FirstBarkLove opportunity barks! We started with puppy socials and classes but continue to take my dog there for tune ups! All of the staff is so nice and knowledgeable and really care about your dog!
Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
About Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training
Opportunity Barks provides dog training in Philadelphia and Bucks County using Lifestyle Dog Training, a real-life approach focused on behavior, communication, and everyday function, not just obedience. We offer puppy training, private dog training, reactive dog training, and Board and Train programs designed for real-world results. Clients also have access to Day School in our Philadelphia studio for consistent, hands-on support. Our farm supports Farm Dog® Adventures, with transportation from Philadelphia, giving dogs the space, movement, and environment most are missing, so behavior actually carries into daily life. We’re also home to Sport & Social Club, a place to connect and build a real life with your dog.
Training & services
Training goals
- Behavior consultation
- House training
- Leash training
Program details
Leash training for dogs that pull, lunge, or struggle on walks. We help dogs learn how to move with their handler in a calmer, more connected way, creating walks that are more manageable and less stressful.
- Puppy training
Program details
Puppy training focused on socialization, house training, and early behavior development. We help puppies learn how to settle, interact appropriately, and navigate real-life environments with more confidence and clarity. Available through private training, classes, and drop-off programs.
- Socialization
Program details
Puppy socialization classes designed to help young dogs learn how to interact safely and calmly with other dogs, people, and environments. These are structured sessions, not chaotic play. Puppies learn how to regulate, recover, and make better decisions in real-world situations.
Behavior support
- Fear and confidence
- Reactivity training
Program details
Reactive dog training for dogs that bark, lunge, or struggle around other dogs, people, or environmental triggers. Training focuses on improving regulation, communication, and real-life behavior so your dog can move through the world more calmly and predictably.
How training happens
- Board and train
Program details
Dog boarding with training combines structured care with training support while you are away. We reinforce good habits, maintain routines, and support behaviors like leash skills and settling so your dog comes home more stable, not set back.
- Day training
Program details
Drop-off day training programs in Philadelphia where you drop your dog off and we handle the training. Dogs build skills through repetition, structure, and real-world exposure. We then coach you through private lessons so the progress translates into your daily life.
- Group classes Customer-reported
- Owner coaching Customer-reported
- Pack walks
- Private training
Program details
Private dog training in Philadelphia tailored to your dog, your home, and your daily life. We work with you and your dog on leash skills, household behavior, reactivity, and communication so training actually holds up outside of a session.
Dog age
- Puppies
Training level
- Beginner training Customer-reported
Support between sessions
- Follow-up support
- Progress reports
Dog sports
- Agility
- Scent work
Additional services
- Boarding
Program details
We offer farm based dog boarding with transportation from Philadelphia to our 6-acre farm, designed for dogs who who have completed training programs with Opportunity Barks. Dogs have access to nature trails, woods, and training while in our care.
- Daycare
- Grooming
Other listed services
View 5 additional details
- Dog training
Program details
Dog training in Philadelphia focused on real-life behavior, not just obedience. We help dogs and owners build clear communication and skills that work at home, on walks, and in everyday life
- Farm Dog Training
Program details
Dog training programs at our 10-acre farm just outside Philadelphia. Dogs get access to open space, woods, and natural environments, helping them decompress, explore, and build more balanced behavior alongside structured training for off leash reliability in our fully fenced space.
- Lifestyle Dog Training
Program details
Lifestyle Dog Training is a real-life approach to dog training focused on how your dog actually lives with you. We work on communication, structure, fulfillment, and behavior in everyday environments so your dog can function at home, on walks, and in the real world.
- Farm Dog
Program details
Farm dog daycare and training just outside Philadelphia on 10 acres of fully fenced land, woods, and open space. Dogs spend the day moving, exploring, and settling in a structured, natural environment designed to support their biological fulfillment.
- Dog Sport & Social Club
Program details
Exclusively for Opportunity Barks clients. This is not play. Structured group work focused on activity, training, and real-life behavior. Dogs learn how to engage, disengage, and function around other dogs with clarity.
Confirm current programs and availability directly.
Questions & answers
From GoogleWhat people have asked about this business.
Can anyone give me information about board and train program for older puppy. I have an 19 month old reactive Shepard mix. He’s reactive toward dogs and people. He had basic training at petsmart, had private trainer for 6 weeks. He needs more intensive training. He is smart but distracts easily outside.
Hey Maria, Thanks for reaching out, we'd be happy to chat and give you more details. And...if you are dealing with reactivity and are feeling you need more intensive dog training, it's typical for dogs working with behavioral training/behavior modification or "b-mod" as we call it- for 3 weeks. This allows us plenty of time to get to know your pup, establish sturdy foundations and then build from there and work in proximity to dogs to be able to proof training in real time and in real life scenarios (passing by, walks, etc). Yep and with shepherds of course, we're also looking at where they are in guarding mode/secure my people mode. So, lots of things can contribute, and it's all about building drive and engagement with you, getting the dog to look to you in the decision making process and to help them co-regulate in scenarios that feel intense. Feel free to shoot us a message here and we can send you more details, and available dates. https://www.opbarks.com/
Community answer · Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training · 2025-09-21
My Henri is 4 yrs. old and rarely will go in the car and only if there is at least one other person going to. This mini aussiedoodle is overall fearless, fun, sociable but the only dog companion who Welcome. dreads going in the car. Suggestion
So are you saying that this dog needs to be in a car with at least 2 people? I'm unclear- please share more details via our Get in Touch form here: https://www.opbarks.com Thanks! Leigh
Community answer · Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training · 2025-09-21
Do you do Dog Theray (Service Dog) certificate and how much please?
