Had an amazing experience with Mark! The progress my dog has made with him is amazing and in short…read moreperiod of time! I use to struggle to take him on walks or go to an outdoor restaurant without him barking, whining, and getting overwhelmed. Now he sits under me and watches calmly. I also feel like my dog trust me so much more because Mark taught me the importance of advocating for him and how to. He has an extensive knowledge on dogs and does an amazing job of teaching you about your dog and their behavior. Would 1000% recommend!

I hesitated to write this for nearly a year because I believe Cheryl is passionate about what she…read moredoes, however, her training was not a good fit for us, and we did not see results, despite spending $1700. For what it's worth, she's respectful, prompt, and brought her own dog to a few sessions to help my puppy with anxiety. She also has a good game for place training, and when I switched away from her methods this was the only thing we kept doing. This review will be long, but this is the main takeaway. I'd caution anyone from considering this "balanced training". It is not. The primary goal is conditioning a prong collar correction to a verbal "No!". It is purely punitive, not balanced. It's no different (& arguably worse) than the traditional 'crank & yank' style described in her book, just dressed up nicer. I'd advise future customers to use *EXTREME* caution if considering using an e-collar with Raise the Bar. An e-collar is NOT a punishment tool that you can slap on and hammer a dog with. For any behavior. Increasing punishment without clarifying the alternative desired behavior creates conflict. It's bad for the owner-dog relationship. Despite this, when unclear prong collar corrections didn't work, escalating to the e-collar was suggested at every single session. When I had concerns about shut down dogs/frustration, or feeling uncomfortable with the w/the level of corrections, I was met with contempt and told that based on 30yr of experience, this is just how it's done. Years of experience don't equal best practice. 1. Prong collar- it needs to be properly fitted. A loose prong (recommended by Cheryl) delivers inconsistent corrections and takes away the physics of the collars design, so you're no longer protecting the trachea or distributing pressure evenly. She recommended increasing the gauge of prong when corrections weren't working. I tried to discuss that this would require more force to deliver a similar correction, but shut down and told a 2.25 is a "puppy collar". In reality it delivers a higher level correction or "bite" with less leash pop. Most dogs should not be using a 4mm prong, especially loose, bc it's virtually ineffective. 2. Balanced training uses all quadrants of operant conditioning. Raise the Bar is almost entirely punishment based. Praise is not positive reinforcement. You can't be balanced and anti-treat/reward. When you hire a private trainer, you're paying for someone to train you, not your dog, and when asked 'why' she does things, she's not able to articulate it well. 3. Leash pressure- she couldnt get 1 of my dogs on the placeboard and gave up when he put the brakes on and reared back on the leash. She couldn't see that he just didn't understand leash pressure (which I've now taught him). He needed to be encouraged to go on in a way he understood. Next visit when he was on it she asked how, & I told her I was able to get him on in minutes with treats and free shaping, she was disappointed I had used food despite her method being ineffective. 4. **E-COLLAR**- please do NOT let Cheryl put an e-collar on your dog. I am SO glad I was enrolled in an e-collar course before she started suggesting it. She lacks fundamental knowledge of modern day e-collar use, likely bc it relies on foundations she doesn't use (ie a positive marker word & reward, low-level stim overlayed on well known commands via neg reinforcement, working under threshold). For crate anxiety she suggested putting an e-collar on my fearful puppy, & stimming at high levels until quiet, also suggested dropping a heavy textbook on the crate. Frankly this is abhorrent training. My dogs are now all e-collar trained and it's rarely ever necessary to use at aversive levels , esp not paired with "No" to induce handler fear and certainly not on a fearful/reactive dog. I could go on, because I don't think this is individualized training, but will digress. This training is conflict & punishment based & we did not reach any goals with her methods. I am pro-balanced, but this is compulsion. I'd suggest she expand her knowledge because her current methods have the potential to do serious harm. My relationship with my dogs was never worse than when we trained with Raise the Bar. The best thing about this experience, was that it lit a fire in me to learn to train dogs myself. They're now off leash heeling, hiking, no more reactivity, even went on a trip with us. Our results speak for themselves. I'll leave it there.

