You should use these trainers even though they aren't immediately reachable by phone. I know that's atypical, but it doesn't correlate to quality. Submit the form on the website, pick something from the schedule, etc., and they'll finalize with you by email. Review: My personal trainer recommended a dog trainer, go figure. Not for me, for my dog: my squat form is fine. How I've used this business: for both one-on-one sessions and class-style training (six consecutive weeks), always at their locations (have not tried housecall service). We've seen excellent results. I would both use them again and recommend them to others. I'll note also that my girlfriend, who is disabled, had a good experience in the classroom setting, which helped her quickly gain confidence in handling the dog. read more

I love these people! They are amazing with my pup Cashew! I appreciate that they truly care about my dog and will never push him to do something he doesn't want to do. They have tons of amazing classes! We have completed basic and intermediate obedience, as well as attended agility, scent detection, and daycare. All of which have been super positive experiences. I'm so grateful to have found K9 Working Mind! We will continue to take their classes and attend daycare on a regular basis! Thanks ladies! read more

Training by Tara - K9 Workingmind - Cashew graduating Basic Obedience at K9 Working Mind - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

I'm currently taking my third dog through obedience training with Training by Tara. I have put 2 rottweilers through basic and intermediate obedience and 1 of them through advanced so she earned her Canine Good Citizen certificate. My puppy just went through basic at her new location in Paige, TX. The new facility is larger with room to hold 2 classes at once in a nicer air conditioned metal building. All of my instructors, to include some private one-on-one training with Tara herself, have been top notch. These ladies are super patient (I wish I could say I was as patient) with the dogs. They work with "aggressive breeds" and differently-abled dogs. I've never tried a K9 working mind class, agility, treibball, but I've heard good things and certainly would be open to it. read more

Training by Tara - K9 Workingmind - New location sign and classes are in the blue building - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

Tara was recommended by my veterinarian for my very sweet and intelligent, but somewhat challenging, rescue. I grew up with docile labs, and quickly learned that managing a hyperactive rescue pit mix takes an entirely different skillset. Enter Laura and Tara. I have taken both group lessons and private one-on-ones. They are both fantastic. Tara, Laura and their team so obviously love what they do, and they teach a very understanding and compassionate, but effective, style of training. For the price of a few lessons I have dramatically improved my relationship with my dog, an investment that pays off every day. I also appreciate that they are very responsive on email for questions, schedule changes, etc. read more

This place is absolutely the only place I'll take my dogs for training and assistance. Tara and Laura are incredibly kind, patient, and professional individuals with true talent and grit when it comes to animals. I took our recently adopted Heeler here to enroll in basic obedience. She is fear reactive and quite a handful. Laura did an incredible job training us and making us feel welcome. We are now about to graduate basic obedience, and moving on to intermediate with 6 confident legs! read more

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My son and I waited anxiously for the day Tara Stermer, Rock Star Dog Trainer, would arrive at our home. Tara M., yelper and advocate for pitties and all dogs of the world, had recommended her so I was pretty sure she was the best of the best. The kid's new mixed breed pup, Arya, was lacking certain dog manners and, apparently, we needed to be trained as well. Tara, a diminutive but forceful being, walked right in, sized up the problems and got down to business. Within 15 minutes, she had corrected several behavoir issues with the new pup that had us previously stumped. In one hour, Arya learned to wait, sit, walk on a leash plus numerous other very useful corrections. We learned how to control feeding, body block a jump (trust me, this is an important one) and why you should crate your dog for sleeping. At the end of the lesson, we were given a list of items necessary to continue her training program. All this for $100 plus a $10 travel fee to our home. Arya has gone from an annoying puppy who chewed up my husband's work papers, ate a leather key holder, took my shoe to bed with her and terrorized the cat, to an obedient happy dog. What a wonderful and amazing transformation. And more importantly, we learned how to work with her. With proper training, man, woman and child can be dog's best friend! Rock on, Tara! read more

"Must love dogs"... I bet if you were too take out an add for a person to help your dog, that would be one of your qualifications. If so, Tara's the person for you! Not only is Tara great at what she does, but she LOVES dogs; all dogs! Big, small, purebred and mutts, they are all equal in Tara's eyes. Just take a look at the pictures of her pack on her website and you will see. When we got our dog, Abby, she was a 12 week old pitbull puppy and we needed to start training her right away. We did what we could on our own and then decided it was time to call in the big dogs. Tara came out for a personal consult and I knew right away we had made the right choice. She was personable as well as knowledgeable. Before long we had Abby in a puppy socialization class, basic and then intermediate obedience. Now she's taking agility with Tara. Words cannot describe the level of customer service Tara (and Brandie & Amanda) provide. Sure, many people think of going to a certain large pet chain store for training, but I ask you this... Can you call them and say, my dog is doing such and such.. "HELP!" Odds are no one could help you or have any real idea about your dog. Tara has been there for us on numerous occasions when we just needed a quick tip on how to fix something. Every time we go out of town or need to board Abby for a night, we think of no one else but Tara, Brandie and Amanda. It is like being at a home away from home for Abby. She comes back to us better behaved and exhausted. You can rest assured that your pup will be in good hands and tuckered out when you pick them up. In conclusion, Abby gives Tara... two paws... WAY UP! read more

