Emily is fantastic. We only worked with her in person once because I lived in Portland at the time,…read morebut after working with her that time she was open to any and all questions after that. Gonzo did so much better on leash after only one session!

We hired Emily to help us with our newly adopted puppy, Nala, an American Staffordshire Terrier…read moremix. As Nala approached 9 months old, she began showing signs of reactivity toward people and other dogs, especially on walks. We couldn't have anyone new come into our home without her barking, growling, and displaying dominant behavior. Walks became stressful--she would lunge at certain people wearing hats or sunglasses and at other dogs. We were starting to lose hope and knew we needed guidance to help Nala trust us and feel secure. We reached out to Emily, and from her very first consultation, we knew we had made the right choice. Emily arrived calm and relaxed, allowed Nala to approach her at her own pace, and immediately showed us how Nala should properly greet people. From that moment, I knew Emily was the perfect trainer for us. We've been working with Emily for 3 months, focusing on how Nala approaches people entering our home, and the progress has been incredible. Nala is now a very obedient dog, and we feel confident managing visitors. Walks were our next challenge, and Emily guided us through trying different collars, learning how to use our body language and tone of voice, and properly using the leash and collar. She emphasized praise, play, and rewarding Nala when she succeeded, which helped release her energy in a positive way. We have since enrolled in group sessions to work on properly introducing Nala to other dogs. Thanks to Emily's guidance, Nala has truly transformed into a completely different dog. Emily gave us the tools to feel confident, comfortable, and capable as dog owners. She doesn't waste time--she gets results while ensuring we understand what we're doing and why. We are so grateful for Emily and will absolutely continue working with her as we keep practicing and doing our homework. She is truly amazing, and we owe Nala's progress to her dedication and expertise.

Brad was amazing. We have a 2 year old Corgi who is a very sweet boy but he would be very reactive…read moretowards other dogs and would always eat things off the ground. Walks became so stressful, and we tried every thing we could think of to fix it. Brad was able to teach us his methods within 30 minutes, and within the first week his behavior was a complete 180! Cant recommend him enough.

I genuinely can't recommend Brad highly enough. By the time…read moreI reached out, I had already spent months trying to fix Sunny's leash pulling and reactivity. I'd worked with two trainers, including a 3 week board-and-train program ($5,000 investment), followed every instruction, and practiced daily, yet I didn't see changes. I was managing the behavior without ever understanding what was causing it. That changed within the first two hours with Brad. He didn't start with commands or tools. Instead, he focused on the psychology behind Sunny's reactions: what was driving them, what was reinforcing them, and what I was unknowingly communicating. No one had ever explained it that clearly. That was the turning point. For the first time, I wasn't guessing or correcting blindly. I could see what Sunny was experiencing in real time and understand how my timing, energy, and responses were shaping his behavior. That clarity changed everything. Walks feel completely different now. Sunny is no longer pulls since my training with Brad, the reactive outbursts are gone, and the experience itself is calm. I'm no longer bracing for problems because I know how to prevent them. I am SO appreciative!

I learned of Ela/Pawminded through a friend whose pup had trained and boarded with her. Her review…read morewas glowing, and I was excited to have Kohl, my rescue husky mix, trained while supporting a new female-owned, female-run business. Kohl loved his two weeks with Ela, and she was great about sending daily updates and communicating regularly. Kohl came back 1000 times better on his leash and made major progress on the laundry list of things I asked Ela to work on. Her video updates help train dog owners so that clients can maintain her methods once their fur babies return home. This is the essential part of training - training must continue in the home as well! I had a million questions after Kohl returned home to me, and she has been incredibly patient and thorough in answering them. Would highly recommend Pawminded to anyone!

Ela has been incredibly helpful with our new rescue dog, Brodie. Her training works! She is firm…read morebut loving with him and he eagerly responds. Now she's teaching me to handle him in that same way. I'm so happy we found Ela! She is professional, intuitive, calm and highly effective.

Unfortunately, I had to edit my drafted five star review down to a four star review because I feel…read morelike I was bait and switched. We are relatively new to OC Pup Scouts starting in Dec 2025, and have gone through the temperament assessment and puppy training, but now that we've "graduated" to the pack walks, they've changed their prices and increased them 10%. Seemingly nominal, but this should have been disclosed or at least acknowledged upfront when asking about the program and pricing. The walkers and admin have been great, and my pup seems to really enjoy the walks. It's just feels a little icky that they probably knew about the price increase and conveniently left it out when vetting the business. Maybe I just had unlucky timing with it, because they did say this price increase was the "first in years". I get it, cost of living goes up. I just wish they had been honest and upfront about it (or at least honor their quoted pricing for another quarter or two), hence the removal of a star. I was looking for a service where my pup could safely interact and socialize with other dogs, not necessarily for the walk itself, so I found what I thought would be a good pick in OC Pup Scouts. The pack walk services are great. The handlers all seem friendly and genuinely nice people. They will pick up your pup from your chosen location and drive them in a van to a park where they embark on an hour long walk at a time. I especially love that they provide you an update/pictures of their walks. The pups all seem to enjoy their time together. There have been a few last minute schedule changes that range from a few minutes to an hour delay, but they've been pretty consistent about communicating these. This is also to be expected when your clients are... well dogs, but I only mention it to warn others to be flexible. Overall, I'm satisfied with the services rendered. I am happy I found OC Pup Scouts, and would be happy to recommend them for their pack walks. Hoping that the prices remain stable for the foreseeable future, and they don't pull a Spotify and jack them up every year.

