So, while I don't have dogs of my own, I work in the biz, and have seen first hand Lea's amazing…read moreskills. So here is what a "non-recommended review" says... All of hers are all 5 star, BTW. Yelp doesn't seem to care that someone had such a great experience that they literally got a yelp account in order to write a review, but I do, and you should, too. 'I did a lot of searching to find a dog trainer who could really target my dog's anxiety and reactivity issues, and am so glad I found Lea!  She is a highly effective trainer.  My wonderful, sweet dog who had previously been in dog training classes, has issues with separation anxiety, leash reactivity (to dogs as well as people), and fearfulness (certain noises, movements).   Lea had the expertise and knowledge to create a plan that addressed all needs. Here are some of the qualities that impressed me about Lea: She is an effective communicator: I especially appreciated her after-session notes, as it can be hard sometimes to remember every piece of advice given 'in the moment'.  Lea was flexible and responsive to schedule sessions based on my needs and my dog's progress - -we got the help we needed, when we needed it.  Lea has a deep and broad knowledge base of dogs and effective training practices.  Whenever I wanted more information, resources, or problem-solving solutions, I got them.  I especially appreciated the sessions when Lea would walk with us and shape my behavioral responses as well as my dog's!   Lea was always available for emails or consults as well.   She gave me the support I needed to make those interventions work.The best thing of all, EVERY intervention that Lea gave me and I faithfully implemented WORKED!   Thanks to Lea, my dog and I are handling the stressors much better: her reactive behaviors are lessening, and I am improving at reading my dog's behaviors.  People have noticed a change in my dog: that she's calmer, more socially tolerant, and occasionally interactive with others.  Changing a dog's fears is not an overnight fix. My dog and I are still working to improve our trust and relationship with each other.  Thanks, Lea!'

After only 2 sessions with Lea and my dog Shiloh, he is learning not to jump up on me and is…read morelearning not to bark viciously at other dogs on our walks. Still more to do, but he's so much easier and calmer to walk. I was truly frustrated and exhausted with the leash pulling and reactive behavior. Now I feel confident our walks will be more controlled and enjoyable. I'm truly grateful for Lea's dog training expertise! If you have an uncooperative dog, you must think of Lea at Canine Centric.

I can't say enough good things about Jonathan! I reached out for help with my dog, Novah, who…read morestruggled with reactivity toward other dogs, especially because we had an upcoming road trip to Canada. What really stood out to me was his patience, knowledge, and willingness to take the time to not only understand Novah but also teach me how to better understand her. I've worked with other trainers before, but this experience was different. He didn't just tell me what to do. He explained why she behaves the way she does and gave me practical tools and techniques to help her succeed. He helped me realize that training isn't just about changing my dog's behavior; it's also about teaching me how to communicate with her, build trust, and handle situations with confidence. I'm happy to say that Novah did amazing on our trip! She still had a few moments when she felt overwhelmed, but the difference in her behavior was incredible. She's now much less reactive, and I feel so much more confident handling her. I'm truly grateful for the time, patience, and care he put into helping us. If you're looking for a trainer who genuinely cares about both the dog and the owner and takes the time to teach you, I highly recommend Pack Leader Dog Training!

We had adopted our Kody boy 8 months ago from a shelter. It was a very hard five months trying to…read moreget him settled with a routine. We all had different ways of how to train him and it was causing a rift in the family. I was turned down by some trainers until I came across Jonathan Wong's page. He was local, he was fast to get back to me and he was willing to give us a chance after everything I told him. Kody still has a long way to go and I will continue with Jonathan as his trainer, but it is night and day after three months of training with Jonathan. He was dog and people aggressive, to the point we had to avoid them entirely. We can now go for walks, albeit we move opposite of any dog and can keep walking without any barking or pulling. He was always actively pulling on the leash and bad at recall. He is loose leashed now and responds with recall with our daughter. In the end I had to get use to the idea that Kody was a crate or muzzle dog when it came to large crowds or people in our home. I felt awful but Jonathan was so supportive and positive as I came to terms with it. I hope as we continue to train with Jonathan and Kody builds his confidence that soon things might change for him. Jonathan has such a kind soul and so encouraging when it comes to both us and Kody. I cannot thank Jonathan enough for what he has done for us. He left solid foundations for us to grow on. Kody is such a sweet and smart boy, and we always want the best for him. Jonathan truly is the best.

Kathy is a phenomenal at training people and their dogs. She's helped us with in-home training,…read moreoff-leash practice, and everything that's come up in between. She also hosts monthly classes that are free for clients who work with her regularly and has put in lots of additional time inviting dogs (and their people) to tag along on pack walks. It's clear that she does this work because it's her passion and she cares about dogs being happy and well cared for. "Balanced" dog training includes tons of treats, lots of play, and the safety needed to make sure no one gets hurt. We weren't sure what to expect from training with Kathy, but it's been a wonderful balance of true fun, silliness, joy, and clear and firm boundaries. We're so grateful to have her in our lives.

