We are beyond grateful for Tim's support, guidance, and expertise with our beloved rescue dog, Fiona. Using positive reinforcement methods, Tim has trained Fiona and also equipped us, Fiona's parents/owners, with the skills needed to continue the work on our own after our training sessions. While we've worked with Tim for help around specific behavioral concerns with Fiona (i.e. fear of men, dog/leash reactivity, adjusting to newborn baby), he's also provided us with a thorough understanding of how we can apply the same or similar positive reinforcement techniques to other problem areas. The skills and corresponding education we've learned through Tim are invaluable. Tim has never shamed us for not knowing or doing, nor has he ever demonized Fiona, something we unfortunately experienced with providers before him, and he always offers hope and encouragement. He also offers more of a "long-term" solution to Fiona's behavioral issues, rather than other behaviorists in the field who could only offer "bandaid" remedies that were never effective for long. We will always use Tim and A Dog's Best Friend when it comes to Fiona, and any & all future pets along the way. We are forever in gratitude! read more

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I was gifted my first puppy ever for Christmas and moved into a brand new house in January. I had my hands full with a hyper puppy who was beside herself in a strange new environment. A Dog's Best Friend was recommended to me by my vet and it's been the best decision I ever made for my Pepper. Tim is a world of knowledge, friendly, extremely professional and forever patient when it comes to teaching not just my puppy but me. He's always accessible by phone. He's been so helpful the few times I've been having a pet emergency, I don't know what I would have done without his calm assurance. The key is to remain consistent, and listen to what Tim teaches. Since I've put my puppy on a regular training schedule, I've gotten so many compliments about her! Before, everyone would complain about my super hyper puppy that was a borderline menace with how much she wanted to lick all my guests. Now, all my family and friends are amazed at how calm she is, and how polite and well behaved she can be. They can hardly believe it's the same dog! And she absolutely LOVES Tim. She knows she's going to have a lot of cookies when he's around. I couldn't ask for a better trainer and I have a lifetime ahead of me where I'll gladly be calling Tim for my current puppy Pepper and all the puppies to come after. I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone in need of a trainer. read more

Tim helped us with our Boxer/Terrier mix adopted dog. We had several trainers tell us that there was no way to train her without using an e collar to address her high energy level; however, with Tim's guidance, we were able to work with her on leash reactivity, waiting at doorways, calmness around our older dogs, and jumping utilizing positive reinforcement. Our dog, Kali looked forward to the training sessions with Tim, my wife, and myself. Tim offered suggestions for us to help teach her through consistency. read more

A Dog's Best Friend - Pet Training Near Me

We recently adopted a very friendly dog but he has got in the habit of chasing our cats. We've been trying to work with him as best that we can but we can't break him from zoning in on the cats. It's become a bit of a catch 22, the cats run from the dog and he then chases them. He chases them and they run away. Anyway we called A Dog's Best Friend and Tim came over to see if he could resolve our problem. He gave us some recommendations but basically said that we had to train our cats not to run from the dog. Well if we could do that then we wouldn't need his help. He was a little smug during the visit and empathized that they're a positive dog training company. Unfortunately we did not have a positive experience with Tim and he criticized my wife and made her feel bad about the way she's been trying correct our dog. In the end he didn't leave us with anything definitive to help us. Therefore we won't be using this company again. read more

Beware, unethical business practices. Charged my daughter's card two weeks before the scheduled appointment. She tried to cancel the appointment more than ten days before the appointment and was told that they will not refund her money. I left several voice messages and have not received a reply. Total rip off! read more