Love love love this company I use them every week my dog comes home happy and worn out I cannot…read morerecommend them enough

We have been bringing our 90lb Mastiff/Lab mix to OC Dog Ranch for the last few years every time…read moreour family travels 4+ days. I am so happy I found this place - was recommended by someone through word of mouth. It is wide open space for our dog to run, and I love that because it is SO much better than her being boarded in a room with 50 other dogs. Staff will send you updates - and we always get a picture of our happy dog with other happy dogs. Staff also sends a report card. Always respond asap when I reach out and ask how she's doing.

They were good back in 2020 when Dana bought the place and were hungry for customers. The…read moretraining here has gone way done. They are more interested in Dog Boarding for the mega rich in Laguna and Newport Beach now based on how few trainers they have and the huge kennel staff they have hired. I had my dog trained here years ago as a pup but now he has some behavior issues that I know they can fix, but they don't want to touch him. The Secretary's exact words - "it might be better to find another trainer". This is how they treat past customers that spent thousands to have their dog trained here. ZERO CONCERN! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AT THIS PLACE!!!!

Tommy helped us with our Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy when no one else would! He came to…read moreour house when she was 11 weeks old (other trainers wanted to wait until she had all her puppy shots) and immediately got us off on the right foot for behavior training. He trained my husband and me as well as our puppy! So grateful. Tommy has a gift for knowing how dogs think and he shares that knowledge as part of the session. We never felt rushed to finish a lesson when he came to the house, he just dealt with our issues and reminded us to keep practicing with our dog until next time. We even decided to enroll in his weekly puppy class so that our puppy would learn to behave around other dogs. His private dog park is a god-send as we live in a condo and don't have a yard for our puppy to play in. She loved going there and we'll be back! We highly recommend Tommy. He showed us how to anticipate what our puppy was going to do before she did it and correct her misdeeds before they take place. Five stars!

Tommy came for our first private session and it went better than I imagined. My husband and I…read morelearned a lot from Tommy. He is very relatable and has a unique way of teaching that is very enjoyable and actually entertaining, all at the same time! Now that is talent! Tommy was made for this job and well worth his price. You get what you pay for. He definitely does not watch the clock and gives you more than 1 hr and does not leave until he has answered all your questions. My dog is already doing better on our walks. Tommy teaches but you have to do what he says or you have wasted your money. I signed up for 5 lessons and looking forward to the rest. I will update when we are finished.

I have 2 dogs, a chaotic puppy and a fear reactive German shepherd. Before working with Josh, I…read morefelt like I was always managing my dogs but still couldn't fully trust them in real life. Now they're calm, confident, and make way better decisions on their own. I can take them pretty much anywhere, which wasn't the case before. He also helped my German Shepherd become a lot more comfortable around people and other dogs. Biggest shift honestly was me. I'm way more confident, less stressed, and actually know how to communicate and teach my dogs without relying on tools. If you want a dog you can actually live life with, I'd 100% recommend Josh!

From our very first session until now, he has taught me so much. He's incredibly knowledgeable, and…read morealways explains the methods from how dogs think and perceive the world and how the training ties into it. The progress I've seen has been amazing, and I've learned how to communicate with my dog in a way that has strengthened our bond. I highly recommend Josh and Bark Busters OC to anyone looking for a trainer who truly knows what they're doing!

Guys an absolute joke. Scheduled my afternoon around his oh so busy schedule. Just for him to…read morecancel and block my number when I'm already on the road to drive 45 mins I wouldn't do business with this inconsiderate prick even for a pack of gum. Disrespectful, rude and definitely deserves the same level of respect.

What would we do without Coach Canine! He has taken the BEST care of our two pit bulls. He's helped…read moreus train, exercise, and socialize them during these first two years of their life. They're growing up to be wonderful family dogs that are well mannered and obedient, thanks to Coach!

Bruce is five stars! My husband and I have a 5 1/2 yo Doberman who is leash aggressive around…read moreother dogs. Because of this, we haven't been able to travel much. We won't board her and won't leave her with just anyone. We were SO fortunate to find Bruce. He is not only an awesome pet sitter who will work with your schedule but is also an exceptional trainer. Because of his training background, we felt comfortable leaving our girl with him and knew he would be able to handle her when she got anxious. Ultimately, we were able to enjoy our much needed get away to Dana Pt and experience stress-free dining and activities while there. Thank you, Bruce! We will definitely be calling you again!

We hired Bruce at PetsFriendForever to train and walk my brother's dog who now resides in an…read moreassisted living facility. Over the 4 years my brother has owned this dog, he has never trained or socialized him and the dog was becoming territorial and aggressive in the room at the facility. Bruce did an amazing job with the dog, restoring the dog's confidence and getting him to obey commands. Even when my brother refused to cooperate with the lessons, Bruce continued to think of ways to help the situation. I would recommend PetsFriendForever without hesitation. Bruce is wonderful with the animals and is very good at communicating with the owners.

Can only but recommend! Our dog always comes home more…read moresocialised and better behaved every time she goes for daycare, pack walks and boarding. Alecia has been a fantastic help in teaching us to be better dog-parents. Walking our dog now after one session is a completely different experience and my anxiety of walking her has got a lot better, all thanks to Alecia! Boarding is like a home away from home for our pup; she loves it! Raya will be back soon :)

So lucky to have this gem here in San Clemente. Alicia and Fiona have gone above and beyond to take…read morethe best care, and provide the best advice for my rescue pup! My dog loves the pack walks and gets so excited as soon as we hit the parking lot. Thank you, It's A Dogs Life! PS great boarding too