Refined Canines was an absolute pleasure to work with, for our dog Poppy's training experience. They are extremely professional and want only the best outcome for you and your dog. Dont hesitate if you, or anyone you know is in need of expert Dog Training Services. Karen and Dan Smith read more

Life-Changing Experience with Refined K9! I can't say enough good things about Refined K9 and the amazing work they did with my 3-year-old rescue husky, Blue. Blue had a tough start in life--he was left alone in a backyard his entire life until the city forced his previous owner to give him up. That's when I stepped in and rescued him. While I was determined to give him the life he deserved, it became clear pretty quickly that Blue had a lot of emotional scars. He was extremely reactive to people and other dogs, very territorial, and had a dominant personality. At home, after months of patient work, we made some real progress as a family. But when we were outside, Blue was still ruled by his instincts. The turning point came when he lunged at a woman on a walk. That moment told me we needed professional help--ASAP. After doing some research and speaking with the team at Refined K9, I instantly felt like Blue would be in good hands. They listened, understood his history, and made me feel confident they could help him. Two weeks before New Year's, Blue went in for training, and four weeks later, he came home a completely transformed dog. I was amazed. He was still the same goofy, loving husky we knew and loved--but he was no longer reactive. His entire energy was calmer, more relaxed, and incredibly well-balanced. He was much more submissive, and I could tell he was comfortable in situations that would have sent him into overdrive before. Whether we're walking in public, meeting new people, or around other dogs, Blue is chill and responsive. What I love most about Refined K9 is that their support doesn't end when your dog comes home. They give you a clear framework and the tools you need to continue reinforcing the training. And they're always there for you afterward. They offer free group lessons when the weather is nice, and they genuinely care about their clients. Any time I've had a question or needed guidance, they've been there without hesitation. Rescuing Blue was one of the best decisions I ever made, and trusting Refined K9 with his training was a close second. They helped unlock the dog I always knew Blue could be. If you're on the fence about getting your dog trained--especially if they've had a tough past like Blue--don't wait. Refined K9 will change both your life and your dog's. Thank you, Refined K9, for giving Blue a second chance at life and helping me become a better dog owner in the process! read more

Great place for dogs that need some help with their aggression. Worth the money. They are very informative and helpful.

Sending our dog Loki to Refined Canines was the best decision we could've made as dog owners. Our one year old, spunky little pup always gave us trouble on the leash. He would want to say hello to every dog that walked near or far, and if he wasn't able to, he would jump, cry, bark, and pull causing a scene. My husband and I read countless blogs, watched hundreds of Youtube videos, bought all kinds of harnesses/ leashes etc., and even sent him to another professional -- but it was never enough or fixed the problem. We were referred to Pam and Darin by a good friend and finally decided to give Pam a call. Right off the bat, after our first phone discussion, I knew this was exactly what we needed, so we decided to move ahead with the board and train. Having Loki gone for an extended amount of time was definitely hard, but I knew he would be a happier & better dog. We've had him back for a few weeks now and I can't even express enough how happy I am with the results. Being able to take him for walks, or bring him out in crowded public spaces always seemed so unattainable, but it's something we can now do with him... with ease. Loki now looks towards us for direction, and its almost like we have an open line of communication with one another, much more clearly than in the past. He's still his quirky self, just much more obedient. If you are someone who is contemplating what to do, I highly recommend making that call. And not to mention, Darin & Pam are awesome to work with. They know exactly what they are doing and are always available if you need them. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. read more

I recently enrolled by 2 American Staffordshire Terrier puppies (2 yr. old male and 10 month old female) in Refined Canines' Board & Train program and I am extremely satisfied with the results. The program has transformed my puppies into well-behaved and obedient dogs. One of the major issues I was facing with my dogs was their behavior on walks. They would constantly pull on walks and crisscross in front of me and each other, making our walks more like a wrestling match than a walk. After completing the Board & Train program, the transformation was amazing. they were taught to each walk on a particular side of me so there is no more crisscrossing and they walk in a perfect heel. Other issues addressed during their training were counter-surfing, rough play, and failure to remain in an extended stay. They also worked with one of my dogs for reactivity issues. Our dogs now know all of their commands and, while they still try to test the limits, Darin and Pamela have equipped us with the knowledge and tools necessary to correct those attempts immediately so we are able to maintain the level of training they implemented. I have no doubt my dogs were well cared for while in Darin and Pamela's care. In fact, since one of my dogs suffers from severe allergies, he requires daily pills and weekly injections to combat the symptoms. They were able to ensure that he received all of his medications while he was in their care so he remained healthy and comfortable. Throughout the entire process, Darin and Pamela have made themselves available to answer all questions and provide guidance and feedback to make the transition a seamless one. Their in-home training following the return of my dogs has been invaluable and I look forward to additional training sessions with them in the future. Overall, I am extremely impressed with the program. Darin and Pamela are knowledgeable, patient and dedicated to ensuring that my dogs receive the best training available. The program has not only addressed the specific behavioral issues we were contending with but has also provided my puppies with a solid foundation of obedience and good manners. I highly recommend Refined Canines to anyone in need of dog boarding or training services. read more

