Dan is the real deal. We have a 7 year old American Eskimo who was reactive and had a history of…read morebiting other dogs and people. Due to his behavior, we had to isolate him, which broke our hearts because we wanted for him to be included in outings and family events. Interviewed 20+ trainers in the SoCal area and got no where, most of them were apprehensive in taking a 7 year old dog or had a generic "factory" approach in training dogs. After the exhausting search, we started to lose hope. Then met Dan, who really opened our minds about the relationship between dog and man. So how did things go? Super well. Dan is on another level. I believe these are the things that set him apart from the average trainer: * genuine love for dogs, dedication * deep intellect on history of dog/human relations * instincts on dogs as individual beings with their own personalities and story * lifetime of experience * his pack of 20+ dogs that help reinforce proper behaviors Our puppy is now happier and is very comfortable around other dogs & people. Rather than biting, he communicates to us. Very grateful to have met Dan and getting to know him. He works miracles !!

I have used Dan Irish as my backup trainer for several years. His caring heart and his expertise…read morewith dogs in trouble are the best in the industry.

Tim is an amazing dog trainer and a great listener to dog owners requests. Thank you Tim!!read more

I highly recommend Blue Collar K9. Tim goes above and beyond when it comes to helping both the…read moreowner and their dog. He has helped my dog more than I can say. If you are looking for a trainer that truly cares give Tim a call!

We were referred to Marge by a friend of ours for training. Our dog Morgan responded positively…read moreand we saw great improvement with Morgan after the first session. Marge has a calm and gentle demeanor and her style of training was very effective when working with Morgan. We have also boarded Morgan with Marge. A good experience. We highly recommend Marge.

Everything went so well. What everybody says about her is true. She is really an amazing dog…read morehandler and a good teacher for me and isn't that the most important thing. Just ask your friends with dogs and I'm sure her name will come up and everything they say about her is true. And no, I'm not a relative just a happy customer who's getting his dog under control Kim mc

I have a one year-old Cane Corso named Venus. Bill was amazing with Venus. I did the two week board…read moreand train and now I am going through my own training with Bill and Venus. He is very patient and communicative. He has really made Venus come out of her shell. And I am so excited to see her more confident. I want Venus to not react and to come to me when situations arise rather than handling it herself. And with Bill's help, I am also gaining the confidence to be able to handle Venus.

We brought our golden retriever to Sierra K9 Academy because we were having a very difficult time…read moreat home. He had become aggressive toward one of our other dogs, which was creating a great deal of stress and tension in our household. In addition, he was not consistently responding to basic commands, making the situation even more challenging to manage safely. Bill took the time to understand exactly what was happening and provided us with clear, practical guidance on how to address our dog's behavior. Through his training, our dog became much more responsive to commands, calmer in the home, and easier to manage around our other dogs. We saw a noticeable improvement not only in his obedience, but also in his overall behavior and temperament. After the two week board-and-train program was complete, we also continued with weekly sessions for additional training and support. Those follow-up sessions were incredibly valuable in reinforcing what our dog had learned, answering our questions, and helping us stay consistent at home. That ongoing guidance made a meaningful difference in maintaining his progress and continuing to build better behavior over time. What stood out to us just as much was how passionate and knowledgeable Bill is about training. It is clear that he genuinely cares about helping both dogs and their owners succeed, and he brings a great deal of experience and understanding to the process. He was patient, confident, and always willing to explain the reasoning behind the training, which made us feel comfortable, informed, and supported throughout the entire experience.

I left my 6 month old lab with Eden at Sierra dogs for the 4 week board and train. I couldn't have…read morebeen happier with the training and the love that she provided for Blue. He now has a very solid foundation onto which I can continue to build at home. I was initially considering another training place before I found Sierra dogs. Come to find out, not all trainers are created equal, as they were going to use a shock collar on my puppy. I couldn't even believe it! Eden and her employee Jess use a positive training approach....encouraging good behavior with rewards and praise and discouraging the unwanted behaviors by re-focusing the dog back into a desirable behavior. Because Blue lived with her at her clean, puppy-safe home, she not only taught him the basics but also more advanced training like recall and "leave it". She incorporated day-to-day living into his training, teaching him the skills needed to be a generally well behaved 7 month old puppy that actually respects the other small dogs in our household! Her large fenced property allowed for plenty of appropriate play time and socializing with the other Sierra dogs in her care including her own beautiful huskies...Luna, Vesta and Francis. When it was time for Blue to come home, Eden spent a lot of time going over everything and showing us how to continue on with his training at home. I highly recommend Sierra Dogs and will be taking Blue back for boarding the next time we go out of town.

