I was looking to adopt my first dog, a border collie, soon after I moved to Alexandria, VA. I…read morelooked online for border collie rescue groups and the Atlantic Region Central Border Collie Rescue looked well established and had a good selection of dogs. I especially like that they rescue dogs that are not purebred border collies, because apparently some rescue groups are snotty about that, go figure. We went to Sandra's property near Richmond and were able to see a large amount of dogs at once. Ironically, the dog we drove down to visit was at the vet that day but it turned out well since our dog chose us. She was the most needy and least border collie looking dog there (flat coat retriever/border collie mix) and she is an amazingly smart and loving dog. I really appreciate that there are people like Sandy out there willing to rescue dogs 24-7. Our baby was rescued from a kill shelter near the VA-TN border and I am forever grateful we have her! I have fostered several dogs through ARCBCR and it was a good experience as well. ARCBCR is willing to do whatever it takes to save border collies (and non-border collies) and it's a great organization that I highly recommend. You can see their dogs on Petfinder.com and you can email them at ARCBCR@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

I had worked with one of the fosters to adopt a dog with aggression issues. She had informed me of…read morethe dog's problems and suggested I might need a trainer. I told her I would check into it but that I would also continue the training the foster had started. Well 4 days or so into having the dog the foster's giving me information about a trainer I had to take the dog to who was paid $100 an hour for his service. I told her I couldn't afford that and that I was working with the dog. After she told that me not being able to afford that was an even bigger problem as she was worried I couldn't take care of the dog, and that me training the dog was not an option I told her "supervisor" to come get the dog as I didn't need the micromanaging foster telling me how to take of my dog. They got the dog two weeks ago tomorrow. I have yet to get my money back as "The treasurer is a volunteer and she'll get to it." Mind you I had to sign a very intrusive contract and they called my vet and my landlord to make sure I could have and take care of the dog, and they needed their money before I could get the dog. All like a business. But when it comes to getting my money back they are volunteers so please be patient with the treasurer. My check should have gone in the mail the Monday after they got the dog back but I have yet to see it and Anne has not replied to my last email about it either. I was more than prepared to love this dog and work with its aggression issues, even getting a pretty nasty bite the first night I had her, but their demand I use their expensive trainer and doubt that I could take of my dogs (I already had a beautiful, sweet well-behaved border collie) was too much. I just want my money back now, not when the volunteer treasurer gets around to it.

Yes I used to volunteer for this group. They really care about the animals. I would go there weekly…read moreand walk dogs and help adopters. I now do not have a dog and would like to volunteer. I'm currently living in the "Bickford " nursing home. Would this be possible? It would have to be a desk job as I am using a walker now to get around.

Our sweet boy!! The staff actually cares about the animals and provided accurate info about which…read moredoggo would work well for our home which has two kitties. Sulley is such a sweet boy and adapting very quickly. Staff even gave us a toy that Sulley particularly loved and is still his favorite

Can there be more than 5 stars? *Long post, but well worth…read moreit* I'm writing this in tears of complete happiness because of the services, and will continue to have, with K9 & Company Retreat. My Texas Heeler, Olivia, suffered from major fear aggression with other dogs to the point of drooling, lunging, and this continued while we were in the car. She had zero impulse control for barking, running, and boundaries etc. Olivia had NO socialization as a puppy due to the pandemic. While living in Virginia Beach I found Mark's company. The drive wasn't an issue for me it was ensuring my fur baby was in the right hands. We were very pleased after her evaluation with the behavioralist/owner and all the phenomenal staff trainers/members, so we decided to enroll her in board training. Best decision ever. The employees kept me up to date on everything. The Facebook page is perfect for fun and informational posts of your babies and everything in-between. We knew to keep expectations lower for Olivia due to the level of fear with dogs, so our only hope was for her to at see a dog and not lose it. When we picked her up we thought maybe they grabbed the twin of Olivia. She was confident, courteous, attentive, socialized, and the list goes on. It was a moment I won't forget, Olivia was finally able to be herself without fear. Mark built such a trusting, loving, individualized love and understanding of our girl. She is now around 30 dogs at a time and our new member of the family, Mable. Olivia knows commands that have her react swiftly, simple directions for her to better comprehend our needs, trusting us to protect her, knowing limitations, ohhhh and POTTY TRAINED! Our two dogs will be going there for daycare pretty regularly, already started. If you are skeptical, it's common when making this decision, I suggest just going to meet the staff. Once you will see a professional, educated, and reliable company. Thank you all for the hard work, we appreciate you so much. Olivia is finally getting to live the life she deserves.

