We just completed Ryan's "Puppy Course" and "Intermediate Course" over an 8 week period with our…read moreGolden Retriever. Ryan is the perfect combination of kindness, patience, and command. "Finn" responded enthusiastically to the curriculum and more importantly to Ryan's style of delivery. We appreciated Ryan's ability to connect trained behaviors to everyday situations, and suggest small changes that delivered big results. The key for Finn was taking the tools from class and implementing/reinforcing them on walks, at the dog park, outdoor shopping malls, or just around the house. The key for me was Ryan's use of an audio system - even in an outdoor (covered) group environment it was easy to listen and comprehend the concepts as Ryan explained strategy (the "why") and the supporting tactics (the "how"). We're looking forward to Ryan's advanced class and eventually a CGC certification.

Ryan truly is a K9 Guru. He connects with dogs in a truly amazing way. Implementing his tips and…read morecalm demeanor has helped us immensely with our sweet but crazy 5 month old lab pup. Highly recommend!

From our very first session until now, he has taught me so much. He's incredibly knowledgeable, and…read morealways explains the methods from how dogs think and perceive the world and how the training ties into it. The progress I've seen has been amazing, and I've learned how to communicate with my dog in a way that has strengthened our bond. I highly recommend Josh and Bark Busters OC to anyone looking for a trainer who truly knows what they're doing!

I recommend text or email only with Josh. He is very much a sales person and if you mention you…read morehave three dogs even though you want two trained, he'll sign all three up and charge a nonrefundable deposit for all three. You cannot get your money back even if you cancel within 24 hours. Then, after cancelling, they still tried to come for the previously scheduled appointment.

Can only but recommend! Our dog always comes home more…read moresocialised and better behaved every time she goes for daycare, pack walks and boarding. Alecia has been a fantastic help in teaching us to be better dog-parents. Walking our dog now after one session is a completely different experience and my anxiety of walking her has got a lot better, all thanks to Alecia! Boarding is like a home away from home for our pup; she loves it! Raya will be back soon :)

So lucky to have this gem here in San Clemente. Alicia and Fiona have gone above and beyond to take…read morethe best care, and provide the best advice for my rescue pup! My dog loves the pack walks and gets so excited as soon as we hit the parking lot. Thank you, It's A Dogs Life! PS great boarding too

We have been bringing our 90lb Mastiff/Lab mix to OC Dog Ranch for the last few years every time…read moreour family travels 4+ days. I am so happy I found this place - was recommended by someone through word of mouth. It is wide open space for our dog to run, and I love that because it is SO much better than her being boarded in a room with 50 other dogs. Staff will send you updates - and we always get a picture of our happy dog with other happy dogs. Staff also sends a report card. Always respond asap when I reach out and ask how she's doing.

They were good back in 2020 when Dana bought the place and were hungry for customers. The…read moretraining here has gone way done. They are more interested in Dog Boarding for the mega rich in Laguna and Newport Beach now based on how few trainers they have and the huge kennel staff they have hired. I had my dog trained here years ago as a pup but now he has some behavior issues that I know they can fix, but they don't want to touch him. The Secretary's exact words - "it might be better to find another trainer". This is how they treat past customers that spent thousands to have their dog trained here. ZERO CONCERN! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AT THIS PLACE!!!!

Thank you so much Julia for taking care of Bird. I'm glad she was able to make friends with the…read moreother doggies they had that weekend especially Julia's super adorable pup Robin:) I was leaving town for July 4th weekend and wanted to do a little meet and greet the day before the actual drop off, which Julia was very accommodating on. I knew Bird was in good hands. Thanks again!!!

We could tell right away how much Julia loves dogs. We got Hazel at the shelter and she hadn't had…read moreany real training, so at three years olshe came to us with some behaviors that needed to be worked out. Julia immediately had a great rapport with Hazel. She was patient with her and us as we worked them out. Hazel still has a ways to go but Julia is always there to answer any questions we might have. Our relationship didn't end after the classes were over. We loved our experience with Rex Dog Training.

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!

Great experience! We have an 8-year-old rescue Golden…read moreRetriever who developed some habits we wanted to correct and weren't able to do on our own with traditional training. A couple of these weren't terribly serious, but we felt we weren't "in charge" anymore, that our dog wasn't getting the message from whatever we were doing, and that if we didn't do something different, it could really get out of control. Brad really helped us with this, where traditional "training" wasn't working. We have two or three things we're working on with our girl, but here is the most dramatic change we had with one issue. She is very food motivated, and would beg from us at the table whenever we sat down to eat, and would be underfoot in the kitchen during prep. She got overly excited and would not settle and lie down. Brad explained we weren't communicating well with her on a dog level, so to get that communication kicked in to gear, he actually started our session not with this problem, but with making sure she would not dash out the front door when it was opened. This was to establish that we were in charge and what was expected of her. What he showed us how to do worked like you wouldn't believe. It was like a light bulb went off for our girl. What we did affected everything after that. It wasn't about dashing out the door, it wasn't about begging for food, it was about knowing what was acceptable in our pack and to look to us for direction. That night, at dinner, she went to her "spot" with a simple direction and was relaxed during our entire meal. She can now be directed to her spot and will stay quietly any time we need her to. Best of all, she seems truly relieved that she doesn't have to be in charge and that WE are. She is much more relaxed around so many other things. It gave us so much more confidence! I didn't think that what Brad taught us would work. It's quite counterintuitive. But trust me, it worked like magic. This is not dog training - it's communication with your dog. Brad answers all your questions, doesn't waste your time, shows you clearly and directly what will work. We're so thankful we found him!

