We have 2 - 10 year old spaniel/retriever litter mates that we've had since they were 6 weeks old…read more We've also had them in both puppy training and remedial training a few years ago to help with fearful behaviors. The pandemic did not help their socialization either. On top of everything, we recently moved to a more densely populated area with more noise, people and dogs. The change of moving for the 1st time (for them) was already a big stressor - adding these other things on top was making their barking and reactive behaviors even worse. After interviewing several trainers in the area, I immediately connected with Vivian. She's easy to talk to and has a great program for getting started. I explained to her that we simply didn't know what to do when our girls over reacted - something we had never learned from the other trainers. But even more importantly, she really understands how to positively encourage change rather than punish, which is something I was specifically looking for. We just finished the Gold Program with Vivian and I am thrilled with our girls' progress. Vivian did a great job of assessing their issues, helping us understand what we can do to help them and then guiding us through the process to help them overcome their fears. Now, we can continue to practice with them. Their progress in such a short period of time has been nothing short of a miracle. Our girls are so much calmer and less reactive. We are truly grateful to Vivian and recommend her without reservation.

Vivian is incredibly empathetic and warm person with a vast knowledge of dogs and owners. Honestly,…read moreshe made us better owners which impacted our pup's behavior drastically. Our dog was pretty reactive and anxious and she provided some useful activities that developed Charlie's recall and discipline. Fully recommend Vivian for any owner looking for a better relationship with their dog.

If I could give this company less than a one star rating, I would. George first came to my house to…read morediscuss my dog's training and we set up a boarding regime before he left and didn't even ask once to meet or see my dog ahead of time, which concerned me from the beginning. A dog lover would want to meet a dog who was going to be staying with him ahead of time. George Leonard told me specifically that training was $100/night. Never once did George inform me that I was agreeing to 5 consecutive days when I paid him $500 up front. Therefore, when I asked if it would be okay to pickup Oliver after two days of training due to my busy work schedule, and George agreed, never did he mention that I would ultimately be losing the last $300 I sent him ahead of time. I asked if it was okay to pick him up, had he told me I would be losing the rest of Oliver's training I never would have picked him up. I figured, at the time, George would let me know his schedule (like we agreed he would do in person) and I could bring Ollie back to finish his training. When I emailed George a few days later to set up another training for Oliver (in which I had already paid in advance) he sent me an extremely rude email saying that I had lost my opportunity and if I'd like Oliver to be trained, I would have to pay an additional $100 per night. Do NOT send your dog to this training. The "Canine Training and Behavioral Specialist" George is very rude and will not accommodate as needed. I was scammed into losing nearing $300 and Oliver was never even trained. Such a disappointment and waste of time, effort and money.

I can't recommend Ruff and Ready enough. George was incredibly helpful with the 60+ lbs teen…read moreAmerican bulldog my fiancé and I fostered. George had been working with our foster dog before we got him, and we were amazed at how well trained the dog was. George helped us understand the training and have the skills to reinforce it so our foster dog could be his best self and find a forever home. Our dog who'd passed away was a senior, small deaf terrier mix, so having a big American bulldog in his teens was something very new to us, and George was absolutely fantastic in teaching us how to continue working with the dog. George spent more than 1.5 hours the day we first received our foster dog going over all the basics until we were confident we had the fundamentals down. We also had several super helpful training sessions at our home so we could practice how to correctly enforce the training in various scenarios and locations. George answered each of my long, rambly, nervous emails with patience, kindness, encouragement and a deep understanding of my questions. George has an incredible ability to not just train dogs well, but train *us* as their human caretakers, which I realized through this process is just as essential. George was really great at teaching me in a way that was consistent, motivating, and easy to understand. I was nervous because looking after and training a large powerful dog can be pretty intimidating when you have no previous experience, but George equipped me with the tools and knowledge necessary to do so and was always very responsive to email and phone calls when I had any questions or concerns. It can be an adjustment to follow a training "regimen" when you never have before, (e.g., using a prong collar) and it's easy to think the discipline is not what dogs want or need. That said, George taught me how critical it is for some dogs (e.g. a large bully breed), and how that's what our foster dog needed to be safe and be his best self and get the home he deserved. Trust me, the foster dog utterly LOVED George, who always knew how to balance correcting negative behavior, positive reinforcement, and play time. The time and dedication George has put into this dog in need of a home is admirable and says a lot about George's love of dogs and generous heart. We are forever grateful for all the training and encouragement we received, and for all George has done and continues to do for foster dogs. We will absolutely go to Ruff And Ready again when we get another dog, and I highly recommend you do the same, no matter what type of dog you have, even if it's just for a consultation session - it will change your life, and your dog's life, for the better.

When I first reached out to Tommy, I was in a pretty dark place with my 3-year-old English Bulldog…read more His behavior had taken a serious turn--aggression, constant overstimulation, and a total breakdown in how we communicated. I was heartbroken and honestly starting to feel like I'd failed him. What Tommy brought into our home was a complete shift in perspective. He didn't just train the dogs--he taught us how to create structure, set clear expectations, and restore calm. After just the first session, our house felt noticeably different. The tension was gone, the barking and toy-fighting stopped, and even our older dogs--who had been keeping their distance--seemed relieved. What really makes Tommy stand out is the continued support. He's incredibly responsive, provides real tools and a step-by-step plan, and genuinely checks in on your progress. The Lifetime Guarantee is a huge comfort--knowing we have ongoing access to help if new issues arise takes so much pressure off. We're still working through things, but the difference already feels like night and day. I can't recommend Tommy highly enough--he gave us back peace and hope.

