Kara is an experienced, knowledgeable and very effective dog trainer. Unlike a lot of other…read moretrainers she continues to further her education of neuroscience and dog behavior. Her approach to training is innovative, individualized and fair to the dog. She has helped me train my dogs of all ages in obedience, nosework, bark hunt and weight pull. I highly recommend her. You won't be disappointed!!!

This is a fantastic pet sitter for the North West Corner of CT. Strong recommend. Nicole is so…read morewonderful & our dogs love her! She's a pleasure to work with and has such extensive knowledge in pet care--it's amazing. We love and trust Nicole to watch Nico + Charlie any time we are away or need them to get a good hike in. A great and trusted service, check it out! --Sally LeGrange

Kasey Nash, Joyful Paws Review I'm writing this review…read morefor Kasey Nash, Joyful Paws, because she is a superb trainer and I'm very grateful that she trained our dog Daisy to become a service dog. Daisy is a mini labradoodle and was 2 1/2 when she began training with Kasey. Previously she had had two intermediate classes at the K-9 Connecticut Education Center. To summarize, in our first session Kasey explained in detail what would be involved, and stressed the importance of my involvement. Daisy had 20 lessons spread out over 6 months. Lessons took place in Kasey's very well equipped basement, Home Goods, Target, Petco, and Cabela Sports. Kasey sent detailed notes after each lesson on what and how to practice, and how to take commands to new levels. Daisy bonded with Kasey the first day, and became very excited at even the mention of "Kasey". After a 5 week evaluation period she received her "Service Puppy in Training Vest" (a proud day). Approximately five months later, Daisy did a fantastic job on her service dog test which lasted more than two hours. Daisy's primary task was location assistance and guidance. She learned to guide me through a department store such as Home Goods, stop at curbs outside, and more. To name just a few commands: Left, right, forward, outside, button, here, wait. Kasey's method was to explain a new command, demonstrate it with Daisy, then teach me to perform the task with Daisy. Lots of treats were used! Before the next lesson, Daisy and I practiced the new commands extensively, at least three times a week along with previous commands. To give you a few examples of Kasey's teaching, we spent an hour or so getting on and off the glass elevator at Cabela Sports. Daisy learned elevator etiquette and got over fear of accelerations and abrupt stops. The techniques I learned from Kasey allowed me to build on many commands during our practice between lessons. To name a few, elevator techniques were used to teach escalators. "Outside" was extended to "Back" and "Find the trail" while hiking. For fun, during one lesson, Kasey taught Daisy to push a "door open" assistance button. This took less than half an hour to my amazement. A year later Daisy still remembers this "button" command. Kasey organized a number of field trips with her other dogs in training: Mystic Aquarium and a Scavenger Hunt to name two. Kasey wrote an "Attestation Letter" about Daisy's training which was instrumental in getting service dog approval for Aer Lingus and later for EuroStar (train to UK). I highly recommend Kasey Nash to anyone considering Service Dog training.

I have been training dogs for 40 years. And training my own service dogs for almost 20. I have…read moreworked with dozens of positive dog trainers. But Kasey is one of a kind! I immediately recognized she has skills way beyond mine and has so much knowledge of dog training and working service dogs. Far beyond most trainers. She helped my current service dog brush up on some skills and fix a couple issues we were having. She helped me create a near perfect service dog. I am so impressed with her that I asked her to produce and begin training my next service dog for me when my current girl retires. Joyful Paws is AMAZING!

3rd Class In for a 3 Month Old Puppy... Wow Watch Out!…read more We started off at Canis, and it was truly awesome. Unfortunately, after a few sessions, the co-owner, Derrick, messaged me through their chat platform to say that our puppy had been making noise in her crate that day. This was a one-off situation -- she'd had some stomach issues in the days prior -- but he warned that if it happened two more times, she would be removed from the program. I understand it's their program and their rules, but his communication style was extremely direct -- almost as if he were speaking to a dog -- harsh and matter-of-fact. He told me that how I receive and perceive his messages is "on me." Talk about customer-oriented! If he ever took a class on people or management, he might learn that there's an old saying: perception is reality. I also had a few billing questions, and since texts weren't resolving the issue, I asked multiple times for him to call me, which he eventually did. From the start of that call, he was defensive and completely closed to any feedback about his communication style. I was honestly shocked at how the conversation unfolded and even asked if he was the owner or manager. Despite all this, I genuinely wanted to continue working with them. In short, they removed us from the program the very next day and promptly refunded our fees. My advice: don't offer him any feedback -- he doesn't take it well. It's a real shame, because the staff at Canis are wonderful, and the facility and programs themselves are truly impressive. We had been raving fans and recommended them to everyone, so this turned out to be a very disappointing experience.

