Kelsey W.
00:46 15 Jan 22
We absolutely loved working with Sophia to train our puppy! As first time dog owners we had no idea where to start in the training process. Sophia was wonderful and walked us through everything, answered all of our questions and gave us the skills we needed to train confidently! Can't recommend her highly enough!
Jake D.
05:31 09 Jan 22
Our trainer Sophia was super helpful! She gave us quick and effective lessons, also letting us text/call her directly with any questions whenever they came up. Our dog Lula is much calmer and we are much more confident with her now. Highly recommend this dog training service!
Della B.
14:43 27 Dec 21
Sophia was amazing! She helped us tremendously, not only in training our dog but also gain confidence with her. She is super responsive and is on your team, which is exactly what we needed. Thank you so much to Pavlov. Definitely recommend them to anyone in need of some help!
Katharine L.
02:08 06 Dec 21
Sophia was amazing and helped us understand our puppy's behavior. I recommend Sophia and Pavlov Dog Training without any reservations.
Sharna Y.
00:41 04 Dec 21
Sophia was an absolute joy to work with! She was very knowledgeable, accommodating, and patient with us in helping our little frenchies learn some basic and fundamental habits. These skills will help us in years to come which makes her guidance invaluable! Highly recommend!!!
Nicole Z.
17:40 28 Nov 21
Sophia is a delight and provided us with easy but effective techniques that worked like magic. Our 1.5 year old dog Ginger only knew how to sit. Now she is learning how to ‘park it’ in one spot, keep her paws off tables and countertops, always come when called, walk without pulling, not run out the door, and more. Sophia was a pleasure to have in our house (always wore a mask) and was completely non-judgemental and positive, no matter how much we did or didn’t practice between sessions. She clearly loves dogs and teaching. And once she has trained with you, you can text her questions forever.
Rebecca R.
02:04 08 Nov 21
Can’t recommend Sophia highly enough! Both of us (humans) and Ruby (puppy) looked forward to our sessions. Ruby LOVES training.Sophia taught us principles that enabled us to manage and implement our own rules — with absolutely no judgement about what rules we wanted to implement.Most helpful was the idea of boundaries by situation. There are indoor manners, yard manners, manners on leash and manners off leash — we have to teach her what they are!Working with Sophia gave us a much happier, more well behaved puppy — but even more so, we have tools to continue her training and to teach her the manners that make all of us happy.
Elena S.
00:45 06 Nov 21
Sophia was very good with my dog who was overwhelmed after moving to a busy dog friendly apartment building. We had five private sessions and we are now getting compliments on how well trained he is from strangers 🙂 she's super responsive and is a very creative and effective problem solver. My dog was always happy to see her too!
Kara
16:46 25 Oct 21
I worked with Sophia of PAVLOV Dog Training over 6 in-home lessons, and had a great experience! My pup isn’t quite 2 years old, and is mostly well behaved but I had some specific behavior concerns I set out to fix when I found PAVLOV. Sophia is so kind and warm. She was able to connect with my dog immediately, listen and identify my concerns, set realistic goals for us, and provide a fun and educational experience. I loved that I could do the trainings in my own home and neighborhood too. I will definitely reach out to PAVLOV again in the future if I have any other pup needs arise. Definitely recommend!
Ryan D.
23:38 23 Oct 21
Sophia is a highly skilled and insightful trainer, who brings a broad range of strategies and tools to work uniquely with each dog. She was a huge help with our Brittany’s leash manners and recall. It’s obvious how much she loves the work, and she and her colleagues are super-professional and reliable. Highly recommend!
Cassidy W.
19:54 25 Sep 21
I would suggest Pavlov dog training and Sophia, our trainer, a million times to anyone who would listen! They come to your house, are affordable and offer great training tips that work! Sophia is a fireball who will tell you everything you need to know and make you laugh. She seems like she'd be cool to hang out with. Our dog loved her and she gave lots of practical tips and different ways of going about things in case one didn't work. Plus, she still answers questions for us even after our training sessions were finished. We will be doing the Obedience 2 training for our dog as soon as we can!
Conor G.
21:43 24 Sep 21
Leslie E.
04:14 24 Sep 21
I can’t recommend Sophia highly enough. In just 5 training sessions, she totally changed our relationship with our dog, Robbie. We had been having trouble with Robbie barking like crazy and growling whenever people approached our house. He made visitors feel very unwelcome! He also ran off after squirrels and seemed to go completely deaf to our calls in those moments. Sophia taught us how to communicate with Robbie so that he could understand what we wanted and consistently respond to our commands. We used a combination of treats, praise, disincentives (like getting sprayed with a spray bottle), and the electric collar.About the electric collar: I was very hesitant to use it. I incorrectly thought that it is used to shock the dog when they do something wrong. Instead, it’s used as a communication tool- like tapping the dog on the shoulder to say “hey- I’m talking to you!” Robbie doesn’t mind it at all, and the benefit of having clearer communication with him is immense. It profoundly changed our relationship.Now we feel more comfortable and relaxed around Robbie, and we are definitely more in tune with each other. I’m no longer anxious about him scaring people who come to our front door. I don’t have to worry about him running across a park to get at a squirrel. I’m enjoying being around him so much, whereas before he was feeling like a real handful at times. Thank you, Sophia! You are such a pro. We feel lucky to have found you.
Kim W.
17:29 22 Sep 21
This is my first time owning a puppy and Sophia was such a wonderful trainer to work with. She equipped my family with the tools we needed and always answered all our questions. We now have a wonderfully trained puppy. If anyone is looking a someone to help them with training I would highly recommend Sophia.
Shel B
21:33 13 Sep 21
We had a wonderful experience with Sophia as our trainer, she is truly gifted with dogs. She has practical training techniques and was able to arm us with the tools we needed to train our puppy. After the first training session we saw a huge improvement in our puppy’s ability to listen to our commands. Not only was she amazing with our dog, but she was also really great about including our young daughter in our training sessions. She is dedicated and compassionate about helping your pet become a better member of your family. We highly recommend Sophia and Pavlov Dog Training.
