A true dog whisperer! While I've only ever worked with two other dog trainers, CJ instantly stood out with her philosophy of understanding what's in a dog's mind rather than forcing what's in the owner's mind onto the dog. With every issue we faced, she sought to figure out how to turn my dog's attentions away from their "naughty " behavior and towards an acceptable alternative. It's worked unbelievably well. We've been working with CJ for almost four months and I can say without question, that these are the most well-trained dogs I've ever had. And, the cherry on top? They LOVE training! If you're on the fence about training, give CJ a try. It's a totally worthwhile investment, something you'll be thanking yourself for many times over, over the years. You can't go wrong! read more

We took a level 1 obedience at PANT in South Philly, and Emily and Aaron were fabulous instructors. We originally started with 5 dogs, but the subsequent classes waned to 3 and then 2 so our pup got a lot of 1:1 attention. The classes started on time, and were structured with different skills each class. We started warming up our dogs before jumping into new skills, which was nice. They did a great job at making sure there were no nose to nose interactions between the dogs and were very patient with the more reserved dogs. We would definitely consider taking another class with Unleashed because their instructors clearly know their stuff! Our dog has mastered "touch" and "place", and he has gotten a lot better at "stay". Emily even taught him a cute bonus trick "wave"! Thank you!! read more

The instructors were good. The environment felt safe.. My dog had fun and we learned a lot. read more

Philly Unleashed - Pet Training Near Me

Had a phenomenal experience with Cassi Bee in behavior one. We just graduated! Cassi respects each dog for their unique needs based on age, temperament, breed. She explains things so well in real life basic terms and she role plays the dog's perspective so we really got to understand what they are feeling. I would absolutely take another class with Cassi and recommend you do too! read more

This review has been long overdue. As a first-time dog owner and a workaholic, you can imagine how tough it was for me to care for my separation-anxiety and needy puppy. THE ISSUE(S): She feared being in her crate as if she viewed it as the mouth opening of a scary monster. She would run somewhere to hide when she knew it was time for me to leave for work to avoid being put in the crate and would cry every time. I felt hopeless and thought I made a terrible decision to keep her. When I thought all hope was lost, my BF discovered Philly Unleashed through ravishing reviews and thought that we should give it a try. Jennifer, our dog trainer and class instructor, not only taught us the basics on how to train our dog, she took the time outside of class to address the specific issues we each had at home. THE RESULTS: Payton loves her crate now and would go in it on her own without me telling her to when she knows I'm getting ready to leave the house. She doesn't cry anymore and is very obedient with my commands. She also use to go on the couch and onto the window sill. A simple training of the word "OFF" worked like a charm. If you have "doggy issues", Philly Unleashed is your solution. Trust me. read more

See all

We have been working with Philly Unleashed since June and have seen SO much improvement in our rescue dog, Monty. I would endlessly recommend Philly Unleashed to anyone looking for training for their pup - no matter how big or small your needs are! Monty was prone to getting overexcited and would jump/nip at us and he had a hard time relaxing inside. As I type this, he is curled up next to me on the couch - something that never would have happened a few months ago. We started with the 4-session private training package and Kelsey was great! She started by developing a behavior management plan that helped Monty feel more comfortable in his new home and gave us invaluable tools and techniques that the internet never could have provided. Once we felt more confident working with Monty, we did the 8-session group classes. WOW has he excelled in these! We go to Dawn's classes at the Pet Friendly Dog Bakery. Monty loves Dawn and loves to show off his best manners for her despite lots of distractions in class! Because of these classes Monty can now walk right past a dog on the sidewalk and look at us instead of whining for the dog and he is much more responsive to training both in and out of the house. P.S. Our whole experience has been during COVID and we have always felt very safe due to outdoor, masked sessions and very small group classes. read more

Great classes at all levels, lots of schedule flexibility. Since the classes are small and not sequential, you can drop in whenever / wherever is convenient and the trainers will help you figure out what new tasks you need to work on at that lesson. I've also used the one-on-one training sessions with Emily to work on some of the more challenging issues with my anxious puppy, and we (dog and I) have gotten a lot out of those sessions. read more