CMDT is the absolute BEST! When looking for trainers and puppy/dog socialization spots my husband…read moreand I did extensive research and interviewed places to ensure we felt comfortable and confident that our pup would be in the best hands. I cannot express how glad we have been with our decision to bring our dog to CMDT. Bee and Derrick are wonderful. They make themselves available (within reason) for any questions or help with training. The classes are informative and have been instrumental in our dog's fantastic training progress. Our pup has always come home happy, healthy, and tired from a day of socialization and training when she goes to puppy daycare, and we love watching the livestream so we can see her having a blast. What I personally appreciate the most about CMDT, beyond the care and compassion of the trainers who undoubtedly love the dogs, is the method of training they provide. No harsh punishment necessary. The dogs learn through basic positive psychology and reward association. We do the homework between classes and have seen our dog become more well mannered, confident, and happy through good training. If she could leave a review I think she would say CMDT is her favorite spot, given how excited she is every time we pull up. Thank you to Bee, Derick, and the other trainers who have treated our sweet girl like their own precious pup!

Knowledgeable, passionate staff and a great selection of higher quality/harder to find products. We…read morehave a 14 year old cat who has developed some fun food issues and it's very hard for us to find places that carry what she tolerates well. I loaded my backpack full of goods here. Since switching her diet she's gotten much healthier, and seems way more like the girl we remember. If you're looking for a value or discount establishment go somewhere else, but if you're looking to do right by your animals, this is very likely the best place you can go. The level of passion shown by the owner was especially nice. This is the kind of spot that I hope stays in business, for the animals sake.

Amazing store, Ken really knows what he is talking about and deeply cares about his customers.read more

I can agree with all reviews thus far. Dan is one outstanding dog trainer and what really is a…read morehuman trainer. My girlfriend, Blue, adopted a chihuahua mix puppy, who is named Oreo, in FL to be her service dog in February or March of 2025. Before I met her (long story short, pen pals for 13 years and just met in person in the spring), Oreo's training in my personal opinion and in Dan's first eyes was minimal but effective for what Blue needed Oreo to be as a young puppy on the go. Oreo was hotel trained as Blue travels for work as an ambassador and an artist; so potty pads, lots of toys and freedom, no structure or schedule, and so on. When Blue and Oreo moved in I was already in the middle of a stressful week of work (I work nights) and really had zero patients for all the pee and poop on every carpet/rug in the house. Was pulling out my hair and made having a relationship un wanting. We had one dog session with with another trainer in July who was very difficult to schedule but the one session Blue and Oreo went to (I was working) gave us an idea that there needs to be some structure. Day one with Dan opened up Blue's eyes as, she'll even admit it, she was being an enabler. He came to the house and told us the don't dos, watched our interactions, gave us some commands, both appreciated and constructive criticism, and really gave me peace of mind. I say me because Blue had a hard couple days not following his instructions after the training, and still does.... Day two a week later we went to his establishment and we went over walking and interactions with other dogs. Dan told Blue she was doing a much better job this week as it is/was very difficult for her to adapt to these new lifestyle changes. Oreo too was also much better behaved as I (we) have been tough on her. Day three Blue went by herself and they focused on walking as well as keeping Oreo stable when getting out of the car opposed to rushing out. I had had an opportunity for three weeks just myself and Oreo and I really honed in on commands and house rules. The training I received from Dan the two visits personally was worth every penny. She rarely potty's in the house and when she does it is on the pad we keep as a just in case. She responds well now to the spray bottle. Blue still has some work to do but work in progress.

We are so happy we went to Dan at Pawsitive Reinforcement Training. We decided to take our 1 year…read moreold lab for work on general manners and walking. Dan genuinely listened to what our concerns were and helped us understand how to issue corrections when rewards no longer work. I also think it's important to mention that Dan never made us feel bad or inadequate as pet owners. He always made it a point to acknowledge what we did well with our dog. He is very approachable and knowledgeable and we always felt like we can talk to him about anything. We signed up for the four session 1-on-1 training program and the difference week to week was incredible. Before working with Dan, I wasn't able to take my dog out in public without him pulling, barking at other dogs, and sniffing everything. Now he walks amazingly. Dan helped us take control of the walk. I can take him in public and he walks well on a loose leash. We have learned amazing tips on how to deal with distractions and just managing him overall. We still have our lovable, goofy dog; just with a lot more manners and better behavior. Thank you, Dan!

If you want to know your pet is well cared for and your home is secure while you're away, don't…read morehesitate to contact Audrey at Happy Paws. We're glad we discovered her last year. During our occasional summer trips away from home, Audrey reliably stopped by to make sure our cat had playtime, fresh food and a clean litter box. With more excursions planned this summer we know we can count on her for cat care.

We couldn't be happier with our experience with Happy Paws. We utilized their services to help with…read moreour elderly cat while we went away for Christmas. Our cat required medications (topical, specialized feedings and oral syringe) twice a day and Audrey was not only reliable and dependable with delivering the meds, but she also sent us some updates with texts and pictures. Audrey was very thorough and attentive from the initial interview throughout the entire process. We highly recommend Happy Paws for your pet needs.

I have three young, energetic large breed dogs who take a lot of stimulation to satisfy. My dogs…read moreare always exhausted and happy by the end of their walks and I couldn't be happier!