I very rarely write reviews...maybe a handful over the years. I have zero affiliation with Donni or Denver Dog Whisperer. There is no benefit to me for writing this review (other than maybe better dogs and owners in public). I am sincerely writing this because I know there are people out there that are trying to figure out what in the world to do with their dog, and this review may help them make a decision. It will change life for the better. Honestly, I believe most dog owners would benefit GREATLY from just one hour with Donni. Even if their dog is overall well behaved, the communication between you and your dog, the soothing effect on their behavior, the overall peace and subsequent joy is palpable. That said, if you have a "problem" dog, if you feel like nothing will change it, even if you've tried several other trainers or methods, Donni will most likely be able to change things dramatically. Actually, I would even try her before you call anyone else, as she will work with you in a way that even one hour (and then you remaining consistent with your dog) will be enough. It could save you thousands. We have 2 dogs, with 2 totally different issues; one loyal and sweet German Shepherd rescue that was SUPER aggressive to humans and a smaller mix rescue that was embarrassingly aggressive to other dogs. They had some other minor behavioral quarks that I'd prefer they didn't have, but weren't deal breakers. The aggression was. It's at the point where I can't leave town because my GS tries to bite every single person who watches him, including trainers at dog hotels. My little dog, I just gave up taking him to dog parks altogether (and walks weren't fun either). One session and there was an IMMEDIATE change in both of them. After about a week of continued communication/correction with my smaller dog; he's hopping around dog parks, and I couldn't be more proud of him on walks. My German Shepherd is absolutely night and day. I've had people to the house (workers coming and going), which is normally ridiculously chaotic, and it is actually peaceful and enjoyable now. I cannot believe it. It's been three years of trying different strategies with him. Altogether almost all of their little quarks I referred to above are gone. And we are enjoying the dogs in a way that I had let go as a possibility. There are not words to express how relieved and happy we are to have our dogs. They are such an absolute joy now (and we already loved the hell out them before). I earnestly think one session with Donni should be a requirement for every person adopting a dog from a shelter, just because I believe it would dramatically reduce dogs getting returned to the shelter and make life significantly better for both the person and the dog. Some of her ways may seem different or counter to what we "know" as dog owners, but give it a chance. Her way is gentle. There's no yelling at the dog, or shock collars. There's nothing but a deep understanding of the psyche, behavior, and communication of a dog being passed to you. The dog will take your lead. I promise it's worth the hour try, at the very least. And if it takes a few more sessions, it's still better than any other option I've seen. Hope this helps someone! Blessings, Jen read more

I spent one day think about whether I wanted to have this person work with me and my dog and then I got this message today from "the dog whisperer" who I believe is just trying to make a quick buck. Extremely rude and completely unprofessional, he then threatened to contact animal control on me for my dogs separation anxiety.... DO NOT USE THIS PERSON read more

Denver Dog Whisperer - Messages exchanged with owner - Pet Training Near Me

VERY UNPROFESSIONAL! If you enjoy being verbally abused, then this is the trainer for you. I reached out for a trainer to meet with me and my pup to address her leash aggression and excessive barking. I admit my fault in that I did not confirm my appointment and understood that the appointment was cancelled due to my lack of communication. In asking to reschedule I was told she was only available in the last few days of July and September. I was out of town so July would not work and September was too far away so I was okay with not moving forward with this trainer then came the abuse. I was told I am a bad dog owner for leaving my dog with a friend while I travel, I needed to meet with a behaviorist not a trainer, that I am a "zero dog owner," was told that I "showed defensive weaknesses." At this point I did not respond because I am okay finding a different trainer. This morning at 6:45am, she began texting me with hate. It is hard to understand the texts but I will quote them. 6:44am "You were on calendar for Tuesday. If you want my help, get over your attitude. Have cancelled you. Not on right page. Arrogance does not garner dog leadership, respect." 6:45am "and NEVER challenge the hand that feeds you, love." 7:07am "Any contact from you reporting to police, stay away" Let it be know I have not spoken to or reached out to this woman since our first text conversation over 1 week ago. I will not be using her services and I suggest you go elsewhere as well. She was verbally abuse and very unprofessional. I did not meet up with her but I do not recommend even attempting to contact her. read more

