Brought a puppy home....contact canine university is a given. Bringing my second dog to puppy…read morekindergarten where the guidance is essential. Gerilyn and the other trainers are patient and reassuring. I recommend doggy play school also. The dogs learn so much from being in a pack. My big husky loved going! I'm hoping my new puppy will too!

On April 18th, I purchased a 12 week training course with Canine University for $575. Canine…read moreUniversity's voicemail states: " to observe a class you have to have registered". On their website it states: "Pre-registration and payment is required to reserve a spot at orientation. Orientation is without your dog and does not count as one of your training weeks." So my partner and I signed up to learn more about their training, while looking at other options to determine what was best for our dog. We went to orientation on April 27th at 7pm where we received a booklet explaining their method and had a chance to ask questions. As our dog's aggressiveness was getting worse, we decided to start implementing some of their exercises in their book. We also agreed to confirm our attendance originally for May 11th and after emailing Canine University that we were struggling, we were moved to the May 4th class and confirmed our attendance. As our dog's behavior was escalating, we decided to contact another trainer that provided in-home service. We then emailed Canine University on May 4th that we would not be attending their classes and requested a partial refund. We received an email that they do not give out refunds and then they tried to convince us to go to the first class and then to private training. The cancellation policy on their website states: "Full refund if you notify us 48 hours prior to class start date. No refunds after the first class." We attended orientation and not a class. We asked where on their website the policy of no refunds after orientation was stated and have not received a response. If this business was confident in their training methods, they would operate differently and not be afraid to give customers refunds when no services have been rendered.

The Good Hound has been a wonderful experience for us and for our dog for the last 5 years. When he…read morewas a puppy, they trained him to walk off leash and come when called. Now he is so excited when they arrive to take him on his trail walk. Year round, he gets to hike in fun parks with his "friends" and his beloved Good Hound team members. They respond quickly to questions, often share photos of the walk that are really cute, and also, their staff members have boarded our dog in their homes when we travel- for us, a much better option than sending him to a kennel.

The Good Hound has been the perfect dog walking service since I started using them a few years…read moreback. They take excellent care of my dog, and when she's out on her hikes with the Good Hound pack I am free of all anxiety. Great people, great service, good hounds!

We can't say enough good things about Quadrupeds! Everyone who works at Quadrupeds is professional,…read morefriendly, and generous with their time and attention to all the dogs they walk and take to playgroup. We started sending our puppy to playgroup with them when she was very small and have been working with them for over a year now. Our dog loves their team so much and was always incredibly happy to see them. They all have a magic touch with dogs; they are incredibly talented at getting them to listen and always shower them with attention. We trust them when we are unavailable to take excellent care of our dog. They've also done an incredible job during the pandemic, and they have all taken great care to be safe and wear masks, etc. We are moving, and, honestly, our dog Octavia is possibly going to miss this team most of all!

We started using Quadrupeds when we got our new demon-pup a few months ago, and thank goodness we…read moredid! Maura is a knowledgeable, caring, reliable, skilled professional. She has consistently gone above and beyond, and is amazingly responsive in working with us on our training goals and maintaining consistency with our training regimen for the puppy. We look forward to getting the pictures of our pup from each walk, and she keeps us updated on everything. She is also very flexible with scheduling, which helps immensely with our meeting-filled schedules. Quadrupeds has helped us keep our sanity while working full time and raising a puppy. Having seen the dogwalkers from competing services around the neighborhood, we are super thankful that we went with Quadrupeds. We know our puppy is getting the highest standard of care. We really can't recommend Quadrupeds enough. If you're looking for pet care, go with Quadrupeds.

