Jennifer has been a huge help with my very active, anxious pup over the 3 years I've had her! I can…read morehonestly say without her encouragement and guidance through some tough times, Molly would have been returned to the shelter. So a million thanks, Jennifer!!!!

PLEASE... Donate and let's help this WONDERFUL group of animal loving folks save and take great…read morecare of our beloved animals who are lost and need their help! Best dog rescue organization I've ever seen! Thank you :-)

Took my dog for a meet and greet and was told that he was too anxious around new dogs and being…read moreaway from me. They gave me the name of a trainer and recommended that I come back after he's had some exposure. Full disclosure, we're already working with a trainer on his anxiety around strangers and dogs (which I was upfront with) and I wanted to see if he had progressed enough to enjoy doggie daycare. Clearly not! While it may seem odd that I'm giving 5 stars to a place that we didn't get in, I want to say that I appreciate how willing they were to evaluate my dog, listen to my concerns, and give me honest feedback. We have had experiences with other places judging him by his breed and his past and not even giving him a shot. He's a young guy who had a traumatic past and has made SO MUCH progress. He loves other dogs and people, but he does need a firm handler that he knows for the first introductions to give him some confidence. It was totally appropriate for them to give me the feedback that they did. I appreciate that they considered if he would enjoy himself or be too stressed. I appreciate that they are attentive enough to their dogs to not need to discriminate against breeds. From what I say, the staff LOVES the dogs and the dogs are so happy to be there! We will definitely be trying again when we get a little more confident :)

If you have a special needs dog, there is not another daycare on the Southside like it. I have a…read morevery anxious dog. They go through a meet and greet process every single time he comes. No other day care in the area (we have been to most) cares about the special need dogs. The just deem your dog non compat (because they don't have the training, supplies, or staffing) and send you away. If you want the best, you want this location Dogtopia! A Quality, caring staff for your precious fur babies.

Super friendly and helpful people. We mainly interacted with Jeremiah, in addition to Ryan and…read moreanother trainer, at the Richmond Raceway Dog Expo on February 22nd. They offered a free leash training course at the beginning of the event. All of the staff were sociable, patient, and engaged. There was a large variety of dogs in both size and behavior, all of which (to my knowledge) made progress in one session.

The Richmond Dog Wizard trainer, Phil, is fantastic! He has an exceptional way with animals, is…read moretruly gifted as a dog trainer, and the dogs love being around him. Worth every penny. Very happy we found him!

My experience with Lara was very positive and productive. She was able to help me understand my dog…read moreand how to clearly communicate with her. She kept us both really motivated to practice and the results were awesome. Not only am I happy, but my pup is much happier too! Now we frequently receive compliments on my pups behavior. We go for long walks without pulling or acting crazy when she sees another dog. She was jumping, nipping, not listening and destructive. My grandchildren were frighteNed by her. Now they are able to play with her and life is good! I highly recommend Lara without reservation!

Those who know me know that my entire world is run by two miniature schnauzers…read more Granted, they are cuddly, cute, and have personalities the size of St. Bernards, and because of these reasons (amongst many), they have turned me into one of those crazy dog ladies that swears up and down that I'll never be able to have children because how -- HOW I ASK YOU?! -- could I possibly love anyone or anything more than I love these two creatures? Yes, Harry & Daxter are the fluffy little loves of my life, and boy oh boy, do they know it. It's not that they're bad dogs, really, it's just that they know how to get away with all the bad things that they do. Because, you know, they're cute. And while they have both gone through basic obedience and already knew how to do all the "normal" dog things like, sit, stay, and even high-five (Daxter gives excellent high-fives, FYI), a few commands does not a perfect dog make. And between the barking at every living thing (and sometimes even non-living things -- hello UPS truck) that passes by the house, Harry's penchant for eating my leftovers straight off of the coffee table, and how Daxter literally backs away from me when I say "come," it eventually got to a point where I needed to call in some professional help to turn my pups into more than just cuddly bed buddies. So thank GOODNESS for Lara and For Pup's Sake training! Under Lara's patient tutelage, my dogs now actually know how to go to their "place" before mealtime, and we're working on sending them there when folks come to the door as well. Their recall is better, they're generally more obedient, and, heck, better mannered, too! After all, a tired pup is generally a well-behaved pup, and with Lara's training these boys definitely get a mental work out. Lara comes and works with you in your home, so your dogs are learning in their environment, and gives you all the tools to continue the training when she's not there in person to guide you through it. We've worked on everything from leash-training to place-training to perfecting their patience and willpower with variations of the leave-it command I didn't even know existed. Beyond that, Lara truly cares about your dogs and wants to make sure they're set up for success from the get-go. My boys still have a bit of a way to go before they're truly the perfect pets (and I have a LONG way to go before I'm the perfect owner, hehe), but I'm so happy to have Lara and For Pup's Sake leading the way there.