Training by Tara - K9 Workingmind - Our dog loves Tara so much she falls at Tara's feet when she sees her! - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

I am so happy to have had the pleasure of meeting Tara Stermer in person today at the Dog Day Afternoon party on the Patio at Cool River where she had a booth set up. I love that she has dedicated herself to training "Misunderstood" Dogs and wanted to give her a huge hug as soon as I met her but restrained myself. Because I was afraid she would think that was a bad example to be setting for my dog. My dog is so friendly that she wants to french kiss every dog she meets and I am trying to teach her some manners and that not all dogs want to kiss within the first seconds of meeting:) My dogs only issues is that she is overly friendly and a big Mommy's Baby and makes horribly sad sounds when she is in "supervised separation" from her Mommy with a stranger. I almost wish my Pup had some issues just so I could work with Tara on training. Today Tara gave me some great FREE tips on how to get Mia to overcome her nervousness when a stranger has to take her away. And Tara was so great with Mia while teaching me - Mia did not make one sad sound! I also have friends with "Misunderstood" Breeds who swear by her. Tara, thanks for all you do for the "Misunderstood" furry kids! read more

Training by Tara - K9 Workingmind - Mia doing a sit stay with Tara's Poodle Tyler in the background - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

We went to training by Tara after multiple people recommended her to us. We were having biting issues with our dog who is 9 months old. We filled out the questionnaire and set up a consultation. Our schedule did not work with Tara's so unfortunately we didn't speak with her or meet her. We went in for our consultation and from the beginning felt very uncomfortable. Our trainer was sitting sooo far away from us and never once even acknowledged our dog. She didn't say a word to her, didn't touch her or really even look at her. Everything was based off of the questionnaire we filled out. Which was fine! She pretty much told us that our dog was all these different types of aggressive. (Also fine.) Pretty much by the end of this consultation which was about an hour, she told us that if we ever wanted children, which we do, that we wouldn't be able to keep our dog. I asked her what we should do. She then went on to tell us that we would need to put our dog down!! I started crying and apologized for it and then she told me that she had told someone the same thing that morning!!!! Let me just say that I understand that if a dog is aggressive that it should not be around children BUT for a licensed dog trainer to tell someone to kill their perfectly healthy dog was AWFUL! Seriously traumatizing. We will NOT be using them for our dog. read more

We found Tara after working with endless trainers to work with us to correct our Great Danes sometimes confusing "difficult & aggressive" behavioral issues she was beyond patient in working with my husband and I and our dog. She doesn't make you feel belittled listens to you and your dog taking it step by step in his case. Helps you become aware of your dogs signs and signals. We unfortunately didn't get to fully finish our training with her due to moving but the abundance of information and training tips she did give us we're a huge help to some of his issues. We refer her to everyone and will only aim to use her in the future. read more

Training by Tara - K9 Workingmind - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I was all set to enroll my dog here. I had read all the positive reviews and was completely sold. Nothing was going to keep me from getting my dog trained by Tara: not the 40 minute drive, not the consultation charge, not the pages of paperwork, nor the fact that each one of my emails took at least four days before Tara responded. All that was left was the consult to determine which product Tara recommended... She completely blew it in the consult. She obviously hadn't read any of the paperwork she made me fill out. She didn't listen to a word I said (most of which was repeating what was already on the form.) Rather, she employed selective hearing, fixating and generalizing the negative that I had chosen (purposefully, since she is the professional) to highlight. She didn't seem to care about any of my concerns. She wouldn't answer any of my questions, and she was very condescending. A hint of the positive reinforcement method of training had her sneering derisively. Tara's "way" with dogs remains a mystery (obviously, you have to pay to see more). Tara's "way" with dogs that I witnessed was that she could provoke the dog. She attempted to employ the Caesar Milan way of interpreting dog behavior; but what she accomplished was more along the lines of what televised psychics do during their public performances. Furthermore, it was off-putting how stingy she was with help (note, I'm not asking for a free session), and with hope. When met with a dog-owner (desperate and at wit's end) who's love for their dog is only seriously challenged by the fear that their dog is going to attack something (though it never has before), she sits there contemptuously sneering, criticizing, and judging. On the drive there I didn't think there was anything that would stop me from getting my dog trained here...turns out there is, and her name is on the logo. read more

Untrained puppy needs basic training. Simple, right? First, a multi page questionnaire. Then a requirement for on-site consultation during the work day. Then the possibility of a requirement for special training. In case you are wondering, there's nothing freakish about this dog. Maybe it was a communication issue but it was a bizarre experience and drove us to find a basic obedience class elsewhere. read more

