Man it's so difficult to have to take your pet to an ER but if you're able to stay with your pet…read moreduring the entire experience, it's well worth it. I unfortunately had to take two pets to the ER on two separate occasions and the staff is compassionate and very very accommodating. If you have the need to go between South paws and veterinary emergency group I would pick the ladder. Still expensive, but it puts you at ease being with your pet during whatever procedure they have to have

I can't say enough good things about our experience. We made two separate trips this past weekend…read morefor a sick cat. Both times, the staff was tremendously friendly and helpful and gentle with the cat. They were thorough in their evaluation and communicated treatment options in a way that empowered us to make decisions. Dr. Palz was just fantastic and approached us and our cat with care and compassion. And, if you're going to be hanging around an emergency vet for a while (the process is no faster or slower than a typical emergency room, but the staff are great about checking in), the well-stocked snacks and coffee were a lovely bonus. I hope not to make trips to an emergency vet a regular occurrence, but would go back here without hesitation.

I adopted my approximately 6 year old Lab mix ("Fletch") in early November 2021 and he soon began…read moredisplaying some behaviors that concerned me. I knew that he was really smart and sweet but didn't understand the root of the behaviors and where to begin with training. I was impressed with the many positive reviews of Jeanie with Bark Busters VA Beltway and after an introductory call with her I knew she was the right fit for Fletch and me. Fletch responded to the techniques and exercises shown to me by Jeanie immediately and by the end of the first session he was like a different dog. He was listening and respecting me in a way that he had not previously. Jeanie gave me several exercises to practice with Fletch in between our first and second session and he has continued to make progress every day. Subsequent sessions have built out further training goals such as loose leash walking, ignoring other dogs/critters/people while out on a walk, and being respectful and calm when guests are over my house. Her positive approach to training, experience in working with a range of different behaviors, and clear love for the dogs she works with has really made a difference for Fletch and me. Highly recommended!!

I am amazed at the level of success my dogs achieved after one session with Mark. The techniques…read moreare based on tone and posture as opposed to harsh techniques or treats. Mark simply breaks down the behavior and how to speak dog so your pup understands what you want from him. It's amazing how responsive dogs are when they have clear direction from the pack leader. I highly recommend Bark Busters. They guarantee their training for the life of the pet. You've got nothing to lose and a lifetime of joy with a well behaved dog to gain.

Kelia was the most amazing trainer for me and my dog. He was an anxious, dog reactive guy, and it…read moreaffected every part of how and when we interacted with the world. Since he's worked with her over the five-week training period, he's made a complete 180. Now we're able to walk around the city and not have him bark at every dog we see on the street. I want to point out that because my dog is innately anxious, it affects his physical state too with eating and other issues. Kelia shared that she used to be a vet tech and made me feel the most comfortable and confident with helping me set up a plan for when he might have an episode due to the transition and what all would take place to ensure he would be okay, loved, and healthy. Long story short, she cared for him for the days he was struggling, kept me updated, and he came out of it because she was purposeful, knowledgeable, and more than capable to handle the situation. I can't recommend Kelia enough for anyone seeking support and/or confidence in how they can better work with, love, and respect their dog. Bonus, she's genuinely such a joy of a human being!

Our family highly recommends Controlled K9! We adopted our boy Mortimer last year after he had been…read moreliving as a stray, and we were really struggling when he came home with basic manners, reactivity, and having him settle in with our other dog. We ended up sending both of our boys for a six-week board and train with Kelia. It seemed to only make sense to send both dogs so they would have the same baseline training. Kelia was amazing! She kept us informed just about every day with videos and texts so we could see that the boys were happy and making progress. When Kelia brought the boys home, she spent a few hours with us, showing all the commands and techniques that she taught them, so we had a seamless transition. The "place" command alone has been lifechanging. (Although as you can see in the picture, they sometimes refuse to use separate mats, LOL.) We use the command before we feed them, initially when guests come by, and when we just need them to settle down a bit. It has reduced the stress and chaos in our house tenfold, and we actually can see the boys relax when they know they have a place to go and chill out. Kelia also gave us the tools to make leash walking and general obedience so much more successful. There are a lot of options out there for training. What set Controlled K9 apart for us was (1) our boys lived with Kelia, her family, and her dogs during training - they were not staying in a kennel and were in a real-life, loving environment, and (2) the promise of lifetime, free follow-up support. The boys have been home now for about 3 months. The training has stuck, and we feel like we really have the tools we need to make life pleasant for all of us, including the boys. Kelia has also proactively checked in to make sure things are going well, provided tips on the best way to reinforce training, and has responded quickly when we have follow-up questions, including offering a visit. Over three months later, we are still completely satisfied with the training and support provided by Controlled K9 and Kelia, and we would use them again in a heartbeat.

