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.

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!

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!

Andrew was great with our Dexter during the two week board and train. We saw many positive changes…read more He is doing well with his on going home training. Thank you

Had a really great experience at Off Leash K9, Philadelphia. Our 8 month old golden retriever, Toby…read morecompleted the 2 week off leash program and his behavior and obedience improved greatly. Prior to training he pulled on the leash constantly while trying to walk him, jumped on people and sometimes chose to not listen to our commands. After his training with Rae, he always follows his commands that he was taught at the program and is now able to walk without a leash and does not pull which makes it so much more enjoyable to walk him. Rae was a great trainer, she loved Toby and gave us updates about his progress and several pictures of him each night which we loved. you could tell he really bonded and respected her throughout his time in the program. Would absolutely recommend Rae and the program!

MY Dog was trained up at their farm . Now He is a mentor dog and goes up to the farm one a week …read more It is great he loves it Laura is really fantastic with him in the van in East Falls drop off and Pick up .

I had a terrible experience with Opportunity Barks. The City School program keeps the dogs crated…read morefor 6 of the 7 hours they are there. The 1 hour of training includes potty breaks. When I picked up my 8 month old puppy she was so desperate to pee and poo, she went on the sidewalk in front of their building. She was so thirsty she was panting and needed water immediately. I sent food but she did not eat there. To compound the problem, Communication is awful. They don't let you into the space. You stand on the sidewalk - they crack open the door and pull her in or give you the leash to take her out. You get 1 email a week with some photos and videos. They don't appear to read the form you fill out and don't discuss goals. I told them that my puppy has had training since birth, but their first video was showing me how to hold a leash. The second video was of a different dog being trained - they said my dog was tethered watching. Throughout the entire video I could hear her crying. No one attempted to soothe her at all. I provided constructive input verbally and in writing by email. Despite my bad experience at the City School, I was still interested in the Farm School. I went to the open house and they were much more transparent about what a typical day looks like there. But before the evaluation day (which is separate from the City School evaluation), they called me to say that they were cancelling the evaluation because I am not a good fit for their program. They said it had nothing to do with my dog, who is a very sweet Labrador, it is because I am not "aligned" with them. They were not willing to even listen to why I thought the Farm School would be a better fit than the City School, saying that the decision had been made "by senior management" and it is not worth wasting time talking about it. Wow!

Michael Carr is a great and caring trainer, a veritable dog whisperer, and a very conscientious and…read morekind person. Bark Busters is a large company based in Australia with its own training philosophy and methods, and Mike is very knowledgeable and has mastered it but he also has great patience and empathy with the dogs and their owners (and it is often not the dog who needs training but the owners). He works to understand each particular dog and its situation and is creative in thinking of ways to help bring about and reinforce good behavior in canine companions. He also has four dogs of his own, and to see them with him is to see why he is so good at what he does. Highly recommended.

As a first time dog mom, I was very nervous to bring home a puppy. Having not grown up with dogs, I…read moreknew I wanted guidance on the appropriate way of training, which brought me to researching training programs in the area and landing with Tuff Pup Training. Boy am I glad I found this service! I worked with Matt who was a rockstar at helping my puppy, Archibald go from learning the basic commands into more skilled tricks and behaviors throughout the 6 sessions. Archie very much enjoyed the sessions, always wagging his tail and eager to learn. Matt was always very professional, yet personable/fun. He really seems to have a passion for his job. He taught both my puppy and me a whole lot of valuable information that sets us up on the right foundation from the start together. I am very happy to have invested the time/$$ early on with Tuff Pup Training and would 100% recommend their team to any future dog parents!

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

Had our two Goldendoodles there for about 4 months. Our male is 7 months old, and like a typical…read morepuppy, a handful. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body, he only knows how to play, and is brought up in a very good, loving household. We were told that he growls at the help there, and he is too energetic that he jumps the fences there. For the amount of virtue signaling they spew all over their social media about knowing how to "actually" love their pets, through the "proper" training, is quite laughable. We were told that our 7 month old GOLDENDOODLE PUPPY, cannot return there, because they are afraid for their safety. Listen, if you don't want to do the job, then find another business. Poor poor management. Never would I recommend them. We even added a "Birthday" add on for our newly turned 5 year old. Guess we can wish in one hand and s#*t in the other to see which one fills up first. No "Birthday" celebration for her...

