I've known Emily for 3 years now, first as a client of hers and now as a colleague. At risk of sounding dramatic, she quite literally changed my life with my obnoxious adolescent Golden Retriever. My dog was horribly mouthy and unruly when we met Emily, and after a scarring experience with a different trainer in the area, my hope and faith were kinda down in the dumps. Emily, with her no-nonsense attitude and plethora of dog knowledge, left me with hope, homework and a multitude of things to ponder - Am I communicating clearly and fairly? Am I giving him everything he needs to be successful? A year and a half after our first session, Emily helped train the same (now less obnoxious) Golden Retriever on an e-collar so he could achieve full off-leash freedom. Emily has been, by far, one of the best investments I've made in my dog's life. I run a dog-walking company and refer my clients out to her and everyone is as amazed by her as I am. She answers all your questions about training for life, which is invaluable and puts on amazing events with other knowledgable trainers. She even organizes a free monthly pack walk where owners and their dogs can come learn to walk together in a neutral environment. My world with my dog opened up significantly since meeting Emily and we can't thank her enough. read more

I left a review on google which she replied "i have no one of this name and this never happened". But it absolutely did happen. During a training Emily took my dog which had a choker on walked it to another dog that barked at my dog then proceeded to choke my dog behind her back while using the leash as leverage over her shoulder. A group of 20 people watched this and thats when I was done. Emily you know what you did and you cant push the illusion you haven't done this. It was beyond inappropriate and could have lasting physical effects on the dogs. Up until this point you were pretty good with the dog but there was something "off" that day and it was taken out on my dog. Other people should know this. read more

After realizing I had met my match with my 5th (!) Labrador Retriever pup, a friend referred me to Emily. Private and group sessions with her helped us to have more successful outings together. Highly reccommend! read more

We hired Emily to help us with our newly adopted puppy, Nala, an American Staffordshire Terrier mix. As Nala approached 9 months old, she began showing signs of reactivity toward people and other dogs, especially on walks. We couldn't have anyone new come into our home without her barking, growling, and displaying dominant behavior. Walks became stressful--she would lunge at certain people wearing hats or sunglasses and at other dogs. We were starting to lose hope and knew we needed guidance to help Nala trust us and feel secure. We reached out to Emily, and from her very first consultation, we knew we had made the right choice. Emily arrived calm and relaxed, allowed Nala to approach her at her own pace, and immediately showed us how Nala should properly greet people. From that moment, I knew Emily was the perfect trainer for us. We've been working with Emily for 3 months, focusing on how Nala approaches people entering our home, and the progress has been incredible. Nala is now a very obedient dog, and we feel confident managing visitors. Walks were our next challenge, and Emily guided us through trying different collars, learning how to use our body language and tone of voice, and properly using the leash and collar. She emphasized praise, play, and rewarding Nala when she succeeded, which helped release her energy in a positive way. We have since enrolled in group sessions to work on properly introducing Nala to other dogs. Thanks to Emily's guidance, Nala has truly transformed into a completely different dog. Emily gave us the tools to feel confident, comfortable, and capable as dog owners. She doesn't waste time--she gets results while ensuring we understand what we're doing and why. We are so grateful for Emily and will absolutely continue working with her as we keep practicing and doing our homework. She is truly amazing, and we owe Nala's progress to her dedication and expertise. read more

See all

After several awful experiences with other dog trainers--some so harsh that my dogs would literally run 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. read more

What an incredible experience!! I couldn't recommend a better trainer for our half mastiff/great Pyrenees boy. While most trainers would see him as a big challenge, or just recommend boarding straight away, Emily was confident and saw so much potential in him. With her incredible knowledge and patience, Emily changed our life! We can now walk our boy without it being a horrible experience and we have structure/tools for any challenge that comes our way. Emily is also huge on communication and made me feel comfortable texting her at ALL times. She always responds straight away and gives me tips in the moment until our next session. What dedication and passion. Don't waste your money and time with anyone else! Put the work in and Emily will get you results 100% and genuinely cares! Can't say enough wonderful things! read more

