BlackDog Behavior and Training, LLC

We can’t say enough great things about Zack and Black Dog! We took in a stray in late 2024 who we ultimately rescued named Ruby. She started showing some reactivity issues (she startles easily/gets nervous easily), so we reached out to Black Dog late last year because of their positive reinforcement training methodology, which was really important to us. Zack has been incredible to work with! He is extremely patient with Ruby and has been giving us tools to help manage her when she gets into her reactive state. We recently took her on a walk with a friend's dog - and using the tools Zack has been helping us with, we gradually had the dogs interact over the course of the walk to the point that they were best friends by the end, which is a huge win for us! We're excited to keep working with Zack/Black Dog this year on the reactivity Ruby displays in the home but feel 100% confident that we have the right people in our corner helping us/helping Ruby to succeed!!

We have been working with BlackDog for over a year with our 6 year old 15 lbs anxious rescue COVID dog. We have worked with multiple trainers in the past to address his reactivity to unfamiliar people and dogs with limited success. Now that we are working with the BlackDog, we are actually seeing our dog warm up to new people more quickly and be less reactive on walks when encountering unfamiliar dogs and people. We started with training sessions and now are doing board and train. I know our dog is going to be safe and happy when he’s there, and he always comes home happy and healthy after his stay. Zack and the other trainers are amazing, and Becca is always helpful when working through scheduling. You can tell that they really care about the dogs and want to help them and their owners be successful. I highly recommend BlackDog for both training and board and train services.

Black Dog made a world of difference to our reactive rescue dog with their 4 week board & train program. They were able to use only positive reinforcement methods to teach her different patterns and behaviors that have really helped her with her on leash reactivity. We picked them as they have only a few dogs at a time PLUS the facility is set up like a home vs a kennel situation. Beyond the effectiveness of the training, they were communicative and responsive to our needs and questions. AND the main trainer for boarding programs Zach developed such a special bond with our dog that we always knew she was being loved and cared for, not just trained. They also provide follow-up session at home after the boarding session, even though we live in Center City Philadelphia. We just sent Star back for another week to work on dog socialization. Grateful to have found them and be part of the Black Dog family. It is not inexpensive but it was a worthwhile investment to improve the quality of life for our dog and our family!

Everyone I've interacted with at BlackDog has been incredible. My youngest pup started displaying some resource guarding behavior which was impacting our other resident dog and dogs visiting our home. I was frustrated with myself as I had tried to do everything 'right' with socialization and training. Becca and Zack were both kind and compassionate not just with my sometimes sassy 3 year-old Shiba Inu, but with me as well. I would recommend any/all BlackDog programming or training. It's clear just how much everyone here loves animals and wants them to thrive.