I cannot recommend Kathy at Cause and Effect Dog Training enough! When we first reached out, our…read moreSpringer Spaniel, Checkers, was fearful, anxious, and often growled at my spouse and sometimes even at our kids. We had already tried multiple trainers, different techniques, and even followed our vet's suggestion to try antidepressants--but nothing was helping (in fact, the medication only made things worse). The moment I spoke to Kathy on the phone, I felt confident she truly understood the problem and could guide us in the right direction. And she absolutely has. Over the past year, Checkers has made tremendous progress thanks to Kathy's knowledge, patience, and the clear guidance she gave us. We followed her suggestions carefully--even switching vets based on her recommendation--and the results have been life-changing. Earlier this year, we had to travel out of the country and trusted Kathy to board Checkers. During that time, he developed a beautiful bond with her partner Dan. This was nothing short of amazing, as Checkers has always been fearful of men. Watching their relationship grow has been such a gift. With Kathy's help (and the influence of her own two balanced dogs), Checkers has learned how to be a dog--something I once thought might never happen. He now participates in pack walks and can even run off-leash in the fields, something I couldn't have imagined a year ago. If you're struggling with your dog's behavior and feel like nothing is working, do yourself and your dog a favor and call Kathy. She and Dan have changed our lives, and I am endlessly grateful for the care and dedication they've shown to Checkers and to us.

Just completed Flynn's obedience class here at Oakland Dog Training Club! It's located in Richmond,…read morejust a few miles from Shoreline Dog Park -- which makes it perfect for a post-class treat and playtime for Flynn. Laurie, our instructor, was amazing. She really understands both human and dog body language and gives clear, practical advice on how to improve and practice at home. Her positive reinforcement approach makes training fun and super effective. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for a supportive and knowledgeable environment to train your dog. Flynn loved it -- and so did I!

Wonderful place to get your dog some training. We are doing scent training, but started with…read moreAlbert's beginner training and also a session on tricks. The trainer really gets to know each dog's personality and seems to get the best out of them.

I found Brian when I began looking into e-collar training for my reactive dog. I wanted to make…read moresure I introduced the collar correctly so that it was as effective as possible, and Brian was a massive help. Before finding Brian, I struggled with getting my dog (Rumo) to heel, and he's recall was nonexistent. He's a shikoku, a primitive breed similar to the shiba inu, and they are notoriously difficult to fully off-leash train. With Brian's guidance, Rumo now understands communication through the e-collar, and overall taking a balanced approach has had a positive effect on our relationship because he better understands what behaviors I want from him. He's also heeling incredibly well both on and off leash. And last weekend during a camping trip, Rumo was off leash the majority of the time. I was able to recall him despite strange people and dogs walking by, and even called him off a rabbit - pretty amazing for a high prey-drive dog! I absolutely love Brian's approach, and he's extremely thorough in making sure his clients expectations are reasonable.

I found Brian with a Google search for trainers specializing in e-collars…read more Our puppy is a lab / pit bull mix that is sweet, smart, and determined. I started researching electric collars because I believe that a combination of plenty of positive reinforcement, coupled with a small amount of correction, is the best way to train a dog. I'm finding that the e-collar is a gentle way to guide her to the behavior we are looking for, like to come when called. It is a lot more flexible than, for example, a corrective pinch / choke collar that only works with a leash, and is a lot more difficult to control in terms of the level of correction. Brian's training approach starts with identifying the dog's state of mind, e.g., is she playful, confused, rebellious, etc. and working from there. I've already started to learn to use the collar in an effective and humane way, and after just 4 sessions, we've had great results with our puppy. She is already behaving much better on-leash (no more leash biting and tugging) and the off-leash walking is also going quite well. I've also valued the fact that Brian focuses on what I want, that is, to have a good quality of life with the dog. It isn't all about asserting my dominance, or having her do a perfect "sit". It is more about being able to spend time together safely, off-leash, without her running into the street or after another dog. Finally, I should mention that Brian provided a no-commitment consultation upfront, where he shared his training philosophy for around 45 minutes before we got started. You have absolutely nothing to lose in doing the consultation, at the very least you can hear about the approach, and if you are curious, see what the e-collar feels like on your arm.

Their 'training' is entirely anchored on fear-inducing techniques. We were given a contraption that…read moregenerates a harsh noise, and my dog was visibly terrified every time the trainer used it on her. All this while they constantly reassured us all their techniques are based on positive reinforcement - what kind of positive reinforcement is centered around fear?! It gnaws at us that we ever decided to go with this service. My dog - and every dog - deserves better.

