I only used Betsy's services for a week and a half while I rented her basement apartment. She…read morevisited my dog twice per day-my pup is shy and anxious and would not have anything to do with Betsy. To her credit, I did see that she was making progress with my pup, which is no easy feat. Betsy and I were discussing my dog attending her daycare because my dog does infinitely better in a group setting. In addition, it was convenient for me for obvious reasons. My dog has gone to daycare for the better part of the year that I've had her, and she thrives in that environment. Never once have I had a complaint or negative report about my pup's behavior at daycare. In this conversation, Betsy used a condescending tone to refer to my dog as "difficult ". I informed Betsy that we no longer had an interest in her services, as I don't want my dog to be cared for by someone who would speak about her in that way. However, that's not why I'm leaving this review. I'm leaving this review because of something I observed with regards to her dog daycare. What her dog daycare consists of is several dogs hanging out with Betsy's daughter, Amelia (my best guess is she's a teenager)in their living room/dining room/kitchen area all day. Betsy is typically gone all day (8-3:30) from what she told me. There is a narrow dog run, running along one side and the back of the house. The daycare dogs are let out briefly to do their business a few times a day. While I was a tenant there, I had to do my laundry on the third floor of the house, above the daycare. This required me to wade through the group of dogs each time I went up and down the stairs to switch loads from the washer to the dryer. Every single time I did laundry during the month + I lived there, I noticed that Amelia was never downstairs with the dogs during daycare time. She was always in her room with the door closed. I suppose it's possible that she went in her room each time she heard me coming, but sound carries very well in that house and I'm sure that I would have heard her moving. I would also have considered this discovery a coincidence had it not happened multiple times. My primary inspiration for making this review is the fact that the very last time it happened, while sitting on my couch reading, I heard a kerfuffle between the daycare dogs. It did not sound like a fight, just like the dogs getting rowdy. Eventually, things settled down. Shortly afterwards, I had to go upstairs and get my last load of laundry out of the dryer. While making my way through the sea of dogs, I noticed that one of them was now holding one of its front paws up and was wearing a plastic cone around its neck. I only observed the dog for a couple of minutes, but it was never once willing to be weight-bearing on that paw. I hope that the dog wasn't seriously injured. Even more so, I hope that this is the only time anything like that has ever happened to any dogs that have attended this daycare. And even more so than that, I still have hope that it all was a complete coincidence that the dogs were never being cared for when I made my trips up and down the stairs. To be transparent, Betsy and I did not have a positive dynamic as landlord-tenant. Interactions were never heated, but Betsy did tell me that she is a very sensitive person and perhaps her daughter is as well. She may have been encouraged/wanted to avoid me due to the tension between her mother and I, despite the fact that I was polite to Amelia each time I saw her and professional to her mother. Bowser's Best Buddy is far different from any dog daycare I have ever seen, and I've been taking my dogs to daycare for over fifteen years. It's basically akin to your dog being at home, hanging out with a group of friends, sometimes supervised and sometimes not, with a potty break or two sprinkled in. There are no cameras for pet parents to observe their pups. I've never considered taking my dog to a daycare that doesn't offer this and my observation here has cemented that requirement for any pet care provider we use.

I have been a client of Betsy and Bowser's Best Buddy for about 9 years, starting when I had one…read morecat, then two, then a puppy, and finally a second puppy who is now an amazing 3.5-year-old dog. I know that Betsy is partially to thank for the wonderful companion Gromit has become. Betsy is conscientious and communicative, and she is very connected to the pets in her care. She spends time training them in addition to getting them out to stretch their legs and go potty, and she adjusts her training and walks to fit the dog's needs and personality. When my pup boarded with Betsy, he was treated like family. If Gromit could write a review, he would say he loves Betsy and Amelia as much as he loves me, and he wouldn't hesitate to recommend Bowser's Best Buddy to all of his furry friends!

We contacted her after struggling to teach our newly re-homed 6 month old mini-Aussie (Essie) some…read moremanners. She is crazy smart, our dog, but also high energy and was bowling over the other (smaller) dogs. I thought I had a good handle on every-day dog training but I was mistaken! In a single lesson, I knew this was a great plan and worth every cent and every minute we spent working between lessons. More than that, though, she gave us suggestions and assistance with the other dogs, since they are part of the household and were part of Essie's needs. I 100% recommend this trainer and have no regrets at all.

