Essential Canine offers both indoors, outdoors, and private classes. I met Hitchcock…read moreserendipitously through her family, who still live in Forest Park, where I also reside. I was walking my vivacious puppy, Duke, and noticed that the woman passing by had a really calm dog, who happened to also be around Duke's age. The woman turned out to be Hitchcock's daughter; I mentioned I was looking for puppy training; and the rest is history! Duke and I first took private lessons with Hitchcock at our home, to learn the basics of loose-leash walking. The first couple of weeks after adopting Duke, I was about to go crazy, because he was such a puller while walking. Within the first lesson, I started to regain my sanity--and dignity! I knew Essential Canine was going to be my new best friend in training Duke to be a good little pup. Since then, we've taken multiple training sessions, both indoor and outdoors, with Essential Canine. I recommend graduating from private lessons at home, where there is less distraction, to basic obedience classes hosted in the training ring at Dave's Soda and Pet Food City in Agawam. Going to a foreign location to your dog increases distraction--shoppers, toys, new scents, and even Hitchcock's own dog--offer up new challenges to overcome. This summer, Duke and I also graduated from Essential Canine's Group Obedience Class, which takes place in the picturesque Hilltop Farm in Suffield, CT. We joined a class of similarly-aged puppies who were in need of group distraction, like us. Duke, per usual, was an energy ball, but Hitchcock gave me specific techniques for working with his high energy. "You've gotta be more exciting than everything else around" was one of the nuggets I've taken with me. If he's excited by the other dogs, I just act a buffoon and redirect his attention! I also learned that he's highly treat-motivated and will do just about anything for chicken or cheese. The thing that stands out about Essential Canine, and Hitchcock as a canine massage therapist and trainer, is that she really works to customize the training experience for each dog/human team.

Amazing trainer!! She is so experienced, and deeply understands dogs. She gave me great practical…read moretips to train my rescue :) I love that she was able to tailor her training to approach my dog.

Great experience for us with our two dogs. It has taken some time, but we have been able to…read morecorrect many behaviors with Ashley's help. She taught us the proper way to use collars safely as well as other equipment for our walks. With her help we have learned to become the alpha in the household. Their reactivity is so much better now. I can feel confident I can control them in any situation.

Ashley is such an amazing trainer. She is so knowledgeable and really shows her passion for dogs…read morethrough her sessions. She knew exactly how to help me and my 3 year old Shiba Inu to address his resource guarding and reactivity. Ashley helped me to understand the different tools to use & how to implement them effectively and safely. I have seen such tremendous progress after our 6 sessions, and I am so grateful for the work she did with us. She told me the first day I met her that she would help us and that we would fix the issues. She gave me hope when so many other trainers turned me away just based off his breed. I 100% support and recommend her services!

Absolutely love the staff at the dog shop!…read more I bring 3 of my dogs here. One for grooming and the others for daycare! All the staff has been extremely nice and loving the 2 years I have been bringing them here! Haircuts always come out exactly the way I want them too and I always have happy tired pups when I pick them up from daycare! I always recommend them to friends, family, even strangers who are looking for these services! Thank you guys for always treating my guys like your own!

Sent this is an email to The Dog Shop. No response. Does not speak well to their customer response:…read more "Sad to say I had an unpleasant experience at The Dog Shop Wednesday morning around 10. It had been a while since our four-year-old dachshund had been there for daycare, and I wanted to see how she would react. No worries there. She was thrilled to be back and obviously remembered it. The unpleasant part? The young woman at the desk was curt and uninformative. She reluctantly answered questions. Said she did not know how many pups were in the small dog room. Finally, without a smile, she did say coldly she'd put us on the list. Cheesch!" I would also add they are very hard to reach by phone during the day.

This is by far the best place to bring your dog. Not only are they experts on dog behavior and…read moretraining, but they will truly go an extra mile to prioritize your dog's specific needs. Sergio's love and passion for animals is very evident, as well as the staff that accompany him at K-9 & Pets Training Center. They are creative in their programming and will take the time to know you and your dog's needs to ensure their success. I am impressed with their professionalism and generosity. We love the family of staff at K-9 & Pets! - Carissa, Milo & Morchella

If you are looking for quality dog training or doggy daycare this is absolutely the best place to…read morego! Sergio and Rocio and their team are second to none! I call it my girl Ivy's home away from home, she loves them and being there! She started with them when she was about 13 weeks old doing puppy boot camp then daycare. They care for each pup as if they were their own. Go check them out you will love them too and so will your pup.

We had our first session with Scot today and it was extremely helpful and informative. We saw our…read moreAmerican Bully respond positive to his direction right away and we addressed some issues that have been very concerning for us. He taught us how to effectively communicate with our dog and I feel very optimistic that we will have an even better relationship with our dog now.