I can't say enough good things about our experience working with Kelsey. We recently adopted a 1.5 year old german shepherd mix and she soon became leash reactive and extremely protective of us. We dreaded taking her for walks since we would spend the majority of the walk pulling her away from other dogs or people and apologizing. We opted for the one-on-one sessions and saw improvement after each session. Kelsey answered all of our questions and broke down all of the training for us, so that we could work with our dog between sessions. At the first session, I told Kelsey that ideally I'd like to get to a place where I feel comfortable walking our dog on a trail where she had previously been so bad on the leash, I was too nervous to go back to. By the fourth session we were able to walk on that trail, and she had gone from pulling/barking/growling to walking directly at our side and barely responding to passing dogs. We loved the lessons so much we are planning to do additional sessions with Kelsey to keep the improvement going. She has even offered to bring her dog to future lessons and have lessons in the city to help our dog deal with situations with lots of people around. read more

Dana V from Philly Unleashed has made more progress in just 4 visits with Leo, my agoraphobic Chihuahua/Pappillon mix, than several vets & other trainers have in the 2+ years since rescuing him. Others repeatedly told me to simply take him out again & again to pee, crating him in between visits outside until he peed. No one seemed to understand that this was just not going to work. Something more was wrong. In my first outside session with Dana, she immediately saw that Leo wouldn't sniff anything and was so agitated outside that there was no way he would do his business there. She recommended food puzzles and a few easy activities to build his confidence at home. Slowly but surely he is moving more confidently (wagging tail, ears perked) farther and farther away from my apartment towards the elevator and then to the front door. Leo has never taken a treat outside before and today we worked for a good while in the hallway with him happy as could be and taking treats in the hall. This really feels like a miracle! I think what makes Dana different is that she is really good at reading dogs & their body language and connecting the dots between what we want them to do and what we can do to start them on that path and get closer and closer to the goal. And just as importantly, she makes the training fun and watches for signs of stress or fatigue so we can always end each mini-session on a good note. I would highly recommend Dana to anyone with any dog issue. She is great to work with, a wonderful person and our very own Philly Pet Whisperer :) read more

About a year ago, we rescued an American bulldog/pit bull mix. He was about two years old, rambunctious, untrained, very needy and anxious/scared. In the time that we've been working with Kelsey from Philly Unleashed, our dog has become focused, responsive, relaxed and able to control his impulses. Kelsey is patient and focuses on the needs of the dog and owner to ensure that both are successful. She also talks through situations and breaks them down to figure out solutions for better training. She's flexible with her time and makes ever effort to accommodate my busy schedule. I'm bonding well with my dog now and have the patience and knowledge to train him for success in a busy city where smells, sounds and other dogs can be tricky for an anxious pup. I highly recommend Philly Unleashed and Kelsey Rich! read more

If it were possible, I would give Philly Unleashed approximately 17 stars. I'm obsessed (as obsessed as someone can be with a dog training company). Seriously. I recently became a first-time dog owner and totally romanticized the process in my head, basically forgetting that dogs aren't magically born knowing how to do things like oh, live in a house and maintain perfect behavior. My biggest challenge with my rescue pitbull was crating - Brew absolutely refused to step foot in his crate, which made leaving my apartment almost impossible (and come on, a girl's gotta make it to happy hours...and oh, work and stuff). After a few days of intense struggling (tears included), I reached out to Philly Unleashed for help. Nicole talked to me on the phone and listened patiently as I recounted every detail of my frustrations, and suggested I start working with Christy. Best. Suggestion. Ever. Christy came to my house for our first appointment, and I kid you not, after an hour of working with her, Brew was willingly stepping into his crate and sitting down. I basically passed out from surprise. Now, six weeks later, Brew crates with almost no effort, is calm, relaxed, and even hangs out in there on his own, which is something I never thought I would see. He's better behaved in general, listens to me more, understands more commands, and is just more awesome than he was before we started working with Christy (and he was really awesome to start, I swear). I have to say though, the best part about working with Christy and Philly Unleashed is the support beyond the training sessions. I basically put Christy on speed dial and called or texted her with any and every question related to my dog, and she always took the time to talk to me, calm me down, reassure me that I wasn't being neurotic and/or the worst owner ever if I made a rookie mistake. My parents, my friends, my vet and my boss all know about her because I've been so thrilled with how things have changed since she started working with me and Brew. Rates are fantastic, scheduling is fantastic, trainers are fantastic, my dog is fantastic and your dog will be (more) fantastic as soon as you start working with Philly Unleashed. The end. read more