I had an appointment with Julie on Friday for my pup. From the moment she walked in (she was late…read moreand had been standing there waiting for someone to help me) Julie had a very poor attitude. I eventually had to leave my dog after requesting another groomer and speaking with a manager. I noticed the next day that my pup had a cut on the pad part of her paw. When I called, I spoke to the store manager named Maggie. All she gave me was excuse, no apology. Saying that if they saw a problem or injury, they would stop services. But with the poor attitude of Julie and her behavior towards me, I don't believe that she would have stopped services. And after hearing how the manager basically disregarding my concerns, I think that this store and their groomers are not going ppl. If I could give zero stars, I would. Julie hurt my dog. And Maggie did not accept an ounce of responsibility for her worker. This actually makes me sad. That they would behave like this to innocent animals.

The groomers are obnoxious and rude. The experience I just had was not only unnecessary, but also…read moreuncivilized.. I was told the rabies vaccination for my dog expired, so I changed my day around to go get his vaccine same day. When I went to the vet, I learned that the vaccine had not actually expired. I brought updated documentation showing the vaccine is now updated and asked how I was given that information. Apparently asking a question is a problem. Do not go to this location because if they can talk to a person this way, I'd question how your pet gets treated too

Stephen did a home assessment of our dog today and it was great! I had three things I wanted…read moreStephen to addres: counter surfing, loose leash walking, and jumping in the car. I have a 72 pound golden retriever so we needed some control over our dog. Our dog was assessed and got training for his temperament. Stephen was super kind with our dog and me! The dog and I received valuable training. By the end of the session he was jumping in both the car and the truck. Counter surfing loose leash walking techniques were effective but to be honest I have to provide more consistent training. I signed up today for four more sessions.

Steve used to be a professional dog walker and later also dog trainer for my company KSR Pet Care,…read morebefore moving on to his own business venture. We are happy and proud of Steve who was always professional, calm, a very good listener, intelligent, compassionate, a team player, very organized and dedicated to meeting all client requests and expectations. He would help with all our services early mornings, late nights, midday dog walking and overnights. He became very knowledgeable and his certification in dog training was the icing on the top. I have seen Steve firsthand lead dog training classes and helping clients needing help with dog aggression or basic obedience. Recommend!

Very nice, clean, and thorough facility otherwise ruined by lazy daycare employees…read more In the daycare, the dog to human ratio is 18-20:1. The dog monitors just sit on their phone all day, not monitoring the dogs, and only lift a finger once dogs start physically fighting, and then its right back to their phones. Again, beautiful facility, head guy at the front desk was great too. This place has potential, just needs to hire employees who at least act like they care and actually monitor the dogs.

We now take our second dog here, not just for grooming but also daycare. Our first dog was very…read morenervous about being groomed, hence why i did it at home. But being very pregnant I couldn't and room him here, he didn't even cry when going and was not trying to run out the door when being picked up. Now our second doggy is a puppy, from day one they have been super sweet, even taken videos to show me how his grooming is going. Then i also took him to daycare once in a while he he got older and will continue. They truly are excited to see the doggies :) the rates are reasonable, the staff is very nice and the place is very clean and nice. Normally i would groom my doggy but he enjoys it there so why not. They are much faster than me as well plus he gets doggy daycare so that's probably why lol

Archie went to camp with Gina for three weeks and came home a different dog. I'm still a little…read moreamazed. He's a five-pound chihuahua who shakes when someone new walks in the room and basically lived on my lap or behind my knees. I'd worried a trainer would either give up on him or scare him worse, but from the very first day Gina put so much thought into making him feel safe. She texted that afternoon to say he'd already jumped into her daughter's arms. When he barely ate the first couple days and I got worried, she talked me through it and told me he'd come around, which he did. She took him on long walks around the park and the neighborhood to burn off his nerves before she ever asked anything of him. His crate became his safe spot at her house, a familiar place that was all his in the middle of a busy home with other dogs and parrots and training going on. And she started him on tiny, predictable rules, sitting before a door, coming when called, so he always had something he understood to hold onto in a new situation. She explained that for an anxious dog, knowing what to expect is half the battle. She also refused to pick him up every time he got scared, and warned me that part would be harder for me than for him. She was right. Somewhere around the second week he started smiling in the photos. He was hanging out with her little dogs and her family, going on field trips to the park and coffee shops, staying on his place while she walked away, heeling next to her. He knows sit, place, heel and here now, and he does them for me too. The turnover at my apartment took a couple hours and it was real work. She sat me down and explained everything before we ever touched the dog, then had me practice with Archie while she corrected what I was doing wrong. She's kept sending reminders and answering my questions since, including a few dumb ones about shampoo and brushes. Here's the part I still can't get over. We went to a party a couple weeks after he got home, which is a huge deal for Archie. He sat on other people's laps. He licked hands. He barely cowered. Six weeks ago he would have spent the whole night shaking under my chair. Everyone at the party noticed and commented on the change in his demeanor. I was a proud mama that day! If your dog is the anxious type, the one who hides, trembles, won't eat around strangers, or has to be carried everywhere, I really want you to hear this. A lot of trainers are set up for big confident dogs and don't know what to do with a scared little one. Gina does. She never rushed him, never forced him, and never made me feel silly for babying him all these years. She reads a nervous dog and meets them where they are, then slowly builds them up until they can handle the world on their own. That's exactly what Archie needed. I honestly feel like Gina is just getting started with him, and I'm already thinking of when I can work with her again. If you have a tiny, anxious dog and you're on the fence, go with Gina. Archie is a different dog and so am I. Thank you again for everything you did for him, and for me. Archie sends smooches. Sheri

