The Happy Retriever

I cannot recommend The Happy Retriever enough! My 2-year-old Havanese, Huck, developed social anxiety and room protectiveness, which led to barking, growling, and nipping at anyone who approached. This behavior frightened my 13-year-old boys, making them hesitant to interact with him. After taking Huck to The Happy Retriever, the transformation has been incredible. Huck now knows commands like sit, go to place, be quiet, come, and heel, and he greets others more comfortably. He has even bonded with one of my sons and allows the other to pet him—something I deemed impossible just weeks ago! Huck still shows some anxiety around new people but no longer growls or barks at them. I’ve also learned to recognize his body language, which helps me manage his anxiety before it escalates. Huck's trainer, Hannah, taught us that, while it's okay not to be social with everyone, we must handle interactions respectfully---an important lesson for all of us. :) I am SO grateful to The Happy Retriever for helping Huck and our family. He truly is a sweet boy who just needed some guidance!

We love The Happy Retriever!! My golden retriever, Winston, attends Bump Up Days and recently completed their Doggie Boot Camp program. During the program they worked 1:1 with Winston and gave us all the tools we needed to succeed. We had so many questions and they were so thorough and patient with answering each and every one. All of the staff are so kind and truly care about your pup! I feel totally comfortable and confident dropping Winston off, not to mention he’s learned sooo much from them! highly recommend, they are simply the best!

We’ve had such a wonderful experience with The Happy Retriever! When we started, our mini Australian Shepherd was just 4 months old, and Alexa was incredibly thorough and patient in answering every single one of our questions. Together we came up with the perfect plan starting with weekly bump-up days to get our pup comfortable before beginning the two-week puppy resident program. Hannah led the puppy resident training and was fantastic to work with - so knowledgeable, kind, and generous with her time during our private sessions. As first-time puppy parents, it’s been amazing to have such caring, high-quality trainers guiding us every step of the way. Our pup came home much more responsive and noticeably better at loose leash walking, and we’re continuing with weekly bump-ups. So worth it, we couldn’t recommend The Happy Retriever more!