My sweet boy definitely needs some formal training and I have planned on looking into it for a while now. I actually was referred to Training by Tara by my vet. I viewed the website and decided to email for additional information. I also called the same afternoon because I preferred to talk with someone. . I received an email response addressed to a different person. I understand using the copy and paste function, but there is no need to make it that impersonnal if I am planning to trust you with my dog and spend money in the process. The following Sunday I received 2 missed calls from a number that I didn't know. When I saw this later I looked up the number only to find that it is their number. No voicemail was left. I was actually looking forward to working with them b/c of the amazing reviews and the recommendation from my vet, but if they are unable to use the correct name or leave a voicemail letting me know who they are, I can't see the interaction being the type that I want to be involved in. My pet is my child and I would never send my child anywhere with someone that didn't try to create a friendly environment from day one. read more

I had been waiting to write a review about Tara for a while now, but I feel like the results I've seen with my dog are not just a fluke. First of all, Tara is NOT Cesar Milan. She doesn't believe in "correcting" your dog's behavior. Instead, you use your body language to convey to your dog that you are able to protect them, and you do this without laying a single hand on them. You allow them to make their own choices for themselves. I've been in two different group classes and seen these tactics work instantly with my own eyes on several different dogs. Second, my reactive dog is nowhere near perfect, but we are at a point where I am not embarrassed by her behavior and I no longer hesitate to bring her outdoors. She used to bark relentlessly at other people and dogs; in fact, during our first consultation with Tara, I could barely hear over her barking. Now, she will still bark, but I have the tools to get her to STOP barking. Gradually she's been reacting less and less to things that set her off in the past. I'm constantly surprised at what she is able to handle and not react to anymore. We have a long way to go still, but for the first time in years I'm actually hopeful and excited to make further progress with her. Third, you get MORE than what you pay for. Tara has always been accessible through email and willing to stay after class to answer any questions you may have. I will probably continue to take classes with her in the near future. I also can't stop recommending her to people I meet who are having issues with their dogs. She's been a life changer! read more

I enrolled my 5 month old puppy "Charlie" for basic obedience with Tara based on her yelp reviews. Our first surprise the first day of class was the fact that Tara was not the trainer and it was a lady named Lisa. We don't think she has the skills or sufficient training experience to teach a class. She was always reading a paper to see how to explain the 3-4 commands for each class. We asked her a couple of times on how to address certain issues with our puppy and her answer was let me ask Tara or Savannah how to resolve the issue. In two occasions the shed where the class was held had a horrible smell due to the fact that they keep dogs in kennels there and how know how often the kennels were clean. My wife and I decided not to finish the basic program, we didn't even go to the last class. I wish we could experience Tara's experience and that's what you are paying for and not for an apprentice or somebody that doesn't have the knowledge to teach the class. Lisa is a nice person don't take me wrong but lacks of experience and knowledge. If you enroll to train your dog here, make sure Tara is the trainer, we feel that we paid for something that was completed different of what Training by Tara offers and we wasted our money there. read more

I'm owned by a rapidly growing 8-month-old Great Dane with a big attitude. She's not a huge troublemaker, no crazy freakish problems going on, but she's huge and knows it and was becoming increasingly difficult to control. Yippy Chihuahua? No big deal. 120lb monster? Big deal! So, obedience classes were in order. I did months of shopping around the different trainers in Austin, relying heavily on Yelp reviews and Facebook posts, but even there I found it was a mixed bag. Tara's program swayed me for a few reasons: 1. PAPERWORK - I'm honestly shocked that someone would be put off by filling out detailed histories. To me this is indicates responsibility and genuine concern. I'd be way more disturbed if a trainer wanted to take on a new dog no questions asked. 2. COMMUNICATION - I also don't know what anyone was sniffing when they claimed that Tara or her staff are horrible communicators. I exchanged several long, detailed e-mails with Tara and Savannah before committing to classes. All my questions were answered and I was even given some extra latitude in terms of advice/tips before ever sending in a payment. 3. PRICE - While I wouldn't say pricing from one trainer to the next is extremely competitive, Tara's rates are lower than most. We are mid-way through the Basic Obedience classes with Savannah and I'm just blown away by the progress we've made. Within 10 minutes my headstrong bull of a dog was walking on a leash with perfect manners. The classes are intimate with only 4 dogs and a great spread of group training and one-on-one. I've talked with Tara a few times as well and find her to be extremely friendly, open and humble. I was really tense to begin with as some previous reviews described her as some holier-than-thou domineering queen, a description I have found to be about as far from the truth as possible. Savannah is charming, clear, and seems like a pissed off mountain lion wouldn't phase her. Everyone here seems to love what they're doing. So seriously, if you're looking for some no-nonsense training that really works, please give these guys a call. read more

