We used Zen Dog Training based on online reviews and a friend's recommendation. Alana Meserve was our trainer, we have purchased a "3 Home-Visit" package that she will come over to our place to train the dog. I think she is not bad to handle smaller dogs or any dog that's food motivated. Zen Dog Training can be an ideal option if you are new to dog training and you just want your dog to learn the basics. However, if you require more advanced training topics for your dog (Such as aggressiveness with other dogs at dog park, and others.), I would certainly recommend you ask around your community to get more reviews and/or consider more enforced tools like e-collar read more

Of all the places I've reviewed to rave about their commitment to, and love of dogs, Zen Dog Training has actually played the most important role in our lives. It's easy to forget an at-home private training session from almost a year ago, but when we took Lulu to the vet last week for her one year checkup, and she sat there calmly and quietly, all the people said Lulu is a poster dog for Zen dog. And then they reminisced about the time Lulu was in for an exam during her first few months and she suddenly lunged into the technician's face and tried to sink her razor sharp puppy teeth into the poor woman's jugular. That was the moment when our vet pulled us aside, gave us Gordon's card and suggested we get in touch for some training and discipline. Apparently, we had a dominant and aggressive puppy on our hands. We got right down to business. We knew a training session was a must. Gordon sent Aspen over to spend some time with us, which really meant training us how to train Lulu. You can go on websites and read about training tips, or talk to other people to get advice, but there's nothing like having someone in your home, seeing how you interact with your dog. Aspen got a sense of all the things we struggled with and she had different ways for us to tackle each issue. I liked that there were reasons behind every action, why one response encourages bad behavior while another will correct it. Aspen took the time to explain their methods to us. Seeing our apartment setup also meant she could give us advice about the best "time out" area. Using all of the Zen Dog techniques helped keep Lulu in line, which meant she started to see us as the authority figures. Sure, puppies calm down as they get older, and the puppy class we took with her over the next few months also helped tremendously, but I really don't know if we would have seen such positive changes if we hadn't had that one-on-one session so early on. And now, we have Zen Dog to thank for turning our killer puppy around. When she leans in toward my face these days, I know it's just for kisses. read more

We went to a Zen puppy kindergarten last summer. Gordon and his trainers were extremely helpful and pleasant and I would definitely recommend Zen. His puppy class will put you on the right track and you'll get a good amount of attention since the instructor/student ratio is better than most. PS - I checked Yelp reviews before registering for his class, and the positive reviews are right on! read more

We used Zen Dog Training within the first few weeks of getting our Boston Terrier puppy. We were so happy with the results. Boston Terriers are known for being tough to train, but Gordon gave us really helpful techniques that were easy to implement (which was great for some overwhelmed new dog parents). In that initial appointment, he also put us at ease and made us feel empowered to keep training. The games he created made that easy since they are fun and easy to remember. We couldn't make it to the group training classes, but we were really happy with the 1:1 session followed by many emails with training specifics and then a follow up appointment months later. We were diligent about his "always be training" technique. The second session was really helpful to take some of the initial games to the next level and move on to more advanced moves. Finally, we were having some strange behavior at daycare that we had trouble replicating at home to try and address the problem. Gordon went above and beyond to help our puppy and we were able to address the problem. We are really pleased with our dog's behavior and how well trained she is and it's thanks to Gordon. We highly recommend to any new pet parents. read more

We just had a session with Gordon today with our new puppy, and he was fantastic. He was professional, showed up on time, worked with us the whole time, and was excellent about really teaching us how to teach our dog. He spent the whole 2 hours with us showing us how we can eventually make our dog way more obedient. He also has all of his suggestions pre-printed out for you, so that you don't have to remember it all -- which is incredibly helpful. Within one visit, we can already see our pup pup walking better on the leash and responding to her name. Whole heartedly recommend Gordon and Zen Dog Training. read more

I actually found out about Zen Dog Training online -- no one recommended me, but now I plan on recommending the service to all my fellow dog owners!! We enrolled our Bichon puppy, Henry to the puppy kindergarten with Joel at Durty Harrys in Brookline. Prior to even starting the class, we had Joel come over and do an at-home visit with us --- I can't stress this enough, but Joel is so great. He is calm, professional, patient, and always has control over the class. You know you have found a fellow dog lover when he takes pictures of your sleeping puppy!! I plan on continuing to work with Joel and ZDT in the future -- it was such a rewarding experience, and I really feel like we made progress!! I would highly recommend ZDT for anyone with a new puppy in the Boston area!!! read more

