This review has nothing to do with Dreamy Skies training capabilities as unfortunately I never got the opportunity to work with her.   I reached out via the website and picked a time for a :15 phone consultation, I was looking for an immediate slot, but settled on the first available which was a week away. I booked and waited to be able to chat through options that were available for my pup.  As many do, I work in an office setting, I waited for the call to come in which was minutes late (3 minutes if we're looking for details, 11:48 AM) I quickly listened to Karen's message and immediately called back (within 3 minutes of the missed call). There was no answer.  Within 5 minutes I'd also sent a follow up email explaining that I was still available and eager to discuss my pet, no response. Ever.  I should note, the message noted that I'm outside of her service area. Her website advertises D.C. training opportunities, lists an address in Mount Airy, where I'm from and where my family resides, I can work remotely from anywhere and can easily be available no matter where she requested to meet.  She also advertises boarding and training packages on the website which sparked my initial interest.  My family owned and a well known local kennel in the area for more than 30 years, I love the setting of Mullinex Mill Road (which is rural) and I thought it would be a better setting for my dog's training than some other businesses located in busier settings.  Put simply: I specifically sought out this trainer for their location.   After calling late for our scheduled consultation and no follow up in spite of a follow up email and phone call(and message) from me I'm bummed.  My family has owned and operated two local small businesses. I know things can get lost, but the lack of customer service was really disappointing. read more

We highly recommend Dreamy Skies!! Our 3 year old rescue dog, Sammi, had fear aggression and reactivity towards strangers and other dogs. We worked with Karen for 8 sessions over the past 6 months and we have seen a tremendous amount of improvement. The first time Karen met Sammi, she immediately noticed her high anxiety and she explained how this attributes to her aggression and reactivity. She showed us step-by-step methods to teach Sammi to be more relaxed and less anxious. It's incredible how much her anxiety has improved since we first started. As Karen explained to us in the beginning, this is a slow and steady process and we still have much more progress to make with Sammi. But we have all the tools and knowledge we need to allow her to succeed. This type of training is not quick and easy - it is important to do the work and stay consistent, but it is so worth it!! It truly does work! We have a much better relationship with Sammi and we're so grateful to Karen! read more

Dreamy Skies Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me - Mt Airy, Maryland

Where would I be without Karen? I sincerely cannot imagine... I contacted Karen after my 2ish-year-old pit bull mix, Jasey, all of a sudden was terrified to go outside. She was always very outdoorsy, and then one day it was like something snapped. She started peeing all over the house to avoid going outside, bucking on her leash uncontrollably when I opened the front door, she even jumped out of the (parked) car window to get back inside the house. I tried everything - popular YouTube training videos, vet consults, dog anxiety medication - nothing worked. Karen was my last hope. From the first session after the consult, Jasey was already responding to Karen's methods. Nothing was immediate, but Karen never promised it would be. Karen is an excellent dog trainer, but more importantly, she genuinely cares about making sure the human understands the "why" with the "how." She equips you with the knowledge to transform your dog. She goes way beyond training for compliance - that honestly just becomes an added bonus. Karen's tactics and methods create lasting behavior change. My incredibly anxious girl is able to relax on a dime because Karen taught me how to bring her from 100 to 0. Karen's sessions are incredibly thorough. She starts by explaining one or two skills, tells you why it's important for your specific dog at this moment, how it will help them toward your goal, models it for you, and then you spend the time practicing it together. She gives you corrective feedback during the practice. You get a packet with all the same information to help you remember what to do and how until the next session. But Karen doesn't stop there. She makes herself available to you in between sessions for questions and concerns. She'll study videos of you and your dog practicing the skill and provide feedback again if needed. She's super responsive. Karen is honest, confident, and flexible. She isn't going to give you a strategy or suggestion without making sure it is feasible for you first. She knows if it doesn't work for you, you won't do it! I promise you, if you do the work you will see changes in your dog that you didn't think were possible. My dog - who a month before Karen was so terrified to be outside I thought I'd have to keep her in a constant, mild state of sedation - doesn't even flinch at loud construction sounds, advances from other dogs, or me grabbing the leash anymore. It's amazing. If you are on the fence about contacting Karen, take the chance. You won't regret it. read more

