We trained with Jeff over the Summer time after an extensive period of research on who we wanted to…read morehelp us with training our dog, a toy-reactive golden retriever. Jeff helped us contextualize our dog's behavior and understand their psychology better, so we can more effectively curb behaviors we did not want and promote behaviors we do want. As a result, not only has out dog behaved better, but we feel a stronger connection with them. This, in my opinion, is the benefit with Jeff. We all see our dogs as our perfect companions, and when we go through with training we want the outside world to see them the same way we do. Jeff helped us with this; not only does he get you and your dog on the same page regarding training and behavior, but he allows you to springboard your relationship with them to a level of greater understanding.

Jeff really knows his stuff and his tips and tricks work really well. Highly recommend!read more

Angel is wonderful! We hired her for help with our recently rescued dog who was having several…read morebehaviors including bite inhibition. As two new dog owners, we learned so much about how to interact with our pup in order to avoid his triggers and reward good behaviors. No bites since we started working with her! Angel helped us with muzzle training so we could safely bring our little one to the vet and he would actually be able to receive an exam. He actually gets excited when he sees the muzzle because of Angel's expertise in training! It was clear Angel truly cared about our family and went above and beyond in taking time to make sure we had the tools we needed. We couldn't have asked for a better experience and highly recommend Angel to any families who need support.

We hired Angel for behavior training of our dog, a 2 year old rescue that we adopted in March 2020…read more Soon after we adopted him, we realized that he had severe separation anxiety, dog reactivity and people reactivity. We were concerned about how best to care for our pup, especially as first-time dog owners. We can't say enough positive things about Angel. To begin with, she listened to each of our concerns (we had many) before we even hired her and shared her thoughts on how she would tackle the training. We were impressed that she truly took the time to listen and understand our questions, and we decided to hire her. Our first training session was over video chat due to the pandemic. We went over the allotted time because Angel was so thorough in discussing the training plan with us. We learned a lot about how to care for our dog in general (e.g. body language, assessing comfort level, when to seek support from vet for behavioral issues). The main takeaway from this training session were detailed, step-by-step methods for addressing several of our dog's behaviors. Angel's main focus was getting to the root of the behaviors, our dog's emotions, and making sure that he was confident and comfortable. All of the training was based on positive reinforcement. The second part of our training session was an outdoor in-person meeting (socially distant, masked) at a park with the purpose of learning how to desensitize our dog around other dogs. Unfortunately, when we arrived Angel realized that our dog's baseline anxiety level was still too high to successfully begin the desensitization training. We still completed that hour meeting to practice other training, and Angel offered to meet us for a second in-person meeting, free of charge, in a few weeks to try desensitization training again. The techniques that Angel has taught us have led to noticeable positive changes in our dog. We are continuing to utilize what she taught us and, overall, feel that we are better equipped to be good dog owners.

We sent our pit bull, Ollie, there and we are happy to report that he is now the best boy. We…read morerescued him from the shelter in 2018 and we quickly saw that we had some work to do. He pulled on the leash, barked at the door, and had bouts of aggression when he didn't get his way. I felt uneasy having guests over because I felt like I had no control over my dog. Basically, my dog owned me.. not vis versa. He did ~2 weeks of the board and train program at SMS Raleigh and even though we were nervous to send him away (it felt like forever!), we loved getting bi-weekly updates from his trainer and seeing his progress. Training Ollie will always be a work in progress but the biggest different we have seen is that HE LISTENS! Hallelujah. My friends come over and say they see a huge difference in him - he's calm, sweet, and charming. He is still a dog.. he does bark at the mailman, and sometimes pulls on the leash, but if we correct him, he is happy to obey. I also love the fact that we have free access to the group classes 2x a week and have the opportunity to continue training him. Overall, we are very happy with his progress and we are dedicated to continue training him with the SMS methods.

