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Deep Connection K9 Academy

5.0 (50 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

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Ruby

Diana did an amazing job training Ruby our Siberian Husky during her first year. She was patient, knowledgeable, and really understood how to work with Ruby's personality and energy. The training was always clear and easy to follow, and we could really see the progress over time. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We really appreciated how supportive and encouraging Diana was throughout the process.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]She went above and beyond to come to our home and also find a park to help with Ruby's socialization.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] She genuinely cared about Ruby's development and helped build a strong foundation during such an important stage. If it wasn't for Diana's amazing training skills and teaching me and my fiancé and of course Ruby, Ruby wouldn't be this well trained, kind and confident husky she is today! If you are considering working with a trainer don't look elsewhere because you will get the best services through Diana. When we are ready for our second dog later this year we'll be working with Diana once again and we look forward to it!

Our dog, Rizzo, and Moose, Diana's dog.
Becca C.

We worked with Diana and Deep Connection K9 after we adopted our rescue dog, Rizzo. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Diana has been amazing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We did the 8 training session package and also had Rizzo stay with her for 10 days of board and train while we went out of town. We have really loved our experience and highly recommend Diana to others. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Diana is very easy and enjoyable to work with.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] She is great with Rizzo and has helped us with crate training and general behaviors like how to walk on the leash and interact with other dogs and humans. It has made so much difference in our life. So glad we made this commitment and established such a good start to our life with Rizzo. Thank you, Diana!

Rowan P.

I came to Diana with my 1.5-year-old dachshund, Pepino, who had some bad habits I needed help with. [[HIGHLIGHT]]From the very first session, Diana was warm, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] She understood Pepino's personality and tailored every lesson to fit him perfectly. Having one-on-one attention kept the focus entirely on Pepino and training me as an owner too :) He's much more obedient and confident now, and we learned lots of skills that we can use beyond training. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Diana genuinely cares about the dogs she works with and Pepino absolutely adored her.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I would recommend her to anyone with a dog of any age or breed!

If you're currently looking for a dog trainer, just stop now and call Diana. We just finished an 8-week in home training course with her for our 1 year old terrier. We rescued him after he had been living on the streets for a bit and he was a complete disaster. He pretty much had every issue in the book - resource guarding, pulling on the leash during walks, attacking his older doggy brother, total emotional disregulation and he didn't listen to us at all. We started feeling a bit hopeless, but after working with Diana, he is like a new dog. He's getting SO much better with his resource guarding, he walks so nicely and doesn't pull, he listens to commands, plays well with his brother, and he sits in his "place" when people come to the door instead of attacking them. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Diana is like a dog whisperer. She has a wonderful, professional demeanor and our dogs both loved her.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] She focuses on the psychology behind certain behaviors and also pointed out where we as humans can improve our behavior towards the dogs. I can't recommend her more and am so glad we found her!

Diana and Blue's 8th and final session of the package. More to come....
Sarah G.

We have had the greatest experience with Diana and are so glad that we decided to invest our time and money with her and really rely on her guidance and expertise in training our dog to be better behaved, which has resulted in all of our lives being more comfortable and happy. Diana was incredibly communicative both with scheduling and in the training sessions. It's also been easy to get a hold of her to ask follow up questions or get specific training details clarified that we forgot. I also really appreciated that she came to our home or locations near us to do trainings. Diana has provided us with such a great foundation (and beyond) of tools to continue working with our dog. We saw changes in our dog after 1-2 sessions and have continued to see changes if we implement the homework and tools she gives us every session. It is very important to do your homework and really take seriously the directions she gives you and spend time doing them. You, the human, need to learn and unlearn just as much as your dog does. Diana is super knowledgeable, kind, patient, personable, flexible, has a sense of humor while remaining professional and driven, she loves dogs and cares about their boundaries and what is realistic for each one and so many other positive qualities. I don't have anything negative to share and look forward to signing up for another package of sessions with her after we get back in town from traveling.

Romel P.

