So glad I called Zach to help me establish a solid relationship with my cane corso/pit bull mix…read more Zach was beyond helpful during our month together, and my dog quickly became his biggest fan. We did training sessions at the park, the dog park and the farmers market together to work on training in real world scenarios. Since working with Zach I'm much more confident in my role as my dog's owner and I'm more confident in handling different situations that come up. As promised, Zach has remained available as questions have come up since our month wrapped up, and it feels great to know that I have an expert in my corner as Bodhi grows and continues to change. The things Bodhi and I learned from Zach continues to help us today and I know they will help for many years to come! I continue to teach Bodhi new things using techniques that Zach taught me. I highly recommend Zach for a training approach customized to your family and your dog, rather than some cookie cutter approach from a bigger company.

Zach is exactly what we were looking for! Most trainers were pushing board & train and/or using…read moree-collars, and we'd just adopted a 3-month-old puppy. We're not using an e-collar on a puppy and honestly, we didn't need her disciplined. We needed to establish a relationship and be given proper communication skills. Enter Zach! He gave us this and more! He has given us skills that we will carry with us all our lives and has transformed our relationship with our puppy. We will forever be grateful to him.

These folks are amazing. I called them to get urgent help for me door-eating dog, and they came…read moreover that same day to meet him. By the end of the week they had him on a schedule, walking 3 times a week for a half hour, to train him to walk on a leash. Once he can do that (which may take a while, he's hard-headed :)) he is going to go on adventure walks with them, which are basically long hikes with 2-3 dogs at a time, that completely tire your pooch out. I have two walkers that work with my dog, and they are both awesome. They send me an email after every walk, with pictures of my dog and a progress report of how he's doing. They also are bonded and insured, and offer to keep keys to the house so they can come in while you are at work and exercise the pooch. And get this- it's $20 for the walk... and $5 for every extra 15 mins! And that is for one or two dogs... very reasonable. So much so that I can definitely afford the 3 days a week walking, and seeing my puppy so happy at the end of the day is worth it. Love these guys.

UPDATE: 7/23/17: I'm…read morewriting an update to this review 7 years later, still as a loyal client of Canine Adventure. Unfortunately, my 3 boys (Ozzy, Tyler, and Bono) have since passed away, but my 2 new pups (Cannon and Hollywood) are still regular adventurers. They get to go hiking and swimming with Marti every couple of weeks - with Cannon generally finding some enormous stick or piece of trash to keep him entertained and Holly swimming laps in the river and playing chase with other dogs. They always come home happy and tired. There is a review posted from someone named "Matin" (which I assume is made up as it is a brand new account and contains false information) that says someone from Richmond Boxer Rescue steered him away from CA. I am the founder and president of RBR and a loyal client for almost 10 years now. Many of my fosters and volunteers use them and love them as well. NO ONE from my organization knows who this person is or said anything negative about CA, so that is a blatant lie. Review from 2010: I cannot say enough good things about Josh and Canine Adventure! Aside from actually being able to sometimes make my boxer, Ozzy, slightly tired (a nearly impossible feat), Josh was always reliable, responsible and ended up being a good friend! My own dogs (Ozzy, Tyler and Bono) were lucky to get Adventure Walks with him every week! The highlight of their week was seeing Josh pull up in front of the house! In addition to working with my own dogs, Josh graciously worked with my many fosters through Richmond Boxer Rescue. He donates his time to several other local rescue groups as well. The walks and training were an invaluable asset to the foster dogs as were the AMAZING photos he would take on the walks! We moved to the west coast but would still be loyal clients if we were in Richmond! I so wish there were a service like this available here!