Wanted to use them for puppy boot camp. First had to pay $100 for an evaluation. When we went to…read morebring him home the receptionist said he barked so much in the crate they had to move him to another room. We were not given any comments on how the evaluation went and were out $100 for no information. The owner said that since we lived so close he would try to move us up to a closer entry. This was last fall. Later we got a call saying he could start in January 2026. Another issue is that we decided to board both of our dogs for a weekend in September. When we brought them home both drank 2 bowls full of water each. I guess they don't water on the weekends? Just not a good experience all the way around. We found another place that took our pup within a week for boot camp and it worked out perfectly.

Great doggy daycare and fairly priced. I bring my dog here every weekday mainly because she can not…read morebe trusted in the house on her own all day and it is obviously not appropriate to leave her in the crate for that amount of time. She loves going there. The staff are friendly and take good care of her. It also allows her to socialize with other dogs and burn off all of that energy. They have a Facebook page where they post pics each day of the dogs. They do offer VCU discount.

No, just no. After bringing our dog here for years I witnessed the owner use archaic and out right…read moreabuse of our dog right in front of me. Makes you wonder what goes on behind the scenes when one is NOT around! I grabbed the dog's leash from Dodie's hands, hightailed it out of there and never returned. FYI, I was the night manager at a dog spa/hotel for 4 years and I would have been fired if I had displayed the unprofessional and hurtful behavior shown by this owner. You've been warned. Oh, forgot to mention an earlier incident at this establishment . . . months prior to the above altercation, I picked up my pup to discover he had a bloody cut on his left leg. It was a pretty obvious wound. When I asked what happened you could hear a pin drop. They had no idea. Do they not inspect the dogs for injuries during the day or at least prior to handing them back to their owners? I should have known then that there was something going on behind the scenes right then and there.

I have Australian Cattle Dogs. They are not easy. But A Stay in the Country are great with them…read more They know my dogs personalities now which makes me happy. I feel very confident my babies will be well cared for. I just love this place.

While I did not have a bad impression of the facility it was without a trainer at this time, my…read morewhole reason for looking. I also did not realize how indoctrinated places like this are with requiring vaccination of your pet for attendance. And then continual repeat vaccination for certain things. With all that has been unearthed about the contents of the vaccines and the side effects you would think there would be some flexibility or exemption for the owner's beliefs. This facility is not the only one I looked at and this requirement was standard in the others as well. I chose an individual pet sitter instead.

