Beth and Seth are fantastic. The best thing we did for our puppy was get him into classes at. A Paw…read moreAbove. We are constantly complimented on his behavior. Personally I loved the classes, I loved the positive enforcement approach to dog training. And I loved the explanation. They made dog behavior make sense. They're kind and committed and you can tell the genuinely love dogs and care about them.

We are LOVING these classes! We're so thrilled with Seth, Beth, and all the trainers! We really…read morecan't recommend these classes enough! We take our rescue puppy, Zero, to the puppy socialization classes on Tuesdays and Saturdays. He started out hiding under our chairs and after 3 weeks is starting to play with the other puppies! We're so happy with his socialization progress, especially because he has no other outlet yet while he's only partially vaccinated (puppies require 2 of 3 vaccine rounds). We're also so glad to have the trainers' help when assessing his play, Zero is our first puppy so we don't yet understand what his behavior means; Seth and Beth are incredibly helpful in interpreting what our pup is feeling! The trainers, led by Seth and Beth, give excellent lessons in obedience; they've really helped me see how "tricks" like sitting or touching are the foundation for good behavior later on like being home alone or recall. They also take time at the end of each class to make individualized recommendations, which has helped a ton with our puppy's biting. With lots of at-home practice, our puppy has learned a lot of really great behaviors; now that he's playing with other pups, he's starting to get distracted in class, but we're so thankful to have the trainers' help in redirecting him! The puppy classes are a mix of training and play with alternating 10-15 min sessions of each, which allows socialization and prevents the pups from getting bored of training. The trainers here really balance training and socialization well (which we never could have done on our own), they know just when to let our puppy play and when to give him boundaries. If you're thinking of taking your puppy here, all I can say is "DO IT!"

You learn as your dog learns. Lia is great with the dogs and knows what she is doing. Dogs truly…read morehave fun at Ms. Lia's house.

I found Lia through her instagram @adogslifewithlia and working with her has changed my life. Our…read morepup Cucumber was in major need of rehabilitation after several incidents of reactivity, little did I know it was me who would be rehabilitated. Working with Lia has made me a better person for Cukes and helped me understand his needs better. After the seven week program both Cucumber and I have developed a stronger bond. I am able to provide the leadership he sorely needed. It is constant work, get ready for a postive change.

When my puppy was showing early signs of resource guarding that were concerning, Maria stepped in…read moreon short notice and with one session I noticed a dramatic improvement in his demeanor and behavior around food and bones. By practicing the exercises she gave us, he now comfortably is able to chew bones and eat his food around us and other dogs without lunging or barking which is a huge relief as he will be a large dog when he is fully grown. Additionally, she helped me start to shift my relationship with my puppy which resulted in more respect and obedience from him in general. We could only do a few sessions together before moving out of state, but it is easy to see that she understands dogs and they truly respond to her guidance. We still have a ways to go with training, but with the tools and lessons Maria left us with I am much more confident that we are on the right path!

Maria is a fantastic trainer, I could not say enough positive things. I came to her because Azula…read morehad bad leash anxiety which would result with her barking uncontrollably at other dogs while on walks. Maria introduced me to a different method of walking her, leash drills and showed me how to read Azula better; ever since Azula has been a new dog on walks! It has been an absolute joy to walk Azula now and that is all thanks to Maria's expertise.

We have had Colleen to our home for private lessons and we have taken her group classes. My deaf…read moreAussie has come a long way with Colleen helping us. I highly recommend her.

K9 Manners Matters attends to the needs of both owners and the dogs. We have received great…read moretraining for our dog teaching how to handle any issue that arises. Colleens knowledge of dogs is very helpful and you won't regret hiring her. I would recommend her to anyone. T

I sought out Nicole after reading her books and was really excited to hear that I could schedule a…read moreconsultation with her. I had recently had a negative experience with a self-proclaimed behaviorist, and I was really feeling frustrated and defeated. Nicole is not just amazingly knowledgeable; she is so sincere and compassionate. Every interaction with her is like I am talking to a friend and even when she is insanely busy, she will reply to my overly emotional emails with a calmness that I admire. Nicole takes the time to understand you, your dogs, and she has helped us so much with her suggestions and pointers. I highly recommend all of her books, I have read 3 and they are all helpful, informative, and easy reads for anyone. She is an amazing human and an incredible dog trainer. Thank you, Nicole for everything you have done for me and the girls!!

I reached out to Nicole Wilde from Gentle Guidance for private dog training after she was referred…read moreto me by Zoom Room, and am so glad that I did! We have three dogs - two Great Danes and a Corgi-Beagle - our youngest Dane and the Corgi-Beagle have started fighting, which is particularly scary considering the size difference. From the moment I first spoke with Nicole, I felt the stress that has overshadowed the household begin to dissipate. She has hands on experience in all areas of dog behavior and training, but specifically wrote a book on this topic called "Keeping the Peace: A Guide to Solving Dog-Dog Aggression in the Home" that is a great compliment to the private sessions we've been doing with her. She has a calm, gentle approach to training and discipline that the dogs instantly respond to, and we've made great strides in the short time we've been with her. Nicole is fantastic at communication, always calls or emails back if we have questions in between sessions, gives up homework to follow up on, and most importantly, she truly loves and understands dogs - and they love and understand her back.