If you're a DINKWAD (double income, no kids, and a dog) millennial, crazy dog parent like I am,…read morethis is the only review you need to read. As an overly protective (psychotic) dog parent, I really did a lot of homework before enrolling our (at the time) 5 month old Bernedoodle Cooper in day school. I read a lot of positive reviews and few that were concerning to me. I requested a call with one of the owners to give them a chance to speak to the negative reviews before I made a decision. Hannalore answered all of my questions (primarily regarding "disliking doodles" and use of tools) and I felt very comfortable with her responses. Following that conversation we enrolled Cooper in day school and immediately saw improvement in his attention span, ability to understand commands, and leash manners. The staff was always super friendly, sent report cards with photos and videos, and always offered me advice and info on what he worked on. I was (and still am) over the moon with how much my little guy enjoys his time there. To be fully transparent, like any good relationship, we did hit a snag. A tool was used on Cooper that I did not consent to and like the Papa Bear I am, I was furious. I requested to speak with the owner who used the tool (Corey), and I expressed my displeasure. Now, I'm not an experienced dog trainer, so I don't think I know more than these amazing professionals, I do however believe in consent. When I spoke with Corey, I told him that a tool should never be used on a dog without consent from the owner and if Cooper was to come back, I would need to see a change in their policy to ensure that consent would ALWAYS be given before a tool was used. Corey completely understood and (as a small business) was open to suggestions for improvement - no excuses, no backpedaling, and full accountability. With that response, and the implementation of consent for tools, I was completely satisfied sending Cooper back to day school. It's now been over a month since that snag and I can confidently say I am beyond thrilled with how this was handled and the care and training my Coop is receiving at BFTD. Mistakes happen, but the fact that this amazing place was honest and open to a change in their policies is something that really sets BFTD apart from other places. I can 100% say if you're crazy like me, stop your search - you've found the place for your pup. All of the staff are amazing, but I would like to give a special shout-out to Becka and Thaloa who go above and beyond the call of duty and send me videos and VERY detailed report cards so I can continue the work at home. I can officially say my 7 month old pup is better behaved, knows more commands, and has better social skills than most dogs twice his age. I'm writing this review because finding a place to trust with your fur baby is scary, and you never know what you're going to get. But BFTD has done an amazing job with Cooper and I hope my experiences make you feel comfortable with them being a part of your fur baby's life too!

I'd advise against this organization. I attempted to work with them awhile back and was put off by…read morethe rude, arrogant owner of the place I also did further research on the owner and my gut instinct was right. My interaction with the owner after discussing my dog's needs was such a negative experience that I was surprised she was actually in this business. I guess being kind is not a requirement to "train" dogs.

I am so impressed with RiverDog - Cambridge -- I have been bringing my pup Walter here for the past…read morecouple of months, and it's a really nice facility. You can tell that they truly care about dogs, Walter is a shy guy and it takes him a while to warm up, but he absolutely loves it at RiverDog and cannot wait to get in every morning! Big shout-out to Josh, Gianna and Rebecca for making him feel so loved and welcome. When his other daycare unexpectedly closed, I had to find another place to bring him, and fast. RiverDog was very accommodating and set up the evaluation immediately, and submitting the paperwork was straightforward and easy. I appreciate how careful and thorough they are in both the selection of dogs they admit under their care, as well as their requirements. It always smells and looks clean, which is very hard to do at a doggie daycare. I find the prices reasonable and the quality of care is excellent. Thank you RiverDog!

Super friendly staff, great with the dogs and very communicative. Would absolutely recommend.read more