The reason Refined Canines has all 5 star reviews is because Darin and Pam will not settle for less. Every single star is well-earned! My dog, Daisy, is a rescue and she came with issues that I could not handle on my own. I found Refined Canines through a Google search, and I am so grateful because they are THE BEST! Darin and Pam want you and your dog to be successful, so they will work with you every step of the way until you and your dog feel confident and comfortable with the training. As far as cost goes- they are comparable to other trainers, but you get so much more than what you pay for with Darin and Pam! Daisy boarded with them for longer than originally expected because she needed more training and it came at no additional cost. Included in the cost are group training classes and very reasonably priced boarding privileges where they will do a training refresher with your dog. I was nervous to send Daisy to a Board and Train program, but it is honestly the best decision I've made for myself and my dog. Our life is so much easier now, thanks to Darin and Pam! read more

We really wanted to take a minute to Thank Darin and Pamela for boarding and train our girl Luna. Luna was with Refined K9 for 21 days and before training she would pull on walks and go after any small prey (rabbits, squirrels etc.) Now our girl walks like an angel and barely acknowledges other animals while we are out. Luna is working towards being off leash and has some new commands in her arsenal. Darin and Pamela helped put my wife at ease because she was against sending Luna away for so long but they were patient and sent a few updates while we were away. read more

Refined Canines was the best thing to happen to my dog. He is a pit/rottie mix that spent most of his life in a shelter and had an incident of being aggressive soon after being adopted by me. I sent him to refined canines training for over a month for their board and train program and he came home an entirely well behaved and obedient boy. Darin was wonderful with him and is continuing to work with myself and my dog for a couple lessons to reinforce and teach me all he has learned. Darin also remains available by phone for any advice or assistance with any issues that may arise. I would continue to recommend refined canines to anyone who is struggling with a dog with training their dog especially difficult breeds like my dog! read more

Darin and his staff are the very best. We have a pit bull mastiff that we thought was "untrainable". he ruled our home and other dogs. We were ready to give up on him until Darin took him as a "board and train" process for a few weeks. Our dog now listens to every command we give him. I've never seen such a dramatic turn around in a pet...and all for the better! I highly recommend using Refined Canines Dog Training in Ridge. In fact, I've already recommended them to a friend who just recently got a new puppy. They're not only professional but very accommodating to us and our busy schedules. read more

