Elderly parents have an unruly female pug that loved to dart out the door whenever the door was…read moreopened. The little bitch was out of control and they needed help. Contacted the Dog Guru and he wouldn't travel that far and charged more than what the dog is even worth...he recommended one of his apprentices Eric, so I contacted him. Eric travelled all the way from south OC to LA county on a weekend to work with my parents and the dog. He came in with an alpha mentality and immediately identified the major problem; my parents. He was very patient with them and taught them about dog psyche and why the dog was acting the way she was. He transformed the dogs behavior, but most importantly my parents. He was so effective that we had to figure out ways to get the dog to misbehave so they could practice the new techniques. Eric is very knowledgeable and cares about helping and showed in the way he worked with all of us. I HIGHLY recommend his services and he is worth every penny. He was a friendly guy and about diagnosing the real issue. Eric even followed up a few days after training to make sure everything was going well and the dog is still doing good up to this day. Thanks Eric! You are da man!!!

After several complaints from my neighbors due to my dogs excessive barking and aggressive…read morebehavior, I made the decision to work with a Trainer. My dog is a 7 year old Pom mix that I rescued 6 years ago. He has always been on the aggressive side and I never understood why.. I searched yelp for the top trainers in OC, many voicemails were full, Trainers weren't taking appointments until next year, or the cost of the training was upwards of $3,000. After leaving Eric a voicemail he called me back and asked me several questions about my dogs personality and the issues I was facing. We set an appointment for the following Sunday and he even reached out the day before to confirm. Eric arrived early for our appointment and brought the tools needed to work with my dog. He helped me to understand my dog and why he was behaving the way he was which a total paradigm shift for me. We went through several rules and guidelines that I would need to set with my dog around the house, then went out into the neighborhood to test out his preferred method for walking an unruly dog. I was shocked with how fast the training was with BIG results. I highly recommend! How I would describe my dog training experience with Eric: 1. Professional 2. Simple 3. Results Oriented Thanks Eric!

We just completed Ryan's "Puppy Course" and "Intermediate Course" over an 8 week period with our…read moreGolden Retriever. Ryan is the perfect combination of kindness, patience, and command. "Finn" responded enthusiastically to the curriculum and more importantly to Ryan's style of delivery. We appreciated Ryan's ability to connect trained behaviors to everyday situations, and suggest small changes that delivered big results. The key for Finn was taking the tools from class and implementing/reinforcing them on walks, at the dog park, outdoor shopping malls, or just around the house. The key for me was Ryan's use of an audio system - even in an outdoor (covered) group environment it was easy to listen and comprehend the concepts as Ryan explained strategy (the "why") and the supporting tactics (the "how"). We're looking forward to Ryan's advanced class and eventually a CGC certification.

Ryan truly is a K9 Guru. He connects with dogs in a truly amazing way. Implementing his tips and…read morecalm demeanor has helped us immensely with our sweet but crazy 5 month old lab pup. Highly recommend!

I was extremely resistant to getting training for our two shihtzus (they're little dogs!!) and I…read morethought I could do it myself. I was wrong. I highly recommend David for any dog training, and I think he provides amazing value for his expertise. Extremely responsive. Highly recommend

David is a great trainer, he really helped my dog sergeant become more mature and easy to bring…read morearound new people.

Working with head trainer Martina and her partner and fellow trainer, Russ, at Tact K9 Handling…read morehas been the best experience. We feel very fortunate for all the amazing skills they have taught us and instilled in our dog Phil Collins. We contribute Phil's good manners both on and off leash to the training with Tact K9. We have been working with Tact K9 since our dog was 16 weeks old. We initially sought out training with Tact K9 for Therapy certification and through their program our dog was certified at a service working level since he took to their method of positive reinforcement so well. He became my psychological service dog aiding me through anxiety. They are incredibly knowledgeable, patient, gentle but also firm when it matters. They have a gift a forming an incredible bond with their clients and treat them with such care and respect as if they are one of their own dogs. This not a board and train because Tact K9 believes that it's about teaching both the human and the dog together which was very important to us since we wanted our dog to do therapy work. He also received his AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate. Their park sessions are informative and fun and they also love bringing their community together with fun themed walks :) We also love that they are giving back to the community through their Blue Spec K9 Foundation where they are specifically training service dogs. We have volunteered with their nonprofit by aiding in socializing the dogs in the program. It was so rewarding and also fun! We are honored to be a part of the Tact K9 crew!