Tara was fantastic! So glad she has a soft spot for our canine friends. I didn't think I could go to an obedience class but then (thanks to yelp) saw that Tara is sweet enough to have a 1 class for a discount if we have shelter dogs. Wow- what an impact! My energic Luna pup (who used to drag me on walks) had her first jog with me after Tara's dog-whispering techniques. The jog was so beautifully smooth, I decided to test Luna by going on a v. slow bike ride- she kept up and never pulled! Finally, Luna can join me how I get around Austin- thank you Tara!! read more

VERY IMPRESSED with Tara and her team! My boyfriend and I sought her help after our two Catahoulas were attacked by two off-leash dogs. Following the incident, they became extremely aggressive toward other dogs (growling, barking, lunging ferociously), making even a simple walk around the neighborhood terrifying for everyone involved. We had no idea what to do with our previously friendly dogs. Based on the positive reviews, we made an appointment on-site with Savannah for our two monsters. Much to our relief, she told us that our dogs weren't "aggressive," but were simply "reactive." Basically, she explained that we needed to show our dogs that we, the humans, were able to protect them and that they didn't need to lash out when they encountered another dog. She taught us many, many techniques to let our dogs know that we were running the show and pointed out how certain things (like allowing our dogs to sleep in the bed, allowing them to exit/enter a door before us, allowing them to choose when they ate their food, etc) were diminishing our role as protector/leader in their eyes. During this session, our dogs changed before our very eyes. They were surprisingly open to us taking charge of them by not allowing them to walk or stand ahead of us and they responded very well to the exercises. When Savannah suggested that we introduce them to some of their dogs, I was nervous, but she assured me that everything would be controlled and there would be no way for either dog to get hurt. Much to my amazement, within thirty minutes of meeting Savannah, our dogs didn't react at all to any of the dogs they met. I was SOLD. We were eager to get them enrolled in Tara's 6-week Reactive Walker class, but we had to wait a month before her schedule would allow it. This actually turned out to be a good thing, because we had some time to implement these new walking techniques with the pups and really establish some authority with them. We are halfway through our course, but they have improved soooooo much! Tara and Savannah's tips have given me the confidence to take my dog for a walk knowing that I can protect him, even if an off-leash dog runs up to us (which happens often in our neighborhood, unfortunately). Every day we are improving. Aside from the results, I recommend Tara because it's obvious that she and her team truly care about your dog. The way she conducts her business is both friendly and professional, making it very easy to ask questions and express concerns. I really feel like I'm getting my money's worth- we've arrived early, stayed late, picked her brain about other dog problems not related to the course and she's encouraged all of this. You couldn't trust your dog with a better person. read more

I am not attempting to be hyperbolic when I say Tara saved our lives...to be clear, she saved the life we wanted to have with our family. My husband and I adopted a 1-year old dog a few years ago who was just so sweet and obnoxiously cute named Sammy. We "trained" him with the tools we had grown up with and what we had seen by so called "experts" on TV...you know who I am referring to. NOTE: DO NOT ROLL YOUR DOG! If you are currently doing so, STOP!!! Everything you know about that "technique" is a lie and exactly how we got into this position! Anyway, he had some minor annoying behaviors like intense barking on occasion and eating/guarding things he shouldn't, like trash etc. Being ignorant, we just called it normal dog behavior and accepted it as one of his quirks. Overall, he listened pretty well and was a huge lover bug. That was, until we adopted another dog about 6 months ago. At first, they got along extremely well and were super cute together. We were able to have them eat side by side without incident. For about 3 months, at least. Then, one morning Sammy decided to go after our other dogs food, aggressively. We dismissed the first time as a fluke, but when it started happening at every meal we started researching causes and solutions. Everything we tried not only failed miserably, it seemed to exacerbate the problem. The tipping point was when he put his mouth on my husband when he tried to prevent Sam from attacking our other dog. Our "pride" didn't matter anymore, just finding a way to make our home peaceful again. We were referred to Tara by our other dog's foster mom, and we began the leadership program. After seeing results almost immediately in his obedience, we made sure we stuck to the program religiously. Unfortunately, Samuel didn't decide to display the true extent of his confidence or resource guarding behavior until we challenged his leadership. Unbeknownst to us, he had established himself as alpha and did not take our attempts at a coup d'etat kindly. Not to mention he loved to save his especially horrendous behaviors just for my husband and me at home. I really thought he might be bipolar considering his perfect angel-like manners at Tara's and his tyrannical behaviors at home. He even got some really good size bites on me. No matter what new challenges Sam presented, Tara was there - she was EXTREMELY responsive and always had a next step. She would even Skype with us so we wouldn't have to drive to her every time we had an issue. We eventually had to send him to her two week doggie boot camp - things in our house were getting so stressful and we were having a hard time keeping our composure and maintaining "alpha" body language etc. Plus, we really needed Tara to witness his "bad-side". I've already made this a novella, so to sum up, after doggie bootcamp things started to change. I now had the tools to win the game of thrones occurring in my house and she had broken his confidence, not only in his bite but in his leadership abilities. All without touching him. It wasn't an "insta-fix" per se, but as the weeks passed and we stuck to the program, the house became more and more peaceful and we were able to mend our relationship with Sam. Now, he is out and about most of the time and listens SO WELL! He is an extreme resource guarder, so we are still working on meal time, but he does not try to bite anymore, and as soon as we request he back up and calm down, he does. I can honestly say, Tara acted not only as a brilliant doggie rehab specialist, she was a fantastic therapist. She was very graceful with my daily panic e-mails and the several times I got emotional during this journey. Without her support and assurance that sticking with the program would work, we would have been forced to make a difficult decision about returning Sam to the rescue...which we really did not want to do. When you adopt, it's for life, and we didn't want to be those people who just gave our dog up when things got hard - but he was endangering our family's safety with all of the biting. THANK YOU TARA! We have our Sammy and sanity back :). Note: To folks looking to do obedience training here, bravo for caring enough to teach your dogs manners. Just keep in mind, both Tara and Savannah are dealing with dozens of situations like the one I listed above. Without their dedication to our situation, who knows what would have happened to our dog or us. So, I would suggest you do private lessons if you are having enough behavioral issues and if you are looking to undivided attention. Not to mention, if you don't know how to be a leader to your dog, all the obedience training in the world won't make a difference. Case in point, Sam - he went to obedience training and it was for shit because WE weren't trained. Food for thought. read more

