Some people have a calling in life and Vera is one of these people that has answered that call…read more She is truly a dog lover and I cannot say enough great things about her & our experience with her. I found Vera through a 6 week puppy training class being held at a local doggie daycare facility. Having had a bad experience with a 'stern' trainer with my first bulldog, I was admittedly a little leery, but that feeling was immediately put at ease as soon as I met her. Though there were 5 other dogs in the class Vera not only taught us as a group, but spent time with everyone individually working on whatever specific needs our dog had. She really tuned into each owner and their interaction with their dog. I also liked that she gave the dogs time to socialize with one another, which was great for my dog as she didn't have much exposure to other dogs at the time. After the course was over, Stella had a great grasp of the basics, but we were having a few issues unrelated to basic obedience at home. We contacted Vera and she immediately worked with us to find a time that accommodated our hectic schedules. We did 3 in home training sessions, and saw a difference after the very first one. She makes you see stuff through their eyes and points out things that you would normally overlook that really help the dog to learn. She gives you all these little pointers and tricks that make all the difference. Every aspect of her training is completely positivity based, which is huge to me as I consider my dog a member of our family. I would highly recommend Vera to anyone who is looking for a trainer. She truly cares about the well being of your dog and it's very important position in your family.

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.

My dogs love Heather. She looked after my three Vizslas and and I trusted her 100%. Sometimes she…read morewould do just the walk, and other times she would take them for extended periods of time. Thanks to Heather, I was able to follow through on my non-dog commitments with a clear conscience that I didn't have to worry about my pets. I also met her many times when I was walking my dogs and she was walking others. She always had those dogs under calm and happy control and they clearly loved her as much as mine did. Heather is a gem and I thoroughly recommend her as a dog carer, and she looked after my cats when I was away. I could always rely on her.

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.

They are always so sweet and caring with our dog Charley on her walks. We have been with them for 8…read moreyears

We are so happy to have Michelle looking after our two cats! Before moving to Cambridge, we had…read morefriends staying in our place and taking care of the pets. However, we did not have any such friends here, and had to look for professional sitter. Michelle was our first and only choice, and we are very happy customers! At first we were afraid that 30min-1h sittings will not be enough for cats that love human company and become sad being alone. However, there is no such problem with Michelle. When we come back after our traveling, pretty often cats do not even bother to greet us, it looks like they do not miss us at all, and that is great! :) Michelle truly cares after the pets, we are always up to date with our fury friends lives while we are away. There is no hassle to exchange keys or to get in touch with her for the upcoming visits. Highly recommend!!

Michelle's been sitting for my kitties for a couple of years. This last time (in 12/18) was a…read moregodsend. We had a cousin lined up to live in with Marigold, my cat, but he changed jobs and had to move away at the last minute. Fortunately, Michelle was available and she did a great job. She sends pix and videos, answers any and all questions I have, and lets me know what's going on every day. I know I can rely on her to keep Marigold in top shape. I also appreciate that she occasionally emails important info about cat health as she learns new information.

Jeff is AWESOME!…read more Zach (my puppy) and I were kinda lost (first time puppy human here !) when we first found each other :) Jeff was one of the best things/people to happen to us! He was patient with both of us and set out to train Zach to get past so many things- toilet training , separation anxiety , basic commands . He also helped me be a better dog human by teaching me some tips and tricks that I still use 4-5 months later! Now that Zach is 10 months old we are back for round two- that's how much we enjoyed training with Jeff! CANT thank this man enough! Zach loves him and his love for dogs truly shows through in how he treats them! Thanks Jeff! We owe you!

Working with Jeff was the best decision I ever made for my 10 month old rescue, Ava. Ava had a lot…read moreof anxiety issues that resulted in leash pulling and attempting to eat basically everything on walks (including potentially harmful things). She was not able to sit for more than a few seconds at a time, generally had her tail tucked and/or would shake in most environments. Jeff took the time to get to know Ava and immediately identified her biggest needs/issues. He completely customized every session and adjusted course throughout the program as we learned more about Ava, and as I had questions, feedback, and observations of what was working well for her and what wasn't. Jeff was knowledgeable, methodical, and professional about introducing new techniques and options to find what would work best for Ava, while building her confidence in adjusting to city life. He also had the patience and skill in training me and building my own confidence in my abilities to continue Ava's training, care, and development after the program. Jeff always has the dog's best interest at heart and genuinely cares and is passionate about the work he does. Ava and I can now go on many more walks, enjoy them, and I no longer fear every second of the walk that she will snatch up something harmful from the ground. Ava is so much less fearful after her training and can now start to really enjoy just being a dog. 100% would recommend Jeff to anyone looking to provide the best life for their dog through training.

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!

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.

Sure, it's a bit of a trek to Malden...but totally worth it!…read moreI allowed over an hour to get to our first class, and a Mapquest direction sheet, numerous consults to Verizon's GPS software, and a lot of swearing later, Woofie and I arrived at our destination: Canine University. The place looks like an abandoned warehouse, but inside it turned out to be a sweet dog training school. I found this place thanks to Dachary C, who suggested it for agility classes. From the beginning, when I emailed Paul and Gerilyn (the husband and wife duo who own and run the place) through the seven week class, I felt that I 100% got my money's worth. Gerilyn was our instructor, and she managed all the dogs wonderfully. She just knows how to coach you and your dog, and catered her feedback to each dog's needs. (In other words, she made me feel comfortable with my unruly, ridiculous dog, which helped me manage him better and get the most out of class). These guys use operant conditioning(big word for clicker training) and sell tasty treats and foods too. And Gerilyn fielded random questions from dog owners each week, and provides resources for you on anything from training to medical advice, to where we could take our dogs for further expansion on our class. We'll definitely be back for more, since Gerilyn and Canine U totally rock!

Our puppy had an injury when he was little and missed out on early socialization activities. He was…read moreafraid of people and other dogs. Janet helped us to reintroduce him to the world and gain comfort with his surroundings. Now he is excited to meet every new person or dog. Later, as he entered adolescence, he became more reactive to his environment. Janet taught us additional techniques and recommended a relaxation technique that has significantly reduced his level of anxiety in new situations. We highly recommend Janet for anyone looking to work on their dog's behaviors. She is extremely knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with.

I had the most amazing dog training experience with Janet! She was totally pawsative, non reactive…read moreand in just an hour she had Alfie settling, calm and listening to commands! I honestly thought the best I could get with him was half of that! She even taught Tessie to be less demanding (anyone who knows Tessie, this was amazing, she is seriously THE Queen) I'm sooooo happy! Obviously I'm a bulldog parent, they are quirky, stubborn and way to smart to be trained, however Janet knew exactly what to do with them! I called because my baby, Alfie, who just turned one started jumping and nipping his dog walker... we needed to nip that in the bud right away! Janet knew exactly what to do, she even had his dog walker stop by so she could see their interaction and helped both of them learn how to have a better experience! Janet truly is a dog whisper! She really loves dogs, understands the breeds 'quirks' she knew exactly the temperament and personality of my bulldogs! I can not recommend her enough! Tessie, my old lady bulldog wanted to follow her home