For those who have been challenged with handling a reactive dog , you understand the mental toll it…read moretakes and how isolating and hopeless it can feel . You thought you did everything right by giving your dog so much love and socialization only to now be faced with questions and comments like " why didn't you just train your dog ?" , " you're not the alpha to your dog", " you shouldn't be a dog owner" on a regular basis. I have a 6 year old boxer ( the social , goofy clowns of the dog breeds) . I've worked with dogs in the past as a kennel attendant, and grown up with dogs my entire life and never thought I would be in this situation . I struggled to find a trainer whose techniques showed progress which lead to inconsistency, a lot of frustration and doubt . Eventually taking him places like the vet and groomer caused me such extreme anxiety. When I met Tom , my dog was unapproachable by strangers , including Tom initially. It took a month or so of meeting up , going on walks and practicing techniques at home but I was seeing improvement! Not long after Tom was able to take the leash from me and walk Gus, and we could walk near other people without Gus acting like a total maniac , lunging , barking and snapping. It was like he was a normal (ish) dog . Gus is 6 , so it will be a slow process to break him out of this behavior , but he has improved so much in the last 6 months .. I never thought I would get this far. I still have my work cut out for me but this training has also helped me increase my confidence as a dog owner and learn to trust my dog again. I'm not longer so nervous to take him out on walks because I feel like I'm in control.( Holding back an 80 pound boxer is not an easy task ) . I definitely recommend Tom if you are struggling with a similar situation. It probably has been the best thing I have ever done for Gus!

Highly recommend, they know their business and can handle highly aggressive dogs. Tom is ver…read moreinformative.

We got Maggie (10 month old boxer mix) a little over a month ago, and every day seemed to be worst…read morethan the last. From leash pulling to barking, and even separation anxiety, Maggie was testing our every nerve. Michael came and showed us that it was not about dominating your dog, but leading them. Through just a few verbal and visual cues we were able to help Maggie understand that she did not have to be the leader, and that we would take care of her. Now she is happy to sit back, relax, and let us take the reins. She is an absolute gem on walks now. Knowing that we will have Michael throughout Maggie's lifetime is a relief, because we know that he will be able to guide us through any future life hurdles. Thank you, Michael!

I am thrilled with Bark Busters. I have 3 pit bulls and was having problems with my third…read moreadoption. Owen had guarding issues around the other dogs. After our first session there was great improvement. Richard used positive reinforcement and it was fun for our dog. I found it simple to incorporate the training methods into our everyday activities. It's been a few months now and and Owen no longer has issues. I used what I learned with all three dogs and it's made a huge difference in our home. No more stress, all the dogs get along nicely and play together. All three dogs pay attention and listen to me. I am so happy I found Bark Busters. I couldn't ask for a better outcome. Prior to our training, Vickie explained everything to me and answered all questions. The fees are very reasonable too. I highly recommend Bark Busters and wouldn't go anywhere else.

1SmartDog is a spacious, clean, and safe environment for dogs of all kinds to learn and develop…read moretheir obedience skills. With a range of courses, you'll be head over heals with the outcome of the training you choose. You'll see a difference in your pup after just 1 class! We've taken 6 of her classes and could not be happier! Our 100+ lb golden retriever is friendly, well mannered, and easy to handle after taking Dawn's classes. Dawn is an experienced trainer with great insights on obedience, commands, socialization, and an overall pleasure to learn from! THANK YOU DAWN!!

Very clean for a dog training facility. I really loved the group classes they were big enough for…read moremy puppy to get socialized but not over crowded. Lots of fun for me and my dog. She always looked forward to going to her classes.

If I could give this store zero stars, I would…read more *This is a warning to those looking to adopt a cat or dog from this store.* PetSmart was in a partnership with Halfway Home Rescue for 17 years up until recently. Halfway Home is a well noted rescue with high standards who values the care and placement of cats and dogs. PetSmart had an area where you could see adoptable cats from Halfway Home in the store. PetSmart decided that numbers of animals moved in and out of the store were more important than the well being of the actual animals. Halfway home always takes the time to make sure to check references, vet history, home environment, and makes sure each animal has the medical care they need. Halfway Home was asked to leave because PetSmart wanted cats moved every 22 days out of the store. For anyone who has ever adopted an animal, you know this is a slower process to ensure happiness for both owner and more importantly the pet. In short, PetSmart is more concerned with the all might dollar and ultimately corporate greed. I along with many others will be boycotting this store in all locations.

If My Nephew Can give zero stars he would. He had an appointment to bring his Cat. First off all…read morethey said 1 hour . which it took 1/2 hour and still want to charge the full price insane right. Now get this they didn't even dry his cat all the way . Came up with some bull crap story she would not let them Really!!!! It's a cat!!!