Tyson M.
01:14 05 Sep 21
In just five short lessons, Sophia helped us completely transform our sweet but undisciplined one year old yellow lab, Rooney. Before Sophia, Rooney jumped on people, counter surfed endlessly, pulled hard for every second of every walk, and ignored most of our commands. After Sophia, Rooney is another puppy entirely. She no longer jumps on people (she patiently waits in the hall for her command to come say hi), she doesn't counter surf (she waits patiently in her special spot for treats), and her leash manners are incredible (even off-leash). For the first time in her life, she even drops the ball when I tell her to!Most importantly, Sophia gave my wife and I lots of tools to continue growing Rooney's ability to follow commands and behave politely. We cannot recommend her enough! If you have an untrained dog or even a dog that wasn't properly trained by other trainers, you need to give Sophia a call.
Dalyn M.
21:02 23 Aug 21
We had great results from the Leash Drama Program with Sophia. Our 5yo German Shepherd, Porter, had been reactive to other dogs for years, making it really difficult to take him on walks in the city and we were reluctant to take him anywhere other dogs might be. We have tried a couple different trainers with no luck.The e-collar work we learned from Sophia is the only thing that has worked thus far, and Porter has had incredible improvement! His overall reactivity in all aspects has improved (on walks, in the car, in the yard, people knocking). We are now comfortable taking him to crowded parks, and I can walk him on my own knowing I have the tools to control and communicate with him when he is triggered. The tools and structure we learned from Sophia have been a game changer, and we highly recommend her services!
Caiden R. M.
18:23 21 Aug 21
Sophia is great! Knowledgeable and passionate about her work and dogs. Also, as an educator, I work with a range of students and there is a select small number of folks who are very clearly life long learners and wanting to excel in all that they do and Sophia is one of those people. We have worked with other dog trainers who are fine trainers, but Sophia is excellent. If you need help with your dog and you are debating training or just want a top-notch trainer, Sophia is a great choice and you will be so glad you did.
Haley B.
17:14 20 Aug 21
Highly highly recommend Sophia for your dog training needs! She was recommended through my friend with a puppy, so I decided to start mine at 8 weeks on the puppy 5 class program. I was feeling super anxious in the beginning being a first time puppy parent doing it on my own. Sophia relieved that anxiety and I always felt supported even if we weren’t in a session! She’s always a text away if you have questions or concerns. I live in an apartment so that had some unique concerns and specific training opportunities that she helped me with! I can’t tell you how much my puppy has benefited from her training. She loves when Sophia comes over and she responds so well to her training techniques. I’ll be forever grateful for these training sessions and I value all the tools I’ve learned so she can be a great member of society 💗
Eileen W.
00:10 16 Aug 21
We could not have been happier with Sophia from PAVLOV Dog Training. She was nice and helpful, and had actionable items for us to practice every week. Before we started training with Sophia, we had been struggling with training our Shih Tzu puppy, Pidge. We were finding it overwhelming trying to decide how to tackle the training on our own, especially with so many different methods of training out there. While Sophia clearly has a well thought out schedule she follows, the 1:1 also allowed the content to be tailored specifically to our pup and any issues we were having. Sophia was also available via text whenever we had questions throughout the week, which helped us to be able to adjust our training between sessions when needed. I could not recommend this company's services enough.
Hannah M.
01:16 04 Aug 21
Sophia was an absolute gem to work with!We started with our 7-m.o. pup, Finnegan, who was tough on a leash, struggling with occasional indoor peeing, and overall dismal house manners. With the help of Sophia's expertise level of knowledge and care, we can now enjoy long walks through the neighborhood, to cafes, and public parks (not dog parks.) Finn's house manners went from zero to eighty, which is mostly the homework of us humans, and we're excited to continue a solid relationship with a trainer who we can trust and admire.
Kal K.
15:41 02 Aug 21
Magical, marvelous, wonderful! We cannot say enough to express how grateful we are that we found Sophia and Pavlov Dog Training! This summer my partner and I got ourselves an awesome little addition to our family, a black German Shepard we named Lupo, and he was a bit more than we had initially bargained for. As cute as he is, we started our journey with constant nipping and biting, a wondrous dislike for our kennel, and a less than favorable walking etiquette. Not to mention we have a 14yr old Pup who wasn't exactly stoked on the new dude.In need of some training ourselves, we reached out to Pavlov and got some training sessions set up! Sophia came to the rescue and was nothing short of AMAZING! Not only was she kind, knowledgeable, and a blast to work with, she really got to know Lupo and adjusted to his personality for the best methods possible. After ONE session we saw a huge difference in Lupo's behavior. We were given the tools to curb the nipping and biting, we sleep and chill in our kennel with almost no issues, we know several commands, and we walk like a true gentleman! She even helped us navigate around our existing older dog, Otti.If you are looking to truly enrich the life of you and your pup, We highly suggest Sophia and Pavlov Dog Training. We couldn't be happier dog Moms!
Haley H.
15:57 24 Jul 21
Sophia is amazing. We did a lot of research and met a few dog trainers before we came across Sophia and we’re so happy we found her. Sophia helped us get our yellow lab puppy Stella a good foundation for manners and commands. By the end of our puppy training Stella knew her name when called, had mastered a variety of commands and is a pro on the leash and never pulls us! We look forward to continuing training with her as needed in the future. If you’re looking for help with your dog Sophia is who you want! Look no further even if there’s a wait, she well worth it!
Emma C.