Tommy helped us with our Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy when no one else would! He came to…read moreour house when she was 11 weeks old (other trainers wanted to wait until she had all her puppy shots) and immediately got us off on the right foot for behavior training. He trained my husband and me as well as our puppy! So grateful. Tommy has a gift for knowing how dogs think and he shares that knowledge as part of the session. We never felt rushed to finish a lesson when he came to the house, he just dealt with our issues and reminded us to keep practicing with our dog until next time. We even decided to enroll in his weekly puppy class so that our puppy would learn to behave around other dogs. His private dog park is a god-send as we live in a condo and don't have a yard for our puppy to play in. She loved going there and we'll be back! We highly recommend Tommy. He showed us how to anticipate what our puppy was going to do before she did it and correct her misdeeds before they take place. Five stars!

Tommy came for our first private session and it went better than I imagined. My husband and I…read morelearned a lot from Tommy. He is very relatable and has a unique way of teaching that is very enjoyable and actually entertaining, all at the same time! Now that is talent! Tommy was made for this job and well worth his price. You get what you pay for. He definitely does not watch the clock and gives you more than 1 hr and does not leave until he has answered all your questions. My dog is already doing better on our walks. Tommy teaches but you have to do what he says or you have wasted your money. I signed up for 5 lessons and looking forward to the rest. I will update when we are finished.

This place is amazing! The workers there love your doggie. They have video feed that shows your…read morepup playing with other dogs. The camp is very clean and safe for your pup. Highly recommend.

My dog Missy loves going to play once a week with her friends at Camp Bow Wow. I just have to say…read morethe name and she's running to the door and they jumped into the car. She absolutely loves it there and we've done half day and full days. We also did a bath one time as well and do regular nail trimmings. All the staff have been very friendly and they love our dog and she always comes home wiped out and exhausted from a day of play. (so far we've never done boarding.)

We came across Christine through Yelp and hired her to assist us with training our Black English…read moreLabrador Puppy Max. Christine was a pleasure to work with. Her knowledge of dogs and the ideas she shared to assist us with training far exceeded our expectations! I would highly recommend her. She was worth with every penny we paid! Thank you Christine for sharing your time with Max..

After doing a lot of research on local dog trainers I'm so grateful I found Chris at FearLess Dog…read moretraining! Even though I have loads of experience with dogs of all ages I know just HOW much work a puppy is. I chose Chris because of her extensive knowledge and experience with working with dogs without damaging their spirit. It's so important to me that the person I trust around my new furry family member wouldn't use force, fear or "the alpha" method because I've seen how those negativity affect the mental health of a dog. Chris was AMAZING! My shy puppy took to her right away and I can tell she was so in-tune with his needs. He's still young so we first worked on basic manners and some leash work. The best part was it didn't feel like the work of training! I look forward to continuing his training with Chris for years to come and I know my pup will too!

After several awful experiences with other dog trainers--some so harsh that my dogs would literally…read morerun and hide at the sight of them--I was honestly hesitant to try again. But finding Emily of The Dog Listener has been one of the greatest blessings for me and my American Bully puppy. From the very first session, Emily brought a calm, confident energy that completely changed the way I relate to my dog. Through private lessons and her incredible monthly Pack Walks, she has helped my puppy grow into a balanced, well-behaved companion. Most importantly, she's helped me grow--into a more confident, peaceful, and capable handler. What truly sets Emily apart is her compassion. My dogs don't just tolerate her--they adore her. The excitement and joy they show when she arrives is real, and it speaks volumes about the kind of person and trainer she is. Her love for dogs is genuine, and they feel it. I get emotional thinking about where we started and how far we've come. Emily is a true godsend, and I can't recommend her enough to anyone looking for a kind, effective, and empowering trainer who truly understands dogs--and their people.

The fact emily is continually denying this and gaslighting the situation is very concerning. You…read morecan say what you want all day. You choked my dog in front of 15 people in a day class that had a choker on, with a leash you leveraged over your shoulder while he was behind you. He was verbally coughing. I should have reported it to the police but i was in shock to the situation. People should be aware this happened. Do you really think i just woke up one day and created this specific situation because I was bored? I stand by my statements. Take me to court if you like l, Ill testify there under oath. No one touches my dog like that.