See all

Ended our day talking to Denver PD about harassment from this woman: I hired Donni to do a behavior consult because he pulls towards dogs on walks. She had a hippie-looking website where she referenced Cesar Millan, whose books I've read, and reasonable rate (I thought) for a dog who does not have extensive problems. We told her that we use a Herm Sprenger prong collar and she said "great!" When I gave it to her to put on, she said it was way too tight and she needed to add links. I've paid for a leash reactivity course from a trainer where an entire episode is about fitting the HS specifically. It is supposed to be high on the neck, behind the ears, and stay in place so that the trachea protector *protects the trachea.* She added three links so it was hanging, and put it on backwards. The rest of the session was okay. We went outside, practiced some structured walking and met a couple dogs on leash. I told her sometimes we use enrichment/mental games like a snuffle mat for food or his Kong, other food puzzles and she told me that was not helpful to him at all. No pushback, that's her 'professional' opinion. About 2 hours in, she asked why we even needed her help, because our dog was "perfect" (her words). It was fine, my partner and I agreed that night it was a 4/10 experience but we paid her and had already agreed to the dog park the next day. It was fine. We left after about an hour, because it was 10:45am on a workday. She wished us well and told us to keep her updated. AT 2:30 PM THE SAME DAY, she started texting me. The messages were barely English. The "expert" berated me every 2-10 minutes with a new text. I did not respond, but screenshots are attached. Saying she was my dog's "emissary," that she was going to call Animal Control - which I now see is a common threat she throws out, that our dog is very unhappy, and that I don't give a s*** about my dog and I'm arsenic for him. Six texts in, we tried to call her to peaceably figure out why she was saying all these vile things. My partner texted her, asking to get on the phone to talk about what was going on and find a solution and "Blocked" was her answer to him. She would not pick up so after !!! 13 texts !!! we contacted the non-emergency line. So unprofessional, invasive, and frankly slanderous. I hired and paid a trainer because I love my dog and wanted to fine-tune our walk, not because I am a neglectful owner who doesn't care. To anyone still reading: Learn from my mistake. Spend a little more money. Do a little more digging. Hire someone who will not harass you. Resources you can refer to instead: - Method K9 paid courses at methodk9.thinkific.com - Instagram/Tik Tok (sounds crazy, but great info): Saige's Way (@outbounddogs), Natalie Dobkins (@canine_performance), Stephanie Vichinsky (@methodK9), Koco Garcia (@handoverrover), Vinnie Somma (@sayitoncedogtraining), Jacqui Zakar (@dogsense), Norka (@norka_dogguru), Loyalty K9 (@loyalty_k9) - YouTube: Upstate Canine Academy, Canine Performance read more

See all

This lady is incredibly rude! She told me that I should never have a dog and that I was an idiot because I was waiting to confirm a date with her and wasn't sending her the money until a time was confirmed! Absolutely unprofessional and charges way too much to be acting so rude. Highly do not recommend read more

This lady is nuts I had her come to work with my dog's for leash training and work with my older females agressive behavior she did the leash training and some training in the home but needed to do work with both dogs on socializing so the next day I met her by herself with 5 other dogs when I was told other clients would be there, I did the training with no issues but a comment about me talking to others at the dog park and not paying attention to my dog ( I was asked what kind of dog he was that's it) and then the crazy started that night with inappropriate text to the point the police were involved to get her to stop texting! read more

See all

Has COVID notice on website, so I booked an appointment, she showed up early, no mask, offered a disposable one, she refused it and said she could not work with owners or dog while wearing a face covering. Informed her that today the US deaths hit 200K - zero empathy. We will not be using her services. read more

I adopted a rescue rez dog and as sweet and gentle as he his I really had my hands full after our first week. He had separation anxiety and was kind of pushy, and this being my first dog I didn't know much about how to communicate with him. My cats were terrified even though he was merely curious and we had baby gates all over the house trying to keep things under control. He would whine every time I left his sight and jumped all over me. As cute as it was, I learned in this session that behavior is not affection, it's dominance, which actually stresses the dog out. In a 2 hour session at my home the Denver Dog Whisperer showed us everything we needed to know. The body language and subtle sounds she taught us (instead of words and clickers I read about online) helped turn my pup into a calm, happy creature who now sleeps peacefully at the foot of my bed. Now I can garden, hike, and road trip with him! I feel like I can handle him in almost any situation and he is absolutely the perfect pup for me. read more