Highly recommend TACT K9 Handling! We brought our 4-month-old Australian Shepherd, Donut, in for…read moretraining and saw progress during the very first session. He started out barking and reacting to everything around him, but by the end of class he was calmer, more focused, and successfully participated in a pack walk. Russ, Martina, and Brandon were patient, knowledgeable, and took the time to explain what they were doing and why. We left with a better understanding of our puppy and tools we can continue using at home. Training is a process, but we're excited to keep working with them and watch Donut grow. Looking forward to future sessions!

We've had Chris walk our German Shepherd pup (now dog because she just turned two!) many times now,…read moreeach time we go out of town. Chris is very thoughtful and considerate. He wanted to get to know us and our pup first, so we met up and had a chat about what our dog's personality and walking style is like. I thought our dog was quirky, but turns out Chris had experience with Shepherds and knew about their quirks already, which was reassuring for us first time Shepherd owners ;) Chris is always prompt and takes longggg walks with our pup to make sure she's nice and tired. He is respectful of our wishes of not running our dog since her breed is prone to hip/joint issues, and our dog is always glad to see him because she knows she's in for a treat! Chris will even send us pictures of the two of them on walks; I like that I can keep up with him on Instagram. He even pulled through for us on our wedding day and kept the dog busy for us so we could enjoy our Best Day Ever :) Chris is enthusiastic about every one of his canine clients, and that is commendable because dog walking is a lot of work! I see Chris out and about all over Newport, so he's always taking dogs to walk cool places, even if its blazing hot out! I would definitely recommend Chris and Newport Beach Active Paws!

Chris is awesome! I highly recommend him if you're looking for someone to walk or care for your fur…read morebaby! He's very friendly, trustworthy, personable, and you can tell he loves dogs and his job! Thank you Newport Beach Active Paws for showing the love and care for our Duke!

Investing our time and energy into Larry's way of training has paid off in spades, and we can't…read morerecommend him enough. We're second time dog parents and were nervous about raising a Siberian Husky. After working with Larry, between his well rounded training and Piper's sweet temperament, we have an active and sweet 11 month old husky who we can trust off leash. We never would have believed it if someone had told us this is how good a husky could get! Larry's teaching style fit us perfectly - we know he has our dog's best interest at heart and gives solid and specific feedback as he trains us to train our pup. Beyond his excellent training, Larry also genuinely cares for our family. He has helped by providing urgent consulting and even picked up and cared for both of our dogs during a family emergency. He taught us when and why to avoid dog parks, and introduced us to pack walks as the ultimate form of healthy socialization for our dogs. They go weekly now and couldn't be happier (or more exhausted)! Thank you so much Larry, we can't wait to keep working with you as Piper grows!

Larry and Jen did an awesome job training my two pups. Their kindness, compassion and patience,…read morealong with stern commands really helped me to help my dogs be the best they can be.

Cole did a great job with our young stray Shepard mut. She…read morewas young and had no manners and bad chewing habits. She would had low confidence and would run away if you made any eye contact. After a few boarding sessions, Doug comfortable with Cole and we started the 3 week training course. What a difference!!! We now take Doug to my daughters soccer games with kids and chaos all around. Little kids and random strangers walking right up to her. She never flinches. She's so good. We always get compliments on good she behaves. We'll done Cole!!!! Thank you

We sent our dog to work with Cole for 3 weeks over a year ago! It has been one of the best…read morepurchases I've ever made. Our yorkie used to have a lot of anxiety, was timid around other dogs, barked at the doorbell, barked at people while on walks, pulled on the leash, and would sometimes nip at people's feet when anyone got close to me. Now, she is comfortable playing with other dogs and meeting new people. Overall she is much more peaceful, happy, and secure. We are able to go on walks without the leash and she doesn't get distracted by other dogs or people. When we have company over, we don't have to stress about her acting out! Cole's training has allowed us to enjoy our dog in a whole new way! People are always impressed when they see her behaving so well in public without a leash and I always tell people about the great experience we had with Cole and I recommend him to others!

My vacation was stress-free thanks to Ruff Life. It was my first time away from my 1 yr old cat and…read moreI was super nervous to leave her. Fortunately I found Eddie and he was very professional and kind. My cat didn't want to come out at their meet and greet but he wasn't worried about it since most cats are like that. After I left she warmed up to him right away. During my trip he took great care of my cat and sent multiple pictures every day, which helped me know she was okay and also helped a lot when I was missing her! I also super appreciated that he put our bins out and checked the mail since it was a longer trip. I will definitely use Ruff Life again.

Perfect. My dogs loved both sitters. Honest, good price, and kept my 3 dogs happy for a week…read more I will be using them again and again.