I can't praise Ashley and Calm K9 enough for turning my dog life around. I adopted my 5.5 year old…read morePug/Chihuahua mix from a rescue back in February after she was surrendered by her previous owner. She was incredibly timid, anxious, and didn't know even the most basic command. Sit, for instance, was next to impossible. She would lock her back legs if you tried to guide her little butt to the floor, refusing to do it because she had no idea what was going on. Fast forward to a month out of the Board & Train with Ashley. She sits. She stays. We don't use a leash on walks anymore. She stays right by my side on walks or within an arm's length in front or behind me, constantly checking to make sure I'm still close every few seconds. At every curb she sits. I used to have to tell her, but now she just knows to sit, and not to move until I tell her "come". The best part for all of this, however, is that it's all a result of her overall confidence being boosted by knowing all of these new skills. She used to be super skittish and bark at people, jump when cars passed by, and freak out. Every person who walked near us on the street she would lose her little dog-mind over. Now she not only glides right past them, but if they're friendly and she sees that I'm ok with it, she'll wag her tail and allow them to approach (assuming I've given her/the person permission). She actually walks better and is more calm off-leash, which is also a huge advantage for me now that it's getting cold because I can keep my hands in my pockets. I still do bring a leash in my pocket just in case, but I haven't run into a situation where I've had to use it once. Lastly, I was really apprehensive about using an e-collar. Not only because I thought it was going to be cruel, but because of how big the thing looks on my 10lb. dog! I can honestly say that the brand of collar they have you purchase is so adjustable with it's settings that she's never shown any sign of it hurting or even bothering her. She actually gets excited when I put it on her in the morning because she knows we're about to start our day and go for a walk! Calm K9 came recommended from a friend, and I think since seeing the positive change my dog has experienced as a result of the training I've recommended them to anyone and everyone who's interested in getting their dog towards a better place, behaviorally. Lastly, it's been amazing to feel what her being trained has does for me, mentally. With everything else one has to deal with in their day-to-day life, having a happy, calm, well-behaved and confident dog-companion has been overwhelmingly positive. A+ from me. Highly recommended.

They state that they get back to you in 24 hours.. but both mine and my wife's form submission on…read moretheir website (which states that is the fastest response) have gone unanswered for the last 3 - 4 days. Very disappointed that they didn't even have the courtesy to call or reply.

Wanted to use them for puppy boot camp. First had to pay $100 for an evaluation. When we went to…read morebring him home the receptionist said he barked so much in the crate they had to move him to another room. We were not given any comments on how the evaluation went and were out $100 for no information. The owner said that since we lived so close he would try to move us up to a closer entry. This was last fall. Later we got a call saying he could start in January 2026. Another issue is that we decided to board both of our dogs for a weekend in September. When we brought them home both drank 2 bowls full of water each. I guess they don't water on the weekends? Just not a good experience all the way around. We found another place that took our pup within a week for boot camp and it worked out perfectly.

In essence, over several months, we had the worst training experience one could have. No…read morecommunication and no results. If I could give a rating of zero stars, I would. Below is the letter we sent to K9 & Co. when they would not refund our fees for "boot camp". If you love your dog, do not take it to K9. April 24, 2021 Mark Finch and K9 & Co. Retreat, We started coming to K9 & Co. with the intention of giving our new 8-month-old dog, Gypsi, a head start in obedience training as our elder patients are moving in with us. We wanted to do as much as we could to help our dog acclimate to new people quickly and avoid danger to them (e.g., jumping up on them, etc). We brought her in for day school and were told she "wasn't ready for that" but would benefit daycare in the meantime to socialize her. We dropped her off for daycare/day school from December 2020 through April 2021, two/three days per week.  Never did she get into day school save ONE time on March 5th, 2021. No report was given to us regarding what she worked on (if anything) on this date. Additionally, we called and scheduled a home visit for February 3rd, 2021. We received a phone call on February 3rd (the day of the appointment) stating, you "forgot we were scheduled"; so we scheduled another date on March 15th, 2021, again received a call cancelling the appointment. We got NO follow-up regarding rescheduling the home visit, and it was never discussed again. After slowly integrating Gypsi's routine into your day care several times per week and after formal evaluation on December 6th, 2020, you recommended "a tailor boot camp to help Gypsi". On March 15th, 2021, we dropped her off for boot camp and were told "we don't have time to follow up with you on a 'daily basis' or keep you informed daily on her progress and to remember no news from us (K9 & Co.) is good news".  However, your website states, "You work with the owners every step of the way"... I can say that none of our expectations were met. The cost of the "Boot camp" is fairly expensive, and after 2 days shy of 4 weeks, Gypsi had learned nothing. I'm not even sure she received any training at all. I suspect she was let out of her crate several times per day and fed, but no active instruction occurred. In fact, she had new abrasions and scabs on her elbows indicating excessive crating, requiring medical care as well as a urinary tract infection diagnosed by our veterinarian. We called many times to be updated on Gypsi's progress only to hear, "We are not sure what Mark has done. You'd have to talk to him." Your website indicates, "We take pride in working with our pet owners every step of the way in their pet's training process." This is false. We have never heard from or seen Mark Finch, and the only communication we received was after WE called your establishment and asked how Gypsi was doing, only to be told that essentially you did not know and that "No news is good news". I emailed a couple times to get some report on how she was doing only to get NO info other than "she's fine and adjusting..." We called a few times only to get the same short answers with NO details on how things were going and what was being worked on with her. We emailed asking for a date for her to come home along with some stipulations we have, with NO response... AND NEITHER ONE OF US HAVE EVER HAD ANY CONVERSATION WITH MARK FINCH (the elusive dog trainer)... On April 14th, 2021, I contacted Chase Bank to stop payment for $2500 to K9 & Company Retreat for services not rendered.