I can't say enough good things about Philly Unleashed, especially Alicia. She runs a six week course called "Shy Dog" training that my dog Kevin and i recently completed. Kevin is basically afraid of everything-people, dogs, sounds, ect. He's very timid and shy and usually can be found hiding behind me. The first class that's exactly what he did, but by the last class he made a dog bff in the class, was taking treats from every single person in the room, exploring without me, and even was brave enough to learn a few tricks along the way. This has translated into our walks, visitors coming over, and even Kevin not being my shadow every second in our home now. There's a true level of care, attention, and patience that Alicia and the Philly Unleashed organization encompasses and I would recommend them to literally anyone. I could go on and on. I couldn't be more thankful! read more

We have had a fantastic experience working with Kelsey with in home dog training. We call her the dog whisperer. She had such helpful tips with our Boston Terrier. Also, every time she was here she taught the dog something new in under 5 minutes including ringing a bell to use the bathroom and be let out, which she has consistently done since Kelsey taught her. We recommend to all of our friends. read more

I'm so glad to have found Philly Unleashed. 2ish years ago I really wanted to get my dog into an obedience class, but he was very reactive to other dogs. The idea of being in a room full of other dogs without him barking his head off seemed impossible. I discovered that Philly Unleashed offers a class just for reactive dogs (Dogs With Attitude!). I nervously signed up and attended, and quickly learned that the trainers at Philly Unleashed are very experienced, helpful, quick-thinking, and kind. After getting our dog reactivity in check, we were able to attend a series of other classes - obedience, tricks, agility - all of which were unique, fun, and taught me something new about dog training. Between the classes, boarding my dog at Farm Camp, and having one of the trainers come out to our house to help troubleshoot a new behavioral problem, I've had nothing but great experiences working with this group. The tools and techniques I've learned have seriously improved our day-to-day lives, and my relationship with my dog is a lot more positive and fun. Go Philly Unleashed! read more

We were lucky enough to find Philly Unleashed after our pit/terrier rescue failed the evaluation to get into doggy daycare! We knew she had her share of issues, and had been doing different classes with her, but it wasn't until we started working with Nicole and Christy that we saw a profound difference. Her only major problem was reactivity with other dogs, but now, she has been able to have appropriate relationships with other dogs!! Not to mention, she's great with all the standard commands, and more! Nicole and Christy are so knowledgeable and caring and do excellent work with the dogs. They are super enthusiastic, and the classes are always fun to attend...not something we cringe at when we realize we have to make room in our crazy schedules for! Definitely give them a try for anything from just a time to bond with your dog, to real issues that need some work. We even did home visits with Nicole until our pup was ready to be in a class setting with others! They really bend over backwards to help correct any doggy issues you might be dealing with! I honestly don't know what we would have done without them! We love our little one, but her behavior got beyond frustrating at times, and couldn't be better now! read more

We contacted Philly Unleashed for basic obedience training for our 10 month old Rottweiler, Tucker. Nicole responded quickly to our email inquiry. She answered all of our questions & provided information on Group training as well as Private lessons in our home with Jennifer. We opted for 4 weeks of Private lessons with Jennifer & it was money well spent! Jennifer focused on the areas we needed Tucker to learn each week & checked-in with us to see how Tucker was doing with his training in between lessons. Jennifer has infinite patience & demonstrated gentle yet firm control to which Tucker immediately responded. Tucker has learned the basics & we couldn't be happier! Jennifer is genuine & 100% committed to her students' well-being. We look forward to working with Jennifer again for Tucker's advanced training. read more

