A Closer Bond

We brought in our 3 month old German Shepherd puppy for day care. He loved it! He made a french bulldog friend. They definitely love dogs, and took great care of my puppy. They were extremely knowledgeable, and did a temperament test prior to daycare. At the end of daycare, we were provided a report, which we loved. A Closer Bond is definitely highly recommended.

A Closer Bond was recommended by multiple families in our neighborhood. We have taken 3 of our dogs to get trained here in the past 10 years and they have done an amazing job with each of our dogs! Katy and everyone is wonderful. We really messed up with our first dog by not having him trained professionally and it makes a big difference in the lives of all when your dog is trained. I love their positive approach. Our dogs love staying here too for boarding when we’re away.

We have taken our high energy 3 year old Golden, Abby, to A Closer Bond for training, grooming, boarding and daycare. They are absolutely wonderful. They truly love dogs and the staff is highly customer service oriented to humans too. We recently boarded Abby for 9 nights. In the past, we’ve left her with a very kind and loving relative, but when we pick her up (even after just a few nights), she’s anxious and hasn’t eaten. After 9 nights at the Bond, we picked up Abby and she was happy and healthy as could be. She wasn’t anxious or nervous like she usually is when we go away.
Katy is always thinking of creative ways to bond with the dogs. We’ve taken an agility class and a trick class for example, both quite fun and rewarding.
But the most important thing is that I know my dog is not only safe, but very happy while she’s there. She loves playing with the other dogs. They are very conscientious about the safety and health of all the dogs. I can’t sing their praises highly enough.

We recommend highly the competent staff at a Closer Bond. Since she was 5 months old our Husky/​shepherd mix has been a student there. It was clear from the start and her gentle disposition that she would be a great Therapy Dog. So we started her out with a 17 day boot camp to learn basic commands and that has since lead to Therapy Dog Training.
In addition, we have her groomed and boarded there when we are traveling. She loves the handlers and has learned so much.
It is clear that all the staff at a Closer Bond LOVE their jobs. In fact they’ve even trained me to be a better handler.
With their support and direction Luna has now received Canine Good Citizen status.
Can’t recommend them enough!!!

A Closer Bond has a wonderful staff & a great facility. Soon they will be adding a second location with more services & we cannot wait. Katy, John & their staff ALWAYS come up with fun ideas for all the dogs. Our guy has been going to training, daycare & boarding for almost 4 years. He loves it & gets his exercise & socialization with his friends.
Just a few weeks ago they held a DOGGY DERBY /​agility afternoon. It was a blast for us & the pups!
We also appreciate the individual care & comfort they give the dogs.
Love it!

We love A Closer Bond! Everyone there is so amazing. We have done training, boarding, doggy day care, classes (puppy and other), and also go on the pack walks! This company cares, and they are growing and going places!

They Love Dogs! This is the best kennel, dog trainer and doggie day care establishment I have ever used. My puppy is so well behaved after being trained on their two weeks on lease and one week off lease training. I can now spend quality time with her without constantly saying «no» The trainers really care about dogs and it shows. They call with follow up training appointments and just to check in on her.
For boarding it’s an awesome setup. They let the dogs outside a lot and have a lot of activities for them to do. The crates are very clean and the all the people that work there really do care about dogs, it’s not just a job. I was a nervous mom the first time we boarded her but they sent me photos and videos of her playing and she was truly happy. Their outdoor space is fun for dogs and my puppy loves going their to play with other dogs. The doggie day care is great because she is worn out when she gets home and I feel good that she was in a loving supportive environment for the day. They watch all the dogs playing together and put them in groups according to size.
I can’t say enough about A Closer Bond and I will never take my dog anywhere else!

Over the past few years I have taken my 2 shelter dogs for training at the Closer Bond. Each dog has her own distinct personality and issues and the staff has helped them become well-​behaved members of our family. As a dog owner, I have learned a lot too.
I love being able to take some «distraction classes» on a flexible basis, to review and refine some training. i also love the «pack walks» as another chance to socialize my dogs.

I can’t say enough good things about A Closer Bond. My husband and I (both retired) decided to rescue a mixed breed puppy. Murphy turned out to be way more puppy than we could handle. We were very close to taking her back to the shelter. After some soul searching we decided to give A Closer Bond a try after they were recommended by a friend. We are so glad we did! I knew Murphy had potential and they helped us find the great dog she is becoming. We are still a work in progress but we have come a very long way. I would highly recommend this great group of people, they truly care about the animals entrusted to their care. Murphy loves going to day care and I feel she is in good hands.