Gusty us AMAZING!!!!! We saw great results after just 1 session and learn tons with each followup…read more If you keep up with her lessons you should see great behavioral improvement and management. Our dog was already amazing, but Gusty helped with the transition of our older rehomed puppy to our family. Something to note about the Bark Busters philosophy- it uses positive reinforcement with solid results...and also acknowledges that your dog is still going to be your dog. Their personality is their personality... so they teach you how to work with the dog that you have instead of the dog that you think you should have.

My dog went there for 10.5 years and loved many of the dog carers there. They gave me many useful…read moretips for managing and training my dog. I sent her weekly to have other people and dogs to interact with for socialization. She had dog friends there and people who also loved her. When she unexpectedly passed away I received many photos and videos from a person I had never met that she had taken over 10 years. She loved my dog too.

So happy we found this place. It's a great place for dogs her buddy really enjoys it and it has…read morebeen a good experience for social time and also looking forward to boarding when travel, great staff and location moderate prices.

Chris went above and beyond to help and advise us when our dog got fleas. Thank you so much.read more

This store was responsible for delivering our online order of $70 of dog food via Pet Food Express…read moreand it never arrived. The store did not tell us that they use DoorDash, who never contacted us about the delivery, so it either didn't arrive or was stolen. The manager at this store would not replace the order so we were out $70. DO NOT ORDER DELIVERY FROM PET FOOD EXPRESS.

I'm crazy about Deena Jesmok. I swear she is a dog psychic. She can get the most ill behaved dog to…read moredo anything. However, what makes her so valuable as a dog trainer is not that she can teach your dog, but that she really is good at teaching you to teach your dog. Who wants a dog that only behaves when at dog school? My Shar Pei, Toby, was a wild, ill behaved ruffian when I got him at 9 months old. Where he came from he had no rules or boundaries, and he often punished his family when they disobeyed him. For example, if his mother left the house to run an errand, and she didn't take him with her; he would wait until she was home and relaxing and then he would stand in front of her, look her in the eye, and urinate. He also destroyed all of her shoes. True story: when I adopted him we hung out and bonded for about a month. He went everywhere with me all the time, and then I switched from real estate sales to a management position and had a regular 9 - 5 schedule. Well, Toby was so pissed off that when I came home the first day he took a dump right in the center of my pillow, at the head of my bed, all over my brand new Z-Gallery bed spread! Needless to say, he was enrolled in daycare and behavior classes. No more staying home alone for him. Well, after being kicked out of two day cares I was at wits end but determined to turn him into a perfect little gentleman. Deena Jesmok saved us. She told me that all Shar Peis are little bastards and they need lots of training to make them tame and domesticated. Finally, after two and half years of one on one training sessions, my dog earned his AKC Good Citizen certificate and everywhere I go people say he is an little angel. Thank you, Deena!

I meant to write this review for Deena a long time ago, and am finally getting around to it! Deena…read morenot only trained my dog, Teddy, but also boarded him for two months while I was dealing with a difficult living situation. You will never meet a person who loves dogs more than Deena. You will also never meet a person who can communicate as well with dogs as Deena! I'm so glad that Teddy and I found her. Her prices are so reasonable, you wouldn't even believe it. A true dog lover and, and so knowledgeable about training, etc. Can't wait until we can do more training sessions with her!!! Thanks for all your help.

I will give 10 stars if I can. Our Great Dane puppy Phoenix attended multiple group training…read moreclasses with them and still attend their puppy/teen social every week. They are amazing and my dog is well socialized and behaved because of their excellent training using no force. I cannot thank Lesley (amazing human who works with Phoenix one on one), Sandi and Katy for all they have done in helping us raise an amazing dog.

I would give 500 stars instead of 5 stars if I could. My young, rambunctious Great Dane Otis and I…read moreLOVED the BravoPup class run by Anna Carlson. We took her Dog 1 and Dog 2 classes in Rockridge. Anna's methods are totally fun, totally force free - and they totally work! We had been having trouble with Otis's recall and after only our first 2 classes Otis had a super solid recall - seriously, wild horses couldn't keep him away when he hears his recall word. Anna later helped me with private sessions acclimating my older dog to a new rescue dog. It was miraculous how quickly and effectively Anna was able to diffuse the situation and get my older dog to be calm and relaxed in the presence of the new dog. Anna really knows what she's doing and it's obvious she has a special talent for reading dogs and figuring out stress free ways to guide them into the behavior we want. Updates to follow - I'm so impressed with Anna, we'll do more private sessions to help me continue to improve the behavior and happiness of my 3 Danes. PS: Check out this photo showing how happy Otis is with his off leash time now that he can be trusted to come back.