Dreamy Skies and Karen Krieg were the key factor in helping our beloved Shep grow into a confident, personable, gentle, and happy dog. We are a married couple in Washington D.C. who both had dogs as children, but not since. Our large mixed-breed dog came to us in the spring of 2022 from a local rescue society that saves dogs in the South from kill shelters by placing them with foster homes in the DC area and eventually in permanent homes. From the beginning, Shep was sweet and fun to be around, but his anxiety about the noise of the city and lack of confidence around vehicles and strangers worsened progressively over the initial few weeks. He developed a fear of going outside, with the sudden noises and large moving objects that are part of any city's landscape. His fear worsened, and before long he refused to even leave our apartment and go into the hallway with us. He also stopped sleeping past 4AM at this point, despite very large doses of anti-anxiety medication prescribed by his vet. A former work colleague who had gone through a similar problem with her dog encouraged us to reach out to Dreamy Skies and Karen. We were almost afraid to hope that she could help Shep, since we had encountered many 'dog experts' online who rely on shock collars to elicit obedience, or who worked from the assumption that all a dog needs is to learn a few tricks, which will eventually give them the confidence to do the more difficult things. Even in our sleep-deprived desperation, we were not willing to shock our sweet and trusting dog, and while Shep learned to sit, it didn't do much for his confidence. We picked up the phone and scheduled our first appointment with Dreamy Skies. Karen is different from most other trainers, and she told us that from the start. If you choose her to help you, be prepared for the process to take some time, as her methodology requires several weeks between lessons for you to spend using the techniques with your dog and learning together. The improvements in our dog's confidence and anxiety levels were so significant that it would have been unrealistic to expect them to happen over a matter of days or weeks. It is also unrealistic to expect the changes to happen on their own, without real commitment on your part to work with your dog as directed between lessons. Your full participation is required, as it should be. The methods she uses are less about teaching the dog to do specific things, and more about teaching the humans in the equation how to recognize and encourage positive, self-calming behaviors. Putting it all together, these tools allow you to guide the dog into relaxing and never falling into the feedback loop of stress that results in them getting inappropriately afraid or upset. How to understand things like "that is just a truck driving by, nothing to worry about" or "that guy dropped a box, it doesn't have anything to do with you", or even "that person is allowed to be there, don't worry about them". Teaching the dog how to calm himself down when he is getting anxious. How to simply relax and be a dog. Thank you Karen! read more

Dreamy Skies Dog Training - Shep - Pet Training Near Me - Mt Airy, Maryland

Karen and her training philosophy changed my life and helped my 1.5 year old poodle become more confident and less anxious. At the beginning I had to make a lot of changes but the results were so clear that they were all worth it and just became part everyday life. Without hesitation I recommend her to friends and anyone else who will listen. My pup had gone through puppy kindergarten pre-pandemic and then a string of online classes that just couldn't help us the way we needed. He has a real problem with eating the inedible off the ground and it became clear that private lessons were the only way forward. Without Karen I would not have been able to get to the root of the issues we faced. She taught me the tools to soothe his anxiety and redirect his bad habits into more healthful behaviors. It wasn't overnight and it was a lot of work, but in the end infinitely worth it. I only wish we had started sooner. Our formal lessons are done but I use what I learned from Karen every day. read more

Dreamy Skies Dog Training - Happy doggo - Pet Training Near Me - Mt Airy, Maryland

We worked with Karen for about 6 months to help with our rescue pup who was struggling with some anxiety-induced aggression toward people and other dogs. Simply put, Karen's training and advice was life-changing for us. We better understand how to communicate with him and how/why he's reacting to different stimulus around him. She also never made us feel like Hammy was a lost cause - something we heard from some other trainers we met with. After working with Karen, our pup is calmer, nicer to live with, and - most importantly for us - we can finally have people over after a year of him not being able to tolerate anyone but us in our apartment. Would definitely recommend Dreamy Skies and Karen! read more

We are SO grateful to Karen for her support of our journey with our reactive rescue dog!! What we loved most was her ability to break down long-term behavioral changes into manageable, short-term steps that each made sense on their own. I was initially skeptical about some of the strategies, partly because I felt like my dog was a bit of a lost cause, but they really build on each other and create a comprehensive approach to building communication and trust with your dog. I (semi-jokingly?) call her my "dog therapist." She really trains the humans, including having faith in the dog's ability to grow and learn and celebrating small wins. The results have been incredible - our little guy who used to be afraid to leave the house and would bark his head off at children playing outside is now able to confidently go on walks, pay attention to us instead of stressors, and be his goofy self. read more

I had very little hope for my dog when we moved from rural Vermont to the DMV area. He was wily, erratic, loud, and unpredictable. I had tried some training programs in the past, but only got to basic commands: sit, down, stay. I didn't learn any techniques to deter the relentless barking out the window, or leash pulling and aggression towards people and dogs. Karen took the time to get to know me and my dog, and work at our pace. She knows that training a dog is a long process, and is there every step of the way. My dog is in a completely different place than he was 6 months ago, and I know that he will just keep improving. Karen presents the lessons in a no-nonsense manner and is patient with all parties involved. And even better, my dog trusts her which I think is the most important part. I recommend Karen to everyone I can, she can seriously work miracles. And even better, she is a great person and willing to listen and work through the issues with you and your dog. read more

Our honest review is that this type of training probably works well for some dogs but not all. Our dog Lucy is fearful and leash reactive. Upon consultation, we were offered between four and five weeks of training at $1,400 which, it turns out, really was too good to be true. For potential customers' discretion, their main form of training is teaching owners to use an e-collar (shock collar). We thought it was a miracle when after three sessions using an e-collar she was laying down and not reacting to other dogs on the street. And during the fourth session, we were told that our training was complete. We contacted our trainer a couple of months later when Lucy seemed to be regressing since the package guaranteed services until we were satisfied with the result. Her advise via email was to turn up the e-collar to the max level and to attend the pack walks (which at this point hadn't happened for at least a couple of months). We truly believe that after a few months the e-collar only made things worse, especially at the highest level. Our disappointment is it was the only tool offered to us. It just doesn't make sense in retrospect that one solution will work for all dogs. We since have worked with a trainer who does use the e-collar as a tool, but we've found body language and basic training (plus a slip lead, which to her is much more humane) to be much more effective. Maybe we would have discovered this through time, but who knows. This review is not to say that Mango Dogs aren't effective dog trainers. But they also aren't a miracle solution, and our experience with this type of very specific training just was not helpful to our dog. read more

