My wife and I have had our dog Winston for almost 7 years. He's a good dog, but he would…read moreoccasionally be aggressive with other dogs and bark too much when we have guests or deliveries at the front door. We reached out to Connie because we were thinking of getting a second dog and wanted to get a "tune up" for Winston before we made that decision. The process to set up the initial meeting was thorough - we filled out an initial form, we talked with someone on the phone and we were provided with material to read before we ever met Connie. We appreciated the documentation as it set reasonable expectations about the process. When Connie came to the house, the first thing she did was ask us about our goals for the training. She's a great listener and really took the time to investigate our situation and ensure she truly understood the issues that we were having. Once she had gotten our story, she explained the root cause of the issues with Winston and educated us on how to better communicate with our dog. There was a lot of useful BarkBusters material that she shared that was specifically relevant to the problems we were having. Once we got past the theory, we did a few different exercises with Winston to put the ideas into practice. We saw an immediate impact with Winston after the first session. We felt more confident once we were equipped with the knowledge and skills to handle the problematic situations. We followed up on the homework that Connie shared and the results only continued to improve in the weeks following our initial visit. When she met us for the second time, she was surprised with how well Winston had responded to training and provided some small feedback about how we can continue to improve. We are over the moon with how much improvement we've seen with Winston and are so happy we worked with Connie! With the lifetime guarantee, we know we can reach out in the future if Winston develops other issues. Working with Connie was worth every penny and we highly recommend that others reach out if they're looking to improve their dog's behavior!

Connie is wonderful!!! she really takes her time and make sure to understand everything you're…read moreexplaining to her. She made me feel at ease that I can contact her at any time with any questions I may have. After spending three hours with her, I can tell, not only does she enjoy her work, but is very good at it. I highly recommend her.

We have been working with Kim at Lake Stevens K9 Academy since 2021. We enrolled our energetic…read moreBelgian Tervuren in a few puppy classes and he eventually completed his Canine Good Citizen test. It was a great way for him to be socialized and learn good manners. The classes were very low key and practical. We have continued to work with Kim and her team with dog boarding during our vacations and occasionally home drop ins when we have to work long hours. There's no one else we trust more! They always have great attention to detail and treat our dogs like family. We also have an elderly German Shepherd with reactivity and she does great with Kim as well. Highly recommend!

Kim and team has helped us with our rescue dog and again with our puppy. their patience helped us…read morehelp our rescue with being reactive and worked with us to help him be in public spaces and around other dogs without the same level of stress and aggression. our puppy has benefited greatly from the group classes where basic manners are taught in a way that is easy to understand and allowed us to bring those lessons home and use their methods to reinforce the classroom training! Kim and team have been wonderful!!

Lisa was so great! We have a wild pup and i was very impressed with how well she was able to get…read moreour dog to listen and learn new tricks. We learned so much from her!

We can't say enough great things about Lise! She was very thorough and so knowledgeable. She made…read moreour training sessions fun and easy. Our boy is a rescue and he has a lot of anxiety. She was very patient with him and he enjoyed his time with her. Thank you so much Lise! We now have the tools we need to make sure Jax has a wonderful life ahead of him.

Not me crying on the way home from Puzzle's lesson today! I'm just so stinkin' proud of her and…read morehow far she has come with the help of A Canine Experience (ACE). Before we started training with ACE, several people were telling me to "give Puzzle back to the rescue " or "put Puzzle down" because of her behavior and the damage she was doing. It broke my heart because I knew she had it in her to be great - we just needed to learn how to work together. ACE taught us how. Our trainer, Lauren, was exceptional! I'm so thankful that she believed in Puzzle like I did. She changed both our lives! Puzzle is now the best friend I always hoped for and the goodest girl ever!

Porter is always happy when he comes home from "camp". He is a nervous boy who needs camp while we…read moreare away. We also had him in board and train. He came home a more confident and happy boy. He has great manners and is so much easier to work with at home. We are grateful for the staff. They really do love their job!

We rescued a Great Dane mix who was a street dog in Mexico. She was very frustrated on a leash. She…read moreis very social and wants to meet all the dogs she sees but she's big and looks aggressive when she sees a dog on a leash. Mary was referred to us by our vet. We had an amazing experience with her. She taught us how to help Annabel not practice her leash frustration. With consistent practice, Annabel's progress was significant and it has made our lives with her so much more enjoyable. We have even taken her camping with a campsite full of dogs and she done so well. I am so proud of her and so grateful for Mary. She is the true dog whisperer!

