I rescued a potcake puppy, Chester, at the end of April. I have young kids at home and felt that,…read moreeven being a puppy, he was very high-energy and very difficult to control. This is also our family's first dog, so we are total rookies. We all needed training, really! My friend runs a dog rescue non-profit and recommended David as he has a deep understanding of the potcake breed (among others). We went in for an initial evaluation. David determined that our puppy is a high drive dog that requires good leadership and socialization. We started with the socialization and sent him for the day to be around other dogs. It tired him out and David told us he did great with the other dogs. The problems still remained at home, though. He was nipping my 18 month old, chewing anything he could reach (which was starting to include anything on the counters since he is growing so quickly), and was pulling us on the leash when we would walk him. We did our best to try and stop him from continuing these behaviors, but our best just wasn't doing the trick. I reached out to David after a particularly rough day with Chester. He recommended the 5 night leash training package he offers. We thought it sounded perfect for Chester as it would give us the opportunity to fix all of the aforementioned issues we were having. The dog is boarded for this program and is away for the full 5 days, and so this package also included leash training for me each day (without the dog), so that I could continue training him properly when I brought him home. In regards to this part of the training, David is very clear about the commands, rewards and "marking" you should be doing. This will be invaluable when you take the dog home. Also, a bit of a sidenote, but my almost 5 year old was really sad at the thought of sending Chester away for 5 nights. David was an awesome communicator and sent us videos of him playing with other dogs and working on his training sessions. He also posts on Facebook regularly so you get to see how much fun the dogs have. When I picked Chester up, I watched David with him and could tell this was going to be a positive experience. He wasn't pulling, he was listening and following commands. I understand that David can only do so much amazing work and the rest, of course, falls on the owner to maintain all the work he does on the dogs. But luckily David, as I mentioned before, is an excellent communicator and always offers advice when needed. I also left with Chester feeling like I was really well-trained. Chester is doing AMAZING at home. He's great on a leash, responds to the marking and understands when he does something "good" and is rewarded. We'll be going back for daycare for socialization as well as boarding when we are away (the facility is wonderful). We've also discussed remote/off-leash training in the future. I would absolutely recommend David and would be happy to answer any further questions about my personal experience with my potcake puppy!

We never experienced David as a trainer because of our amusing experience during what he calls…read more"evaluation" - he charges $225 for an opportunity for an 80's style hard-sell: he scares a dog first and calls it "pray drive;" he makes references to psychology legends such as Edward Thorndike; he compares himself with the most famous dog trainers and how underpriced he is; he instills the sense of urgency - did you know that your friendly dog was an evil creature that immediately requires a weekly training course (he does not actually say that; he wants to you come to this conclusion)? He is really good with this type of mental attack - highly recommend to business majors who want to experience hard-sell practices of the 80's. Just remember that you'll pay $225 for the privilege.

Theresa and the wonderful walkers who work with her take great care of my Petey. They are calm and…read moreloving and knowledgeable. They keep me informed of how his walks and playgroups go, give him great care and positive fun interactions with other dogs, have come through with extra walks and pet-sitting when I have been in a pinch, and Theresa went totally above and beyond talking and texting me through many of my new-dog-owner anxieties when I was feeling pretty frazzled and overwhelmed early on. I'm so glad I found Bark to Basics.

After a terrible experience with a dog-walker (Seriously, if you are a pet owner, purchase a pet…read morecamera!), I came across Bark to Basics and Theresa and her amazing group of walkers. They are the most thoughtful and caring group. I come home to a happy dog, a detailed note about their walk, and even receive cute pictures from their walks each week. Sometimes, they take her on group walks so she can socialize with other dogs. If there is ever an issue (my sweet girl occasionally gets curious about what fragrant things are lurking in the covered trashcan), they text me right away. I know they love my dog just as much as she loves them. I am so happy to have found Theresa and Bark to Basics!