Denver Dog Whisperer - Amos Barkley - Pet Training Near Me

Is there a negative star rating? I have never in my life been treated worse. This woman has no manners or social graces! She came to our home and spent and hour rambling about dogs in nature. Some made sence some was just random information that anyone would know. She was incessantly repeative. When she began her interaction with the dogs she was rude to our entire "pack." She spent time walking both dogs, nothing specifically about how this addressed our concerns. After the 45 minutes of hands on "training" she sat and talked again. She was rude and insulting to my son, the dogs owner. Told him that no one should have a dog for comfort in an agressive manner. Proceeded to tell him that his dreams for his dog were not possible. She left 1 hour early (which was a blessing). She left so fast she left her choke leash and her coat behind. We contacted her for a refund. That's when the insanity began. Here is an excerpt of a text thread from Donni. (I wish i could post a screen shot) "This is Mindy. Donni went to TX late last nite. I put on what she said, You have refund you crazy people You are horrendously abusing your dogs and you admitted this to Denver Dog Whisperer. You hurt biz any way. There are 18 of us who will restore honesty, kharma. Got it? Do not threaten our organization again or we will issue an arrest warrantz and make sure the pups are taken from you to be secured in stability. We wull contact the police, have both dogs taken. Already apt mgmt wants You're dogs are threatening irritants. Donni taught you what to do. Every person in home who she worked with agreed." My family has received dozens of these text threads. My wife, son and I have subsequently blocked her. We do have a partial refund. My advice, keep far away from this person. In my non professional opinion she is has some issues. read more

I reached out to get some help leash training my new dog, and when we couldn't decide on a time this person got very rude towards me. read more

Denver Dog Whisperer - Very rude for not having met me or my dog. What an odd way to gain a new client. - Pet Training Near Me

I had such a great experience with Denver Dog Whisperer! I have a 3.5 year old Aussie Mix who was progressively exhibiting aggressive behavior. Donni was patient and took the time to really explain what my dog was communicating through her body language/behavior and taught me the effective techniques to communicate back in a calm assertive manner. She is a straight shooter and direct in her delivery. She taught me how to be the pack leader to my pup and now she is calm and submissive. It's a continuous process but I now feel equipped with the tools to manage my dog's energy so she can be relaxed and happy. Thank you so much! read more

BEWARE! This person is verbally abusive towards her clients and potential clients and sends harassing and borderline nonsensical messages to people. She also apparently subscribes to non-science based/debunked training methodologies. Look at the other reviews of client accounts and screenshots of text messages and judge for yourself if this is a person you would trust to help your pet. I would never let her go near my dogs or my family. This is not a stable person. Seek help, Donni. read more

I used bark.com as a third party service to find a trainer to help with my pup's newfound dog aggression. I clicked on a few profiles, one of them being the Denver Dog Whisperer. The website sent me an automated notification stating that they were interested in taking me on as a client. I recieved a text an hour or so later from the "dog whisperer" stating they would be happy to work with me. I then recieved another, less professional text, after which they attempted to call me. This then culminated into the conversation I have attached. It was the most rude, unprofessional conversation I have ever had with someone claiming to run an upstanding business. read more

Denver Dog Whisperer - The final conversation had between the "whisperer" and myself. - Pet Training Near Me

Donielle called me three times (I unfortunately missed our scheduled call due to forgetfulness on my own part), left me a passive aggressive message, and when I was finally able to pick up she told me I have "no earthly idea" what I'm doing, continued to degrade me, and said i was so disrespectful (for missing her calls!) that she was going to preemptively deny me as a customer. Seriously? Heaven forbid I have a busy adult life that doesn't involve living on my phone! I'm glad I never committed, I don't even want to know how horribly she'd treat me if I had gone through with it. This seems to be a pretty common issue, too. I seriously suggest just finding someone else. read more

Terrible service. Was completely unprofessional! do not take your dog here!?

Our service with Donni started out fine, she was fine on the phone, okay in person. We did the 3 hour home consult with her where we learned her tactics. While we were unsure about some of them and found many of them odd, we were open and asking questions so that we could understand everything. After meeting with her again for a play date at the dog park she began texting and accusing us of making our dog anxious, not listening to her (I literally took notes when she was at our home), and saying we wouldn't be able to help our dog. They way she texts is hard to decipher and if you don't understand the way she trains to a T you are doing everything wrong. Our dog was a rescue who was extremely fearful when we got her and she had come a super long way before we ever decided to reach out for training. She demanded she take care of her which left us feeling very uncomfortable. Our dog is anxious and nervous but not to a level where she should be this concerned. She was harassing us via text and calling. Extremely rude and unprofessional. After reading other reviews I was shocked and so thankful we decided not to move forward with any other service. I am absolutely dumbfounded as to how this woman is still in business, I would not recommend her to anyone under any circumstances. See photos for texts. read more