I was checking around for someone to train my GSD, Fifi, and was lucky enough to discover PAVLOV…read moreDog Training of PDX. Our initial interactions were professional, informative and comforting. Fifi and I were matched with Meredith. Together we chose the Board and Train Camp which included on-leash obedience level 1 and off-leash obedience 2. Meredith is a highly skilled dog trainer with impressive credentials. She has some kinda magical powers over dogs. But, what I liked most is she understood my Fifi's personality and capabilities. . I knew Fifi was in good hands and would be safe during her time away from me. Fifi was returned to me with a solid, SOLID, set of skills. She also is confident, brave and excited to join my daily excursions. We are able to understand each other's language and now we work together very easily. We are very grateful for Meredith's magic !

We love Brianna! So far, she's watched my dog about six times over the past year. She's always…read morefriendly, easy to work with, and is flexible and reliable. Most importantly, my dog loves her - I never have to worry about him when he's with her.

Brianna is easy and flexible to work with. She sends me pictures of Sandy my pug during her stays…read more I've brought my pug to Brianna quite a few times.

I have a 5 year old Greyhound who broke her hind leg racing on the track. Bo's leg never quite…read morehealed right so I've always been concerned of another injury. So, I decided to try doggie massage!! I've had massages myself and know the healing powers and wanted Bo to have the same experience. Lisa is so amazing and professional. She is very gentle and, makes Bo very comfortable and at home. When the massage starts it doesn't take long before Bo closes her eyes and relaxes completely. I think she almost fell asleep once! I of course notice a difference in Bo afterwards too, she is soooo happy and doesn't want to leave! I love how Lisa writes a massage report afterwards too and goes over all the details and lets me know if Bo has any tender spots. Lisa has an undeniable talent with animals and a gentle, healing touch that is evident when Bo starts drooling (during the massage). Bo says "Thank You!"

I have a dog with special needs, and I initially wanted to work with Lisa to see if maybe some…read moretherapy could help with her issues. Lisa was understanding and willing to work with me. We have been working together for months now, and I am very happy with how our arrangement has turned out and evolved over time. Lisa is knowledgeable and professional; she pays attention to detail, and is responsive with communication. Lisa provides a lot of detailed information about our sessions, which I have found to be useful and interesting. I look forward to working with Lisa for a long time to come!

We have been using Valley View since we got our Rottweiler puppy. Her behavior, while challenging,…read moreis much better. Lynette is a very good trainer, she's good with all of the dogs. She's good at explaining what she is doing and why she's doing it. She has a good understanding of dog behavior given that she had over 30 years of training experience. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for training for their dogs.

Mr. Pinecone has been working with valley view since he was 6 months old. This class has created a…read morewonderful base to support healthy, strong relationship with our pup. Training him (and our family ) so we can have a well behaved pup ! Lynette has been great at supporting us through the bumps and questions as we navigate Mario Pinecone becoming a distinguished gentleman.

After a cross-country drive from Texas to Oregon, I knew my dog had to be feeling stiff and…read morecramped--she had just spent a week curled up in the front seat without room to stretch, aside from short breaks and hotel stays. I knew she could benefit from a massage, and I wanted to support her comfort as best I could while we're here in Oregon. That's how I found Very Important Pooch and reached out to Lela. Oregon law requires a veterinary referral before a practitioner can legally provide massage therapy for dogs. As someone just visiting--and from Texas, which has nearly identical restrictions--I know firsthand the time and cost realities of that barrier. Coordinating with my vet back home would mean multiple appointments at $$$ each, paperwork, delays, and a series of uneducated questions about a modality I'm not credentialed in--because the barrier places the authority to "approve" massage in the hands of someone who, based on vet school curriculum analysis, is among the least qualified to assess it. And of course, I'm not certified either--and I don't believe Lela should be required to donate free hours just to convince someone who is supposed to be an expert in my dog's health but lacks even the basic hours of education in this field. Lela is already highly trained and certified to do what I believe in--and what I'd argue most of us already know is foundationally sound care. Veterinary programs I've researched devote a tiny fraction of their total hours to massage, chiropractic care, or even nutrition--often just 1-2 credits in a 4,000+ hour curriculum. That's less than 0.1% of their training. Yet those graduates become the legal gatekeepers to my pup's health and comfort. So instead of pushing up against that mismatch, I asked Lela if she could teach me directly. She met that request with professionalism and warmth. We scheduled an appointment, and I found myself becoming vigilant in watching my pup--so I could begin learning. She helped me start the session by focusing and centering, and it only got better from there. She used my own arm to demonstrate how much pressure to apply--something I never could've learned through a screen. I felt grounded in the learning and empowered to work with my dog. I bounced all over the place with questions, and she supported my learning style with grace. And it worked! My pup visibly softened under my hands, and this morning, she genuinely seems looser, more comfortable, and has more pep in her step. I've already booked another session for next week. Whether you're a local pursuing a vet referral or a visitor wanting to learn, I highly recommend working with Lela. She honors the law without compromising education--and she empowered me in the process. Oh, and tell her Paws and J sent you :-)

Lela is the best! My dog is medium-high activity level and he's eight now so I go to her to keep…read morehim healthy and able to enjoy the running around and spinning he loves so much. You can really see the difference and it's good to know I'm doing everything I can for him. Lela is so sweet and mellow and my dog gets really happy every time he hears her car pull up.