The team is extremely dedicated to improving behavior in pets, and it was very clear that they are…read moreenthusiastic and care about dogs. I do want to note this aspect as a positive prior to the rest of my review. My hubby and I viewed the rest of the experience as strange and similar to an SNL skit that played out in our own lives. Read on to hear the whole saga... We chose not to move forward with them because of a bizarre experience with them. From the beginning, it was a very strange interaction as they focused exclusively on building a relationship with our dog but not with me. One of their trainers called me on the phone (kind of like a secret agent tasked with a mission) and parked a ways away from my home on an easement that runs on the border of my house. When I met her, like a typical hu-man I was going to say hi to her and started approaching her, but she commanded me to walk away from her and not make any contact. Um, ok...weird but if it helps my anxious pup fine. I walked away from her, and they proceed to follow us, throwing cheese and meat at me and my dog. Um...ok...getting super weird and pretty rude to not introduce yourself and then proceed to throw meat and cheese at me and my dog on my property but I guess you're trying to show everyone who's the alpha. My dog honestly looked really confusedly at them. She didn't bark and happily ate the food but I was pretty uncomfortable. Next I was instructed to follow them. NO, not that close, back up they noted (I was already about 6 feet away). At this point, in the hot son with cheese and meat being thrown at my feet I was done, especially because they walked into my property and home and immediately tried to establish dominance with not just my pup, but me personally. Uh...sorry you're still a guest on my property. They comically threw cheese everywhere on my property, with my dog confused and sometimes not eating it. I watched as a piece slipped through the slats of my porch, likely to mold and cause a bad smell when the sun got to it, because my dog didn't have a chance to (might I add they had fanny packs and were just whipping the food at both of us at this point). We got into the house and it got worse. I thought they were just going to ask us questions and show some helpful tips, but they instead sat down at our table, asking if my cat had an allergy to the food. No...i said...before they immediately started throwing cheese and meat on the ground in our home. I looked in horror, as they hadn't asked about my son who did have a severe (anaphylactic) dairy allergy but they kept on. My dog was pretty good about eating it, but during their convo I watched as small pieces of cheese got stuck to our floor. [My husband reading this review asked me to add this: at one point the cheese got stuck to my toe, with the trainer apologizing, necessitating the words 'the cheese that just bounced off of me? that's ok...just keep going.' which is still a joke in our household to this day'. Making matters worse, their 'interview', while thorough lasted the entire 2 hours. They did not suggest improvements, and did random things like measure pupilary dilation (um, yes my dog is a nervous wreck and you're making the entire household one too!) or where her tail was when it was pretty clear holistically what was going on with her. We finally had to ask them to leave because it was going over time (about 3 hours) and they hadn't shown us any techniques, telling us they were establishing 'rapport'. In the end, we were left cleaning up a sticky cheese floor, with an aversion to dog training, and with a still anxious pup.

We couldn't be happier with Concierge K-9 Training! Joshua and Kayla have been amazing with our…read moreRhodesian Ridgeback, Mack. We were unsure which program to choose but went with the off-leash program, and it was the best decision. Mack went from a high-energy puppy who struggled with listening, jumping, and leash pulling to a well-mannered, confident dog. With a one-year-old at home, having hands-free control over our large dog has been life-changing. The program's results have been night and day for our family. You can tell Joshua and Kayla truly care for and bond with every dog that comes through their programs, which made us feel so comfortable trusting them with Mack. An added bonus is their boarding option for program graduates, which includes a training refresh. It's a relief knowing we can leave Mack with people we trust while we're away. We can't recommend Joshua, Kayla, and Concierge K-9 Training enough. Their expertise and care have truly transformed our lives--and Mack's!

Put my 2 years old Doberman Pincher Kratos in his 2 weeks board and training program, my baby boy…read morecame came so structured but still my lovable boy. Joshua is very knowledgeable and is very responsive to his customers. Thankful for his hard work.

Steve and his team of trainers at Nitro K9 are the real deal. Both our young dogs have benefited…read morefrom Nitro's level 1 and 2 classes, and so it's very easy to recommend Nitro if you're looking for a trainer. It is worth acknowledging that Nitro makes use of prong and e-collars in their training method, and if you have concerns about these tools, I am happy to report there's nothing to be concerned about. I have witnessed my dog gaze up lovingly and with attention at Steve while under his guidance on a prong collar; you could feel the genuine connection between trainer and dog. This kind of experience was enough for me to put any concerns I had aside and welcome the training. It's also worth noting that Steve himself can be a bit of a personality, unafraid to speak his mind and get into a range of discussion topics. Underneath the personality is a genuine human, who wants nothing more than for dogs to receive the training that will most help them get along inside the home and the world. Thanks, Steve and Nitro K9 for your help with our dogs!

