dog is free to play at the park with out a leash! This has so dramatically changed my relationship with my dog. I can't believe I waited so long to do this. Trust me and call, you will not be disappointed. read more

I was pleased with there service from the very moment I called. In two sessions, I have already seen immediate changes in Jager's behavior. Yuru was also able to advise me on what I can do to improve Jager's health! I've changed his food, increased his work out, and his behavior is an excellent improvement.... read more

my gf and I are glad we found a pet sitting/training company we can trust ! on our weekend getaway, we were sure that our bulldog, bella was in safe hands. yuri was wonderful from start to finish ! we'll also be looking into behavioral classes to get bella off our bed. i know i'm hoping she can teach this "old dog, new tricks!" read more

They are true dog lovers and very professional. They will be dedicated to your dog and give you amazing service. Cheri loves them!

Yuri and David always do a great job with our dog. We feel comfortable when we leave that our dog is taken care of. They are always prompt with their care and it's always great to get updates on how our dog is doing when we leave town via text message. We have used a few other walkers and were unhappy with the results. I would definitely recommend their services. Dog Liberty is the way to go! read more

We've been lucky to have Dog Liberty as our walker, sitter and trainer for a year now and couldn't be happier. Yuri is a pleasure to work with and really knows her stuff. We've done a couple of training sessions since we rescued Auggie last summer and Yuri continues to support us through email and her walkers reinforce her work too. Anytime someone compliments us on our "well-trained" or "polite" dog we say - "Dog Liberty trained us well, Auggie's just a natural." Thank you, Dog Liberty! read more

Dog Liberty is amazing! The trainer is so honest. She doesn't give you false hope about the training process and truly cares about your dog. I loved our session. You can rely on her opinion. read more

This review is long overdue... When we lived in Astoria and got our first dog we were nervous about using a dog walking service, and after a ton of research went with Dog Liberty. It was one of the best decisions we ever made! Our dog walker was Loany who is nothing short of amazing. To this day, she is the only one who can get our little nervous dog to walk more than two blocks. Loany really loves what she does and is invested in each dog she walks. It was so wonderful being able to have a consistent person we could trust with our dog while we were at work and with both our dog and cat while we went on vacation. Our cat absolutely adored her as well and it was so much fun seeing pictures of our pets throughout the day. Having Loany as our walker is one of the things we miss most about Astoria. She has our highest recommendation - and the highest recommendation of our dog and cat as well! read more

I don't trust my dog with anyone besides Yuru. She gives me the peace of mind that my dog Oscar will be taken care when I travel. She understand that when I leave Oscar with her is as if I were leaving a piece of my family. read more

When we rescued our little beagle mix a little over a year ago, we quickly realized that we needed some help. After talking to quite a few walkers we met Yuri. Our little guy took to her instantly, and we knew we found our walker. Much to our delight, Yuri is also a certified obedience trainer, so we jumped on that opportunity as well. For daily walks Yuri and team have been outstanding, and she's made a point to ensure that we've met and are 100% comfortable with any walkers who might be walking the dog, and the team is regularly available when we need help in the evening or weekends if we have something scheduled. For obedience training we couldn't ask for more. She helped us teach him not only the commands and approaches that every dog owner should know and have in their arsenal, but she's also helped us learn how to teach him to do other things on our own. She specifically helped us to teach him to walk on a leash without reacting to strangers passing by. We owe Yuri and her team at least as much as a great review on Yelp, if not a whole lot more. read more

Yuri and Loany are the tops when it comes to dog walking. Loany is our regular dog walker and I trust no one more than her. She updates me faithfully with news of how Leonard does during the day and he goes wild with love when he sees her on the street. Yuri runs her business impeccably; she responds to all emails promptly and is accommodating of even the most last minute request. I recommend Dog Liberty to everyone I see on the street and would shout it from the rooftops if I had a roof. read more

Yuruani, and our walker Liz, have been amazing. We've worked with them for about 3 years now with two different dogs. They are incredibly reliable and always come through if we need an extra walk at the last minute. Liz has done some overnight stays at our home and we're always comforted in knowing our pets in good hands. They have both been very easy to communicate with via text or email. We're moving away from Astoria at the end of the month and I know our dog, Daisy, will be sad without her daily walks with Liz. read more

Loany and Yuruani have been the best thing to happen to Briar. Loany started walking Briar daily back in the May and we have a different dog now. She is a calm, relaxed 60 pound ball of joy. The afternoon walk with Loany is the honestly the highlight of Briar's day. We can't simply say enough about how amazing Loany is! Yuruani has been so wonderful! She is immediately responsive to our needs and accommodating with our schedule. She has now stayed with Briar twice so we could go out of town and we have never been more pleased with a service. She treats Briar like her own and provided us with daily updates. We came back to a dog who seemed unphased that we had even been away because she was so well cared for in our absence. In fact, we think she missed Yuri more than she wanted us home :) The Dog Liberty Team is fantastic and we feel lucky to have found them. read more

(Same review I posted to Google reviews): We've used Yuri for private sessions with our 3 year old Wheaten terrier Barkley, and used her again for a private session as well as puppy classes for our new Wheaten puppy Maple. Yuri is fantastic to work with. She's so patient, a calming presence, uses positive reinforcement exclusively, and is willing to explain techniques different ways until you "get it". She really listens, to understand your unique living situation and challenges, and customizes her lesson plans for you. Her goal is not to do all the work for you, but for you as the puppy parent to understand how to train your dog and build that lifelong bond. She keeps you accountable by giving "homework" in order to set your pup up for success. She even helped us figure out a crating/feeding/watering schedule for Maple to help with potty training and preventing separation anxiety, and has tweaked the schedule as she grows. Maple is only 4 months old and is doing SO well with her commands and adjustment already! Of course she isn't perfect yet, and potty training is still a work in progress, but we're extremely proud of her progress and confident that it will continue. We'd highly recommend Yuruani in a heartbeat, for pups young and old. We love that she has offered us free email support for life, and look forward to using her again as we need help with specific situations. Thank you Yuri!! read more

