Was really impressed at the outset, and got lots of great strategies for my reactive dog. As…read morethings continued to stagnate, I had to work harder to get replies about our ongoing behavior problems. A year after our first meeting, was having problems, and begging for an intervention. Over a year later, with similar problems (no blame on Manners Unleashed), I got the "good luck in your search for other solutions" e-mail. I really felt left out in the cold, right when I really needed help. I have recommended several friends to Chris for mild behavior problems with great results...for more persistent/serious problems, I felt that the desire to develop ongoing change was missing and left to chance. Dealing with a reactive dog is a life-long challenge that needs a commitment from all parties: dog, owner, and trainer. Updates 6/2013: Chris contacted me several months later and did a short board and train to follow up on our request. Not very timely, but very helpful and professional.

Awesome. Can't believe what Chris she for our dog. She worked wonders on our dog. She is very…read morewell rounded with every dog, never met anyone who didn't own a bulldog who knew had to handle them so well. My dog is so much better on the leash now. She gives simple instructions, that really works. She'll tell you something and you'll sit there and go DUH why didn't I think of that. I will recommend this program to anyone.

We have a large (100+ pounds) 2 year old rescue pup who is great at home, but struggles with…read moreoverarousal around new people and other dogs. After our local training place closed we were looking for other options and committed to positive reinforcement training. Unfortunately a lot of trainers use aversives, especially with large strong dogs. We were so excited to find Julia, and after our meet & greet we were confident she was a good choice. Julia did a 2 week board & train with our dog while we were traveling, mainly focusing on leash skills and practicing calm behavior around exciting things. We noticed an immediate improvement, but have also been continuing to work on the training at home after our follow up. I'm happy to report that we are continuing to see improvement using Julia's methods.

From the owner: At Guiding Tails, I focus on building real, lasting relationships between you and your dog through…read moreclear communication, trust, and understanding. Rather than using tools that suppress behavior, my approach centers on changing how your dog feels, so they can move through the world with more confidence and less stress. I guide you step-by-step through real-life situations, helping your dog learn that you’re a safe, consistent source of support, especially when things feel overwhelming or uncertain. As an IAABC-ADT and Family Dog Mediator, I’m committed to ongoing education and science-based methods, so you always receive thoughtful, up-to-date guidance tailored to your individual dog. Sessions are available in-home, virtually, or through Zoom, making training accessible no matter your needs.

My little one was enrolled in her puppy kindergarten class. Jennifer is very easy going and…read moreaccommodating. The breed of my puppy is naturally not trusting of strangers, and our instructor made sure to never push our pup into anything she wasn't ready for. For puppy kindergarten, she also allows you to attend multiple classes each week, for no additional cost! We definitely took advantage of this since our pup started out very shy of dogs as well. She's an extremely patient instructor, and typically will go over 2-4 different things each class. She also introduces a different agility item each class, to socialize the pups to the equipment. There's normally 2 puppy playtimes each lesson, one at the beginning and at the end. I'm appreciative that she also locks the doors at all times, to avoid any accidental escapes. The only critique I could give is that sometimes the lessons can be a little disorganized and can get side tracked a bit, but overall the lessons are fairly cheap. Also, I noticed this comes up as an Auburn company, but our lessons are out of the Kent Memorial Park building on Central.

Jennifer is wonderful!!!…read more My husband and I signed our pitbull up for her "fiesty fido" class because she was getting into a habit of pulling when she would see another dog. This was unacceptable behavior for us because she needs to be on her best behavior at all times. It was getting to the point where I would avoid another dog if one was walking on the same side of the street. Jennifer is very knowledgable and you can tell right away her years of experience with working with many different breed of dogs. She likes to keep her class limited to a certain amount of dogs to make sure that she spends the appropriate amount of time to work on each dogs issues and our concerns. I heard of a dog training class nearby that sprays the dogs face with water or bitter liquid in order to get them to stop doing bad behavior. This was not the way that I wanted to train my dog and traumatize her. Jennifer does not believe in that sort of negative reinforcement. Our dog has learned so much already and she is not even done with the classes. My husband and I have seen a HUGE improvement on her behavior and have learned many training tips that have proved to us that they really do work! Pick of the litters pricing is VERY reasonable and is a great investment to having a better dog.

12/10 reccomend the groomer ROB. ANXIOUS Staffy / Pitty…read morefriendly He's the only one my dog will let cut her nails. It's so funny because I've tried multiple different vets, and she won't let anyone touch her... they've even tried gabapentin and trazodone because she was so "anxious". Rob at sumner vet doesn't require any meds, and they allow me to pay after the service is completed incase Dremel doesn't work or she throws a tantrum and doesn't let him do it at all. I always call ahead to see his schedule for the week, they do walk in nail trims 10-4pm.

My dog had a red eye and discharge. I ended up paying the $199 emergency "deposit" just to be seen…read morebecause no vet in the area has appointments any time in the near future. I was told the cost would be approximately $290. When discharged, I was told the total was $489. They said the total included the "deposit" I paid when I arrived. That was not clear when I was given the estimate. It shouldn't be called a deposit. It should be called a fee. Anyway, almost $500 to run tests, etc etc and should've just asked for the $25 eye drops I was expecting to get. Don't be hesitant to just ask for the obvious solution. Not recommended.

