We Have Our Lives Back. Our dog, Link, is a very large, very fearful boy. We thought he was…read moreexhibiting aggressive behavior, as we had one bite incident with friends over and several smaller incidents with family members. But, Xavier explained that it was all fear-based. We felt like prisoners in our own house because we felt we couldn't have people over and were constantly on edge that he might bite someone. Xavier made recommendations that gave us back our lives. We bought a crate and took Link everywhere in the house (and eventually outside) on leash. Initially I felt guilty because Link was confined for large portions of the day, but now he has more time outside or the crate/xpen and he will even go in on retreat there when he needs a break from the activity in the house. I was taking him on walks regularly, which made him very happy, but he still gets the "excited poops" and I have to stop and pick up after him 3-4 times per walk, which is not conducive to my exercise requirements (due to a health concern). I plan to try him on more relaxed evening walks and hopefully break his fear cycle and get him better socialized in the coming months.

Xavier has been amazing to work with! My husband and I…read moreadopted a Great Dane that was explained to us as an excited puppy. We were beyond thrilled to add him to the family, but had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Shortly after getting home, chaos ensued. Barking at everything, lunging at people and pets as we would pass. And I spent entirely too much time getting drug through the concrete. We were so disappointed and ready to give him back, which broke our hearts. Shortly after, we called Xavier. Having talked us off a ledge after my second trip through the concrete, we had our first meeting. We learned boundaries and consistency. With time, patience and setting boundaries and staying consistent we put in the work. We knew it wouldn't happen overnight but stayed with it. Now, 2.5 years later, he is a totally different dog. Do we still not love people passing the house? No.. but if I was abused previously I'd probably be weary for the rest of my life too. However, he is an amazing dog and we look back and our more and more happy that we didn't give up. We welcomed our first child last month to our crew. We were always slightly nervous with how he would do, but with staying consistent every step of the way and using the tools Xavier has given us for the rest of our lives, we were able to keep putting in the work. He has been a dream with our little girl, we will always proceed with caution and respect all boundaries, but he has so much love. If you feel like giving up hope on a dog, you don't know where else to turn and you feel as though all hope is lost. Call Xavier and Nicky. They have changed our outlook on dog training as a whole and have helped us more than words can describe.

If you're like me and went down the rabbit hole of researching board and trains because of all the…read moreinternet horror stories, read this!! I am truly amazed and so grateful for Don, Gabe, and the team at Crafty Canine Club. They have a ton of certified experience and have done fantastic behavioral modification work with my French Bulldog (and myself) in their board and train programs. I have learned to be a better leader for my dog and how to keep him mentally balanced so he's at his best. The structure of the training programs and regular boarding at CCC are solid and well planned so our furry family can learn and have fun in a safe environment while in the care of strong leadership. A bonus in my particular case; CCC techniques are aligned with what is recommended by my board certified vet behaviorist and was covered by my pet insurance. CCC communicates with me openly and regularly before, during, and after any bookings and will send photos and videos of the fun which helped ease my thoughts in the beginning. Now, I will only use CCC for care and follow up training for my boy. I believe they truly care about him and our relationship. A very small investment for huge lifelong returns you won't regret!

TERRIBLY RUN. Cant go see the facilities (to see if its a good fit for your dogs) unless you bring…read moreyour dogs too -because they want to assess your dogs. No need to asses our dogs until we are clear we want them to stay there, right? It's a "requirement" that we all know the boss can easily accomodate. We let them know with our 4 large breed dogs it was a lot on ourselves AND the dogs to have to bring them in just for that (if it wasnt a good fit). They didnt care. Just sent another business to go to if I wanted a "phone consult" which was unusual(&manipulative :/) because we never discussed phone consults..all we wanted was to come take a peak at their facilities. It was the male who's voice is on their answering machine whom we communicated with. I think his name was Dan? Aweful & too bad;).

I've been going to agility classes with Gabriella for a couple of years now. Classes are held on…read morethe Markim Pet Resort property and there is plenty of parking and the training field is nice/large and there is plenty of room to walk your pup before and after class including some really nice trails. Gabriella is a seasoned trainer and really understands dogs as individuals; she helps handlers understand their dogs behaviors as they advance from beginner to advanced levels. And if you want to compete in agility trials she is great at explaining the different organizations/structures and the rules and regs that go along with competitions. Gabriella is always willing to answer questions and adjusts the classes to the needs of the attendees. (The higher up you go the more of a cohort the classes become.) There are a couple bummer things, one is paying by check. The other is if, through attrition, the class falls below a certain number of people it has to be broken up and you're forced to find another suitable class at the level you're working at a time that works. The best way to avoid the latter happening is by encouraging everyone in your class to keep going! :-)

Gabriella trained our dog Sugar in 1999, then Bond and Lotus in 2014. We miss her. We hope to…read morebring our dogs back to her school soon.