05:04 21 Jul 21
Sophia is amazing! We did the 5 session package with our 7 year old, leash reactive dog, Chance. We adopted him a few months prior to meeting Sophia. We saw a dog trainer once before that literally just read from internet printouts during our $95 session, so we were hesitant to invest money again in another trainer.Sophia first helped us establish some foundational commands & routines in the house, before taking the sessions outdoors. Chance was already pretty well behaved inside but everything she taught us ended up being really helpful (place command, crate training/separation anxiety tricks, etc) and helped us strengthen our relationship with our dog and his trust in us. Sophia isn’t a one size fits all trainer, and we appreciated that she had a plan b and plan c for every training. If something wasn’t working, she’d offer an alternative. In each session, Sophia would demonstrate how to do everything and then would walk us through how to do it on our own. She was available via text and phone in between sessions and was super responsive with any questions we had! After a few days of walking with our new collars, our dog’s behavior outdoors was noticeably calmer, and his reactions became less intense. We now feel much more confident on walks and in our building. Chance will probably always anxious or overly excited in some situations, but his reactions to dogs, people, buses, etc have reduced by probably 75%, and we now know how to better manage the 25%, which is life changing! During the last session we worked on recall with a long lead, and are excited to keep his training up.We’d recommend Sophia to anyone with any goal or issue. She is super knowledgable on behavior, training and tools, and really understands and loves dogs. We would work with her again in a heartbeat. Thank you Sophia!!!!
Autumn N.
17:51 20 Jul 21
I really can’t sing my praise for Sophia at Pavlov Dog zloud enough. I booked five private sessions for my labradoodle puppy Wolf. He isn’t gonna find an error on my tax return or make a meatloaf from scratch but he is definitely gonna come when he is called, not jump on people when they walk in the door, walk on a leash like a gentleman and stay when I ask him to. We had specific goals and they were all met. She is so kind and funny, Wolf responded really well to her and she taught me so many tools that will carry us into the future. He is still a total floopy weird beard goof ball, but I didn’t want to train the silly weirdo out of him. Goal exceeded.
Bill S.
15:17 28 Jun 21
We bought a puppy 4 mos ago and introduced her to training and meeting other dogs. She was terrified of people, dogs, and unfamiliar places. We were told she was "special" and that her breed is outgoing, confident, and seeks out attention-our dog wasn't like that, and probably never will be.We were still frustrated by our puppy's behaviors: jumping up, counter surfing, lack of potty training, and any real discipline, we sought help from Pavlov's Dog (clever name). ;)We were introduced to our new trainer, Sophia, and now our puppy is WAY more loving, confident, and the negative behaviors have been corrected. Sophia is funny, smart, professional, and brought out the confident, loving puppy we knew was in there.Please do not hesitate to contact Pavlov's. We're very proud of our dog and the progress she's made!!
Christa L.
02:02 28 Jun 21
Our puppy was not even potty trained when we first introduced her to Sophia at Pavlov Dog Training. Now she lets us know when she has to go outside and because of this has gained confidence. She also could barely walk on a leash or go very far outside. Now she strides through the neighborhood and loves going to the dog park. She's learned so much and absolutely LOVES Sophia! I highly recommend this as a training tool especially if you have a puppy. You won't be disappointed, money well spent!
Alex C.
23:27 12 Jun 21
Really can’t say enough good things about Pavlov. Our trainer, Sophia, was super friendly, kind to us, our 3 year old, and our dog just adores her. She was very efficient and got our dog trained up in only 5 sessions. We have a 9 month old Lab Border Collie mix who is just a complete handful. Sophia helped us work with him and curb all the bad behaviors we were seeing. He comes when called, doesn’t jump on people, walks off leash, and can sit & stay when needed. The photo of him curled up on someone’s feet is him greeting her at the third lesson.
H P.
22:04 09 Jun 21
This is the dog trainer you want. It is worth every penny. Sophia is very knowledgeable and so nice! Our dog Ruger made great progress and we learned so much. We couldn’t be happier and highly recommend her and Pavlov! Seriously stop looking you have found your dog trainer!
Amity O.
03:40 06 Jun 21
From a month ago to this first day of training has been awesome communication experience. I really do think Sophia is a dog whisperer lol. My 8 month old Lab/Akita mix is a brut. And he was on his best behavior around her. A little jealous to say the least! Looking forwardfpr what is to come! Worth the money. A lot more expensive than your average petsmart, but worth every dime for indivual training in your home environment.
Courtney W.
18:01 05 Jun 21
Sophia at Pavlov is amazing! I chose to have 5 in home puppy training sessions with my Australian Shepherd and I've learned so much! He is my first dog and she provided me with so much useful information and what to expect as a first time dog owner. My dog is more confident and we now have a great foundation to work on. She was able to cater each session to my dog and find approaches that he could easily pick up on. She is a wonderful resource and I plan on booking more sessions in the future. I highly recommend Pavlov!
Eric S.
21:03 20 May 21
From the start, I could tell that Sophia’s energy and knowledge would be a great fit for my family. We decided that a trainer would not be training our golden retriever puppy, but would be training our family of 5 on how best to anticipate the emotional growth of our new puppy- Molly. Sophia had so many tips and tricks along with a carefully planned out course of training, that we have been able to follow the plan as Molly grew. She even was able to help us with our 8 year old-stuck-in-his-ways dog! Quickly replying to our text questions, Sophia guided us in between the sessions to help as life happens. We still have 1 session left on hold, per Sophia’s recommendation, to let Molly get to the “teen years” and refresh the training once Molly has matured a little more. The suggested products have been spot on- training collar, toys, and yard protection all have worked as she said. I would highly recommend Sophia and Pavlov Dog Training Portland to help families get on the same page for proper training.
Alison M.
20:55 16 May 21
Sophia is magical! Not only did she help us get our golden puppy on track she gave us so many tips for our older dog as well. She's prompt, communicative, a joy to be around and truly knows her stuff.
Lauren S.
