I am very late in writing this review, but I wanted to share how meaningful my experience was. I…read moreenrolled my puppy, a red standard poodle, in her classes, and very quickly realized she was exactly the kind of trainer I had been searching for. She is clearly knowledgeable and skilled, but what truly sets her apart is her holistic approach and genuine care for animals. She treats every dog as an individual and tailors her training to meet each one's specific needs. That same thoughtful approach extends to her human clients. During this time, I was dealing with significant health challenges and was not able to attend every class. She kindly offered makeup sessions, which I deeply appreciated. When she learned that my absences were due to my health, she checked in on me personally and even asked if it was okay to call me at home to see how I was doing. Her compassion meant more to me than I can easily express. She showed more care and concern than many people I have known for decades. Anyone looking for a dog trainer should go to her, not only for her expertise, but because she is genuinely kind, attentive, and deeply invested in both her clients and their dogs.

I took Hazelnut here when she was a pup. She's now an AKC Grand Champion and I am back with he…read moredaughter. Bringing her pup feels like full circle, which says everything about my experience. April is knowledgeable, patient, and incredibly effective at tailoring guidance to each dog's temperament and each handler's skill level. I especially appreciate how she focuses not just on obedience, but on building confidence, socialization, and a strong relationship. Seeing the progress from one generation to the next has been really special, and I wouldn't trust anyone else with those critical early training foundations.

Scott Dancer is a great dog trainer!! Without him, I don't think we could live in DC with our…read morereactive cattle dog, Marvin. We were out of options when we sent Marvin to board and train. When we got him back and Scott trained US on new techniques, it was a whole new world. Marvin is now so much happier on walks and we can take him out with confidence. I grew up training our family dogs, one of which I trained to be a therapy dog, but Scott had that next level training that made the difference with Marvin. I recommend Scott to anyone with dog training needs. I will also mention Scott has a huge heart for dogs. He helped us out with a foster dog when we and the shelter could no longer take him. Scott saved and housed this wonderful pup for a year out of the kindness of his heart! Scott is a great dog trainer and a great dude.

Scott was a FANTASTIC trainer, his weekly sessions and homework were just what we needed to get our…read moredog under control. We could not leave him alone without howling and didn't trust him to come at the park. After working with Scott that all changed. High recommended!!!

We had a great experience with the basic obedience class! The instructions were really clear and…read morethe lessons moved quickly enough that my dog stayed engaged the whole time. I'm already seeing improvement in her recall when we're at the park! Highly recommend these trainers and will be back for more classes.

Classes are great. Staff is wonderful. I had a few follow…read moreup questions and received a comprehensive response that was pages long.

I can not recommend Scott and Suzy at Dogs by Dancer highly enough. They are thoughtful and…read moreprofessional and my dog loves Scott and is always so excited to see him. I had such a great experience, I am going to send our other dog to Scott. Scott clearly cares about the dogs, is proactive with outreach and has also followed up regularly to see how my dog, Taco, is doing post-training. Taco had several behavioral issues and is so much better, calmer and more confident after his board and train. The follow up group classes are such huge bonus. If you are looking for effective and professional training by someone who clearly loves dogs, Scott Dancer is your guy.

I do not recommend Dc dog wizard, "Dogs by dancer" or any dog training program by Scott Dancer…read more Scott made unsafe choices for the dogs in his care. My dog was returned to me covered in feces/urine. The progress I made with my dog's challenges is gone due to whatever occurred with Scott. Communication was unclear & poor, Scott was incredibly unprofessional & disorganized. Save your money & go elsewhere.