Eden and her team at Sierra Dogs are our top choice for boarding our labradoodle. A stay with…read moreSierra Dogs is akin to a vacation at a first-rate canine playground with plenty of opportunities for physical exercise, mental stimulation and social interaction. We can't help but smile and chuckle while viewing online photos of our pup running at top speed with her dog buddies or taking a break on the deck. Although we miss being apart from our wonderful companion, we are comforted knowing that our dog is supervised while happily frolicking around with dog friends and provided with professional, skilled, and nurturing care. When reunited with our dog, she retains all skills we have instilled and is clean and well-behaved. We are very thankful for Eden and her caring team!

Our 8-lb, 3-year-old toy poodle suddenly began showing aggressive behavior. We immediately had him…read moreevaluated by two veterinarians, including appropriate testing, and confirmed the issue was behavioral--not medical. We contacted Bark Busters in Livermore due to strong reviews. That trainer referred us to the trainer covering our area, Sarah Harrington. She assured us she had handled similar cases many times and that their method--different from traditional training--could correct the behavior, although there is no guarantee. Based on that, we agreed to proceed despite the high cost. The fee is $1,875 (lifetime training), paid in full upfront. In hindsight, that should have given us pause. At the initial visit, our dog reacted very negatively--barking continuously and backing away. This was unusual, as he is normally friendly with new people. The trainer also appeared fearful, explaining she had recently been bitten by another dog. A significant portion of the session was spent reading from a binder rather than actively engaging with us or demonstrating techniques until after the total fee was paid in full. This method does not use treats at all. We followed the approach consistently for over three weeks. Instead of improving, our dog became more fearful, his personality seemed to change, and the aggression worsened. When we raised concerns, we were told to continue. The trainer did not proactively check in; we were told follow-up was our responsibility. Given the seriousness of the issue and the cost, we expected more support. We ultimately decided to stop. No partial refund was offered. We were told the contract would become void if we did not re-engage within seven days. We were also cautioned about posting a negative Yelp review. We are sharing our experience so others can make an informed decision. We hope your experience is better than ours.

Sarah Harrington at Bark Busters Home Dog Training - Central Valley is absolutely amazing. She is…read moreknowledgeable, patient, and truly cares about both dogs and their owners. Her in-home training approach is clear, humane, and incredibly effective--we saw real improvements right away. Sarah empowers you with the tools and confidence to create lasting change, not just quick fixes. The lifetime support Bark Busters offers is a huge bonus and gives total peace of mind. If you're struggling with behavior issues or just want a better relationship with your dog, I highly recommend Sarah and Bark Busters Central Valley!

I found Happy Dog Obedience on Yelp and feel so lucky to have connected with Dawn! She worked with…read moremy Pom-Pug, Titus, over the course of five lessons--and the progress has been incredible. From the very first session, Titus was immediately receptive to Dawn. She has such a calm, confident presence and a clear gift for connecting with dogs. What really set her apart, though, is that she didn't just train Titus--she trained me, too. Once she showed me how to properly work with him using clear, consistent commands and rewards, everything clicked into place. The improvement in his behavior has been fast and honestly kind of amazing. Dawn is patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely cares about setting you and your dog up for long-term success. I can't recommend her enough--if you're looking for a trainer who really knows what she's doing, look no further than Happy Dog Obedience!

Dawn is amazing! She came to my home and we had our first training session yesterday. She is quite…read moreknowledgeable and although I asked for help with my puppy, she's also helping with my older dog as well who is learning quickly for an elderly gal. She is a gem and very knowledgeable about my dogs and how to train me so that I can help them. Highly recommend 10 out of 10.

When I met doggy, TEDdy Roosevelt, at the animal shelter, my heart said adopt him but my head…read morequestioned whether my husband and I could make it work. Ted is a big, strong, and young adult dog. We needed to find the right coach. Thankfully, we found Julia Priest- our canine & human coach! In less than three months, Julia has coached us to help Ted learn basic commands, "stay in place" in the house and outside, and develop skills to become our hobby farm canine companion! In addition, as part of the coaching experience, Julia provides safe and secure weekly doggy socials at her country property with fellow K9 coaching participants. We highly recommend Julia Priest with Coach for Canines - she is a masterful, patient and caring doggy and human coach!

Fantastic help for my small thinks he is a fighting pit bull. Unable to manage on leash and…read morefighting w male dogs at home. She has helped me learn to have a peaceful home and going for walks are pleasant once again. Thank you Julia Priest

Laura helped us with our excitable ` shepski`. This is our…read more4th dog and she helped make Lily one of our family. Greatly reccomend her services..

So helpful with training my puppy. I feel like I have been given tools to be a successful dog owner.read more

Great friendly staff. Katie was awesome with my little…read morechihuahua when trimming his nails. I will definitely go back!

They took our little dog on short notice and were very nice and gentle. We were from out if town…read moreand needed a vaccine to stay at the RV park.