18:30 03 May 21
Hiring Sophia was the best thing we could have done after getting a puppy! She is so knowledgeable and responsive. She helped us with basic training for our puppy, that she tailored to fit his needs. She not only helps train your dog, but she helps you as the dog owner to understand how to work with your dog to gain trust and their obedience. Do not even hesitate about hiring her - she has helped us turn our pup into a well-behaved and well-mannered boy!
Meredith M.
02:25 30 Apr 21
We used the Board and Train 2 week program with Tanya and Ron. Our puppy was sweet but stubborn- nipping, potty in the apartment, lunging on his leash. We brought him at 6 months, and he came home sweet, eager to please and so much more content. We fell in love with him all over again. Tanya and Ron are the real professionals you want. We plan to go to off leash advanced camp when he is a little older.
Sara R.
19:41 29 Apr 21
I can’t thank Sophia enough for helping me training my dog Didion. As a energetic one year-old Portuguese Water Dog he was running the show and destroying my house and patience! Sophie quickly assessed the situation, tailored the training to fit what Didion needed, and in just three sessions I have a completely different dog and feel equipped to tackle any situation. Thank you!
Krissy D.
01:44 25 Apr 21
Jax is the highlight of our lives! Loves his family with everything he has, But he has not liked strangers. Lunged barked growled. He was always so anxious. Well choosing PAVLOV was the best decision we have ever made. I’m proud to say that our jaxy walked through the store today without even the slightest of growls, he stayed when we asked him to, and even said hello to a little girl! Also made it the whole car ride without getting car sick. Sophia is amazing she knew exactly what would work for our puppy and made it all seem effortless. She truly knows what she is doing. My dog mom heart is so happy ❤️ Thank you times a million to Sophia at PAVLOV dog training in Portland. I could never thank you enough!
Alexandra Q.
20:59 17 Apr 21
Working with Pavlov dog training and our trainer Sophia is the best decision we’ve made since getting our pooch, Bella. They helped us build a strong foundation of behavior and gave us all of the tools we need to be successful. Example: Bella went from being a land shark to a girl with good mouth manners within a week after our first training session with Sophia. The puppy package was exactly what we needed and we are so happy to have chosen Pavlov and Sophia (after much research). Sophia tailors her approach to a given dog, and pays attention to what works/doesn’t for your dog’s personality and lifestyle. 100% recommend
Libby B.
00:36 07 Apr 21
Sophia is THE best. When I brought home a puppy earlier this year it took me two whole days to feel like I was in over my head. I needed help teaching the pup some better manners and I didn’t know how to effectively do that. A tired and teary Google search led to me Pavlov Dog Training and two days later Sophia was at my house saving my life. She taught my dog some basic skills that helped immensely. Within minutes I had a better behaved 8 week old puppy and raising and managing this little thing all day every day was made that much easier thanks to her! The following sessions we very helpful as well and my dog knows some very useful commands, my favorite being the one where he sits on his bed while eat dinner so I can enjoy a moment to myself! Sophia is very responsive in between sessions and answers any and all questions you might have. She also has plenty of alternative training methods/options if your dog isn’t really responding to one particular method. Additionally she’s a lot a fun, so training your dog is an all around good time! ALSO, I really liked that she comes to your home vs. group training or online training. 10/10! Definitely recommend!!
Megan W.
04:38 04 Apr 21
Sophia is an incredibly gifted dog trainer. She is very knowledgeable about dog behavior, how to best communicate with your dog, and training. I really like how she customizes the sessions rather than using a cookie cutter approach. She uses interventions which are tailored to the unique personality of the dog. She packs so much into each session and welcomes you to text her in between sessions with any questions that come up. She worked with my puppy for one month and I was absolutely astounded at how much progress my pup made in such a short amount of time! I am extremely grateful for Sophia and highly recommend her. She is worth every penny.
Sara R
23:01 30 Mar 21
Zenon & i just finished our last lesson with Sophia and i *had* to come and leave a gushing review about my incredible experience. I could write a whole novel about what an amazing human & trainer Sophia is but I will try my best to keep this short & sweet. My dog Zenon is a GSD that i recently adopted ~ she came from an abusive home so she had some issues including "stranger danger" and "leash drama"/ dog reactivity. Sophia did a wonderful job working with us over a 5 week program and by our last lesson we were able to walk through a busy park with dogs, kids, skateboarders, etc. with zero issues ~ it was amazing to see my dog so calm & happy with so much going on around her! Sophia was so thorough with her training & her recommendations and she was always available via phone/text if i ever needed info or advice. Sophia gave zenon & i a wonderful foundation of training techniques & knowledge that i am excited to keep building on. With the weekly training sessions & doing my due diligence being consistent with the weekly homework i have seen an amazing improvement in zenon's behaviour & in our personal bond in general. This training has really opened up so many possibilities & opportunities for zenon to live her best doggy life and be able to enjoy all the things like parks, walks, and more! As a woman it was also very important & very empowering to me that Pavlov is woman owned & operated ~ just knowing that we as women are strong & fully capable of being in control & having a well trained large breed dog is a wonderful & powerful feeling. I am so so so incredibly grateful to Sophia & Pavlov Dog Training I literally cannot put into words exactly how thankful i am or how much this has improved our lives. Thank you SO MUCH Sophia for believing in us & helping us to achieve our training goals! If you are wondering whether or not to book training with Pavlov don't hesitate just do it you will not be disappointed!
Kelly W.
