Larry had us complete a pretty exhaustive checklist prior to coming for our training session. When…read morehe arrived he proceeded to redo the checklist for the entirety of the session. He also wasn't able to tell our two dogs apart(a 50 lbs, one eyed, pit mix and a 35lbs, shaggy, terrier mix). Just didn't seem prepared or terribly interested.

I asked who was a good dog trainer at the local pet stores and Larry was highly recommended. I did…read moresome research on him and I was impressed by all of the certifications Larry has. When I first called and spoke to Larry, I could tell he was very knowledgeable. After I filled out his pretreatment questionnaire, it was obvious that he would be very thorough in determining the cause of the problem and the best course of action to resolve it. My Jack Russel Terrier had separation anxiety and Larry got results on the first visit. Before he left, he told me how to continue with reinforcing the new behavior and looking for signs of remission before they got too bad. I did have a few questions in the following 2 weeks and Larry answered his phone and my questions without any hesitation. I can now confidently leave my best friend home without any hesitation (or damage to the furniture). Thanks Larry!

Tuff Pup was so easy to sign up for an schedule. Sami was awesome and helped us tame our crazy…read morerescue Pitty. She listened to what we're priorities for us and came up with realistic strategies. Highly recommend working with Tuff Pup

Matt worked with me and my best girl, Kira, to help her with some of her anxieties. He taught me…read moreit's not about curing her anxiety but managing it. We practiced how to greet visitors, and how to calm down when barking. I learned better ways to engage with Kira, and help her thrive in high stress situations.

Schedule sooner rather than later, her schedule fills up fast! Even so I highly recommend Heather…read moreas she has such a wealth of knowledge. She has so much experience with animals as a former zookeeper, so she is incredibly skilled with animals and is really in the best profession. The majority of her clients are dogs and their owners but she works with cats and exotics too! She's also super friendly and knows how to explain to you what is a necessary fix in behavior and what is completely normal for your animal. I scheduled a session with her for my 3 month old puppy as I needed to know how to best handle his teething and house training.

Heather and I met at an event in Manayunk and I couldn't wait to work with her. My dog, a…read moreone-year-old Australian Shepherd, had attended a basic obedience class but was in need of one-one-one training. My main goal in working with Heather was to have enjoyable walks with my dog and she made that dream come true in three sessions. Heather helped me communicate better with my dog which in turn created a special bond between us. I am so thankful I found Heather and can't recommend her enough!

Our boxer Biggie Smalls has been training and boarding with Eric since he was a pup. He enjoys his…read morestays at Katz Dogs K9 so much he sleeps for two days once he gets home. We definitely recommend boarding and training there.

Where do I even begin? Katz K9 is amazing. First, one of my dogs participated in the board and…read moretrain program. I was hesitant at first because of all the "professionals" out there, but it was totally worth it. Eric and Sam were so patient with me and took their time teaching me everything I needed to know so that my dog would continue to be successful. Secondly, I am a terrible procrastinator and things completely slip my mind. Multiple times they have worked with me last minute to get my pups in for boarding. Most importantly, my dogs love it there! I will forever recommend Katz. Even to my friends that live in Philadelphia!

