Ejay and his team at Ruff Translating (Cara, George, Sam, Michelle, and others) have literally saved my dog (and me!). After doing extensive research on trainers and training methods, we landed on Ruff Translating for our service dog prospect, Mercy. Mercy is now an (almost) two year old Great Dane. It was important to us that our trainers were reliable, professional, and experienced. I feel so unbelievably lucky to have found Ruff Translating. They care for Mercy like she's their own dog. She not only gets excited to go to "school", but she also is motivated, brave, and on her BEST behavior with each member of their team. It's clear that they have taken the time to get to know Mercy and develop a relationship with her before jumping headfirst into training. Ruff Translating uses a balanced training model which incorporates corrections and tools with treats and praise. Mercy knows what is expected of her and gets a lot of love; but also knows when she has made a poor choice and is given the opportunity to change her behavior without any fear. Ejay and his team work TIRELESSLY to build relationships with their dogs and their human handlers. They are also an important staple to the Boston community and their local neighborhood. There are a lot of dog trainers in the Boston area to choose from - do yourself and your dog a favor and research each team & organization before making a choice. Ruff Translating will likely be the BEST option for you and your dog. read more

Ruff Translating - Pet Training Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

TLDR: I made the right choice with Ruff Translating. My dog adores everyone there and has turned into an amazing service dog. He has been abroad with me in the Caribbean and given me a new lease on life. He was trained so well that he loves his job and loves to work. He even recently responded to a medical emergency I had without any gear on or expectation he work because he was in my apartment and off duty. He chose in that moment to help me because he was trained to truly love his job. That is an extremely positive reflection on the people who trained him. I trusted my lifeline (aka my service dog) with Ruff Translating and it has led to me having a solid dog who is always ready to work and has led to me having more independence than I've had in years due to my disabilities. I spent a year and a half researching before I decided to get a service dog and train with Ruff Translating. Ejay spent so much time answering my questions and sharing his knowledge before I even became a client formally. I had never done any dog training before so I was at first worried about tool usage like e collars and transitional head halters, etc. What sealed the deal for me was shadowing a lesson and seeing the joy with which these dogs train. The expectations are clear and I saw no stress signals. Only dogs happy to work. Never once was any tool used that I wasn't comfortable with and educated on also. They truly do train the dog in front of them and different styles are used for different dogs. My dog isn't super food motivated for example so right off the bat I was introduced to play as an alternate reward and form of engagement. The way we use any corrections down to even a verbal no was customized to what communication method worked best for my dog. The thing I love about Ruff Translating is they didn't just train my dog but they empowered me to be a strong handler and to understand how to troubleshoot issues even on my own. They gave me the confidence to work my dog and trust that I could handle all the various situations we come across as a working team. I also have grown as a person as I worked through my own internalized ableism and learned to embrace my disabled identity as not a negative but just one aspect of who I am as a person. I have found such great community with the other handlers and with Ejay, Kim and Michelle. Ruff Translating has had my back through so much including some severe medical emergencies. I'm honestly so lucky to have found them and highly recommend them. They will not just train you a service dog but genuinely help build you as a strong and confident team ready to tackle the world together. read more

Ruff Translating - Pet Training Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I am fortunate to have found and been a part of the Ruff Translating family for over a year now. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Training a service dog for my daughter (14yr old jr. handler) has been life changing. Not just because of the absolutely amazing things these incredible dogs can do, but because of the immense support provided by Ejay, Kim, Michelle, and the RT team. Every step of the way- from finding the right dog candidate, to puppy raising, to group and private training lessons- they have been caring, compassionate, and professional. They have gone above and beyond to ensure my daughter feels comfortable, that all of our questions are fully answered (and we have a lot!), and that we work as team. Ruff Translating is truly a gem with the most knowledgeable and kindest people you will ever meet. read more