We adopted our good boy Buddie from a shelter in December. A sweet boy, but years in a shelter…read more(five!) has made him somewhat a sensitive pup prone to barking to loud noises and strangers approaching. Passing cars on walks yielded barking and lunging, doorbells ringing, more barking. We tried some "do-it-yourself" online things with zero success, and realized actual one-on-one training was the only option. Enter Tommy from Bark-Busters. His initial three-hour in-home training course was amazingly effective, so much so the change in Buddie was almost night and day to us. Upon meeting Buddie for the first time, Tommy immediately knew the kind of sensitive dog Buddie was and tailored his training to suit. His techniques were easy to understand and master and can be practiced anytime we're with Buddie. No more barking when the doorbell rings, or when a car passes, or a stranger approaches. Buddie's a lot calmer now which is more in keeping with his overall sweet nature. Highest recommendation!

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.

Stephen did a home assessment of our dog today and it was great! I had three things I wanted…read moreStephen to addres: counter surfing, loose leash walking, and jumping in the car. I have a 72 pound golden retriever so we needed some control over our dog. Our dog was assessed and got training for his temperament. Stephen was super kind with our dog and me! The dog and I received valuable training. By the end of the session he was jumping in both the car and the truck. Counter surfing loose leash walking techniques were effective but to be honest I have to provide more consistent training. I signed up today for four more sessions.

Steve used to be a professional dog walker and later also dog trainer for my company KSR Pet Care,…read morebefore moving on to his own business venture. We are happy and proud of Steve who was always professional, calm, a very good listener, intelligent, compassionate, a team player, very organized and dedicated to meeting all client requests and expectations. He would help with all our services early mornings, late nights, midday dog walking and overnights. He became very knowledgeable and his certification in dog training was the icing on the top. I have seen Steve firsthand lead dog training classes and helping clients needing help with dog aggression or basic obedience. Recommend!

We adopted our puppy Storm and knew we needed to get our shy and scared puppy socialized so she…read morecould grow up to be a great dog. We started with puppy socialization classes with Colleen and were very excited to see how she interacted with the pups and their pawrents. She answered lots of questions others had about crate training, positive reinforcement and behavioral issues. We decided to put Storm into puppy obedience school so she'd learn how to interact and learn a few basic commands. She loved it! It took us a few classes to get her to be more comfortable but she's adjusted into a great dog and we know part of that is from the great training she received when she was only four months old. We also enrolled Storm into the intermediate course, because emergency recall was a concern of ours. Storm made lots of friends and enjoyed running around the classroom and drinking ALL the water! We also tried some one on one training with our older dog, a six year old Maltese with anxiety and leash aggression; but weren't able to really get to the root of the problem as every time we had Colleen over Jessie (our dog) acted like an angel! Colleen did give us some great tips on working with Jessie on leash aggression. If you're looking for some tips on training and obedience school for your furry legged children then we'd recommend giving Colleen and her team a call; we weren't disappointed and don't think you will be either. We've never used their dog walking service. So we can't speak to that.

Dog Tranquility and it's owner Colleen Dermott have truly been life savers for our family. Over…read moremany years and multiple dog training experiences, I can honestly say that our experience with Dog Tranquility and Colleen is the best we have ever had. She is very passionate about what she does and cares very much about customers and their pets alike. We have adopted dogs for years but two of our current pups were getting along so badly that they were having fights that drew blood. Since we adopt for life, giving one or both up was not an option. Colleen worked closely with our dogs and educated us as owners to address the issues. It was not easy but within only a couple of sessions Colleen had our dogs starting to peacefully interact and over time they have now become good friends. On the rare occasion when we have an issue, we now know how best to address both in the heat of the moment and afterwards to bring the two back together. I am hoping to continue working with Colleen to focus on additional basic obedience and training and to continue to address some lingering behavioral issues. I don't write a ton of reviews, preferring to only write when I have extraordinary experiences and this is one such case. I highly recommend Dog Tranquility; Colleen's experience and training far exceeds usual obedience & training options and the outcomes have been far more meaningful & longer lasting than other options we have tried.

We did a three session puppy training with Lisa and it was fantastic. She came to our home the week…read morewe brought our new dog home and set us off on the right path. Between sessions she was available for advice on training, house breaking, and general puppy life questions. Her advice and instruction accelerated the learning process for dog and humans alike - we have Lisa to thank for having a dog well on the path to the ideal companion. Can't recommend this service highly enough!

I am so great full to have found Lisa and to have her help with my adopted pandemic-pup. She has a…read moreclear depth of knowledge concerning general dog behavior but also specifically with regard to how behavior affects obedience and training. After contacting her I was relieved to have her support in helping me understand how to communicate and successfully train my new-older-dog! As no two dogs are the same, one of Lisa's strengths is diagnosing what changes in approach need to be made to accommodate a specific pup. And, as training is for the lifetime of the dog, I have confidence knowing I'll have Lisa around to work with into the future!

Greg and his team were always professional and caring with our senior foxhound. She was excited for…read moretheir visits whether it was a trot through the neighborhood or a sniffing of the front lawn. They tailored their visits to her preferences and abilities. They sent summaries and fun pictures of their adventures. She had a major seizure during a visit. Her walker contacted me immediately, and Greg made arrangements for her other walks to allow her to be with my dog while I could get there. Her walker provided amazing care to my dog and a detailed account to the vet. They were dedicated and supportive on a most difficult day. I recommend them highly.

Tail Wagging is the best, and we love Todd! He walks and has also stayed overnight with our pups…read moreand they love him. We get great reports of how they are doing with adorable photos, and they get great exercise multiple times a day. Thank you, Todd!!