The day I contacted Karen at Mango Dogs for help I was in tears and at the end of my rope. I'd had my rescue dog, Henry, for six months and his fear aggression and reactivity was steadily getting worse. The worst had finally happened and he'd bit someone. I had spent thousands on other trainers but the results were short-lived and never stuck. While I cried on the phone to Karen and explained Henry's behavior, she told me she could help me and it was the first time I'd felt hope in months. We signed up for 8 sessions with Karen and by the 5th session Henry was already acting like a new dog. We have now completed all his sessions and his reactivity has decreased at least 90% and he continues to improve daily. I now actually enjoy taking him on walks which I NEVER thought would happen. He can now pass other dogs and people on the street and not have a meltdown. He sits calmly next to me at cafes and at the park. I won't lie and say the training is fast and easy. You MUST do the work between sessions, be consistent, and TRUST THE PROCESS. But the peace of mind and stress-free life I have now with my dog was worth every minute of hard work. This training WORKS. read more

Dreamy Skies Dog Training - Henry - Pet Training Near Me - Mt Airy, Maryland

Karen is amazing!! My husband and I adopted a 1 year old Plott Hound in October who had a whole mess of issues- excessive energy, leash reactivity to other dogs, pulling on leash, mouthiness, etc. It was so bad at first that we almost returned him to the shelter, we thought we were in way over our heads. We started working with Karen in January and just had our last session with her last week, and our dog Echo is an entirely different dog than he was in January (in all good ways)! Even after 1 session with Karen we could start to see positive changes in Echo. Karen does a great job at explaining things and the training really builds on itself- it is a lot of work and not easy, but so worth it! If you put in the time and effort, you see results. We did opt to integrate the e-collar during our last few sessions and it has been working great. By building a solid foundation and focusing on positive rewards first, you're giving the dog opportunities to make good choices before going to punishment (hence "balanced training"). I never would have thought that the anxious, reactive dog we had 6 months ago would be able to walk loose on a leash or pass other dogs on a hiking trail, but with Karen's expertise we now have a dog that we love being around and are equipped with the knowledge and tools to continue training him on our own. read more

Dreamy Skies Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me - Mt Airy, Maryland

When we adopted our boxer mix from a kill shelter in NC, we thought that we were getting a 7 year-old Code Blue (the shelter's ranking for a great first-time dog for a family). When we got back home, we were surprised to find out that we had an 80-lb 2-year puppy who wasn't potty-trained and suffered from pretty severe isolation distress. After training on our own for a few months, we started to see Walt exhibit fear aggression around other dogs. And then there were bites with other dogs and a terrible incident where Walt bit my partner during meal time. At this point, we knew were in over our heads. Through tears and at the end of my rope, I called Karen for an informational interview, fully expecting that we were beyond hope. When she called back, she assured me that we weren't a lost cause and made us feel so confident that she would help us get to a safe and happy place for the whole family. Karen ended up working with us every other week for almost a year. She came over to our home and graciously worked around our unpredictable schedule. Most importantly, she provided us with tangible homework to work on between each session and gradually explored many different methods of training until we found what worked best for our individual situation. Today, we are able to leave Walt alone in the house for extended periods without worry, he goes to daycare every day and is able to be easy around other dogs, and he even was able to spend a weekend around his cousin-dog off-leash and without muzzle. I can't say that it was an easy fix; we certainly put in the work. And there were definite ups and downs. But Karen was always a great outside voice reminding us of our progress. Now that we have "graduated," we still get to keep our skills fresh through monthly pack walks with her other clients. It's a huge boost to be able to help other folks who are in the same position we were a year and a half ago! I truly believe that Walt wouldn't be with us if we hadn't have called Karen when we did. It was absolutely the best investment we have ever made. read more

I reached out to Karen with a dog who had a lot of anxiety-based reactivity. We had worked with other trainers in the past, but basic obedience didn't help when my dog got overstimulated. Karen helped with shifting his mindset so that he wouldn't be anxious around his triggers. He still has some work to do, but he has gotten so much better: he used to be aggressive towards strangers coming into his home, but recently we had houseguests and he was amazing. Both the guests and my family kept talking about how calm and well-behaved he was. I highly recommend Dreamy Skies and Karen if you have a fearful or reactive dog and aren't having success with other trainers. read more

