I am very late in writing this review, but I wanted to share how meaningful my experience was. I enrolled 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. read more

Core Canine - Sophie as an adult. - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I took Hazelnut here when she was a pup. She's now an AKC Grand Champion and I am back with he daughter. 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. read more

Core Canine - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

April was great! Really helped us with our new rescue! 10/10!!!! Super sweet and knowledgeable... definitely recommend!

Our puppy just graduated from puppy kindergarten! She is the second dog to go through core canine training. April is great at what she does and we really enjoy the training classes. She explains dog training and offers real world and practical application as well. We love that she doesn't over explain because some dog trainers do that where sometimes we'd feel inadequate with our efforts. April is not like that. She is very kind and understanding of issues brought up to her and gives off a calm way when providing feedback. Highly recommend core canine and April if you are a new puppy owner or want to get dog training for your adult dogs! read more

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The 5 stars this place has is well deserved. You will not find a better value anywhere else--trust me, I've looked! At the moment it's $195 for a 5-week course (a 1-hour class one day of the week) of any level, and they also have free puppy playdates (you have to register for them). I've seen places where it's almost that much just for one training session. I live in Fairfax Towne Center but the drive to Alexandria was so worth it. I enrolled Chestnut, who was about 4 months old, in puppy kindergarten. Chestnut is our first puppy and our third rescue; our two previous dogs were seniors. I wonder now if I could have trained them with the material we learned for Chestnut; maybe we can teach old dogs new tricks after all, seeing how easy the classes made it for us to train our pup. We had Olivia as our instructor, with the exception of one make-up class where I had April. Having had both, they're both great instructors! I appreciated Olivia's calm and reassuring demeanor in particular. She was very professional and kind, and never seemed to get frustrated or lose her patience. There are no more than 4 dogs per class, and no more than 2 people per dog. The small class size means more individual attention to your pup from the instructor. We have only done puppy kindergarten so far, but we have enrolled Chestnut in middle school starting next month. The things we (both humans and dogs) learn play right into puppies' natural instincts, and we also learn more about canine psychology. For Puppy K, we learned sit, down, stay, place, wait, leave it, come/here, and basic leash manners. They also offer private and at home sessions, though you have to be within a certain radius to take advantage of the latter. I believe they also have courses to help you pass the AKC canine good citizen test. Highly recommend Core Canine to anyone looking to train their pup (which all dog owners should!). read more

Core Canine - Puppy kindergarten graduate, Chestnut! - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Reasons why I love core canine - Free, controlled and small group puppy play dates. It was perfect for our puppy to become used to other dogs and grow more confident - April and Olivia are just such a pleasure to work with. I can tell they know what they're doing by watching how my puppy is growing to be a great companion. Calm and well behaved. read more

We had a great experience working with April last year. Our dog learned more in one lesson than he did with his previous trainers. Sadly, this is also the reason why we are leaving a lower review. After several attempts at contacting April by email to schedule another session, we never received a response. Both my husband's email and mine have remained unanswered until today. If there was no desire on April's part to continue the work with our dog, a simple, short email would have sufficed. We would have accepted it, even if there was nothing that stood out to us that could have been interpreted as a negative experience from our point of view. Overall, it left a bad impression on us, not to mention the ordeal of looking for yet another trainer. Ignoring clients who express the intention to return for another session displays a lack of professionalism, which the dog training industry seems to be suffering from in general. read more

April is amazing. I've already implemented today's learnings and notice a difference with my Quincy boy.

A LIFESAVER! We were at our wits end with our pup and April came to our house for a private training session. Not only did she give us strategies, management tips and commands, but she also worked with our kids so that they would understand how to interact with a puppy. April fit so much into our training session and brought much needed relief and encouragement to our family and puppy. Could not recommend Core Canine enough! read more