Gordon has done an excellent job helping us train our 11 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. His insights helped correct both in door behavior and leash skills. We could not be happier with the experience! read more

So for about a month I researched personal dog trainers because my little dog was starting to act out aggressively towards strangers and other dogs. I came across Zen Dog training and gave Gordan a call. I really got a great vibe from the few times Gordan and I had spoke so I booked an appointment. The appointment was 2 hours long and it FLEW by. In just that 2 hrs. I had learned a great deal on how to deal with my puppies behavior. Gordan was fantastic, he was very professional and personable. My dog took a liking to Gordan, a stranger, after only a few min. We have been using the Zen Dog trainings methods for a few weeks now and the dog is already showing signs of improvement. One of the best parts is the access to a library of Zen Dog Training videos that help you brush up of techniques and learn more.. I've already recommended this service to family members. read more

My boyfriend and I heard about Zen through our neighbors-- they got a corgi puppy a year ago. We got a dachshund puppy this summer and of course we had to contact Gordon since our neighbors raved about him. He really was incredible. He focused mostly on socialization techniques because our puppy was really shy around people. Positive reinforcement was really important, he stressed consistency and the importance of treating. Our puppy is very food-driven which I guess was a good thing because it's easier to train them. Gordon explained that food is basically her 'currency' so you pay her for good behavior. The other awesome thing about Zen is the website. For $37 bux you get access to all these online training videos! There are videos about behavioral issues and leash walking and games to play with your puppy. It's totally worth the cost! I would def recommend Zen to anyone with a young puppy, we looked into a couple of other dog trainers and they just didn't seem as friendly and enthusiastic as Gordon. It's really important to find a trainer you are willing to spend 10 hours with, on a personal level, not just someone who knows a lot of about dogs but has no people skills! I'm thrilled with the level of professionalism and expertise I got from Zen. read more

Gordon was fantastic!! We thought maybe we would be in over our heads with our new chocolate lab puppy, he has SO MUCH energy and was jumping, nipping, barking and had no idea how to walk on the leash. After our 90 min session, he was already learning and we could already see a change in him!!! It was amazing. He even gave us booklets and comics to go home with the lessons and treats that he taught us (which was so helpful for refreshers). Gordon was so friendly and welcoming, we felt like we had known him for years! And our pup loved him just as much. Thank you so much to Zen Dog training for teaching us all the essentials to having a well behaved pup. We couldn't have done it without you!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND read more

Zen Dog Training was the best thing my boyfriend and I did for our puppy and ourselves. Gordon was so friendly and knowledgeable. It was clear from the first time he interacted with us and "Dart" that he was passionate about his work. Within minutes of entering our home (literally), he had our 10-week-old Corgi puppy sitting, laying down, and even crawling on his belly! However, what impressed me most about Gordon was his ability to thoughtfully listen to our concerns and explain dog behavior in a way we could understand. For example, one of the behaviors we discussed was Dart's barking and whining when left alone in his crate. Using Gordon's dog-friendly approach the next day, I was able to successfully train Dart to be a quiet, contented puppy while alone in his crate. In fact, I surprised my boyfriend that same night by showing him what I had done and giving him the gift of our first peaceful night with our puppy. Gordon's visit definitely made us more informed and confident dog owners. I would recommend him to anyone who has a puppy, is thinking of getting a puppy, or just wants to spend a couple hours learning about dogs. He is worth his weight in gold! read more

Gordon is delightful! My boyfriend and I found Zen Dog Training online after a frustrating experience with another trainer. Gordon was professional, organized, responsive, positive and energetic. The two hour training session flew by, even though it was at the end of a long work day for both of us. Gordon kept things interesting and upbeat, and left us with lots of informational packets to study up on and access to his online archive of dog videos. We joked that training a dog is a bit like learning how to use a new computer-- you know it can complete so many complicated and nuanced tasks, and yet you find yourself repeatedly pressing the same ctrl+delete combo because you can't figure out how to get that damn thing to turn on. Gordon will help you remember all the things your dog is capable of, and help give you the tools to become a better trainer and pet owner. read more