Working with Karen at Mango dogs was the best decision we have ever made for our rescue beagle Romeo. Karen was honest, calm, experienced, and patient- not only with our dog, but with us too. After working with a different trainer who only used food as motivation for behavior change (which did not work and was expensive), we were hesitant to try another training program- but we had to do something because our little guy shredded paper in the house, stole our clothing and other items, and didn't know how to behave around bigger dogs without barking like a mad man. He had too many behavior issues to list here! We new he was a sweet dog with potential, but he had a lot of disruptive behavior issues that would make welcoming our new baby a real problem and possibly dangerous. After only 4 lessons, Karen helped us turn Romeo into the perfect family member and a real gentleman beagle. Karen was very honest from the first consultation that we would have to work just as hard as our beagle if we wanted the training to be effective. She addressed all of our concerns and questions and was very respectful of us if we were hesitant to try anything. My husband didn't think this program would work and expressed this to Karen at consultation. After only 4 lessons (and Karen doesn't limit the amount of lessons you will need) Our dog Romeo went from being the crazy, hyper, howling, hound of the neighborhood, to the dog that everyone compliments on walks and at the park for his exceptional behavior. I have even been asked if we got another dog by people at the park because they can't believe how well trained Romeo is! Now, everyone in our building constantly compliments us for how well behaved he is compared to when we first adopted him. He has gone from the annoying and, loud dog to the dog everyone wants to say hello to. Such a welcome change! We were unsure about using E-collars and prong collars at first. We discussed our concerns with Karen that we didn't want Romeo to loose his goofy personality, or be scared. She explained that this wouldn't happen, and she was 100% correct. In fact, Romeo is now more confident with and without these tools. Every time Karen would come over for training he would be so excited to see her, and he always welcomes us putting on his special collar. He is as silly and cuddly as ever. The only difference now is that when we ask him to do something, he actually does it. He is so obedient now, that strangers have stopped me while walking their dog to ask advice on training! His destructive behavior in the house (paper/plastic) shredding is gone. We have the option of kicking him out of the bed and having him not join us until he is invited. Also, he heels outside and now considers it his job to watch our pace and instructions vs. his prior behavior of pulling, lunging, and overreacting to loud vehicles. We are now completely confident that he will be a good big beagle brother to our new baby arriving in the fall. We love Romeo so much, and now we get to enjoy him more than ever! Karen & Mango methods work if the pup's parents are willing to put in the time with their dog. She always has the dogs best interest and safety in mind, and I would say that my Husband and I needed more patience and training than Romeo! Karen, thank you for working with Romeo (and training us too!) read more

My husband and I adopted a mixed breed dog named Jamo while we were overseas several years ago and he's been a delight to have with one major exception: he has pretty serious leash aggression. When he sees another dog while he's being walked on leash, he cannot control himself and acts out in a fit of doggy rage - barking, snarling, lunging, etc. We had tried other training programs and dog trainers, with minimal success. Jamo was still acting out on leash and we felt like we had wasted our time and money. At one point we even considered adopting him out to a family that had space for him to run free and live out his doggy days in leash-free bliss. We thought things were hopeless with him, but we ultimately could not turn our backs on him and decided to seek out one more trainer. We ran across Karen's company online and read some of the reviews. The testimonials seemed to speak for themselves and with a lifetime guarantee, we made an appointment ASAP! Karen was prompt, professional, and she had confidence that we could correct his leash aggression. Within the first day of consultation and training, he displayed an immediate change in behavior we did not know was possible. Karen showed us that not only was our dog capable of correcting his behavior, but that he was capable of this the whole time! We just needed the tools to craft his behavior in a more positive direction, and Karen gave us those tools. She left us with specific instructions, a packet of information, and her contact information in case we needed to get in touch with her for any sort of follow up. We were headed in the right direction. The biggest help that we received was the pack walk that Karen offers to her clients monthly. This is where her other clients meet up with their dogs of all sizes and different levels of training and we walk together as a pack, including some training drills. We were naturally very nervous about this because Jamo doesn't always do well around other dogs on leash, but after a few growls here and there, he settled in with the pack very nicely. It still took daily training sessions with Jamo to get him to where he is today, but the difference we've seen in his behavior is nothing short of amazing. We can enjoy our daily walks with him now, instead of always being nervous of seeing other dogs. Karen has tremendously improved our quality of life. My husband and I are extremely happy with Karen's training expertise and the results far exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend Mango Dogs to anyone who is looking for a skilled and experienced dog trainer in the DC area. Karen is the best! read more

It's been a year and a half since our meeting. Do you really remember what was discussed? I do. My dog did not have a solid bite history. He has fear based aggression that would not be helped by any of your methods. Your methods are based in dominance and fear which are antiquated at best. Modern training practices do not use these. Emailing my husband demanding that I remove my review is just another example of your methods. I hope that people will do their own research and not just believe you because you call yourself a professional. read more

Karen at Mango Dogs is great! When I rescued my adorkable dog, Goose, from the Humane Society last May I knew he was supposedly dog selective but he turned out to be dog reactive, lunging and growling at any dog no matter how big/small or close/far away. It was incredibly stressful. It didn't help that his separation anxiety led to destructive chewing indoors too! I felt out of my depth and scared that I would have to return this loving goofy dog to the Humane Society if I didn't find a solution. I tried multiple trainers before finding Karen and each of them were helpful in a limited fashion but only Karen's training plan gave me a dog that I can now walk through the neighborhood in peace and take hiking and to the pet store and to brunch on a restaurant patio without fear. I won't lie, it was a lot of work for both Goose and me and we still have work to do but watching him play and make friends with Karen's dogs and go on her client PACK walks (2 things I thought he would never be able to do) has been worth all the hard work over the past 5 months. I can't thank her enough. read more

Dreamy Skies Dog Training - Goose playing with Batman - Pet Training Near Me - Mt Airy, Maryland

