I can't say enough great things about Erika, John, Riley, and the rest of the team of From Dusk Till Dog!! First and foremost, the training works!! My husband and I are very hands-on owners and wanted a dog trainer that aligned with our views (no choke collars or shock training!! but still a well-behaved dog). We interviewed many "trainers" and were shocked and disappointed in what services are out there. It was a huge time and financial investment for our family and we were worried with our options but that all changed when a friend recommended Erika to me. From the first introductory session- we knew it was a great fit. Erika and John are beyond knowledgeable in their field and it was obvious they knew dog training- as we were seeing results immediately. And their science-backed services go beyond just training! I felt like I had a built in support system for questions, help, support, and emergencies via text and email. The session recap emails were extremely helpful for reviewing and staying focused between sessions. Beyond your basics (sit, stay, and down - for example), we worked on real life skills and training- like how to greet visitors without jumping on them, "leave it" with our favorite item toilet paper, and even getting the harness on without a fight. The feedback and critique of even the smallest details (the angle of your hand, how you were sitting, the words/tone, etc.) made ALL THE DIFFERENCE! It was shocking each time I made a small recommended adjustment how the dog responded!! And Erika always has accredited articles and videos that pertain to what you're working on so you are learning the WHY of what you are doing- not just WHAT to do. While the training has been life-altering in our household, I have to say the dog walking and pet sitting services have also been on another level. Erika and team (WE LOVE YOU RILEY!!!) are possibly the most understanding and accommodating group to work with!! We are mid-move and have been out of state house hunting and these services have been continually crucial to our sanity. Our pets (an 8 month fox red Labrador retriever and a 16 year old house cat) are in good hands when we are gone and it's hard to put a price on that feeling of comfort. The feedback emails are my favorite emails to receive... real time feedback as to what's going on and a picture! In addition to this, our pup came down with kennel cough this summer and was no longer able to stay with my parents (they have 2 dogs and our dog was contagious) during a vacation that had planned almost a year previously. Naturally panic struck and I called Erika in tears. I was able to get the last minute walks, overnights, feedings, and medicine dispensing help that was necessary so we didn't have to cancel. And they made it easy for me!! I can't imagine leaving them with anyone else!! If you are reading this, consider yourself lucky to have found From Dusk Till Dog already. You are in good hands with them!! It breaks my heart to move away and no longer have access to this incredible team so I plan to use them up until the day we move. We can't thank you all enough for everything you have done and continue to do for our family!! We love you guys!! read more

I absolutely LOVE Erika, John and the whole entire From Dusk Till Dog family! I reached out to Erika about 2 months ago as an extremely frustrated fur mother of a 6 month old Boston Terrier. Lukin is a highly "energetic" and extremely smart puppy, and I was finding training to be a real challenge- that is until I found Erika! I knew from my first phone call with Erika that I had found my savior! Erika is hands down the most knowledgeable person in dog behavior / training. She is extremely intelligent and professional with an amazing personality! Erika and her team are down to earth and actually make training fun. Lukin, my family, and I all look forward to our sessions! Guess what- their positive reinforcement techniques really do work!!! I was skeptical about treating Lukin so much, but Lukin went from a pup that came on his time, to a pup that runs across the house to me when he hears me say "Touch." Who would have ever thought he would make so much progress in just 5 sessions. And Lukin is calmer and much more focused than the puppy the team first met 2 months ago. And their support doesn't end when they leave the house. After every session, Erika sends me an email with notes from the session and videos to reinforce what was discussed. This is genius!!! I always like to take notes, but then miss information as I am writing. Because I know the notes will be emailed to me I can fully focus on what is being discussed instead of writing. And if a situation occurs that I want to address before Lukin's next session they are just an email or phone call away. I have also started using the team for pet sitting; I will never use another sitter again. I have had my fair share of bad experiences with pet sitters, which caused me to be anxious every time I had to leave my baby. Goodbye to those days! I know when I leave the house Lukin is going to be well taken care of and treated with love. I also know that I do not have to worry about a "no show" (which has happened to me). Erika takes (2) keys, one as a back-up, so if one sitter has an emergency there is another sitter who can come to the rescue. Their service portal is awesome! The portal allows you to create an account and schedule / track your services. Once you create your pet's profile (which includes your pet's important info: emergency contacts, vet, likes dislikes, eating habits, etc.)you can then use the portal to schedule all your visits. But it gets even better! As soon as the sitter has left your pet they provide feedback via the portal and it gets emailed to you. They let you know if your pet pottied, ate, what their mood was like, and they even send a picture! Taylor took care of Lukin last week and she took the most amazing picture of him. (I highly recommend Taylor- very sweet, loving, and patient!) I cannot praise and thank Erika, John, Heather, and Taylor enough they have all been a Godsend!! Their professionalism, knowledge, and genuine love for what they do shows each time they walk through the door. I am just as excited to see them as Lukin, and he is pretty darn excited!!!! read more