It is a rare occasion these days when I can give a business a full 5 star review. Philly Unleashed deserves every. single. one. I signed up my dog Oliver for the Rescue Classes which run for 6 weeks and are held once a week. I figured it would be a good way to give him a little bit more training but I figured he already knew everything the class would cover....... WRONG! They teach you so many valuable skills for focusing your dog on the task at hand. I've learned so much about my dog just by going to these classes. A special shout out to our trainer Lydia who has a wealth of knowledge about the appropriate ways to train your dog. We happened to miss a class one week and she took the time after the following class to go over what we had missed. That was so amazing and it truly speaks to Philly Unleashed as a company. Also, I might add that the classes are not pricey by any means and even if it is a stretch, just go for it. It is worth far more than the dollars I spent on the classes. read more

We called Philly Unleashed for private home lessons for our 16 month old Boston Terrier. We wanted to freshen her up on some basic commands and wanted to work on new goals. We were so lucky to have Dana V. as our private teacher for several weeks. Dana came to our home and really listened to our concerns and tailored each lesson to our needs. Each week she set specific assignments for us to work on which was rewarding for all of us. She checked in on us over the week and followed through with every task. Dana even brought over special treats to reward our dog knowing her specific food allergies. Dana is very organized and is always on time. She is committed to her work and her love for animals is obvious in the way she trains and treats our dog. We were so happy with her and her teaching style, we decided to continue on with her in the group dog classes. You will not be disappointed in the servies Philly Unleashed has to offer. The attention and care Dana has given to our Boston is more than we can ask for. We will continue to support and trust in Philly Unleashed as we continue to create a fun and exciting environment for our dog. read more

So happy to have a great trainer like Nicole. When we adopted a nervous reactive dog we didn't know how to train her. What Nicole taught us was valuable. Our dog was super smart, we were the ones who had to be trained to understand her. 5 years latter . . . Kirin is every dog sitter's favorite, her favorite game is tricks and treats especially with kids who will give her treats for any trick. She is so good we bring her everywhere, on planes, trains and automobiles all across US and Canada. Thank you for helping us understand Kirin. read more

Getting my first pet, a puppy, as I approach 70 years old was a daunting task. I needed help with all kinds of things--obedience, expectations, too much advice from others, emotions of unconditional love. I did not know how to take advantage of one-on-one, I think, because I wasn't explaining what was going on. I wasn't doing the homework, felt conflicted about what was important to fool the dog with treats. I ended up in the end happy that Collin was so patient and kind as a trainer. He is like Mr. Rogers. He could have any dog eating out of his hand and rolling over like a magician. His last day I was helped giving my puppy a bath. I'm glad we did that. I may want a trainer in the dog park with me again, I would want Collin. read more

We love our trainer Kat, with Philly Unleashed! She is friendly, professional, really knows her business, and is so patient with both us humans and canine client, Maggie. We are learning immediately applicable strategies that we can practice with Maggie immediately after our lessons. Thank you, Kat and Philly Unleashed! read more

We've been having a great experience working with Lindsay on in-home trainings. As first-time dog owners (aside from family dogs) she's been an invaluable resource of advice and guidance. We rescued a 4-yr-old pit bull mix who definitely has some baggage in terms of anxiety likely in relation to her abandonment and Lindsay is giving us all the tools to help our dog. Behavioral training is a long journey which can be frustrating and discouraging at times, but Lindsay does a fantastic job of keeping us positive and celebrating small achievements. We feel confident having her in our corner as we work to get our dog as comfortable and confident as possible in her new life. read more

