The Cooperative Dog

I highly recommend The Cooperative Dog. Vera is an expert! She has been super helpful! She provides clear and effective positive training strategies. She is patient and caring in her approach with dogs and their owners! Vera is passionate about her work, uses positive training, and appreciates the individuality of each dog and the importance of developing the relationship between the dog owner and dog!

I have known Vera for decades. We first met on the streets of Brookline, while I was walking my Greyhound, Bran. We struck up a conversation, which led to a friendship. Vera always had great dog advice for me, so it was only natural for me to hire her for my next dog, and every dog ever since. Vera has a unique and positive perspective. There is rarely a problem that she can't solve, and when the solution doesn't work perfectly, it's clearly me, not Vera and not the dog. If there is one rule of dog ownership in this area it's this: contact Vera! You won't regret it.

Vera is a true lifesaver! We adopted a rescue from the south about a year ago and have been working with Vera for almost 8 months now. Our dog has struggled with anxiety and became extremely reactive one day on a walk. We found ourselves with a dog that was barking and lunging at every other dog and everything that ran or walked by. The first class we went to, our dog was triggered by a collar that was used on him by a previous trainer we attempted to work with. After seeing the collar, our dog jumped up and bit Vera on the arm. We were completely mortified that we had a dog so out of control. After almost 8 months now and with a lot of training and tons of positive reinforcement, we go 4-5 days without a reaction on our walks, a significant change! Our dog used to bite us out of fear when leaving him alone or in situations he was not comfortable in. We now are able to leave him home alone without any howling or crying and no fear and absolutely no biting! We have a ways to go with our dog and I’m not sure what we would have done without Vera’s help! I would recommend Vera to anyone struggling with their dog, no matter how big or small the problem is. She is patient, kind, and supportive. It is clear that she absolutely loves being with animals and supports them no matter how difficult they might be! She is so understanding of dogs and can read and help with any situation you give her. Thank you, Vera for all of your help!!

Vera is the absolute best! She helped my husband and I with training our 8 week old rescue pup. We did 3 private sessions with her and one group puppy class. She helped us with everything from how to teach him to get used to vet visits, how to walk on a leash, and fun tricks like how to roll over. Our little pup has come so far and we absolutely could not have done it without Vera's years of experience and knowledge in dog training. I could not recommend her more!