I highly recommend contacting From Dusk Till Dog, whether you have a new puppy, an older dog, a rescue, etc. Erika and John are an excellent team. They work very well together, and their training styles really complement each other. Together, they bring knowledge, professionalism, and patience to each and every situation. The thing that really stood out to me is that even after/in between my training sessions, Erika continues to give me advice if I reach out to her. If I ask her a question, she will always email me back with her take on my situation, links to articles or techniques, or both! Her dedication to keeping up with the latest training techniques is apparent, and I truly trust her advice. She is honest and open when she explains things - she wants to help you and your dog, but doesn't just tell you what you want to hear, which is something I both admire and appreciate. Both Erika and John are truly dedicated to helping you and your dog. There is never a question or concern that I have that they can't answer, provide me with an example of solutions, or at least point me in the right direction. She and John have obviously done their homework and have so much experience, and that really shines through in their work. I, myself have never been a fan of aggressive training techniques and I love that Erika and John focus on positive reinforcement, and my rescue dog, Louie, loves it too. When I rescued my 3-year old Dachshund-Chihuahua mix, Erika and John were so helpful with his adjustment to his new home. They have given me excellent advice on how to help Lou eat his food (I was surprised dogs needed help with that, but Erika and John knew all about it), as well as identify stress signals and certain behaviors to look out for - things I didn't realize were so important until now. We started out with basic "sit" and "down", progressed to "stay" and "bed". They helped me train Louie to not pull on our walks, as he was never properly walked before we adopted him, so this was a challenge. They even helped me with tips for brushing his teeth!! Both Erika and John have been great at addressing my concerns, and I look forward to continuing to work with them for the foreseeable future. Thank you From Dusk Till Dog :)! I highly recommend this company! read more

I would like to take the time to thank Erika, owner of From Dusk Till Dog, LLC, for helping to transform our Jax, a 1 year old boxer, into the amazing dog that he is. When I first reached out to Erika, I was at a loss as to what to do next to help Jax. At that point we had already been to a trainer and two other "specialists" in regards to Jax's behaviors and presentation. Erika helped me to see how much potential our sweet boy really had. We worked on various skills throughout our sessions including the cue for Jax to go to his bed, basic commands, leave it and drop it, stay, and to come when called. We also worked on him getting in and out of the car and his fearfulness and anxiety. Jax has completely transformed and it is all thanks to Erika. The sessions were in the home, which I found to be most useful. Jax is a different dog in our home compared to when out in public. The sessions were focused on whatever skill areas I found to be most important. Erika spent time explaining things and helping me to be the best fur Mom I can possibly be. All of her training methods have yielded success. We were even recommended certain pieces of equipment that also helped to yield progress and success. Erika remains a resource for us even though our sessions have concluded for the time being. We had an urgent situation occur with Jax recently and Erika was there for us, giving us advice and recommendations on how to handle the situation. Erika is available for consultations as needed and it is such a relief to know I can go to her with questions and concerns at any point in time. We plan to resume sessions to further work on specific skill areas after my fiancé and I get married. Thank you again Erika, from the bottom of my heart for helping me throughout this process. All of your hard work and dedication has helped our dog to become the best version of himself and we will be forever grateful to you. I would highly recommend Erika and her company to anyone in need of assistance with their dog. They offer so many different services. It's truly incredible. Thank you!!!! read more