There aren't enough words to describe how awesome this company is. We adopted our girl in late February of this year. She is a southern transplant, so to say that the hustle and bustle of Center City was a shock to her is an understatement! The poor thing was fear reactive to so many things (common city noises(both inside and outside of our apartment, the plethora of people, as well as other dogs) that life for us was pretty stressful...until we contacted Philly Unleashed. Nicole especially, worked with Sadie to help her get through a lot of her triggers without feeling as though she has to freeze up or lunge/bark to make the "scary thing" go away. Most commands are now more like games to our dog and you can see the self-satisfaction and happiness in her eyes when she knows she's "won." She's getting to be such a friendly dog; actually wanting to greet people/dogs and explore the neighborhood. Most importantly, when she doesn't want to, she's learning how to appropriately respond. We also did Farm Camp for five days and it was seriously worth every penny. It's held on Nicole's beautiful, spacious property, complete with awesome donkeys and her beautiful dog. They only take on a few dogs at a time (which was perfect for us), so you know your dog is getting ample individual attention ; in addition to getting to work on socialization skills. You also have your choice of what you'd like them to focus on during daily training sessions. Nicole introduced Sadie to agility as a confidence booster and she loved it! We've continued agility over the last 6 weeks and her reactivity has decreased a noticeable amount. We were nervous about leaving her, but Philly Unleashed sent us daily updates and photos to let us know that she was doing well. By the time we came to get Sadie, she didn't want to leave! While we definitely still have work to do, she continues to improve everyday thanks to the lessons that we have learned by working with Nicole. If you're looking for trainers to help with any issues for your fur-child, Philly Unleashed is the way to go. read more

Nicole helped me understand my temperamental Australian Shepherd mix's behavior. My dog is now Canine Good Citizen Certified! Her explanations of dog behavior and training methods are easy to understand. She pushes you to push your dog to more advanced levels of training. And she's really enthusiastic about what she does. read more

Nicole is simply the best, her enthusiasm keeps you and and your dog striving to be the best!!

Our trainer was Dana. It seems like her class is for cute and cuddly puppies. We went for the puppy classes. I have a more aggressive breed and she didn't have much to say to us for him. At times we were excluded from certain exercises because of the breed we had...my dog was treated differently than other dogs and we didn't benefit from this class at all. Good bye $100 (4 classes) read more

We've been taking our Cavalier King Charles puppy to Philly Unleashed since we brought him home after rescuing him at the beginning of the year. When we first brought him home he was an anxious mess: he would freak out barking/jumping/nipping/running whenever he'd even see another dog (something difficult to avoid during walks in the city!) and he certainly didn't know any commands other than "sit." Just 2 months later and we're getting compliments from friends and family over how well-behaved, confident, and happy our puppy has become - this transformation is in LARGE part due to the Philly Unleashed team and Dana in particular! I have been so impressed with and appreciative of Philly Unleashed - they make it so easy to begin group training and their techniques are very approachable. After attending an Orientation class I was cleared to start signing up for either Level 1 Obedience or Puppy Kindergarten (my puppy was right on the cusp of the age limit for Puppy Kinder). Signing up for individual classes that worked with my ever-changing schedule was very easy thanks to the online registration software they use. I also have found the $55 unlimited monthly membership to be a fantastic value! I was pretty nervous about attending group classes since our pup was so nervous around other dogs, but my fellow trainees and the Philly Unleashed team were all super patient and supportive - I never felt like my yappy dog and I were being judged, you could tell we were all there to learn. With every class I saw improvement in our dog - less fear and more confidence (and way less barking, YAY!). Not only would the trainers teach us the prescribed commands (sit, stay, leave it, drop it, come, loose-leash walking, polite greeting, ect.) but they were always willing to talk after class about techniques we could use for our dog's individual issues/quirks. Our little cavalier has been in class with all types of other breeds - small toy breeds, bernese mountain dogs, pitbulls, and mutts of all sizes and shapes - and the trainers have done a great job of managing the space and making all the dogs comfortable. I've been to at least 10 classes and never felt overwhelmed or uncomfortable. The trainers are always fully in control and aware of the comfort levels of all owners/dogs. It's been very reassuring as a new owner to be in such a great space during class time. I highly recommend Philly Unleashed, couldn't be happier!! read more