Tim of A Dog's Best Friend trained my last two Labrador Retrievers. Both dogs had minor behavior issues that Tim quickly straightened out. Then the fun training began. My current best pal, Champ, is an incredible friend and helper. Tim first covered all the basics of come, sit, down, stay, place, etc. He then trained Champ to pick up items I dropped and had him put them in my hand so I didn't have to bend down. This was a great help to me as I have serious back problems. Champ also picks up items I point out with a laser. Incredible. When I had my last back surgery Tim trained Champ to pick up my cane if I dropped it. And put it in my hand! Super helpful. Champ also helps me stand up when I need help. People that see Champ in action sometimes tell me that Labs are great dogs and easy to train. Not true. They are great dogs but training depends on having the right trainer and a willingness to put in the effort. In summary, Tim is not your ordinary dog trainer. He finds out what you want in your dog and helps you get that behavior out of the dog. I highly recommend A Dog's Best Friend! I am so proud of Champ and happily share these photos of him. Oh yeah, Champ brings in the newspaper every day. read more

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Everywhere we go strangers come up to us and tell us we have the best trained and well behaved dog they have ever seen! Tim and Teoti have been a meaningful part of our family for 25 years!! During this time they have trained all 4 of our dogs and those of our friends. I always tell everyone that when you give your annoying dog that barks, bites, chews everything, pulls on the leash, and who also soils your home to A Dog's Best Friend, they will give you back a perfect dog. We have recommended A Dogs Best Friend to all our friends and strangers who cannot control their dogs who we see while walking our dog. Tim and Teoti are always available 24/7 for questions even after we have brought each of our dogs home. They truly care that everyone of the dogs they train succeed at home. I tell everyone who doesn't want to pay for dog training that your dog is a member of your family. Just as we teach our children how to behave and not cause trouble; our dogs need the same teaching. We all need training. People give their dogs up for adoption because their dog is a problem but it's not the dog's fault he was never taught how to behave. People think their small dogs don't need training, but we all know how annoying it is to be around or own a noisy dog that barks all the time (even bites), chews things, and has accidents in your home. The money you spend on dog training with A Dog's Best Friend is the best investment you can make and one that will bring you and your family many years of happiness and laughter! read more

They may be good trainers but terrible business people. We had to call twice to get someone to call us back and finally set an appointment. We had to call them to make sure they indeed were coming out. No answer. When the appointment day/time arrived no one showed up. That was over a week ago, still no call to tell us why, apologize, reschedule, nothing. read more

A Dogs Best Friend is in fact "a dogs best friend." Hands down, there is not a better trainer in South Florida. Tim and his Company truly are professional and ethical dog trainers. They use only positive training. I have seen Tim work with dogs that most would have given up on and the results are amazing. read more

No one knows more about dog psychology than Tim. Using positive training techniques only, dogs seem to respond to Tim's methods very quickly. His puppy training is awesome. Puppies return toilet trained, don't chew shoes and furniture, know basic command and ring the bell to go out. Amazing! read more

By the time a friend told me about Tim at ADBF, my husband and I were at a wit's end with our one-year- old goldendoodle. From the very beginning we saw that our dog would be a challenge to deal with. His embarrassing behaviors kept getting more and more nerve wracking and frustrating. We bounced from trainer to trainer with no success. By the time we met with Tim, we didn't know up from down. We had been told so many different things by different trainers and read so many different things. We had both lost confidence. After witnessing my dog attempting to bite our vet, I lost the desire to handle him and felt really uncertain as to what he would try next. Enter Tim, owner of ADBF. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN! Finally, we both agree that we are working with somebody who can explain our dog's issues, point out what we are doing incorrectly, and move us forward in a positive direction. In a situation where we both pretty much feel like incompetent morons, Tim puts us at ease. ADBF is the most expensive place we have worked with, and proof that you get what you pay for. Tim's expertise is worth every penny he charges. We just wish we had found him before spending tons of money at other places where they didn't have a clue how to help us. read more

I have a 1 year old cavapoo that I brought to training class to help teach her a few behaviors, Tim is great at explaining not just what we're supposed to do with the dog but the reasoning behind it so I understood the entire process. He also made sure to go around and check in with all of us, one on one as we practiced in class to make sure we didnt have an questions and that are dogs were understanding the behaviors. I am considering continuing into his next level training class so that I can build on my dog's training. I would definitely recommend this training class. read more