I can't praise Ashley and Calm K9 enough for turning my dog life around. I adopted my 5.5 year old…read morePug/Chihuahua mix from a rescue back in February after she was surrendered by her previous owner. She was incredibly timid, anxious, and didn't know even the most basic command. Sit, for instance, was next to impossible. She would lock her back legs if you tried to guide her little butt to the floor, refusing to do it because she had no idea what was going on. Fast forward to a month out of the Board & Train with Ashley. She sits. She stays. We don't use a leash on walks anymore. She stays right by my side on walks or within an arm's length in front or behind me, constantly checking to make sure I'm still close every few seconds. At every curb she sits. I used to have to tell her, but now she just knows to sit, and not to move until I tell her "come". The best part for all of this, however, is that it's all a result of her overall confidence being boosted by knowing all of these new skills. She used to be super skittish and bark at people, jump when cars passed by, and freak out. Every person who walked near us on the street she would lose her little dog-mind over. Now she not only glides right past them, but if they're friendly and she sees that I'm ok with it, she'll wag her tail and allow them to approach (assuming I've given her/the person permission). She actually walks better and is more calm off-leash, which is also a huge advantage for me now that it's getting cold because I can keep my hands in my pockets. I still do bring a leash in my pocket just in case, but I haven't run into a situation where I've had to use it once. Lastly, I was really apprehensive about using an e-collar. Not only because I thought it was going to be cruel, but because of how big the thing looks on my 10lb. dog! I can honestly say that the brand of collar they have you purchase is so adjustable with it's settings that she's never shown any sign of it hurting or even bothering her. She actually gets excited when I put it on her in the morning because she knows we're about to start our day and go for a walk! Calm K9 came recommended from a friend, and I think since seeing the positive change my dog has experienced as a result of the training I've recommended them to anyone and everyone who's interested in getting their dog towards a better place, behaviorally. Lastly, it's been amazing to feel what her being trained has does for me, mentally. With everything else one has to deal with in their day-to-day life, having a happy, calm, well-behaved and confident dog-companion has been overwhelmingly positive. A+ from me. Highly recommended.

They state that they get back to you in 24 hours.. but both mine and my wife's form submission on…read moretheir website (which states that is the fastest response) have gone unanswered for the last 3 - 4 days. Very disappointed that they didn't even have the courtesy to call or reply.

Our dog seems happy and well cared for during his stay, however, recently I had to cancel an…read moreappointment. My doctor would not clear me to take the planned trip. So I called Dog Stop with 24 hours notice and was told that they require 48 hour notice, doctor's note or not. They then charged my credit card $50. I really don't feel that this policy is fair and am not sure I will ever use them again.

Rudest owner i've ever met. Kelley is extremely passive and doesn't know how to speak to anyone…read morewith respect, won't ever bring another dog here again. Would never recommend this place and am surprised it's still running with her in charge. I've shared my experience with other pet owners and they have even agreed that they completely avoid not only bringing their dog here but working here because of the way Kelley chooses to speak to people. I don't trust anyone that can't treat others with decency.

I've been a loyal client through 7 1/2 dogs and more than 15 years. Over the ups and downs of our…read morelives, our friendship and respect has grown to a depth neither of us expected but each needed. After my Dane had to stay two months after my knee surgery, I knew that the family would love and care for him as I would. And they did. And threw a little training in for my safety. The commitment to the visiting dogs, to the Business, and to each other would make it impossible for me to replace. That's my kennel for life! Patti G

I am compelled to warn others of Canine Works. I DO NOT recommend this place to board your dog if…read moreyou want them to be fed properly, walked, and cared for. I visited the property and left my dog for a brief overnight stay the first time. She said that she let him sleep in their bedroom. I did not consent to this as she has other dogs and I didn't feel comfortable with him interacting with unknown dogs. The second time I left him in their care for 3 nights. My red eye flight arrived mid afternoon and went to get my dog without advance notice. This didn't give them time to hide the abuse they were putting my poor dog through. When I walked in, he looked anxious, miserable and significantly older. I noticed his tail hair was yellow--it was saturated in dry pee and on top of that he did not have any water in his crate and a bowl with scattered food. This is very concerning since I was told that the dogs are taken out into the backyard every 2 hours for potty relief. Also, my dog has a history of pancreatitis so it is crucial for him to eat his own food. I know something was given to him to entice him to eat because he had diarrhea and loose stool. Upon further notice after getting him home, he had a deep crate line on his nose that took a couple of weeks to go away. Lastly, the dogs naturally get excited anytime someone comes in so they start barking in their crates. The way that Mary yells at them to "shut up" is APPALLING and unprofessional. They try to tell you that the dogs they care for become comfortable with them shortly after the owner leaves. Almost every dog I saw looked anxious. This is no way that a person who loves dogs or animals would treat them. Please do not bring your pet here if you want them in a caring and trust-worthy environment while you're away.