I love love love the ladies at Philly Unleashed. They are so good to me and my pup :) They are incredibly knowledgeable about training techniques and dog behavior. My dogs main issue was distractions and being dog selective which I know many dog owners in the city struggle with, They offer lots of different classes and different training locations that are easy to get to. Nicole and Jenn are the best!~ read more

I cannot speak highly enough of Nicole and her work with Philly Unleashed. Our super sweet pit mix would crumble at the word "No", thus making it impossible to train and control our new pup without spoiling her. Trying to housebreak her was a nightmare! Nicole was able to schedule a one on one session for the same week that we called. She helped us with how we communicate with Maggie, as well as build her confidence. Then she helped us establish clear boundaries without undoing what we worked on before. After two sessions, we are on our way to a confident, well behaved dog! read more

I wish I could give Philly Unleashed more than 5 stars! I can't say enough good things about this team, especially Jen. As I've said all along, my puppy Lucy is a great dog, I was the one who needed the training! I highly recommend the private sessions to anyone who is looking to have specific needs addressed. Lucy and I really benefitted from the personalized attention and it also helped us establish a bond with Jenn. She got to know Lucy's weak spots and was better able to correct me on form and commands. Jen worked with us to fine-tune Lucy's leash manners and polite greetings. We also worked to learn go to your place, sit, stay, come and touch. All in 4 sessions! I'm so amazed by how much we were able to accomplish in a short time. I can't thank Jen enough for helping Lucy and I build a solid foundation of obedience skills. I'm enjoying my pup even more now and I can't wait to continue working with Philly Unleashed through more privates and classes in the future. If you're looking for fabulous trainers who are patient, understanding and flexible, go with Philly Unleashed! You and your dog will be happy you did! read more

We have been taking agility class with Nicole and Philly Unleashed for just about a year now. Our dog is a rescue border collie mix with some fear issues, and doing agility is an awesome way to build up his confidence. We had taken agility lessons for many years before we moved to Philadelphia, and we were anxious to get started again. Nicole was wonderfully welcoming, and zeroed in on our dog's skill level and training style in about two seconds. She manages to find the delicate balance between challenging our nervous guy while making sure he doesn't get too stressed. For example, he was never able to do the full-height teeter totter obstacle before (it moves and makes loud noises). We had been working on it for ages before we came here. Nicole had him fearlessly zooming over it in no time! She is also really understanding of his fear of other dogs (which can make him a little reactive), and is great about making sure we structure class when other dogs are there so that they don't have to interact. And when they do see one another, it's highly controlled and is used as a training situation to help him see other dogs without barking. The extra steps she takes to give us and our dog a stress-free and enjoyable experience are evidence to us of how much she cares about each individual dog and his/her needs. Nicole has also helped us really up our tricks game! We love teaching our dog fun new tricks beyond the usual repertoire, and Nicole is awesome at teaching you how to build new tricks and combine tricks together. Ask her to have her dogs show you "that's embarrassing" or "say your prayers" - they are amazing (and adorable, of course). We are moving again to another state this summer, and we are already mourning the short time we had to work with Nicole. We know how lucky we have been to get the chance to have her as our trainer (and let's be honest, she's training us just as much as she's training our dog)! read more

Dana and Nicole have been a wonderful influence on my huge nutty muppet of a bernedoodle puppy. We did Dana's Puppy Kindergarten class where Tuck learned all the curriculum, plus Dana spent extra time giving helpful tips which got him to walk better on leash and get used to the fact that he lives in a noisey city now. We did a private training session with Nicole to help with his random freak outs and she spent extra time with us, answering my many, many questions, providing information on behavior and explaining the various training philosophies so I was aware of what she was doing and why. She also introduced us to all her friendly animals on the farm, which Tuck loved. Tuck and I liked our experience so much with Dana and Nicole that I sent him to Farm Camp while I was away for a long weekend. They took extra care to give him his medication, and watch out for how he likes to eat dangerous objects and kept him safe and healthy. Super extra bonus they trained him while he was there. He came home tuckered out and now knows "leave it" and is responding to other commands better, and is more used to water. A very happy puppy. read more