Bark Busters came to us highly recommended. After some research and reviewing Ted Talk and…read morearticles, I signed up our two rescue mix breed ~20lb boys. We are grateful to James of BB who placed us with Jenna. Our boys issues: high reactivity outside, especially other dogs, and inside, door bell, ring cameras, etc. Coupled with greetings by jumping and owning the house. Jenna set us on a path of activities for inside and was incredibly patient letting me share and ask questions, learning constantly. As we fine-tuned and we all got more comfortable we moved our training to outside. The methodology used is absolutely amazing and, I dare say, short of a miracle. We practice regularly and introduce the boys to different circumstances. All that food luring and positive food reinforcement training certainly has its place but only the techniques of BB with Jenna has helped our boys become trusting, comfortable, and happy. Here I thought I had to scan the horizon constantly to be aware of incoming dogs to prepare myself to hide behind a car or go in the corner behind garbage cans to get maximum distance. Not true. I walk no longer with my head on a lazy susan. We all are forever grateful. Our boys can lead richer more social lives. Thank you!!!

I'm updating my original 6-month review now that it has been a full year since we hired Bark…read moreBusters to help with our rescue dog Mimi. As first-time dog owners, the early support really did help us. Having someone we could call during those overwhelming first months was a relief. Over time, though, I realized I was hoping the training would shift toward more positive reinforcement. The constant, harsher corrections worked at first but eventually didn't seem effective anymore and started affecting my relationship with Mimi. I noticed this during a family trip where Mimi, who is usually fearful of strangers, bonded more easily with my husband and his family. She gravitated toward them when scared, and I realized it might be because they weren't following the correction-heavy approach, while I was. I also asked for help with Mimi's fear and reactivity toward other dogs, but was told they didn't have dogs available for training and that I would need to bring a calm, socialized dog myself. As a non-trainer, that was very hard, but we tried by traveling many hours to introduce her to my husband's family dog. The experience ended up being chaotic since the family didn't fully understand what the process required, and new people and dogs kept appearing even though Mimi wasn't ready. Her reactivity came back in that environment, which made me feel like the training had only put a bandaid on deeper fear issues. Maybe I should have clarified expectations better from the start, but with a high-need dog and being new to all of this, I didn't know what to expect. Since then, we've switched to a positive reinforcement trainer who organizes structured group activities. Mimi is still scared of bigger dogs and can still be reactive, but she's improving slowly and has been able to meet a few smaller dogs. She's also still fearful of people, but she nips a lot less now, so progress is happening. Overall, Bark Busters helped us in the beginning, but long-term we found that a different, more positive approach has been a better fit for Mimi.

Unable to get a hold of this place. Are they out of business? I left multiple voice mails. I'm…read moredisappointed that I received zero response.

I love The Bark House! Everyone is so friendly and accommodating…read more Ive hired/recommend Hector (who, by the way - is the most solid dog person I have ever met) to anyone and everyone I know! He's helped train many, many dogs (even some former dogs of my own because they were taking me for walks when it very well should be me taking them for walks)! Long story short, after a couple training sessions (for both myself and the dogs), they now both walk by your side and do pretty well off leash! Yay ... And ~ not only that but Hector reinstates the training in their weekly camp visits too! What I love about camp is the team truly does it all! The dogs get exercise by going on walks, hikes, or even bicycle rides & they also get play time in the kiddie pool. Hector really does an amazing job of making your dogs feel right at home! Your dog is always in good hands with The Bark House team. I couldn't recommend another company more. If you're looking to hire a trainer, for someone to watch your dog for an overnight stay(s), or even just say camp ~ the Bark House is truly your one stop shop. Give them a try! You won't be disappointed!

The Animal Keeper was highly recommended by a neighbor and they've been great! I love how…read moreconvenient drop-off and pick-up is, and it's always fun hearing the team gush over Jax when I'm dropping him off :)

We have used The Animal Keeper for daycare and boarding for a few months now and we have had a…read morewonderful experience each time! Our dog is always so well taken care of here and the staff is so friendly and welcoming. You can definitely trust that you are leaving your fur baby in the best hands possible! When we boarded our dog last week, we were even sent a photo update of how he was doing, which made us feel so reassured. We will continue to use The Animal Keeper as we believe they are the best!

Rosa was awesome! She was so patient with us and our dog. His aggression was so bad and she really…read morebrought it down. She showed us how to react and not to react when seeing another dog and now we can introduce our dog to others safely. Thank you Rosa!!!!

When we first got Carl, he was extremely reactive, untrained, and could be aggressive in ways that…read moregenuinely scared me. I loved him immediately, but I felt overwhelmed and unsure how to help him. He had big emotions, big triggers, and no tools to cope with them, and I knew I needed someone experienced and compassionate to guide us. From the very first session, Lana took the time to understand both Carl and me--my concerns, my fears, and my hopes for him. She created a thoughtful and personalized plan that focused on helping Carl feel safe, supported, and more regulated. She also taught me how to read his signals, how to approach training with confidence, and how to create a calmer environment at home. Because of Lana's patience, expertise, and consistency, Carl has made incredible progress. The dog who once felt unpredictable and reactive now shows his sweet, loving, goofy side more and more each day. I'm so grateful for her guidance and would recommend Lana to anyone--especially those who feel scared or overwhelmed and want to help their dog become the best version of themselves.