I took my very first pup to training by Tara several years ago. The session I had with her opened my eyes and changed my relationship with Cheyanne! We were very pleased with our results! I originally took her there and left her for the weekend for Tara and her staff to evaluate and see if she was aggressive. Well, it turned out I was the problem! She was an absolute angel while there and my energy sent her into protection mode. I learned how to stay calm and assertively correct and move forward. I am thrilled to be taking my new adopted pup there for a much needed refresher. I would highly recommended Training by Tara to Everyone!!!! read more

I've been to several seminars and training demos by Tara, and she is unquestionably one of the most talented trainers in Austin. Her areas of expertise span from the basics like puppy training to Canine Good Citizen. But, Tara's specialty and where she really shines is in training fearful, aggressive, or otherwise challenging dogs. Rather than correcting behavior through punishment (i.e. swatting, leash-yanking, etc which can often exacerbate problems with challenging pups), Tara trains *you* on doggy body language and pack behavior and how to use those to effectively communicate commands to your dog. Tara also dedicates her time and abilities to rehabilitating deaf, blind, tripod, and other "differently-abled" (not disabled) dogs. I have seen first-hand some incredible transformations of these dogs in the care of Tara. Whereas they might have otherwise been abandoned due to their handicaps, these dogs are able to live whole, happy lives due to Tara's training. Thanks to Tara and her team for all of the love and dedication they show to Austin's pets and pet people! read more

Do you think your dogs are bad? Chances are they are just misunderstood and you'll realize that when you meet Tara. She just really GETS dog behavior and body language. She came to my house for an in home evaluation of my Poodle and Chihuahua who were having dominance issues. She was able to tell me what was going on with my dogs within 5 minutes of meeting us. It was so quick that at first I thought she must have gotten the wrong idea, but she was completely right! How could she know my dogs better than me? I'm the one who has lived with them for five years! You will see her methods working almost immediately. So far we have solved housebreaking issues. We have learned how to keep everyone under control when people come to the front door. And in just a few minutes she got my Poodle walking nicely on the leash instead of pulling like a sleigh dog. We still have a long way to go. But I can't tell you what a relief it is to know that my dogs won't always be perceived as bad. I am so looking forward to the day that someone comes to my house and says, "Wow. Your dogs are so well behaved." We're not there yet, but at least now I can see it coming. read more