I can't say enough good things about Brandi and Perry Bailey of RSK9. Their work has given my pup…read moreand I so much freedom and balance. Pebbles (blue heeler, 1.5 years old) would never listen to me, would not sit or lay still, and had a lot of other obedience issues that caused her to be stressed or confused. She was a TOUGH dog to train and I was concerned I couldn't find the solution for her to get basic concepts. This view has completely changed since working with RSK9's 3 week program. I would HIGHLY recommend them and their methods - you can tell they genuinely love working with dogs and it's made a huge difference in giving my dog the chance to find real rest at home. They send DAILY updates with photos and videos which was so nice. This isn't a regular class or something you just pay for; it's truly an investment that you and your dog will be using for the time you get to share together. Side note: it's worth doing 3 weeks versus 2 weeks. At the 2 week mark is when Pebbles really started to understand her marks and cues. From here there is so much more that can be refined and Brandi/Perry really capitalize on that threshold being crossed!

Mark is amazing!!!! He is so compassionate and is able to produce results . I have a now 8 month…read moreold 65 lb. retriever and he is beyond manageable and polite!! We also have 3 small poms and Mark has worked through the issues that have arised along the way with them. I couldn't have done it without him. I can't say enough about how happy I am. Great trainer and friend to Tank and great human being is a bonus! :) Debbie cafferty

From the owner: The Polite Dog provides compassionate, personalized training for you and your dog. We work directly…read morewith you both to address unwanted behaviors, improve communication, and enrich your connection. Our goal is to help you build the relationship you’ve always wanted with your dog.

Strangers always comment on how well-trained my dog is and friends always ask me to train their…read moredogs for them. The truth is that a well-trained dog is just as much about training the handler as the dog. My family has taken 5 dogs through Dog Sense, 3 all the way through Advanced Obedience, and our dogs were taught to follow US instead of us chasing after them. My mother took our first family dog there and when my sister and I returned with our dogs, some of the same experienced trainers were still there 19 years later, a testament to their years of experience. Don't waste your money on the pet store classes, Dog Sense is the place to go in Montgomery County. A well-behaved dog is a real gem to have around!

l like it a lot because they attend to my puppy promptly and do keep him caged like in other places…read more they are very professional

I am very late in writing this review, but I wanted to share how meaningful my experience was. I…read moreenrolled my puppy, a red standard poodle, in her classes, and very quickly realized she was exactly the kind of trainer I had been searching for. She is clearly knowledgeable and skilled, but what truly sets her apart is her holistic approach and genuine care for animals. She treats every dog as an individual and tailors her training to meet each one's specific needs. That same thoughtful approach extends to her human clients. During this time, I was dealing with significant health challenges and was not able to attend every class. She kindly offered makeup sessions, which I deeply appreciated. When she learned that my absences were due to my health, she checked in on me personally and even asked if it was okay to call me at home to see how I was doing. Her compassion meant more to me than I can easily express. She showed more care and concern than many people I have known for decades. Anyone looking for a dog trainer should go to her, not only for her expertise, but because she is genuinely kind, attentive, and deeply invested in both her clients and their dogs.

I took Hazelnut here when she was a pup. She's now an AKC Grand Champion and I am back with he…read moredaughter. Bringing her pup feels like full circle, which says everything about my experience. April is knowledgeable, patient, and incredibly effective at tailoring guidance to each dog's temperament and each handler's skill level. I especially appreciate how she focuses not just on obedience, but on building confidence, socialization, and a strong relationship. Seeing the progress from one generation to the next has been really special, and I wouldn't trust anyone else with those critical early training foundations.