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.

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.

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.

We highly recommend Jayne, she is a very experienced dog trainer. Very flexible with scheduling…read more Also very responsive over text.

Jayne is amazing! I actually called Jayne bc I was worried abt my young pom bc he jumped on another…read moredog on one of our walks. I was so worried and embarrassed! I called my vet as soon as i got home! My vet suggested I call this particular behavioral trainer she knew and so I did. (It wasn't Jayne). This behavioral trainer told me I should return my dog to breeder. I should never fall asleep with this breed on my bed (Pomeranians) as they could bite my face off. She continued to tell me all these horrible stories abt poms. I was so confused and upset when I hung up. My husband insisted I get another opinion. I found Jayne's info online the next day and called her. She came over same day because she knew how upset I was and she wanted to meet my fur baby. Needless to say, she is amazing! I am so happy I made that call! My pom is now 5 yo and he is fabulous! Sweet, entertaining, and so well-behaved because of Jayne's training!

Pat is fantastic! I…read moreenrolled Harley, my very reactive doxie puppy, in one-on-one sessions followed by a 2-week board and train program and it was the best decision I've ever made. Pat uses these awesome analogies to help you understand the way dogs think and react. You can tell he is extremely knowledgeable and breaks down the training process in a way where it's straightforward for both you and your pup. I can see how it may be awkward to meet a total stranger who is then teaching you how to train your "child", but it never felt that way with Pat. He is super down to earth, hilarious and extremeley personable. I continue to use his dog sitting services until this day and I can tell my Harley girl adores him!

Great improvement with Patrick's help!!…read more I have a 3 year old very reactive Maltese dog named Charlie & we did 3 sessions with Patrick and he is very knowledgeable in the dog world. Seen a great improvement after the 1st session as Patrick gives us homework's to help practice with our dog. Patrick makes training enjoyable & comfortable for both the pet and the owners. Would highly recommend training your pups with Patrick! Thank you!

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.

Yep, Jonathan knows his stuff. Highly recommend. Truth be told, my puppy (7 month Labrador) isn't…read moretoo difficult, but Jonathan got through to her quickly and made me feel like the pup wasn't such a menace.

What a life saver! She has decades of experience and training.. and it shows every session we…read moreattend. We had a fearful and insecure pup when we got her at 6 months, now she's confident, calm, and a trained therapy dog. We get endless compliments on her being such a polite citizen from planes to with clients. Highly recommend!

Three weeks ago I contacted Sandra Mannion. Both by phone and email. A week later she called me and…read moreemailed me. She was out of the country. Okay - well we had a conversation and during that convo I determined she would a good person to do a dog evaluation (new dog) and determine if we have a workable situation or not. (background - we have an existing dog and a new dog that both need training and a situational evaluation by an experienced dog trainer/behaviorist) So she said to me during our conversation "if i don't call you by 3 PM today call me and let's get a date on the calendar" .... I didn't hear from her by 3 PM so I called her and left her a message. I also emailed her. Now...two weeks later still no contact from her. We are pursuing another trainer/behaviorist that is more responsive. Not sure what happened here and hope Sandra Mannion is okay - but seems she fell of the face of the earth...no contact.

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.

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.

I am writing a negative review about Metro Dog. I initially reached out to them for boarding…read morebecause I am traveling for vacation week. About two or three weeks ago, they scheduled me for an initial assessment, where they would assess my dog and figure out the best place to put him. I told them my dog is very vocal but that is normal for his breed (hes a husky). The assessment went great, my dog did very well, and he stayed there for half a day. Additionally, I was told to get him the canine influenza vaccine, which I did. The week after, I scheduled him for doggy daycare to get him used to it. The visit went well. They told me that my dog did great. He was vocal at the beginning, but he settled in. I said great. Nothing else was said to the contrary. The week of my vacation, I check the portal. It said my dog was still on the boarding waitlist. I called to confirm that he would be boarded and checked to see if they saw his updated vaccine record. They placed me on hold for a while until the man who did the initial assessment came on. He informed me, much to my surprise, that since my dog is still anxious (he barks, which is his normal), they would not be able to board him until he has a few more visits. I am very disappointed at Metro Dog. I feel like my time and money were utterly wasted. I followed their protocol and got my dog used to this place, and they declined my boarding request at the last minute. I now have to scramble and see if I can find another boarder for vacation. I am also very disappointed at the lack of communication. If I had not called them to check, I would not have known that he was declined. I received no indication that he would not be able to board by Metro Dog. I wanted to love this place but I am so good on Metro Dog. I hope this review can help others and push this place to be more communicative, honest, and upfront with fellow clients and their fur babies.

We had a phenomenal experience with Clever Canine Training, Tim and Amy, and especially our…read moretrainer, Bridget! We enrolled our pit bull puppy, Daphne, in their four-week training program when she was about four months old, along with the Grow With Me program. Like most puppies, she was extremely energetic and still working on potty training, puppy nipping, jumping, house rules, and overall manners. Daphne came home like a completely different dog--in the best way! She was calmer, more confident, better mannered, and had a much stronger understanding of what was expected of her. One thing we especially appreciated was that no electronic collar was used during this stage of her training. After having a previous experience elsewhere where we felt one was relied on too heavily, this was really important to us. We also loved that Daphne received plenty of socialization and real-world exposure. Bridget took her into different environments, and we received regular pictures and updates on her progress and the areas they were continuing to work on. We couldn't be happier with the outcome and truly feel the investment was worth it. We're already looking forward to Daphne returning around eight months old for the next phase of her Grow With Me program and eventually working toward off-leash training. Thank you to Bridget, Tim, Amy, and the entire Clever Canine team for taking such great care of our pittie! We would absolutely recommend them!

We just completed our second training camp with my clever canine. At our first experience our dog…read morewas roughly 5 months old and this time we were returning with a 1 year old pup. We had maintained a nice foundation but felt it was appropriate based on a myriad of factors. We were placed with Emily and our experience was excellent. We knew Emily from many of our group trainings but had yet to do extensive one on one with her. Emily's approach is honest, consistent, soft (but firm) and very relatable. She was communicative in every way and made us feel safe. Given we had already done one camp we felt comfortable with the facility but each trainer brings their own nuance. Emily was clear and concise with each weekly update- she was really positive and had a ton of healthy feedback. Training is a huge investment of time and money.... Something we don't take lightly, but we have felt it was incredibly worth it both times. The continued support offered is 10/10, the communication is consistent and the general vibe is that everyone really wants to be there, including all the pups. Our dog has been home one full week, and we feel really good about the tools we've been given for continued success.