My girlfriend and I have been working with Jenina at Smart Paws for a month based on a glowing…read morerecommendation from our neighbor who worked with her. Jenina is outstanding. She is a detailed, positive dog trainer, who is also great at training us, on how to properly walk our dog Charlie. He had issues barking at other dogs and thanks to her he is becoming more calm and we have learned how to work with him to curb his behavior. It has come to our attention that there is another dog trainer in the area who got a similar company name to Jenina and he is awful. Some of the criticism of him has been accidently hurtled at Jenina. This is truly unfortunate for her and I hope the facts come to light!

This review is LOOOONNNGGGGG overdue. I had gotten a Shiba Inu puppy 3 years ago that had to be…read morehospitalized due to Parvo the next day. Then, once he recovered from that, had a fever that almost killed him and had to be hospitalized again. We had to keep him quarantined for a while and away from my other dog (a 7 year old Pomeranian at the time) and get all his vaccinations from the beginning. He was scared of literally every single noise and had anxiety about just about everything. Over time, he developed extreme food aggression and we were worried for the safety of my little Pom. He had been attacked a few times to the point of actual injury and it was extremely stressful for everyone. I was at my wits end and I felt like I had tried everything to help Gunnar (my Shiba) and protect Simba (my Pom). I did a lot of research and stumbled upon Jenina and sent her a message for private sessions where she would come to my apartment once a week. I believe I only used her for a little over a month but I am eternally grateful. The level of aggression Gunnar displayed was so dangerous that my roommate and I actually have been bitten with blood trying to protect Simba from harm where food is involved. The issue was that he wasn't aggressive with all foods and we were unaware the extent until it was too late (ex. we thought it was only wet food so we were giving a chew stick to them separately where I would have Simba sitting next to me on the couch and Gunnar would be on the floor away from Simba with my roommate and the switch was so sudden----from sweet to seemingly no warning lunging at Simba----I stuck my leg out to protect Simba and he bit my leg instead). I feel like at this point, a regular human being would give Gunnar up, but that wasn't an option. It wasn't an option when he came to me dying from Parvo, it wasn't an option when he had an almost fatal fever, and it wasn't going to be an option for me now. I was determined to find a way to help him because he is my baby and my responsibility. The vet suggested I contact a behavioral specialist and when I did, VCA told me the earliest appointment they had was months later. Fed up with waiting, I found Jenina. In a month's time, she had given me the tools to fix a seemingly impossible situation. Make no mistake---she made me work for it. She might come across brash to some people but she is very direct and straight to the point. She doesn't coddle you and makes sure she lets you know what you need to do because while the session is for dogs, it is actually more like training the parent. She gives you "homework" and training info and is only willing to help you if YOU do the work. Now, it wasn't a complete fix. He still has anxiety outdoors or unknown noises as well as food aggression but it is nowhere near what he used to be. Before Jenina, Gunnar couldn't even take a step outside the apartment building let alone go for a walk. Three years later, Simba has sadly since passed but he has a little brother that he is extremely patient with as he acts like a typical annoying little brother), his food aggression has gone down from 100 to 30, and we go out to all sorts of places. He is THRIVING and this is all thanks to Jenina. My roommate and I are on high alert and know what to look for in terms of triggers and are very quick to de-escalate aggression situations. We try our best not to avoid known triggers and we work with him every day to allow him to be his best self. He is the sweetest boy and we are so glad he's been able to show it instead of being overshadowed by aggression and anxiety. She also gave Gunnar his nickname---Gunny! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I am so sorry it took this long to leave this review but thank you so much for saving us. If we had listened to the VCA behavioral specialist that basically called Gunnar a monster and suggested we give him up, he probably would have been euthanized somewhere. We owe you so much.

Mikel is an awesome trainer within the Karma Dog system. He was always on time, went above and…read morebeyond, and really took a nuanced approach to your dog ensuring that your dog was receiving the personal training it needs. He provided us with strategies to help her walking etiquette, jumping/over excitement when people entered the home, and how to have them be okay at restaurants or busier public areas. If you are in the LA area, I would highly recommend asking/hiring him.