Miguel and his team at Highland Hounds are extraordinary. We have used countless dog walkers, dog…read moretrainers and doggie day care facilities since adopting our dog Reggie 3 years ago, and Miguel is head and shoulders above the rest. I trust him completely with my sweet Reggie, and I am regularly awed by how he goes above and beyond for our family. First, a bit about Reggie: he is a great dog, a hound rescue who is perfect with our almost-2 year old but loves his family entirely too much. His protective instincts have given rise to aggression more than a few times, and I am reticent to trust him in certain (many) situations. Miguel handles Reggie's... let's politely call it "complex emotions"... absolutely beautifully. Even in the beginning when Reggie was still having a little "stranger danger," Miguel showed no fear and quickly earned Reggie's trust. I first met Miguel when we still lived in Fort Hill. My previous dog walker moved on to other pursuits when my son was born, and when I was preparing to return to work, I contacted Miguel. He handled Reggie beautifully, and I couldn't have been more thrilled with the onboarding process. I loved that PetCheck would give me updates as to when Reggie was picked up and dropped off, and that I could see photos of their adventures. Reggie is always tuckered out, especially after a full "doggie day," which we now do on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Miguel displayed his penchant for going above and beyond the call of duty from the very beginning. One week after I returned to work and Miguel had started working with Reggie, my father suddenly passed away. I immediately called Miguel and left a desperate message asking him to take Reggie that night, and indefinitely, so that we could go sort things out at my family home in PA. Miguel barely knew us, and yet within the hour he was at our door, ready to lift the burden. I can never express in words how grateful I am for that incredible kindness during my darkest hour. Since we moved from Fort Hill to Arlington, Miguel has gone out of his way to work with us so that Reggie can remain a part of the pack. I have observed Reggie in the pack and at Miguel's home multiple times, and I am a little embarrassed to say that he behaves far better in Miguel's care than he does in mine. I trust Miguel completely, and I can't imagine leaving my furbaby with anyone else. He's also saved my bacon more times than I can count, including when I had a dead car battery and he drove me, Reggie, and my infant son to the location of the car and waited with us until AAA arrived. On another occasion when my dopey husband took all the car keys to work and left baby, dog and I stranded at home, Miguel picked the keys up from my husband and delivered them to me at my house where he also picked up Reggie. We are Miguel's client and, I hope, his friend; but I have a sneaking suspicion that he would and does do these good deeds for just about anybody. There are no words to express how strongly I recommend Highland Hounds (but hopefully these words have made a dent). Finding someone you can trust with your fur-family is no small task, and I am so grateful to have found Miguel, Seth, Raheem, Emma and the rest of the team.

If you're looking for great, reliable and hard-working dog walking and boarding services - please…read morelook no further! We have recommended Highland Hounds to many friends and continue to be so utterly grateful for the love they show our pup. We receive daily photos and updates and we love that Miguel and Emma take our pup on frequent mountain hikes and nature adventures. They routinely go above and beyond - and in my opinion, this level of care combined with the interesting places they go is what makes them so special. This is not your average walk-around-the-neighborhood type of service and I am convinced that our dog has seen more of the Boston area than we have. Perhaps most importantly, she is very tired after her daily adventures - and as all dog owners know, a tired dog is a good dog :)

I've been a Lucky Lucy customer since 2019. They have always made me feel like my dog is in good…read morehands. I've never had any major issues with communication and service. Minor issues and concerns were simple miscommunications and resolved immediately. I would recommend them to anyone in the service range.

I've been with Lucky Lucy's since 2021, when I adopted my first dog, Eisenhower. All of the walkers…read moreare fantastic; my dog is always happy to see them, and the walks are well-documented with photos and comments. On some of the negative reviews about difficulty scheduling -- I've never noticed anything out of the ordinary. Blizzard? Extreme cold? Sure, it's New England; things happen. In the rare occasion of a delay or cancellation (for me, only once or twice over the last 4 years?), it seems to be because the business cares about the well-being of their employees as much they do our pets. I've also done in-home and external boarding - it's like a mini summer camp for E, photos and updates come regularly, and he's always a little sad to come home. I've tried to work with other services (starts with R and ends with over) and LL's is 1000% better.

I've worked with a few trainers over the years, with different dogs that I've had, and Vera is by…read morefar the best! Vera is kind, understanding, and incredibly knowledgeable! unlike other trainers I've known, Vera never makes you feel judged or as though you're doing things wrong. Even if I hadn't been practicing like I should have been inbetween classes, Vera just picks up where you left off and no need to stress over it. I can't say enough about how great Vera is and would recommend her to everyone!

RED FLAG The owner…read moredouble booked me, postponed my consultation for potential business, and did not call me on the time we agreed upon because she was upset that I corrected her when she spelled my name wrong. How do you run a business like that. Unorganized, inattentive to detail, and rude.