See all

We adopted our little Monkey from a rescue. Monkey had some trouble adjusting to his new home and we struggled with accidents in the house. He was also very skittish about his leash and he was refusing food. Enter the Dog Listener. Emily was awesome. From the moment she entered our home, it was clear that this person has a way with dogs. During our 90-minute session, she taught us how to help Monkey regain his sniffing response, prompting us to give him treats when we leashed him, which made him much more excited about his walks. She explained that he was a bit overweight and after changing his food, he began to eat regularly as well as took off the extra weight. She increased our confidence as dog owners and we couldn't be happier with our little shadow who wags his tail all the time now. If you have questions about why your dog behaves the way he/she does, don't hesitate to call the Dog Listener! read more

The Dog Listener - Pet Training Near Me

Life-Changing Help for My Fear-Reactive Dog I can't thank Emily enough for the incredible impact she's had on my life and my dogs. My older dachshund, Scott, has always suffered from extreme anxiety--leaving the house would send him into full panic mode, causing diarrhea, shaking, an elevated temperature, and complete disregard for me or even his highest-value treats. Nothing I did seemed to help, and I felt completely lost. Things became even more overwhelming when I brought home a dachshund puppy. I immediately realized the challenge ahead--Scott was absolutely terrified of her. His fear turned into aggression, and he tried to bite her when she got too close. Rehoming wasn't an option for me because I believed in giving him a real chance to adjust, no matter how impossible it seemed at first. That's when I reached out to Emily, and I'm so grateful I did. From our very first session, she showed me that the way I was handling Scott- was actually making things worse. She helped me understand that what Scott needed most was clear communication, boundaries, and for me to step up as his leader. I made the difficult decision to start Scott on behavioral medication alongside training, and the results have been nothing short of life-changing. At first, I was consumed with fear--fear that Scott would attack the puppy, fear that I was failing him. But Emily not only trained my dog, she trained me. She taught me how to react, how to fulfill his needs in a way that set him up for success, and how to create a structured environment where both my dogs could thrive. I only worked with Emily for a few sessions, but with time, consistency, and the right approach, we've made incredible progress--so much so that I sometimes can't even believe it myself. Scott is turning into a completely different dog--more confident, less anxious, and even enjoying life outside the home. He has also learned to coexist peacefully with his sister, who is now 9 months old. My life went from being full of stress, baby gates, and constant worry to having two dogs who can share the same space. After working with three other trainers who couldn't help us, Emily gave us exactly what we needed. Her methods focus on understanding the why behind a dog's behavior and addressing their needs rather than just correcting the symptoms. Thank you, Emily, for giving us hope and real results. I look forward to working with you again in the future if new challenges arise! read more

See all

We have a very timid and nervous aussiedoodle who isn't fond of kids except our own. Emily helped our family by showing us how to properly guide and help our dog when guests came over, what to do in public and overall how to safely manage his nerves/assure him all is ok. 10/10 recommend to anyone who needs dog training! read more

We feel incredibly fortunate to have found Emily, the Dog Listener, for our older dog and our new puppy. Uni came from an unknown background and, after a few unfortunate encounters where he was attacked by larger dogs during his puppyhood, begun showing behavioral issues around the age of two. We had tried several trainers, and while some techniques offered pretty amazing quick fixes, Uni's confidence never fully returned. That all changed when we met Emily. She takes a different approach--focused on long-term results, true partnerships, and creating balance between dogs and their people. With her guidance, Uni has gradually regained his confidence, and our bond with him has grown stronger. Her personalized, thoughtful approach made all the difference. Recently, we welcomed a new puppy into our home, and since Uni is not the most social golden, we reached out to Emily for help with their introduction. She didn't disappoint! Emily built a solid foundation between the two dogs, and now, they not only get along but also enjoy playing together and sharing toys. We also enrolled our puppy in Emily's Social Etiquette workshop to learn proper leash interactions. It's been incredibly helpful in teaching us how to read dog body language, manage meet-and-greets, and redirect potential conflict. Emily has been a game-changer for our dogs and our family. We can't recommend her enough for anyone seeking a compassionate and effective trainer who truly understands the unique needs of each dog and their family and show relationship-based methods to build a long lasting bond. read more

See all

This gal is the real deal. I was impressed with her knowledge and confidence. No doubt she gets all five stars. She deserves it!

