Brittany helped us do an incredible 180 with our two adopted dogs, which has, without exaggeration,…read moreimproved the overall quality of our life. Five weeks ago, we couldn't let visitors into our home through the front door, walk past other dogs, or be in-the-midst of little ones without major stress for both dogs and humans alike. Fast forward to now, and our dog-reactive pup can pass other dogs on walks with minimal (and occasionally, no) reaction; our kid-fearful pup can hang out near the chaos of little ones playing at the park without stressing out; and we can do introductions with guests visiting our home that don't make us dread having visitors. Prior to Brittany's help, I hadn't walked one of the two in more than a year because the experience was always so stressful. Now, I'm proud every time he turns to me for cues and reassurance as we go on more confident walks together. Our training experience with Brittany really strengthened our trust of, and bond with, both dogs. Like I said, life-changing. Here's what we loved most about working with her: 1. She genuinely cares about our dogs and treated them like she'd treat her own fur-child. It put all of us at ease. 2. She does 100% positive reinforcement behavior training, so we knew (and believed in) her methodology. 3. She customized the training plan for our dogs. We got to pick our top priorities, and she chose the specific activities that would help us and our fur-children accomplish those goals. I could go on and on... we're just so thankful we found her. Thank you so much, Brittany!

Brittany ROCKS! If you need positive reinforcement in your life (with your pups), I highly…read morerecommend calling Brittany and Dances With Dogs. Her training and patience will change your pup(s) and your relationship/interaction with him/her. She is life-changing. Call her now!

My pit bull and I have been working with Academy for 6 months with much success. I adopted her from…read morea shelter, and she was reactive to others dogs and pulled one the leash. The biggest problem was her strong prey drive, as I have a cat! I found the individual and group classes, taught by Kranti and Tiara, clear and flexible. I practiced the homework easily during her daily walks, and they supported me with extra help when I needed it. Now my pit bill and cat co-existing in peace and harmony. Pit bull has improved 100% with her impulse control on walks/squirrels/cats, and I feel closer then ever to her. It was well worth the time and money.

Haywood has become a part of my life over the last 25 years, as he has trained my first Rottweiler…read moreMenace and then my next two Rottweilers Raekwon and GhostFace, my first Boerboel Osiris and now currently my two boerboel puppies The RZA and The GZA/Genius. He and his staff do an incredible job of building rapport with dogs and owners and work to meet your individual needs. Whether it's socializing or ridding your dog if undesirable behaviors they have the answer for you. I wouldn't even think about taking my dogs anywhere else. They are thorough and efficient and over the years I have participated in all different level classes. And with my new pups, we will be doing everything!!! Currently we have finished our puppy classes and they are scheduled to board in October for the daily training sessions. We are so looking forward to having our puppies demonstrate more maturity and follow commands the first time given. I absolutely love Haywood and Jason (son) and the rest of the staff, they're absolutely awesome. If you're looking for a place that will show you and your pup, love and respect go to Academy dog Training by Haywood and you will not be disappointed. It may cost a little more than some other places, but I will soon have 2, 200 pound dogs and I need them to follow directions when something goes awry. With Haywood's foundation, I'm confident my dogs will meet all expectations in the moment.

Joyce is an excellent trainer who helped my dog that was pulling on the leash and struggled to pay…read moreattention or calm down in exciting environments. I cannot recommend her enough!

My husband and I were referred to Joyce Loebig when our vet suggested we find a dog trainer…read morecertified in the Karen Pryor method of clicker training. We found her simply through an online search on the Karen Pryor site, and we uncovered a gem of a trainer. Joyce came to our home in Cleveland Park to train Bailey. We found Joyce to be effective, thorough, and a delight to be around. She has a very calm, sincere vibe about her, and a great sense of humor. She also was not self-serious, and really approached dog training in a playful, but very effective manner that set us at ease as we began to train Bailey. Joyce worked with us to teach us the clicker training method, which reinforces a dog's good behavior by clicking and handheld clicker then providing a treat to the dog. We worked on 'touch' and 'sit' during the first session, and also our dog's small dog syndrome, where our dog barked loudly at other dogs while on leash and also our cat in our home. The clicker/positive training method is especially effective for our dog, who is still gaining self-confidence after a being rescued by Rural Dog Rescue from a high kill shelter, and then enduring months of different places to live, as she was transferred between her NC foster family to a local doggy daycare, then our home. Bailey's behavior is a work in progress, and we continue to work with Joyce, but we moved in the right direction during our session. And she managed our expectations about the pace of progress, which was important. Joyce sent us a thorough follow up email and was candid and upfront about pricing, and other dog training options. Joyce will also train your dog in your home while you work, which I think is a huge positive for DC's long work hours. She is extremely positive and professional, and I would highly recommend her.

Ridgeside helped fix a problem rescue more than two years ago. They've been a home away from home…read morefor my fur babies ever since.

