TL;DR: Lydia and the Howling Moon Pet Care team are worth it! 10/10, we've been recommending them to every dog owner we know, and we have plans to continue using both their training and grooming services in the future. Where to begin? Bentley (a male cockapoo puppy) was the first four-legged addition to our family, and we were definitely in over our heads. As brand new puppy parents, we didn't really know where to even start. Set aside the training for a minute: we weren't sure what size crate to get him? What supplies/toys/treats to buy? If we were feeding him enough? Too much? Was he getting enough sleep? Going outside enough? Too much? To say we had a few questions is a massive understatement. Before we had even set up a single session, Jesi and Lydia answered a number of questions and reassured us of the process. It was easy to get in touch with their team, and setting up the initial consultation was a breeze. The only snag, which you can't really fault them for, is that they can fill up their availability quickly (because they're so dang good at what they do). Be sure to book them early so your pup doesn't miss out. Moving onto the training and our interactions with Lydia. We didn't really have expectations going into this, but Lydia set the bar extremely high. I'm pretty sure we're ruined for any PetSmart-like group training in the future :) Prior to every session, Lydia would send a reminder text to make sure we were still on for our session. Not only that, but she made sure to give us a heads up one time when her previous client ran over a little bit. We appreciated this clear line of communication from her. Lydia would venture out to our house for each session so that we could train Bentley here, in the house and surrounding environment where he'd spend the majority of his time. Besides convenience, this allowed Lydia to take a look at our ~actual~ setup at home and point out the good and the bad (e.g. maybe add some baby gates here and there to keep his access confined to "his space", or be sure to puppy-proof this or that so he doesn't get hurt). We'd often start off our sessions catching Lydia up to speed on how the at-home training went (more on this in a minute) as well as asking whatever barrage of questions came up since the last time we saw her. After that, she'd often spot-check some of the behaviors we worked on previously before jumping into some new material. Lydia would demonstrate the exercise numerous times, detailing each step of the way as well as potential "gotchas" or how to handle Bentley reacting one way or another. She'd then watch us do a few iterations of the exercise to make sure we had it down. After each training session, Lydia would draft up a summary/homework document for us to reiterate what we should be practicing at home ahead of the next session. In the lesson writeups, Lydia would include tons of other resources (books, articles, infographics, Amazon links, etc.) that were invaluable. Her documents are ~THE~ go-to material in our house for all things Bentley-related. The trainings are fairly progressive, meaning the material tends to build on the past lessons, so it is important to stay on top of the homework! At one point, we felt like we were falling behind in our (the humans') effort, and Lydia was more than understanding with pushing back some of our scheduled times to allow us to catch up and practice with Bentley at home before moving on to new things. The training sessions follow a natural progression; however, Lydia was extremely flexible with aligning the training to ~our goals~ for Bentley. With work schedules changing at the start of the school year, independence training was of the utmost importance as we needed Bentley to be okay by himself for a few hours. Lydia helped us hit that aspect hard for several weeks so we could quickly achieve that goal. While you may think that Howling Moon Pet Care provides dog training lessons, you'd be wrong: they provide YOU with the training needed to be successful WITH your dog. I don't want to set expectations incorrectly: Lydia's not going to come in and have your dog magically trained after one 1hr session. You have to be willing to put in the work for the benefit of your pup. Lydia and the Howling Moon Pet Care team provide the guidance necessary to amplify your efforts and demystify the training process. We have been thoroughly impressed with Lydia and Howling Moon Pet Care every step of the way. It is clear that they care for Bentley as much as we do. read more

Jesi Kirk has always gone above and beyond when caring for my dog Eva. She has provided exceptional care in grooming her and has taught me so much about raising and training her. She always keeps Eva's needs in mind first and foremost. She has over ten years of professional dog training and grooming experience. Simply put, she has a gift with dogs and communicates between dogs and their owners, consistently providing top notch care. She is a certified professional dog trainer through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and a certified Fear Free Dog Trainer and Groomer. She is the only Fear Free certified dog groomer in Raleigh, NC. read more

Maisey was adopted at 6 months old. We needed help getting some obedience training. Howling Moon was recommended by our vet and it was an excellent recommendation. Lydia was so sweet and loved Maisey from day 1. Lydia is easy to work with and does a wonderful job explaining the training exercises. Maisey has improved tremendously through Lydia's guidance. We can go on a walk and not have a crazy encounter passing other dogs. Maisey has learned so many new things in a short amount of time, I would not have been able to do that without Lydia's help. I highly recommend Howling Moon Pet Care. read more

Jesi has been working with me and my three-year old lab mix for about a year. Of all the animal professionals I have worked with, she is by far the most helpful, knowledgeable, and supportive. She has helped us overcome various anxieties and behavioral issues, and we continue to consult with her despite moving to NYC. Without her guidance and support, we would never have made the progress that we have. I highly and enthusiastically recommend Jesi to anyone looking for grooming and training! read more

Howling Moon is by far the best grooming place in the area. My dog is very reactive and Jesi worked worked with her ( and I) on desensitization techniques. After just 1 session my dog was so much better and tolerated grooming. Jesi also has been such a great resource on dog training questions & always takes time to listen and give feedback. We recently moved 30 min away but driving back for my dog's grooming appointments is definitely worth the time! read more

Jesi is by far the best groomer!!! She gives my Schnauzer dog Kaiser, attentive care, since he has problems with standing and walking. I never have to wait a long time and my dog is usually finished in an hour. She is very compassionate and cares about dogs she comes in contact with. She shows concerns about your pet and gives helpful information. I have to drive 30 mins, but the drive is worth the trip, with the care my dog receives. read more

Jesi exceeded every expectation we had in her care of Ollie. We had her board and train him, and he improved so much. She is extremely knowledgeable and gifted, and she explained Ollie's behavior and helped us learn to train him so that he's a pleasure to be with. I can't say enough about her skill, her rapport with pets and her understanding and communication with us. read more

I used Jesi with Howling Moon pet care for my 6 yo rescue. She was helpful and patience. Her methods worked great for us. Fear free training is the best! I have completed two classes with her, Cooperative Care (was a blessing for Buster) Also completed the Public Manners Advanced Canine Good Citizen. I highly recommend for dogs of all ages. read more

Jesi does a fantastic job providing quality grooming and training to pets. I am always happy to refer to her and even recommend some people make the drive if they are a bit far because I know the pet and pet parent will be happy with their visit. read more

Highly recommend Howling Moon Pet care. We did private training with Lydia for our new puppy Ozzie. We are so happy with the progress he made with 5 lessons. We plan on doing mor lessons in the future with Lydia. read more

Excellent company to work for! The entire staff truly cares about each of their clients and goes the extra mile for them! Highly educated and committed to improving the lives of dogs and their owners! read more