I am a veterinarian and have recommended Tim and his team for 10+ years. ADBF has a recipe for making "good" dogs. They use reward based training and it works! Tim is an exceptional leader and an exceptional trainer. My young lab has completed basic obedience and currently in the intermediate class. ABDF sets a strong foundation and clearly states the fundamental skills...name recognition / response is a primary goal and the team at ADBF works to strengthen it constantly. Training is, however, just like school for children...it takes time and work at home. Tim will give you the tools and information you didn't know you needed to have the pet you want. read more

Everyone who meets my Great Dane says how "lucky" I am to have such a well behaved dog. Luck has nothing to do with it. We participated in Puppy Kindergarten, Group Classes, and Board Training w Tim, and I would recommend him to anyone. Tim is passionate about what he does and he has so much patience. Our Dane is now 6 and we recently welcomed a new Mini-Goldendoodle and Tim was my first call! If you are looking for a positive based trainer who can help bring out the best in your dog, give Tim a call. There are several group programs and private training options to suit your needs and It is worth the time and investment! read more

In February of this year, my family and I rescued two Golden Retrievers from a Yulin dog meat festival slaughterhouse in China (on top of our existing 1-year-old Aussie/Dutch Shepard/demon mix). With this wonderful experience came some pretty significant behavior, including toy and food aggression/guarding. When it became clear about 36 hours into us bringing our new babies home that we needed more experience than a typical dog owner possesses, we started interviewing numerous local dog training companies. It was clear that Tim and A Dog's Best Friend were the best option. With his many years of experience in working with all kinds of dogs (but most importantly, those with challenging behaviors) and his use of positive reinforcement, he's truly been a lifesaver. Not only does Tim train our dogs, but he also teaches us those same training techniques and the logic behind them. Because of Tim's team approach (meaning everyone in our house practices), we are much more effective and efficient at training our dogs. The improvement of our dog's behavior and our training skills speaks volumes to Tim's abilities, giving us confidence and peace of mind. read more

A Dog's Best Friend was recommended to us by our vet's office. We've done some private sessions with Denise, and she is a miracle worker! Our 9 month old goldendoodle is cute and cuddly but she was crazy too, and she was incredibly difficult to manage when outside the house. Pulling on the leash, jumping on people ... the works. I couldn't believe things were so bad with our dog since we've had 3 other dogs (2 German Shepherds and a Collie) and each had their Canine Good Citizen awards. Nothing that we did seemed to make a difference with the goldendoodle. We knew she needed different messages from us, but we could not figure out what they should be since our previous training didn't work. Our pup was mouthy (puppy biting which was no longer cute), she chewed up stuff (bye-bye to lots of my daughter's headbands) and she had to be put in the crate frequently when people came over because she was much too exuberant. We decided on private sessions in our home since many of our most important issues needed to be addressed personally. Our dog had already been to puppy kindergarten, and she could Sit and do a Down on command. Our puppy is extremely smart, and she just needed to properly learn her place in the pack (at the bottom!). In one session with Denise, the mouthy issue stopped and in the next session, the destroying of stuff stopped as well. Wow, what a relief. We did a couple of reminders based on Denise's advice, and our goldendoodle got the message fast and in an extremely positive fashion. We rave each day that she is like a new dog and about how impressed we are with the private instructions. I've recommended Denise to everyone when the topic of dog training comes up. In fact, I was in Petco yesterday (working with our pup on properly greeting people and dogs which we covered in our last session), and I told two people about A Dog's Best Friend and of Denise, the miracle worker. We started Basic Obedience with ADBF at Tradewinds park, although I can't comment on that yet since last week was the first class and there were no dogs there. I like their training style in general and see it working so I'm looking forward to good things! read more