Somebody was saying to me recently: It's silly how some people will go out and spend $$$Embarrassingly Large Dollar Figure$$$ on their puppy and then won't cough up the extra $Not Nearly Embarrassing Dollar Figure$ to have them properly trained. Well first off: Let's get one thing out of the way. $100 dollars for a 1.5 hour private session where the dog trainer comes to you and works with you and your puppy is worth its weight in gold. And is a REALLY good deal. April is SO sweet and nice and funny. There's clearly a reason that I am tacking on this 5 star review to her current 57!!! 5 star reviews. Guess how many reviews she has on her page right now? 57. Yes, every single person who has worked with Core Canine and April has rated them 5 stars. If that doesn't speak volumes, I don't what does. So, piece of advice. Schedule your session now! April was busy for her initial home sessions for about 3-4 weeks out. It was funny, when I originally filled out the form - I was dealing with A LOT of puppy biting. But by the time she came last night, French Toast has not really had that issue for a couple of weeks. Thank the lord. I didn't know how much more my hands could take. We worked on several things with her last night including: 1. Pawing at us while we are sitting on the couch. 2. Getting into her bed and staying there. 3. Leash training 4. Doggy doorbell training 5. And April taught French toast, within minutes, a command that has her nose touch the back of your hand. Now, 1-4 all of those things were foundational training. April gave us the principles, commands, and knowledge of how to train her. She demonstrated the commands several times and laid the groundwork and allowed us to try while supervising; but that's on us to continue and actually cement in that training to our little pup. But her training method is good. She is very down to earth, and she is very easy to train with. I can't say enough. I'm definitely thinking about joining one of April's group classes - which says a lot. Thank you April! I feel much more confident and knowledgeable about training our pup to be the best pup she could be :). read more

I really appreciate the ease I had dealing with them and their honesty and understanding. Long story, but I essentially got a pit mix dropped in lap. I have three cats, but was going to try to keep it since it has been bounced around so many homes after being adopted by someone else October 2024. Well, despite my efforts of trying to integrate slowly with cats, the dog got loose and killed the car until I intervened...very traumatic. I had signed up and paid for obedience classes a week before, but I really had no realistic choice other than to return the dog to the shelter it was adopted from (not by me)...it wasn't punishment, but just too much risk with 3 cats. I emailed Core Canines, told them all of this, and said if you don't do refunds, then perhaps you could donate the amt to the shelter, or if you did refund then I would donate. I received a very kind and compassionate reply and instant refund. All places should be this classy. First class. read more

Ollie and I had the best experience with Core Canine! April and Olivia are the sweetest and super helpful. They motivate you to train your dog and make it fun. As a new puppy owner, I was really overwhelmed and they made the process so much better. I've been to some training places, where I walk out feeling defeated, but not at Core Canine! Ollie went to middle school class and puppy socials with April. Then we did additional training with Olivia at home. We are going to continue our training with Core Canine because it's so much fun and we are both learning so much! Ollie whimpers every time he has to leave class or when Olivia leaves our house - he loves them sooo much! read more

Core Canine - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

We would 100% recommend Puppy Kindergarten at Core Canine to anyone with a new puppy! Olivia's classes were helpful, fun, and really informative, and she took great care to meet all the pups (and owners) at their level and focus on their specific needs. We learned all the basic commands over the 5-week class, and Olivia taught us how to combine / build upon commands and put them to use in the real world. Her lessons drew from a combination of research, best practices, personal experience, and realistic expectations. Thank you again to Olivia and the Core Canine team!! read more

I can't say enough good things about April & Core Canine! My puppy and I took the kindergarten class and it was great. We learned so much from April and she helped me with other things not in the curriculum as well. And my dog loved seeing April every week. You can tell she is just great with dogs. We will be back for middle school! read more

Great training, came here for puppy class. I have had decent success in my own with my girl River, but coming here has really helped push it over the edge. I definitely recommend Core Canine for any new or old dog owners! read more

Core Canine - Graduation - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Had a wonderful, first, virtual session today with April and she was very insightful based on my dog's history coming from a breeder. I got to ask a lot of questions, she gave great tips and overall incredibly helpful as I am somewhat flustered w all the challenges I'm facing w the 8 mo old. Definitely recommend her services. read more

April changed my entire life in less than a day. I almost cried seeing the transformation of my dog from the beginning of our session until the end. I rescued my dog about a month before booking the training and was struggling with her basic listening skills. She now comes when using the "touch" command and I no longer get trampled over when I go to feed her from her food bin because she "waits" until I release her to eat. It's been less than a month and I can see the wheels turning for my girl and she loves fulfilling the various commands April taught us in the at home one on one session. I highly recommend her and would definitely book with her again should I adopt another furry friend! read more