I brought my dog Otto for two levels of obedience training during the spring/summer of 2015 with Dana. I can't praise this service enough! I would encourage anyone in the area who has a new dog or a puppy to sign up for one of these classes. You won't be sorry. Some of the great features of Philly Unleashed's Basic Obedience class included: -Reasonable rates -Good location (at least in my case, it was at Companion Animal) -Safeguards always in place for a multi-dog environment -Easy to follow guidelines that are customized for each dog's ability. -Emailed notes and summaries after each class to help you practice at home. I learned a lot of really useful techniques and ways to better communicate to my dog what I want him to do and best of all, the class setting is really relaxed and fun. Previously, Otto was highly nervous, afraid to be near other dogs and mostly un-trainable by me. Within the first couple of weeks, he began to improve. He loved going to class and always appeared to be having a ball while we were working. His behavior has improved noticeably since we began and he now knows several commands. I also can't say enough fantastic things about Dana. She's a true professional and really knows her stuff but she is also kind, down to earth and non-judgmental. She has a really thoughtful and quite wonderful way of showing you what you may not be doing right without making you feel like an idiot or a bad dog parent. It has honestly been a great pleasure to learn from her. read more

After reading Melissa C's review, I think Yelp readers should hear what I have to say. Nicole Larocco is not only a competent trainer, she is one of the most well educated trainers I have had the pleasure to work with. She not only understands how to work with dogs but with their owners. She is honest and doesn't just tell you what you want to hear. My goal was to work with my dogs and make them the best companions they could possibly be. I wanted to understand different techniques, how to read body language, and how better communicate with my dogs using only positive reinforcement methods. Finding the best trainers was not easy. I have worked with over 17 trainers and believe Nicole is one of the few I will rely on for many years to come. How can I measure my success? Two of my four became therapy dogs, one is well on her way to becoming a therapy dog, my pit now knows over 70 commands and tricks, I have successfully blended my current pack consisting of two adult females and one crazy female puppy who can now all be "unleashed" with each other. Nicole educated me on the right way to do things so we could also be successful when she couldn't be there. She corrected me when needed, offered suggestions and keeps me on course for reaching my goals. IT IS COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TRAINER TO ENGAGE ANY DOG KNOWING THE CLIENT ALREADY HAS A BITE HISTORY. AS AN OWNER, I WOULD NEVER WANT TO PUT ANOTHER DOG IN HARMS WAY. I THINK IT IS MELISSA C WHO IS NOT COMPETENT AND UNLREALISTIC IN HOW TO SOLVE BEHAVIORAL ISSUES. read more

Let's see, where do I begin? I begin by saying that I'd give Nicole & Philly Unleashed a million stars! Nicole is the BEST! An angel! I called Philly Unleashed after my German Shepherd Lucas & I had been through 2 other trainers that basically created more behavioral issues instead of helping Luke & I with the ones he already had. Lucas was unruly & destructive. He destroyed our sofa & chewed holes in our walls. He was afraid of his crate because one of the other trainers forced him in even though I tried to stop her. Naturally, when my husband & I were at work he wasn't in his crate because I couldn't bring myself to force him in there. If he even thought I was going to try to work with him he would shut down & get completely anxious. He didn't even let me put his collar on him without intense anxiety. This was due to an incident with the 2nd trainer. I felt terrible for having made such bad choices & subjecting my poor buddy to such treatment. I was at a loss as to how to help Lucas. Then I found Philly Unleashed! Yaaaaayyy!!!! Nicole came to our house & created magic. At our first lesson, she had Lucas happy, confident & eager to work. Everything we did was fun & positive. Lucas was transformed! She got him to go into his crate. On his own! She helped me to understand why he was behaving the way he was & she taught me how to work with him so we would both have fun. Her training methods are anxiety & stress free for me & Luke. He is a different dog already & we've only had a couple of lessons. He's calm & no longer chews everything in sight. We have the best time together now & we both look forward to practicing our lessons. I can't rave enough about Nicole & Philly Unleashed. If you are having challenges of any kind with your dog. Please call Philly Unleashed. You & your dog will be totally happy! Big hugs & wet doggie kisses to Nicole! read more