Our very aggressive Westie had become uncontrollable. I eas ready to give up. Alex very calmly…read moreworked with us and suggested changing meds. Angus is a new dig. Back to his snuggly self. Even the groomer asked what happened. Thanks for making us not give up

We tried two other trainers before getting in touch with the dog sensei. We met with Alex just…read morethree times and the instruction and techniques he used were exactly what we needed to help get our giant now 11 month old puppy to be well behaved in the house. If you watch, listen, and stay consistent with what he says I think anybody would have good results with their dog.

Changing lives, one neutral dog at a time. Amani K9 are…read morechanging lives. Honestly, our Nyx (120# Cane Corso) had become a liability. We love her to pieces, but our sole focus was trying to manage her environment. Some of our "management" techniques included: cardboard blocking the slider so she wouldn't see and yell at the neighbors, or the squirrels; a heavy rope martingale harness to walk her to the car; blacked out the back windows of our car so she couldn't see out and yell at every pedestrian (and scratch at the windows); we could not walk her; she had to be completely sedated to be seen by a vet; we could only board her at a kennel an hour and a half away; she could not be introduced to visitors. Our goal was to keep everyone safe, but when we ended up at the E-vet with our Corgi (Lexi) we realized we were not up to the task and looked for help. Every interaction with Amani K9 has been professional, empathetic, direct and effective. From our first contact we felt supported and understood. We didn't know what to expect, but they were clear about what services they could provide and how to proceed. Our evaluation with Marianna and Synclair was so informative, it's clear they know and love what they do and want to help. We left that meeting feeling more hopeful about Nyx than we had been in years. We enrolled in the 8 week board and train, and not everyone in our household was completely on board. (8 weeks is too long, why can't we visit, when can we see her, when can we love on her) We were in it for the long haul though, and Marianna even volunteered to be the bad guy, because we were NOT managing Nyx, we were just delaying a potential catastrophe. The next lapse might be worse than just an E-vet visit and some stitches. Those 8 weeks flew by, and while we had 6 "sessions" to teach us how to communicate effectively with Nyx, it's a steep learning curve. Imagine learning a new language while also learning to tango and having to match words with movement AND remain grounded and neutral. It's a real strain on the brain, and we had some baggage we were carrying around. (How am I supposed to keep #105 (now) of determined muscle from going wherever she wants to go with this teeny tiny ribbon of a leash?) Marianna and Synclair are ultimate "hype girls" though, able to give constructive feedback while still pointing out all the right things that you're doing. At the end of those 8 weeks, Marianna brought Nyx home, walked me through all the important new processes we were going to incorporate, and then said the most helpful thing ever: "I'm not just walking out the door and you'll never see or hear from me again, I'm just an email away." After Nyxy's first day home, our local sceptic realized how relaxed and calm Nyx was, sleeping on her cot. It was inconceivable to him, based on the Nyx of before times, that she could be anything but miserable if she was held hostage in her "place". After Nyxy's second day, he asked when we would be getting a "place" cot for Lexi. It's work, it's constant and forever work, but the Nyx we have now is so much calmer and at peace than we ever could have imagined. In our attempt to "manage" Nyxy's environment, we had shrunk her world so much, it's a joy and relief to be able to expand Nyx's world for a change. Amani K9 changed our lives, and we will be forever grateful.

Amani K-9 are legitimate trainers. We entered our 15 month old dogo argentino in the 8-week…read moretraining program due to him previously being a adopted from the humane society and struggling with issues of anxiety, recall, tantrums, and self-regulations. After just four weeks when we went to parent train his temperament was so much different and he was able to work through his anxiety when it came to seeing other dogs, and outside distractions, follow commands consistently, and walk on a leash properly alongside us without pulling or just walking aimlessly. It has created a whole new level of respect in our relationship with our pup where he trusts us Amani K-9 are truly legitimate trainers. We enrolled our 15-month-old Dogo Argentino in their 8-week training program after adopting him from the Humane Society. He had been struggling with anxiety, recall, tantrums, and self-regulation. After just four weeks, during our parent training session, we noticed a remarkable difference in his temperament. He was able to manage his anxiety around other dogs and outside distractions, follow commands consistently, and walk calmly on a leash beside us--no more pulling or wandering aimlessly. This program has completely transformed our relationship with our pup. He now trusts us more deeply because not only did he learn how to regulate himself, but we also learned how to help him do so. He stays in place on his mat without following us around or begging for food--it's like having a completely different dog! We're so glad we chose Amani K-9. We feel more confident and connected in our relationship with our dog because we better understand him, and he knows exactly what we expect of him.

There is a lot I could say about Amanda's approach to successful positive training. I think the…read morefact that I continue to drive 2 hours round trip since she relocated to attend her classes, pretty much says it all. From the beginning in puppy class I knew I had picked the right trainer. Her "Control Unleashed" class is a must and will strengthen your bond with your dog and set you and your dog up for success by learning social skills, impulse control and confidence no matter what your lifestyle is. My dog is shy with strangers yet strong willed in nature. I feared I would never have control with her. Now, I get nothing but compliments on her behavior. None of her personality quirks concern me because I have the tools to successfully work with her resulting in a win win for us both. Amanda is who I have to thank for that. #nobaddogs

Amanda was a great trainer and we had absolutely darling puppies in our puppy class. She was very…read morehelpful with troubleshooting issues we were having with our puppy. The location was great- less than five minutes off the highway and beautifully located. The building we were training in wasn't heated so that was a bummer on colder days. The space was large enough to accommodate the number of dogs in class. She offered classes that grew with your puppy which was also nice. The classes were moderately priced and affordable for what is available in the area.