Janet Vera Professional Dog Training

Janet has been a godsend! The rescue that I volunteer for hired Janet to help with my foster dog who has had a lot of fear reactive behaviors.  She would growl, snarl, bark and sometimes lunge at strangers. After only three sessions, we have seen a huge difference in our foster dog! She no longer growls, snarls or lunges. She glances at the stranger and keeps walking. Janet has taught myself and my family different strategies that are helpful for our foster dog as well as our resident dogs. We love her! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Janet is amazing, awesome and a true dog lover. I have a very opinionated Morkie who told the PetSmart people "you fetch!" Enter Janet and my little guy is in love . Janet had him sitting, laying and working food puzzles in just an hour. Her style exudes love and you can't help but love her and her work. I will definitely have her back to work with my Xander. She is the best!!!! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Amazing. Just amazing. Serious transformation of pup and pup owners immediately. Our rescue, Eilonwy, of course wants Janet to visit everyday. Session one Janet had her leaping on command onto boulders. This in the 'chipmunk' garden that has previously caused Eilonwy to go ballistic chasing varmints and dragging us behind her. We were making Eilonwy crazy and Janet helped us help our pup with humor and respect. We are all smitten by her creativity, her energy and her 'my darling' trademark pup greeting. Hire her if you can. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

A good trainer is worth their weight in gold. Janet is one of those trainers. We have a reactive dog that was getting worse, not better, and Janet came into our home and gave us a plan that not only increased Hina's confidence but ours.
Janet is a joy to work with and uses direct language to help you understand what you are doing and why. The knowledge we have gathered from her is priceless and we highly recommend her! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Our dog Sasha is a high-energy puppy. Getting her to focus on us, pay attention to our commands and walk calmly by our sides through the city was a real challenge. The first time Janet visited with us, Sasha was so amped up for attention, with one leap she jumped up onto the kitchen table just to get our attention.
After just a short time training with Janet, we learned how to manage Sasha's attitude and behavior. All of this without drugs, without brutal training equipment and especially without coercion or discipline. With all of the training help and pointers we learned from Janet, Sasha is now a calm and obedient puppy. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I moved to Boston with my recently rescued beagle terrier mix and the pace of city life was far too much for him. He was anxious and reactive to begin with but the bikes, the traffic, the extra pedestrians and everything else that you can run into on a city trip made our walks a very stressful time for both of us. I was referred to Janet and the moment she was around Casey, I could notice a change - he was more calm. She worked with Casey & educated my husband and I on how to use positive reinforcement and without her, I'm not sure how our story ended. With Janet's help, Casey became more confident, our walks were enjoyable and he was a happier dog. She is one in a million, working with Janet changed our lives. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Janet is truly the goddess of all things dog! I was referred to her for training immediately after adopting my rescue dog, who had spent all 5 years of her life in a horrible hoarding situation of 60+ dogs and cats. (she's the white Maltese in the pink sweater in the Yelp photos) My dog was very anxious and fearful of people and, especially, other dogs. From our first session with Janet, it was clear that she is highly professional, kind, enthusiastic, patient, and, most importantly, genuinely cared about my dog and helping her. After the initial session, she suggested a training plan and would frequently reach out in between sessions for updates on how my dog was doing and to ask if there was anything in particular I would like to work on in the next session.After each session with Janet, I saw incredible progress. Here's an example: I live next door to three big Bernese Mountain Dogs who spend most of their time outside and my 6-pound dog used to be terrified to walk past their gated yard--so much so that I would have to pick her up until we got to the main sidewalk because she would freeze in her tracks at the sight of them. One day, those dogs were outside during my session with Janet, so she offered to take our training session outside to do some desensitization work with my dog in front of that gate. It was so effective that after just that session, my dog was no longer afraid to walk by the Bernese dogs! (one of the Bernese also got some training too in the process, and she wasn't even Janet's client!) I should also note that that session went over the scheduled hour (for no additional cost) because Janet was