Gordon is fabulous. First off, I called him on Saturday because my dog had destroyed my bedroom door (separation anxiety). He explained that this needs to be nipped in the bud ASAP, but unfortunately he had no immediate appointments open. However, he was ultimately able to shift things around to accommodate my dog's and my need and came tonight - two days later. The free phone call alone was hugely helpful and informative. Gordon has a very peaceful demeanor and won't come in making you do things to your best friend that just feel mean. There were NO staring contests, NO tests to see how far he could push my dog before he snapped...in fact, my dog and I really enjoyed ourselves! Gordon is very intelligent and what he says and does just simply makes sense. He points out flaws in some of the prevailing methods of dog training which was such a relief to me. Lastly, he will not pressure you to buy stuff or recommend more sessions than you need. Gordon was talking me out of scheduling sessions and was very mindful of my tight financial situation when he made recommendations. Truly, Zen Dog Training is a breath of fresh air! read more

Gordan is amazing!!!! I would highly recommend working with him. We were on the fence about getting a trainer because we weren't sure we needed one. Little did we know how many tricks we would learn along the way. It's incredible how the smallest details make a difference and have helped Lucy so much as she learns to socialize, play safely, and listen. Thanks to Gordon, Lucy is no longer biting, pulling on her leash, or peeing everywhere. And she comes when she's called! read more

Emily Fleming is fantastic! I highly highly recommend her. I started working with her when my Havanese puppy, Teddy, was five months old and I was about to pull my hair out. After the first zoom meeting with Emily, things changed for the better immediately. No more peeing inside, no more nipping, and Teddy was finally starting to walk well on a leash. With simple tips, a lot of encouragement, and a great sense of humor, Emily was able to help me understand how to set limits with Teddy while still being affectionate with her. My favorite part of the two zoom sessions I did with Emily was watching her model with her own dog the behaviors that she was trying to teach me to use with Teddy. She spoke to her dog with such affection and humor even as she was directing him to perform a specific behavior. That taught me something that no puppy training book could. She is awesome! read more

Zen dog training was suggested to me by my vet when I first brought my 11 week old husky-mix puppy to them. I signed Austin up for Zen's puppy class and found it to be incredibly valuable to have a time every week for him to socialize while I learned important skills for how to interact with my dog. It was really a relief to have that support during his early weeks. I've also had Gordon, the owner, do two private in-home sessions and think they have been a VERY important part of my dog's training. Gordon has a wealth of evidence-based training methods that aren't based on punishment, but are instead a well-rounded way to mold your dog into being well behaved. I have all the faith in the world in Zen dog training and it really puts me at ease to know I can control my dog in a humane and ethical way. Without Gordon, I would never have known it was possible. read more

Gordon did an in home training session with my two dogs (and mostly us humans) a few days ago and already I can't believe the difference in my dogs! I have a stubborn but super sweet puppy and he taught us some techniques that work on even him! He gave us some incredibly useful and valuable resources and tools to keep in our pockets wherever we are :) as long as I keep doing my homework I'm positive my dogs will be the best behaved dogs in Somerville!! read more

We had a great experience with Gordon's puppy class in Arlington! He's so knowledgeable and patient, and he balances the class so that the puppies get to practice their training, but also get to play and socialize while Gordon watches. The socialization aspect is huge - Gordon will help explain the behavior you're seeing and will show you when you need to step in and how to break up any play that's getting too rough. We also learned so many training tips that we have also been able to use with our older dog (2 years old), and we've seen improvements even with her! I wish we'd known about Zen Dog Training when we got our first dog - we went to a place in Belmont for her training classes, and they were forceful and really freaked our dog out, whereas Gordon and his team use positive reinforcement, and we could really see the difference it made for our new puppy. We absolutely recommend his classes! read more

