Michelle is a very patient and knowledgeable trainer. She trains with a clicker, which was new to…read moreme but my pup took to it easily.

Your dog will never smell better! Blueberry facial too!! Mine came out looking like a different…read moredog- in a good way! They are kind, gentle, and really care about your pet. Highly recommend! Amy S

I brought my 10-month-old German Shepherd in for grooming and received a call less than an hour…read morelater from the owner saying they couldn't proceed due to concerns about the unpredictability of my dog and the safety of their staff. While I understand prioritizing employee safety, I was surprised--my dog is not aggressive, though like many dogs, he doesn't enjoy having his nails trimmed which was explained. When I asked if they could at least give him a bath (which he's had many times without issue other places) and I would handle the nails at home, I was flatly refused. This was disappointing, especially considering he is still a puppy, unfamiliar with the environment, and naturally a bit anxious in new settings. We are new in town figured we'd try this place as it is so close. What also concerned me was that there were other dogs freely roaming around unkennled, which might have contributed to his unease as he was kenneled while others were roaming. I understand safety protocols are necessary, but the way this was handled felt dismissive and inflexible. I won't be returning.

I highly recommend Jeff. I have a 2.5 year old pit mix who pulled and lunged at people/dogs while…read morewalking. Just after our first session, I was so much more confident and at ease. Jeff showed me the correct way to walk her. He also recommended a leash and collar for her needs. Not only was he training my dog but me as well. Wilma seems so much more relaxed going to for walks now.

From the owner: Customized dog training programs for CTread more

Absolutely love this place! I never thought Id feel comfortable leaving Stewie somewhere but I just…read morehad my third amazing experience! Highly recommended!!

I boarded my dog here for 2 nights during my sister's wedding weekend. Everyone I spoke to on the…read morephone and in person was super friendly and informative. The facility is clean, with nice outdoor spaces and I think the base price was fair. I also chose the higher tier "celebrity" activity package because he's a puppy and it was his first time being boarded, I figured the more attention he got the better. When I picked him up he was excited to see us but didn't seem stressed at all. He was sleepy the rest of the day from playing which was exactly what I was hoping for. I loved the cute picture and report card update I received. I would definitely use this boarding facility again.

It is very strange to me to see only 5-star reviews for Canine Cadre. I brought my dog in after a…read morefriend recommended Lenny and paid up front for the 10 individual classes and supposedly "unlimited" group sessions. Every time we met, Lenny spent a long time trying to convince me to buy this or that expensive tool, such as a specific leather leash, a raised cot because the one we already had was not the same brand, a steel "car-safe" lead, etc. He wanted me to change the hand signals for commands that my dog already understood and responded to because they were different from the ones he uses. We attended weekly individual lessons and literally the only thing we got from it was that now my dog knows how to climb up and down the agility ramp. He wanted me to install a permanent tether into my wall to force my dog to stay so she would learn "place". This entire class is about breaking your dog's spirit. When we "graduated" from individual classes and attended our first group lesson, my dog was extremely distracted and excitable. We had not been prepared AT ALL for group lessons and when I tried to reach out for more assistance - when this was one of the first issues I had asked to address at enrollment - he tried to sell me on paying for more individual lessons. In addition to the waste of time and money from classes, Lenny would go on extremely racist and sexist tangents - about how people with certain color skin are more likely to attack you, how single women need guard dogs to protect them, etc. This was during the beginning of COVID and he would tell me I didn't need to wear a mask when I was there, so I finally bought and wore a rainbow mask that said "science is real, black lives matter, women's rights are human rights" and he realized I was not the correct target for his rants. Buyer beware.