Brandi and Perry did an awesome job training our 10-month-old mini bernedoodle. She is a pleasure…read moreto be around now. The e-collar training is absolutely life-changing. I wish I had done this sooner- it would have saved me from a lot of stress and aggravation. Communication with Brandi was awesome. She was always quick to respond and gave us updates with pictures everyday. It's definitely a worthwhile investment to have an exceptional companion for the next 15+ years!

Gabriela is extraordinarily knowledgeable, thoughtful, and encouraging. She knows everything there…read moreis to know about dogs and dog training, and she is generous with her time and expertise. She really helped us with our new rescue dog and gave us the tools we need to continue to help him in the future! We're grateful to Gabriela and will be going back to her if challenges pop up in the future!

I read numerous great reviews online for Gabriela before hiring her and here's another one to add…read moreto the list! She is clearly extremely knowledgeable about dogs and prepared with tons of resources and suggestions for each situation you discuss or encounter. She is also very, very encouraging, which honestly I really needed because I was really distressed and worried about our dog's behavior. Our dog was reactive with other people after the isolation of the pandemic. With Gabriela, we learned so many new training techniques and our dog learned tons of new skills. She's like a new dog after our 4 sessions, and she is doing great with other people now. Gabriela is obviously very passionate about her work and loves to help dogs improve and be happier and more comfortable with whatever situations trouble them.

My dogs have achieved many obedience, rally, FCAT and Master Agility titles…read more Dog training takes consistent practice and dedication. Obedience is the backbone of all Canine Sports. The Facility is clean, air conditioned, heated. New flooring was installed 2 yrs ago . Recording security cameras are in the facility Classes are kept to a workable size. Instructors are knowledgeable.

If I could leave less than one star I would…read more Signed my granddaughter up for an agility class. Six weeks into the ten-week class, after 10:00 p.m. on a Friday night, they tell us our dog cannot participate in two agility activities they will be teaching without a vet sign-off. I understood the abundance of caution. And then two weeks later, just before our appointment at the vet, our pup went into her season and she could not attend the last two classes. We tried sending my daughter with my granddaughter so they could watch the last class, but the instructor was very rude to her and basically let her know they were not welcome to observe, even though we had paid to attend. The class ended, and we wanted to continue forward with agility, but the trainers refused us, reiterating we would need a vet sign-off and no, they won't hold a spot for us. And just now I received Ann email basically saying we're no longer welcome in their club, because I have a "tone and tenor" about their "reasonable request." A, I never once said I didn't think the request was reasonable, and B, as the class does not begin until January that gives us plenty of time to get to the vet for a sign-off. Very unprofessional, inconsiderate, rude, I can go on...

We had a great experience with the basic obedience class! The instructions were really clear and…read morethe lessons moved quickly enough that my dog stayed engaged the whole time. I'm already seeing improvement in her recall when we're at the park! Highly recommend these trainers and will be back for more classes.

Classes are great. Staff is wonderful. I had a few follow…read moreup questions and received a comprehensive response that was pages long.

Lisa came to meet Saba, our newly adopted lab puppy. She gave us some great tips for teaching her…read morehow to behave and how to train her to walk on lead. Lisa was great at empathizing with and understanding Saba, and helping to address Saba's anxieties.

Lisa is a wonderful dog trainer. She quickly helped us identify the root causes of some behavioral…read moreissues we were having and made a plan to nip them in the bud. And it worked!

A big thank you to Jessica at Urban Canine for her help with our new pup. I was AMAZED at the…read morethings she could get our dog to do in just a few minutes, and all of it well explained so we could continue practicing at home. After our sessions, there was follow up with helpful links to articles to read, toys and treats that our dog might find motivating and general checking in to see how we were progressing. The training style is gentle and natural, the focus is on getting our dog to behave because of positive motivation. I am sure that most dog owners can attest to those moments when you just want to yell at a dog to get their attention, but we also can all agree that it rarely actually works. Jessica helped show us other methods for teaching our dog and they really help to keep us calm and give us viable alternatives that WORK!

So happy I recommended Jessica to my client who bought a new puppy! However, this happy family had…read moreno canine experience. While all three generations in this puppy's household adore her; they are very grateful for house training help from Jessica, along with her insightful education of new dog owners, her gentle training methods, her connections to helpful vendors and services in the area, and so much more! I can highly recommend Urban Canine!

We have used One Leg Up for several years for our dog Elliot and he's received great care. We have…read moreused them for daily walks and playgroup and our dog loves it. It's so cute that they pick them up in a big yellow van to take the dogs to playgroup. We have also used the pet sitting service for one week and were satisfied. We get daily photos of our dog when he's with his dog walker and their new system is great. We get alerts when he's picked up and dropped off and can pay online. I've recommended Krissy and One Leg Up to many neighbors. Our dog is only 10 pounds and we have no issues with him around larger dogs since they're vetted to make sure they have a good temperament.

The only boarding facility I trust in DC. Spacious play yards, conscientious management, high…read morestaff to pet ratio. The owner herself visits clients at their homes for the initial meet and greet. Unlike most daycares, they can handle my high-drive shepherd and treat her with care and affection.