Emily is the absolute best. My husband and I adopted a 2 year old Cane Corso/Italian mastiff and brought her home to our house full of 3 cats. In just two months and only a few lessons with Emily, our dog went from chasing our cats and trying to jump at them through our door to happily letting them groom her and run around the house while she stays totally calm. Emily came to our house and thoroughly explained our dog and cats body language so we could interpret their behavior and redirect as necessary. She gave us all the tools we needed to make sure every animal and human in our house is completely happy and safe. Her group class was also a godsend to make sure we could properly walk our pup and keep her focused and undistracted by other dogs . From responding to texts when we had questions to being available to help us figure out our pups quirks The Dog Listener is truly incredible. I can't recommend her enough, it will truly change your family's life. read more

See all

We have been with different trainers over the years with our different dogs and hands down we have learned so much more with Emily. You will get so much more out of training with her. I wish we knew this information with our other dogs. She is so good at what she does and always works so hard. Highly recommend! read more

The Dog Listener - Pet Training Near Me

This is Luger, my beautiful boy as I often tell him. I will be honest. I have shied away from sharing anything about him; even with people who are close to me. Why? Because I was ashamed and heartbroken. Luger is a happy boy in this very recent photo. But, it has been over a year of grueling hard work and dedication to helping him and for us learning how to best to guide and manage our special boy. At 5 months old Luger's behavior turned extremely reactive and aggressive. It shocked us and broke this mamas heart. There was no reasonable explanation for his behavior - he had full blood work, and check up by a few vets actually, he was also going to a highly recommended trainer. His blood work was normal. There was no traumatic event that preceded this behavior. I always believed it's "in the way you love and raise the dog, I can love this out of him." It really tormented me to find out by living it that it doesn't matter how hard you love your dog, sometimes they are wired differently and to no fault of your own, they will have challenges. We were told by a trainer that he was just "a young punk" that needed a very assertive handler. Desperate to change his behavior and thinking the direction was appropriate considering it was coming from a professional, we listened to that advice -- This did not help our special boy, this actually made his behavior worse. I was scared that we were not going to be able to provide the home that he needed, that we wouldn't be able to manage his behaviors and keep others safe. I desperately looked for another person to help us and found a lady who used to train with Tigers, Emily. Her methods are centered on calm, firm direction, built on trust and creating a strong relationship with the dog, not dominating him. I can honestly say she saved our hearts and his life. After working with Emily, Luger started to behave like a puppy again - he smiled his big smile, he would roll over and sleep with his belly exposed, and smile on his face, instead of walking around nervous/ posturing up, ready to take on anything that appeared even slightly out of the norm. We have made great strides and still have work to do, but the place we are in now, I couldn't even imagine a year ago, it's beautiful progress and I am grateful. I have been told lately by our vet and other professionals that it is likely that Luger's behaviors are a cross between something heredity and neurological - it's hard to say definitively without a brain scan. So, he truly is a "special boy," he has special needs. I studied Neuroscience in college and know that there is much plasticity in brains, meaning they can potentially form new connects / be re-wired with hard work and dedication, and a willing participant. So, that is where my hope lies with Luger. We love him enough and see that beautiful soul inside his eyes, so we keep trying for him and us. He's our family. It's not for everyone, but those of you who struggle with a dog like him and have your heart set on trying, know that it is possible for your dog to "get better," live better. My only regret is that we didn't find Emily sooner. Thank you Emily, from the bottom of our hearts read more

The Dog Listener - Happier, calmer, better adjusted dog. - Pet Training Near Me

WONDERFUL experience working with Emily. Our 3.5 year old German Shepherd needed some help with his behavior. Specifically leash work, reactivity, communication, and leadership. She reached out immediately after I inquired for her services. Gave me a little coaching over the phone and set up an in person training with her right away. She's incredibly responsive and accomodating. Within seconds of Emily meeting Duke, she had him under control and it was clear, she is an EXPERT. She has a talent for understanding the dog's behavior - and then being able to translate that to us so we can adjust our behavior. We've had a few private sessions where we learned the right collar to use and how to use it, proper leash work, identifying anxious behavior and how to manage it, best practices for walking, front door reactivity and how to manage a few bad manners in the home. The results with Emily are phenomenal. We are thriving after her training and it's such a relief to know we can lean on her to help us have the best relationship with our dog. We are SO thankful to be working with Emily and look forward to building a long relationship with her. Thank you Emily!!! read more