Extremely Disappointed - No Patience for Puppies or Professionalism…read more Honestly, this has been the worst daycare experience I've ever had--and I work at a vet clinic, so I'm familiar with the standards of care and behavior management expected around animals. On just my puppy's second half-day, I received a call saying he was being kicked out due to "anxiety." He's a 5-month-old puppy, still learning, and yes--he chews, like all puppies do. Instead of redirecting that behavior or giving him any sort of chance to adjust, the manager claimed he was "destroying property" by chewing the fence and decided he was not a good fit. I was told he was pacing and not playing with other dogs. But pacing doesn't necessarily mean anxiety, and he has never shown signs of anxiety in the month we've had him. In fact, during his first visit, the staff said he was sweet, well-behaved, and even called him their favorite. So which is it? It felt like a complete 180 overnight--with no attempt to work with him, redirect behaviors, or help him settle in. Puppies need time, patience, and structure--not to be written off after one or two short visits. The experience leads me to believe that the staff, especially the manager, may lack the proper training or understanding needed to support puppies still in their developmental stages. I truly hope they consider additional training in animal behavior and communication--because right now, it seems more about convenience than care.

Very disappointed that Peter is gone, however, Katie is still there and I'm glad…read more Jax can't wait for Katie to open the door and off he goes. It's close to home and it gives Jax time to run and burn off some energy. I don't have to worry about him while he's there. I would recommend You Lucky Dog to anyone! Thank you, Joanne

My client brought her service puppy prospect to Canine New England to work on muscle strengthening…read moreto correct a sloppy sit. The before and after videos are like day and night. The trainer built her a box with traction which acts like a small platform. I highly recommend Canine New England for this type of conditioning.

We have been taking our Aussiedoodle Flip to Canine New England for years. The entire staff is…read morewonderful and the work and attention that they have put into keeping Flip healthy have made all the difference in his life.

So very excited to work with Matt! My son got a dog, he grew…read morea little (lot) more than expected. He is a great dog but because he is big and I am older I needed help to watch and walk him. Matt uses positive training, no shock, no choke collar no yelling The difference is stunning, the dog didn't need as much training as I did! Fabulous fun dog! With coaching and patience I can now walk the happy dog!

Emily was FANTASTIC! She took such good care of my dog and sent daily "upupdates" with photos of…read moretheir time together. I always felt in the loop and had no worries while away. Emily even went as far as to bring my pup to my own wedding for photos! Above and beyond service with a friendly person you can trust is invaluable! I highly recommend Emily for your next sitting.

our dog loves Emily! he has such a great time with her and she is very attentive to all his needs…read more We really appreciate the care she takes to make sure our dog follows his normal schedule when he stays with her, and always finds ways to make sure he has an enriching time playing with other dogs or going on fun walks. We would recommend Emily to anyone who wants their dog to be cared for by a safe and reliable person. She is also great about documenting his stay, telling us updates throughout each day and sending photos and videos of his time with her. Don't hesitate to reach out to Emily, you may find your dog's new favorite auntie!

Brought my two goldens in for the first time last week. I was looking for a new groomer after some…read morenot so great service at another place. The staff at Bark and Buzz were so good with my dogs who are both anxious and can be reactive. They separated them, treated them with kindness and patience. Both dogs look incredible too! They seem much more confident and comfortable with their fabulous new haircuts! Highly recommend!

My first and so far only experience was bringing my 13yr old chi wee ie in for nail clipping. They…read morewere very accommodating as my girl has some medical problems (heart murmur and liver and pancreatic cancer). They did her nails when there were no other clients and me right there with her. They did not take her back so that she wouldn't be frightened or anxious. I appreciate their care and concern for her comfort. The gentleman was kind, quick, and very good. I'll be going back there again soon.

These guy's are great! Every member of the staff is responsive and friendly, they're available via…read moretexting and email, and you get to watch your pup have a great time via the Instagram story. You can tell they love what they do. We've been using them for play groups and will definitely be giving them a shot for boarding and dog walking.

My husband and I moved from California to Boston last December with our one year old Golden…read moreRetriever and were BEYOND happy to find Beantown Walkers. With new jobs that required us to commute into the city instead of work from home, it was such a relief to find them. From the moment we started working with Catherine and her team I felt that my dog was well taken care of. We use Beantown five times a week, and they've always been accommodating to our schedules (if we need two walks a day, for example). Additionally, I know that if I ever needed overnight care that they offer that service. What's even better? They LOVE our dog and it shows. They are so caring and loving to her and I trust them completely! The team at Beantown goes above and beyond to make sure she is cared for. One time when honey got a little scratch on her face they offered immediately to take her to the vet for us. Their service is impeccable. They are responsive, fairly priced, and so kind. I love following their Instagram handle to see daily photos and videos of my dog playing with others, too. I 10/10 recommend Beantown for your dog if you are in the Boston area! We love them!