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Karen is simply a miracle worker. I wish I had started with Karen three years ago when I first got my dog. I tell EVERYONE who is getting a dog to use her. Here is my story... I've had my dog for three years, and in those three years she has been on trazodone for high anxiety moments, the maximum dose of fluoxetine (puppy prozac), and various homeopathic remedies, to no avail. Lucy was a stray and not much is known about her past- except for lots of physical scars signaling abuse. Prior to working with Karen, we had completed almost every possible positive based training class in the DC area-- over twelve different classes to address her reactivity, anxiety, and general temperament. At one point at a loose-leash walking class, Lucy spent much of the time rolling in the grass and too scared to run into the dog tunnel. I have a special dog on my hands. :) No surprise, Lucy continued having on-leash reactivity issues and I was afraid of what could happen. I found Karen when I thought there was no hope- Lucy had recently bit a dog who was in our house. Karen came to the house for a consultation with Lucy and although I doubted her optimism for training Lucy, we signed up. Fast forward four months, Lucy is able to go for runs on leash (she was previously too scared to run on leash), ride in elevators with other dogs without barking/lunging/reacting (actually, sitting in a beautiful sit!), and meet strangers with confidence. Karen employs e-collars and prong collars, which she tells you upfront. There were no amount of hot dogs/salami/stinky cheese that would distract Lucy from a nearby skateboarder. At the same time, when Lucy makes the right choice, she is lavished with treats-- hence the term balanced training, that Karen uses. Lucy remains her cuddly, affectionate self and now has the confidence to face the world without having to react to scary things. Karen's training works and she is always available for questions, tune-ups, or another session. We LOVE her!! read more

We reached out to Karen in July 2021 after our 10 month old mini Aussie developed severe resource guarding issues that led to a bite of one of us. He also barked continuously on walks, had separation anxiety, and general fear of anything not familiar. We had an infant in the house and knew that the dog's current behavior could not continue. We were at our wit's end at what to do and not sure if we could keep him. We met with Karen and she immediately gave us hope that we could improve our dog's behavior in a lasting way. She changed the way we thought about our relationship with our dog and helped us to understand how to effectively communicate. When we started, we were a family where the dog was the center of the universe and by the end, we were the center of our dog's. The training focused on positive reinforcement based on the "Training Between the Ears" method. It's not a "paint by numbers" curriculum, but a process that requires daily effort with many ups and downs. The great thing about Karen is that when we experienced a down, she was always available between sessions to guide us. While it was a lot of work, Karen helped us create a training regimen that worked with the demands of two working parents and a baby. It has been life changing for both us and our dog and his behavior is completely different from when we started. We still are able to incorporate the skills Karen taught us well after our last in person session with her. We are so incredibly grateful for Karen's help and cannot recommend her more! read more

We asked Karen from Beltway Dog Training to help us with our Boston Terrier Rescue, and she did a great job. Our Boston had always been skittish dealing with dogs when he was on his leash and nervous around new people. When we moved to a high-rise apartment this became a problem because he would overreact to other dogs and people in the elevator and during our walks around the neighborhood. Our walks were stressful for everyone. Karen came in and did a thorough assessment of us, our dog and our situation. She developed a training plan that was geared towards what we wanted to achieve: a calm, responsive and happy dog. We worked through a number of training sessions and built up our set of commands and behaviors to give us the ability to adapt to any situation we might face. Karen was patient but tough with us and our Boston. Since we worked with Karen it's been a night-and-day experience in our building. Our Boston is attentive and calm because we have a vocabulary to let him know we're in control and he's safe. People always comment on how well behaved he is. We look forward to our walks now. read more

Karen changed our lives. We adopted a dog three years ago. Turns out he was a complete love bug with us but he had a tremendous amount of stranger danger. He was leash reactive and reacted to anyone petting him that he didn't know. Working with Karen was great but doing the work she proposed was challenging. Karen trained my husband and I as much as she trained our dog Angus. After several sessions, Karen continues to help us when we have issues that we aren't quite sure how to handle them. Let me tell you those issues that we need to address now are so minor compared to the issues we had before. After training with Karen we took our dog with our friends to the farmers market he didn't lunge, growl or bark at any single person, he was a completely changed dog. We owe that to Karen for tirelessly working with our dog and equipping us with the methods that we need to help him be successful in situations that scare him. I cannot recommend Mango Dogs more. After completing the initial training our dog is happy, healthy and enjoys going out in crowds. I say initial because, when she says it's for life, it's for life. read more

Dreamy Skies Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me - Mt Airy, Maryland

We've worked with Karen at Mango Dogs for the past few years. We love working with her! Our young German Shepherd, Leo, was getting more and more out of control to the point where our kids could not walk him and it was SO stressful. Leash aggression, barking at the door and visitors - and we could not get him under control. We had always taking training and obedience classes since he was little, but those techniques were not working anymore. So I finally came across Karen in my search for help. Karen came to our first consult and stayed for 1 1/2 hours. By the time she left she had taught us basics so we had some control of our situation. The issue was not Leo, of course, but our not being able to communicate well Leo, so he was confused. Each session as we worked with Karen taught us more and more and Leo became calmer and calmer. We cannot recommend Karen highly enough. She is an investment in yourself and your dog. CALL HER! read more

Dreamy Skies Dog Training - Our boy Leo! - Pet Training Near Me - Mt Airy, Maryland

Karen has changed our lives and our dog's life. The training was mostly about us as owners and how we talk to our dog, how we give her feedback, when and how we praise her, and how we teach her what behaviors result in positive experiences. Honestly, I wasn't sure at first about using an e-collar, but my hesitation was quickly allayed. My husband and I couldn't recommend Mango Dogs enough, and we'll be using the training we've learned forever. We can't wait to join Karen for the weekend group walks. read more