Diana was the best! She was able to analyze my dog and able to give my dog Loki the tools he needed to control is energy level when at home and on off leash behavior outside. She came to see how he was at my home to see what his problems are and what I was doing right. I was able to put him into board and train about a month after because he was still a puppy. But she gave me a few tips and a bit of homework to help him progress faster in the training. During the board and train Diana gave me weekly updates on how he was doing (videos, pictures, etc.). As well as how his progress was. After I got him back. Loki was a well obedient, socialized dog and was able to take commands. As well as check all the boxes on what I wanted him to stop doing. She gave me a detailed discription on how my dog was and how his behavior is. As well gave me list of what he needs in order to keep him in the right mind set. This list consists of each tool which she provides and a step by step description on how you should proceed with your dog. So she doesn't just go here he is and its up to you. She is right behind you every step of the way. Diana is great! She checked up on me a month after to see how Loki was doing. As well to see if I needed any follow sessions. I am proud to say and recommend her without hesitation! Thanks Diana to you and your crew from Loki and I!

tl;dr: Adopted a dog with previous trauma and anxiety, and struggled to train her using conventional methods. Worked with several trainers and not much progress was made until I met Diana. If you're looking for THE one to make a big impact on your dog's quality of life (and yours!), this is it. If you're looking for a trainer whose lessons will carry through to daily routines and life, look no further than Deep Connection. I adopted a 2yo husky who had a hard life; she was abandoned by previous owners, found at a stray, and ended up at a kill shelter. After I took her home, I realized quickly that the "normal" training methods wouldn't work: Korra wasn't food motivated, showed no interest in toys, and was very distrustful. I sought the advice of many trainers who gave me the same cookie cutter advice: use clickers to mark good behavior, lure her with treats, encourage play and good energy, etc. Unfortunately, none of that worked because my dog's previous anxiety and trauma led to non-responsiveness to these typical methods. I took the small wins as they came along (e.g. learning to sit!) and just continued to be patient with her. Diana came highly recommended by a friend who volunteers at an animal shelter. She fully understood my situation, and before even taking us on as clients, went through great lengths to get to know both me and my dog. She presented her observations and training plan, and I was all in. After just a month of following her program, I saw Korra change in little spurts. She got more comfortable eating outside of her crate. She came to ask for head scritches. She laid down with her legs in the air and passed out that way. She started arguing and gave some awoos. She was becoming a husky! I took it a step further and signed up for a board and train with Diana, and that further reinforced not only Korra's responsiveness to commands, but also helped her continue to open up and show her true personality. Diana not only helped Korra work through her anxiety and distrust, but also helped me understand the kind of dog dad I needed to be in order to continue building a connection with my dog. We're continuing to not only work on boring obedience commands, but also fun tricks, and both Korra and I are having a blast. Future goals with Diana: Husky obstacle course.

Hope and me!
Kathy M.

Several months ago I signed up for private lessons for my 18 month old Shepherd-Belgian melonois pup. She's pretty big and energetic now and I wanted to get her (and me!) some training so that I could feel more confident in controlling her. I looked online saw Diana's business and read her reviews and decided this was a good fit for me. Diana was very kind and knowledgeable and patient with me as she taught me techniques of working with my pup, Hope. Hope was always so happy when Diana came to "visit"! Since our lessons, Hope is much more responsive to me and we both have a better understanding of our roles. We came a long way during the course of our sessions and I would highly recommend Diana for specific training needs, or in general for any dog, especially early on in their life!

11 month old, Watson
Alice H.

Watson (my currently 11 month old puppy) and I started working with Diana when he was about 6 months old. After working with a few other trainers early on, it felt like we hit the jackpot after meeting Diana. I appreciate her balanced approach to training, which includes training skills like heel and recall, to developing a strong Leave It so he stops picking trash up off the floor, to getting Watson more comfortable with cooperative care. As a first time owner of a dog (with high expectations for Watson's behavior), Diana has also been training me to prioritize and focus on Watson's progress over time as opposed to immediate change, and to remind myself that he's still very young and just a puppy! For the first 3-4 months, we worked with Diana for 1-on-1 private sessions. And most recently, Watson was with Diana for a Board and Train for a month because I fractured my foot. Coming back from the B&T, Watson adjusted very quickly, and his improved (and proofed) skills has made it very easy for other members of my family to train and handle him too. I can tell that Watson loves Diana, and vice versa. He is excited every time he sees her, and she has gone above and beyond for him. I highly recommend Diana if you are looking for a well-balanced, compassionate dog trainer.