We adopted a rescue puppy named Holly from Puerto Rico and took our time searching for a trainer. We are first time dog owners, who live in an apartment complex, and we wanted our pup to be super well behaved. We didn't want to be the people who say, "Sorry, she's a puppy" 2 years from now. So, we took our time and finally found From Dusk Till Dog. They had awesome ratings and a their instagram was such a resource of information not to mention it showed their passion for dogs, training, and education. We cannot tell you how thrilled we are that we found Erika and John. From our first correspondence over email, Erika was responsive and informative. We moved forward with our first session which was schedule for 1 hour over Easter weekend. Both Erika and John came over and gave us tools to address Holly's excitability when meeting new people and her jumping behavior. They stayed for an hour and 30 minutes!! I was so impressed. We moved forward with their 10 session Day & train, both myself and my partner, Ian, work full time, so this was a perfect option for us and luckily, Holly qualified :). Over the course of a few weeks, Erika came over and trained Holly. Each week we'd receive detail notes & a collection of videos that showed what things Erika was working on with Holly. The videos were such a valuable part of this training program as they help us make sure we are training Holly correctly. They're also great to save to our phones as a refresher if we need them! We had our last session today, and got see both Erika and John again. Erika went over everything she's trained Holly on and gave us tactics for addressing some behaviors Holly was exhibiting on the couch. Our little baby has learned so much (Sit, Down, Stay, Settling, how to greet people) and we've learned a tremendous amount, too. We can't wait to continue training her and see her progression. We also cannot wait to work with Erika and John in the future!! This is an awesome company who wants nothing but the best for your dog! Hire them, you won't regret it! read more

We recently completed a six session training course with From Dusk Till Dog for our Labrador Retriever puppy, who is now five months old. We highly recommend them. First, the administrative stuff all went smoothly. The From Dusk Till Dog online booking calendar is easy to use. Though dates, especially on weekends, book up fast, so booking early is a good idea. Erika, the president of the company and head dog trainer, was very responsive to emails and phone calls, arrived as scheduled, and also communicated responsibly and promptly on the rare occasion that she needed to reschedule. Second, and most importantly, we found Erika's training approach effective and kind. Erika uses force free, positive, reward based training - no choke collars, shock collars, submission positions or the like - and bases her methods off of the best available animal behavior studies, i.e., SCIENCE. She provides articles and information to back up her suggestions, and helpful training sheets for you to read over in between sessions if you have the time/inclination. Her guidance helped us get through house training, crate training, puppy mouthing/nipping, leash training, and coaxing our new furry family member into learning to use the stairs (thank goodness, because he quickly got too heavy for us to carry up and down). The training has helped tremendously with teaching our rambunctious puppy to settle calmly in the house and give us a few minutes of peace now and then instead of chewing on our furniture. Erika also included our seven year old son in training sessions as requested, which was terrific. We're on our way to a calm, well mannered pooch, and would use Erika again for more training as needed in the future. read more

We took in an 11 month old GSD. It was his third home and he was trying to figure it all out. We had a 7yr old retired Greyhound and 10 yr old cat. Max was on high alert with his new surroundings. He would practically drag me on walks and his impulse control with the cat was non existent. He also loved to jump on anyone walking in the house. Today, he doesn't jump when you walk in. He has learned the cats cues and walks away when she's uncomfortable. The highlight of my day is taking both my pups for a walk at the same time! I can even take Max to a store and walk with a shopping cart without tangling or stress! Erika and John are awesome! They helped me understand Max and speed up the transition process. I have also used them for dog sitting. All my friends are shocked how awesome their service is. A year after taking Max in, we moved to a larger home with more property. Both of my dogs started having accidents in the new house so we decided to set the crates up. The Greyhound always loved his crate and was fine with it, but Max wasn't excited about it. Erika walked me through the introduction process and gave me many strategies to try. Max now loves his crate, no more accidents, and he even learned not to chase the deer or bark at the neighbor's horses. Max loves learning new behaviors because he knows the reward is positive and there is no fear when he makes a mistake. Erika and John taught me how to train a respectful dog, not a fearful dog. I am SOOOO glad I didn't listen to all the "advice" about being forceful with a GSD and teaching him that I am boss. A fearful dog is an anxious dog, an anxious dog is unpredictable. A dog that trusts and respects you will always be by your side. read more