00:22 22 Mar 21
I’ve had dogs, cats, horses, and mules my whole life and feel confident around many animals but even I know when it’s time for some guidance/input from someone experienced in all sorts of personalities & behaviors (both people & dogs). Our 1.5 year old rescue dog, Bonnie, came to us as a 70lb very sweet but insecure cuddle bug. Things we were originally concerned with (like getting along with our senior cat) quickly melted away but other concerns that we hadn’t thought about (like leash/fence reactivity with other dogs) popped up. Bonnie wasn’t making a good first impression with the neighbor dogs/people, I was feeling intimidated by her reactions combined with size, and my 13yo kid was yearning for some independence with his new buddy but knew he couldn’t physically control her in a reactive situation.Sophia helped us help Bonnie acclimate to her new life here while setting up good expectations, boundaries, and trust in each other. The instructions and tools she gave us were very clear and flexible to ours/Bonnie’s needs and goals. Sophia has been wonderful at listening to our concerns, questions, and status updates and explaining things in an understandable way, especially to my son, as well as celebrating the good stuff with us! She’s also always been accessible and responsive outside of sessions.I definitely recommend Sophia to anyone needing help with the basics or specific behavior issues whether a puppy or a dog that’s just new to you (which sometimes is trickier since you don’t always know what trauma/bad habits they come with) and whether you’re new to owning dogs or an experienced owner needing refresher, new ideas, or help addressing something outside your comfort zone!
Ellen K.
02:00 21 Mar 21
I cannot say enough good things about Sophia! I have a 2 year old golden retriever who jumped and pulled every time we went out for walks. Sophia, on day one, helped us with leash walking and overnight her tips and training worked. Sophia checked in between sessions and gave great support at all times.She is so easy to talk to and work with, I would recommend her to anyone.
Elise S.
00:43 21 Mar 21
Sophia was amazing to work with. She helped us master and refine our pup’s manners, allowing us to gain confidence in off leash recall and enjoy our newly calm walks (with no leash pulling)! Would 110% recommend working with Sophia for any dog training needs 🙂
Brenton L.
07:19 06 Mar 21
We got in touch with Sophia after we adopted a four year old Boston Terrier, Louie, from a puppy farm, and had no idea how to train him. Literally, he’d never been on a leash, or gone potty outside and was scared of everything. Sophias training is structured well, and accommodated everything we wanted to achieve. Louie always had a great time and learned a lot of cool things. We can now leave the little fella at home without worrying about him and he’s really come out of his shell. He walks on a leash nicely, goes potty outside every time, sits patiently when asked to, comes when he’s called etc. we achieved everything we wanted! Thanks so much Sophia.
Stephenie B.
01:05 02 Mar 21
Sophia is the best! We got our 1 year old lab/whippet mix rescue in December and needed help quickly as she barely knew sit commands, let alone how to walk on a leash, and was chewing and digging. Now our little lady knows to sit, park it, not to chew/dig and is walking better on a leash (we still have some training to go!) all thanks Sophia's guidance. She has been wonderful, following up via text while we were working on our training homework each week and is still checking up now that our part 1 training is over. We highly recommend her to anyone looking for quality training and are looking forward to additional training as our pup grows.
Kara E.
15:33 23 Feb 21
If I could give Sophia 10 stars I would! She absolutely changed the trajectory of experience with our pup. From the first phone call to the last session she was warm and friendly, obviously an expert, and honestly just fun to chat with. Not only did her teaching style work for the four wildly variant humans in our house, it transformed our crazed baby alligator into a sweet good boi literally overnight. If you're on the fence, or even just getting started in your search for a dog trainer, search no more - you've found the best in Portland. Sophia is 10 out of 10, definitely recommend, all thumbs up.
R A.
03:49 03 Dec 20
Sophia is the puppy whisperer! After 1 session she had our family of 5 communicating with our feisty puppy Eddie in a way he immediately understood! She had the ability to teach each of us (including 3 teenagers) how and why we needed to be in charge. After our first session we had small tricks to use to establish what behavior was and wasn’t allowed and after the second session we had a whole new, responsive, respectful but still fun with a big personality puppy! He walks so nicely on his leash after a quick session. Our favorite command is “park-it” and we use it all the time. Sophia was such a huge help and we are grateful to our neighbors for recommending her and we would highly recommend her to anyone who needs help training a dog, young or old-she is fantastic!
Chris W.
21:35 02 Dec 20
We recently used PAVLOV dog training to train our daughters Husky/Australian Shepherd puppy. After one session we noticed a big difference. After 5, we had a well behaved very smart puppy. We also understood the needs of our puppy much better. Sofia answered all our questions and demonstrated the task for the week. She worked with Django until he followed the command and then assigned us homework for the week. PAVLOV absolutely knows dogs, their behaviors and how best to train even specific breeds but you have to do the homework. We’ve texted Sofia since we completed training to follow up with questions. She is quick to answer and makes everything so simple. She’s also enjoyable to work with. She has lots of anecdotes that make the learning process enjoyable. I highly recommend Pavlov Dog Training. We will absolutely use them again.
Kelsey A.
17:32 07 Nov 20
Sophia is such an incredible trainer! I adopted a one year old chihuahua/terrier mix over the summer, and while he is a sweet little guy, he was FEISTY! He was very reactive on leash, so walking him was always stressful. He would bark, growl, bite, lunge....everything that he wasn't supposed to do! I basically called Pavlov in tears because I was so overwhelmed and so worried that I would never be able to peacefully take my cute little pup for a walk!Not only did I see a dramatic improvement in how my dog behaved on leash after just one lesson with Sophia, but he also learns commands and tricks so much easier now because of the techniques Sophia taught me! Plus, Sophia is incredibly sweet! Both my dog and I enjoyed training with her so, so much! I cannot give any higher recommendation!
Carley B.
03:02 29 Oct 20
I could not recommend a better trainer than Sophia! We got a German Shepard for a family and therapy dog. I am a single mother and quadriplegic, so our circumstances were different and challenging but Sophia adapted our training to meet my physical needs while creating a great family training plan. She was fun, personable, and SO knowledgeable about dog training with all breeds and personalities. We will miss her in Colorado!
Natalie L.
17:22 26 Oct 20
My husband and I had a wonderful time working with Sophia from PAVLOV. She taught us and our pup so many skills. Not only can we communicate effectively with our pup now, but we can have him off leash when we go hiking and camping (something we never thought would be possible!). We would highly recommend working with this team!