After today's walk, I had to sit down and write this review. I brought my dog, Rula, the bully border collie to Tara a couple of months ago for some training. Rula loves, loves, loves people, but is not too fond of other dogs. In fact, she attacks them and makes walking in dog-friendly areas extremely difficult and tiring. We were kicked out of our first obedience school because she was too disruptive. The instructor offered to work with us one-on-one to make up the difference in cost as the class was non-refundable. That didn't work out well either. She recommended a "boot camp." So, we tried that. Rula did learn her commands there, but she still had some major aggression issues. When I went to the classes after the boot camp, I was told to "pin her down" when she started barking at other dogs. This ended up in me getting bit. NOT OKAY. I also felt Rula and I were both terrified if I "pinned her down." So I left that ordeal and didn't go back. Walking then consisted of me using all my strength to just pull her away from other dogs. So we went to Tara who told me to forget most of what I'd been taught about dog training. We learned that "training" was all about Rula having the ability to make good decisions (and me showing her that if there's a problem, I'll be the one to handle it). She taught us how to get Rula to understand there are choices to be made and how to make those choices. Fast forward to today. Don't get me wrong, it took a lot of work to get here, and we still have a LONG way to go. BUT. We walked past our "enemies" (neighborhood dogs behind fences that bark and get Rula stirred up...Rula hates them and wants to attack them) today, and at the first sound of a bark, what did Rula do? MADE THE RIGHT DECISION!! She turned and looked at ME! Nary a growl. What did she get in return for the right choice? Lots of love, attention, and a treat! She decided this was a much better option than me ignoring her and getting a quick choke on her leash. She did the same thing with all of our other enemies on the walk. Every time. Good job Rula! Now. We still have problems crossing paths with dogs on leashes, but we're already making improvements, and WE WILL GET THERE. We will keep on working to make the right decision, and we will walk happily with out problems before the year is over. Thanks Tara!! She really does specialize in understanding "misunderstood" dogs. read more

I've only had two sessions so far and it has made such a difference for myself and my dog. They know what they are doing. They have made me feel more confident while working with my dog. I couldn't have asked for a better team and I have a ways still to go. read more

As first-time dog owners, my girlfriend and I were a little over our heads when we adopted Anderson, a staffie mix, from APA. He had a bad case of separation anxiety and wasn't friendly with other dogs, but he was too beautiful for us not to take home, even if we had no real idea of how we were going to deal with his issues. We tried a couple different trainers and, reluctantly, a couple different medications. Nothing worked. After he chewed the bars off his first crate, cutting up his face in the process, we tried keeping him outside on the second-floor balcony of our apartment. In just a few weeks he had chewed through more than half of the balcony, even taking a good chunk out of a load-bearing cedar column. I didn't see any way we could keep Anderson, but then we heard about Tara and decided to give her a shot. We started with a series of private lessons, which immediately payed off. Tara gave us a ton of helpful advice. In addition to teaching us helpful commands and how to use body language to more effectively communicate with our dog, she recommended a specific crate that would help Anderson deal with his separation anxiety. After the private lessons, we enrolled in one of the group obedience classes and then the Reactive Walkers class; each one helped Anderson develop his confidence and become a happier dog in general. We are now able to leave Anderson at home in his crate for a whole work day without him urinating, defecating, or trying to escape; and we've taken him to dog daycare over 10 times with no incident. I can't thank Tara and her team enough for how they've helped us. Prior to enrolling in her training, I had very little hope that my girlfriend and I would be able to keep our dog. And it's not just our dog! Tara takes some of the most troubled dogs from around the Austin area and rehabilitates them. It has been very moving for me to see how many dogs and people she helps. Train with Tara! read more

Tara understands dogs and she trains people. I called Tara after being at my wits end with my lovable and out of control dog, Sadie. Tara came over for an assessment and sized Sadie, and me, up correctly in a matter of minutes. She explained how my dog sees the world, what I was doing wrong (unintentionally), and how to change my behavior to help Sadie. I was prepared to pay for special sessions, classes, whatever it took. Instead, we had one session in our house and that was all we needed. Sadie calmed down before my eyes, was walking on a leash in a matter of minutes, and literally became a different dog. Tara doesn't sell services you don't need. She is a wonderful advocate for misunderstood animals, and she's one hell of a people-teacher as well. It's hard to hear that the way you're interacting with your pet that you love so much may actually be a part of the problem. She was able to show what we were doing wrong, why it was wrong, and what to do instead. If you want a hit or miss, impersonal training class, go to a big box pet store (which we did first-epic fail). If you want personalized attention from an expert, call Tara. read more

We had an individual training session with Chris at Training by Tara this past weekend, and the results have been wonderful! We got our sweet dog Leo from Town Lake about a month ago, and he definitely needed some training :) We came to Training by Tara to work on leash walking & basic manners. Leash walking with Leo use to be a mess - he was always pulling and trying to chase everything that moved. But since we implemented the leash walking techniques that Chris taught us, it's been so much better. Leo also use to misbehave around the house - i.e. trying to jump up on the table and steal our dinner :P Since learning the "out" command with Chris, Leo's been doing much better (and so have his humans!) And the best part is, our training session was on Saturday and today is Tuesday :) My favorite thing about the training was the emphasis on positive reinforcement, and you gotta love Tara's advocacy for misunderstood breeds. Leo & I definitely recommend Training by Tara! 2 paws up! read more

Like others, I was disappointed that, for the cost, we did not even meet Tara, but I was willing to give Sam a chance. Unfortunately she went through everything in the few sessions we had at a breakneck pace. It was hard for me to absorb the information in the very cursory way it was presented, much less apply it. (It didn't help that I was late for two of those sessions, but I just never got an explanation for any of the techniques in a way that made sense to me, and it was way too fast.) In addition to that, when I asked Tara in an e-mail to explain why she believed something she'd said about my dog in a previous e-mail, she made it sound like her belief had originated with me! So, like Sam, her communication was poor, and it attributed to ME what she herself had said. She never did explain why she had come to that conclusion about my dog, whom, for the record, she had never even met. In short, a waste of time, money and effort. read more