After suddenly losing one of our dogs in October 2025, our 10 yo Doberman was so heartbroken. He…read morebecame critically ill, resulting in over $5,000 in emergency vet bills and little improvement. We swore to no more dogs but then we saw Mia, a 9-month-old, Doberman puppy found on the street in LA by animal control. Her leg was degloved, necrotic and filled with maggots. She was intercepted by a rehab, received amputation and much needed medical attention. We followed her story for a couple months, hoping she would find a home, but she didn't. Somehow, we caved, did the unthinkable and flew to Los Angeles, scooping her up and driving her back to Washington in a rental car mid-winter. She was terrified, ferrell and full of dominant "spicy" energy so we booked an appointment with one of the top positive-treat-based trainers with reactive-dog expertise in the state, to help us introduce our dogs upon return and it was a disaster. Our senior exploded in pure terror, barking and lunging. She tossed treats; they ignored her. Twenty minutes in she shrugged, said she had "no magic wand," sent us home and refunded half our session. 2 days later she emailed us suggesting we rehome Mia to a foster "for our safety" which felt like a slap in the face. The very next day we thoroughly researched every trainer in Washington, and Nitro K-9 stood head and shoulders above the rest. I emailed Steve and he called back within minutes with genuine understanding, zero judgment, got us in within days and made our 2-hour commute in separate cars well worth it. In the first ten minutes Steve had both dogs calmly obeying, walking together on leash, and listening! He instantly saw what the other trainer missed: our senior was fear-reactive, meaning he was scared. Steve and North have taught us clear communication and connection with our dogs. They've taught us how to properly command quick correction and full attention using high-quality prong collars, like a mother dog's natural nips. No pain, no fear, no endless treats or bribes, just genuine praise, affection, and connection, the way real bonds and parenting work. He showed us how to step into calm leadership so our dogs could relax, trust, and stop carrying the burden themselves. He stayed by our side through every panicked text, every "what now?" and our dog's transformation is nothing short of miraculous. Mia is happy, confident and loves her big brother now. Our senior knows his role and is playing with her like a puppy again. They love each other and actually enjoy being together! If you're a reactive, rescue, fearful or high-drive dog parent, have been let down by "treat-motivated training" and have avoided prong collars because of the myths, you have been misinformed like we were. Don't give up, stop scrolling and call Nitro, I promise you won't regret it! IWe are forever grateful!

What a great experience! I've never done dog training with any of my previous pets... But I knew…read moreright away with my new puppy that there were some hurdles that we would have if we didn't. Susan's shy confident class was exactly what we needed! She gave us the tools and the feedback to not only train our dog, but to train us on how to best interact and react with our new dog! We implemented everything we've learned and we're seeing results! Very thankful for the time spent! Thank you!!

PUPPY DAY CAMP is a great investment in growing your dog's social & obedience skills. Maisie, our…read moreField Golden who has boundless energy thrived at PDC. She loved being able to play with other pups & we continue to benefit from her willingness to follow commands & her good manners when on & off leash.

I would recommend Ray at K-9 Academy to anyone. He completely transformed my German Shepard. She…read morewas a challenge, even for him a first but he worked his magic. I couldn't get her to do much of anything. She would not focus, ignored me, would bolt from the house and take off. She was doing what she wanted to do. Than with Ray's amazing training. She is the dog I so wanted. I can now enjoy her and be able to take her everywhere. I am so looking forward to taking her to the beach, off leash. I will continue working with Ray.

Excellent service and took excellent care of our dog. Ray is a pro and has been doing this at a…read morehigh level for a long time. Trust him with your pup!

Loretta cared for my cat and chickens when I was away on vacation, and did an outstanding job…read morecaring for my animals when we were away. She was incredibly thorough with the details and went way out of her way to make sure my chickens were safely put up for the night, every night, when our automatic chicken door timer was malfunctioning. I NEVER would have gotten that kind of courtesy if I'd hired some non-professional pet sitter off of Care.com, which I considered. And I'm pretty sure she even hosed the patio of chicken poop (and neatly coiled the hose) even though I didn't ask her to do that. I know EXACTLY who to call next time we have to leave our fur and feather babies! Thanks Loretta!

I don't even know where to begin with how ecstatic I am that I found Loretta! We had a trip come up…read moreearlier this year in May, so I contacted All Creatures Great & Small based on recommendations I saw here on Yelp. I've worked in the pet sitting business myself years back, so when Loretta immediately contacted me and then came by to meet the cats, I was wary to see what we were up against. I shouldn't have had even the slightest concern! Loretta is both warm and personable, asks a ton of questions so she knew what we wanted, and got to know each of our kitties. They took to her right away (even the skittish one!) and I felt comfortable after her first "get to know you" visit. I knew our cats and fish were in excellent hands. She came daily, on schedule, spent time with the cats while we were away. She even tidied up around the house and kept them entertained! We got updates via text how they were doing, and she was always quick to respond if I contacted her. So positive and upbeat. We simply adore her and cannot recommend this service highly enough! I know that from here on out, Loretta will be our go-to if we have to go out of town because she's just fantastic with the animals and an all around fabulous lady. I've never felt *so* comfortable being away from home simply because I knew they were in amazing company. I wish I could give 10 stars, but 5 will have to do. Her prices are insanely reasonable for the amount of care she brings to the job and it was all around the best service for our meows that we could have possibly asked for!