We truly cannot say enough amazing things about Kelli! Our Australian Shepherd, Briggs, has been…read moretraining with her for the past month, spending five days a week with her and coming home to us on the weekends, and the difference we've seen in him has been incredible. His behavior, manners, and overall demeanor at home have improved so much, and we feel like we have learned a ton along the way too. Beyond being an amazing trainer, what has meant the most to us is how much Kelli genuinely cares about Briggs. She treats him like he's her own, and any time he has had even the smallest health issue, she is always the first to check in, follow up, and make sure he's doing okay. It gives us so much peace of mind knowing he is with someone we completely trust and who truly loves and cares for him. Kelli has been so lovely to work with, and we feel incredibly lucky to have found her. We would recommend her to anyone looking for someone who is not only an incredible dog trainer, but someone who genuinely cares about the dogs she works with. It also helps that Briggs absolutely loves her!

One of the biggest things I got out of Luna's training at K9 Logic was actually learning how to…read moreproperly use the e-collar I already owned. I had purchased one before starting training, but I basically stopped using it because I wasn't confident that I understood how or when to use it appropriately. Through Luna's training, I learned what the different options are for, when to use them, and how to incorporate the collar into our communication rather than just randomly pushing buttons and hoping for the best. I now feel completely comfortable using it, which has made a huge difference in my confidence handling Luna. That was especially important because Luna is deaf and has struggled with fear and reactivity. The e-collar has become an incredibly useful communication tool for us, and I love that I now understand how to use it correctly. Luna herself has also made very noticeable progress. She seems less anxious and fearful around unfamiliar people and much less like she immediately needs to go into defense mode. She still has more work ahead of her, but K9 Logic gave both of us a much stronger foundation to continue building on.

I enrolled my four-month-old mini poodle, in this training program after a very positive initial…read morecall and good communication with the staff. Unfortunately, my experience once training began left me uncomfortable, and I decided to withdraw him after two sessions. When I arrived for the first session, I was surprised to find that the training facility was a private residence. Everything took place outside at the front gate, and I was not given a tour, a clear explanation of the setup, or much of a welcome. I was expected to hand my puppy to a staff member I had never met, who would place him in a kennel until his training began. Since this was my first time leaving him with strangers, the lack of an introduction or information about where he would be staying made me uneasy. I had been instructed not to feed Fumi dinner the night before or breakfast that morning, so I packed his food and treats with the understanding that they would feed him or use his food during training. When I picked him up around 4:00 p.m., I discovered that none of his food had been opened or touched. Because he was only four months old and had not eaten since the previous day, this was extremely upsetting. I was told that he had received plenty of treats, and a manager later called to apologize, but the experience still left me concerned about leaving him in their care. I was also handed training tools without being clearly reminded that I would be charged separately for them. I later received a text with the bill and was told that the cost had been included in the contract. I would encourage future clients to review those additional charges carefully and ask whether they can purchase the tools themselves, as similar items may be available elsewhere for less. Sasha, the trainer, was very kind, and I appreciate the manager reaching out to apologize. However, between the feeding incident, the overall drop-off experience, the unexpected equipment charges, and not seeing improvement after two sessions, I ultimately did not feel that this program was the right fit for me or my puppy.

Brad was amazing. We have a 2 year old Corgi who is a very sweet boy but he would be very reactive…read moretowards other dogs and would always eat things off the ground. Walks became so stressful, and we tried every thing we could think of to fix it. Brad was able to teach us his methods within 30 minutes, and within the first week his behavior was a complete 180! Cant recommend him enough.

I genuinely can't recommend Brad highly enough. By the time…read moreI reached out, I had already spent months trying to fix Sunny's leash pulling and reactivity. I'd worked with two trainers, including a 3 week board-and-train program ($5,000 investment), followed every instruction, and practiced daily, yet I didn't see changes. I was managing the behavior without ever understanding what was causing it. That changed within the first two hours with Brad. He didn't start with commands or tools. Instead, he focused on the psychology behind Sunny's reactions: what was driving them, what was reinforcing them, and what I was unknowingly communicating. No one had ever explained it that clearly. That was the turning point. For the first time, I wasn't guessing or correcting blindly. I could see what Sunny was experiencing in real time and understand how my timing, energy, and responses were shaping his behavior. That clarity changed everything. Walks feel completely different now. Sunny is no longer pulls since my training with Brad, the reactive outbursts are gone, and the experience itself is calm. I'm no longer bracing for problems because I know how to prevent them. I am SO appreciative!