Roderick R.
17:29 21 Oct 20
We have a special puppy, our black lab Chili, who requires LOTS of attention and training to behave. One day while walking Chili (aka. being pulled by Chili) around the park I came across a couple with a lab who was so well behaved I had to stop and ask how they trained him. I was referred to Pavlov and met Sophia which was a life saver for Chili. Sophia takes a tailored approach to dog training since she knows different owners have different goals and not all dogs respond to the same methods. We did 6 sessions with Sophia, each lesson was programed to meet a specific need of ours and included homework we could practice on our own prior to the next session. At the beginning of each session we would review progress, discuss goals and plan our approach for the session. In addition to keeping the training fun for both owners and dogs Sophia is great to work with and was flexible when we had extenuating circumstances arise. Fast forward and we now have an 8 month old lab who is a training champion and listens to our every command. Now when we walk around the park I often have people stop me to ask how we trained Chili and I always send them to Sophia. I highly recommend Sophia if you want a well behaved dog and you are willing to follow the plan and put in the work.
Sam P.
03:58 16 Oct 20
Our 4-month old German Shepherd Rev suddenly went from cute puppy to unmanageable barking machine with razor teeth. We needed help, we were in over our heads. We reached out to Pavlov Dog Training set up a 5-part training pack, and Sofia reached out to set up the first at-home training session after we described the issues with our pup. Sofia showed up, and after one hour we were absolutely floored. If we only had that first session, we would have said the price was worth it. She was like the dog whisperer. The professionalism and expertise she brought to bear with Rev was unreal. She explained the “why” of dog psychology so all of her instructions and methods made sense. We followed up with Sofia after the initial 5 pack training session for another three sessions as Rev got older, and we could not be happier. Rev went from a sweet but near-unmanageable pup to a sweet and obedient dog who loves being a good dog for her owners, and we went from stressed out, second-guessing our decision to confident pet owners of a wonderful dog. And she gets along with her yorkie siblings so well now! Without Sofia and Pavlov, the daily joy we experience with Rev wouldn’t be possible. I couldn’t recommend them (and her) highly enough.
Lindsay P.
02:46 16 Oct 20
Sophia at Pavlov Dog Training is absolutely fantastic. I could not recommend her more highly. She worked with us and our German Shepherd puppy, Reverie, for the basic obedience and leash drama programs. Sophia was always on time, kind, very professional, and took time to explain how our dog thinks and how certain training methods are best for how she communicates. The results have been amazing, and I can’t thank her enough for all she’s done for Rev. We are better puppy parents and have a happier, and very well-trained, dog.
Nate G.
22:25 13 Oct 20
We had the pleasure of Sophia helping us with our little crazy black lab puppy Ninja in Denver and it was such a huge help!!! Two things: 1) Sophia is personable, professional, and feels like a friend right off the bat. You are definitely in good hands. 2) Regarding the training, Sophia was excellent at adjusting accordingly to our puppy and giving us the tools and concepts to continue to train and improve skills on our own. Addressed the puppy biting, sit/stay skills, leash walking, commands, emergency situations, and park-it, which is amazing (you’ll find out).Having a puppy this will certainly give you the baseline to have a well trained dog and the tools to keep training and improving on your own. Have questions and she’ll gladly get back to you even after she’s done.Highly recommend!
Wendy B.
02:01 07 Oct 20
Sophia is fantastic. Before Pavlov started a branch in Portland, Sophia helped us train our new puppy in Denver. The training techniques were so helpful and really worked. Plus we were able to apply the same techniques to other situations that have popped up since the training. Sophia is kind, funny, and so good with dogs (and their humans). Highly recommended and worth every penny!
Erica B.
02:15 06 Oct 20
We met Sophia with Pavlov Dog Training while she was working in Denver and she was our new puppy's trainer. Otis is the first puppy we've ever owned and Sophia was absolutely amazing to work with. She came to our house to begin training Otis very soon after we brought him home. She immediately got to work teaching us how to teach Otis to sit, stay, come, park it, walk on a leash, go up and down stairs, and in general "have good manners." Otis has made such great progress and he's becoming a wonderful family pet. Sophia was incredible; she was always on time, very personable and fun to work with, and super responsive to my many questions I sent over text. We can not recommend Sophia and Pavlov Dog Training highly enough!
Jamie F.
01:51 06 Oct 20
When I booked Pavlov I was completely overwhelmed with my energetic new lab puppy, Buckley. Buckley needed help with crate training, potty training, obedience, and all things puppy related. When Sophia showed up I felt instant relief— her expertise was immediately evident in the way she clearly communicated exactly what first steps I needed to take with Buckley to tackle the most prevalent problems first. Living in an apartment with neighbors who weren’t keen on having a very vocal, anxious puppy whine and bark in his crate whenever left, it was critical I figure out how to effectively crate train Buckley very quickly. Sophia walked me through a training method, helped me practice, and gave me homework—along with many other trainings to work with between sessions. When my stubborn lab didn’t respond to the first method of crate training, Sophia was highly responsive over text (and available by phone as well) and gave me thorough and clear instructions on how to try another method. This second attempt did the trick and I no longer had to worry about Buckley bothering neighbors or feeling anxious while I was gone. Each session with Sophia was immensely valuable, educational, and personally tailored to what I needed for Buckley’s development. Even beyond the value of the lessons is the value of having Sophia as a life-long resource for all dog training-related questions, advice, guidance, and support. The training goes beyond the space of the sessions and Sophia is highly available, responsive, and just simply wonderful to work and communicate with. She also was able to recommend very useful products that supported the training we did (such as Buckley’s prong collar and then a new type of leash to support further training for more obedient walking). Raising a puppy as a single person can be challenging and I cannot imagine a better trainer than Sophia or a better philosophy and approach than Pavlov’s!
Jenna N.