so focused on making sure that my dog got comfortable around those big dogs, which is a testament to how generous she is with her time and committed she is to helping her clients. Lastly, Janet is reiki certified. You might be skeptical, but trust me, it works! After the first meditation exercise Janet did, my dog was so relaxed that she even fell into that deep sleep where dogs twitch and bark. (something I had never seen my dog do!) All in all, my dog and I both looked forward to Janet's visits. My dog absolutely loved the nose work games that Janet played with her and they were a great way to teach her impulse control and additional commands. Janet was so kind that she even let me keep one of the games for weeks until I got my own because my dog loved it so much. Ultimately, I see a side of my dog that I hadn't seen before and didn't think would be possible given her age / how long she had been undersocialized. She is happy, less anxious, and less afraid of other people and dogs. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Barbara L.OMG, Janet has saved my life and my dog starts begging when she hears her name, knowing thatJanet is close by. Janet is very professional, calm, intelligent and patient. We have owned our dog for 7 years, when she arrived from the breeder. She was great the first 4 years and then started to develop some bad habits. Janet was referred to me, came to my home and within 3 weeks all problems were solved! Although our dog is fine , I have decided to keep her on twice a month both for my enjoyment and our dog's!!!I would highly recommend Janet to anyone with a pet!!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Janet Vera is a wonderful dog trainer. She gets it. I own a dog walking business and I referred her to  several clients that have been at their wits end. They all are forever grateful for the introduction. She's helped in so many different situations. She can certainly make a positive impact on both dog and owner.  I highly suggest her. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Amazing. Just amazing. Serious transformation of pup and pup owners immediately. Our rescue, Eilonwy, of course wants Janet to visit everyday. Session one Janet had her leaping on command onto boulders. This in the 'chipmunk' garden that has previously caused Eilonwy to go ballistic chasing varmints and dragging us behind her. We were making Eilonwy crazy and Janet helped us help our pup with humor and respect. We are all smitten by her creativity, her energy and her 'my darling' trademark pup greeting. Hire her if you can. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Over the years, I have completed dog training classes but I never really "got it" before. I left those trainings feeling a bit overwhelmed. But, now after working with Janet, everything has "clicked" for me. I "get it" !!  Janet is a very skilled dog trainer; she has a superb gift for explaining and defining tasks in an elementary way. I feel truly comfortable asking her questions when I need more clarification. She is a patient teacher. My dog and I feel very safe with her. Janet brings amazing enthusiasm and energy to her sessions. She is very gentle and loving with animals as well as with humans. I will always seek out Janet's expertise, and will look forward to her future "magical" training sessions with my current dog, as well as with my future dogs ! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Janet was wonderful with my 8 month old golden retriever. She was professional, reliable and so loving and warm with my dog.  She demonstrated many different commands and strategies and then helped me implement them correctly. She's very knowledgeable and I would recommend her to anyone! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

In a nutshell... Janet is the Harvard meets Mary Poppins of dog training (reference to review below)! She is filled with scientific-based knowledge that she shares with you to better your relationship with your dog(s). I have had four dog's in my lifetime thus far and Janet's made a profound and positive impact on each one of them. My male twin dogs, Seamus & Chapin, struggled with jealousy and territorial behaviors, and Janet changed the way they interact greatly, and very positively. Janet's lessons are fun and creative-- but what is most unique about her training, is the scientific knowledge that she brings to the table. She effectively taught me, to communicate with my dogs. She helped me realize what my dog is saying, through; their body language, and various signals. I'm now able to easily assess situations and make choices accordingly, it has profoundly changed my dogs' daily life and simultaneously, it has changed my relationship with them-- for the better. Janet produced practical solutions and can help you help your dog, in many areas! I would not know where I'd be without Janet and her talent and unique knowledge, we are very lucky to have her based in Boston. Very lucky. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My training sessions with Janet and Pooch are the high point of my week! Pooch and I look forward to them all week, and always exceed our expectations. The sessions are fun, positive, professional, creative, and individualized for your dog. I am always left feeling that Janet's work with dogs makes the world a better place for all of us. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Janet was clearly born to do this - ML's "Mary Poppins for doggies" analogy is spot on. She is everything you would want - highly professional, positive, reliable, trustworthy, kind, thoughtful and responsive. She provided us with a detailed training plan based on our goals and initial session, and then provided frequent progress updates (I also love seeing our puppy Sidney on her Instagram feed which has a well-deserved celebrity level following). Sidney clearly loves working with Janet. In just a few training sessions, Janet was able to get our extremely high energy and distractible puppy to walk calmly on a leash and even maintain the discipline to leave a treat on her paw until she was told to "take it." (We were unable to achieve this after months of trying without Janet).We could not recommend her more highly. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Janet is an excellent trainer, and I recommend her to anyone who needs ANY kind of help with their dog. She is probably not what you're looking for if you want someone to come in and "fix" your dog's behavior for you. Janet will teach you how to work with your dog, which requires learning, practice, and an open mind on the handler's part. The results are not only phenomenal, but reliable. Private dog training is expensive, but I've realized that Janet's private training helps you become a better dog owner for life.I adopted my 3-year-old pit mix, Lilo, half a year ago. Recently she developed leash frustration. Whenever Lilo sees another dog, she freezes, pulls, barks, and/or lunges. My dog enjoys day care and plays well off-leash, so I was sure this couldn't be a fear-based reaction! I tried implementing counter conditioning on walks, but it was stressful to play ninja while walking 50-lb of reactive muscle. Whatever I was doing wasn't working, and it got to the point where Lilo would get tense up when she heard dog tags jingling. I started feeling overwhelmed and worried that I couldn't handle Lilo.I was referred to Janet by the New England Dog Training Center, and I am so grateful for that. We have met Janet three times so far for an evaluation and training walks. From the first session, Janet has helped me understand aspects of dog ownership I had never considered. Like, Lilo's leash frustration was likely anxiety-based, even though she loves other dogs. Or knowing how to recognize when Lilo is too jazzed up and distracted. Or how to calm her down mid-walk. Or how to recognize that Lilo has general anxiety issues that need to be addressed. Working with Janet has helped me internalize and experience the importance of dog behavior.Results: Like I said, we have met with Janet 3 times, and we will continue more sessions. We are now able to go on walks. Lilo LOOKS at me calmly and happily when she sees a dog that's at least 15 ft. away. When we get surprised by dogs less than 15ft. away, Lilo barks once or twice then quickly returns her attention to me, an immense improvement over where we were. Janet continues to teach me to recognize Lilo's triggers and body signals. She shows me how to guide Lilo on walks, so Lilo feels secure and confident that I will take care of stressful situations. Consequently, loose-leash walking has improved immensely. In fact, I've never seen Lilo so happy and wiggly on walks before. She is visibly relaxed, no longer anxiously smelling and pulling every time she hears an odd sound.Why Janet: She is incredibly good with dogs and humans. In fact, Lilo has a whole-body wiggle spasm when Janet comes around. I see her work with other dogs we encounter during our sessions, and it's really astonishing to see her accomplish a friendly, calm butt-sniffing greeting between Lilo and a kind stranger's dog. Every time we walk with Janet, I find myself amazed by how responsive dogs are to Janet.  After watching her work, I am realizing that Janet's magical ability to engage with dogs is really about her love for her job and her KNOWLEDGE!  Janet clearly knows dog behavior and catches the little shifts in body language that signifies when Lilo is getting tense or nervous. I believe dogs respond so eagerly to Janet because she knows how to communicate with them clearly and compassionately. Her astute observations of my dog's stress levels and quick redirection help my dog feel secure and relaxed, and I am hoping to learn what I can from her!People-wise, Janet is very professional, organized, and timely. She is also kind, respectful, and fun to work with! She offers helpful suggestions when I make mistakes and never raises her voice or gets flustered if we encounter a set back. Janet is very understanding and positive when it comes to teaching humans, as well. She provides clear guidance during training, making sessions with her worth-while learning experiences. Plus, during our breaks, Janet practices tricks like  "high-five" and agility with Lilo.In conclusion: I wish we had come to Janet from the beginning! Even if Lilo had not developed leash reactivity, there is so much that Janet can teach a dog owner, and the quality of her training makes even an evaluation worthwhile.After 3 sessions of positive reinforcement training with Janet, I have:-Calm, enjoyable walks with a happy dog (who continues to improve!)