My new rescue was having issues with reactivity when walking her. She was out of control when…read morewalking by other dogs that I stopped walking her... I had a difficult time trying to control her...Kat Stevens taught me about dogs and their behaviors... Kat also taught me how to walk my dog without any reactivity to other dogs. I'm so happy that I can walk my dog since shes no longer reactive. . She also showed me how to walk my dog (former puller) in one session... She taught my dog all the basic commands too! You get what you pay for.... Clare and Abby

For those who have been challenged with handling a reactive dog , you understand the mental toll it…read moretakes and how isolating and hopeless it can feel . You thought you did everything right by giving your dog so much love and socialization only to now be faced with questions and comments like " why didn't you just train your dog ?" , " you're not the alpha to your dog", " you shouldn't be a dog owner" on a regular basis. I have a 6 year old boxer ( the social , goofy clowns of the dog breeds) . I've worked with dogs in the past as a kennel attendant, and grown up with dogs my entire life and never thought I would be in this situation . I struggled to find a trainer whose techniques showed progress which lead to inconsistency, a lot of frustration and doubt . Eventually taking him places like the vet and groomer caused me such extreme anxiety. When I met Tom , my dog was unapproachable by strangers , including Tom initially. It took a month or so of meeting up , going on walks and practicing techniques at home but I was seeing improvement! Not long after Tom was able to take the leash from me and walk Gus, and we could walk near other people without Gus acting like a total maniac , lunging , barking and snapping. It was like he was a normal (ish) dog . Gus is 6 , so it will be a slow process to break him out of this behavior , but he has improved so much in the last 6 months .. I never thought I would get this far. I still have my work cut out for me but this training has also helped me increase my confidence as a dog owner and learn to trust my dog again. I'm not longer so nervous to take him out on walks because I feel like I'm in control.( Holding back an 80 pound boxer is not an easy task ) . I definitely recommend Tom if you are struggling with a similar situation. It probably has been the best thing I have ever done for Gus!

Highly recommend, they know their business and can handle highly aggressive dogs. Tom is ver…read moreinformative.

Went to evaluate the Connecticut K-9 facility for their supposed training, and to inquire on a dog…read morea friend and I found in Newington CT. We turned this dog over to the newington police after feeding, walking, and having her checked for a chip. These found dogs in turn get turned over to Connecticut k-9 education center for temporary housing and care. A woman who claimed to be the owner of Connecticut K-9 center engaged in conversation, she made slanderous accusations stating the dog was dumped by me and my friend, when in fact both of us saved the dog and handed her over to the newington police the evening of March 15th 2025 documented by footage from their lobby camera feed. She was antagonistic and defamatory, contrary to provable facts, this is abnormal and concerning. Worst of all, this type of behavior raises great concern for the safety of the dog we found that ended up in her care. We wouldn't let her take care of a pet rock.

When I brought my 4.5 month old puppy for training class I was told she was too young to do puppy…read moreobedience training and instead it was enrolled in a playtime training. The class consisted of dogs taking turns doing obstacles, then out for a pee break, then off-leash time. The final 10 minutes or so we worked on basic commands. The instructor- Vince, was quiet, gentle and generally uninvolved. He did offer tips for problem behaviors on a one on one basis which was helpful but the class felt more like puppy playtime. I was disappointed that the training part of this was almost non existent. I was told this was to boost their confidence. And socialization. I enrolled in the next class once my puppy aged up- puppy kindergarten. I was excited to try a new instructor, Lynne. Her dog was impeccable trained. I liked her philosophy and mindset during the first class with no dogs. But on the first day with dogs (second class) she offered prong collars to 3 of the 5 dogs in class. I'm not sure if they humans wanted them or felt pressured to out them on. She did not approach me about a prong collar but watching the dogs react to the collar was heartbreaking. During this puppy kindergarten class we were given more commands to work on. The class was different, the dogs were expected to sit on the side of us, different from what Vince taught in previous class. The first class we were doing lots of walking in circles and sitting. A few times my puppy sat and then got up, Lynne asked me what I was going to do about it. I tried to get the dog into a sit again, without saying the word sit more than one time but the more I tried to get her to sit the more she fought against it. So I decided I would practice at home that week. But Lynne singled me out, explained why I should command her to a sit and waited for me to get the puppy in a sit. She wouldn't sit. It was the first day of puppy school. Second class we learned a new skill- down. We were instructed to put the dogs into down, and expect them to stay in the down position until we released them while she spent several minutes helping someone whose dog wouldn't lay. Meanwhile my dog got up- I knew she was restless- she is a puppy after all and this is a new skill. I was thrilled my dog stayed in down for maybe 60 seconds. But when Lynne was finished helping the other dog she looked at me and asked why my dog wasn't in down position. I mean- I these are puppies and a new skill. I felt pretty good about this 60 second down I had. But Lynne was not happy the dog got up. Again- brand new skill that I would work on. But after that class I realized this wasn't for me. My experience seemed like Lynne forgot what it's like to have a puppy. Maybe she is just out of touch with what puppies are expected to do but we dropped out of this class. I felt the expectations were inappropriate for a puppy. Or maybe I'm just a bad dog owner, which is how Lynne made me feel with her comments throughout the two classes I took with her. Either way- I don't recommend this place for dog training.