Megan, our trainer, did an amazing job with Bowie! He now listens, doesn't jump on people and comes…read morewhen he is called. Thank you so much for all of your help! I recommend Unleashed to anyone who needs help with training their dog, they do such a wonderful job.

Virginia Simpson and her staff are extremely professional and attentive to the dog owner and the…read moredog. Her training of our German Shepherd was excellent and she continues to help our with training if something comes up. We have been with Virginia for almost a year and I cannot say enough good things about her knowledge of training dogs. What I like the most is that once the 2 or 3 week training is complete she doesn't just say goodbye and you never see her again. She continues to support and that is of utmost importance to me.

Our Aussiedoodle was trained by Ivory and Bryce for two weeks while we were out of town. They did a…read morefine job teaching her the basic commands, and then the ball was our court to see if we could maintain/continue her training and good behavior in our real-life situation at home. We found it tough at first to maintain the good behaviors when there were the inevitable distractions, but the great thing about Ivory and Bryce was that they always answered our questions over the phone, and were always available (with a bit of scheduling, of course). With continued challenges, we scheduled a follow-up at a park, to let them observe our handling and re-show us the effective methods we did not quite get when we first picked her up from Bulletproof. This follow-up was fantastic, and we've done much better since. A suggestion would be to spend more time when you first pick up your dog to practice the training. We had about two hours, which probably was not enough time to let us practice with Ivory and Bryce the way we got to during our follow-up session with them. Ivory and Bryce are enthusiastic people who love your dog and want to achieve success for both you and your little beast.

This business was highly recommended by my SIL. They say the training is 100% guaranteed. That's…read moreis absolutely untrue. I found there to be no backing behind this. After speaking to the owner and explaining that the training was not working, he did not offer me any kind of resolution or refund. He recommended that I get a different breed of dog and so "kindly" offered to train a new breed for "free". My dog did not get the training that most dogs do, which is within their facility. So many dogs at their facility had kennel cough, so my dog received training outside of the facility for a very short amount of time every day (within the training duration) maybe, if my dog had received the type of training that I had paid for and there weren't so many sick dogs at Bulletproof, which is very questionable in itself my dog may have benefited from the training.

We are now in our third course with our Great Dane pup at Alice's Companion Dog Training:…read moreintermediate obedience. Have very much enjoyed these classes and appreciate the one-on-one tips and feedback to better train our pup. Every instructor we have had has always made sure to ask if there are any questions each class which is very helpful! Really appreciate the affordability of the classes as they mirror Petsmart training price but with so much more value!! Would highly recommend but do know you have to put the work in to each week to get the best results!!

They are reasonable and trainers truly love what they do. They make sure you and your dog are…read morehappy. Also does private training.

Hannah was fantastic with our new rescue dog who was from a puppy mill and very fearful, which…read moreturned to LOUD barking and growling at times. She helped our entire family, especially our young kids, learn how to get Pepper comfortable and acclimated. After a few weeks with Hannah - plus continued work on our part for awhile to come - we have a well-adjusted dog who is living the best life that she deserves. We'll go back to Hannah in a few months to move to the next step, which is getting Pepper comfortable with other dogs. Highly recommend Hannah, esp if you have kids that are involved in the training process.

From the owner: The Proper Puppy offers in private, in-home dog training and puppy training programs in the central…read moreCincinnati area. Our specialty is training excellent family dogs! Our dog and puppy training programs go beyond basic obedience and focus on the real-world skills your dog needs to be a welcome member of the family. From hiking off leash to sitting quietly at a cafe, a well trained dog is a joy to have around. You don't have to drive to classes or send your dog away for quality professional training. We know dogs learn best at home, that's why we come to you! We can teach you to train your dog with private lessons or take the leash and do the training for you, either way you dog is learning from the best. Call us today to get started!