23:33 03 Oct 20
I got a Goldendoodle puppy (Annie) over quarantine and had no idea how much work she was going to be! I am a kindergarten teacher and figured if I can handle 30 five year olds, how bad could one puppy be? I was wrong. Annie was a terror! I loved her dearly, but she was absolutely crazy! She nibbled on my hands so much that my fingers were bleeding, and jumped on my white furniture, leading me to cover everything in blankets! I decided to hire Sophia from Pavlov Dog Training which totally saved my sanity and now I have a nearly perfect puppy.Sophia came to our home for each session so we could practice everything in our own environment. Sophia had so much insight into my puppy's behaviors and she shared information with me with a sense of humor- I never felt judged for being a bad dog mom! Sophia helped me understand how puppies think and what motivates them. In each session, Sophia gave us a few key things to work on. She modeled every step and troubleshooted my puppy's unique quirks before having me practice. She was available via text for any follow up I needed between sessions and would text me tips or videos to help me troubleshoot issues as Annie and I practiced everything!Our very first session was a "survival" session for me to nip the bad behaviors of biting, chewing, jumping all over me, and getting up on furniture. After practicing Sophia's methods, Annie had completely stopped these behaviors after just a few days! It was truly the best money I have ever spent because I was starting to lose my mind! :)In our 4 follow-up sessions, Sophia let me make decisions on what I wanted to work on with Annie. We worked on some of the more typical commands (sit/stay/come/down), eye contact, walking etiquette, and crate training. Sophia also taught Annie how to "park it"- now if I tell Annie "park it!" she knows to go to her bed and not leave! This has made cooking, eating, vacuuming, cleaning, answering the door, and so many other things SO much easier without a puppy underfoot. She has truly developed so much more self-control because of Sophia's training.I was so grateful to find Sophia & Pavlov. Sophia is fun to talk with, my pup ADORED her, and she truly saved my sanity when I thought I was going to lose my mind with a new puppy!
Brian J.
23:09 03 Oct 20
We were fortunate enough to work with Sophia Sares and Pavlov Dog Training in Denver before Sophia moved to Portland to continue her work with Pavlov. Sophia clearly has a lot of experience and good ideas and is fun to work with. She helped us get our Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Oscar through some tricky behaviors. Oscar is our first dog and his life and ours are both so much better because Sophia helped us teach him to be a... "good boy." Thanks, Sophia!
Tara O.
02:01 03 Oct 20
PAVLOV Dog Training, and our trainer, Sophia are absolutely amazing!We have two high energy dogs that were out of control. Reactive to other dogs, pulling on the leash, jumping on guests, all the things you don’t want your dogs to do. The minute Sophia walked in our door, we knew we were in good hands. She knew exactly what we needed to do to help us communicate better with our dogs, which led to them listening and behaving so much better. We now enjoy walking them around the neighborhood, and having people come over to our house.The training was unique and completely tailored to our dogs and specific situation. We’ve worked with other trainers in the past, and have never been able to see lasting results like we have with PAVLOV. We can’t recommend them enough!
Debra H.
02:35 02 Oct 20
My mini Aussie is a head strong girl. When I took her for hikes, I would have to cut my hike short because she was pulling and choking herself. I consulted Tanya at Pavlov Dog Training and after enrolling in the puppy program, she now walks like a saint. My neighbors noticed her transformation and want the same for their dog. I enjoy having a dog who is recognized for her polite manners. Thank you, Tanya, and the team at Pavlov Dog Training!
Chelsey D.
01:45 02 Oct 20
I highly recommend Sophia with Pavlov Dog Training! She is an amazing dog trainer with tons of knowledge and experience, who is very friendly, kind, and great to work with. If your dog needs training, Sophia is your person!
Shannon K.
16:38 01 Oct 20
Dog Trainer Sophia and PAVLOV Dog Training are so great at what they do! Sophia in particular is effective, professional, highly skilled, and has a great personality to boot. You and your dog will love her! From basic obedience training to behavior modification, Sophia gets results, and you'll really enjoy the training! PAVLOV is so worth the investment for your dog. 5 stars, A+ dog trainers!
Mandy V.
14:58 01 Oct 20
Sophia was a God send with our little rescue, Charlie. He was perfect in every way except for some crazy leash aggression but after a few sessions, was a calm, relaxed pup on walks! The training stuck with us all, human and dog, and he remains a very happy pup now that he can’t feel his human’s anxiety! She’s very professional and tailors her style to your needs as a customer. Both Charlie and his humans felt 100% comfortable with her!
Ian M.
19:20 30 Sep 20
My experience with Sophia Sares was nothing short of amazing. I have a Sheepadoodle and not only was she knowledgeable about the mix of breeds that are present in my dog, she knew how to get the best out of both breeds present, how to make the training unique to my dog, and how to make it involved and not tedious for the time I needed to practice with my pupper. I would refer anyone I could to her. I highly recommend bringing your best friend to Sophia, because you just won't find a better trainer to help strengthen the bond between you and your doggo.
Wendy H.
01:20 29 Sep 20
Sophia is amazing! I share my home with a very sweet, but excitable, and stubborn GSD. She loves to pull on the leash and jump on people when they come over to the house. Within a few sessions, her pulling was a thing of the past and she stopped jumping on my guests. She still gets excited but she doesn’t knock them over with love anymore! We also worked on several other behaviors - Kenzie now has a place and stay on her cot, which comes in handy when I have to answer the door for strangers. Sophia was patient and my baby girl LOVES her. We will miss her here in Colorado. Portland, you are very lucky to be getting her in your city. I cannot recommend any more highly. She is an amazing person and dog trainer.
Jon F.
17:08 28 Sep 20
We’ve had a great experience with Pavlov Dog Training. We found the personalized, one on one, training they provide very appealing and our trainer Sophia was great to work with. The techniques, tips and tricks she’s provided us have drastically improved our puppy Blue’s obedience and behavior over the last few months and she makes herself available 24/7 if we have questions that can’t wait until the next session. We would highly recommend Sophia and Pavlov Dog Training!