We started going to Dog Talk in Blue Bell with Mike and Theresa in July 2020 when we rescued our…read morenow 4-year-old Great Pyrenees / Shepherd Mix. They were recommended to us by a friend who had nothing but positive things to say about Dog Talk as well as Mike and Theresa. Well....2023 and we have rescued 3 additional dogs, a lab/pit mix, a pit/shepherd mix who are both 1 years old and just recently added an american bulldog/pit/hound mix who's only 12 weeks (can't wait for her to be old enough and vaccinated to attend daycare). We recently switched to the Fort Washington location only because it is more convenient for me, on my way to work, but we still go back to Blue Bell every once in a while because I know the pups miss Mike! Well, we just took our very first vacation in 10 years because we always put it off knowing we didn't have anyone we trusted with our fur babies. Well, not anymore!! The three oldest pups were boarded at Dog Talk at the Fort Washington location and LOVED it so much and so did mom and dad. Knowing they were well cared for and loved during their time spent with Theresa. Theresa even put up with my crazy dog mom check-ins throughout the week. They even thrived while being boarded learning a few new things and now listen even a little better than before. Cage-free boarding (or you can bring your cage if that's what your dog's prefer, like ours). Set schedule of feeding to keep on track with the home schedules and play, play, play! There is so much engagement for the dogs at daycare from bubbles to water play to rest to playing chase with other dogs. I always appreciate Mike and Theresa and their knowledge of dogs and how to train them, but really we're the ones needing and being trained. I have picked both Mike and Theresa's brain on a multitude of items relating to my dogs and their recommendation/advice has always been spot on! Theresa and Mike are always so responsive and have nothing but the best interests of the dogs in mind 24/7. It is hands-down a blessing we found Dog Talk; I will not take my puppies anywhere else. I can't wait for next year, it was so nice to not have to worry so much while away, we've already booked our trip for next year! The D'Amico four will be there all week next July! Thank you Mike and Theresa for all you do.

Bill Cook, the Training Center's owner, possesses an uncanny ability to provide the highest…read morepossible quality of services to those dogs he accepts into his care. Beware though owners that you, too, are expected to continue to carry major responsibility for learning and employing the unique communicative skills that Bill brings to the table in helping you attain the best outcome possible for your dog. Bill's caring approach is unique to each animal and owner team. With your your active participation, and with time, he can bring the most misbehaving animal under your control. He succeeded with my wife and I in bringing our outwardly aggressive dog to one suitable for apartment living in a community of mostly older and frail residents. Richard Estes, the Hill at Whitemarsh

We absolutely love the Lafayette Hill Dog Resort and Training Center LLC (especially Dash, as you…read morecan see!). We recently moved to the area and had to leave our daycare, we thought we'd never find someone she loved more. Dash comes home every day so happy and gets extremely excited when we drop her off. Bill is amazing, he is so patient with all of the doggies and truly loves what he does. I couldn't recommend the Dog Resort more!

FULL DISCOSURE: I am a meowmmy so I am reviewing from a Cat Person perspective although I have…read moremany friends with dogs so I visit often to pick up treats or gifts for them. THAT SAID, as someone who has lived in the community for decades and as a regular customer who has politely made requests or offered feedback as someone who DESPERATELY WANTS/NEEDS A NEIGHBORHOOD STORE THAT SELLS QUALITY CAT RESOURCES AT REASONABLE PRICES- Bone Appetite is NOT it. They offer a very limited selection of goods for felines while Dog Items and Services are wonderful, even OUTSTANDING. In fact, since the pandemic, they offer LESS cat products while still maintaining dog supplies and adding new dog items. So.....this place is phenomenal for ONLY DOG people. Cat People continue to be ignored, disrespected and just hated on. Luckily, in these hard times, I can just share my chicken, turkey and fish with my furbaby and call it a day. Amazon supplies my cat litter. The Dollar Store offers cheap toys. This Chestnut Hill store is always clean. The employees are friendly and polite. It's a boutique store that is specific to canine clients. They don't pretend to cater to other animals- its BONE Appetite with a DOG on the Window. LOL, its all good. Cat people know how to survive. But if you are a newbie and think you might find something for your feline friend- don't waste your time. I only go because its near my home but even then, it's ONLY for other people's dogs, not for my sweet ball of fur. They fresh assorted meat jerky is a nice new addition for easy treat purchases that are excellently priced.

They don't answer their phone, or return messages, or emails so the only way to make an appointment…read moreis to go in in person. Seems like this used to be a solid place but has faltered under new management. Shame.