WOW! We could not be happier with Darin! Before her training, our Bulldog/Dalmatian mix, Sadie was a handful to say the least. Sadie didn't listen to our commands, she was horrible on the leash, she had SEVERE separation anxiety, and had a handful of aggressive episodes. The straw that broke the camel's back for us was when she became aggressive with our waitress at an outdoor restaurant in Brooklyn. I literally sat at the table, sick to my stomach, and searched the internet for a trainer - that's when I found Refined Canines. I made an inquiry through the website and before I got home from the restaurant I was contacted by Darin's wife to schedule the consultation. My husband and I both work full-time jobs, so we opted to have Sadie stay with Darin for a few weeks to be trained. Watching Sadie get into Darin's truck and drive away was so hard for us to handle, BUT when I tell you it was worth it I cannot stress that enough! A few (long) weeks later, Sadie's training was complete and Darin brought her back home. IMMEDIATELY we noticed a HUGE difference. Everyone asked us why we chose to send Sadie to Darin's house to be trained, how could we trust a stranger with our dog, etc. Once you meet Darin, you won't have any of those concerns. Sadie took to Darin immediately and continues to show her admiration for him whenever she sees him (for the follow-up visits). During our consultation, Darin told us that we would be able to have Sadie sit on our front lawn without a leash when he brought her back at the end of the training -- he did not disappoint. Sadie now listens not only to my husband, but to me as well. She responds to all of our commands (sit, stay, come, heel, down, off, place, and leave it). Walking Sadie is a pleasure, no pulling on the leash, no zig-zagging all over the road. She no longer exhibits ANY of her aggressive or territorial behaviors. Most importantly, Sadie is obviously happier and more relaxed. It is clear that Sadie has more confidence and truly enjoys performing the tasks (commands) we give her. Sadie is the same dog she was before she left -- all of her personality is still there -- now she just knows how she is supposed to behave and how to please her owners. I truly cannot say enough about how pleased and thankful we are for Darin. Sadie, as much as we love and adore her, used to be a stressor because we couldn't trust her or leave her alone. Now, Sadie can stay in the house alone all day while we are at work and the time we spend with our precious pup is quality, bonding time. Darin's training has truly changed our lives and our dog's life -- it was worth every penny and worth every moment we missed our precious pup while she was "away at camp". read more

Darin and Pam really know what they are talking about. When I first met with Darin and Pam I expressed my interest in having my Siberian Husky walk off leash with me whether it be going for a run, mountain biking or just out in the park. Fore those who know the breed, you understand the high energy level of a husky and how they are rightfully dubbed escape artists and runners. When I got her back from the board and train program (she was about 6 months old), she was so well behaved. One of my worries about sending her to a trainer was that she would lose the personality she had before but this was not the case. She is still the playful puppy that she was but very well trained. My friends, family, and strangers are all amazed at how well mannered she is and I owe it all to Darin and Pam. Not only do they teach your dog, but they also teach you how to strengthen and improve on your dogs skills. I can't wait until the advanced group training classes begin so we can learn even more cool tricks. I couldn't recommend them enough and if I get another dog in the future you can bet your life savings that I will be sending it to Refined Canines for training. read more

Refined Canines Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

After 3 other trainers failed to to help our fear aggressive dog we were frustrated and beginning to feel hopeless. We had one trainer who was borderline abusive to our dog, another tell us our only option was euthanasia, and a third who would charge us for lessons but never really did any actual training. During a casual conversation with parents from our son's baseball team Refined Canines came up. We figured we would give them a try but, to be honest, we didn't get our hopes up. Our dog Nadia went for a 6 week board and train with Darin & Pam and what they accomplished over those weeks was an absolute miracle. When she came home we were astounded by how calm and well behaved she was. Gone was our aggressive, fearful, wild dog. It was astonishing! She still has her same spunk and personality but much calmer and confident in everything that she does. It changed her life for the better. Yes, Darin & Pam amazing dog trainers but they are also good people and treat their clients with respect. When they said they would be there at a certain time they were there, when you call them or text, they respond. Not only did they train our dog, they taught us how to be better dog owners. We can't say enough good things about Refined Canines and we are so thankful we found them. read more

Great job Darin and Pam!! We are amazed how obedient Howie is after you having him for only 3 weeks. We have put it off for 2 years, making every excuse in the book on why Howie acts the way he does. You not only trained him but trained us as well. We also appreciate your patience and immediate response when we have questions. 5 Stars for sure!!! Thanks for making Howie even more enjoyable in our lives. read more

We all know having a misbehaved dog can put a damper on your life , so I asked around and Darin came highly recommended by multiple people . First he came to my house for a free evaluation . He was very knowledgeable and explained what he offers . The options were boarding training and in home training . He knew I had a busy schedule and suggested boarding . I of course was hesitant but he assured me I had nothing to worry about . Well here we are a few weeks later . Darin came to drop off my dog . My puppy was off leash in the front yard and wouldn't leave us !!!!! I wanted to cry from joy . My dog who would normally flee was staying close by . I want my dog to have a good life and build a close relationship with him .... communicate with him . Darin gave me the tools to do so . I still have some work to do but now it will be significantly easier . Thank you Darin !!!! If you have a dog with some behavioral issues . Please call them , you won't be sorry . read more