Wanted to use them for puppy boot camp. First had to pay $100 for an evaluation. When we went to…read morebring him home the receptionist said he barked so much in the crate they had to move him to another room. We were not given any comments on how the evaluation went and were out $100 for no information. The owner said that since we lived so close he would try to move us up to a closer entry. This was last fall. Later we got a call saying he could start in January 2026. Another issue is that we decided to board both of our dogs for a weekend in September. When we brought them home both drank 2 bowls full of water each. I guess they don't water on the weekends? Just not a good experience all the way around. We found another place that took our pup within a week for boot camp and it worked out perfectly.

In essence, over several months, we had the worst training experience one could have. No…read morecommunication and no results. If I could give a rating of zero stars, I would. Below is the letter we sent to K9 & Co. when they would not refund our fees for "boot camp". If you love your dog, do not take it to K9. April 24, 2021 Mark Finch and K9 & Co. Retreat, We started coming to K9 & Co. with the intention of giving our new 8-month-old dog, Gypsi, a head start in obedience training as our elder patients are moving in with us. We wanted to do as much as we could to help our dog acclimate to new people quickly and avoid danger to them (e.g., jumping up on them, etc). We brought her in for day school and were told she "wasn't ready for that" but would benefit daycare in the meantime to socialize her. We dropped her off for daycare/day school from December 2020 through April 2021, two/three days per week.  Never did she get into day school save ONE time on March 5th, 2021. No report was given to us regarding what she worked on (if anything) on this date. Additionally, we called and scheduled a home visit for February 3rd, 2021. We received a phone call on February 3rd (the day of the appointment) stating, you "forgot we were scheduled"; so we scheduled another date on March 15th, 2021, again received a call cancelling the appointment. We got NO follow-up regarding rescheduling the home visit, and it was never discussed again. After slowly integrating Gypsi's routine into your day care several times per week and after formal evaluation on December 6th, 2020, you recommended "a tailor boot camp to help Gypsi". On March 15th, 2021, we dropped her off for boot camp and were told "we don't have time to follow up with you on a 'daily basis' or keep you informed daily on her progress and to remember no news from us (K9 & Co.) is good news".  However, your website states, "You work with the owners every step of the way"... I can say that none of our expectations were met. The cost of the "Boot camp" is fairly expensive, and after 2 days shy of 4 weeks, Gypsi had learned nothing. I'm not even sure she received any training at all. I suspect she was let out of her crate several times per day and fed, but no active instruction occurred. In fact, she had new abrasions and scabs on her elbows indicating excessive crating, requiring medical care as well as a urinary tract infection diagnosed by our veterinarian. We called many times to be updated on Gypsi's progress only to hear, "We are not sure what Mark has done. You'd have to talk to him." Your website indicates, "We take pride in working with our pet owners every step of the way in their pet's training process." This is false. We have never heard from or seen Mark Finch, and the only communication we received was after WE called your establishment and asked how Gypsi was doing, only to be told that essentially you did not know and that "No news is good news". I emailed a couple times to get some report on how she was doing only to get NO info other than "she's fine and adjusting..." We called a few times only to get the same short answers with NO details on how things were going and what was being worked on with her. We emailed asking for a date for her to come home along with some stipulations we have, with NO response... AND NEITHER ONE OF US HAVE EVER HAD ANY CONVERSATION WITH MARK FINCH (the elusive dog trainer)... On April 14th, 2021, I contacted Chase Bank to stop payment for $2500 to K9 & Company Retreat for services not rendered.

So glad I called Zach to help me establish a solid relationship with my cane corso/pit bull mix…read more Zach was beyond helpful during our month together, and my dog quickly became his biggest fan. We did training sessions at the park, the dog park and the farmers market together to work on training in real world scenarios. Since working with Zach I'm much more confident in my role as my dog's owner and I'm more confident in handling different situations that come up. As promised, Zach has remained available as questions have come up since our month wrapped up, and it feels great to know that I have an expert in my corner as Bodhi grows and continues to change. The things Bodhi and I learned from Zach continues to help us today and I know they will help for many years to come! I continue to teach Bodhi new things using techniques that Zach taught me. I highly recommend Zach for a training approach customized to your family and your dog, rather than some cookie cutter approach from a bigger company.

Zach is exactly what we were looking for! Most trainers were pushing board & train and/or using…read moree-collars, and we'd just adopted a 3-month-old puppy. We're not using an e-collar on a puppy and honestly, we didn't need her disciplined. We needed to establish a relationship and be given proper communication skills. Enter Zach! He gave us this and more! He has given us skills that we will carry with us all our lives and has transformed our relationship with our puppy. We will forever be grateful to him.

Responsive and helpful. Very knowledgeable staff and so friendly. Can't wait to start our pup next…read moreweek!

We took Archie for his first puppy play school today and I'm so glad we did!…read more We worked on a few different commands (sit, stand, eye contact, and touch) and then they're was socialization time. Our dogs are elderly so he doesn't get to play as much as we'd like and this was the perfect thing. It took him a while to warm up to play time but when he did, he was great!

They are truly dog lovers! My dog can't wait to get out of the car when we pull up! It's not the…read morefanciest place but can't imagine taking her anywhere else.