Julie L.

Our Shiba Inu, Bowie has always been a playful pup, but over the years has become quite reactive to dogs on walks. We have met with other dog trainers over the years but we left every meeting with the feeling that it was just not the right fit. From either explicitly stating they wouldn't work with us because of his Shiba behaviors or applying their dog training knowledge too generally without actually taking our individual problems into consideration, we were left without guidance or trust. Fast forward to a year later, we met Diana and our experience was a complete 180. Diana was so kind and compassionate from the first meeting, really taking the time to get to know us and Bowie. She was extremely perceptive and we felt that she was really able to understand who Bowie was and appreciate his unique personality, something we had not experienced from other dog trainers. We were able to make substantial progress in our walks in a short amount of time. Diana was an incredible source of information and she really takes the time to explain everything. If at any point we felt unsure or confused about the training, Diana made sure to really address any of our concerns and go through it at our pace. We are so proud of Bowie's progress in our short period of training with Diana, and while our dog is not just magically perfect now, our confidence as dog owners has grown tremendously. We feel that we have the tools to work through issues that come up, which has really improved our relationship with our dog. Even though our training with Diana has been completed, she has always ensured us that the door for communication is always open and we are welcome to reach out to her for any future questions and concerns. Diana was really wonderful for our dog training journey and we highly recommend her!

Brisby practicing "place" at the training facility.
Amy O.

What do I love about Diana with Deep Connection K9 Academy? Where do I even start? First and foremost, her calm demeanor. Dogs feed off energy, so she puts out the most easy-going and relaxed vibe, which is clearly why she's able to connect with the dogs she's training. She takes the time to listen to both the pet guardian and even the dog to understand how the achieve the goals set forth. Secondly, and this is a big one, I love that she practices a balanced-training approach. She uses training tools correctly to ensure her method of training is conducive to the individual dog that's in front of her. She uses positive reinforce by rewarding often. With the frequent video updates she sends, you can see she makes the training fun for the dog. Because of her method of training, it's effective and you WILL SEE RESULTS whilst also knowing your dog is happy. Next up, she's patient with the dogs. She gives the dog time to come around to the idea of whatever she's implementing and if they aren't comfortable, she takes a step back for a few days and slowly tries again until they are comfortable. For example, with muzzle training and crate training. Lastly, she truly cares about the dogs she's handling. The bond she's able to create is genuine. All we want for our dogs when in an unfamiliar situation is compassion and she gives that at every moment. Brisby was my foster dog and he had a bite history. I wasn't sure I would be able to safely place him into another home, but after Diana laid the foundation of obedience and worked with him on being able to tolerate stressful situations, he's now on the path to the best life because of her and I couldn't be happier for him. Thank you for everything, Diana! 10/10, I will have you train again if the situation arises.

Alejandra H.

Diana is a very knowledgeable dog trainer. I always ask her for advice and she has really educated me on different things I did not know about dog behavior and training. The dog that I adopted had a lot of behavioral issues and a bite history so I felt lost on what to do. Diana gave me guidance and always answered my questions no matter how many I threw at her. Now just after a few sessions, my dog can wear a muzzle comfortably and I will be crate training next before we move onto the next concept. She really thinks about the dog and what we can do for them. Every trainer has a different way of doing things but I really like Diana's calm but confident approach to it. I'm so thankful and grateful for all the help she's given me. I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a very patient and invested trainer.

First time meeting Diana!

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Ask the Community - Deep Connection K9 Academy

Review Highlights - Deep Connection K9 Academy

we met with Diana for the intro and I knew right away she was going to be the perfect trainer for our beagle, Maddie.