My dog Oreo and I did the low-cost training class. Tara offers low-cost classes for dogs who come from shelters. Anyway, Oreo is a very fearful dog and will usually just cower when someone approaches him. He loved Tara. He respected her, tried to follow her commands, and when he got off track, she got his attention. Dog training is not just for dogs though - Tara helped me understand how to correct my own behavior so that Oreo will be more confident but still regard me as the pack leader. read more

Our dog Bella had an issue with dog-dog aggression, and as she is a strong, muscular, and rather aggressive looking dog (even though at heart she is a baby and a total weenie) we were extremely worried, until we brought her to Tara. Watching Tara work with our dog was amazing. Her presence alone commands respect, from dogs and humans both! I have never seen anyone who has been able to read dog body language like she can. The other thing I love about Tara and her training partner Brandie is the level of personal attention we receive. They remember all faces, human and canine alike, and always treat us like family. read more

Woof! Woof wooof woof wof woooof woff. Bark wof bark bark, woof woof bark wooof. Woof woof woof bark bark woof & woof. Woof wooof woof wof woooof woff. Woof bark bark, woof woof bark wooof. Woof woof woof bark. Grrr, woof bark & bark bark woof wooof wooof. Woof!!! - Charli the dog read more

We took Penny here for 3 separate classes before she turned a year old. I can't rave enough about how effective all the classes have been in helping us develop an obedient and sweet dog. The basic obedience class is exactly that - the basic foundation that all dog owners should know (sit, down, stay, etc) but goes into skills like food control, walking politely on leash, and "leave it" - for those times your dog is a little too interested in something she shouldn't be. The intermediate obedience class got into teaching your dog more self-control in the face of temptation and continued the work of the basic class. The most fun class for me was basic agility. Penny loved the course, and it was fun to have an activity with your dog that rewards obedience and following your directions while still allowing her to stretch her legs (and boy, does she love to jump.) The common thread to all of these classes is getting your dog to obey your commands, no matter what the situation or level of distraction, which in my book seems to be the gold standard of what makes a good dog. We started with training early and we were lucky enough to sidestep a lot of the problems like dog aggression or fearfulness of strangers. I was a little wary of enrolling in training classes - I mean, how hard can it be to get your dog to sit? - but after seeing how Penny responded to a training program, I was sold. Tara and her team of trainers (all of whom are excellent, by the way) educate you on the hows and whys of what you learn each week with a high level of personal attention, even in a group setting. read more

Tara is the best dog trainer!!! She can help solve any problem you have from walking your dog (instead of your dog walking you) to helping your dog overcome their anxiety or aggression with dogs, people, cats, etc. read more

1 word, Amazing! Our dog Sophie was having issues about lunging after bikes and SUV, she also pulled like crazy on the leash. 1 session for an hour and 4 weeks of us training her and Sophie is SOOO much Better, in fact, I might even say close to being perfect. If you are looking for a great trainer at an affordable price who will teach you and your dog everything she knows from decades of experience, GO HERE. 1 thing I didn't know about her and her company is that she trains rescue dogs and then adopts them out. You can get a fully trained dog for the same price as going to an animal shelter.. wow read more

Tara is AMAZING! I agonized over even calling a trainer for my dogs because the one dog is (was!) so temperamental. His first response to anyone or anything he doesn't know was to try to bite it. And he can do serious damage when he bites (luckily I'm the only one he's ever actually bitten, but he was trying to bite someone else). When I called my vet to ask for a referral for a trainer, she flat out told me she would strongly consider NOT hiring a trainer because I would probably get sued if my dog bit them. After reading Tara's bio on her website though, I figured if anyone could handle my dog, it would be Tara. Well, after two one-hour private sessions with Tara at our home, he takes treats out of HER hand on command (he used to be reluctant to take treats even from people he knows/likes), he's walking on a leash like it ain't no thing (granted, it's only in our yard so far, but it's only been a few days...we're getting there!), and I'm not worried about him biting guests (and he DID try to bite Tara her first time at our house...but she didn't run the other direction like I expected a trainer to!). And even though I really only hired Tara to work with my more challenging dog, she gave me tons of great advice and training to apply to my other dog as well. The thing I really like about Tara is that she doesn't try to make your dog into a dog that is just perfectly behaved around everyone all the time. I know that sounds weird! But what I mean is, I like knowing that my dogs can still protect me if they need to and bark when there is something going on that I need to know about. She totally respects that, and all the training we did was to have them well behaved around guests that I want them well behaved around, not just have them sitting quietly and politely if there's a stranger at my door. Tara also doesn't nickle and dime you or try to sell you sessions or classes you don't need. Like I said, even though I only hired her for my one dog, she worked with both of them and didn't charge me double. And, with as many issues as my dog had, she could have told me I needed 5 private sessions and I would have paid for them, but she addressed almost all his issues in just 2. Even if we'd stopped at one session, it would have been a drastic improvement, but I am very glad we did the second one. We still have some work to do, mostly around getting him less reactive. I'm definitely considering taking one of Tara's 6 week classes at her facility with him (because most of his remaining issues have to do with being in new places around new people, which is hard to train at home), but even if we never took another class with Tara, it would be some of the best money I've ever spent. They're also very quick to respond to emails for scheduling appointments and they send email reminders, which is helpful! And she sends handouts after the training sessions that has the training you covered so you can go back and reference it (which is super helpful, because she covers A LOT in an hour!). If Tara can help my dog, I KNOW she can help yours!!! read more