Scott was good to work with. He put things into terms that we humans can understand and he…read moreconnected very easily with my Neuro divergent son, which I had some concerns, about if someone was going to be able to,..... but my son picked it up beautifully. Scott in very matter of fact, very black-and-white terms, which was very helpfu! And our dog is kind of scary. She's a biter and I think with Scott's help we may be able to end that and repair the way we look at our dog and our dog looks at us. I'm looking forward to seeing how things progress with our dog. Thanks for the help Scott.

My mom has a Yorkie and I like to get him groomed when I'm in town and this is where I always bring…read morehim. This particular Petco location came highly recommended by his vet who said that they do a good job at this location, and I have to say she was totally right. I can't speak to other Petco locations and since I already know what I'm going to get here I don't need to bring him anywhere else.

First time dog owner Went to Vetco…read moreWas told heartworm Script would be emailed Never got it Called them and they said they'd email it. They sent a text with a link.. Didn't print the script fast enough Link disappeared Now o havta call back again Wtf!!!!!!!

‼PSA‼ only take your animal to this facility if it is a perfect outstanding animal…read more On June 2, 2026, I contacted Dakin Humane Society in Springfield MA about surrendering my dog and was told someone would follow up after I completed their intake paperwork. After reviewing my dog's information, including her anxiety medication and use of a muzzle during vet visits, a staff member called me on June 4 and reassured me multiple times that Dakin could accommodate her. I specifically asked whether they had space for her and whether her anxiety would be an issue, and I was told they would work with her and that euthanasia would not be necessary based on her file. They even made a special exception to schedule the surrender on Saturday, June 6. After my best friend drove my dog and I two hours to the facility, the staff member Lauren is who we met & She immediately focused on my dog's muzzle and informed me that if I surrendered her, she WOULD be euthanized because a "dog requiring a muzzle and medication for vet visits would not do well in this kind of environment." She stated that whoever had previously approved the surrender should have informed me of this sooner. When I asked if we could be present if euthanasia occurred, I was told no and was also told her body would not be released to me for cremation. She also mentioned that they call muzzles "party hats" so it seems to me that they do utilize muzzles at their facility. Throughout the interaction, my dog remained calm, approached Lauren willingly, and showed friendly interest despite being anxious. Lauren refused to interact with my dog. Feeling misled after receiving repeated assurances that Dakin could help her, I chose not to surrender my dog and told Lauren to go F herself & that they could all go F themselves. I believe Dakin has behavioral standards even though I was given multiple reassurances over several days, had my best friend drive my dog and I two hours based on those assurances, and then received completely different information upon arrival. After getting home I read more reviews of this place and they have MULTIPLE stating that they're KILLING and turning away animals because they don't fit their adoption standards.

I emailed this place in need of help when I was given five cats suddenly with the female pregnant…read morealready . All. I asked was for help with supplies , litter or an extra litter box, kitten supplies anything that could help me keep momma and the babies comfortable while keeping my boys busy and satisfied . They in return told me they could not help with supplies and directed me to their STORE ! They then informed me that I would have to keep all kittens and Mom until they were 7 weeks and THEN SURRENDER THEM AND MOM TO THEIR OFFICE ! So I would essentially do all of the hard work while they would only have to get them adopted out ! Ridiculous thatt i cant even look to my own local animal shelter for resources or help !

Dave is amazing - hands-down the best dog trainer we've worked with. We sent our 5-month-old puppy…read moreto him for a 3-week board-and-train, and the transformation was incredible -- but what really stood out was how much compassion and tenderness he brings to the work. Our pup came home calm, settled, and so much more confident. Dave sent us videos throughout the three weeks, which made the separation so much easier on us. And instead of just training our dog, he taught us a shared language we could use to communicate with her -- that's what made the training actually stick. We found Dave through friends, and honestly, the value went well beyond the price. His own dog, Wispr, says it all -- Dave is fully devoted to giving dogs and their people the best possible relationship. He's still a resource for us now as we keep the training going. Cannot recommend him enough.

Dave is fantastic dog  trainer!  He trained our 6 month old Cockapoo and we are thrilled with the…read moreresults!  We appreciated the videos of the commands that  were taught and the time Dave spent making sure we understood how to use them. We also appreciated Dave's willingness to answer questions after the training as things came up. We can't recommend him highly enough!

The BEST trainer for my dog Phoebe who struggles with anxiety, reactivity, and aggression towards…read morepeople/dogs. Not only did she transform Phoebe into a more confident girly, she boosted my confidence in handling her. Ang came into my life when I was really struggling with my dog. I truly don't know what I would have done without her!

I was originally nervous to do a board and train because my dog is like my child. However, I've…read moreknown Angela since high school so I was able to trust that my Doberman would be safe and cared for. I rescued my dog around 6-7 months old. Adopting him at this age meant he already had some ingrained bad behaviors that were hard to break. Angela was able to come up with a training plan that not only addressed my dogs issues but also my own issues/fears. She really made the process comfortable for both of us. Thanks to Angela's expertise and patience, my Doberman and I are now able to accomplish so much more together.