The Dog Listener - Pet Training Near Me

See all

If you are struggling with any issues, even the most difficult ones, then you need to hire a trainer of the caliber that Emily is. While being the VP of a dog rescue, we hired and recommended Emily for many dogs we had, either in foster care or to adopters. She is skilled and will help bring calm leadership with trust building to you and your dog(s). I have personally worked with Emily with my pit bull who could be dog reactive, and now that he has passed away, I hired Emily to help me with my newly adopted 92 lb mastiff who was starting to guard me and react to dogs. I knew if I intervened early, I could turn around his behavior, and I did...with Emily's help and guidance. I love that Emily is quickly responsive when I've had questions and she's also good at teaching people! I knew I was working with a top notch trainer when I attended her class with my pit bull, Huey. Her methods taught us to become calm and in sync, helping me show my dog that he could feel safe with my leadership, ability to handle the leash, and to make good choices out in public. This was true, so much so, that Huey and I went to the Dana Point marina, right after class, and walked past all the dogs and calmly ate our lunch. It felt zen. You can change things for your dog, but you will need to put in the work to do it, and you need to hire a top notch trainer like Emily. A good trainer makes all the difference. I can't recommend her highly enough. read more

My dog, Huck, was extremely dog aggressive and reactive before I had a private lesson with Emily. I can't tell you how pleased I am with Huck's on leash behavior now. He's still slightly reactive every so often, but I'm able to divert him and talk to him to calm him down. It's like night and day with him. I have much more confidence leading our team now. I cannot praise Emily enough for giving me the tools to manage him, as he is constantly looking at me for his queues now. I'll further my commitment to him and his progress by attending her group classes at DP, so we can continue to build on our teamwork. If you need a great dog trainer, Emily knows her stuff and understands dog behavior, I can't recommend her enough. read more

The Dog Listener - Huck - Pet Training Near Me

Emily has been an angel for our family. We rescued our dog about 6 months ago and immediately knew we were going to have some massive hurdles to tackle. After doing quite a bit of research, we reached out to Emily to just discuss the situation - we've never hired a dog trainer before, so this was new territory for us. We were nervous and scared for the level of problems we were seeing with our dog, but from the first second, Emily was calm, reassuring, insightful, honest, and open. She talked to us on the phone several times (even on her days off), came to our home, and always responded quickly to texts/emails. I've never met a person who truly cares so much. Nor have I met anyone who knows dogs so well. We've had a very difficult 6 months, but Emily has always been there for us with assistance, ideas, feedback, grace, and empathy. Emily will be you and your dog's greatest asset and ally - you can't go wrong hiring her. She has meant the world to us and we will be thankful to her for the rest of our lives. read more

Emily is a God send. She truly cares and absolutely knows what she is doing. I grew up with dogs and never have been in control. I thought it was a lost cause or I had the wrong training tools. Emily came to the house for a private session and we saw immediate improvement in home behavior with our black lab, Mochi. Just what we needed. Time went by, but I still couldn't walk Mochi properly. She would always resist or pull me. I did a group training with Emily and Mochi in the park and it was the easiest thing ever. Mochi would pull and bark, lunge at other dogs. With Emily's techniques, now Mochi just stays by my side and doesn't pull. She doesn't even bark at other dogs that are a few feet away. We're really lucky that we found Emily. She's amazing! read more

We needed help with our Shepherd mix for over excitement with guests and some anxiousness. Emily taught us about taking care of her needs as a herding dog and how to meet her potential with 'jobs' to help make her feel useful and happy. What a huge help Emily has been for us. She's amazing! So glad we found her! read more

The Dog Listener - Pet Training Near Me

The best training you will find. We have 2 male bulldogs that hated eachother and after about a month they are buddies now. You will not find a better dog trainer anywhere else and i would bet money on it. read more

The Dog Listener - Buddies after some training! - Pet Training Near Me

So thankful to have found this dog trainer! We were new dog owners and didn't even know where to begin with our impulsive puppy. Emily has taught us how to help build our dog's trust and confidence in us, which has made all of the difference in training. Her balanced approach teaches you to be a team with your dog and to fulfill their needs to help them to become a relaxed and happy pup. She is always available to answer any questions and will work with you to find the best options for your dog. We have done both private sessions as well as her group class. I cannot recommend her enough! read more