We just finished our 4th session with Erika and John. It is amazing how far we have come and the progress that we've made. More than the coaching and exercises (which are exceptional), the most rewarding aspect of training, is how much working together strengthens the bond between you and your best friend. Starting with the first introductory session, it was obvious that Erika and John are dedicated to science based training and committed to positive reinforcement techniques. They are certified, licensed, bonded and the ultimate professionals. They are warm, friendly and ready willing and able to work with you. Erika and John are great, they answered all my questions, addressed my concerns and even gave great advice on collars, harnesses, food, and toys! Training sessions are instructive and educational. It is amazing how tuned in they are. Just by observation, they are able to read behavior and identify stress signals. Then they create /adapt training exercises based on what they've seen. I love that, through the entire process, Erika is explaining what she sees, what she thinks it could mean and why she wants you to act or react in a certain manner. They have helped me better understand my dog's behavior and have provided strategies and solutions to help me help her. (I also love that after every session, I get an email with notes from our session! I have gone back to all of my session recaps, more than once, to refresh my memory and brush up on training steps. From Dusk to Dog is the way to go, your best friend deserves the best! Erika and John are great! Special thanks to GHOST! read more

BEYOND AMAZING! I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about Erika & John. They are so kind and caring, so professional, and so passionate about their craft. Their dedication to their clients is inspiring. Erika and John use strictly force-free and training and positive reinforcement - that means no prong collars and no shock collars - in their training methods which yields the best results equaling happy dogs and very happy dog parents! Erika & John not only teach their clients how to use positive reinforcement as a training tool, they also educate their clients on their science-based training and explain each of their methods thoroughly, including post-session follow up emails and notes tailored to your dogs needs. We first reached out to Erika & John in January 2017 after one of our dogs ran out the front door and was hit by a car (p.s. he's totally fine!) We knew we needed someone who was top notch in teaching our boys some manners and helping curb some of their impulsive behaviors. After one phone call with Erika, I knew she was a perfect fit. She and John absolutely radiate positive energy and in just a couple of short sessions we saw a huge improvement in our boys behaviors. They have come such a long way and we have John & Erika to thank 1000 times over! We've also utilized their services for dog-sitting numerous times in the past, and I will trust no one but them to watch our boys. All around amazing individuals, and an amazing team. They are the best in the business BAR NONE.Thank you Erika & John! We love you!! read more

We rescued our new pup Bodhi over the summer at 8 weeks and quickly realized raising and training a puppy is a lot harder than it seems. I read many dog training books and articles and felt equipped to handle the new addition but his high energy level mixed with our lack of experience led us to seek professional training. We are so happy we did. Just after our first session with Erika and John, we saw a huge difference in his behavior both with what Erika was teaching him and with what she taught us. There's a lot to know as puppy parents and having an expert answer all your questions is super helpful. Having the training in our own home has been extremely valuable as well. Instead of learning commands in a group setting outside of the home, we were able to work with Bodhi using his crate, his bed, and in the environment he's in everyday. We just finished the Puppy Basics Program and have already committed to the Intermediate Program because we've seen such great results. Our dog is a part of our active family and we want to bring him with us on our adventures and having him be well trained, well mannered, happy and healthy makes doing that way easier. We would highly recommend From Dusk Till Dog, LLC. They not only provide exceptional training, but they have been a joy to work with. They are flexible with our sometimes chaotic schedules, understanding of our needs, and always pleasant to be around. We look forward to continuing our relationship with them and plan on working with them for years to come. read more