Westside GSD Rescue is a remarkable and inspiring organization. We have adopted 2 Westside dogs,…read morethe first, a GSD that came to us by way of a sister organization close to us in Oregon, and the second, a GSD-Mal mix that we adopted recently from Westside following the loss of our precious GSD boy in June. Both dogs we adopted were/are absolute jewels; healthy, happy, and obviously well-cared for. With limited, private and volunteer resources, dogs are NOT accepted to the shelter willy-nilly, but based on their temperament and adopt-ability; and once in the shelter, if a dog is not adopted, it is assured a full life. This is not a "pound," but more a sanctuary for adoptable dogs with GSD genes. As such, it's not someplace you can just "dump" your pup. Potential adopters are vetted base on their home environment, experience with dogs, and commitment to to provide a safe, caring home. The adoption process, which includes evaluation of both dogs and potential adopters in order to assure a "good fit," is thorough and reasonable. They want adopters to be experienced and committed to integrating a dog into their family. I fully expect the negative reviews are all from either owners who want to "dump" their dog and resent being turned away or deservedly browbeaten, or from failed adopters who were denied a dog they wanted due to something questionable in their home environment. Westside's primary concern is the best interest of the dogs.

I have adopted from Westside German Shepherd Rescue before, so I came back to them knowing how it…read moreworks. This time the experience put me off entirely. We are an experienced German Shepherds owners (we had 5). I went through their website, picked out several dogs I was interested in, and sent the list. What came back was a note explaining why each one was wrong for me. When I said that bothered me, I got a longer email telling me I "just have to trust our judgment," along with a paragraph about the difference between a shelter and a rescue, copied to three other people at the rescue. I understand that matching matters and that they know their dogs better than I do from photographs. But the whole exchange was about what would not work for me, from people who have never met me, and the tone of it was more lecture than conversation. Being copied into a group email about my own complaint was the end of it for me. By that point I had no interest in making the trip.

When we adopted our 2- year old Akita/Husky/Shepherd), who was a shelter baby, we knew we needed…read morehelp getting him to acclimate to our family and our other dog. We also have a small dog (chi) at home and we were worried about how to get them to acclimate and live together peacefully. Spoiler: they are now besties! Help came in the form of Carrie! She is funny, (not only one of the funniest and KIND, humans we've ever met, but also extremely knowledgeable and professional. She spent hours with us at our first meeting and we learned SO much. A lot of dog training is about "human training" IMO, and the tools she gave us changed the game for us. Their approach is based on understanding how a dog thinks/behaves and adjusting oneself to the dog's pov. It is crazy how using the tools Carrie gave us worked and did so, fast! And there's always ongoing homework and tools to use to help correct behaviors as they come up. And that is on us to continue that work. We saw big improvements right away, Especially with our chihuahua, (because if you have a Chihuahua, you know they have a lot of personality packed in a tiny body with a lot of opinions) and the tools that she gave us helped us establish ourselves as the leaders of the pack. Carrie is really like a dog psychologist. She has an innate understanding of dogs and was able to translate a lot of the anxious behavior my dog was exhibiting and helped us to address it in a calm and gentle manner. He really responds to what we are asking of him (be calm/don't bark unnecessarily,etc. and makes a HUGE difference in the quality our lives. Additionally, a lot of the tools that she gave us helped our big (newer) dog to have more confidence and as a shelter dog, whose history was unknown, it has also been a game changer. He now can interact confidently with strangers, lives peacefully, with our little dog, and does not pull on the leash and responds to basic commands Overall, he seems very balanced. Through training with Bark Busters, we can see that our dog has more confidence and is more trusting with us and the result is a very happy dog... Moreover, as our dogs grow and evolve, we know that Carrie is always available to us by text, email and open to any visits we need as things come up. We feel that Bark busters was absolutely worth the investment and we will continue to use their services. Thank you Carrie and Pasha for explaining and helping us with our "kiddos."