I had my puppy there for bootcamp that was supposed to last for 4 weeks. I was told that she…read moreneeded to stay longer because she was having aggression issues. This was a surprise to me because on each of my calls to see how she was doing, I was told that "She is doing great and progressing nicely". I stopped by one day and asked to see her and was told that they were too busy and I would need to schedule a time. I was the only customer in the lobby at the time. I scheduled a time for the following day and took a friend with me. Sadie smelled so bad that I couldn't stand it. My other dog was to be there for 1 week to work on anxiety that she had with the puppy. She was more anxious that ever and also smelled really bad. At the 10 week mark, I decided that I wanted my dogs back. I was charged $100 more than I was quoted and I had to pay for 1 day of daycare for both dogs so that they could be "evaluated". I never received an evaluation on one of the dogs and the evaluation I did receive was for the wrong dog. I was told when I picked them up that I would probably need to get them groomed as soon as possible because they were badly matted and they didn't have the time to brush them. I spent an additional $180 the next day having them groomed. They both had to be shaved down to the skin. In addition, the puppy learned nothing. She doesn't even know how to sit, lie down or come, which are the very basics. This is after 10 weeks! The "manager", Amanda, is condescending, uncaring and knows nothing about customer service! I have asked repeatedly to speak with Tori. I was told that she was out on maternity leave and when she returned, she would work with my dogs for 1 week at no charge. I told Amanda that I expected them to be trained as promised or I wanted my money back. It has been 2 1/2 months since I brought them home. I have called twice and spoke with Amanda both times. She told me that Tori had not come back, but I was first on the list when she returned. She then asked "What's your name again?" Are you kidding me? How can I be first on the list if you don't even know who I am?! They obviously don't care about their customers or their business if they don't even try to resolve issues. I have used them in the past for my other two dogs and had great results. That is not the case now. I WOULD NOT recommend them to anyone. They do not care about your dog or you. They just want your money.

We adopted a year old rescue Springer Spaniel. Wonderful dog.......in our house and in our yard! On…read morewalks, he was a terror: when he saw other dogs, he went berserk! We literally, if we saw other dogs; went the other way! He was uncontrollable. We invested in Off the Leash training. ( and it is expensive!) and IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY! After two weeks with Rebekah, our dog (and he us still the lovable and loving dog we love) is a pleasure to walk, loves going to the dog park and doggy day care and has no problem when encountering other dogs. Amazing transformation!

I gave Head trainer Austin my 5 month great pyrenees with no training and he gave me back a dog…read morethat can sit, down ,stay, heel and return with no problem. Great job

These folks are amazing. I called them to get urgent help for me door-eating dog, and they came…read moreover that same day to meet him. By the end of the week they had him on a schedule, walking 3 times a week for a half hour, to train him to walk on a leash. Once he can do that (which may take a while, he's hard-headed :)) he is going to go on adventure walks with them, which are basically long hikes with 2-3 dogs at a time, that completely tire your pooch out. I have two walkers that work with my dog, and they are both awesome. They send me an email after every walk, with pictures of my dog and a progress report of how he's doing. They also are bonded and insured, and offer to keep keys to the house so they can come in while you are at work and exercise the pooch. And get this- it's $20 for the walk... and $5 for every extra 15 mins! And that is for one or two dogs... very reasonable. So much so that I can definitely afford the 3 days a week walking, and seeing my puppy so happy at the end of the day is worth it. Love these guys.

UPDATE: 7/23/17: I'm…read morewriting an update to this review 7 years later, still as a loyal client of Canine Adventure. Unfortunately, my 3 boys (Ozzy, Tyler, and Bono) have since passed away, but my 2 new pups (Cannon and Hollywood) are still regular adventurers. They get to go hiking and swimming with Marti every couple of weeks - with Cannon generally finding some enormous stick or piece of trash to keep him entertained and Holly swimming laps in the river and playing chase with other dogs. They always come home happy and tired. There is a review posted from someone named "Matin" (which I assume is made up as it is a brand new account and contains false information) that says someone from Richmond Boxer Rescue steered him away from CA. I am the founder and president of RBR and a loyal client for almost 10 years now. Many of my fosters and volunteers use them and love them as well. NO ONE from my organization knows who this person is or said anything negative about CA, so that is a blatant lie. Review from 2010: I cannot say enough good things about Josh and Canine Adventure! Aside from actually being able to sometimes make my boxer, Ozzy, slightly tired (a nearly impossible feat), Josh was always reliable, responsible and ended up being a good friend! My own dogs (Ozzy, Tyler and Bono) were lucky to get Adventure Walks with him every week! The highlight of their week was seeing Josh pull up in front of the house! In addition to working with my own dogs, Josh graciously worked with my many fosters through Richmond Boxer Rescue. He donates his time to several other local rescue groups as well. The walks and training were an invaluable asset to the foster dogs as were the AMAZING photos he would take on the walks! We moved to the west coast but would still be loyal clients if we were in Richmond! I so wish there were a service like this available here!