Mimi, We do offer workshops and training programs to prepare dogs and handlers for Therapy Dog Certification Testing. We offer one on one dog training lesson programs, dog training classes, therapy dog preparation classes and workshops for dogs and their owners in the greater Philadelphia area. Therapy Dog Certification Testing and Therapy Dog Workshops is held a few times a year at our locations in Old City, Philadelphia, East Falls, Philadelphia and Quakertown, PA.
Community answer · Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training · 2018-09-21
I have an almost 2 year old Rottweiler. How much are your sessions and what's the hours?
Hey Robin, because we offer a variety of training options, we'd love more details about what you and your Rotti are looking to work on! If you email me at Alyssa@opbarks, I'd be happy to help you get squared away!
Community answer · Alyssa Schafer · 2019-09-21
Public community answers. Authors are not verified as business representatives; details may have changed.
Customer reviews
Google listing4.8
122 Google reviews
Mentioned in reviews
- Confidence building 12
- Puppy socials 10
- Farm dog program 9
- Structured environment 9
- Leash walking 8
- Puppy classes 8
All 10 topics
- Dog communication 5
- Empathetic trainer 3
- Invested trainers 3
- Puppy nipping 2
Google review topics, not confirmed services.
We brought our first dog to puppy classes here and had a great experience. A year and another dog later, we were back for private lessons with our second leash reactive dog. Within an hour we felt so relieved to learn and understand properly how to communicate with our dog, and now we can keep working in breaking the reactive cycle. Really appreciate Leigh and the OP Barks team!
My pup recently finished an off-leash adventure program with Opportunity Barks and we absolutely loved it! The farm dog programs are an excellent way to give city dogs a safe space (10 acres!) to be dogs - sniffing all the sniffs, sprinting through the woods, splashing in a creek…Read full reviewClose full review
My pup recently finished an off-leash adventure program with Opportunity Barks and we absolutely loved it! The farm dog programs are an excellent way to give city dogs a safe space (10 acres!) to be dogs - sniffing all the sniffs, sprinting through the woods, splashing in a creek and interacting with other dogs. I knew Gus would be safe - which is something you can't be sure of at a dog park or with random dogs you may meet on a trail. Alyssa and the other trainers also worked with Gus individually, multiple times per day on coming when called around distractions (squirrels, bunnies, and other playful dogs) and helped him learn how to play appropriately with dogs of all ages and sizes. I can't say enough about how valuable this experience has been, truly worth every penny and then some. Gus and I love the smart, compassionate team at Opbarks, and I wouldn't trust my dog with anyone else.
I would never take my dogs anywhere else for help & training. Leigh really knows her stuff & makes it fun. Way better than a Petco or other chain pet shop class.
We've done our training for our dog, Korra, with OpBarks since she was a puppy (~9 months). We started her off with a board & train program for a few weeks because we were struggling with leash training (imagine a dog who walks with her nose to the ground, meandering from side to…Read full reviewClose full review
We've done our training for our dog, Korra, with OpBarks since she was a puppy (~9 months). We started her off with a board & train program for a few weeks because we were struggling with leash training (imagine a dog who walks with her nose to the ground, meandering from side to side like a drunk baby). Leigh and her colleagues were fantastic, introducing Korra and us to new equipment (nose loop) that was a huge help for her leash manners. The board and train was smartly followed by an in-person training session on pick up to teach us what Korra had learned so that we could be better communicators and leaders for her. After that was another session to check in, tie up loose ends, etc. Prior to coming to OpBarks, we had tried a puppy training class at a local PetCo, as well as had 6 at home training session with a private trainer. OpBarks was by far the most effective. Leigh and her team demonstrate a true understanding of dog behavior and understand that in many cases, the humans need as much training as the dog. We loved our experience so much that we also did a "Reactive Dog" group class with OpBarks and followed it up with a "B-1 Foundations" group class. We've also boarded Korra at the OpBarks farm in Quakertown several times while away on vacation and have always come home to a tired, happy dog. It's been wonderful knowing that she is in good hands when we're away. Recently, we moved to a new state and Korra has been anxious with her walks. We reached out to OpBarks to set up a virtual consultation and got a quick response. We were able to speak with Leigh about what's been going on and get suggestions, as well as some helpful training videos. Leigh & the OpBarks team have been an immensely helpful resource for us, and we would recommend them without hesitation.
Original customer experiences from the collected Google data. Ratings without comments follow written reviews.