I can't say enough positive things about this business. Patrice one of the trainers is the…read moreabsolute best trainer in the world. Our extremely stubborn French Bulldog stops all foolishness when Patrice is in sight. Their training program is outstanding but their retail service is just as outstanding! My dog did not received a salmon bone that was recommended. I returned the rest of the without issue. The location, the service, the items available make this business my go-to. #HappyShopping

We took our puppy to Saul for both private puppy training and private off leash training. We…read moreabsolutely loved Saul's expertise and teaching style. He helped us to create a stronger bond with our dog through the problem solving that naturally comes up throughout training. We love the freedom that the off leash program has given our family. We cannot recommend Saul and OTSFD enough!!

I am very late in writing this review, but I wanted to share how meaningful my experience was. I…read moreenrolled my puppy, a red standard poodle, in her classes, and very quickly realized she was exactly the kind of trainer I had been searching for. She is clearly knowledgeable and skilled, but what truly sets her apart is her holistic approach and genuine care for animals. She treats every dog as an individual and tailors her training to meet each one's specific needs. That same thoughtful approach extends to her human clients. During this time, I was dealing with significant health challenges and was not able to attend every class. She kindly offered makeup sessions, which I deeply appreciated. When she learned that my absences were due to my health, she checked in on me personally and even asked if it was okay to call me at home to see how I was doing. Her compassion meant more to me than I can easily express. She showed more care and concern than many people I have known for decades. Anyone looking for a dog trainer should go to her, not only for her expertise, but because she is genuinely kind, attentive, and deeply invested in both her clients and their dogs.

I took Hazelnut here when she was a pup. She's now an AKC Grand Champion and I am back with he…read moredaughter. Bringing her pup feels like full circle, which says everything about my experience. April is knowledgeable, patient, and incredibly effective at tailoring guidance to each dog's temperament and each handler's skill level. I especially appreciate how she focuses not just on obedience, but on building confidence, socialization, and a strong relationship. Seeing the progress from one generation to the next has been really special, and I wouldn't trust anyone else with those critical early training foundations.

Thomas has helped us a lot with learning to work with our Akita "Carter". Not alway the friendlyest…read moredog in the world but Thomas has been able to help socalize him, and is one of the few stranger that Carter lets into the house with out a problem. We interviewed a few dog sitters that just weren't interested in working with a dog with "issues", but Thomas took on the challenge and we are the lucky winners of his doing this. I can't thank him enough for now letting us have vacations again and not having to worry about Carter at the Kennel (he never was happy there) or at home alone with just some one letting him out. He had 6 mile walks, lots of TLC and supervised play dates. Giving us peace of mind to enjoy our vacation. Thomas had the insight to work up to gaining Carters trust and knew just how to work with a large scared dog. I would recommend him highly.

I have used For the Love of Dog for over a year walking my Vizlsa and my two Greyhounds. I would…read more and have recommended them to friends. I trust their walkers completely and have never had a problem with them. The prices are competitive, but the communication between Thomas and the clients as well as the work ethic of the company is what puts them above the rest of the walkers in the area.

Chose this company to watch our cat while we were on a trip last month. Staff were attentive,…read moretimely, and sent frequent updates while we were away. Pricing was affordable and fair for the work involved. Got some extremely kind comments from every staff member that showed their genuine care for and experience with animals. Would recommend to anyone in the area.

I have been using Alexandria Pet Care for years to care for my fur babies when I'm out of town…read more Their care team is very responsive, and they always provide details/pics of my pets to put my mind at ease. Their client app is user friendly and allows me to change pet care information effortlessly. I would recommend them in a heartbeat. Thank you, APC for all that you do!

Mike and his team are reliable, caring, and trustworthy! I get pictures of my two cat daughters…read moreevery day that I'm on vacation to put my mind at ease while I'm away. I truly couldn't ask for a better service to take care of my babies. I highly recommend them!

We were very uncertain about what to do with our Chihuahua when we moved to VA. Previously friends…read moreand family stepped in to watch him. He is very shy and isn't very friendly towards new people so it's nerve racking to find a place where you feel he will be cared for properly and loved in all of his grouchy Chihuahua glory! Once you get through that part he is a love bug. We went to the local PetsMart and had a bad experience just talking to the people there and knew he couldn't go there. That's when I looked on Yelp and found this place! It had great reviews and I saw that they had experience with Chihuahuas! It's nice to know my dog would be staying in a home(with lots of space and a big back yard) with experienced people who loved animals! So much better then a cage! I was very nervous when I dropped him off....ok I cried! Do you think he's spoiled???!!! Beth helped me feel so much better because she took the time to send me photos, tell me how he was doing, and talk with me while he was staying with her. After the first photo I immediately felt at ease and thankful we made the decision to leave our dog here. I really appreciate that Beth takes the time to do this and it really shows that she cares about animals and her job. I feel comforted to know that my dog has a safe place to go the next time his "parents" are away!