We hired Erika and John to help us with our adopted pit bull, Lily, who is an anxious dog. Lily's quirks ranged from not wanting to go outside to potty or to walk, fearing the vacuum cleaner, and being unsure around other dogs. After our first session with Erika and John, Lily gained some much needed confidence. With each training visit, Lily continues to improve--mastering her "stay" and "leave it" cues, all while increasing her doggie confidence when walking outside as well as dealing with the dreaded vacuum cleaner. She is now able to eat her dinner outside and sit with us out in the yard! From Dusk Till Dog is with us every step of the way-- always promptly answering our emails and texts when we have questions and concerns. They are incredibly supportive, knowledgeable, and patient with us as we learn the best way to communicate with Lily and train her with force-free positive reinforcement techniques. Lily improved so much that we were able to adopt another dog from the shelter. Our anxious Lily went from being completely unsure around other dogs to romping in the back yard with her new fur brother in less than 24 hours! Erika went the extra mile and came to the shelter to help us introduce Lily and our prospective adoptee. She also walked us through additional visits to the shelter so we could obtain the best outcome. Hiring From Dusk Till Dog is the best investment we ever made! Plus, we've gained some great friends in the process. Thank you, Erika and John! read more

If you're looking for a trusted dog walking service look no further! I had just gotten a puppy and was attempting to drive from work everyday to walk him and it proved to be too much. I researched several companies and came across From Dusk Till Dog hoping that the high reviews were accurate. Erika, the owner, is so professional and compassionate. She came over for a meet and greet and introduced Riley (also awesome) who would be walking my pup everyday. She explained everything to me, took her time, and even gave me some training tips. Riley goes above and beyond, if there are packages left at my door she is sure to bring them inside. She sends me a picture of my pup after each walk and lets me know how the visit went. They are also very flexible and understanding. Just recently I unexpectedly had to stay home and had to cancel services very last minute and Erika texted me right back letting me know she received my message and took care of canceling the visit for me in the system (you are able to schedule all your visits online with notes...best thing ever). I cant tell you enough how at ease Erika and Riley make me feel....you can tell they love what they do and have proven to be a trustworthy company. I hope to be doing business with them for years to come. Oh and Erika also offers training services which I will be signing up for next:) read more

Erika and John are undoubtedly the best trainers to be found. When we described our thoughts and goals for our Bernese Mountain Dog they listened without preconceived ideas, and their ability to assess our Dog's needs was both intuitive and accurate. Moving into training Erika and John possess tremendous technical skills, and had the ability to transition instruction from basic techniques in the beginning to progressively more difficult skills in later sessions. Along with their extensive knowledge Erika and John were unshakably patient with our Dog - and us - as we practiced to learn the techniques and behavioral cues that lead to successful results. Working with Erika and John has effectively taught us skills in understanding our Dog, and all accomplished using positive reinforcement coupled with sound behavioral science. In addition to their teaching and technical excellence Erika and John are continually professional, polite and friendly. Our sessions were always relaxed, but at the same time remained focused on our goals and progress. Anyone who learns what they have to teach will not only be able to better work with their pet, but will find themselves applying this new understanding to interactions and observations with other pets and owners.....Thank you Erika and John! read more

Erika was easily one of the easiest decisions we've made for our new puppy! We enrolled in the 6 course puppy training program back in February (pre-quarantine). Our sessions began in person and you could tell Erika's passions was for training dogs from the first minute. She is friendly, professional and always available for questions ! With the puppy training program you focus of basic training (i.e. biting, placement, handling etc) and we have had a well behaved puppy since- all thanks to Erika. Soon after our sessions had to be switched to virtual sessions (because of the pandemic). I have to say we were a bit nervous of how this would go but honestly the sessions were just as effective. There was even as added benefit of Erika being able to use her dogs as examples on video and then us teaching it back. Feedback and tips were always provided right then and there. You can even record zoom videos so you are able to go back and re-watch your session if you need to see it again! Overall, we had an amazing experience with Erika and her positive reinforcement training mode. We would highly recommend her! 10/10. We can't wait to do some more training with Erika in the future as our puppy grows up! Thank you Erika ! read more