Denver Dog Whisperer - Pet Training Near Me

See all

So we got two puppies- I know, this is not the best idea- but we did it, and it's been a very rewarding experience so far largely in part because of the Denver Dog Whisperer- our three hour session started promptly on time and was enjoyed by our whole family! Jonni was informative supportive and encouraging and left us feeling more confident about our puppy raising skills. She reminded us that our puppies need structure and routines and that we are in charge of dictating that for our pups. She taught us how to work through changing unwanted behaviors and building up these pups. Today- one week after her visit we walked the puppies in leashes for almost a mile! They loved it and did great! I never would have thought to put a leash on them at 10 weeks but after one week if practice we have overcome that hurdle! Denver Sig Whisperer was able to teach us about each puppies temperament and give us personalized suggestions to help them thrive! The price was a way better value than others around and excellent service! Thank you! read more

Denver Dog Whisperer - Pet Training Near Me

See all

if i could give this lady a ZERO. i would. AWFUL. she probably gave one decent piece of advice. she was 30 minutes late and left 30 min early AND CHARGED FULL PRICE. she was EXTREMELY disrespectful to me and the rest of my family. WASTE. OF. MONEY. along with that, she also mentioned the dog she was working with could possibly be part coyote; even though we ran a DNA text when we got them and it's german shepard and husky! YIKES read more

I wish like crazy I could give a lower rating. This woman is vile. We were looking to get some serious help due to our dog's sudden severe aggression. Unfortunately the aggression became so severe that we made the hard choice to surrender him to someone who can afford proper training and have the time to train him. This woman leaves an absolutely DISGUSTING series of text messages and voice mails just because of two missed calls, and proceeded to belittle and berate us for not waiting. This woman supposedly has a freaking bachelors degree in psychology?! Hell no! Stay the hell away from this woman and her "business." Your money, time, and circumstance will be better spent (and understood) elsewhere! read more

Donnie is a fraud! She claimed that she worked with Cesar Millan and Gwyneth Paltrow. Trust me when I say that this woman has never worked with Cesar. She guaranteed that she would fix my issues with my dog with only three hours of training. After the training, I tried to take my dog for a walk with the prong collar she gave me (with very little training) and it went very badly. When I got back from the walk (7:00 PM) I text her and told her I needed some help and that the walk didn't go well. I got a phone call at 8:40 to which she cussed me out over voicemail yelling at me saying that it was my fault and she just doesn't have time for this...you know the time she guaranteed me when we made our agreement. It doesn't get any more unprofessional than this. Prior to listening to my voicemail, I would have been happy to let her coach me through this and help me out over the phone, as was agreed between the two of us. But after listening to her cussing me out and yelling at me over my voicemail I am not giving this woman one more minute of my time. I am sure she will have some nasty reply to my review as I have seen what she replied on the other reviews that were negative toward her. read more

Worst service I've ever received wouldn't want her if she were free. had a disagreement that she says dogs should not be therapy dogs and that if they are only golden retrievers can. She kicked out an important family member during session and trained the other family dog longer than the dog needed to be trained. Showed up half an hour late and left half an hour early and charged us full price. Calling me a criminal, animal abuser, and many other things. I don't often write reviews but the fact this women got my mental health involved and tried to call me and my family animal abusers to the dog I have dedicated the past year of my life to. I beg anyone to not go within a phone call of this human being. See screen shots below of the puppy she claims we abuse and lives such a terrible life, and this is only what she said to me, as texting multiple other family members claiming we brutally abuse the animals. read more

See all

The last trainer I hired made it clear that if she could not get near my dog she would not train him makes sense but she never even tried to approach him, luckily I found Donni she spent an hour phone call no charge during which she answered many of my questions and provided information on what she would do in our first session. on the first day, she showed me how calm my dog could be, normally he would lunge, jump, bark hysterically & growl at guests but donni was so quick to correct him and establish her self as pack leader. once my dog became submissive something he's never done she turned him over to me and guided me all the way to the point where the both of us were sitting on the couch and my dog was 3 feet away on the floor in a submissive state waiting on my next command something I believed my dog wasn't capable of. we also took my dog out on a quick neighborhood walk and for the first time I walked my dog by a group of people including the mailman with no pulling, no lunging, and no barking donni is incredible. I learned so much in the first session I recommend donni to anyone having problems with there dog. read more

If you have dogs who are playing too rough, the solution. If you have dog who has bitten a person, the right solution too. Spent an hour phone before, no charge, learned so much. Then times ten with the home consult. Not like commands and tricks, the real stuff for the dogs' brains .... and teaching us humans how to be the leader. So great with so little time and money! read more