Adler kennel is the best. Ann has a way with dogs and she knows what she is talking about.read more

I think it's time for me to share my experience with Adler Stein and Anne ... These are purely my…read moreperspectives and I ask Anne/Adler Stein and anybody else to pardon any inaccuracies. I have an almost 2 yr old GSD, Fuzzy. We got him at the onset of the pandemic, so we couldn't socialize him early on. I trained him with every online resource that I could find. He is one fine dog, but had 2 challenges. He had leash reactivity with dogs and we couldn't board him anywhere due to his anxiety. Our first attempt at getting a trainer was an expensive mistake. Our second trainer was a wonderful lady and helped Fuzzy in many ways. But we hit a wall when it came to leash reactivity. Using treats for counter-conditioning was not working for us. Adler Stein came up in my research, and my experience was the same as folks have pointed out in other reviews. Called and left a message .... radio silence. Something about the writeup on their facebook page and the postings about rescues made me keep pushing. I continued to stalk them online around June/July 2021 and early August I got an email response from Anne asking me to contact her again in late September. I did and she called me back. We spent 10 minutes talking and I remembered all the tough teachers and family members I'd seen in my life. I'd normally be put off if somebody spoke to me in a direct and demanding tone, but everything she said/asked was related to the well-being of Fuzzy. I dropped him off in mid Oct for a 2 week training and that was the day I started understanding the environment and Anne a bit better. It is a spacious property with so many dogs in kennels and a few horses. Dogs were barking so much that I was going crazy in my head. But it made me appreciate her work, just think of say 20-30 dogs around you all barking at the same time all day long ... What would your state of mind be? How would you respond to so many people calling or messaging you for your services? She does this all by herself (I think) and I have seen how much work it is, so I started appreciating her work even more. I answered her questions about Fuzzy as much as I could, dropped him off for a 2 week training routine and left with a lot of questions in my mind. She'd noticed how nervous he was and asked me to check back in 2 days to see if this was even going to work out. Considering the 70 mile drive and the sizable fee, I had my fingers crossed. I checked back in 2 days and she texted back that he was doing well and she was starting the training. I checked back after a week and she sent me a video of his training. I went back after 2 weeks and she spent 30 mins talking about him, her observations, training, etc. She asked me a lot of questions about previous trainings and shared her perspectives on the modern way of life that includes dogs. When she brought him to me, he was soooo excited. After the first few mins of letting him be, she started "transferring" what worked in the training to me. We spent 90 mins where I was trying to follow her instructions and felt like a puppet trying to keep up with the drill master. I was nervous and made quite a few mistakes, but learned many important training techniques. She was not satisfied with me though, but we scheduled a follow-up 2 weeks later. I practiced with Fuzzy everything she taught us for 2 weeks and we did the follow up yesterday. She was happy with the progress and taught us more. I felt validated when she complimented my willingness to learn patiently. Fuzzy is calmer, more responsive and Anne has taught me how to handle him when he is all wired up. Anne keeps her kennels clean, feeds the dogs well and takes good care of them. I never told her this, but when she called him Fuzz-ball, it made me happy because we call him that at home. I'd leave you with the following takeaways 1. If you have a big dog, especially a Shepherd, they are not like other dogs and need a certain type of training. Anne is a great trainer. 2. Anne has a strong personality, is incredibly direct, has very little patience and will make you uncomfortable but it is all part of the learning process for the humans who got these dogs in the first place. She wore a hoodie with these words and they say it all - "easily offended = easily manipulated". 3. Her boarding charges are economically unheard of (in a good way) for what she offers. But she has strict requirements, specific timings and may not give a damn about who you are. Her focus is the dog. If you are willing to accept Anne's working style and training methods, you will not regret it. You may not agree with everything she believes in and that's ok. If you are looking for a lovey dovey engagement style, I'd recommend looking elsewhere. Not all dogs are the same, but for Shepherds, Anne is the best I have come across. I wish her well and will continue to seek her business services for as long as she is in business.

Colleen is easily the best and most knowledgeable trainer we have worked with. She truly cares…read moreabout all dogs and knows so much about them, beyond just behavior. We've taken multiple group classes, individual lessons, and she has even done drop- ins at our home during the day while we are at work. Her methods REALLY WORK! She teaches you how important engagement is and how to build a relationship with your dog. With her your dogs will learn how to make good choices on their own, not just when you ask. All of her methods are force-free, which in my opinion are the only truly effective methods. Methods that use fear/intimidation are just suppressing behaviors not truly changing them. Her style and approach of training is not a fast/easy fix. It requires commitment from you to practice with your dog daily (which is easier than you think), but it is effective and so rewarding.

I've had such a great experience with Susann at Focus Four Paws! She really goes above and beyond…read more Every lesson is well thought out and tailored to exactly what Mochi needs that day. I also love how she explains the "why" behind each exercise - it's made such a difference in understanding his behavior and feeling more confident as an owner. In just a few months, the progress has been amazing. Mochi listens better, stays more engaged, and is so much better behaved overall. He absolutely adores Susann and gets so excited when she shows up. I couldn't be happier and highly recommend her to anyone looking for a trainer who truly connects with dogs!

We interviewed at least 10 dog trainers and knew from our first contact with Susann that she was…read morethe best choice. Susann is an amazing dog trainer - very knowledgeable, kind, and patient. It is apparent that she is a dog lover, and is truly passionate about what she does. In only a few weeks of training, our 4-year-old Jack Russell Terrier has become a better listener and a calmer dog using all the techniques she taught us. Not only is Susann good with dogs, but she is always very flexible and accommodated our hectic work and family schedule. Thank you, Susann, for helping us to better understand our dog and meet his needs! Go with Susann; you and your dog will not regret it!