Refined Canines - especially Darin is absolute amazing - all I can say is WOW. The difference in our mini golden doodle Augie in two weeks is amazing. Darin and Pam are more than I could have asked for. We were having issues with Augie nipping while playing, not fully potty trained, totally not crate trained - we were losing sleep at night - he was the boss and ran our household. We had done a few in house trainings and he learned a few basic commands. Due to our busy lifestyle we chose the two week board and train program with Darin after meeting with he and his wife in our home. Darin picked up Augie and also brought him home. He can sit, stay, place, leave it, drop it, heel, off, and a few more. Augie was a counter surfer and was destroying whatever he could get his paws on. We were originally hesitant about the e-collar, but that was more from being misinformed and given incorrect information from coworkers, etc. Darin spent over an hour with us after bringing Augie home explaining everything we needed to know and answered any questions we had. I even have texted him a number of times and he almost immediately gets back to me. We are so happy and pleased with our experience that we are boarding Augie with Darin next week while we are away and will continue to do so with the utmost of trust and confidence that our Augie is being very well taken care of - and given a mini remedial session as well while he is there. We have already recommended friends to them. I cannot speak highly enough of this company and Darin and Pam. Augie is a happier pup and his mom and dad are happy too! read more

We found Refined Canines in the most unlikely of ways... After having a woman come to our house to give a "free" roofing estimate, the conversation quickly turned to talking about our dog who was howling and barking like crazy in the background.... serenading us with his beautiful music. Our dog Ranger, a black lab mix was adopted from North Shore and was just a little over a year old at the time. The woman who came to our door that day spoke about her business then began to tell us how she had just adopted a lab mix from North Shore as well. She told us how a friend had referred her to Refined Canines for training her puppy since she too had a little guy who was out of control. Our beloved Ranger is a sweetheart but had an EXTREMELY difficult time following rules. Knowing we had to do something, we researched Refined Canines, read great reviews, and thought we would give them a try. We knew we would be going away for a week and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try them out- what a BLESSING THAT WAS! We had a small dog in the past and we would often board her at our vets- but we couldn't imagine Ranger being locked in a crate for a week while we were away- lab puppies need a lot of exercise and a chance to run and play. So... I called Refined Canines and spoke with them about having Ranger boarded and trained while we were away. Pamela (who I first spoke to on the phone) truly cared about our puppy and wanted to learn about him before taking him to stay AT THEIR HOME. Darin then came to pick up Ranger a few weeks later. Ranger came back a truly happier and well trained dog because he learned boundaries and limitations that we had trouble teaching him. Ranger learned commands we never thought he could learn- he can literally sit in the middle of the street (off leash) and stay without chasing anything or wandering off. Ranger had the opportunity to learn social skills and interact with other dogs in a controlled environment- something else which was impossible for us to provide for him. Not only has our dog received wonderful training from Darin and his team- we also know that he is in a safe and loving environment when we go away. We use Refined Canines for boarding Ranger when we go away because we know he is well taken care of in a home with chances to play, run, and for some refresher training courses with Darin. Refined Canines is a blessing and we are so thankful to have had found them. We can not say enough good things about these people! read more

Refined Canines helped my dog achieve her full potential. We started using Darin's help when my rescued puppy was about a year old. I had taken her for a walk on my own and she was around 50-60lbs at the time. Everything was going fine until she saw a child on a tricycle and without any warning, started to take off and pulled me by the leash to run up to play with the child. Caught off guard with her pulling suddenly with all her weight and with the leash wrapped in my hand, she made me fall to the asphalt in the middle of the street, landing hard on my lower back and scraping my elbows. Almost immediately after that, we started her training with Darin. Darin taught us not only HOW to train her, but WHY doing certain things were so important. He taught us to anticipate problems before they occurred and what to look out for in terms of indications that our dog Kona (or other dogs) were about to do something. Darin has always been available for questions we've had outside the normal training classes; he's very good about answering any concerns. Although at first we were a little uneasy using an E-collar, we now realize that the collar doesn't hurt Kona and instead gives her a simple reminder if she is not behaving as expected. We realize now that the way we were correcting her before using an E-collar was actually detrimental and was probably hurting her neck with some of the other "training collars" we've used. Now, after a lot of hard work on our and Darin's part, we have a well-behaved dog who I don't have to worry about constantly when I take her somewhere alone. Although she's come a long way, it's important to understand that training is a lifelong commitment for your dog. But Refined Canines is certainly the place to get you started on that path! read more