Core Canine - Hazel - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I literally cannot say enough great things about Core Canine. If you're waffling about where to train your pup, stop! Just go to Core Canine! First, I was immensely grateful that they offer in-home training. My husband and I have hectic schedules so this offering really saved our butts. While it's pricier than some other options, when you realize that you're getting one on one attention and the time save and convenience of having it in your home, it's worth every penny and more. Plus, there are some training questions that relate to your home space, and it was helpful for Olivia to see what we're working with in terms of our home environment and the challenges it presents. (For example, our neighbors have dogs but since we're in a townhouse we're quite close, and our pup wants to play but can't always do so). Next, Olivia is the most patient, positive, kindest, generous expert I have ever met. It's difficult to put into words but even as first time dog parents who have no clue what we're doing, we just felt so at ease in her extremely capable hands. Finally, Core Canine offers free puppy meet and greets, which was so key to helping ensure our pup was safely and appropriately socialized. I am so, so thankful that we found Core Canine. read more

Core Canine is fantastic! We've done two courses with April and I cannot be happier with our experience. April is kind, compassionate and truly cares about the dogs. She takes the time to get to know you as the owner and the dog to help guide your training experience. With a weekly class, there is a lot on you to help your pup learn new skills but April will give you the foundation during class followed up "homework" that is easy to follow and can be done on your own time during the week. We had exceptional middle and high school classes and I'm proud of the progress our dog learned during his time there. read more

My puppy is...challenging. She is a Grade A Good Girl. She is also playful, (too) smart, (too) friendly, and very high energy. I've seen a lot of love for the owner of Core Canine, but it appeared if I was going to get any help with Pemmy's frantic and constant leash-pulling within the next two months, I would have to schedule with Olivia. Let me tell you, I'm so glad I did. She worked tirelessly with me, my husband and our dog and got us off to a great start. I love that she made concrete recommendations for both products and ways to help us with our dog. I'm already seeing improvement in a week that I was unable to do on my own after months of trying various ways the internet said I should. Not only that, I feel like our relationship has improved at the same time. Olivia also didn't get overwhelmed when I brought up the myriad of "also, she does this that could be improved...and this...and this..." Olivia definitely knows her stuff, is super friendly and approachable. read more

Core Canine - Pemmy was tired but fulfilled after our session with Olivia. - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I recently adopted a 3 year old Coonhound who had likely not had any prior obedience training. She was a behavioral hot mess when I first brought her home. We took all three levels of classes with Core Canine and I am really pleased with the results. The trainers are extremely knowledgeable and helped me to work through all of the challenges my dog had with obedience. Olivia and April are fantastic trainers. I can't say enough positive things about Core Canine. read more

Both April and Olivia are amazing! They are so knowledgeable and patient with the dogs. Our misunderstood pitty did all 3 classes with Core Canine and we've seen so much improvement in him. Classes are reasonably priced and small and intimate (makes learning a lot easier). This is the BEST place to bring your pup at any stage in their training. I wish we could keep him enrolled in classes just because he loves it so much and so do we! Thank you Olivia and especially April for showing so much love to our special guy!!! read more

April is a life saver. My adorable, fingers-and-toes chomping pup has been stubborn and difficult to train. We did a private session with April in my apartment where April walked both of us through several key commands - Drop It, Leave It, Touch (Come), Stay (Wait) - and also how to deal with frantic biting and not listening. While I wouldn't say my dog is perfectly behaved yet (she's only five months), we have both definitely made progress thanks to April's advice. We have another session coming up in September and I can't wait to learn some new stuff! read more

Core Canine - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Olivia was really fantastic with my 1 year and 4 month old toy Australian shepherd, Avery. I asked a ton of questions, and she was able to provide me with helpful advice for everything, from ways to deal with leash pulling and overexcitement, to the benefits of set meals rather than free-feeding, to tips for potty training at different locations, etc. Avery picked up new tricks such as touch, focus, stay, and heel extremely quickly with Olivia's help. Olivia taught me plenty of techniques both for training and managing Avery's behavior, and she even stayed for a little extra time to make sure I had all the information I needed. She is clearly very knowledgeable, has lots of experience working with dogs, and is super friendly and approachable. Thank you so much, Olivia and Core Canine! read more