Ruff Translating - Pet Training Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Our first dog was trained by RT in the very beginning of the company opening and we felt communication, understanding, and varying techniques were used. But as the company began to grow, all the good qualities we felt RT had begun to disappear. When adding a second dog to our household, we really noticed the type of training had changed. The balanced training that began to happen at RT over the last year felt extremely heavy handed. Every time our dogs weren't perfect, pain was inflected on them, and the intensity just continued to increase. Pain was used to cause them to "behave". In reality, this caused all the bad behaviors to increase. Our second dog could care less about pain, so using the balanced tools showed no success in our second dog. As owners, we knew each of our dogs needed totally different training styles, but we weren't getting that from RT. The same training style was being used on both dogs and failing them in different ways. A typical RT group walk consisted of hundreds of prong collar or ecollar corrections to get a dog to listen. I was constantly encouraged to punish my dog because of his drive. Every walk was a struggle of constant correction and so much frustration. On multiple occasions, I asked the trainers how to use my dog's drive and not squash it, but never felt I was listened to; we never focused on biological fulfillment. In lessons, I was encouraged to put my dogs into a heightened state and push them over threshold, and then connect them into obedience via a prong or an e-collar, via pain tactics. As a disabled service dog handler, I understand there are places and needs for tools like prongs and e-collars, but since removing them as corrective tools, I've seen so much more success, and consistency in success, in a few months than I had over multiple years with these tools. As I explored multiple types of training, I also learned how confused dogs were using RT practices. There was no clarity in communication between handler and dog while at RT. RT is a one trick pony, and if the ecollar and prong isn't the right correction for your dog, it becomes the owner's fault for not working hard enough, when in reality there's so many ways to train a dog. While we were clients, the trainers never did continuing education or expanded their knowledge from others in the dog community. In fact, I was only ever exposed to RT bashing other trainers in the dog community and never respecting any other methods or trainers. Clients are always told the RT way is the best way and the only way. We didn't get the experience of "train the dog in front of you" and do not recommend ruff translating to anyone who wants to have hope of a dog trainer expanding their training skills and constantly learning new techniques to help each individual dog and human succeed as a team. read more

The entire team at Ruff Translating truly are "fluent in dog." When I first started my service dog training journey, I was completely overwhelmed and wondering what I'd gotten myself into. The trainers at Ruff Translating have made all the difference in Apollo's progress. At no point will I pretend that training my own service dog has been an easy journey. It's taken consistence, patience, and the ability to take constructive advice from people who really do know best. Since I've started working with Ruff Translating, Apollo has completely transformed. I never imagined we'd get to where we are now. The whole team puts so much care and effort into crafting individual training plans for each dog and handler. I receive a weekly report card with Apollo's progress at Muttessori Academy, as well as instructions for homework. I can say without a doubt that doing my homework with Apollo has absolutely paid off! The clear and direct communication has made us so much easier for me to navigate this process of training my own service dog. Having clear expectations and guidelines on what to work on is exactly the framework I need to set myself and Apollo up for success. I'll continue to recommend them to anyone who stops me to compliment Apollo on his wonderful behavior! The team at Ruff Translating truly care about every human and dog who walk through their doors, and I'm beyond grateful to have found them. read more

Not for service dogs! I feel duped...after leaving RT, I have discovered that techniques used here are harsh, which leads to a fearful and reactive SD. The lead trainer/owner Ejay is NOT certified or formally educated in service dog training. He does not "believe in" CGC or other formal evaluations. He relies heavily on ecollars and crating your dog, while certified SD trainers use these sparingly, or not at all. My fault for trusting reviews and not reading up and calling around first. My SD was fully PA and CGC trained for 15 months by an expert and I took him to RT for task training. In 2 weeks, he became reactive and agitated, after 3 months, he was losing his mind there. Since starting at a new school, he is SO much better. Turns out my dog just needed a clicker, patience, some tasty snacks, and REAL training, not just a crate and ecollar shocks. They will tell you that the $250- ecollar is a TENS machine, but I felt the shock and it's awful, not like any TENS machine I have used before. Ejay's solution to behavior issues is to lock the dog in a crate and increase the power of the shocks. At one point he wanted 16+ hours a day, and when my dog was still not listening, he said more crate time!! He said 18 hours a day is not too much. I worry that they shocked my dog and locked him up all day there. If you keep shocking a dog they will eventually shut down. Maybe that's why his behavior deteriorated at RT. It takes courage to write an honest review of this place because the owner does not take kindly to dissent. In fact, the owner Ejay was verbally abusive towards me and confrontational with my husband. He also does not allow anyone to receive continuing education outside of his program, which is suspect in my mind. He will also make you train longer than you need to here, because time =$. Keep in mind that the ADA requires 1 task for certification, Massachusetts requires 3 tasks. I only needed mobility help (counterbalance, momentum, bracing), but Ejay requires 6 tasks to graduate (their own policy). No other training school requires more than what is needed for your specific disability. In fact BY LAW, they need to match your tasks with your disability. He says it's to have the dogs reach their potential? Is it really?? or is it $$? People have spent thousands here and ended up with dogs that are reactive. The only way to avoid going through that pain is to avoid this place entirely... Best wishes to all those seeking to train a SD for your disability! read more