The Dog Listener - A private training session at the Dana Point Harbor - Pet Training Near Me

I don't know where to begin with this review. Emily has literally impacted the lives of our family and our fur babies in such a positive way. We first reached out to her a few years back to help us with our Aussie, who had bitten a poodle and is very protective of our human family, which we learned from Emily that our Aussie was very understimulated and needed a job to rid her anxiety. We implemented her techniques and because of her suggestions, our family could not be more happier with the results! Recently, a Shorky came into our family, and naturally we wanted to ensure that the two of them had a positive first experience just to be cautious. Emily not only came out and blew our socks away with her fabulous techniques, but she actually TAKES THE TIME to call and couch you before the session even begins, for no additional charge! She is also very responsive and answers any questions pre and post your session out of her time, again free of charge, which truly shows her dedication to the incredible work that she does. Because of Emily, my Aussie, who was once over protective, is PLAYING with my Shorky, something I can honestly say we would have not believed to be possible if it weren't for Emily's guidance. Emily is by far the best resource and investment we have ever made for our dogs, and is honestly affordable considering what you're getting; instead of taking our dogs to some training at Petco weekly that would have added up quickly and risk the chance of us not following through, Emily comes to your house and works on skills in the dogs' most familiar environment, which makes her techniques that much more powerful. She also explains her strategies with analogies and descriptions in ways we can relate to so we can learn along. Sorry for the long post, I am just so beyond grateful for Emily's services, and am ecstatic for the future families she will work with. read more

The Dog Listener - Pet Training Near Me

Emily is hands down the best dog trainer around! Our 3 year old English mastiff, willow became very insecure and scared of everything and I had no idea why. I called Emily to help me figure out what her anxiety was all about. She was so patient with both willow and I and gave me all the tools I needed to help her overcome all of her fears. Anytime I have any questions I text her and she answers within minutes! I can't say enough good things about Emily!! Willow is now back to her old cheerful self and I couldn't be happier! Thank you so much, Emily!! read more

The Dog Listener - Pet Training Near Me

She is the best! Listens to what you need, shows you and the dog the process to correct behavior.

She gives you many tips on your dogs need, and correcting my wrong doing showing me step by step. I see changes on my dog right away giving me hope on Enjoying my dog more as we practice more what we learned during the training, and looking forward to my next class. read more

Emily was with our mini dachshund and our corgi mix yesterday to start our training. Within minutes she had the dogs under control with firm but encouraging interactions. We quickly recognized the behaviors that we as dog parents needed to work on. Emily took us all out for a walk, after a long time in our yard, and the dogs did great. First she walked them and then had us walk them. Complete change in how our normal walks go, our dogs were well behaved. It's obvious Emily knows what she is doing and just the one visit has opened our eyes to what we need to do to start changing things. I'm thrilled. I look forward to working with her more. read more

The Dog Listener - Dogs were totally tired after working with Emily, but happier too because they were getting good guidance on how to behave and feel safe. - Pet Training Near Me

See all

Emily is absolutely amazing!! She worked wonders with our feral rescue pup Zoey...helping her overcome her fear of stairs and travertine flooring. She instructed the whole family on how to best interact with our beautiful girl...and what a difference it has made!! Professional and caring, we highly recommend Emily! read more

The Dog Listener - Making it up the stairs!!! - Pet Training Near Me

See all

Emily is great. Not only is she a great private lesson dog trainer but she has reasonably priced group lessons and free community pack walks as well. read more

The Dog Listener - Group class - Pet Training Near Me

Emily has been a life saver. She knows so much about animal language and behavior and applies this to building strong relationships between owners and their dogs. I have a 5 year old rescued boxer who has a history of being dog and sometimes human reactive. It got to the point where I was scared to walk him by myself. With Emily's help, my attitude has completely changed and I feel so much more confident handling my dog even in busy areas or when other dogs are around. After attending just a few group classes, I learned so much about communicating with my dog through my tone of voice, posture, and eye contact. I never have to use harsh corrections or negative reinforcement to have my dog understand what I am asking him to do. We now go on weekly pack walks with other dogs and dog owners and have play dates with a select few dogs. Being around other dogs in a controlled environment has helped immensely. Do you have something you need to work on with your dog? Emily can and will make it happen. We are forever grateful for everything she has taught us. read more