We hired Zen Dog to help with our human and dog aggressive pit mix about a year ago, with next to zero results. Have been putting off writing this review as we don't like to be negative, but have had several other people in our area recently share similar experiences with this company, and enough is enough. Taking money from people and not actually giving effective ways to fix a problem is not ethical. sift few many of the reviews below, and there seems to be a reoccurring theme for this company. Seeing as they state clearly that they work with aggressive dogs on their website, we were surprised at the lack of practical handling skills they had at our first meeting, and complete inability to help us get our dog under control. Not a good sign when the trainer seems scared of your dog. We should have walked away then and there, but we were desperate. The exercises offered in the two sessions we (regretfully) paid for, did nothing to stop dangerous behaviors that were occurring in real time, and relied almost entirely on trying to "distract" the dog with treats, even though we explained several times our dog is not motivated by this. "Shuninisms"? Turning away when the dog jumps all over us and tears us up with its claws, not being allowed to tell the dog no? That is crazy. And did not help. We were also told to manage the environment so he does not come into contact with triggers, which not only is often impossible, since the outside world is filled with them, but it never actually teaches the dog to confront their discomfort and learn to make better choices. Which he needs help with! When the owner told us his own dog was severely aggressive during our first session, perhaps trying to make us feel better, that was a huge red flag! My advice? Find a trainer who actually works with aggressive dogs. We went with another local company who delivered results, and now have a HAPPY, safer dog who gets freedom. read more

Excellent customer service and training! Gordon has helped me train my black lab a few years ago and she is doing great. I recently adopted a second dog -catahoula leopard dog (very stubborn breed and difficult to train) and have had a great experience again. I had my doubts that this dog would be responsive to leash training. He pulled so hard that I was knocked over a few times. I tried an e-collar and a gentle leader and both were ineffective and the pulling got worse. I choose the in-home training sessions. Gordon was patient with me and my dogs and the training was successful. We worked with consistent commands and a simple harness. Now my catahoula does not pull on the leash. The training worked well for both dogs. I highly recommend Zen Dog Training. read more

This type of training would be more beneficial for a dog with minor issues. If your dog is having more serious behavioral problems (lunging, barking, aggressive tendencies) we recommend seeking more serious training that have more effective tools. We loved Gordon though, he had such a great attitude and was super approachable/available for any questions or concerns! read more

This review is just for the in home private dog training, as we have not taken our dog to the group classes. We had the pleasure of working with Nayiri for a few months, as she helped us train our very Timid pup Jax! Even though Jax still has a lot of work to do, he has improved SO MUCH and that's all due to what Nayiri had taught us. My dog LOVED her, and she really helped us out a lot. She is patient, and her techniques are fantastic. We hope to one day be able to bring Jax to Nayiri's group class once he is comfortable with other dogs. We are bummed our training sessions are over as they were so enjoyable. 5 stars for any training with Nayiri, could not recommend her enough. read more

I have to second the previous review and the kudos of Nayiri. She is wonderful, knowledgeable and patient. She worked well with my dog, Lady and us as well. Would highly recommend this company and Nayiri without hesitation! read more

We did the six week Puppy Kindergarten and in-home visit with Nayiri. She was great with our labradoodle pup Watson. He responded very well to her training and her style of teaching. She was able to help us address behavioral issues like biting and barking immediately. She is also great with people, which was important for my husband and I since this is our first puppy. She was extremely patient in listening to our concerns and coming up with a solution for us. Nayiri also explained how puppies learn and why this kind of positive training works for dogs. Puppy Kindergarten is a fantastic socialization tool for puppies. Meeting 10 new puppies in a controlled environment made a huge difference in Watson's manners in public. It also provided great socialization to other people as well. I can't say enough positive things about this program. Zen Dog Training is incredible and totally worth every penny! read more

We have a new puppy and Gordon has been a life-saver. He was able to come to our house the week I called him, which was so helpful. He helped us plan out a good training schedule for our puppy and we are looking forward to future visits with Zen Dog Training. He gave us lots of tips and games we can play with the puppy and our dog just loved him. It was easy to understand what he'd like us to work on because he gave us clear explanations for each activity and explained why they would be helpful for our puppy. None of the training tools rely on fear or dominating your dog; our dog is having as much fun with the training as we are and is learning so quickly! We have a follow-up visit coming up soon and have been using his online email ideas and videos. Zen Dog Training is wonderful! read more