I couldn't be MORE disappointed!! I brought my 3 month old Labrador Retriever to puppy kindergarten expecting her to socialize with the other puppies her age. Because my puppy was bigger than the majority of puppies there, she was often put in what amounted to "time out". There were a few other dogs about her size, but for some reason Tim seemed to take an obvious dislike to mine. She liked to run around and play with them, but Tim seemed to cater to and prefer the smaller, easier to handle dogs. He continuously made remarks like "well, labs are different", insinuating that not only my dog, but the entire breed were more difficult than the others. When my puppy would play with the others, (the smaller ones) he would ask me to bring my dog to the other side. I would do so, and my dog would whine and cry the whole time because ALL of the other puppies got to play except for her. It broke my heart for her. We would be allowed to go back into the group when playtime was over. This happened 3 out of 3 times. At no point did Tim offer ANY suggestions. I could go on and on, but I sincerely hope you-the reader-get the idea. If you have a tiny dog, this might be the place for you. However, if you have a larger dog, my advice to you would be don't waste your time or money!!! read more

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY! Classes are over crowded and the particular public park that they use is not conducive for dog training. Many people ate the $150 and did not attend the remaining sessions after the 1st class. I felt like it was a scam and they only care about the money and don't care that the 1 trainer is not equipped to handle/train that many dogs/puppies at one time. Many people were left alone with no instruction for a good portion of the class. It's too bad because everyone just wanted some attention and guidance in hopes to help train their dog or puppy. read more

Tim and his staff are amazing! Group classes are so much fun and very informative. Highly recommended!

Tim and company are fabulous! I was having so many issues with my dogs and no one could help until I got Tim's name and number. Tim has made such a difference in the lives of our dogs. So if you have problem 4--legged children and need some help or just training, this is the place to call!!!! read more

Simply the best in the business. We have been doing business with them for over 15 years. They are the only ones we trust with our dogs, Sam and Leo. read more

BEWARE! Although I was hesitant to leave my 8 month old dog for three weeks, I was assured by Karen, their office manager, my dog would be well taken care of and receive excellent training in their boarding program. I told Karen I would feel more comfortable dropping my dog off when the owner, Tim, was present so I could meet him. She assured me he would be there in the morning, so I took off of work to go then. When I arrived I was told he had to leave to take care of his new car. I left my dog with Karen and one of their trainers, Lisa. When I brought in my dog's food and bed they told me they typically give dry food only. I explained that my dog eats wet food mixed with her dry and I didn't want to change her diet. They agreed to that and I left. After 10 days of not receiving a call, I called and left a message for the owner. When he called back later that evening, I was told he didn't feel like he would be able to pad train her and that he was going to house break her instead, so that he would have time to teach her all the commands. I agreed and said I would like to meet him when we have our in-house meeting at the half way point, which he said would be fine. I called the day before our meeting to confirm and make sure Tim would be there. I was told he could be there for a few minutes, but then would have to leave. The next day when we arrived, Tim was not there. Furthermore, our dog looked skinnier and matted. Lisa said she was brushing her, but it was obvious that this wasn't happening. Lisa said she would give her a bath and that our dog was doing better with the commands. I left their house unsure, but decided to stick with the process. I called the next week to check on her and was told a trainer would call me back. Again, I didn't receive a call until that evening and it was from a different trainer. When I asked how she was doing the trainer seemed hesitant and then informed me that they had taken my dog to the vet because another dog there was sick and my dog was exposed to it. I was shocked they didn't even call me and asked for the owner to call me immediately. After waiting two hours for a return call that never came, I decided to drive and pick her up. I was shocked when I saw her. She was matted, skinnier and wasn't wagging her tail. As I was gathering her belongs, Karen, the office manager, apologized for everything, but said she still was charging my account for the $2,500. I told her to have the owner call me to discuss. He never called! I just received the records from the vet they took her too and he agreed, in writing, that she was matted, hair in her eyes and had kennel cough! I also noticed that half her food came home with me, so I know they didn't feed her adequately. read more

I adopted a rescue dog with fear issues. I called this company for help, believing the claims on their website. I received no help. I paid $150 for the trainer Teoti to come to my house and my dog barked for one hour completely stressed out. I was not allowed to tell her to be quiet. Her recommendation was to contact my vet to put her on Prozac, which h.e wouldn't do, and was the names of two books to read. They might be successful with other dog obedience issues but I was extremely dissatisfied, disappointed, and felt very hopeless. I did contact the company several times for compensation. I received no compensation either. Again, if you have a dog with fear issues, pass this company up. read more

