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

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!

We've been taking our 6 year old doodle to this location since he was a pup: weekly for socializing…read moreand boarding as needed. I can't say enough about the staff and management (not going to name names for fear of missing someone!). They are responsive, caring, proactive when the see something different, clean ...

To Whom It May Concern,…read more I am submitting this formal complaint regarding my experience with Dogtopia's handling of my adopted dog during multiple visits and boarding stays. Across these interactions, I observed repeated communication inconsistencies, a lack of transparency regarding incidents, and increasingly unprofessional conduct toward my pet. Records show staff provided conflicting explanations about my dog's behavior and condition. At times, I was told my dog was "great overnight," while at other times staff described him as "grumpy," "snappy," "overstimulated," or involved in behavioral incidents. There were also discrepancies regarding the cause of my dog's limp and paw injury. These inconsistencies created confusion and concern regarding the accuracy of incident reporting, staff supervision, and the overall handling of my pet. Communications frequently came across as defensive and dismissive of my concerns rather than providing clear, professional, and collaborative updates. I am concerned my dog was unfairly labeled as aggressive while staff simultaneously acknowledged he was placed in overstimulating and crowded environments without access to calmer accommodations. This raises concerns that environmental management and supervision may have contributed to the reported incidents. Additionally, some staff communications became excessive and distressing, feeling accusatory and intimidating rather than compassionate or solution-oriented. As the owner of an adopted pet, I expected consistent, professional care and respectful communication. I respectfully request the following actions: Conduct a formal review of how my pet was managed while in Dogtopia's care. Review staff communication practices and incident reporting procedures for consistency and accuracy. Provide clarification regarding the conflicting explanations concerning my dog's injury and behavior. Ensure fair and professional treatment for all customers and adopted pets, free from bias, intimidation, or unnecessary escalation. Take appropriate corrective actions to improve transparency, accountability, and customer relations moving forward. This complaint is supported by documented text communications from Dogtopia staff describing the incidents, behavioral assessments, injury explanations, and subsequent interactions. I appreciate your time and attention to this matter and request that this complaint be formally documented and reviewed. Sincerely, [Redacted] Supporting Notes From Communications * Staff initially stated there were "no issues," then later reported aggression and overstimulation concerns. * Conflicting explanations were provided regarding the source of my dog's limp and paw injury. * Staff acknowledged the playroom was unusually busy and that calmer rooms were unavailable on certain days. * Repeated behavioral accusations were made while also acknowledging environmental overstimulation and lack of separation options.

We are so glad we called! Frank did amazing with our two year old dog. He taught us how to work…read morewith him and get him to be the best dog. We just finished our four sessions and already notice a big change. We will continue to use the information and tools he gave us. It takes time but so worth it in the end! I highly recommend them!

Working with Frank was, without a doubt, the best money we've ever spent on our golden retriever…read more We noticed clear improvements in her behavior during and after our four weeks obedience training sessions, and Frank was very patient with both our dog and us. He's very friendly, skilled with dogs, and made it all look easy! But most importantly to us, our dog absolutely loved him, and we have never seen her as happy and proud as when she would receive praise from Frank. Well worth the money, especially for at-home training, and the private lessons provide a lot of personalization we wouldn't have gotten with group training! 10/10 would recommend.

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.

Staff were extremely communicative each day with photo updates taking into consideration I was…read morenervous boarding my dog for the first time. I also had my dog groomed towards the end of her stay, which turned out adorable. Upon picking my dog up, and returning home, she was barely able to keep her eyes open in the car! I can only assume her playtime and the attention she was given was enough to keep her calm and happy. I appreciated that there were three separate areas, one for big dogs, one for medium dogs, and a quiet area for small dogs. They also returned leftover food. Very affordable - would definitely go back! My pup acted completely normal after pick up which was reassuring that she was comfortable.

I just moved to the area and didn't know anything around here. I brought my 1 year old doodle and…read more I have to say she LOVES Angelica! When we first walked in she's was very anxious with the barking and she only likes small dogs so they let her go with the small dogs until it was time for her grooming. Well when she was done with her grooming she didn't want to leave Angelica so she let Mia stay with her until it was time to pick her up instead of playing. She did come home with kennel cough the first time but never had an issue since.