Yuri is absolutely incredible and I truthfully don't know what we would do without her. Our dog has terrible separation anxiety and does not get along well with other dogs so we cannot kennel her when we need to go out of town. In the past, we had to rely on friends or family that would be willing to stay at our place if we could not bring her with us. Finding Yuri and Dog Liberty was a miracle and we have used her countless times over the past year and a half. She is incredibly reliable, kind and extremely patient with even the most difficult of dogs (trust me - ours falls into that category). She is just one of those people that when you meet, you know they love animals and love what they do. While we are away, Yuri takes amazing care of our dog Gracie and frequently updates us with how she is and sends us better pictures of her than we are ever able to take. I cannot recommend Yuri and Dog Liberty high enough, she literally is a lifesaver. read more

When I first moved to Astoria, I was overwhelmed with finding a good dog walker for my two rescues. They are sweethearts but definitely required someone with experience. I was so happy to find Dog Liberty. My walker had such calm energy and was great with my boys. She also sent me updates and was great about communicating if one of them was feeling off or not acting like himself. I've moved since, but was truly so lucky to have a great dog walking company while in the neighborhood! Thanks, team! read more

We purchased a full training series from Dog Liberty (five sessions, six hours) and could not be more pleased. Yuri was wonderful - professional, reassuring, and completely and fabulously excellent at training our dog (and us). Our older rescue dog pays more attention to us and knows more commands than we ever thought possible. read more

Yuruani is "THE FEMALE DOG WHISPERER!" My boyfriend and I recently rescued an eight year old german shepherd from South Carolina named Bailey. Once bringing her to the busy streets of New York, we realized she needed some help adjusting among other issues like her fear of men etc... I found Dog Liberty online and was completely in the dark as to what Bailey would need or really where to begin. Before we even scheduled anything, lengthy email conversations were had between myself and Yuruani discussing her opinion on what she thought Bailey would need. She was 100% correct from the start. Yuri diligently worked with Bailey for 6 sessions and educated my boyfriend and I on what to expect and what to do. She encourages positive reinforcement and her attention and care to my dog only proved to me more that she is a true healer and strives to provide as much guidance so you and your pet may have the healthiest lifestyle. I see improvement in Bailey every single day because of Yuri and I too feel more confident knowing the proper techniques that will help her adjust more. I highly recommend Dog Liberty. I can't say it enough. Thank you Dog Liberty for healing and helping our little girl! Well, big girl! haha! read more

Yuruani and Loany have cared for our pup twice now when we've traveled out of town. He's a sensitive little guy (read: not well suited to boarding) so we love knowing that he's safe and comfortable in our home while being looked after by such a caring and professional team. The daily text updates (often with adorable photos of our pup!) are reassuring and much appreciated. We're so happy to have found Dog Liberty, and would highly recommend their dog-sitting services! read more

I came across the Dog Liberty site while google searching pet caretakers in the area. I met with the owner, Yuri and she came over my house on a Sunday to meet my two small pups. They absolutely loved her right away. My main dog walker during the week was Loany, I came to really became fond of her to the point I would even text her random things about the pups when I was off. She is very personable and trustworthy. She would even respond to last minute or late night walks and if she could not do so, Yuri was always there to jump in. Unfortunately we moved out of New York and had to cease our business with Dog Liberty. I was a client for one year. I wish I had them where I live now!!! Yuri and Loany are great and I would highly recommend using them over any other company in the Astoria area. Your pets will thank you! read more

Yuri is fantastic- she has been cat sitting for my very pampered cat for a few years now, and it's been great. She is incredibly reliable, and I can always relax knowing she's coming exactly when she says she will. She always texts while she is there to give a little update on eating and general health, and sends a picture, which is great. Yuri has also been very flexible and accomodating and been willing to help out with the kinds of things that can accumulate while you're away, like bringing in packages left outside and so on. She is also responds extremely promptly, and is very friendly and professional and pleasant to do business with- highly recommended! read more

We met Yuri when she was the assistant trainer for our puppy's first classes and then his obedience classes. She was so great with the dogs and such a nice person that we were excited to learn she had started her own company a couple of years later, just when we were in need of a new dog walker. We've always felt so comfortable with her, and trust her to hire good walkers. We've never had any issues with her walkers and she always sets up a meet & greet if our walker changes. We currently have Genesis, who has been great. Also, I am a freelance day laborer so whether or not I'm working the next day can change at a moments notice and Yuri has been great in dealing with that and so understanding. She runs her business very professionally, yet we always get very personal service from her. We couldn't ask for a better dog walking situation. read more

This review is waaaaaaay overdue. We had our first private session with Yuri about 5 months ago when our little pup was 10 weeks old - we were at the end of our rope and desperately needed some help with some behavior issues pup was having. Yuri was a lifesaver. Our pup responded to her techniques immediately, and not only did she work with us until we had them down, she even emailed us lesson plans later so that we could review what she'd taught us. She also put us on a schedule so that we could start potty training. We signed up for her five week puppy class immediately. Not only did our pup love playing with other puppies, he learned to sit, lay down, stay, go to his pillow/ crate, walk on a leash, drop it, leave it, and countless other commands. If you get a chance to take this class with your pup, it is an absolute MUST. We recently had Yuri back for another private session because our pup has been guarding his treats, and we breathed our usual sigh of relief the moment she started working with us. Can't recommend her highly enough! read more