Dog Educated

I cannot express enough or find the words to truly explain how grateful I am for Lisa and her team at Dog Educated. We met by fate, my husband and I took in a 1 year old foster dog named Brioche in February of 2026. Brioche was besties with our 1 year old dog Bodhi, and she was already enrolled in the Canine Good Citizens class at Dog Educated by her previous owner when we got her, so we continued taking her to training. Not only is Lisa a very knowledgeable dog trainer and expert when it becomes to animal behavior, she is extremely compassionate and caring. Lisa had been Brioche's trainer since she was a puppy, and Lisa offered free help and advice as we navigated the first several days and weeks of going from a one dog household to suddenly having two 1 year old dogs. This came with challenges such as resource guarding, food aggression, and separation anxiety, all of which Lisa helped guide us through. We ended up adopting Brioche, and she passed her CGC test. We had such a wonderful experience with Lisa at Dog Educated, I wanted to enroll Bodhi in Intermediate Training there as well. I previously worked with two other dog trainers located on the west side of Rochester with Bodhi, but Bodhi was always scared, and would cry throughout every class. The thing I love about Dog Educated is it's very interactive, on your feet, working with your dog. There's no sitting in chairs, listening to lectures while your dog is restless. I also love that Lisa is thoughtful about the dogs personalities who are paired together in class so that the dogs can play and have fun. This was a game changer for Bodhi! By the time I brought Bodhi in for his third class, he was excited to go, and relaxed. Being able to play during a portion of class allows the dogs to associate going to training with a place they have fun and get to see friends and eat snacks. Not only this but Lisa provides 100% harm free, positive association training which in my opinion is the only method that should be used. Long story short, I highly recommend making the drive out to Dog Educated in East Rochester. Even if other trainers are closer and more convenient, no other trainer that I have worked with comes close to Lisa's demonstrated care and compassion when it comes to her clients and the safety and care of the dogs she works with.

We can’t say enough good things about Dog Educated, and especially Elissa Orlando. Our dog Junebug is a rescue through Operation Freedom Ride. We were told she was found alone on the side of a road in Tennessee at around 6 months old before she came to us. As you can imagine, she had a great deal of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. From the first time we worked with Elissa, you could tell how much she genuinely cares about dogs and the people who love them. She never made us feel judged or overwhelmed. Instead, she helped us better understand Junebug’s behavior and taught us how to work with her in a calm, patient, and positive way. One of the things we appreciate most about Dog Educated is their evidence based, positive approach to training. Everything was focused on building trust, confidence, communication, and helping Junebug feel safe, never fear or punishment. That philosophy really mattered to us. The transformation in Junebug has honestly been amazing. She’s more confident, more relaxed, and the bond we have with her is so much stronger because of the guidance we received. What also stood out was how Elissa treated Junebug like an individual dog with her own story and personality, not just “a problem to fix.” You can tell she truly loves what she does and brings an incredible amount of knowledge, empathy, intuition, and experience to her work. If you are looking for someone to help with your dog, especially a rescue, I would recommend Dog Educated and Elissa without hesitation. We are incredibly grateful for everything they’ve done for Junebug and our family.

We’ve had such a great experience with Dog Educated. Lisa and her team are incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and truly invested in the dogs and families they work with. We adopted our puppy, Atlas, from a rescue, and he had very little socialization before being rescued at 13 weeks. From the very beginning, before we even met her, Lisa took the time to guide us, answer questions, provide materials, and help us understand how important that early socialization/exposure window was. Our private session gave us the confidence and direction we needed, and it immediately set us on the right path. Dog training is such an unregulated field, and it was really important to us to work with someone who has the education and experience to do things the right way. That’s exactly what you get with Dog Educated. You can tell this isn’t just a job, it’s something they genuinely care about. A lot of thought and planning goes into the classes and pairing of the dogs for play. Atlas is now thriving, after completing a private session and puppy kindergarten group classes. The structure, guidance, and support have made such a difference, and we’re excited to continue on to the next level of group classes. We appreciate Lisa for her passion, integrity, and honesty. We HIGHLY recommend Dog Educated!

We brought our deaf foster puppy to Dog Educated and couldn't be happier with the experience! Lisa and her team were incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful when it came to working with a puppy who has special needs. They used positive reinforcement throughout and made meaningful accommodations for our pup's deafness, and it was clear they genuinely care about every dog as an individual. The socialization opportunities were also a highlight. Our foster puppy came out of her shell so much, and we credit that to the safe, supportive environment the team creates. If you're looking for trainers who are patient, skilled, and truly go the extra mile, Dog Educated is the place to go. Highly recommend to anyone!

Is the training expensive? Yes, it is, but this is definitely a case where you get what you pay for! We have had 2 private training sessions with Elissa Orlando from Dog Educated and the difference in our seven month old Wheaton Terrier (Stella Blue) is remarkable after only two weeks of practicing what she has shown us. Elissa is extremely patient and left our house very muddy today because she gets very involved with the training of Stella. I highly recommend Dog Educated (particularly Elissa) for anyone who needs special attention in training their dog. She is extremely respectful and considerate of us, our house and most importantly Stella Blue. She has emailed us links to videos and notes on what to practice and we are grateful for all she has done!