Out of the Bark - Dog & Puppy Training

Out of The Bark knows exactly what they’re doing. We signed up our dog Buji for both individual and puppy classes and learned so much more than we expected. Taking classes here isn’t just about training your dog, it’s about educating yourselves so you can help your dog build better habits. One of the most valuable things we learned early on is that your dog’s job is to constantly observe you. The reactions you show determine how they see you and the world around them. That insight completely changed how we understood the training process. In just a few short months (starting when Buji was 3 months old and continuing through 5 months), she learned: • Sit • Down • Touch • Bed • Crate • No • Let’s go • Wait • Stay • Come • Say Hi • Emergency Word • and more Beyond the commands, we also gained practical tools for everyday challenges: • Leash manners (keeping her calmly by our side and managing tugging) • Separation anxiety • Barking at other dogs • Potty training (teaching her to ring a bell when she needs to go outside — one of our proudest achievements) As first-time pet owners, my partner and I decided to fully trust the process that Megha at Out of The Bark laid out for us, and it has worked beautifully. Because a dog’s life is so short, these trainings feel like a meaningful investment in the years we get to share with our wonderful dog Buji.

We are SO glad we found Out of the Bark! We are first time dog parents, and when we first brought our 2-month puppy, Buji, home, we honestly had no idea what we were doing. She would constantly jump, bark, and bite our hands and feet, and she also struggled with severe separation anxiety. We loved her so much, but we were overwhelmed and didn't know how to properly meet her needs. Before finding Out of the Bark, we worked with another trainer who recommended spraying our puppy with water mixed with peppermint oil when she misbehaved. We tried it once, and although it stopped the behavior in that moment, seeing our puppy wet and scared made us feel horrible. It just didn't feel right to us, and honestly, it still haunts us to this day. We knew we needed to find a different trainer and a better approach. We reached out to a friend who fosters many dogs through Love & Second Chances, and the owner of the nonprofit recommended Out of the Bark. We are SO thankful she did! We started private training with Megha and also enrolled our puppy in her group classes. We just finished Pup 2 and immediately signed our baby up for Pup 3. We definitely plan to continue taking more classes as she grows because they have been incredibly beneficial, not only for our puppy, but for us as dog parents too. Megha is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. One of the biggest things she helped us understand was that some of the behaviors we were struggling with weren't because we had a "bad" puppy. We simply weren't meeting all of her needs because we didn't know how. Megha taught us so much about enrichment and recommended different foods, chews, toys, and activities that our puppy absolutely LOVES while also helping fulfill her needs. Pretty much every issue we've brought up to Megha, she has helped us navigate and given us practical training techniques to work on at home. We've been amazed by how quickly we've seen improvements. Our baby is now 5 months old and has stopped biting our feet! She has learned polite greetings, loose leash walking, simple commands, and so many other important skills. The difference from when we first brought her home is honestly night and day. Pawrenting has become SO much easier and more enjoyable for us because we now understand our puppy better and know how to work with her. We also really appreciate that Megha isn't afraid to be real with us. Sometimes we're a little too soft with our baby and our baby has learned to train us. Megha will tell us what we need to change too, which, as first time dog parents, is exactly what we need! We definitely recommend Out of the Bark to anyone looking for a trainer who is compassionate, caring, knowledgeable, and committed to fear free approaches. Having the right trainer is truly a life changer, not only for your puppy, but for you as pawrents too. We are so thankful we found Megha and Out of the Bark, and we can't wait to continue watching our baby learn and grow with them!

We started working with Megha when Fiona was just 11 weeks old, and from the beginning, we felt completely comfortable and supported. We started with puppy classes and then moved on to Pup 1, and we have learned so much from her. Megha is incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and great at explaining not just what to do, but why it works. When we were struggling with Fiona’s walking, Megha came to our home for a private session, and the difference was immediate. It was amazing to see how quickly Fiona responded to her techniques, and she gave us practical tools we could actually continue using on our own. We couldn’t recommend Megha more highly. She has been such an important part of getting Fiona off to a great start!