I recently adopted a 9-month old dog and wanted to jump into training right away. I retained…read moresomeone who lived very close to me and had great reviews, but after a few sessions I realized our schedules were not compatible; I was not getting consistency and reliability from her. It's important for me to make progress with my dog, so I Googled alternate options and stumbled upon Alex's page. I called him on a Friday and he picked up the phone right away. We spoke for a while about my needs and he came out the following Tuesday for what was supposed to be a 2-hour visit. I fell in love with him immediately, he is not only so personable and likable on his own, but he really takes the time to LISTEN to what you need and work on those things right away. I had mentioned my priorities to my previous trainer, but I found that she was teaching my dog commands that didn't actually accomplish what I was after. In our first meeting, Alex worked on SO MANY of my priorities. He got my dog to go into her crate on command, taught her to "stay," showed me how to "walk with" my dog better on her leash, and (using a 30' leash outdoors) started working on recall with her. We were so immersed in what was going on that Alex started to go a little bit over our time, but he didn't want to stop because we were making such great progress. I told him if he wanted to give me a third hour right then and there that I was prepared to pay for it, and he did!! I learned a lot of things from Alex myself during our first meeting, like how to employ the use of "deltas" (which my old trainer never once mentioned) and how non-verbal cues are arguably more important than verbal ones. Again, my old trainer actually discouraged me from using hand motions, but once incorporating them into my routine I noticed that my dog was much more compliant than she had been. Another positive difference between my old trainer and Alex is he really takes the time to teach you why he's doing what he's doing, and encourages you to participate. My old trainer just taught my dog a command and had me replicate/practice when she left. Alex really makes you feel like you are a part of the teaching process. After our private session Alex recommended some "Small Group Therapy" for my pup. He came at noon on a Thursday to pick up my dog and she proceeded to go on a several-hour outing with his two chihuahuas and a dog he was fostering. The entire time he was out with her he was recording and sharing videos on an iCloud album. It was INCREDIBLE to not only see everything that was happening, but to hear him narrate why he was doing the things he was doing. I could not get enough of his videos and felt like I was there during the session. On top of Alex's excellent communication, punctuality, reliability, friendliness, competency, and effectiveness, his rates are OUTRAGEOUS in the BEST way! I truly believe he is under-charging for his services. I can get three hours with Alex for less than I paid for one hour with my prior trainer, and I feel much better about the work that is done during that timeframe. I adore Alex, and most importantly, what he is doing works. He really gets into the mind of your dog, and has such a wonderful way of connecting with them and their needs. I am elated to keep our work going - my pup has lots more Small Group Therapy outings in her future and it's wonderful that I have the option to use him one-on-one to teach her even more commands in the house. One day I hope to move on from essential commands to more fun ones, like "roll over" or "go get X toy."

Alex is wonderful. We are quite grateful to have come across his page on Yelp. He cares for our…read moreDoberman with great compassion. He's knowledgeable, skilled at what he does, & overall, you can tell his calling is to keep dogs in loving homes with owners who just need the tools plus support to train & love on their pet babies. If our Ketsia (Sisi) didn't love us so much, I think she'd hop on over to Alex's place :) She's strong-willed & protective but sooo loving & sweet. We're making great progress! Thank you, Alex.

Move over Dog Whisperer. We've got Elisa Segal, dog trainer par excellence! Elisa far exceeded our…read morehopes in terms of being a personable, likable, conscientious, knowledgeable and skillful trainer. Our dog, Duke, adored her within moments, and in our six short sessions he learned much from her as did we. I often need to be told things many times before the training sinks in. Fortunately, Elisa's library of instructional materials and videos helped to reinforce the skills we learned during her visits. They were short and to the point, very useful, and she would send them within hours of each session. In short, we had a memorable time as did Duke, and we hope to work with Elisa again in the near future.

I've seen instant results. Elisa's approach is transformative in training both dogs and their…read moreparents to achieve their highest degree of mutual support and happiness. She makes dogs smile!

Cannot recommend Michaela enough! Her holistic approach to dog training suited our needs (and our…read morepuppy Noodle's) perfectly. It wasn't just about teaching him XYZ, but about making him a better friend to us, and us better friends to him. The lessons we learned from Michaela are things we will carry with us for a lifetime. Her warmth from the second we met her made us feel like getting a trainer wasn't us failing at raising our dog but by investing in our family. She never judged when he (or we) didn't get it right on the first try and she's so skilled that if Noodle reacted in an unexpected way she was able to pivot completely on the spot and change our lesson. Because of this there was never a moment where we felt like this was a lesson plan that was written out and peddled to everyone, our lessons were completely individualized to our needs. Hands down Michaela has changed the relationship we have with Noodle and has made us a closer and more engaged pack!

Michaela is a truly gifted dog and dog owner trainer! She is kind, gentle and very effective in…read moreteaching good doggy behavior without fear or punishment. We've loved working with her and often check back in with her when we encounter new challenges.

I received several updates on my puppy. He was a little nervous but the staff was patient with him…read more I intend to take Teddy back soon.

Just got back from our very first day at doggie daycare ever and I am so glad I chose Just4Paws. I…read moredid a lot of research for NW Philly area doggie daycares and kept coming back to Just4Paws in my research. I finally decided to book an evaluation visit, and I am sure glad I did. Sarah was great in asking and answering questions to make sure my dog would be a good fit before the day of. On the day of, I got many picture and text updates to ensure me how Wilma was doing. I felt so reassured throughout the whole day. Upon pick-up, they gave me a report card for Wilma and had a great conversation with Sarah. Wilma and I are looking forward to our next time at Just4Paws!