We chose Bark Busters because of their promise that the high upfront cost was a lifetime…read moreinvestment. We were told we'd receive ongoing support, customized training, and help throughout our dog's life--even if our circumstances changed or we moved. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. When Henry was a puppy, we had one in-home training session and, if I remember correctly, one follow-up email much later. As he matured, he began developing some unexpected behavioral issues despite being neutered and having been a very friendly puppy. I reached out to our trainers, Paksha and the other trainer on our account, multiple times to schedule follow-up training that was included in the program. The biggest obstacle was scheduling. Appointments were only offered during the workweek for follow up. I had to reschedule once because of an emergency, and another time because I realized my husband should be present so we could both learn and consistently reinforce the training. I was told they would get back to me with weekend availability. They never did. That was months ago, and I never heard back. We paid thousands of dollars specifically because Bark Busters advertised lifetime support, but when we actually needed that support, it simply wasn't there. The contrast between Henry's training with Bark Busters and the excellent training we received years ago from a local Burbank trainer is significant. Charlie, our other dog- three years younger than Henry, has outstanding manners because of those sessions in group training. Henry never received the ongoing guidance that Bark Busters promised, and we're left feeling like we paid a premium price for a service that effectively ended after the initial visit. If you're considering Bark Busters because of the "lifetime support" promise, I would reconsider... For us, it did not live up to the expectations that were set when we signed up.

The amount of change that Dawit was able to do for my dog is a crazy amount. I'm not sure I'd be…read moreable to handle my dog without his help! My very alpha dog needed a lot of training and Dawit turned him into a more calm alpha dog who knows his place at home and in public. I'm so very thankful and cannot be more happy with how much of a good boy my dog is. As a first time dog carer, I've learned so much from Dawit and would definitely recommend his training to anyone.

Where do we even start? Our dog, Cooper, was adopted from a shelter after being surrendered twice…read more We quickly learned that he struggled with severe separation anxiety and couldn't be left alone. We became prisoners in our own home. We either had to take him everywhere with us or have one of us stay behind. It became a huge burden, and we found ourselves scheduling our entire lives around our dog. We decided to work with Dawit, and little by little, things started to improve. When we got Cooper back from training, he was like a completely different dog. He no longer pulled on the leash, was not reactive when he saw other dogs, his recall was amazing, and many of our typical worries disappeared. However, the separation anxiety still persisted. This is where Dawit truly deserves recognition. He never gave up on us or on Cooper. Our training journey probably lasted longer than most because of how severe Cooper's anxiety was, but Dawit went far beyond the typical follow-ups. Over the course of several months, the training sessions, check-ins, texts/videos, communication, and home visits finally paid off. There were times when I genuinely thought we'd never be able to return to a normal life, but our consistency combined with Dawit's continued support and new techniques made all the difference. Cooper can now stay home alone in his crate without issues. That being said, training only works if you put in the effort. We followed through with everything Dawit recommended, even when it was difficult or when we didn't see immediate results. It's easy to fall back into old habits or give up when progress feels slow, but perseverance truly pays off. Side note: Dawit is just an all-around great person who genuinely cares about what he does. Our dog absolutely adores him. We also love the boarding services he offers -- especially because Cooper comes home exercised and happy. Another huge plus is that Cooper is now off-leash certified, and we fully trust him to make good decisions. Yes, it can be costly, but it's an investment and honestly, I don't know another dog as well‑behaved as ours. I'm incredibly proud of the work it took to get here.

I was very anxious about my rescue dog because he would constantly pull on walks and was very…read morereactive toward other dogs and people. Raquel truly came to the rescue! I reached out to her very last minute, and after explaining my situation, she was incredibly understanding and was able to accommodate us right away. After just a couple of hours of training, I learned so much about how to better understand and communicate with my dog, Orion. The difference was honestly amazing--by the end of our session, he was walking so much better and no longer constantly pulling on the leash. Raquel was patient, knowledgeable, and took the time to explain not only what to do, but why certain techniques work. What I appreciated most was that she gave me more confidence as an owner and showed me how to continue reinforcing everything we learned at home. I already feel much less anxious taking Orion on walks and feel like I finally have the right tools to manage his behavior and reactivity. You can tell Raquel genuinely cares about the dogs she works with and wants both the dog and owner to succeed. I'm so grateful she was able to help us on such short notice, and I'm excited to continue working with her. I highly recommend her, especially to anyone feeling overwhelmed with a reactive or newly rescued dog.