See all

We started seeing Emily for our people reactive/resource guarding adolescent dog. We had been training for a while with some improvement but had plateaued. I contacted Emily to get a new perspective on our dog's behavior. We have had three sessions with Emily and our dog has improved tenfold. We are able to have new visitors at the house and our dog doesn't go ballistic as she did before. Her resource guarding improved immensely. Emily has an amazing system that was a game changer for us. I love that she thinks outside the box, and tailors her training tools to be breed and personality specific, which makes all the difference. We had a vet visit recently, and the last time we were there our dog was barking almost the entire time out of fear. This time my dog was calm and the vet was able to handle her and do an exam. Our vet couldn't believe it was the same dog. It's been a game changer for us and can't thank Emily enough! read more

The Dog Listener - Dog - Pet Training Near Me

Emily is an amazing mix of total badass (I mean, big cats?! Too cool) and a caring helper. I recently adopted a dog who was seemingly aggressive towards my two cats, so another trainer told me to contact Emily due to her cat/dog integration expertise. Emily has been invaluable to the success of getting Frankie comfortable with the cats. By watching a short video of an early interaction Emily was able to identify that Frankie was just curious and afraid rather than aggressive, and that the cats were calm and confident (rather than afraid of Frankie). After that it only took 2 phone conversations where Emily gave us strategies and feedback... and check us out now! Frankie and the cats are able to relax on the same room for hours on end (still supervised, it's only been 2 weeks). Emily is crazy knowledgeable about training and is able to explain things in a clear, succinct way. I'm incredibly appreciative that she was able to help us. read more

The Dog Listener - Frankie (who used to be afraid of the cats) is now able to be calm and even sleep around the cats (laying on top of the crate in the back). - Pet Training Near Me

Emily is the only dog trainer you will ever need! - (read that sentence again, and go sign up for classes!) Finally, I've met someone who understands my situation with my dog's reactivity. I was told by other trainers "she would grow out of it" or "just stay away from other dogs" "use this technique that takes 7 months to actually work". After 2 years of going on walks at 5:00 am (when no other dogs are out) and stressing myself out before going into social situations with my dog, I finally can have calm walks with Shadow. Emily gave us the tools and techniques needed to help Shadow with her reactivity, anxiety, and aggression around other dogs. LIFE CHANGING for me. Emily is so knowledgeable about different breeds and how dogs communicate. I feel like I learn so many valuable techniques in every class I go to. On the other side, as a music teacher myself, I totally love her style of teaching - giving clients clear direction and reasoning so we can practice the techniques at home. Repetition during the class. And continued support for future success. As a business owner, I admire her attention to detail and service to the customer 110%. No crazy outrageous methods, just simply understanding your dog and listening to their language. Thank you for everything! And looking forward to more training in the future! read more

Thank you Emily for all your tips and advice, thanks to you our pitbull is now friends with our Kittyangel, Kittyangel was a stray cat that found his way to our home and I was in desperate need of help and You gladly helped me over the phone and took the time to explain dog behaviors and was super patient with me and gave me the best advice and guided me on how to introduce my cat to our pitbull, it's been quite the rollercoaster ride as my fur babies have never been exposed to cats, but with all the love and patience and Emily's help we managed to have our pitbull to finally accept Kittyangel as one of the pack, now all our fur babies share the same bed with us and they all play together and we are a big happy family. Thanks Emily for all your help, you are an amazing dog trainer and I will always refer you to my friends and family. You are the best read more

See all

Emily is a game changer. Whether you have a puddle of a Golden Retriever who needs help with regular obedience or an intense herding dog with some behavioral issues, Emily will have you covered. We adopted a very anxious Shepherd mix who'd been through a hoarder's nest and 4 shelters/rescues in the first 5 months of his life. We sought out Emily for help with our dog's reactivity towards other dogs, stopping him from going crazy and barking at the fence in the backyard, and generally helping manage his anxiety. Working with her in group classes helped us become better dog owners, it lessened the severity of all our dog's issues, and in the private lesson we had with her, she took the time to not only help us with our Shepherd mix, but also our senior dog. She is the most competent, most understanding, most caring trainer out there (and we've worked with 3+ pretty useless trainers over the years). Every minute, she drops information that you'll come back to again and again. Plus, her energy is unreal and she fricking BRINGS it to every class, every lesson. Thanks so much Emily! read more