Plucky Puppy has been a lifesaver for me and my partner. Recently, we spontaneously adopted two…read morelabradoodle sisters from the same litter. After the fact, we got warned to spend a lot of time socializing them and training them separately if we didn't want them to develop a littermate syndrome. So, I loaded up on puppy socials, booking every social I could get my hands on at Wonder Puppy and Plucky Puppy. I booked over 35 socials for both of them to attend separately between the ages of 8 and 20 weeks. We also signed up for Plucky Puppy's Kinderpuppy class, and have hired the owner Katrin to board and train each puppy separately in her house one day a week per puppy for a couple of months. This review is for all 3 services we use: 1) Puppy Socials, 2) Private Training with Katrin and 3) Kinderpuppy School. I would rate Puppy Socials as 10/10, the private training with Katrin as 10/10 and the School as 8/10. Below is a breakdown of each service. Puppy Socials (10/10): I like them better than the other socials we go to because they involve the owners and teach the owners how to recognize and attune to the behavior and needs of their dog and understand the body language of all dogs involved in the activity. I really like the clear instructions for the owners and the constant narration the trainers are doing with the dogs as the dogs play. Other companies' socials have the owners step outside and look through a window, which is far less engaged and informative. Private Training with Katrin (10/10): I see a huge difference in each dog at the end of their training day with Katrin. They've learned so much we wouldn't have been able to teach them because 1) we're first time puppy owners and 2) we have two of them, which makes it extra challenging to train each if you don't know what they're doing. Katrin also spent time training our family with the two dogs present and working on separating the dogs into different room crates (we have them in separate crates but same room at home for the time being - working towards separating their crates into different rooms). Honestly, if our dogs keep up the trend of being good, sweet and trained dogs, it will all be because of Katrin. She's a life-saver. We are constantly getting compliments on how good our dogs are. Katrin also sends us multiple videos of each day's training and I love how she spends time socializing the dogs to different environments. Her kids love being part of the dog training, so we're getting a whole family involved in their care, which is amazing! Kinderpuppy School (8/10): Great training for dog parents and understanding how to communicate with your puppy and really attune to their needs, body language and emotions. Very hands on and interactive. The only reason I dinged the score a bit is that in the first few classes our school trainer waits for the late comers to arrive before starting class, which wastes valuable puppy attention span and fills up their belly with treats while they wait. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and attentive and I've already given them the feedback about starting on time and not waiting for people who are late, so I am hopeful this issue will be fixed going forward.

We (me, my husband, and our monster Buttons) adore Joanna at Plucky Puppy. She is a saint and so…read moreincredible to work with. Buttons has his fair share of issues (don't we all?) but her faith in his potential really helps me when it's an extra borky day. Her expert guidance has totally defined how we go about our day-to-day with him and she is always there to be our cheerleader or give me pointers when needed. And the fact that Plucky Puppy can take him in for a board and train makes everything so much easier when we need to travel-we know he is going to the best finishing school around.

My Belgian Malinois--German Shepherd dog and I worked with Poppy for about 6 months. I cannot…read morerecommend Poppy and Instinct enough! My pup has been dealing with reactivity towards strangers and dogs since I rescued her. Since our time spent with Poppy, I have had family and friends tell me she is a completely different dog. Poppy was incredibly patient with us and very attentive (plus my pup absolutely loved her). She aimed to understand our goals, ensured they were realistic for us and and helped us make great strides towards them. I also very much appreciated how empathetic and kind Poppy was when offering feedback. I learned a lot of effective strategies and tactics to help redirect my dog and give her alternative behaviors to choose. Poppy was right there with us celebrating every little milestone along the way. :) We are both now significantly more relaxed when we go out into the world. Poppy truly had an impact on our day-to-day life.

Poppy watched the dog for a bit and based her training on their actions. The dogs responded so well…read moreshe was excited on their progress. I loved the way she treated the dogs and taught me things to improve their barking.