Can't say enough about the amazing work Tim does. Two of our fur babies, Dutch and Bushi just graduated dog training 101 at the group class in Esplanade Park. It was a great group training with just over a dozen dogs starting the 6 week program and just under a dozen graduating. The few that didn't probably fell out by no fault of their own (or Tims). We are looking forward to the next phase, but due to our hectic schedule, will be taking some time to work on the things we learned before moving on to the intermediate classes. Would LOVE to hire them for some 1 on 1...trying to figure out how to fit private training for our pack of four into the budget. The group class is a great way to get a handle on your positive training, and start getting you to think like your dog does. Tim is a real master at that, Our youngest is a Dutch Sheppard and full of energy and intelligence. Tim provided us with some great bread specific tips to help make life more manageable. Thanks again for a wonderful 6 weeks. read more

Tim is the best trainer we have ever had and we have gone through a bunch. We have a 4 year old Pit Bull and Tim has totally transformed my dog in only a couple months. He just improves with every lesson. When Tim handles Charlie he acts like he is fully trained. Tim is teaching us how to handle a head strong dog properly. I highly recommend A Dogs Best Friend. read more

I have used A Dog's Best for two dogs now. They are the best imaginable dog trainers. Our dogs always draw praise about how remarkably well trained and behaved they are. They walk well off leash, follow a range of complex and impressive commands from heel to roll over to fetch to more complex service dog behaviors. They are never distracted in a crowded or noisy environment. After seeing Ajax, other dog owners have insisted that I introduce them to Tim at A Dog's Best Friend. Moreover, both dogs love everything about A Dog's Best Friend. When we board them, they never look back at us as they are so happy to be in that safe, friendly environment. The teaching environment is loving and supportive, using positive reinforcement. The staff professionals at A Dog's Best Friend are excellent communicators as well as dog trainers. We get a full and well explained report at the end of each dog training or boarding session. Tim, the owner and founder is an exacting but extremely likable and warm hearted dog trainer who loves the dogs. Our dogs love him even more than they love us, which is an excellent sign. I have only the best things to say about A Dog's Best Friend. read more

Beware!!! This business is very crooked. After our first dog trainer complained she was overworked by Tim, and therefore could not return our calls when we had challenges with our pup, Tim agreed to come to our home. He stated he didn't know why he was sent to our home because our puppy's behavior problems were not as bad as what he usually works with. Nonetheless, we agreed to schedule another appointment for the following Saturday around 4:30pm. Tim required us to pay $120 in advance, per their policy, so we wrote a check. Tim called us around 4pm, 30 minutes before our appointment, and said he would not be able to make it. He stated Karen would call us that Monday to reschedule. We never heard from anyone. Fortunately, our puppy started doing great on his own. I left a message for Karen several weeks later and never heard back. I tried again several weeks after that and Karen stated, "I will talk to Tim, he is usually good about that stuff (refunding our money for his cancellation) and I will call you right back." Of course, we never heard of anything. I tried a few more calls, which were not returned. Finally, Karen answered this past month (numerous months have already passed). She stated there was nothing they can do about our money, even though they cancelled on us. She was rude about it and then when I was upset she became more difficult. I demanded to speak with Tim, but she sent me to his voice mail. I left him a polite message asking him to call back. Two weeks passed, he never called back. I left three more messages with Karen asking for Tim to call me and still no return call. My wife left a message for Tim stating she was a new customer. Low and behold, he called back very quickly. When she told him who she was, he was argumentative and not understanding. He stated, "i can't remember who cancelled on who." He refused to give a refund or even offer to make up training class with the money we already paid. The hard lesson we learned was never trust a service you have to pay in advance. I have been told by many people it is a bad business practice. The second lesson we learned was Tim may be ok with dogs, but he is horrible with people. The last lesson learned, DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more