Mentioned in 50 reviews

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This review is LOOOONNNGGGGG overdue. I had gotten a Shiba Inu puppy 3 years ago that had to be…read morehospitalized due to Parvo the next day. Then, once he recovered from that, had a fever that almost killed him and had to be hospitalized again. We had to keep him quarantined for a while and away from my other dog (a 7 year old Pomeranian at the time) and get all his vaccinations from the beginning. He was scared of literally every single noise and had anxiety about just about everything. Over time, he developed extreme food aggression and we were worried for the safety of my little Pom. He had been attacked a few times to the point of actual injury and it was extremely stressful for everyone. I was at my wits end and I felt like I had tried everything to help Gunnar (my Shiba) and protect Simba (my Pom). I did a lot of research and stumbled upon Jenina and sent her a message for private sessions where she would come to my apartment once a week. I believe I only used her for a little over a month but I am eternally grateful. The level of aggression Gunnar displayed was so dangerous that my roommate and I actually have been bitten with blood trying to protect Simba from harm where food is involved. The issue was that he wasn't aggressive with all foods and we were unaware the extent until it was too late (ex. we thought it was only wet food so we were giving a chew stick to them separately where I would have Simba sitting next to me on the couch and Gunnar would be on the floor away from Simba with my roommate and the switch was so sudden----from sweet to seemingly no warning lunging at Simba----I stuck my leg out to protect Simba and he bit my leg instead). I feel like at this point, a regular human being would give Gunnar up, but that wasn't an option. It wasn't an option when he came to me dying from Parvo, it wasn't an option when he had an almost fatal fever, and it wasn't going to be an option for me now. I was determined to find a way to help him because he is my baby and my responsibility. The vet suggested I contact a behavioral specialist and when I did, VCA told me the earliest appointment they had was months later. Fed up with waiting, I found Jenina. In a month's time, she had given me the tools to fix a seemingly impossible situation. Make no mistake---she made me work for it. She might come across brash to some people but she is very direct and straight to the point. She doesn't coddle you and makes sure she lets you know what you need to do because while the session is for dogs, it is actually more like training the parent. She gives you "homework" and training info and is only willing to help you if YOU do the work. Now, it wasn't a complete fix. He still has anxiety outdoors or unknown noises as well as food aggression but it is nowhere near what he used to be. Before Jenina, Gunnar couldn't even take a step outside the apartment building let alone go for a walk. Three years later, Simba has sadly since passed but he has a little brother that he is extremely patient with as he acts like a typical annoying little brother), his food aggression has gone down from 100 to 30, and we go out to all sorts of places. He is THRIVING and this is all thanks to Jenina. My roommate and I are on high alert and know what to look for in terms of triggers and are very quick to de-escalate aggression situations. We try our best not to avoid known triggers and we work with him every day to allow him to be his best self. He is the sweetest boy and we are so glad he's been able to show it instead of being overshadowed by aggression and anxiety. She also gave Gunnar his nickname---Gunny! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I am so sorry it took this long to leave this review but thank you so much for saving us. If we had listened to the VCA behavioral specialist that basically called Gunnar a monster and suggested we give him up, he probably would have been euthanized somewhere. We owe you so much.

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I can't recommend K9 Logic Dog Training enough to people. My partner and I came to them to address…read moreseparation anxiety in our 1.5 year old French Bulldog. We had tried what felt like everything and his separation anxiety was so bad that it got to the point that my partner and I basically gave up our social lives, had to coordinate with one another one of us would be going to the market or if it would be a trip where we both can go but someone sits in the car with our dog. We met the team at K9 Logic Dog Training and they assessed our dog and determined what kind of training program would be best for him to address his separation anxiety and the other skills we wanted to work on. Within a week we noticed progress. We finally were able to leave the house for an hour and go to the market together. Week by week the time has gradually gotten longer where we have been able to leave him alone for longer periods of time to reclaim our social life back. I was skeptical at first, but after that first week I became a believer. We are so happy with the results that for the purpose of just giving him structure and routine we signed him up for more classes and he LOVES being at school. We've also participated in the weekend group training sessions and they are so helpful to not only give our dog routine, but it's a great way to reinforce structure and keep him sharp with everything he learned at school. Signing up for training with K9 Logic Dog Training was the best decision we could made for our dog to set him up for success.