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

My vet recommended Start Them Right, Inc. when little Lily Mae was 7- 10 weeks old or so - she was…read morea frightened pup, I got her off of Craigslist and I'm not sure what her story was but she was very scared. Sherri M. was her teacher in her puppy Kindergarten classes and she was amazing with this little skittish pup - helped me bring Lily out of her shell. Lily changed daily and gained confidence with the little games and when I used the ideas they taught me. Socialization was encouraged and practiced in class. It was so helpful. After Puppy Kindergarten we did Obedience Training and then Canine Good Citizen classes and just began Therapy Dog Class this week! Lily has come SO far and I attribute that to the skill and patience of both Sherry Dodson and Sherri M. that helped me through the scared young puppy days, into these now feisty, free-spirited 10 month old puppy days with Lily Mae. Their training is nothing but gentle and loving, their ideas are always what is best for the particular dog and all dogs are different. They work really hard to provide guidance for the owners in all sorts of situations. If one thing doesn't work, they try another. Everything is done with a smile. Classes are FUN and informative and things you can apply everyday at home. They helped Lily Mae and I bond and enjoy one another. With all of Sherry's experience she instills such a level of confidence in me as a new first time dog owner - and teaches me how to do what's best to make Lily Mae be the best she can be. I'd give 6 stars if I could. I never imagined at 10 months old this little pup could learn and do so much especially that she is skeptical by nature. Puppyhood was actually enjoyable because in every mischeivious instance I had the tools taught to me to be able to know what was best to do......... I tell you this puppy-girl is LOVING LIFE and has a solid foundation for a long happy fun productive life. Thanks to Start Them Right, Inc.

From the owner: A deep, positive, trusting relationship with dogs is the cornerstone of our training. Dogs enrich…read moreour lives so must do all we can to understand and train them. A life-long love of dogs, and over thirty years of working with them in a wide variety of different capacities, I am passionate about helping others understand their canine companions. My experiences include training dogs in obedience, tracking, field work, agility and therapy dogs. Safe, effective dog training begins with Start Them Right, Inc. in Cary or PIttsboro, NC. Dogs should be carefully taught how to live in our society. Dogs think and understand from the canine perspective. Many canine behavioral problems result from a dog's confusion over what is expected. Reprimanding misunderstanding should never occur. We can teach you how to guide your dog to understanding what is expected and rewardable behavior. A deep, positive, trusting relationship with dogs is the cornerstone of my training. Dogs enrich our lives. WE must do all we can to understand and train them.

My little pittie mix and I had such a fun time taking classes here! We recently completed the…read more7-week foundations course with Logan. I was pleasantly surprised at how much we learned in the course. I'll admit I was a little disappointed at first since the class is a lot of lecturing, however, I see why it is set up the way it is. Even with a high energy dog, the breaks between exercises were needed. I did not realize how mentally exhausting the training can be for the dogs and owners. Apollo loved the classes, but was definitely ready for a nap when we got into the car. The first class and I think the fifth(?) are primarily lecture. The instructor informs the class of this in advance so you can plan accordingly. Due to the nature of the first class, dogs are optional. After each class they send a detailed review of the class along with homework exercises. Each week has a topic and the classes are organized well. Overall, we enjoyed this class and recommend their classes to others!

I have been taking my dog Milou to All Dogs Allowed since he was a puppy and I'm so happy I…read morediscovered it! They only use positive reinforcement methods which is really important to me, and I love how much they value the comfort and happiness of their dogs and humans. I've taken several different classes here and it's been amazing to see how much we've learned and how much I've grown as a handler. Also want to give a special shout out to our trainer Katie who has been amazing and a part of Milou's training journey since the beginning. I love it here and can't imagine bringing my pup (and future pups) anywhere else!

My favorite pet store of all time. The people who work here are awesome, and there is a great…read moreselection.

Coming from out of state, I am very happy that they carry Fromm! They're decently priced (for…read moreFromm) with the same 12 bag get your 13th free plan at the store (via manufacturer). For our cat, we get the wet food brand Weruna - and although I'm used to a very similar Fromm purchasing plan of the bigger cans (per store policy at a different store), Pet Mania unfortunately doesn't do that here. However, there's a very huge flavor selection of this brand (that comes in the small cans), so I'm pretty happy with having many choices. Finally, my cat also loves a stuffed animal brand called supercat (mainly the dinosaurs though), and this store carries this with a price pretty competitive to that of Amazon. Very well stocked for being a fairly small store, so I come here for most of my pets' needs. Fair warning that compared to other commercial stores, some may think this is pricey; however, the selections here tend to be the higher quality brands overall.