We have been taking our dog Benedict to the Pet Spot since he was a puppy, so going on five years…read morenow! We use Pet Spot for daycare, grooming (thank you so much Cat for being the best!!! My sister still drives down from Dayton after moving to get her dogs groomed by Cat), and boarding every now and then. The "floating groom" option is one of our favorites as our dog can run & play in daycare while also getting a full groom, so he's both tired & clean when he comes home. They also host fun events throughout the year where you can get a themed picture of your dog, like Halloween or St. Patrick's day. The staff is always very friendly, accommodating, and some even greet Benedict by name when we walk in the lobby. Seeing 1-star reviews here really surprises me as I know myself and many other repeat customers have had zero issues with the Pet Spot and I would feel confident recommending their services to any dog owner. I would also like to suggest to anyone reading these low reviews to take some highly sensitive pet owner's opinions with a grain of salt. This is an all around GREAT dog care facility with extremely hard-to-beat prices for the area. Seriously people - be realistic. Dogs will smell a little when they get home. The lobby might smell if someone had an accident. It's truly insane to think your dog won't smell a little bit when they come home from boarding/daycare surrounded by other dogs running and playing all day. Expect to bathe them yourselves like a normal person or pay for an exit bath (a service they offer). If you want your pup to never touch dirt or pee then you should keep them at home or shell out the cash for Rover. Just my two cents!

We had a very poor experience with Pet Spot. We recently brought our dog in for a daycare…read moreevaluation. The lobby smelled strongly in the morning when dropping her off, and smelled even worse in the afternoon when we picked her up. When they brought my dog back, she was whining, straining at the leash, and trying to make a beeline for the exit to get out of there asap - this is really strange behavior; my friendly extroverted pup usually wants to personally say goodbye with a wagging tail to everyone when we take her places. I asked the woman at the front desk how things had gone - she shrugged and just said, "looks like she passed." Then she said "didn't you get the email report?" I was confused and said no, I didn't have an email and didn't know what she was talking about. Also I'd literally just picked up my dog, so idk how they could have gotten a report out to me . "You'll get an email," she said confidently and dismissively. I have not received one still. We asked if it was possible to see the facility, since it was our first visit, and she instead showed us cameras from the lobby that "aren't live because the system's broken". So just static blurry photos of empty indoor play yards. We asked about how and where the dogs were able to go out to use the bathroom and she said THEY ALL JUST GO WHEREVER ON THE FLOOR and "they do their best to clean it up". At this point we left. We had to stop on the way home because she was so distressed - my housebroken dog had apparently been holding her bladder and her poop all day. She drank her entire bowl of water the second she got home, so I don't think she was given access to any while at daycare for several hours. She was limping and we have no idea why, because Pet Spot couldn't give us any information about her day. We had to give her a bath that evening because she smelled terrible. On top of all this, she's now developed a rash on her paws and belly as well as an eye infection which have required vet attention. Unsurprising since she was apparently laying around in urine and feces all day. Honestly I couldn't believe how bad of an experience we had - on a first day! - and I feel bad for my poor pup that I ever dropped her off here. Do not use this place.

It is 92 miles round trip to All About Dogs from my home. Is it worth the trip? Absolutely!…read more All About Dogs was suggested by the coordinator when we adopted from a rescue organization. Not thinking training was necessary, I filed away the papers. It became obvious, a couple of months later, our new dog was learning bad habits from our other dog and it was time to consult a professional trainer. The amazing demonstration John provided with his dog at the evaluation wasn't what convinced us to enroll in his training classes. The deciding factor was his ability to work with our dogs only a few minutes before they were obeying his commands. There is no pressure to sign a contract at the evaluation. John presented four options to us while encouraging us to think it over and call him if we were interested. Training dogs appears nearly effortless for John, while training owners seems to be far more complicated. His vast knowledge and willingness to explain things in great detail help tremendously as he guides the owner step-by-step through the process. He is both patient and tenacious wanting his clients to achieve success. It isn't easy, but the reward you receive in becoming a confident owner with obedient dogs makes it well worth the effort and hard work. If you are looking for a trainer with plenty of experience and willing to do what it takes to give you a happy and well-trained dog, John is your guy!!