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Great experience! We have an 8-year-old rescue Golden…read moreRetriever who developed some habits we wanted to correct and weren't able to do on our own with traditional training. A couple of these weren't terribly serious, but we felt we weren't "in charge" anymore, that our dog wasn't getting the message from whatever we were doing, and that if we didn't do something different, it could really get out of control. Brad really helped us with this, where traditional "training" wasn't working. We have two or three things we're working on with our girl, but here is the most dramatic change we had with one issue. She is very food motivated, and would beg from us at the table whenever we sat down to eat, and would be underfoot in the kitchen during prep. She got overly excited and would not settle and lie down. Brad explained we weren't communicating well with her on a dog level, so to get that communication kicked in to gear, he actually started our session not with this problem, but with making sure she would not dash out the front door when it was opened. This was to establish that we were in charge and what was expected of her. What he showed us how to do worked like you wouldn't believe. It was like a light bulb went off for our girl. What we did affected everything after that. It wasn't about dashing out the door, it wasn't about begging for food, it was about knowing what was acceptable in our pack and to look to us for direction. That night, at dinner, she went to her "spot" with a simple direction and was relaxed during our entire meal. She can now be directed to her spot and will stay quietly any time we need her to. Best of all, she seems truly relieved that she doesn't have to be in charge and that WE are. She is much more relaxed around so many other things. It gave us so much more confidence! I didn't think that what Brad taught us would work. It's quite counterintuitive. But trust me, it worked like magic. This is not dog training - it's communication with your dog. Brad answers all your questions, doesn't waste your time, shows you clearly and directly what will work. We're so thankful we found him!

Before working with Brad, my dog Cash struggled with severe separation anxiety and reactivity…read more Leaving him home alone felt impossible, walks were stressful, and I was constantly worried about how he'd behave around new people and situations. I met with several trainers before Brad & had little to no success in the areas we needed most, I was exhausted. Now for the first time ever, I can leave him home alone without the overwhelming anxiety and guilt that used to come with it. Our walks are actually enjoyable again, and I feel confident bringing him around friends and into new environments. What I appreciate most is that the training gave me the tools and confidence to understand and communicate with my dog better. I have my freedom back, and Cash is happier and more relaxed because of it. If you're struggling with separation anxiety, behavioral issues, or just want a better relationship with your dog, I can't recommend Brad enough. The impact has been life-changing.

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(445 reviews)

Carol and her team went above and beyond to help my fiancé and I find our new dog. You can tell the…read morerescue love and care for each shepherd they have.

Judgemental and shamed me for considering about having to rehome my beloved dog who I've had since…read moreshe was 9 weeks old. I initially got her to become my psychiatric service dog. While we've made a lot of progress over the years, her skills have slipped and I really need her dialed in on her responses. While it's nobody's business, just in the past few months; we were both struck by a distracted driver while walking in the crosswalk and had the signal to proceed. I looked in every direction, but several steps into the crosswalk, an SUV did not slow down, and hit us...A week and a half ago, I was held at the ER on suicide watch. Three days ago, I was within feet of getting shot by a gun right outside of my business! I strongly considered a German Shepherd since they're also intelligent, loyal and can provide protection/barriers for those suffering from PTSD like myself. I've been suffering a lot with my clinical depression and anxiety for years, all the while, I'm a small business owner. Csilla replied to me and automatically denied my application for considering rehoming, and for "testing" if they don't make the cut. Rehoming is NOT an easy decision, I've been crying over the thought, I love my dog! I love my dog so much that I was only reaching out to close friends who my dog also loves, so I can still see here. My immediate family does not want a second dog in our household, so this was the only loving and responsible decision that I can come up with. It's neither fair for a dog that exhibits fear, stress, and anxiety to be forced into a job that only exacerbates their behavior. My mental and physical health are just as important as my dogs. This is the purpose of rehoming, I never once said that I would surrender her to a shelter or just simply disown her. Below is her response; ..."Unfortunately we're not able to approve your application. There is no guarantee that any of our dogs will work out as a service animal, and the fact that you would rehome her if that was the case, makes this an automatic decline for our rescue. It's very sad to hear that you are thinking about rehoming a dog that has been with you for 5 years. There are countless dogs in animal shelters dying every day because people consider them disposable. Your dog will be heartbroken if she has to lose her family. Her stress and anxiety will get even worse, which means many people will pass on her at the shelter and she will most likely be euthanized because of the overcrowding problem in the shelter system. We hope you will not let that happen and leave her behind to be killed. There is no reason why she can't stay with you as just a regular pet and part of the family, while you get a 2nd dog that has been proven to be a qualified service dog. It's not fair to the dogs for you to keep "testing" and rehoming them if they don't make the cut. Please work with one of the many organizations that specialize in placing service dogs. Any dog returned to a shelter (not rescue) has a much higher chance at being euthanized sooner than the ones who haven't been adopted and returned yet. Thank you, Csilla Westside German Shepherd Rescue of Los Angeles" Absolutely disgusting response; full of guilt, shame, and judgement! I will NEVER contact them again! I will leave their response on here for potential clients to read for themselves. FWIW, I decided to continue working with my dog, despite the $6k training costs! My mom also couldn't let that happen and told me that if it came down to it, she would keep her.