The training is nothing short of amazing. You and your dog will be happy with the results…read more No one was more apprehensive about going to an e-collar for my dog's training than I. Colby the owner explained it best to me when he said "It's not about punishment, it's about attention and boundaries. Dogs want to please their owners, so once you have their attention their instinct takes over and training becomes easier. The strides and response to this training are remarkable. So pleased with the results so far. I am happy and more importantly my dog is happy. We have only had 3 private whole day training sessions, and tonight we will attend our first group training. Looking forward to this as it can only help build on the foundation established in the private 3 lessons. The training is not inexpensive, however it cheaper than replacing carpet not to mention several pairs of shoes, baseboards ETC. I recommend sitting down with Colby or any of the other trainers and let them explain why this works. You won't have any regrets. Rick W

We met with Ryan for a virtual 2-hr meeting regarding some issues with a new dog we recently…read moreadopted. The issues weren't too serious yet we wanted to stop them as quickly as possible. Ryan gave us great advice and provided the "why" behind a lot of the dog behaviors we are seeing as well as specific steps we could take. He even gave us advice on helping our anxious border collie during thunderstorms which wasn't even on our list of things to tackle. We were able to implement his tactics within 5 minutes of getting off the Zoom call. We definitely recommend Ryan's services!

We were impressed with Ryan and the Born to Lead program and recommend it highly to others…read more We have done a lot of reading and have pursued other training and classes for our dog, but Ryan's approach was unique because it helped us to understand our dogs behavior. We were able to get general information regarding dog behavior as well as specifics regarding what motivates our dog, what triggers our dog, and how to re align our dogs behavior so that he is happy and we are happy!! I appreciated Ryan's use of video to clearly illustrate behavior. His teaching style is clear and effective. He also helped with suggestions about training tools. His approach avoids the use of gimmicks and focuses on what dogs do naturally and how we can tailor what we do to cultivate the best relationship between us. We are already seeing changes in our dog based on the initial recommendations from Born to Lead and we plan to continue to work with Ryan as we help our dog and our family. Thanks Born to Lead!

Recently tried Pup's Day Out for my golden retriever, who is five years old, and we're loving it!…read moreClean, attractive facility for both humans and dogs, easy drop off and pick up and reasonable prices. At least one of the owners of the facility is always on site and in my experience, they're very invested in the well-being of their customers - again, dogs AND humans! I especially like that they offer flexible time slots: 3 hours as well as half and full days and discounts for buying a package of sessions. Very pleased - we're new here but so far, great experience!

*This review is only pertaining to grooming…read more Staff very friendly on arrival - female at counter took notes on type of grooming desired "all over, full body trim" for my Australian Shepherd. (A bit odd the groomer herself was not speaking with me directly but put faith in her being a professional and my dog being somewhat common/well-known breed.) I specifically stated no shave. I'm all for a summer cut, but my baby was sheared! About 0.5-1in left on her, shaved her belly, and nicked her paws (discovered after we got home). Totally took away from integrity of the breed and it's cut. The technique used did not look anywhere near professional.

I cannot say enough good things about Duke Canine! We sent our GSD to Anna and she was able to fix…read moresome issues we just honestly didn't have the time or experience to do with our pup. He still has his wonderful personality but we are able to enjoy him so much more. We can work around the house while he stays in his "happy place," we can walk him without him lunging at other dogs, barking his head off, and he actually listens. Dog friendly patios are now an option and I just feel like a proud mom. Haha! Communication while he was at "college" was wonderful. We would get updates, pictures and videos every few days on his progress. When he came home she helped us set our boundaries and helped us become comfortable with the commands and calls. If you have been debating over where to send your dog please do not sleep on this option. JUMP ON IT. 10/10 would recommend the team at Duke Canine.

Best dog decision we ever made, Duke! Caring, professional, perfect. Ty for loving our two GSD…read moreas much as we do.

Awesome people! Patient and knowledgeable. Respond to emails quickly…read more The training has made a huge difference with both my dogs. My new rescue went from anxiety ridden, scared of everything dog, to a confident girl. I was hesitant of using the collar at first, but it's not painful to the dogs, and they respond so well to it. Easy scheduling website with several different locations to train. You can go at your own pace. Would highly recommend them to friends and family!