Beyond dog listener, human listener sadly I couldn't get the chance to grab a session with her but just by messaging her she gave me so many tips as a dog mommy what to watch out for and what to ask other trainers... Super respectable read more

Early this Fall, our 14 year old Shiba Inu passed away. We waited a couple of months before getting another dog. I wanted to stick with the breed since my last Shiba was Heaven-sent! Therefore we hoped to get lucky the second time around with another well-mannered Shiba. We ended up getting our puppy slightly ahead of the 8-10 week time frame in which they could be separated from their mothers. As a result, our little guy had issues adjusting to his new environment. Plus, Emily said that he missed out on some bonding and socialization that he would have had if he stayed with his mother and litter mates a bit longer. Nevertheless, we are dedicated dog owners and wanted to make this life-long commitment go well. I had messaged with Emily via the Yelp app prior to getting the puppy. Once he arrived, we realized that we needed help that went beyond training him to sit and stay. Emily is an animal behaviorist and gets to the root of all issues. She can determine who or what is causing the pet to act that way that he or she does. Emily also evaluates the home environment and helps you make changes to provide structure for your pet. Needless to say, Emily helps to calm the situation down!!!! Is our puppy a little demon dog who has issues with aggression? Nope! He's a little guy who has a serious case of ADHD. Anyway, prior to Emily coming to our home, I sent her a video of some of our puppy's antics. She said that she had to see it for herself before she could evaluate him. I liked that she didn't form an opinion based on a short clip but wanted to look at the situation as a whole. Emily arrived on time and was confident in her abilities to address our concerns. The first thing that she did was to approach him in a calm manner. She didn't get him all riled up nor did she feed into his high energy. Emily explained how to approach, speak, and interact with our puppy. We had gone about it the wrong way. We were so excited to have him in the house that we only escalated his energy levels and didn't know how to calm him down. Emily also showed us how to redirect his attention elsewhere when he is using those razor-sharp teeth on us!!!! Our puppy also had serious problems at night. All he ever did for the first week and a half was scream and bark all night long! We believe in crate training and when Emily saw our 5 pound puppy in a German Shepard size crate, she said that this was the problem. We had to downsize to a puppy-sized crate. She also helped us place towels inside to help him dig a little nest for comfort. Can you believe that he's actually pretty quiet at night? She also showed us how to stimulate his brain, forcing him to think often. Emily helped us tire him out so that he'd sleep at night. Emily is a savior for us! All of her reviews are truly a reflection of the quality of work that she does and the rapport that she has with her clients, both human and four-legged. We spoke on the phone for over an hour before meeting. She did a 3 hour session with us but only charged us for 2 hours. Emily sent an extensive email as a follow-up to be explicit with techniques to be used with our Shiba. She responds via text when needed! Basically, Emily will not leave you high and dry. The amount of follow through that she has in nothing short of amazing! We had a trainer come out to the home a week before but at this point, we are targeting the underlying issues. Then once we have an understanding of how our dog thinks and when/how to react, we will focus on basic commands. Emily has changed the way that we interact with our puppy. We are truly grateful for the work that she has done with us already. I can see that Emily will be a part of our puppy's life into his adult years. read more

Emily started working with us and our Chinook - behavioral and obedience - training. We have seen an immediate improvement. Our dog is more calm, we are feeing more confident, and Emily has given us the tools to continue working with our pup for more happiness all around! read more

Emily is so great. I have a 5 year old American bully we adopted a year ago, and I wanted support in working on his reactivity while walking on a leash. Emily taught me how to properly walk my pup on his leash, listen to him and his reactions, and best support him. Now we work as a team on our walks and I feel confident enough to take him to dog parks and the beach again. Thanks Emily! read more

Emily is a fantastic trainer. One of our dogs was badly bitten by another dog years ago and got freaked out whenever we came across other dogs during walks. We recently did a private training session with Emily and saw progress immediately. She followed up with extensive training notes and specific instructions to reinforce the training. We also started to go to her group classes and they are great! She keeps the class organized, interesting and moving along. She is highly recommended! read more

The Dog Listener - Group Class - Pet Training Near Me