Karen is a very special dog trainer and behaviorist, and I feel lucky to have had her recommended (by another dog professional) when I moved to DC. Minimal standards: she knows her stuff. Karen is skilled and well-practiced in the use of both positive and negative reinforcement training. For a pup who's as occasionally thick-headed as my high-drive rescue dog, I benefit from having both sets of tools in my kit. Karen's goal is to have our dogs learn what's acceptable/not with as little negative feedback as possible, and perhaps the hardest part of her job is in training us owners that sometimes that means giving a big correction, to "stop being a nag." She does it so well that the joke around the pack is that our dogs are always well behaved when Karen's around. ;) Beyond the training: Karen really cares. She's rescued dogs of her own, and knows the very human elements of loving a dog who sometimes makes bad choices. She listens, she supports, she gives frank feedback and wise counsel. She's available by cell, txt, and email, even on her days off. An added bonus: the community of the pack. Karen coordinates monthly pack walks, which are open to any of the dogs she's worked with. It's a fantastic opportunity to practice skills, gain trust with your dog, and get out of your comfort zone. It's also a lot of fun, and a really positive experience to walk parks in the DC area with sometimes 30 other dogs, everyone being a good doggy ambassador. Karen always brings water and treats for both the pups and the people. read more

It was great working with Karen. She helped me break a lot of neurotic behavior from my dog and she had flexible hours to work around my schedule. Since training with Karen, my dog kept his cool when a K9 dog was barking at him. He's like a new dog. read more

I have a 3 year old Corgi Jack Russell mix. When I adopted him he was 11 months old. I took him to Petco training for him to learn the basic commands to teach him to not nip. The advice the trainer at Petco gave me was "just be cautious." Over the past two years, I always felt nervous, stressed, and "cautious" because I knew I couldn't trust my dog interacting with humans or other dogs due to of unstable moods/reactions. In addition, he was also a big tugger during walks and disobedient when he would get a hold of food or inedible objects. Once I moved to the DC, I decided I wanted to live in a dog friendly city with a FRIENDLY dog :) I called a few dog trainers in the DC area and none of them were as down to earth as Karen. Many of them weren't interested in my unique concerns and would only provide the basic information about what their "standard" training package included and cost. Karen is personable, a great listener, and a great trainer to my dog and I. She explained everything during our first meeting and that was it from there! I saw immediate results after a few weeks of my dog's 1 training session and was amazed. Dog training is an ongoing process and it takes time and homework to do on a daily basis to see results. Karen was always an email, text, or phone call away if I ever had any questions or concerns in between sessions. It was refreshing to see a trainer come up with a training program tailored to individual needs. Karen also holds enjoyable monthly pack walks which are a great way for my dog to interact with other dogs and continue practicing commands in distracted environments. I am so thankful to have found Karen and would recommend her x100 to any pet parent! read more

Last May I adopted Bella, my Greyhound rescue. Bella is very sweet and chill; however being a racing dog she had very little exposure to other dog breeds, city noises and in general, house pet life. She adapted fairly well considering she had a lot of anxiety and walking her was a challenge. So I decided to seek the help of a trainer. I did some research and came across Mango Dog. I met with Karen for the initial consultation. Karen was wonderful. Bella instantly liked Karen. She trained me as much as she trained Bella. Now Bella is very comfortable on our walks, her anxiety is nothing like it was 8 months ago. Karen demonstrated how to reinforce positive behavior with Bella. She gave me great written instructions which I can refer to when needed. I highly recommend Karen to any dog owner to help build their relationship with their dog. We are so happy with Bella! read more

We tried everything with our Lab mix, Kona, but she just kept getting more and more dog-aggressive and was just too much to handle. Car rides were a nightmare. Not only was it stressful and embarrassing to take her anywhere, but it started rubbing off on our other dog, Poppy, who is super-fearful and has his own issues, he didn't need more! When Kona redirected on me while trying to lash out at another dog in the neighborhood and punched a hole in my thigh, I'd finally had enough. I did some research and am so grateful that I ran across Karen on Yelp!! Today, we went into Shirlington with Karen and both dogs. What a great day! We have wanted to take our dogs out and dine al fresco but figured it was never going to happen. Today, we treated Karen to a beer while the dogs lounged at our feet. What an amazing transformation! Also, Karen's just seriously cool. We can't recommend her enough! Jill & Glen Chow read more

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Simply put: Karen is a life-saver. When I adopted my 8-week-old puppy, I looked at yelp for dog trainers in DC. I saw the rave reviews for Mango Dogs and was sold. After talking over the phone about her services, I set up an appointment for the following week. However, my adorable pup was having accidents in the middle of the night as well as teething more and more on our hands and feet, and those little razor teeth are killers! I emailed Karen and she immediately got back to me with some suggestions on how to deal with both issues, even though she was on vacation and we hadn't even started her training yet. Her tips worked like a charm! Her training methods make a lot of sense and are very effective when you can put in the time and effort to implement them. Training a young puppy is not easy, but Karen gives you all of the tools you need to help your dog become a happy and well-behaved addition to the family! I have done training sessions with my puppy every day for about two months now using her training methods and all of that time and effort really paid off! My puppy is now 17 weeks old and when I take her out, people are constantly impressed at how much she can already do! She is potty trained, crate trained, can walk on her leash, plays well with other dogs, and knows the commands to sit, down, come, spot (her bed), and stay. She has recently learned how to play fetch and consistently runs right to me when I call her. I am so happy I had Karen help me train my puppy and can't wait to start the adult lessons in a couple of months! read more