Core Canine - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I am SO thankful for April's private in-home training. After only one session, we were equipped with new tools and skills to practice daily until the next session. April sent a helpful email recapping everything we went over so we wouldn't forget. Compared to other in-home private services in the area, Core Canine is very affordable, and even if it cost twice as much it would be worth every cent!!! Our dog's issues cannot be worked out in a group setting, and we really needed in-home training, but for a long time I thought we'd never find something reasonably priced that also had merit/value to it -- BUT YAYYY we found Core Canine!!! We just had our second session and I am so proud of the progress that our mean, scary, insane chihuahua has made :) he can sit and wait, walk properly on the leash, is less leash reactive than before, and we are working on counter-conditioning for visitors in our home -- pretty great for only a few weeks! (He couldn't do ANY of that before). Also important to note that April really took the time to teach US (doggy parents) what we needed to be doing more consistently and how to do it. Our whole family has improved! Thank you, April, for giving us hope that we can help our crazy but adorable pup who we love so much! read more

Core Canine - Felino practicing "sit" and "wait" for his birthday cake -- he's been practicing to show April at Core Canine! - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I'm starting off by saying that when I began class, I started a week late. My dog, Nino had only been with me for a week at this point and I was afraid he might have been behind. April was so willing to work with us and made sure that he was all caught up before class with the other dogs started. Each week we touched up on what was learned in the previous class. She was always answering our questions and it was amazing to see the progress not only Nino had made, but the other dogs as well. It was a great way to build our new mother to son bond :) I have actually spent over a thousand dollars in the past with bark busters only to be extremely disappointed. I am so glad to have found April because she was interactive the entire time and did not make me feel like my questions were stupid. You can't beat that!! read more

Core Canine - Nino at graduation! - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

The reviews speak for themselves so I'll keep it brief, but if you're looking for the best dog trainer in town, you've found her here! April has helped train 3 of our pups, and has always been *amazing*. She is kind, extremely skilled, and a total dog whisperer. April is great with puppies and adult dogs alike and has helped us through "the basics", as well as with some really complicated issues with a rescue. She's always patient and is able to train both dogs....and people! Her new space for group classes is awesome, and a great way to help new pups get acquainted with new friends. Core Canine is the best - so what are you waiting for? Get into a class! read more

April is an amazing trainer! She is very patient and takes her time to make sure each dog learns the new command. She will also take the time after class to answer any and all of your questions. We will definitely use her in the future for training that was not covered in her puppy course. We can not recommend her enough. read more

Core Canine - Puppy graduation - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I wasn't sure what to expect from puppy class since I never took my older dog to any type of training class. But I'm so glad I gave Core Canine a try because it was fantastic. April was amazing with the pups, and my puppy and I both learned so much. The price was reasonable too. I highly recommend. read more

Core Canine - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

April with Core Canine was wonderful. We have a 15 month Cavachon who needed additional training. April knew the strategy to use to achieve the goals we had hoped to accomplish. She takes time allowing the dog to become acquainted with her. Our Dog Divot really seemed to enjoy the time he spent with April and the delicious treats. Thank you April for everything. Training is going well and not surprising that it is my husband and I who needs most of the training. read more

My dog loves April, and so do we! She has been so helpful. I had April come to our home to do some puppy training and again to do some leash training on our energetic lab/pitt puppy. She came soon after I had gotten fed up and immediately got to work. He is tough to handle, but April never gets frustrated. She clearly loves dogs as much as we do. Her price was so reasonable, and she is worth at least double. All positive reinforcement, practice, and consistency. She doesn't nitpick (she doesn't think dogs should act like robots either), she just makes sure everyone understands the commands, and has the right treats (HOT DOGS) to get our pup to pay attention. I can't recommend her enough. She's also just super fun and friendly to chat with, so we enjoy the session too! read more

April did a backyard session with my dog and I to work on territorial barking and a few other behavior problems. She taught me how to reward at the perfect time so I'm rewarding the behavior I want, and she taught me some games to play with Yoshi to help with his recall and focus. I highly recommend April - she's extremely helpful and personable!! read more