We got Maggie (10 month old boxer mix) a little over a month ago, and every day seemed to be worst…read morethan the last. From leash pulling to barking, and even separation anxiety, Maggie was testing our every nerve. Michael came and showed us that it was not about dominating your dog, but leading them. Through just a few verbal and visual cues we were able to help Maggie understand that she did not have to be the leader, and that we would take care of her. Now she is happy to sit back, relax, and let us take the reins. She is an absolute gem on walks now. Knowing that we will have Michael throughout Maggie's lifetime is a relief, because we know that he will be able to guide us through any future life hurdles. Thank you, Michael!

I am thrilled with Bark Busters. I have 3 pit bulls and was having problems with my third…read moreadoption. Owen had guarding issues around the other dogs. After our first session there was great improvement. Richard used positive reinforcement and it was fun for our dog. I found it simple to incorporate the training methods into our everyday activities. It's been a few months now and and Owen no longer has issues. I used what I learned with all three dogs and it's made a huge difference in our home. No more stress, all the dogs get along nicely and play together. All three dogs pay attention and listen to me. I am so happy I found Bark Busters. I couldn't ask for a better outcome. Prior to our training, Vickie explained everything to me and answered all questions. The fees are very reasonable too. I highly recommend Bark Busters and wouldn't go anywhere else.

I should have wrote this review closer to my pet sitting visits, but I couldn't remember my Yelp…read morepassword! Four Legged Care is a very trustworthy company! My husband and I recently moved to New Haven and needed a pet sitter for our little menagerie (five cats and a dog!) when we travel. To complicate matters even more, one of our cats is 19 y/o and on four different medications. Four Legged Care has been completely awesome! They have affordable pricing and are extremely communicative. Colleen has been our sitter and is very sweet and thorough. She follows the instructions we leave for our pets and sends us tons of adorable videos and photos. She goes above and beyond every time. Most recently, our flight was canceled coming home from a trip and within minutes of notifying Colleen, she figured out a way to accommodate our last minute, extra day request. I highly recommend this company!

Can't say enough about our dog sitter, Jill C., and the care she showed our dog during our recent…read moreweekend getaway. Showed up on time for every visit, left us detailed updates and pics each time, and gave our pup love and attention all weekend. Would definitely use Four Legged Care again!

Robyn is our friend, dog sitter and our dog trainer. She is phenominal with dogs and is amazing to…read morewatch her transform the pups and us as owners. I highly recommend her if you need or want someone to watch you furbabies when you're away or any training, whether it be puppy basics or changing unwanted behaviors, Robyn is the person to call. Please take it from me, as I have had the privilege and honor to have learned from her and she has helped us bring Pebbles into our family. With her training and guidance, our Pebbles is on the path of becoming her best self and we are becoming the best family we can be.

From the owner: “There’s a story behind every good dog trainer, 50% of what you get paid for is to train the dog…read more The other 50% is to give the client an expert assessment on who their dog is, what they're up against, and how to best live with, and improve their dog and life together."