I worked with Emily and can't recommend ZDT or her enough! I have a new young energetic rescue dog and Emily gave me all the tools I needed to feel more in control and train her. We talked a lot about potty training, crate training, polite manners, walking on a leash and managing unwanted behaviors. Emily was so patient and answered all my questions and assured me of all my new dog mom worries and anxieties. She's hilarious, and made everything fun, I genuinely enjoyed our sessions. It was so easy and convenient to have her come to my home and work with my dog and I in our space. Emily made it easy, was super responsive, and helped me with everything I needed. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with her and get ongoing support as my dog grows and progresses. read more

My pup and I just finished the puppy class with Zen Dog and it was Ah-mazing. Our class was with Nayiri and let me just say that she is the BEST! I honestly can't say enough about how much we enjoyed working with her. She is patient, helpful, and super funny which really makes the process more enjoyable. This is my first time as a dog owner and honestly, Nayiri made all the weird crazy things I was going through feel so much less weird and crazy. She really understands what we are going through as dog owners. I highly recommend Zen Dog -- and specifically Nayiri Krikorian! read more

We did a 6 week puppy 1 class with Nayiri. What a fabulous trainer. After signing up for some obedience classes at Petco,we found ourselves wanting more from our training experience for our then 3 month old pup. Petco was a very isolated, repetitive, and relatively unprofessional experience. Then we heard about Zen and decided to give it a try. The classes were excellent, as there were about 7 puppies in it, and since our dog's biggest problem was a lack of socialization, it was great to watch her grow and get more comfortable in the group setting. As for the trainer herself, Nayiri was wonderful - she sent out notes prior to class so you could prepare for what you would be going over that day. She gave each dog a fair dose of individual attention, and accommodated certain dogs' personalities in the class to ensure that if they were too shy or wound up or tired, they could still learn a number of the tricks and tactics we were reviewing that day. We also did an in-home session with her, and that, in many ways, was a life saver. Although it's not cheap, it's great to extend the lessons beyond the classroom to show what to do when your dog does X at home, or how to respond to behavior Y in the settings your dog is most familiar with. On top of that, just about every tip that Nayiri gave ended up with em nodding my head like "Wow, that makes a ton of sense." Overall, this was a great experience, and was genuinely a class I looked forward to every Wendesday for me and my puppy. read more

We went to Zen Dog last year shortly after we had adopted a dog who we soon learned had issues with strangers, particularly men. Gordon Fontaine, the owner, assured me that my dog's issues were something he could handle. Gordon arrived late and left early for every private lesson, spent a good deal of our paid time talking about a mutual acquaintance and about his financial issues, and even asked for a beer while on the clock. He also gave us exceedingly bad training for coping with our dog's issues, which, no surprise, progressively got worse. If all you need is to train your dog to sit, stay, and maybe roll over, and it doesn't really matter to you whether the dog follows through, then I'm sure Gordon is just fine for your needs. If you need to train your dog because he has serious issues from being an abused rescue, I would highly recommend staying away from Zen Dog. We ended up working with another trainer at FortunateK9 in Derry, New Hampshire. The folks at FortunateK9 were fantastic in helping us not just train our dog, but to truly understand our dog's issues, (as well as to unlearn some of the garbage dog psychology Gordon had "taught" us). After I saw successful results with our new trainer, I asked Gordon for a refund of our money since his "training" was not only ineffectual, but because Gordon had to have known that he was not competent to train our dog and delayed our progress in finding someone who could. He steadfastly refused. Zen Dog not only took our money, but if we had not found FortunateK9, Gordon's bad training would have cost our dog his life. I cannot recommend Zen Dog Training based on our experience. read more

I enjoyed my time with Zen Dog Training, although I think that Gordon is better suited for training puppies than older dogs with behavioral issues. I did learn a few good ideas from him, but felt that much of what we went over didn't translate exactly to my issues with my adult rescue dog. I would have liked to do more work with my dog and less talking and reading handouts (which are available on the website.) He did show up 20 minutes late for our appointment, but did not stay 20 minutes later and still charged me the full 2 hours. read more

My fiancee and I recently got a French Bulldog puppy and scheduled an in-home visit with Gordon, along with Zen Dog puppy classes after reading some reviews on Yelp. The home visit with Gordon was awesome. He was friendly, patient and highly knowledgable and his training techniques have proven very effective so far. He taught us how to get our pup to behave around our two cats and his potty training tips worked like magic. The puppy classes are top notch as well. Nayiri is wonderful and I highly recommend taking class with her! She is great with all the puppies, very patient with both puppies and puppy parents and is super helpful and available if you have questions outside of class. Overall my experience with Zen Dog has been fantastic and I highly recommend giving them a call! read more