April came to our house for a 2 hour session. She was amazing - smart, kind, intuitive, friendly and very knowledgeable. In the session, she taught us (dog and owners!) commands that our dog most needed help with: no jumping, touch (a Come command), focus, and wait. We also learned some extra tips about raising our puppy and we are excited to know that we're on the right path. We are certain that if we hit any behavioral bumps in the road, we will confidently contact April for help. The photo of our pup shows how happy he was to work with April. We all think she's terrific! read more

Core Canine - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

April is the best dog trainer in the DMV area! I did puppy kindergarten at a different school but came to her for middle school and I honestly love her classes so much more. They are very hands on lessons and she guides you through everything. Having lots of practice with other dogs around is what made a huge difference with my puppy! read more

April was absolutely fantastic with my 6-month-old Basset-mix puppy, Toby. I emailed her a few days before our appointment with a list of things I wanted to work on and we were able to touch on all of them in the introductory session, as well as a few other things that just came up in the course of conversation as April asked questions about Toby's behavior. Toby was SO EXCITED to see April as soon as she came in and took a while to calm down. I was worried that he might be making a bad impression or that he would be too worked up to get anything out of the session but April was so easy going and caring towards him and didn't mind his over the top exuberance. As soon as he had calmed down enough to pay attention April started to teach him the "touch" command and after about 5 minutes of working with her Toby had it down! She then had me try and I was so pleased to see that Toby was listening to me just as well as he did to her. The rest of the session followed the same pattern of April working with Toby and then handing off to me to try. Aside from just teaching commands April took the time to explain the science behind why using the commands they way she suggested worked, and the importance of both physical exercise and mental stimulation for a dog's health and happiness, and ideas for how to provide those for him. Since it was cold and a bit muddy out the session took place inside our house. April arrived right on time and was wearing a mask. I was also masked and even while working with Toby we were able to maintain a good distance. April is incredibly nice, non-judgmental, and her knowledge and ability speak for themselves throughout the lesson. The introductory session was incredible value for money and I would not hesitate to recommend Core Canine to anyone! Once Toby and I have mastered the initial lessons we learned I think we'll be back for more! read more

April is amazing!!! Aside from helping my dog learn specific commands, she taught me to communicate with my dog by understanding his motivations, body language, and cues. We rescued a 3 year old beagle/chihuahua mix who would bark terribly at everything, run away whenever the door was opened, and knew no commands. I would try to train him on my own but you could tell that he was frustrated because he didn't understand what I was asking him to do and would just start bark-whining after a few minutes. April was like a magician and within the first lesson she was on his level and then soon so was I! I can now better predict which dogs he will get along with, and how to motivate him and reward him. Her prices are also very affordable and I really feel good about how far my dog has come. She helped us bond and I can't recommend her enough! read more

Such an amazing experience with puppy school! April loves the animals and is so good at teaching them and us. We had a lot of fun, as did our puppy, and now she is an angel. So grateful! read more

Olivia worked with me and my 10 month old lab. We learned in a small group environment and I think this was beneficial for my dog and myself. Olivia is kind, helpful, thorough, knowledgeable and always willing to answer any type of questions. I recommend Core Canine to all of my friends! read more

April is an amazing trainer! We took our 4 month Labrador puppy to her kindergarten program. After three classes me and my pup went to the dog park and she got injured so we couldn't take any more classes for the next two weeks, because she was resting. April was really nice and offered us to join her next puppy kindergarten program with no extra charge, so we could make it. Her classes are helpful, informative and fun! She worked with us on some other separate from her program issues, gave us lots of information and methods that REALLY WORK, answered all the questions! And our puppy loved her classes!!!! So we made it till graduation last week! Thank you, April! read more

Core Canine - Great experience - Pet Training Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I've hired Core Canine to train two dogs, and if I ever adopt another dog, Core Canine is my go-to trainer. April, the owner, is smart, thoughtful and effective at dog training. I've had the good fortune of being able to engage April in boarding my animals too. I prefer her boarding because she doesn't kennel my persnickety Bichons and I trust her with my pups. More importantly, she treats my dogs as if they were her own (as opposed to some of the other boarding facilities). read more