Bark Busters

Bark Busters

4.7
(118 reviews)

I adopted Gili, a 10-month old female poodle-schnauzer mix, who came to me with several behavioral…read moreissues that appeared to stem from being treated poorly before I adopted her. Despite this, Gili quickly revealed herself to be a joyful, funny, and incredibly intelligent dog who was easy to train. However, there were a few serious behavioral issues that I could not resolve, no matter how hard I tried. About two weeks after coming into my home, Gili began to feel secure with me and in her environment. Unfortunately, that security turned into extreme protectiveness of herself, the house, and especially of me. She became reactive to unfamiliar people to the point that no one could enter our home or even come near me unless I medicated her or confined her to a bedroom to prevent incidents. I hired different trainers who were kind and well-intentioned, but their methods and advice were ineffective for the specific issues we were facing. Then into our lives came Carrie, the owner of the local Bark Busters franchise. I do not believe I have enough words to describe how positive and effective our experience with Carrie has been. She is exceptionally knowledgeable about canine psychology and the development of behavioral issues, and most importantly, she has an incredible ability to identify the root cause of each specific problem with precision. In a caring, non violent yet effective way Carrie focuses not only on the dog, but also on how we, as humans, can unintentionally exacerbate issues while trying to compensate for our dog's difficult past. She teaches people how to gently, confidently, and correctly address unwanted behaviors through proper posture, attitude, and consistency. What I love most about Carrie is her upbeat, joyful, and generous nature. You never feel rushed or inadequate; questions and input are welcomed and encouraged, no matter how long it takes. Carrie made it clear that she is committed to being there for both Gili and I for as long as it takes to create real, lasting change. She patiently and thoroughly addressed each issue in a way that was easy to understand, carefully explaining not just what to do, but why. I truly felt that she cared deeply about my understanding the methods, the sequence of exercises, and the reasoning behind them. Although I have shared my adult life with five different dogs, this experience taught me something entirely new: my posture, energy, and state of mind during training are just as important as the commands themselves. I am incredibly grateful to have finally found a trainer who is not only a skilled behavioral therapist but also a master trainer--an essential combination, especially when working with a dog who was not raised from a young puppy and comes with a difficult history. In Gili's case, that history left lasting emotional scars that affected how she interacts with the world. Not only did Carrie spend several hours working with us, but a few days later she followed up with a detailed and thoughtfully prepared email covering everything we had discussed. It included educational videos to further clarify the instructions, links to recommended toys and helpful equipment, a clear overview of the exercises Gili and I should practice, and much more. It was evident that Carrie spent many hours compiling this instructional guide, and it has already proven to be an invaluable resource for us. Even though it has been less than a week since Carrie trained both of us, I am already seeing meaningful improvement in Gili's behavior. More importantly, I now feel confident that I have the tools to help Gili reach her full potential and become the best version of herself, a happy, loving, and confident little lady who was always there beneath the hardships she endured before coming into my life. I am also reassured knowing that as time goes on, Carrie will be there for us whenever we need reinforcement of learned skills or guidance with any new challenges that may arise.