Our family highly recommends Controlled K9! We adopted our boy Mortimer last year after he had been…read moreliving as a stray, and we were really struggling when he came home with basic manners, reactivity, and having him settle in with our other dog. We ended up sending both of our boys for a six-week board and train with Kelia. It seemed to only make sense to send both dogs so they would have the same baseline training. Kelia was amazing! She kept us informed just about every day with videos and texts so we could see that the boys were happy and making progress. When Kelia brought the boys home, she spent a few hours with us, showing all the commands and techniques that she taught them, so we had a seamless transition. The "place" command alone has been lifechanging. (Although as you can see in the picture, they sometimes refuse to use separate mats, LOL.) We use the command before we feed them, initially when guests come by, and when we just need them to settle down a bit. It has reduced the stress and chaos in our house tenfold, and we actually can see the boys relax when they know they have a place to go and chill out. Kelia also gave us the tools to make leash walking and general obedience so much more successful. There are a lot of options out there for training. What set Controlled K9 apart for us was (1) our boys lived with Kelia, her family, and her dogs during training - they were not staying in a kennel and were in a real-life, loving environment, and (2) the promise of lifetime, free follow-up support. The boys have been home now for about 3 months. The training has stuck, and we feel like we really have the tools we need to make life pleasant for all of us, including the boys. Kelia has also proactively checked in to make sure things are going well, provided tips on the best way to reinforce training, and has responded quickly when we have follow-up questions, including offering a visit. Over three months later, we are still completely satisfied with the training and support provided by Controlled K9 and Kelia, and we would use them again in a heartbeat.

Kelia was the most amazing trainer for me and my dog. He was an anxious, dog reactive guy, and it…read moreaffected every part of how and when we interacted with the world. Since he's worked with her over the five-week training period, he's made a complete 180. Now we're able to walk around the city and not have him bark at every dog we see on the street. I want to point out that because my dog is innately anxious, it affects his physical state too with eating and other issues. Kelia shared that she used to be a vet tech and made me feel the most comfortable and confident with helping me set up a plan for when he might have an episode due to the transition and what all would take place to ensure he would be okay, loved, and healthy. Long story short, she cared for him for the days he was struggling, kept me updated, and he came out of it because she was purposeful, knowledgeable, and more than capable to handle the situation. I can't recommend Kelia enough for anyone seeking support and/or confidence in how they can better work with, love, and respect their dog. Bonus, she's genuinely such a joy of a human being!

My friend referred me to this company and I am so happy she did! Emma The Wonder Dog just loves…read morewhat they do... they are essentially like high-end dog walkers but instead of going around your neighborhood they go to all sorts of different and exciting (for dogs) places and instead of just walking, they do all sorts of different exercises. We even get videos and pictures so we can see what Emma The Wonder Dog is doing and how much fun she is having (two of the pics in my profile are from her adventures!) I've found the customer service to just be exceptional... Sean is always quick to answer my calls, e-mails, and texts even during nights and weekends. Sometimes I have a last minute schedule change due to my crazy life and they always seem to bend over backwards to accommodate me. Yes, the wait-list is a pain, but now I see why they have it... it was well worth the wait as they take Emma The Wonder Dog to all the places I wish I could take her on a daily basis and treat her like the princess she is! Highly, HIGHLY recommend!

We couldn't be happier that we found Pant & Wag! It has been a lifesaver living in DC with our very…read moreactive lab mix, Koa (Koa has been going on Pant & Wag adventures for over 2 years now). Sean, the business owner, is an incredibly trustworthy, fair and dependable person and you can tell he absolutely loves our dog like his own (and she loves him). It really shines through that the business and spending time with dogs is something he loves to do. Koa is always tired and happy when she comes back from all her adventures. It's been really fun for us to receive the photos and description after each adventure of where they went that day - all throughout the city. She's explored more of the area hiking trails than we have. We always joke that she is having a better life than we are! We feel so much better knowing that she is getting proper strenuous exercise at least a couple of times a week during her adventure days. It really is a great service

Brandi and Perry did an awesome job training our 10-month-old mini bernedoodle. She is a pleasure…read moreto be around now. The e-collar training is absolutely life-changing. I wish I had done this sooner- it would have saved me from a lot of stress and aggravation. Communication with Brandi was awesome. She was always quick to respond and gave us updates with pictures everyday. It's definitely a worthwhile investment to have an exceptional companion for the next 15+ years!

