The Cooperative Dog

I contacted Vera at The Cooperative Dog for help in training my golden retriever puppy. It was important that my fourth Golden become a licensed therapy dog, just as my others were. Obedience had to come first. I have now taken classes with Vera in both Obedience and Canine Good Citizen Training. Vera is extremely well-trained and has an understanding and a life passion for dogs. You hear this when she talks about many of her own dogs and you see it in classes when she works with dogs of all ages, sizes and temperaments. Most importantly, Vera knows how to teach dog owners what they must do each day for a happy, healthy, well-behaved dog. Vera has been helpful providing information, guidance and resources, both in class and with individual support when it was needed. I highly recommend Vera to anyone wanting to become a responsible, educated dog owner or to those who simply want to foster a more trusting, loving, and fun relationship with their dog. And thank you to Vera for helping my puppy and I graduate as a new therapy dog team!

We have taken two of Vera's courses - puppy class, and dog obedience - and we just signed up for a second dog obedience class. Vera identifies each family's needs during courses, and works individually, and collectively, to have people understand their dogs' needs, and keep them safe. Dog training is more about people training, but Vera keeps the focus on the dog, and navigating his/her needs, while also helping people understand how to interact with their dog. She also has an affinity for dogs; I've seen her do demonstrations with dogs of all sizes, ages, and demeanor, and they all respond to her. We'd recommend Vera's services to anyone.

Gotta give credit where credit is due! My wife and I adopted a brother and sister team of puppy siblings about 3 months ago. Cute as could be with great personalities, yet about as misbehaved as one could NOT hope for. One, in particular, was a ‘non-stop’ barker and both were a ‘tag team’ of mischievousness. Due to the nature of my business — French antique imports — my wife and I do a significant amount of overseas travel. In doing so, we have always included toting our dogs with us in the cabin area as part of our airline itineraries. In 20 years, we’ve never sedated our canine travel companions nor have we ever wanted to begin doing so. After discussing what we were faced with in resuming our travel plans, post-pandemic, my wife and I talked about looking for some dog training intervention. That said, my wife did an extensive search of dog behavioral modification experts. She checked with our long-time veterinarian, perused internet reviews, and checked with neighborhood dog owners. The name of ‘Vera’ was front and center on just about every list of recommendations. She contacted Vera and invited her into our dogs’ and our lives. Since I’m the eternal pessimist, I watched Vera’s first interaction with our dogs, at a safe and doubtful distance. The dogs seemed drawn to her like a magnet. I was my normal distrustful self about her efficacy and told my wife that she likely had some type of ‘food scent’ on her hands that drew our dogs to her. NOT THE CASE, at all, as I’ve now seen her interactions over a period of about 6 weeks in private and group sessions with our dogs and those of other pet owners. Although she disavows the labeling, this woman might beat be described as the ‘coca cola’ (the real thing) of dog whisperers. She evaluates and interacts with dogs on a personal basis and is truly results driven. I’m NOT prone to writing reviews nor am I someone who gives unwarranted credit when not merited. Vera walks on water and I give her my highest recommendation for being as effective as one could ever hope for. Bravo to Vera for being someone who delivers on what she commits to doing! She gets MY SEAL OF APPROVAL!

Vera's expert canine knowledge and tailored solutions to my dog's challenges are life-saving! Before working with Vera at The Cooperative Dog, Luna's loose-leash walking skills were very poor, which made for frustrating outings for all of us. Luna loves all people and dogs, so this social butterfly used to be too distracted pulling to meet every dog on sight. Not anymore, thanks to Vera! My relationship with my dog and my confidence in meeting my dog's needs, have improved tremendously. So has Luna's walking skills. I am now much more aware of what my dog needs to succeed and how to advocate for her. I am forever grateful to Vera for helping us become better dog advocates. The knowledge I gained has helped me identify and prevent unwanted situations and I cannot recommend her enough to help you overcome any challenges you may be facing with your dog. Vera's decades of experience show. We trained indoors and outdoors, which was super useful for us. Go to her. You won't be disappointed. She is the absolute best! Luna 100% approves 👌