Love Katy and the kind people here! They did so well with my older dog that the puppy is now training there 10 years later.

I really wish I could give A Closer Bond a higher rating. Unfortunately, after leaving several messages and sending multiple emails, no one has responded. I have a great dog who I believe would benefit from working with a professional on his prey drive issues, as well as more opportunities for socialization (we would like to get another dog, but we need to be sure of our dog’s comfort level first), but it seems A Closer Bond isn’t interested in my business.

I am not exaggerating when I state that A Closer Bond has changed my life! Both of my dogs have gone through The Ultimate Dog Program, and I have to say that it was worth every penny. The entire staff genuinely cares, which speaks greatly of the ownership and mission of this small business.
My husband and I are constantly asked how we ended up with 2 such well behaved dogs. A Closer Bond is our secret!

We have been taking our puppy to A Closer Bond for puppy preschool and so far we have had nothing but wonderful experiences with the staff there. Katie met with us for our initial consultation for over an hour and really took her time answering all of our questions and addressing our concerns. The first day of puppy preschool was wonderful. It was a great opportunity to socialize with other dogs, learn basic techniques for teaching our puppy to sit calmly beside us, and let our puppy be exposed to new things such as children’s toys, a wheelchair and managing stairs. Sarah, the trainer that day stayed after class to answer our questions and didn’t rush us. We had to bring in our puppy again due to behavioral issues that we were struggling with and Sarah took almost an hour to go over other strategies to try (for no charge). She also was very understanding as I explained (emotionally) what we were struggling with never judged me or criticized me. we are looking forward to working with A Closer Bond as we continue to train our puppy. Thank you for everything you do!

I had my dobie trained here. She was perfectly trained after the intensive program. I did the full fledged stay over night training. It was very expensive but worth it IMO. Everyone marveled at my dogs obedience skills!

Called this place several years ago for dog-​training. Left message, emailed them. Never returned my correspondence.
Called two days ago for information about grooming, left a message. Never returned my call.

Admittedly, it has been a while since we brought our third addition to the family here for puppy preschool, but I don’t think they’ve changed the program. Puppy preschool is a COMPLETE rip-​off.
When we got our second dog we lived in Hyde Park and attended a puppy preschool there that was awesome. A group of 5 – 10 dogs, depending on the night, met in the basement of a church and we started with the most basic things like the name game (teaching your puppy their name) all the way up to sit, down, stay, etc. The class was active and everybody participated, and there was even a little puppy play time at the very beginning which was great for socialization.
In contrast, at A Closer Bond, we (something like 15 – 20 people and dogs, which was too many for the room) sat in a circle and the trainer went around the circle for the ENTIRE class just asking if anybody had questions. Sometimes we played pass the puppy, which helps your puppy get used to being touched by others, but the vast majority of the time we literally just sat there with our dogs leashed right beside us. I learned NOTHING in this class and we never practiced any training techniques other than pass the puppy. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY.
However, I’m not giving them one star because I know they are capable of training dogs, even if they didn’t help train mine. They did a demonstration at the end of one of our preschool classes of two dogs that had been through their residency training program (the dogs live with the trainers for a short period), and the dogs were awesome! But awesomeness has to start somewhere, and it isn’t at their puppy preschool. Look elsewhere for your basic puppy class.

We worked with Katy years ago regarding behavioral issues of one of our dogs. She was firm and incredibly skilled in working through our difficulties and we are much more competent dog owners as a result. When, several years later the problems re-​arose due to our complacency, I called and Katy was responsive and prepared to help again. Said dog is now attending day care at A Closer Bond and it’s been time and money well spent. I would give more stars if I could.

They are such great trainers! I had lost so much patience with my beagle. Once Arielle went to an intensive three week training, she has done so much better. I also had the opportunity to bring my new puppy in for training as well. There are really really awesome in giving me well behaved dogs!

Terri B. — Training is incredible. After our pup’s first session, I couldn’t believe my own eyes. Katie is FABULOUS. She not only trains the pups but she trains the owners. I recommend her and the staff without reservation. Amazing group.

Highly recommend. Lindsey is an absolute doll and takes such great care of our dog. The training that our dog received was unmatchable. I will forever be greatful! Thank you!