I couldn't recommend Karen and Mango Dogs more highly. Karen met us where we were (desperate), and at each session she challenged us and Patterson with just the right amount of new material to keep us motivated and working toward the new goals. We adopted a 3-year-old rescue hound, Patterson, in May 2017. He had some socialization issues were made aware of at adoption, but nothing that we thought out of the ordinary for a rescue. We did basic obedience lessons at a local Petco and thought we were doing ok. But six months in, our pup turned into a nightmare. Almost out of nowhere, Patterson started being aggressive with my husband. Initially, it started with crate aggression, then barking and he bit my husband a few times. We tried to manage the aggression (bribing with treats), but we had absolutely no idea what we were doing (clearly). Eventually, Patterson was so aggressive my husband couldn't walk into the same room without the dog basically foaming at the mouth. When we reached out to Karen at Mango Dogs, we were absolutely desperate. If we couldn't make training work, we knew that surrendering Patterson was an unfortunate possibility. At our first meeting with Karen, she calmly talked us down from the ledge. She told that as long as we put the work in, Patterson could be a good dog again. During training sessions, Karen gave us the tools to confidently communicate our expectations clearly with Patterson. Patterson's aggression stopped almost immediately; within a few days, the barking fits stopped, and within about a week, the crate aggression stopped. But, Karen helped with so much more than just Patterson's aggression. Patterson is now a calm, obedient, and happy dog. He's more playful and joyful with us, he heals on walks (it's paradise), and listens when we ask him to go to bed, get in his crate, sit or lay out. We couldn't be happier with our experience with Mango Dogs! read more

Karen is AMAZEBALLS! We luckily stumbled upon Karen's website when we were desperately in search of training assistance for our two 8-month old French Bulldog puppies. Over the December holidays, they managed to get into three separate fights, culminating in what we refer to as the "Red Christmas" (cue Game of Thrones music). They basically latched onto each other's faces, and it took multiple people to pry them off each other. So, here's why we find Karen's service to be better than anything else we have tried in the past: 1. She comes to you! I can't tell you how much time this saves to not have to pack your dog in a car to drive to the local big box pet store to participate in group training. (Not to mention one of our dog gets carsick every time we get in the car.) 2. She works around your schedule. 3. She customizes the training to your specific needs with your dog (and its owner), and the training sessions are 1-on-1 with her. So, you don't have to share her across a large group of people. 4. She will work with you to determine the right "implements of destruction" (collars, leashes, tie downs, beds, crates, etc.) you may need reach your desired training goals. 5. She helps you get through the horrible, nasty, tough spots in training that could easily break any animal lover's heart. (Yes, tears streaming down everyone's faces, she helped us get through the most stubborn of temper tantrums you've ever seen a dog pitch on the sidewalk.) When we factored all of this in, we knew Karen's service was the best value, and would get us to the desired results in the most reasonable amount of time. We're ecstatic to report that our second holiday season with our little ones was completely incident free! We had five dogs in our small condo for Christmas day, including an overexcited, yappy Chihuahua. Our little ones listened to (and obeyed) every command we gave them that day. She's so good that four of our neighbors have used her for training their dogs (most at our recommendation). Seriously, what are you waiting for? Hire Karen! read more

Karen recently provided 2 extensive training sessions with our German Shepherd puppy over a 4 week window - and we were extremely impressed with her knowledge, approach and ability to shape our pup's behavior to do what she wanted him to do. She recommended homework, nutrition options and invited us to re-think how to train dogs. We have had 3 shepherds before and each one needed different approaches. With Karen's guidance, we feel as though we are on the right track. Thank you Mango Dogs! read more

This review is way overdue! My dog Jackson is a rescue Boston Terrier who was extremely hard to control. We had tried all sorts of trainings and techniques and nothing seemed to help. Karen is just fantastic. Karen came in and helped Jackson learn to heel, stay, and place. Also, she was the only trainer who successfully taught Jackson "down." She worked with us to adjust his training plan based on his progress. She let Jackson learn his commands before introducing new ones. Walks are a breeze now. No more pulling!! Jackson is one of the most well behaved dogs in the building, and calmly sits in the elevator. As an added perk, Karen's training methods helped Jackson and I bond. He is so much more affectionate now! I recently reached back out to Karen for some tips and she came back and once again reminded me of why we love her being our trainer for Jackson! I highly recommend Karen! read more

We rescued our dog from the Humane Society last May and a couple of months later enlisted Karen's help to work on training her. Her techniques for dealing with an incessant leash puller and the ease at which she showed us how to teach our dog basic, yet highly important commands, were invaluable. While the methods were sometimes tough love, they were instrumental in both establishing a hierarchy with our dog and allowing our dog to not deal with everything new with fear-aggression. Karen was great at being flexible and responsive when we needed her. Also, our dog loved her! read more

Karen was an immense help to me and my pup, Earnest. Earnest was a stray when he was picked up by the SPCA and experienced severe anxiety and was constantly nervous and startled. He reacted by becoming territorial of his "safe spaces." Karen taught me to communicate effectively with him - choosing "safe spaces" that I wanted (dog bed vs. couch), building his confidence to interact comfortably with people, and tolerate the city environment in which he lives without constant fear. Earnest LOVED Karen and is a totally different dog than when I first brought him home. Working with Mango Dogs is 100% worth the investment and I couldn't recommend it enough. read more