Ridgeside was recommended to us by a neighbor with a very well mannered dog. We have a 4 yo…read moreBluetick Coonhound that had a few issues that we couldn't get past on our own. Initially we checked out the Ridgeside Instagram account and then after contacting them for additional information we decided to sign Flossie up for the 3 week board & train program. We were given our trainer's contact info in case we had any questions or wanted additional info prior to the start date. Gina picked up Flossie and for the next three weeks we got pictures and videos every day of Flossie's training progress plus also information for us to learn about the training. All of this made the transition back home easy and seamless. Gina's instructions were clear and concise and she also made sure that we understood the hows and the whys of training. Since Flossie has been home Gina reached out to see how things were going and said she was available if we had any follow up questions. We are very happy with the outcome and feel the training really firmed up our loosey goosey training up to that point. Gina gave Flossie the foundational training she needed in order for us to meet our goals with Flossie and we couldn't be happier with the outcome.

I can't say enough good things about Brandi and Perry Bailey of RSK9. Their work has given my pup…read moreand I so much freedom and balance. Pebbles (blue heeler, 1.5 years old) would never listen to me, would not sit or lay still, and had a lot of other obedience issues that caused her to be stressed or confused. She was a TOUGH dog to train and I was concerned I couldn't find the solution for her to get basic concepts. This view has completely changed since working with RSK9's 3 week program. I would HIGHLY recommend them and their methods - you can tell they genuinely love working with dogs and it's made a huge difference in giving my dog the chance to find real rest at home. They send DAILY updates with photos and videos which was so nice. This isn't a regular class or something you just pay for; it's truly an investment that you and your dog will be using for the time you get to share together. Side note: it's worth doing 3 weeks versus 2 weeks. At the 2 week mark is when Pebbles really started to understand her marks and cues. From here there is so much more that can be refined and Brandi/Perry really capitalize on that threshold being crossed!

We highly recommend this training program. In four weeks, Julie turned our impulsive pit-bull puppy…read morewho jumped on people and lunged on the leash -- despite puppy training classes -- into a well-behaved, well-mannered young dog. Given the stereotypes some people have of pit bulls, this was really important to us. We are delighted with her progress and will continue to consult with Julie to make sure that Abbey retains all she has learned. It might seem expensive, but we were away for a 2 week vacation, and just boarding a dog for that length of time isn't cheap. Our vacation turned out to be beneficial for Abbey as well as ourselves.

My husband and I can't say enough good things about Controlled K9! We recently adopted a two year…read moreold German Shepherd who was well behaved in the house but a true terror to walk on leash (pulling and severe reactivity towards other dogs). Controlled K9 came to our home to evaluate her and recommended a four week board and train to work on basic obedience, leash manners, and off leash recall. We loved that she was taken in as a member of the family during her "boarding school," and they provided regular photos and updates on her progress throughout. She returned to us her same happy, sweet self in the house, but basically a new dog on leash! The Controlled K9 team trained us on how to continue her training, and remained super responsive to our follow up questions. It's incredible to see the transformation and we're so grateful to the Controlled K9 team for changing our lives - and Zoey's - for the better!

Knowledgeable, dependable, and meticulous…read more We've known Katie and her family for 30+ years and she's the real deal. Trust your furry family with Katie!

Absolutely fabulous!! All the critter sitters (especially Karen N.) are tremendous! They send…read morelovely updates from all their visits, including cute photos of my kitties. The sitters have even cleaned up cat-created messes and brought in packages, just to be helpful. Never once had a problem and they've always been there to help. FIVE STARS!!

They have a mobile groom service. Lauren (Kibby) has come twice now and groomed my Morky . My puppy…read more hated going to the groomers and would act up. He just loves Kibby and when he is done looks super cute. Having the groomer come to me is terrific. Kibby definitely loves dogs and gives my pup the special care he needs.

I used this groomer I think once when I lived in Alexandria. If I recall correctly, my two dogs…read morelooked cute in their bandannas afterward but were still somewhat damp at pickup. Wasn't great grooming, wasn't terrible. I don't remember exactly when that was but I think around 2013. I moved away from the area in 2016, so certainly no later than that. Both of those dogs have been dead for years now. But I appear to be on VIP Pet Elite's text spam list until the end of time. The last text I got from them before today, I responded politely to ask to be taken off the list. No reply either way. Today I got one that isn't even about dog grooming; it says "Hi. ViPs! Great News! VIP Pet Elite partnered with Goldmine Realty ([link redacted]). Refer, Sell, or Buy Real Estate with Goldmine Realty and get 12 months FREE GROOMING with VIP Pet Elite! Call for details at 703-586-5976" Like, who does that? this is NOT why I gave out my phone number. Don't you give them yours unless you want to get crappy real estate spam texts in 2032.

I can not recommend Scott and Suzy at Dogs by Dancer highly enough. They are thoughtful and…read moreprofessional and my dog loves Scott and is always so excited to see him. I had such a great experience, I am going to send our other dog to Scott. Scott clearly cares about the dogs, is proactive with outreach and has also followed up regularly to see how my dog, Taco, is doing post-training. Taco had several behavioral issues and is so much better, calmer and more confident after his board and train. The follow up group classes are such huge bonus. If you are looking for effective and professional training by someone who clearly loves dogs, Scott Dancer is your guy.

I do not recommend Dc dog wizard, "Dogs by dancer" or any dog training program by Scott Dancer…read more Scott made unsafe choices for the dogs in his care. My dog was returned to me covered in feces/urine. The progress I made with my dog's challenges is gone due to whatever occurred with Scott. Communication was unclear & poor, Scott was incredibly unprofessional & disorganized. Save your money & go elsewhere.