I love this place. Cannot say enough good things. My dog and I just completed the basic obedience course, and let me tell you, it is definitely worth it! It is a 6 week class where they go through all the basics, then add modifications to make all the commands more complicated and in different situations. We had Savannah for our trainer, and she is great! She is great with my little puppy and all the other dogs. My dog is a little angel, so he doesn't have any behavioral issues, but if he did, I would without a doubt, enroll him in the behavioral classes that they offer, as one of the dogs enrolled in my class was very people scared and shy and wouldn't leave her mom's side, but by the end of the simple obedience class, she was much less anxious. Because they specialize in behavioral issue dogs, they seem to be very patient and understanding about the dogs' different levels of ability and comfort. I plan to enroll my dog in all the classes that are applicable to him, starting intermediate obedience classes asap, then continuing on to the rest! read more

Training by Tara - K9 Workingmind - Remy: un-ruly puppy, to well-behaved baby after basic obedience! - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

Tara is the dog whisperer of the Austin area! She understands dogs so well! She takes what one would think is a "reactive" or "aggressive" dog and shows you that 1)it's just misunderstood 2) that it's some of the dog's natural instincts and 3) teaches you to respond appropriately so your dog will respect and understand you and trust you. We've been working with Tara since Spring and our dog has overcome so many hurdles! He used to feel the need to protect us and with that appeared "aggressive" and "reactive." Tara taught us how to respond to those behaviors and now we have a much happier dog who doesn't feel like he has to protect all the time. We highly recommend Tara and her team! read more

I think Tara is the best dog trainer in Austin! I have gone to several others in town and once I found Tara a few years ago I felt like I hit the doggie jack-pot. I've taken some group classes with her, attended lecture workshops and had private treadmill training sessions for my 2 dogs. She always gives very common sense advice and doesn't make me feel like an idiot when I've done something wrong in my training. And believe me I do dumb stuff all the time. She evokes confidence and calmness with people and dogs. She's the ONLY dog trainer in town I refer my clients to (I own a dog walking service.) She has really great rates, keeps her class sizes really small, works all sorts of crazy hours to accommodate her clients needs. The woman works 7 days a week (except during football season) And, knows what the hell she's doing with the worst of the worst. She advocates against breed discrimination and trains blind and deaf dogs. AWESOME!! I honestly don't know why Tara would get anything other then a 5 star review from everyone she's helped. I think some people just expect a dog trainer to walk in the door and poof, the dog is magically cured from all behavioral problems. Wrong. People need to do the work to make their dogs become good dogs. People need to be patient on getting a reply back. People need to understand that her job can be very dangerous if she doesn't ask all those questions on her client forms. Do yourself a favor and hire Tara to be your dog trainer. SHE's THE BEST!! read more

I can't say enough good things about Tara and her team. Her techniques work 100%, her prices are very reasonable, she is extremely organized and punctual, and has a true understanding of dogs. She does it for her love of dogs, not for the money. My chihuahua is no longer an antisocial gremlin because of Tara, and I have seen positive changes in all the other dogs in her classes. I only get the best for my little one, so I wouldn't trust anyone else! read more

If you are looking for a team to help you with a doggie dilemna or just want to get your pooch up to speed on basic doggie commands and manners, heads up, watch me...we've got the answer for you! Tara and her team have helped us solve several issues with our german shepherd dog. Training a dog is less frustrating if you understand the fundamentals behind the training theory, and Tara's approach is to educate us on how to read our dogs, and how to effectively communicate/interact with them. Our four legged family members are so loyal and so willing to please us, they deserve to be related to in the language and culture they understand. Tara has guided us in this. Trust us when we tell you, whatever your dog's issue is, they've got a class for it. And please, for those who get their fur up because they have to fill out forms...by virtue of the fact that Tara requests detailed information regarding your pup, it reveals that she is an experienced professional. Tara we thank you and your team for helping us with our big boy Viking, and we look forward to learning more from you. Martha and Mike read more