Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training

Anne, This kind of review always gets me. From all of us at OpBarks, thank you for your kind words. We're so grateful to have amazing folks like yourself and I'm happy to hear that we were able to provide not only dog training but learning how to support your dog the way they need. That's what it's all about. To many happy years with Frankie! 🥂 Don't be a stranger. xo Leigh, Ingrid, Oli and all of us at OpBarks

Lisa, Thank you so much for taking the time to share! Ahhh, love you and Charlie right back. We're so glad to have him in our Day Training programs and in our community! So glad you are seeing the fruits of it all and yes to Chuck being his best poodle self xo Leigh and all of us at OpBarks

Miriam! Ahhh that’s so great to hear (and read)!! It’s our pleasure to be able to help you shift things in the dynamics with your dog and we’re so happy to hear you had had amazing results! Enjoy and please don’t hesitate to be in touch with anything you need! Appreciate you, Leigh and all of us at OpBarks dog training Philadelphia 😘

Update: Hey Chelsea, Glad things are in a good place with Barney. We do offer programs that allow us to delve into things more deeply- day training, board and training, and longer lesson programs. The program you choose to do with us, at the time we worked together, was very much triaging your immediate needs- his and your safety in proximity to people and dogs. Had you reached back out at any point in the last few years, we would have been happy to educate you further or dive as deep as you'd like to go, or reassess what you might need as your goals and relationship developed with Barney. Regarding equipment use, it's always the owner's choice as to what they want to use and it's our job to educate and empower them in that choice. ****Hey Chelsea, Thanks for sharing your experience. Hey, I hear you! So many clients come to us getting caught in the youtube vortex. There is so much information out there, much of which contradicts itself. So I'm glad that we could help get things clear and get you headed in the right direction. An investment with us is really about a frank assessment of where things are, where you want to be, knowing all your options, and then beginning the process to bridge the gap. Many people also come to us with having spent their money elsewhere and are still seeking help. Many people come to us having tried training strategies and are still seeking help. And many people have come to us having spent a lot of money on equipment, that may not really be working for them. At any rate, every client's trajectory is different and what one dog needs, can vary widely dog to dog, but knowing what is going to work and where to concentrate your energy and effort is what we do best. So glad we could be of help, and that you and Barney are seeing big improvements. That's what's it's all about. What's practical, reduces stress for all, and works for you and your dog. Thanks for doing the work, keeping us in the loop with progress updates and asking questions along the way. Thanks for your trust in us. Muah! Leigh

Afrooz, I’m happy to constructively address your feedback. By the time many clients begin our puppy class, they have already had their puppies in their home anywhere from 2-6+ weeks, and in that time frame, yes, some clients have already begun training basic skills, potty training/house training, confinement/crate training. We have extensive online resources available as soon as you register for puppy class, so we can assist and troubleshoot house training, confinement training, setting up your home for your puppy, etc; bonus guides that address those very things are also included, as well as an active community forum. We regularly host Instagram lives, we encourage people to ask questions or email us with questions. We’re not shy to offer advice when asked or to proactively provide resources, should clients choose to take advantage of them. We can always troubleshoot and coach you on those points if needed, but yes, we don’t devote a lot of in-person class time to that, as not everyone has a need for extensive coaching on potty training, crate training, basic skills, and if others do have a need, we’re happy to coach them above and beyond the online resources that cover these topics. Puppies in these group classes can be developmentally all over the map, depending on the prior work that a client may have already started with them or their previous exposure outside of the household. We offer ongoing training as many owners want that to continue to grow the skill set beyond the 6-month mark and kudos to dog/handler teams that see the value in that. Dogs need ongoing exposure and owners often need guidance to troubleshoot leash walking more in-depth, to work around distractions/outdoors, and to revisit if their equipment is the best choice as their large puppy turns into a larger, stronger dog, or to keep things sharp as dogs head into adolescence - which is why we offer a variety of ongoing learning opportunities. For those clients that see the value in continued work, they keep at it. And other clients, they may be in need of more specialized coaching than the group class can feasibly offer. We teach a successive class curriculum that builds from week to week. Leash walking a puppy is not perfected/complete at the end of 5 weeks, no matter how much you practice in and out of the class setting. It’s a skill that requires ongoing building and maintenance, handler savvy, and reinforcement. We begin to train starter leash skills and provide very realistic and in-depth examples of what this will look like in the real world/on a sidewalk as part of your online resources because we want people to have a good understanding of the IG vs. reality part of that with very young dogs. Our classes are an opportunity to engage and learn, to practice and troubleshoot. Every dog and owner in a group class has similar, yet different needs, which we do our best to customize and support. We’re happy to support you from week to week and it sounds like you had a question several weeks into the class, that perhaps you wanted help with way earlier in the process, which we would have been happy to help with had you brought it to our attention. Do you have an issue with your dog that feels unresolved or challenging? If there is anything that feels incomplete or that you still need coaching around, ask, comment below or email us. We’re always available for ongoing support. Leigh