I contacted Erika and the team to assist us with our dog Chase. Chase is really afraid of people especially inside of the home. He would be very skittish on any movement a person made, even those who he met many many times. We thought this would be something he would grow out of, but he never did and we knew we needed to help him. When Erika came over the first time we talked about the full history of Chase and went over everything that we have tried with him in the past. Once the first session was over, he was easily taking treats from Erika and her assistant Mike. We worked with Chase for about a month after the first session and had friends and family visit us and go through the training with Chase. Each time, he would easily approach all of our guests with confidence. We just had our second session and they taught us how to desensitize him while guests are moving more naturally throughout the house. By the end of the session, he was lying on the floor while they stood us cheering for the imaginary football game on TV! We will continue to work with him every day to help with his anxiety, but I can already see a huge difference thanks to From Dusk Till Dog!! read more

Virtual training with From Dusk Till Dog is the best thing I could have done for my rescue lab/pit mix. The sessions are easy to book, and very flexible, with the 3 hour time difference I have never had an issue getting the time that works for me. Erika is a force free trainer with an apparent love for animals, often using her own dogs to teach me how to execute a new skill. She is so skilled, and compassionate, offering praise whenever both my dog and I get something right. Each session starts with a recap, and then time for me to ask any questions, even if it's about how often to brush her teeth. The virtual environment is how I will always train a dog going forward. There are no distractions, just a great learning space, and plenty of time to get it right. In our 3 sessions we have learned to leave a treat, avoid triggers, lay in her bed, and many other foundational tools for further training. Erika is always available by email, and answers within an hour, regardless of the time or day. I'm so fortunate to have Erika on my dogs team. read more

If there was an option to give more then 5 stars, we would! Erika, John, and Heather did a great job helping us better our training skills over all. This resulted in many improvements with old skills and we learned many new & helpful skills as well. The communication was very open, and Erika was very willing to respond to questions between sessions. I also appreciated the teams ability to thoroughly explain items within each session. Another great aspect of the training is that they are willing to go out to different environments to train such as your house, neighborhood, or local park. To this extent, we trust them very much; so much so that they will be helping to take care of our pup before/during/after our wedding ceremony. It is a great feeling knowing that during the wedding we will be able to know our pup is in good hands and we are able to confidently involve our pup in the wedding festivities. Thank you so much to the From Dusk Till Dog Team! They truly live up to their motto of "Dogs. Science. Passion." read more

I cannot say enough great things about Erika, John, and this entire company! I heard about them through a rescue group I volunteer with. Our rescue dog Bear came to us with a lot of fear, anxiety, low confidence, and some leash reactivity towards other dogs. When they first arrived at our home, Bear was cowering in another room. By the second session, Bear was eagerly greeting them at the door! I could not believe my eyes. He was already showing more confidence and interest in other people. I also never thought I would be able to teach Bear to sit, but of course they were able to teach him this in the first session! He now does sit, lay down, and touch with lightening speed! They have these "decoy dogs" who truly helped our little Bear with his leash reactivity. We can have peaceful walks now! We are also looking forward to them coming back to teach our other dog some agility work. We are so incredibly happy with the amazing work they do and would HIGHLY recommend them to everyone! Thank you guys!! read more

Short answer: Erika is truly amazing at what she does and I think everyone with a dog should have to work with her! Long answer: I was hesitant about doing virtual dog training but wanted to give it a try since it seemed like the safest way to train our new puppy (who definitely needed guidance from someone who knew what they were doing!). From the first meeting with Erika, I was so impressed with the breadth of her knowledge - she literally has an answer or strategic approach to everything we've thrown at her! Her method of kindness-based training and positively (for us and the dog) is exactly what we were looking for. We've already done four sessions with her and we've seen drastic improvement from our puppy and our own mindset. And we've just signed up for three more sessions and cannot wait to do more work with her. Definitely well worth the money if you're willing to put in the time and effort and listen to her guidance. Ten stars. read more