Raquel is amazing! She accomplished in five hours what my family and I, have been trying to do with…read moremy pup for a while now. She gave my family the tools we'd been missing, and even though the price is a bit steep, it's absolutely worth it. We're still a work in progress, but I can honestly say my dog feels like a new dog. Thank you, Raquel! I wish we could keep you on speed dial forever

I try to participate in their monthly pack walks. It is the best structured walk with my dog with…read morethe training exercises they do during the week. It amazes me how well my dog Mango does during these walks. So glad we found them.

Best people ever!!! Really nice and professional!! Plus they do group walks to help out a local…read moreshelter.

Took advantage of their Spring Break special, which included a bath, to board my pup for a week…read more(Sat-Sat). It had been almost a year since we last boarded but Ethan helped us get acclimated to the new policies and was super accommodating, even working with me on pick-up when my return flight was delayed. A true life-saver. All the staff are always kind and helpful and they really love on the animals, which I appreciate. They also regularly update with photos and emails to keep you in the loop which is very reassuring. Loki loves it there and is always wiped out when she returns. (She's been napping all day. Very clearly a happy girl ).

A little long but it's been nothing less than eventful with this place. I had hight hopes for this…read moreplace as the hours are so convenient for our family's busy schedules. Unfortunately, this place was a HUGE disappointment and had a huge negative impact on our pup. Long story short -- Everything here is a sales grab. The few girls care for the animals but the "managers" and men there are just there for the commission of your packages. I had a whole conversation about their unethical sales pitching with the employee while picking up my dog lol. It's "how they keep the place open" - the employee's words, not mine. Astounding. Said employee also asked what I did for a living because I questioned their sales pitch tactics -- I'm in sales. Also, If you need their VIP services for your unspayed or neutered pup, please spend your money elsewhere!! Before committing to a membership, we did a trial day and spent hundreds on drop in days, grooming, and overnight boarding to see if it was a good fit for our high energy pup. Our dog is not neutered and we don't plan on getting him neutered so we chose their VIP rooms. His breed is also extremely high energy and they promised they could accommodate. I also inquired about training multiple times and they kept saying the trainer would contact me. Everything went great after those few visits, they seemed caring and said he was a great fit for a membership so we end up signing up. Then everything went downhill. Upon the first day of the membership, our dog all of a sudden had behavior issues and needed to be picked up. In the middle of my work day I call the shift manager, and he states that if we want our dog to stay, he needs training ... (from their same trainer that I've inquired 3x about before committing to a membership, still haven't heard back). I asked why this wasn't communicated ever before committing to a membership and they didn't have an answer. I informed them that I would've paid for training before committing to a membership if they would've let me know that there were any issues. Our dog went a couple of more times until they could finally get me in touch with the trainer, 6 visits later. Actually I had lost complete trust at this facility. To add insult to injury, I was able to speak to one of their actual workers that is with the dogs and she let me know that our dog is only let out for about 10 minutes at a time, maybe 3 to 4 times a day during a 12 hour stay. This is their VIP option. So not only is he left in a room for about 12 hours a day, with dogs barking all around him, he's not being stimulated nor played with just being let out to go to the bathroom. Contradicting everything they say that they offer. Their "trainer" is also a joke. He is supposed to be from the Marines and well-versed in the breed of dog that we have. Upon washing him for 5 minutes, as I was told, he said that our dog needed to be neutered before he could be trained because of his energy. Our dog is a Malinois and is not supposed to be neutered before 2 years of age. We've since went elsewhere to get our dog trained from someone who is actually educated on his breed and he's worked on all of his anxiety and reactivity issues that our pup got because of this place.