-Knowledge of how to recognize a dog's fear/anxiety and intervene-Confidence that I can give Lilo a great home-An eager-to-please dog who loves Janet, agility, and any kind of training More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Janet is a life saver...I cannot recommend her highly enough. Let's face it dog training is as much for the owner as it is for the dog. She's been amazing working with me and my 10 year old neighbor to help us understand  the proper way to train my 2 month old English Cocker Spaniel.  She's a joy to be around and is just as amazing with people as she is with dogs. The other night I was having trouble as my pup kept playing with his water bowl. Desperate, I texted Janet, and she came over to help! Janet goes above and beyond, she's worth every penny and more. Simply put...hire her. She's the best. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Casey and I have been working with Janet since September of 2011. As the other reviewers note, Janet is working towards her formal dog trainer certification (CPDT) and is the "Marry Poppins for doggies. " When searching for a dog trainer, I wanted to first find someone who practiced positive reinforcement, and secondly someone I could trust completely. While there are many dog trainers out there, Janet goes above and beyond - I absolutely never worry when Casey is with her and that to me is priceless. Casey is a beagle/terrier mix who had difficulty when he was on the leash with passerbys like (1) other dogs, (2) runners, (3) bikes, (4) basically anything he finds strange so the list could go on.... In addition to this he was somehwat territorial of our building courtyard. Janet is the ONLY reason why Casey has seen VAST improvements in his behavior. She not only works with him, but she works with me to teach me about his behavior, what it means and how I should modify my reactions to it.  Under Janet's training Casey is more relaxed when he's on walks, when he hears noises in the apartment and when we are at the dog park. I highly recommend Janet. I had worked with the Animal Rescue League with their behavior program for 3 months (and paid a lot of $) but saw no results. Within one month of working with Janet, Casey was making positive strides. Janet is a natural with dogs (and humans), she has a great sense of humor and is a true professional. Casey is more excited when Janet is around then when I come home from work! Another fabulous perk of working with Janet is she leaves daily notes about the day's events and often takes pictures and posts them on Shutterfly. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We have a high-energy Aussie who is a sweetheart but who can be reactive. We've invested a lot of time and energy in training, so our first priority was finding someone who has an understanding of canine behavior and learning theory as well as someone who practices positive training techniques. And we found all of these things in Janet! She is working towards a formal dog trainer certification (CPDT), and she manages him wonderfully! He respects her, listens to her and, most importantly, he is SO happy to see her when she comes to get him. Janet loves what she does and it shows, she is reliable and professional - above all though, her knowledge level and experience with dog behavior and training go far above and beyond what you might find in many walkers today. So, five 'doggie paws up' for Janet - consider yourself lucky if you become her client! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Janet is Mary Poppins and Victoria Stilwell for doggies. Sir Hagrid looks forward to adventure-filled outings and overnights at Janet's more than beef liver itself! I never worry when Hagrid is with her. It's a peace of mind that money can't buy. Janet is CPDT certified. Unlike other dog trainers who do their work in a strictly controlled environment, Janet trains in the actual environment of the dog and their triggers. Hagrid listens to her and knows how to wait patiently at doors, how to greet other dogs nicely, how to sit for pats, stay, lie down, do Kung fu rolls, and when NO means No. This is amazing considering that he used to run the show around here.I feel like I'm a client of an elite dog concierge/nanny/trainer club. PS. Janet is level 2 pet reiki certified!Addendum 12/13/10: Hagrid recently had his first anxiety-free visit to the vet. I asked Janet to take him and supervise the visit because it was an unexpected appointment that I could not fit into my schedule. Hagrid allowed the vet the examine him without the usual 3 vet techs in place to hold him down or any sedative. Janet has the magic touch. I am convinced that she has a special calming influence on dogs. He was 100% brave and calm and I am over the moon about it. More...

Reviewed on Yelp