I have been working with Karen since I brought home my now 6-month-old Siberian Husky at 8-weeks- old. Writing a review about Karen's gift is actually difficult because I could go on and on about her abilities. Mischka is the first dog I have owned, and I had no idea what I was doing. I knew my puppy would need a trainer, but I did not realize that I needed one even more! Karen is smart, knowledgeable, consistent, and has unparalleled patience. She is tough but not harsh and most of all, effective. She has helped me navigate through puppyhood into adolescence, beginning with basic commands and housetraining, and now onto heeling, staying, and walking calmly on leash (not Mischka's specialty). During our last session, Mischka was able to walk off leash (basically glued to my leg) in a park - something I never thought I would see in a dog whose instincts are to never stop running. Karen has taught me that preconceived notions you have about your dog or any dog are not always correct. Each session with Karen focuses on the specific issues I am having with Mischka and outside of each session Karen answers my (sometimes absurd) questions quickly. Many times her quick text response is enough of a solution itself, from how tight collars should be to how to stop Mischka barking in her crate. In particular, I appreciate Karen's holistic approach: training for living a well-balanced life filled with mutual respect between you and your dog. Rather than just teaching rote commands to merely "get by" with your dog, I have learned that we can live together comfortably and in the manner I choose. I am now confident while training alone, making the process more fun and the results even better -- Mischka is listening more and she knows what I expect from her. I tell everyone who is willing to listen that Karen is my dog therapist - not my dog's therapist but someone who provides me with an outlet for all dog-related worries. Karen has helped me train my dog and smoothly adapt to each phase of her life thus far. Last, Karen is funny and approachable, making the training adventure fun. Honestly, I am not sure where my puppy and I would be without her. read more

I have a 3 year old animal aggressive pit named Marlo. Before Karen, I had spent THOUSANDS of dollars on multiple other trainers with little to no results. I could barely walk him outside when there was another dog walking on the other side of the sidewalk without him trying to lunge at the dog. He definitely made it difficult. I stumbled upon Karen's site when I was looking for yet another trainer to help him...luckily she was the best and last trainer I needed! Within only a few short months, his aggressiveness had reduced dramatically and I was able to walk him by myself again without being worried of how he was going to react. While he isn't perfect still, we have made some MAJOR strides with him! I recommend Karen to everyone I meet that has a troublesome dog like Marlo! read more

Karen is a wonderful trainer. The investment is well worth it! She was amazing with our dog, Celeste, and with us. Training the owners is as much a part of it as training the dog--and she trained all of us well! It has been several years and our dog still sits, stays, comes, lies down, and heals on command. Celeste is a calmer, happier dog because of her training. Karen remains available for any questions we have or any other needs. We have also joined her on a couple of her fabulous pack walks. We can't thank her enough. read more

We adopted a dog almost a year ago from a local foster in DC, and right away we knew we needed dog training. My pup had severe separation anxiety, bit us numerous times in the first few days we got her, would growl at us and be aggressive about her toys and treats, and sometimes was scary to be around even though she was small. We called Karen and she got back to me ASAP to set up a consultation, and was immediately available via email and text until our initial meeting to help with some of the behavioral issues my dog had. Karen helped us incorporate written instructions, in person guidance, and training homework in to every lesson. At each session she demonstrated how we could reinforce positive behavior at home. We had no issues with the e-collar and found the strategies she taught us helped us feel confident as new dog parents. In addition, the monthly Pack Walks were free training sessions that taught my dog important interpersonal skills and drills that reinforced positive behavior. Not to mention Karen always brings coffee and donuts! Now we feel armed with the skills for life that we need to continue to train my dog, and any future dogs. She continues to be available via text and email long after we graduated from training as new issues arose in our recent move from D.C. to Chicago. I would highly recommend Karen and Mango Pets to any dog parent hoping to cherish their relationship with their dog. It's been a year now with Hillie and our household could not be more grateful! read more

Karen helped me and my dog when I felt no hope in fixing my German Shepherd's dog to dog aggression. Highly recommend her to help guide you in creating a happy, (almost) stress free relationship with your dog! My GSD now attends doggie daycare 2x a week with group dog play, which was so shocking when it first happened I almost cried tears of joy! Karen's guidance and training is really for YOU, so be ready to work daily with your pup with obedience, positive rewards and proper use of the included electronic and pinch and choke collars...all of which are completely safe and humane when used correctly. My history, which is ironic, is that I owned GSD's for 20 years and even competed in both the Obedience and Conformation dog show rings. So...my dogs are well trained in basic obedience...but I got lazy over the years and since I no longer attend shows I stopped practicing with them. I had never had a GSD that was dog aggressive and since she was great with people I basically just never took her out around other dogs to avoid the aggression. Avoiding the problem never fixed it and made it worse...where my daughters lost her leash at a campground and my GSD went after a dog being walked, scary but luckily she didn't hurt the other dog. Still, my kids were in tears and though I know how to train dog obedience I did not know how to fix aggression. Karen helped me when I thought our Bella couldn't be helped. She drove to our home, which is 50 minutes away, for each lesson. Her guidance is not cheap, but the results are amazing and so worth the cost and effort! And one of my most favorite things, though stressful at first, are her monthly Pack Walks...where all of her clients meet at a DC park and walk all of their dogs together! Yep, together. Very stressful, but once you have your pup under control, such a fantastic way to enforce you and your pup's hard work...and she brings donuts and coffee.. read more