In July of 2022, we received a recommendation to see Gus for our 2 year old lab, shepherd, hound…read moremix, Max. He went to stay with Gus in September, and it was the longest 11 days of our lives. However, when we arrived to pick Max up, he was a different dog! He had learned commands, listened and his negative behaviors had declined. Through Gus's guidance, we, as a family, learned how to deal with our unruly pup. We honestly feel like Gus is part of our family, and he and his family have made Max feel like he is part of theirs! We highly recommend Gus for all of your training needs.

When we decided to get 2 male German Shepherds, we knew we were going to need some help with proper…read moretraining if we wanted to enjoy life with them. I was looking for a trainer who shared the same goals of super-friendly dogs with impeccable manners. After the consultation with Gus and his "public relations specialist", his female Doberman, I knew he was the trainer we were looking for. Gus did a great job training Turbo and Diesel, but his greatest accomplishment was training me! I quickly learned the dogs knew what they were expected to do, it was me who needed to learn to be consistent. Dog training with the trainer became dog class with great friends! Turbo and Diesel loved Gus and loved being in dog class with all their K-9 buddies, and so did I. Thanks Gus, for teaching us about true K-9 communication! Fast forward to now and I still use all the techniques Gus taught me our third German Shepherd, Dozer. Gus can help you establish your communication with your canine family member so you can have a happy and healthy relationship and they can be an active member of your family.

I cannot speak more highly of Paws 'N Effect. This crew is a talented, knowledgable bunch…read more We should have known from the beginning - as my husband and I were poised to adopt our first dog from a rescue, we emailed many trainers in the area asking for any pointers on what to do when we first met our dog. Kathy was the only person to respond to us, even calling my husband and answering his questions and giving some advice even before we signed up for classes. When we were ready to bring our dog to group training, unfortunately he did not react well to their facility. It's just one of those things you can't predict and is likely a reflection of something with his past. Fran and Stephanie were understanding and were able to make some modifications for small improvements, but they were also able to facilitate a transition from group to solo classes. Being able to work with Fran in our home has made a world of difference for our pup. She is a great support and has given us lots of tips and resources to continue this journey.

Wonderful classes and staff! Offering and assortment of lessons and resources for all!read more

We have a shepard puppy who needed training as she was our first dog and jumpy/mouthy especially…read morearound new people who visited so we wanted to learn how to control her. Dan came to our house for an evaluation and all seemed fine at first. We advised him of what we wanted to work on so he knew she was jumpy and nippy especially with new people, so even though when he entered our home she was on a leash, we figured he was the dog trainer so my husband let her walk up to him and she jumped up of course. He later claimed she nipped him in the arm and drew blood but he did not mention this to us at the time or show us and we didn't see it happen. We got a phone call the next morning that he had to go to the hospital to get it treated as it became infected and had to miss several days of work, so he wanted hundreds of dollars in compensation or would take this up with our insurance. I think this man gives a black name to the industry of dog training, how can someone who is supposed to be hired to help you fix issues with your dog turn around and sue you for the same issues you advised you needed help with, that is what he was there for and had his own insurance to protect himself with. Very upsetting and disappointing that someone could take advantage of others in this manner.

Gina is the best. My boy Gunner needed help learning to walk on leash without pulling me. After one…read moresession I saw great improvement. I highly recommend. He always looks forward to seeing her.

From the owner: Basic Obedience, Leash Training, Remote Training & Specializes in Aggression & Behavior…read moreModification Training

Woodbridge Pet Sitting is an awesome pet sitting service. Josh and Bonnie are presently watching…read moreour two Shelties and they are doing a great job taking care of our babies! We'll use them again for sure. Giving the pups food and water is one thing but spending time with them and playing with them and talking to them and caring about them is a step beyond. I recommend Woodbridge Pet Sitting to anyone in the area who is nervous about leaving their dogs to go on a trip. They do a first rate job. We had them stop in twice for an hour each visit and they stayed a minimum of an hour each time. Feeding, play and letting them do their business outside! Just awesome!

II have not used this service as I have no pets, but my review is based on the character of the…read moreowner Josh, who "rescued" my friend & I in the Woodbridge Land Trust on Wednesday. We had stopped to rest on. a bench near the waterfall and were wondering if we would be able to find our way back, since we had been on several trails. Josh came along so we asked him for directions. He started to show us an app we could use to find the general direction. When we sheepishly admitted that neither one of us had remembered our phones he immediately said I'll lead you out. We didn't want to take him out of his way, so we said just point us in the right direction. We are two older ladies, and he insisted on leading us out saying that he didn't want to be worrying about whether we made it out safely or not. Even when we saw landmarks that we remembered were close to where I parked, he woudn't leave us until I actually spotted my car. If josh showed so much care, compassion, caring and sense of responsibility to two strangers he had just met int he woods,I can't imagine that he wouldn't bring the same qualities to his business. Thank you, Josh! Debbie