We adopted a year old rescue Springer Spaniel. Wonderful dog.......in our house and in our yard! On…read morewalks, he was a terror: when he saw other dogs, he went berserk! We literally, if we saw other dogs; went the other way! He was uncontrollable. We invested in Off the Leash training. ( and it is expensive!) and IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY! After two weeks with Rebekah, our dog (and he us still the lovable and loving dog we love) is a pleasure to walk, loves going to the dog park and doggy day care and has no problem when encountering other dogs. Amazing transformation!

I gave Head trainer Austin my 5 month great pyrenees with no training and he gave me back a dog…read morethat can sit, down ,stay, heel and return with no problem. Great job

I am very picky about the care that is given to my two yorkie mixed dogs. They have very different…read moredispositions, and personalities. CoCo, my daughters Chorkie (Chihuahua and Yorkshire terrier mix), she is very shy but friendly. However ChaCha "my heart", is a Jack Russell and Yorkshire terrier mix, and she is very territorial, and don't want to be bothered with strangers...especially men. Jarrett, the owner came over prior to my vacation for a meet and greet. CoCo was so friendly, and loving. But ChaCha did not want to be bothered at all. Growling, cowering in the corner, etc. Jarrett was so patient with ChaCha, he sat on the floor attempting to draw her out. Jarrett came twice a day, morning and evening to walk, feed, and to interact with them. I communicated with him while on vacation, and I was pleased with his reports. Usually when I'm on vacation, I will take them to a pet boarder. Or sometimes ask a family member to watch them. Upon returning home from vacation, I've noticed that they would be clingy, not eating, nor being themselves for a while. Under Cool Canines care, they were engaging, happy, eating, and independent. I am very pleased with Cool Canines Pet Care Services, and I would use them again, and again. I'm a fan. Thank you Jarrett. Your company is awesome!!!

Luna couldn't have been more happy to receive the care and company given by Cool Canines,…read morefounder/owner, Jarrett Wansley! In my experience, I was unable to give the courteous amount of time to schedule a visit, but he worked with me, carved out a schedule plan for me, and was at every visit ahead of time! I felt like I was right there at the house with her because I was updated along the way. Plus, it was super exciting for me to see my pup on Instagram having a good time, as well! Very highly recommend this service!!

Run Free K9 has done wonders for my stubborn pup! I absolutely love my trainer and so does my pup…read more In just 1 lesson I saw a difference! I have had such an amazing experience with RFK9! I highly recommend RFK9!!!

We recently sent our dog to Jessica to board and train. He was high energy, independent, and hard…read moreto walk. She did such a great job we sent our other dog who was also stubborn on the leash. Now that we have her back she is a pleasure to walk. We highly recommend Jessica if you need help with your dog.

Going to BK9 was a last chance effort by my husband and me to help our 2yr old LH weim with…read morebehavior issues. If this did not correct his problem we were going to re-home him. This was the best decision ever! Lenny and Stephanie would be the FOURTH trainers we had him train with. (Sidebar-don't waste your money at Richmond's premier pet spa for training unless all you need is sit/stay/heel. Any behavioral problems and they ban you!) From first contact they were different. Their enrollment page allows for a lengthy explanation of issues and what one hopes to accomplish. Once we were set up to board train him, Lenny gave us homework, books to read, while our boy was training. I rolled my eyes at this but did dive into the books...we really needed this training to work! After finishing the books I was stunned that in 30 years of dog ownership and probably 8 trainers throughout the years, not one had truly impressed upon us, the way the homework and BK9 did, that the ultimate success of the training would come down to us and our dedication to maintaining his training. Lenny, Stephanie and their staff are the real deal. They clearly love dogs and are remarkable trainers. Lenny was very communicative, calling me several times with updates and sharing pictures (with permission) on their FB page. When we went to pick our boy, Lenny spent about 90 minutes with us making sure we understood what we needed to do going forward. BK9 works miracles! One added bonus is, if they train your dog, they will board him when you travel! We are a few weeks out and every day we are working to reinforce the good behavior he was taught. I am not perfect, neither is my dog but we are working as a team the best we can to make sure he stays a good citizen. I see a negative comment that while initially the training worked, a year out their dog has regressed to the same issues. THAT is an owner not keeping up with training/rules not a trainer issue. I cannot recommend these incredible trainers enough!

Lenny is rude and unprofessional, the facility uses barbaric training methods to the extent of…read morepoking a hole in my dogs neck with a prong collar. If you value your dog, take them elsewhere these people are untrained and unprofessional.