Tuff Pup was so easy to sign up for an schedule. Sami was awesome and helped us tame our crazy…read morerescue Pitty. She listened to what we're priorities for us and came up with realistic strategies. Highly recommend working with Tuff Pup

Matt worked with me and my best girl, Kira, to help her with some of her anxieties. He taught me…read moreit's not about curing her anxiety but managing it. We practiced how to greet visitors, and how to calm down when barking. I learned better ways to engage with Kira, and help her thrive in high stress situations.

Schedule sooner rather than later, her schedule fills up fast! Even so I highly recommend Heather…read moreas she has such a wealth of knowledge. She has so much experience with animals as a former zookeeper, so she is incredibly skilled with animals and is really in the best profession. The majority of her clients are dogs and their owners but she works with cats and exotics too! She's also super friendly and knows how to explain to you what is a necessary fix in behavior and what is completely normal for your animal. I scheduled a session with her for my 3 month old puppy as I needed to know how to best handle his teething and house training.

Heather and I met at an event in Manayunk and I couldn't wait to work with her. My dog, a…read moreone-year-old Australian Shepherd, had attended a basic obedience class but was in need of one-one-one training. My main goal in working with Heather was to have enjoyable walks with my dog and she made that dream come true in three sessions. Heather helped me communicate better with my dog which in turn created a special bond between us. I am so thankful I found Heather and can't recommend her enough!

I recently adopted a 9-month old dog and wanted to jump into training right away. I retained…read moresomeone who lived very close to me and had great reviews, but after a few sessions I realized our schedules were not compatible; I was not getting consistency and reliability from her. It's important for me to make progress with my dog, so I Googled alternate options and stumbled upon Alex's page. I called him on a Friday and he picked up the phone right away. We spoke for a while about my needs and he came out the following Tuesday for what was supposed to be a 2-hour visit. I fell in love with him immediately, he is not only so personable and likable on his own, but he really takes the time to LISTEN to what you need and work on those things right away. I had mentioned my priorities to my previous trainer, but I found that she was teaching my dog commands that didn't actually accomplish what I was after. In our first meeting, Alex worked on SO MANY of my priorities. He got my dog to go into her crate on command, taught her to "stay," showed me how to "walk with" my dog better on her leash, and (using a 30' leash outdoors) started working on recall with her. We were so immersed in what was going on that Alex started to go a little bit over our time, but he didn't want to stop because we were making such great progress. I told him if he wanted to give me a third hour right then and there that I was prepared to pay for it, and he did!! I learned a lot of things from Alex myself during our first meeting, like how to employ the use of "deltas" (which my old trainer never once mentioned) and how non-verbal cues are arguably more important than verbal ones. Again, my old trainer actually discouraged me from using hand motions, but once incorporating them into my routine I noticed that my dog was much more compliant than she had been. Another positive difference between my old trainer and Alex is he really takes the time to teach you why he's doing what he's doing, and encourages you to participate. My old trainer just taught my dog a command and had me replicate/practice when she left. Alex really makes you feel like you are a part of the teaching process. After our private session Alex recommended some "Small Group Therapy" for my pup. He came at noon on a Thursday to pick up my dog and she proceeded to go on a several-hour outing with his two chihuahuas and a dog he was fostering. The entire time he was out with her he was recording and sharing videos on an iCloud album. It was INCREDIBLE to not only see everything that was happening, but to hear him narrate why he was doing the things he was doing. I could not get enough of his videos and felt like I was there during the session. On top of Alex's excellent communication, punctuality, reliability, friendliness, competency, and effectiveness, his rates are OUTRAGEOUS in the BEST way! I truly believe he is under-charging for his services. I can get three hours with Alex for less than I paid for one hour with my prior trainer, and I feel much better about the work that is done during that timeframe. I adore Alex, and most importantly, what he is doing works. He really gets into the mind of your dog, and has such a wonderful way of connecting with them and their needs. I am elated to keep our work going - my pup has lots more Small Group Therapy outings in her future and it's wonderful that I have the option to use him one-on-one to teach her even more commands in the house. One day I hope to move on from essential commands to more fun ones, like "roll over" or "go get X toy."

Alex is wonderful. We are quite grateful to have come across his page on Yelp. He cares for our…read moreDoberman with great compassion. He's knowledgeable, skilled at what he does, & overall, you can tell his calling is to keep dogs in loving homes with owners who just need the tools plus support to train & love on their pet babies. If our Ketsia (Sisi) didn't love us so much, I think she'd hop on over to Alex's place :) She's strong-willed & protective but sooo loving & sweet. We're making great progress! Thank you, Alex.

Ilene and her team of walkers have been regularly walking our two very large dogs for years. Both…read moredogs have had some behavioral issues and they handle them like professionals. They come on time, send me an update once the walk is completed which usually has a photo of the mutts looking happy, and generally have been very responsive to any issues. We have also utilized her overnight stays for vacations. We also have 2 cats - so all 4 animals are well cared for and loved while we are away. They took care of puppy destruction one visit and dog diarrhea another changing the diet to boiled chicken and rice. Always with great communication throughout to let me know what was happening. Offered to take dog to vet when he was sick with diarrhea. My house and my animals are safe and well cared for. Never feel worried while on vacation. Highly recommend her service!