We adopted Cooper from the SPCA last June. He is a lab mix; sixty-five pounds. He is a sweet boy,…read morebut needed to learn some manners. Four lessons later and Cooper is doing great. He listens! He comes when called, sits, places, and we are still working on heel and down (because his human needs to be more confident - not because he isn't smart). Special shout out to Diana, who was extremely kind and patient with me. I needed more training than Cooper. ;) Diana is extremely knowledgeable, experienced, caring, and all around just great to work with! Highly recommend Off Leash K9 Training and now we are looking into So Fetch for future adventures! You will not be disappointed if you take your dog to Off Leash K9 Training for training. You and your dog will both benefit and your bond will be enhanced!

Pamela has been SO incredible at getting our lovely but very active and somewhat addictive (to…read moreballs, sticks, anything she can put in her mouth) golden retriever puppy to learn to let go, to calm down, and to behave. She has also helped us to be better at understanding Darby's motivations and emotions. Fun and effective training for everybody!

Pamela is the best!!! I just adopted a second dog this week. My new dog Chance has been through a…read moreterrible tragedy in his life. His owners were killed in a double murder. There were three dogs in the home when it happened. One of the dogs was also shot and killed. Chance and his brother Champ survived the attack and were taken to an animal shelter in rural NC where they have been for the last month. I felt compelled that I need to adopt one of the dogs so they would know love once again. A good friend of mine is looking to adopt Chance's brother. I reached out to Pamela after I had a disaster in trying to crate train Chance. She was able set up a consultation in a very timely matter. She was so kind and you can tell she really cares about helping Chance make the transition to his new home. I really can't say enough good things about Pamela, she is a special person for sure. She has helped lift a huge weight off of me knowing we can work through things with Chance as he gets used to his new home and his second chance at love in his life.

To me, dog trainers are like great physicians, a surgeon, or even a hair stylist. Pick one that is…read morejust run of the mill, or just ok, and you will be screwed. Take this advice, and stop here when you are looking for a positive reinforcement dog trainer who knows her stuff! I have known Rebecca for a few years when I met her needing a dog trainer for our Betty White, who is leash reactive. I had been through some "meh", and not so great trainers who used fear tactics for my sweet girl, and so I was reluctant to try another, but I knew she needed help. Once I met Rebecca, I knew her philosophy aligned with mine and what i wanted for Betty. Rebecca came to our home, did an consult/meet and greet, to determine where Betty was with her learning, and what motivates her, ahem, treats. :) Long story short, it was clear that clicker training was best and so Rebecca taught us what we needed to do on our walks to get her to stop jumping at cars passing by, or people on bikes going by. Note, we had homework. If a trainer tells you that he/she can "fix" your dog and doesn't have you involved nor give you things to work on, run! Also needing to be said, if you don't do your homework and work with your pet, then training won't work for you. It is great to have a trusted trainer who is part of our "it takes a village" mentality when it comes to our sweet girl. We couldn't be more thrilled to have found Rebecca Andrews!

From the owner: My Dog Can!, LLC is reward-based, professional, and customized in-home dog training for your entire…read morefamily. Serving the Raleigh/Durham area. Learn what your dog CAN do!

Can't say enough great things about the pack at Topline K9!…read more After we brought the newest member of our family home from a great rescue org, we needed training as new dog owners. Topline provided private coaching in our home in addition to group lessons in real world locations like parks and businesses. Under their guidance, our sweet boy learned respect us as his leaders. Later we went through a Canine Good Citizen class, and Merlin graduated with honors. He now holds his AKC Good Citizen certification. If you're looking for a canine training program that has the same passion for you dog as you, Topline K9 Solutions is your answer!

Our puppy needed obedience classes so we decided on Topline K9 with Lisa Rosendahl and her…read moreassistant Rae! These classes were held in AniMall (which is located in Cary Towne Center). I think that our pup learned tons and so did we. I would definitely recommend these classes to anyone with a puppy or untrained dog!