I can't say enough good things about Brandi and Perry Bailey of RSK9. Their work has given my pup…read moreand I so much freedom and balance. Pebbles (blue heeler, 1.5 years old) would never listen to me, would not sit or lay still, and had a lot of other obedience issues that caused her to be stressed or confused. She was a TOUGH dog to train and I was concerned I couldn't find the solution for her to get basic concepts. This view has completely changed since working with RSK9's 3 week program. I would HIGHLY recommend them and their methods - you can tell they genuinely love working with dogs and it's made a huge difference in giving my dog the chance to find real rest at home. They send DAILY updates with photos and videos which was so nice. This isn't a regular class or something you just pay for; it's truly an investment that you and your dog will be using for the time you get to share together. Side note: it's worth doing 3 weeks versus 2 weeks. At the 2 week mark is when Pebbles really started to understand her marks and cues. From here there is so much more that can be refined and Brandi/Perry really capitalize on that threshold being crossed!

I've had a great experience with Terrific Dogs. Sarah, the main trainer, is one of those people…read morewho just 'gets dogs.' We adopted an American Bulldog who had insecurity based aggression issues. They were so bad that I considered him unsafe and thought I'd be forced to return him to the shelter. I communicated with several trainers about his issues and I found Sarah the most helpful and engaging, even before we signed any contract. She was also the only one I found who would do a free consultation (others ranged from $100-300). I found that she's able to see things that I don't, even though I consider myself as a decent dog person. She explored the extent of my dog's aggression and guided me through exercises to help alter his behavior. This was all in the first consultation. Given that first impression, we contracted her services and it's been great. She's been very responsive to any questions or problems I've had and continued to give me input between our sessions. I'm half way through my sessions with her and I've seen a ton of improvement in my dog's behavioral issues, much faster than I was expecting. As a bonus, she's also helped me teach him basic obedience which ties into our behavioral training. So I'm very satisfied with her services. Probably the best thing about Sarah is she gives you the confidence to work with your dog on your own, and this is unique since I don't get that impression from many people. I think she should be at the top of the list for anyone seeking a dog trainer.

I have a challenging rescue dog. We are making progress.read more

We had a life-changing three hours with David Schmucher of Sidewalk Dog Training. He communicated…read moreinstantly and effectively with our rescue pup and showed us how to do that (and more). He is an extraordinary guide, teacher, and resource!

We reached out to David and he was booked up pretty far in advance but was able to squeeze us in on…read morefairly short notice which was much appreciated. We adopted a 4 yr old mixed breed who was having some difficulties getting settled in to our home. During the training session we learned some new things and our dog seemed to enjoy himself. However, we did not feel comfortable using the provided collar as our dog would choke on it from pulling and became more anxious and fearful with it's use. Maybe over time our dog would have adjusted to the slip/show collar but we didn't want to take any chances with a new dog. We are instead focusing on obedience and positive reinforcement training and using a no-pull harness.

Brittany helped us do an incredible 180 with our two adopted dogs, which has, without exaggeration,…read moreimproved the overall quality of our life. Five weeks ago, we couldn't let visitors into our home through the front door, walk past other dogs, or be in-the-midst of little ones without major stress for both dogs and humans alike. Fast forward to now, and our dog-reactive pup can pass other dogs on walks with minimal (and occasionally, no) reaction; our kid-fearful pup can hang out near the chaos of little ones playing at the park without stressing out; and we can do introductions with guests visiting our home that don't make us dread having visitors. Prior to Brittany's help, I hadn't walked one of the two in more than a year because the experience was always so stressful. Now, I'm proud every time he turns to me for cues and reassurance as we go on more confident walks together. Our training experience with Brittany really strengthened our trust of, and bond with, both dogs. Like I said, life-changing. Here's what we loved most about working with her: 1. She genuinely cares about our dogs and treated them like she'd treat her own fur-child. It put all of us at ease. 2. She does 100% positive reinforcement behavior training, so we knew (and believed in) her methodology. 3. She customized the training plan for our dogs. We got to pick our top priorities, and she chose the specific activities that would help us and our fur-children accomplish those goals. I could go on and on... we're just so thankful we found her. Thank you so much, Brittany!

Brittany ROCKS! If you need positive reinforcement in your life (with your pups), I highly…read morerecommend calling Brittany and Dances With Dogs. Her training and patience will change your pup(s) and your relationship/interaction with him/her. She is life-changing. Call her now!