I am an avid yelp reader before going forward with most things. I rarely write reviews, however, after much consideration I figured maybe a review would help the next person in need of doggy training! It's very challenging being a first time puppy owner and finding a trainer you can trust who also knows what they are doing. Unfortunately for us, Zen Dog was not the right fit for us. Our trainer gave us very little attention which appeared to be due to the fact that we had a slightly more challenging dog. I don't think Zen Dog is not equip to handle the more drivey dogs and I wish they told me that up front. Overall unpleasant experience I wish I could have avoided... read more

My dog and I benefited so much from our work with Alana at Zen Dog. She was patient, kind and full of great strategies for my dog. I highly recommend her!!! read more

Zen Dog Training has helped us SO much with our fearful rescue puppy. Gordon made two home visits and was able to see the progress we made from the first to the second and give us more work to do as a follow-up - our dog is so much calmer and happier around people, noises, the city etc. because of Gordon's training methods. We also checked out a puppy class in Belmont with Nayiri, and I think we will definitely be going back! She seems great and the dogs were all excited to be there and responding well to her training. Even the most well-adjusted puppies would benefit from Zen Dog's positive reinforcement methods. read more

I highly recommend Zen Dog - with one caveat. We did the in home training and it was excellent. Worth every penny. We then asked about adding on the six week puppy classes to our purchase. I made sure to ask if the material differed from the in home visit and was assured that it did. Unfortunately, the puppy classes mirrored what we were taught in the in home visit. Thus, in my opinion, it is a waste to pay for both. I was disappointed that I was a little misled. That being said, the trainers are amazing. I highly recommend the in home training. read more

I called Zen Dog after an incident where my dog had bit my hand. Batman has had some issues over the past couple of years, and he has had some instances of biting me - not cool. This particular time was the almost-last straw, and I was at my wit's end. I was seriously considering putting him down, as his behavior was dangerous and unpredictable. After a short consultation with Gordon on the phone, he told me that I could spend some time with Alana Meserve - the Zen Dog aggressive dog specialist. This was a very good suggestion! Alana came to our place for a consultation and Batman bit her. She handled it like a professional dog trainer and used it as an opportunity to model for us the behavior that would produce the best response in the dog - for our dog, it was a refusal to provide him with any attention for a good, long time. We continued working with Alana for three more sessions (I think), during which time she helped us to identify significant triggers for our dog's unsociable behavior, and show us ways to handle him when he was growly. Alana saved Batman's life, and much of our sanity. We love our pup dearly, and his behavior management plan (and OURS) has been working very well. I cannot recommend Alana enough - she is genuinely talented and incredibly pleasant. Zen Dog provided us with: Phone consultation/support, in-home consultation/training, training materials, access to online training, follow up services if needed. read more

We enlisted the help of Gordon after adopting two rescues. There were a couple of specific issues we needed help with along with general training. His training methods are easy to follow, make a lot of sense, and are fun to implement. He There was a great balance between spending time working with the dogs, and working with us on how to continue the training. We had tons of questions, and he took the time to give thoughtful and insightful answers, while keeping us on track with the training. Definitely recommend. read more

Having a new puppy can get pretty expensive. The private lesson with Gordon was, hands-down, the most valuable pup-related thing we spent money on. He's amazing at his job, loves animals and makes pet parents feel totally empowered and capable. Priceless. read more

I started my training with Gordon, who did the in-home visit when my pup was just 11 weeks old and quite a handful. We then followed up with puppy I and puppy II with Melissa. The training we received from Zen was tide-turning in my relationship with my dog and I'm grateful to the team. The most important take aways: positive reinforcement; consistency and the ability to know it's okay to fail and not get frustrated - every dog (and Owner!) learn at their own pace and practice is key. If you're about to start a relationship with a new dog or your old pup could learn some new tricks, I highly recommend that you consult with Zen Dog . read more

If you are training a puppy or having a problem with a older pup (ours is 1) our appointment was like a breath of fresh air. It has only been a few days but we see a big difference already. Really taught us a lot about how our dogs thinks and how he reacts! They are awesome read more