I cannot say enough great things about Ilene and her staff. We had both Ilene and Amber walk our…read moredog over the past year and have had such a wonderful experience working with them. They were very receptive to my concerns (my dog is adopted and has some anxiety and trouble interacting with other dogs) and put me at ease. They were even able to help get our dog walking better on leash (less pulling) and walking with other dogs! I never thought our dog would be able to go on walks with other dogs, but they are truly miracle workers! Their website is easy to use and I loved getting pictures and updates every day about how the walk went. Also, they are quick to respond and are very accommodating. More than once I had a last minute request and they were always able to find someone to take care of our dog. If you are looking for a dog walker on the main line, definitely pick Dog Gone Walking!!

Our boxer Biggie Smalls has been training and boarding with Eric since he was a pup. He enjoys his…read morestays at Katz Dogs K9 so much he sleeps for two days once he gets home. We definitely recommend boarding and training there.

Where do I even begin? Katz K9 is amazing. First, one of my dogs participated in the board and…read moretrain program. I was hesitant at first because of all the "professionals" out there, but it was totally worth it. Eric and Sam were so patient with me and took their time teaching me everything I needed to know so that my dog would continue to be successful. Secondly, I am a terrible procrastinator and things completely slip my mind. Multiple times they have worked with me last minute to get my pups in for boarding. Most importantly, my dogs love it there! I will forever recommend Katz. Even to my friends that live in Philadelphia!

MY Dog was trained up at their farm . Now He is a mentor dog and goes up to the farm one a week …read more It is great he loves it Laura is really fantastic with him in the van in East Falls drop off and Pick up .

I had a terrible experience with Opportunity Barks. The City School program keeps the dogs crated…read morefor 6 of the 7 hours they are there. The 1 hour of training includes potty breaks. When I picked up my 8 month old puppy she was so desperate to pee and poo, she went on the sidewalk in front of their building. She was so thirsty she was panting and needed water immediately. I sent food but she did not eat there. To compound the problem, Communication is awful. They don't let you into the space. You stand on the sidewalk - they crack open the door and pull her in or give you the leash to take her out. You get 1 email a week with some photos and videos. They don't appear to read the form you fill out and don't discuss goals. I told them that my puppy has had training since birth, but their first video was showing me how to hold a leash. The second video was of a different dog being trained - they said my dog was tethered watching. Throughout the entire video I could hear her crying. No one attempted to soothe her at all. I provided constructive input verbally and in writing by email. Despite my bad experience at the City School, I was still interested in the Farm School. I went to the open house and they were much more transparent about what a typical day looks like there. But before the evaluation day (which is separate from the City School evaluation), they called me to say that they were cancelling the evaluation because I am not a good fit for their program. They said it had nothing to do with my dog, who is a very sweet Labrador, it is because I am not "aligned" with them. They were not willing to even listen to why I thought the Farm School would be a better fit than the City School, saying that the decision had been made "by senior management" and it is not worth wasting time talking about it. Wow!

Cannot recommend Michaela enough! Her holistic approach to dog training suited our needs (and our…read morepuppy Noodle's) perfectly. It wasn't just about teaching him XYZ, but about making him a better friend to us, and us better friends to him. The lessons we learned from Michaela are things we will carry with us for a lifetime. Her warmth from the second we met her made us feel like getting a trainer wasn't us failing at raising our dog but by investing in our family. She never judged when he (or we) didn't get it right on the first try and she's so skilled that if Noodle reacted in an unexpected way she was able to pivot completely on the spot and change our lesson. Because of this there was never a moment where we felt like this was a lesson plan that was written out and peddled to everyone, our lessons were completely individualized to our needs. Hands down Michaela has changed the relationship we have with Noodle and has made us a closer and more engaged pack!

Michaela is a truly gifted dog and dog owner trainer! She is kind, gentle and very effective in…read moreteaching good doggy behavior without fear or punishment. We've loved working with her and often check back in with her when we encounter new challenges.

I took the beginner's class and started the intermediates class. They advertise that they train…read morewith love and treats but the instructor in the intermediate class was very rough with the dogs. She clamped my puppy's mouth shut for barking, kneed him in the chest for jumping, something the other instructor said could be harmful, and yanked him harshly. I paid for 6 classes, but I won't be going back. My dog's safety and emotional health are my priority.

These instructors are top-notch. My dog and I are currently enrolled in the beginner class and…read morebefore it started, I thought I was going to be a hopeless case--not because of my dog, but because I had never successfully trained a dog before. This class taught me so much! My girl can now sit, stay, come when called, lay down, and more. We are working on everything still, but this class has given me so much more confidence in my abilities and in my dog's potential. I definitely recommend the classes here; you won't regret them.