We chose Bark Busters because of their promise that the high upfront cost was a lifetime…read moreinvestment. We were told we'd receive ongoing support, customized training, and help throughout our dog's life--even if our circumstances changed or we moved. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. When Henry was a puppy, we had one in-home training session and, if I remember correctly, one follow-up email much later. As he matured, he began developing some unexpected behavioral issues despite being neutered and having been a very friendly puppy. I reached out to our trainers, Paksha and the other trainer on our account, multiple times to schedule follow-up training that was included in the program. The biggest obstacle was scheduling. Appointments were only offered during the workweek for follow up. I had to reschedule once because of an emergency, and another time because I realized my husband should be present so we could both learn and consistently reinforce the training. I was told they would get back to me with weekend availability. They never did. That was months ago, and I never heard back. We paid thousands of dollars specifically because Bark Busters advertised lifetime support, but when we actually needed that support, it simply wasn't there. The contrast between Henry's training with Bark Busters and the excellent training we received years ago from a local Burbank trainer is significant. Charlie, our other dog- three years younger than Henry, has outstanding manners because of those sessions in group training. Henry never received the ongoing guidance that Bark Busters promised, and we're left feeling like we paid a premium price for a service that effectively ended after the initial visit. If you're considering Bark Busters because of the "lifetime support" promise, I would reconsider... For us, it did not live up to the expectations that were set when we signed up.

South Park Doggie - Waterland LAX

South Park Doggie - Waterland LAX

4.8
(735 reviews)

Took advantage of their Spring Break special, which included a bath, to board my pup for a week…read more(Sat-Sat). It had been almost a year since we last boarded but Ethan helped us get acclimated to the new policies and was super accommodating, even working with me on pick-up when my return flight was delayed. A true life-saver. All the staff are always kind and helpful and they really love on the animals, which I appreciate. They also regularly update with photos and emails to keep you in the loop which is very reassuring. Loki loves it there and is always wiped out when she returns. (She's been napping all day. Very clearly a happy girl ).

A little long but it's been nothing less than eventful with this place. I had hight hopes for this…read moreplace as the hours are so convenient for our family's busy schedules. Unfortunately, this place was a HUGE disappointment and had a huge negative impact on our pup. Long story short -- Everything here is a sales grab. The few girls care for the animals but the "managers" and men there are just there for the commission of your packages. I had a whole conversation about their unethical sales pitching with the employee while picking up my dog lol. It's "how they keep the place open" - the employee's words, not mine. Astounding. Said employee also asked what I did for a living because I questioned their sales pitch tactics -- I'm in sales. Also, If you need their VIP services for your unspayed or neutered pup, please spend your money elsewhere!! Before committing to a membership, we did a trial day and spent hundreds on drop in days, grooming, and overnight boarding to see if it was a good fit for our high energy pup. Our dog is not neutered and we don't plan on getting him neutered so we chose their VIP rooms. His breed is also extremely high energy and they promised they could accommodate. I also inquired about training multiple times and they kept saying the trainer would contact me. Everything went great after those few visits, they seemed caring and said he was a great fit for a membership so we end up signing up. Then everything went downhill. Upon the first day of the membership, our dog all of a sudden had behavior issues and needed to be picked up. In the middle of my work day I call the shift manager, and he states that if we want our dog to stay, he needs training ... (from their same trainer that I've inquired 3x about before committing to a membership, still haven't heard back). I asked why this wasn't communicated ever before committing to a membership and they didn't have an answer. I informed them that I would've paid for training before committing to a membership if they would've let me know that there were any issues. Our dog went a couple of more times until they could finally get me in touch with the trainer, 6 visits later. Actually I had lost complete trust at this facility. To add insult to injury, I was able to speak to one of their actual workers that is with the dogs and she let me know that our dog is only let out for about 10 minutes at a time, maybe 3 to 4 times a day during a 12 hour stay. This is their VIP option. So not only is he left in a room for about 12 hours a day, with dogs barking all around him, he's not being stimulated nor played with just being let out to go to the bathroom. Contradicting everything they say that they offer. Their "trainer" is also a joke. He is supposed to be from the Marines and well-versed in the breed of dog that we have. Upon washing him for 5 minutes, as I was told, he said that our dog needed to be neutered before he could be trained because of his energy. Our dog is a Malinois and is not supposed to be neutered before 2 years of age. We've since went elsewhere to get our dog trained from someone who is actually educated on his breed and he's worked on all of his anxiety and reactivity issues that our pup got because of this place.

Deep Connection K9 Academy - pet_training - Updated July 2026

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