Shout out to Red Dog for taking great care of my Annie Oakley. Her tail begins wagging as soon as…read moreshe realizes where we are, often before we even turn off Madison. I appreciate that they thoughtfully separate dogs into sizes and sometimes even styles of play, because Annie may be small but she likes to play rough sometimes. Boarding seems to go over very smoothly as Annie Oakley was excited to come home but didn't have any qualms about going back to Red Dog the next time. I am also reviewing their grooming care, or as much as short hair uses it. They are always accommodating if I call in for a last minute reservation for a day when she is going to be there, and have even squeezed in her nail trim or ear cleaning on a day they were otherwise booked. The staff seems all very friendly and I've never had any bad experiences with them. They use an online portal for booking and that makes it fairly easy to do. The grooming can be difficult to book, so I usually end of calling to ask about real availability. Lastly, you can watch your pup on video, which while I haven't done, I think is a nice touch and provides some transparency in how the dogs are being treated.

The employee at the front desk when I went to check in was very very rude. The process of…read moreregistering your pet is an absolute pain. I took the time to store my credit card info (as required) when I registered my dog for a bath and then got a text asking for a credit card for a $50 deposit to confirm the appointment (a deposit for a bath?! I don't store my credit card anywhere online especially for something this insignificant, but it was required so I complied. Then to get a text after I took the time to do this, asking for my card again was frustrating. I have never had to store a credit card or make a down payment for a dog bath with any other groomer.) The entire process was a pain and the employee I checked in with was rude. I thought I'd give it a try because it's closer to home, but I'd rather drive 30 min each way to our current groomer who is kind, is always happy to see my dog, and doesn't require a down payment for a bath. I will not go back.

We had an excellent experience with Jeff, the owner of WMK-9. This was the second time he trained…read moreour dog, Bentley, we needed help with excessive barking and command recall. Jeff did an outstanding job -- he completely resolved the issues and gave us the tools and confidence to continue reinforcing the training at home. Jeff is knowledgeable, professional, and truly understands dogs and their behavior. Bentley came back calmer, more responsive, and we feel more confident to take Bentley out in public. I would highly recommend WMK-9 for both dog training and boarding. We are extremely happy with the results and will absolutely continue using Jeff in the future.

Since moving to Cincinnati, my biggest concern was finding a boarding facility that could handle my…read moreShiba Inu. He's definitely a 'my way or the highway' kind of dog, but the team at WMK9- Well Mannered K9 was incredible with him. They boarded him for a week and a half and kept us completely at ease with frequent photo and text updates showing he was happy and comfortable. It was so heartening to see him making friends and enjoying his own 'vacation.' I also love that they offer flexible training programs both onsite and at-home. I can't thank them enough for going the extra mile for our treasured pup; we'll definitely be back!

What a great group to work with! Very responsive and thorough with all of the pet information they…read morecollect. We have 6 feline children, with many unique issues and certain restrictions with diets, multiple litter boxes, and living quarters. Never appears to be an issue and I noticed careful notes taken. I love the daily messages and pictures on how they are doing....I feel they care about my fur babies as much as I do!!

My wife and I travel frequently, and always have a bit of a dilemma with our two cats. We hate to…read morestress our boys with kennels and taking them out of their regular environment. And we hate bothering our neighbors so often to watch our cats. We used Stay At Home Pet services recently, and had a good experience. A few of the caretakers came to our home a week or so prior to our trip to see our pet care routine, ask questions, etc. During our trip, we received text message updates when they arrived and left, often with pictures of our boys. The only hiccup we had was noticing an interior door left open after they left. We let them know and they returned quickly to close it up before our boys got into something they shouldn't have. They have a great online portal for seeing and paying your bill, adding pictures/information about your home and pets. We will definitely continue to use Stay At Home Pet Services.