Ruff Translating - My service dog- now with a CERTIFIED trainer at a reputable school. - Pet Training Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We have been engaged with Ejay and Kim for over a year. We are training our new poodle to be a service dog for my daughter. This place is amazing! They truly are fluent in dog! Ejay personally chose our puppy from the litter for us and has been a lifeline ever since. Always there when you need something, even late at night when your puppy ate 1/2 stick of butter and you don't know what to do! The training and support we have received has been nothing less than stellar since day 1! I highly recommend this business if you have any dog training needs. I will be forever grateful for Ejay's support, professionalism, experience and knowledge. Our private trainer, Michele , is amazing, so patient, kind, professional and knowledgeable. We are so lucky to have this perfect fit for us! Don't hesitate to call and learn what they're all about! read more

TL;DR: Ejay and Kim are kind people, who are honest with expectations and what is needed to train a service dog, even when it is difficult. I have had an incredibly positive experience, during which my questions, no matter how silly, have been answered and explained, and all of my concerns addressed. Ruff translating is not your average company, both in terms of their outstanding services that are provided, and in terms of the clients and community that has been fostered. My experience at Ruff Translating began with honesty. I had unrealistic expectations for a timeline, and was given a kind and blunt "reality check" if you will. This was just the beginning of my experience with the honesty and kindness that Ejay and Kim show. My expectations were unrealistic, and I needed the honesty that they kindly provided. I know that they could have entertained my fantasy about a training timeline, but I would have been incredibly disappointed. The service dog training program is a long and intensive process, but is not something that you enter into alone. Ejay, Kim, and Michelle have been available for support and advice throughout. Not to mention the community that has been fostered within the client base. I have found support within staff and clients alike, and have found that the loving, caring, and validating community Ejay has cultivated has helped me, as a young, disabled, and queer woman, accept my identity. Into the technical side of training: Ejay has been my primary private trainer, and Dewey (my Service Dog in Training) has attended Muttesory Academy biweekly for over a year and a half. Ejay located a puppy for once I was through the consultation process. I was given multiple options for ethical breeders, and ended up with a well bred standard poodle, who was five months old. My first weeks were incredibly hard, but Ejay was there via text, as well as on my pickup day, with a meticulous schedule to follow, and advice and motivation when the puppy blues and diharhea were overwhelming. As for training style, Ejay has the research and science to back up his training techniques, and will never implement a tool, such as a prong collar, or e-collar without the handler fully understanding the tool, reasoning, science, and usage. My lessons in which tools were implemented both went over booking time so that my questions could be answered, and I could be comfortable with how I was training my dog. It has ALWAYS been a choice. I have never felt uncomfortable with tool usage in or out of lessons. I have felt confident as a handler, and now am able to communicate non-verbally with my dog, which is invaluable, especially with my disabilities. This'd truly is dog led training. My dog is so amazing, and has given me my freedom back. Dewey is happy and gets excited too go to school. I know he is safe with these people, and he is my lifeline. By trusting them with my dog, I trust them with my freedom. -MacKay and Dewey read more

Ejay, Kim and Michelle are excellent dog trainers and people. We've been working with them at RT for 1.5 years training my husband's service dog, and they've been wonderful to work with every step of the way. I highly recommend Ruff Translating. They will take great care of you both. read more

The Ruff Translating team has been fantastic. From our first informational meeting(s) and emails to daily classes and private lessons the RT team has provided clear, concise communication as well as education for our dog and ourselves. They've been welcoming and patient. We've had opportunities to learn about training theories and tools. We receive weekly report cards to aid in communicating work done while attending class, strengths shown and areas to grow. Our dog is very happy to attend class and it is clear that he is loved. The staff is knowledgeable and professional when interacting with us. All our questions and concerns are answered in a timely manner. We drive quite a distance in order to work with Ejay, Kim, Michelle and the RT team. We don't regret the time spent as the quality of training and care are excellent. Definitely recommend Ruff Translating to humans interested in quality pet dog and service dog training. read more