Joe V.
22:38 27 Sep 20
I cannot recommend Pavlov enough! My trainer Sophia Sares is amazing. Sophia is a remarkable trainer. She has great intuition regarding K9 behavioral traits, and was wonderful to work with. Sophia's ability to understand the training issues I was having and help me work through them was invaluable to me. I now have a wonderfully well behaved pup, all thanks to Sophia and Pavlov. I'm so very happy that I decided to choose Pavlov, it was worth every penny I spent.
George C.
22:04 26 Sep 20
Sophia from Pavlov did a great job with both me and my crazy beagle ! She helped me control my dog while on leash. Also corrected some bad habits of both me and my beagle at the dinner table. Couldn't be happier with the service and the results.
Elizabeth A.
18:46 26 Sep 20
Sophia with Pavlov is incredible! My dog family and I have been longtime Pavlov devotees, as their methodology, technique, and professionalism truly sets the industry standard.Recently, we had Sophia assist us in working with our Mastiff rescue regarding severe separation anxiety. Sophia took ample time to “train” us, explaining philosophy, process, and ensuring we fully understood. After months of struggling on our own to work through his destructive anxiety, using the training Sophia provided, we were able to remedy this issue in a week.Additionally, we found the support Sophia provided in between sessions incredibly helpful. She frequently checked in as to how things were going, provided helpful tips, and ensured the entire experience of training was successful and tailored to our needs.Sophia and Pavlov as Tina Turner said, are “Simply the Best!”Elizabeth, Erik, and The Gang
Chris H.
21:11 25 Sep 20
I reached ou to Pavlov Dog Training Portland last winter after my Miniature Australian Shepherd Tanner bit a four year old girl. This happened while we were walking in the park near our home. The little girl required two stitches which generated a report to the police. As a result I had to attend court where I was told to complete five hours of dog training. Finding Pavlov Dog Training in Portland was a life saver. Tanner and I went through the Leash Drama program and as a result, we are safe to walk confidently in public. This is important, as I walk an average of five miles daily. Thank you, Tanya, and Pavlov Dog Training!
Olivia R.
02:55 24 Sep 20
Pavlov Dog Training is a fantastic company. Their knowledgeable and professional trainer, Tanya, worked with my Wheaton Terrier and I on basic commands and polite behavior when on walks and when company comes over. The training was simple to understand and implement, and very effective. The trainer knew how to convey information to me that was relevant to how my dog was behaving and what the desired behavior was. I was given homework to practice with my dog, so that the training could be replicated by me without the trainer being there. I highly recommend Pavlov Dog Training to anyone and everyone who wants a well behaved pooch!
Katherine K.
22:09 23 Sep 20
I had a fantastic experience with Pavlov and Sophia Sares. Basil is a year and a half greyhound/Pyrenees/pointer/heeler mix. I wanted private dog training because he often forgot his manners in the presence of his two favorite things - squirrels and other dogs. If either were in sight, he would constantly pull on his leash. When he was off-leash, he would excitedly run up to other dogs or bolt after critters. He has no aggression issues, but I always worried that his eagerness to play would anger another dog. Basil is an attentive and highly food motivated dog, but the main problem was I really had no idea how to improve the behaviors. Aside from the obvious benefits of convenient at-home training and individualized attention that Pavlov provides, my favorite parts about working with Sophia were her detailed explanations and consistent check-ins. Any time we would try a new command/behavior, Sophia would thoroughly explain it, ask if I had questions, and demonstrate what to do with Basil before letting me try. While I would work with him, she would give suggestions and feedback and answer any questions as they came up. At the end of our sessions, Sophia would give us "homework" to reinforce the lessons, which would typically be 20-30 minutes of training spread throughout the day, and easily doable. Sophia was responsive between our sessions if I had trouble with anything. After just a month and a half, Basil has improved beyond my wildest expectations. I can now trust Basil's off-leash recall, even when he is in a hectic off-leash dog park, and his walks are more fun for both of us without constant pulling! Thanks Sophia and the Pavlov team!
J.R. L.
14:26 23 Sep 20
Sophia is a great trainer and friend. She worked at the Denver location with my wife and the main compliments I heard about her is she’s an expert with families with small children and their new puppies. She excels with training all types of dogs but is quite the expert with small dogs as well! Take a look at her google reviews on Denver Pavlov and you will see what I mean!
corinna O.
16:24 22 Sep 20
The team at Pavlov is professional, experienced, and a breath of fresh air in the dog training world. I’ve sent dozens of clients their way, and have heard nothing but positive feedback. If you’re looking for a company that thinks outside of the box and shies away from a “one size fits all” approach, you will not be disappointed. Highly recommend!
Katharine L.
16:00 22 Sep 20
I have worked with Pavlov and their clients' dogs as a dog sitter for three years and Tanya and her team do a fantastic job! I've worked with dogs trained by all of Pavlov's trainers and the results across the board are that these pups are well trained and responsive to commands (and of course very cute and sweet). I would highly recommend working with Pavlov if you want a pup that outshines the rest.
Ron C.
15:08 22 Sep 20
Pavlov Dog Training did a wonderful job training my German shepherd!My German shepherd has learned a strong foundation of obedience and can heel while walking politely through the neighborhood while walking on my left side. He can walk through crowds of people at the farmer's market. After obedience, he was taught a formal retrieve and he'll consistently retrieve objectives and bring them to my hand including 'fetch a cold beverage'!
Claire Ní C.
19:31 17 Sep 20
PAVLOV Dog Training and dog trainer Sophia are lifesavers! From puppy raising to leash reactivity to off leash reliability, there's really nothing they can't do. They have so many tools and techniques that they can apply to help reach your goals and they aren't stuck in one way of doing things. Training is effective, efficient, and fun (they're human people, too).