We have had an amazing experience with Philly Unleashed. We adopted Violet as a ten month old pup and didn't know that she would be able to learn so much in such a short time. Dana is really amazing: patient, confident, and always shows us the perfect way to train Violet. I like the way that the class always builds on what we learned the previous week. Violet is much better behaved, knows a ton of commands, and we feel confident that she will continue to grow. I cannot wait for the next level of class! In addition, Dana was always available to answer specific questions and help us learn how to be better dog owners. read more

I have a pitbull/german shepard mix, who is very anxious and freaks out about any dog that will pass her. I had no idea where to begin, but I felt to horrible not to get her help. Nicole has been so great with teaching not only Samantha, but me, how to control her while we are out walking. I never knew that Samantha could learn so quickly and she is a whole different dog. Now we can go on walks without freaking out about dogs, squirrels, or even people. She was always such a lovely dog, but Nicole has made it possible for everyone to see that with the training that she has brought to us. I would recommend Nicole for any troubles with a dog because she knows what she is doing and I couldn't thank her enough!! read more

I recently took my dog to Philly Unleashed "Farm Camp" while I went on vacation. I regularly received pictures of her having fun playing with other animals while "camping"! She enjoyed running around all the fenced land (and pool) and the trainers were so nice. When we came to get her, she acted like she was having so much fun, came to greet us (without jumping on us- as they worked on during her stay) and went back to playing. Even better, she slept A LOT the next few days. Apparently she had lots of exercise! I highly recommend Farm Camp and definitely will be bringing her back soon! read more

My 10 mth, male, 85 lb Giant Schnauzer ended up at Farm camp, because my dog sitter wasn't going to be able to handle him. Nicole willingly took him on very short notice during a major snow storm. I was getting ready to send this pup back to his breeder he was so out of control. I've been taking him to classes at other schools since he was 8wks old, so he was well socialized.. He is an extremely dominant male, who can be a bully. He was constantly biting at me and everyone else(groomer quit), counter surfing, not staying, etc. After spending 3 days with Nicole, there was a noticeable improvement. He has been back to farm camp once and I've done 3 privates with Nicole. Well what a difference, he is so improved I'm being asked what I did to him. Nicole taught me how to handle him thru behavior modification, not force (prong, e-collar, etc) She taught him not to counter surf, stay and had him with other dogs (her own and clients). Nicole sends me many pictures, videos and texts while he is there, she is always quick to respond to any questions I may have. My family and breeder are so impressed with NIcole and thankful to have found her. read more

I have three dogs. 2 of which are rescues. The first time we worked with Nicole was when our Golden started having separation anxiety out of nowhere. Nicole was patient and knowladgeable and helped us work through the anxiety and thanks to her we can leave our Golden at home again without fearing damage to our doors or other part of the house. We then rescued a little dog who is quiet strong willed. Having a background in working with shelter dogs gave Nicole a huge advantage. She was able to "read" our little guy well and pointed out the behaviors and body language to look for and again helped us through many bumps in the road with him. She suggested group lessons after a while which really helped us. Lastly, we adopted a puppy and since we had such a good experience with our first rescue, we decided to have a few training sessions again. All I can say is that again, Nicole "read" the dog like a book and was able to work with us not only on basic obedience but on understanding the dog as a whole and to bring out his full potential. Which led to our puppy passing the requirements to become enrolled in a service dog program, in which everybody complemented us on how well behaved he is. Thank you Nicole and Philly Unleashed for giving us that gift and making our lives so much easier. If you are looking for someone to just tell you what to want to hear, then these are not the people for you. But if you want someone honest, knowledgeable and fun to work with you and your dog, I would recommend Philly Unleashed. read more