Ruff Translating has become a second home to myself, my partner, and my partner's service dog in training. I can wholeheartedly say that Ejay, kim, and Michelle create and foster a welcoming, educational, loving, and trustworthy environment within Ruff Translating. Before Ruff Translating, my partner and I had been looking for training programs to train his service dog, and none of them felt right nor comfortable as we would not get the proper education surrounding training and we would not be as involved in the training process ourselves or foster such a strong bond between dog and handler. With RT, ejay and Michelle have guided us every step of the way through training, explaining and educated us on the tools, training modalities, and focusing on the dog in front of them, emphasizing the relationship between the dog and the handler/owner as the most important aspect of training -- making sure that the bond is strong, healthy, and loyal. They focus on making sure that the dog is happy, healthy, and wants to work and will always meet the dog where they are and train each dog to their specific needs/motivators/methods that works best for that dog. They have always emphasized that the dog is first and foremost, a dog, and not a robot, and the happiness and safety of the dog should always be priority. They train minimum 6 tasks, with most graduating with 10-12 that are specific to you as an individual and your needs. (Other facilities will train 3, and add on prices for any additional tasks trained). They provide homework for us to continue implementing training at home and really show us how to work with our dog as a team, along with weekly 'report cards' that show what was done throughout the week for training, how the dog did, what we can do at home, and overall always keeps us updated and knowing what the training process is like. They have shown us how important it is to implement training at home in order to solidify training, expectations, and learning how to work with your dog and understand them, and how you and your dog are a TEAM! And understanding that in order to have a well trained service dog, the work needs to be done at home too. We have never been kept out of the loop on how Training is going or what is being implemented and they have always consulted with us and how we are feeling about different training tools. They have always been there for us when we have questions / concerns and are happy to answer no matter the question. They make sure that everyone is confident in training and support us in becoming confident owners and handlers, every step of the way. I can genuinely say that I have never felt more trustworthy of a training team than I do with Ruff Translating. They genuinely have a deep love and understanding for dogs and training that Is unmatched. And the fact that this is a training facility that is owned and run by a disabled, autistic, trans individual is something that makes it exceptional and sets it apart from any other training facility because it has based on the lived experiences of disabled people, training their service dogs, with ejay having 10+ years of experience in the dog training and dog behavioral world. They are the most accommodating, patient, and welcoming people, who are willing to work with you and meet you where you and your dog are. Do not listen to anyone who says that RT and ejay are not anything but patient and understanding and accommodating. They have clear expectations and rules for dog behavior, pottying before drop off, etc to ensure the success of all dogs in the program and give countless chances, along with asking if there is anything they can do to help. We as owners and handlers have to put in the work at home to make sure our dogs are on the right training track, and respect the establishment and time that ejay, Michelle, and Kim put into running RT and training. (I.e. it is always respectful and expected to potty your dog before dropping off at school to ensure that there is no voiding in the building & to meet schedule expectations for pottying all dogs while at training, so as to not disrupt training) read more

I am so grateful to have found Ruff Translating for my dog. I was new to dog ownership, managing health concerns and immediately felt at home with Ejay, Kim and Michelle. They take care of my dog as if she was their own and my girl is always so excited to see each member of their team. They've guided me through the training process with patience, humor and expertise that has helped tremendously in a short period of time. read more

I drive in weekly from western Massachusetts, into Boston, to have my standard poodle trained as my stabilization service dog. Ejay and his team are professional, competent and compassionate. They are doing an amazing job, putting in place the building block, that are setting my dog and myself up for success. I am in for the long haul and so are they, in getting the basics, in place, so he will be a stable, solid, well trained dog, when his training is done. The whole team, while very good at the training, has made it clear to me, that they are training "us" myself and my dog, as a team and that they are not a facility that takes your dog, to train for you. To succeed, we must be a team, throughout the training process. I am exceeding pleased that i have found this training facility and that with their guidance and training, my dog and I will succeed. read more

As a new dog parent, it can be hard to find a knowledgeable, experienced, and ethical dog trainer in this unregulated industry. There is so much conflicting information and no easy way for someone new to dog parenthood to figure out who actually knows what they're talking about. A trusted friend of mine recommended Ruff Translating to me and I worked with them for a few months - in one-on-one training, in group classes, and as part of their adventure club (group walks for dogs). Having said that, I can wholeheartedly say that I wish I had not. Writing this review has taken a lot of courage as the owner is not the kindest to those he disagrees with, but it's important to me to write this as someone who paid this company for help with my dog, and was unsatisfied. In the shortest terms, I have worked with many dog trainers one-on-one over the last two years. I love to learn about dogs and learn from as many people as I can. The first one-on-one session we had with a trainer here (in our home) is the only time that the way a trainer was handling my dog made me hold back tears during the session. But we continued working with the company, because I assumed they knew better than I did. I watched them ignore my dog's stress signals. I have photos and videos from my time working with them showing their trainers and dog walkers ignoring blatant and clear dog body language. So, here's what I'll say: The way someone tells you to train your dog should never make you feel icky. Trust your gut. Don't be afraid to advocate for your dog. There are plenty of well-educated trainers in the area who will help you train your dog in a way that does not blatantly ignore their stress. Good dog training feels good. read more