Who would have thought that something so small would have such big outbursts? That was Roux, the…read moresweetest, smartest, most gentle pup you will meet, but when she's on a leash and sees another dog, it's game over. she becomes the most vocal, sassiest, most spicy girl on the block. John came to the rescue and let me tell you, all the reviews are true. He is patient, kind, gentle, but stern when needed and is the epitome of positive reinforcement whether he's teaching me how to navigate my spicy dog or showing her how she's supposed to behave when we're walking in public. She's always been good with recall but now she's great and is so calm on our walks, even our neighbors have noticed the difference. It was the best decision and investment to date. Thanks John for all of your help and continued guidance!

Summer of 2024 I had an anxious, reactive, fearful, unwalkable big rescue dog. She broke harnesses,…read morepulled me to the ground, was afraid of people, and snapped at strangers and other dogs. My friends nicknamed her Cujo, it was that bad. I couldn't invite people to the house. Summer of 2025 I have a dog that loves meeting new dogs and people and runs around OB dog beach off leash. She's not reactive, she has great recall, she makes friends, I can have people over, she listens to commands, and she's so easy to walk. I took her into the vet this week and they removed the 'bite risk' warning from her file, they said it's like a completely different dog. She's not anxious or fearful. She's confident, playful, and so happy. All of this was because of training with John. He is patient, gentle, and kind. I can't put into words how grateful I am that we found him. I recommend him to every dog owner I know.

I cannot sing the praises of Michelle enough! When Monty returned from two weeks of Board and…read moreTrain with Michelle, he was a changed dog. He's not just a calmer dog, he's a CALM dog. We've had no out-of-control barking incidents; he can be tethered and remain quiet. He's very good on walks, moving from "heel" to "break" and back to "heel" again. He's very responsive to the "off" command, which we use primarily to keep him off the furniture and out of the kitchen. Last week we had friends over for dinner and after his initial excitement he was a good boy, lying nearby content and chewing on a bone. We even attended the Humane Society Walk for Animals at Kit Carson Park, and with hundreds of dogs and people and non-stop activities, he was again a very well-behaved boy. We are so appreciative of the work that Michelle did with Monty. He is now the dog we always hoped he would be - happy, well-behaved, and living his best life!

One year after Chewie's training with Cosmo K-9 Obedience, it's clear that Chewie has great respect…read morefor his trainer! The moment Chewie saw Chris, he recognized him and greeted him with such joy! Minding his manners of course. He's too smart to behave like a brat in front of his trainer. I recently reached out to Chris for advice on redirecting Chewie when greeting people since he sometimes forgets his manners and has no sense of personal space. Chris took the time to demonstrate effective techniques and offered practical solutions I'll be implementing right away. Chewie and I are incredibly grateful for Chris's continued support and the excellent training from Cosmo K-9 Obedience. Chewie has come a long way. I can't image life without the professional guidance and support from Costco K-9 Obedience.

I can't say enough good things about Philly!He took my dog Eris in on short notice for both…read moreboarding and training, kept me updated the whole time, and made sure she was comfortable and learning. He's incredibly knowledgeable about dogs and training tools, and he genuinely cares about each dog's progress. Overall, a great person and an amazing trainer. I highly recommend him!

I could not say better things about Philly or the training and boarding services he provides. From…read morethe very first time I reached out, Philly's kindness, professionalism, and humility were evident, and the way he took the time to explain his training philosophy, services, and pricing with complete transparency made me feel genuinely comfortable. There was never any guessing or confusion - just sincere, open communication that showed how much he truly cares about the families and dogs he works with. We recently boarded our two dogs with Philly while we were away on a family trip, and I can't express how relieved and reassured I felt knowing they were in his care. Philly went above and beyond. He created a group chat for my husband and I to streamline communication, and we received consistent check-ins, videos, and the sweetest pictures. You could see it in our dogs - they felt happy, safe, comfortable, and genuinely cared for. That kind of peace of mind is priceless. Philly is an exceptionally talented trainer, and his passion for what he does shines through in everything he does. He has such a natural, intuitive way with dogs - patient, gentle, confident - and it's clear that this work is not just a job for him, but a calling. He treats every dog like family, and that level of genuine care is incredibly rare. If you're looking for someone who is skilled, trustworthy, and deeply committed to the well-being of your doggos - someone homegrown, family-oriented, and wholeheartedly invested, Philly's the person you want in your dogs' lives, especially when you're away. We trust him wholeheartedly and plan to board with him again in the future! Thank you again, Boss Dawg K9 Training!