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Reviews (18)
Lisa Doyle
May 01, 2021
You will NEVER find anyone who will love and care for your pet, more than yourself, than the team at Doggone Fit! With first hand experience of seeing Heidi and her team care for, train, enforce obedience (human and animal) and share unconditional love for all animals, you would have to leave 3 states before you find 1 person qualified to care for your family pet outside of Doggone Fit! We trust them 100%
Jane Campion
Apr 21, 2021
DGF has truly have been an incredible support to our dog and family. We never thought we could have an off leash dog! We are so thankful for the valuable skills and knowledge learned prior to, during and after training to make sure our pup is happy and successful. With the right effort and maintenance we continue look REALLY good at home, and out in public! So thankful for them!
Kate Kapusta
Dec 14, 2020
Thank you Doggone Fit for the incredible training for our rescue dog! We couldn't be happier with the results especially the "place" training and recall. We have had multiple friends use you all and felt the same. Just had our refresher training with Richie and a few tweaks and everything is back to perfect. We love the group hikes too and continued support. Highly recommend Doggone Fit!
Jennifer G.
Jul 22, 2020
Here's the thing with sending your dog to training. It ONLY WORKS if you continue the work after. Having said that - I have nothing but amazing things to say about Doggone Fit and their staff. They are caring and professional. They get to really know your dog and set up a plan according to their behavioral needs. It is not a "one size fits all" training method as different dogs require different experiences with training.
We are experienced German Shepherd owners, but we adopted a 9 month old Shepherd who had no previous training and was traumatized by the sudden death of her previous owner. She was nervous and insecure. She needed more than what we could give her. In comes Doggone Fit. Our trainer Richie fell in love with Leia and she him. We did the 2 week board and train and it was worth EVERY penny of the $2K+ we spent. Leia needed to learn some boundaries and build some confidence.
She came home loving the tools and structure she learned. **And I will say it again** - YOU NEED to continue with the training. Your dog will come home improved and will have learned the tools, but unless you continue with the protocol your dog will backslide. We have stuck with Doggon Fit's protocol and Leia is thriving. We even boarded her for the first time with Richie and she was in heaven.
It was like summer camp for her. Richie sent us daily updates and photos and we felt so good knowing she was having fun and in the hands of someone who cared for her and obviously knew her training needs. Here's a picture of our happy, confident girl now. She has come so incredibly far. If it wasn't for Doggone Fit we probably would have continued to struggle with meeting her specific needs. She loves the work she learned there and we continue with it daily. It gives her the confidence and structure she (and many dogs) need.
We are experienced German Shepherd owners, but we adopted a 9 month old Shepherd who had no previous training and was traumatized by the sudden death of her previous owner. She was nervous and insecure. She needed more than what we could give her. In comes Doggone Fit. Our trainer Richie fell in love with Leia and she him. We did the 2 week board and train and it was worth EVERY penny of the $2K+ we spent. Leia needed to learn some boundaries and build some confidence.
She came home loving the tools and structure she learned. **And I will say it again** - YOU NEED to continue with the training. Your dog will come home improved and will have learned the tools, but unless you continue with the protocol your dog will backslide. We have stuck with Doggon Fit's protocol and Leia is thriving. We even boarded her for the first time with Richie and she was in heaven.
It was like summer camp for her. Richie sent us daily updates and photos and we felt so good knowing she was having fun and in the hands of someone who cared for her and obviously knew her training needs. Here's a picture of our happy, confident girl now. She has come so incredibly far. If it wasn't for Doggone Fit we probably would have continued to struggle with meeting her specific needs. She loves the work she learned there and we continue with it daily. It gives her the confidence and structure she (and many dogs) need.
Carrie H.
Jul 22, 2020
Anabel G.
Jul 20, 2020
DO NOT bring your dogs here! My dissatisfaction began because there was a miscommunication between dog trainers and the owner, which resulted in me getting charged fees that I should not have been charged, and, rightfully so, I was upset and confronted the situation. I called the owner to express my frustrations with the situation and she started yelling at me.
At the end she apologized to me, and stated that because the miscommunication was all their fault, she would give me a credit towards future services as an apology gesture. She told me that she was going through a divorce and basically took it out on me. It was awkward to hear about the divorce situation, she went on to say that she has not been dealing with it well and that it has been having negative effects on the business, not just with me, but with other clients, as well, including a lot of miscommunications between her and her employees.
The top trainer Richie refused to admit that he was part of the miscommunication by telling me one thing and telling her another, and he never apologized. Long story short, she gave me over $300 in credits for all my trouble and I truly thought we were moving past this whole thing. Over the next few weeks, I have been calling to book training sessions and over July 4th weekend, I was looking to board my dog, and the responses that I kept getting were that they were all booked up.
At first, I didn't see anything wrong, until I kept getting the same response over and over again, I realized she had, essentially, blocked me from booking any training sessions or boarding, which I learned only after confronting Richie, who told me that she DOES NOT WANT ME AS A CUSTOMER ANYMORE, Because I Had asked one of their trainers if there is someone they suggested for boarding for my dog, since DoggoneFit was Full''.
According to Richie Marin the owner felt stabbed in the back and decided to block me out. (Which btw, I have previous texts from Richie giving me Trainers phone numbers to contact them in case i needed anything) DRAMA. One of the last miscommunications that happened to me with this business was when a trainer said that he would come and pick up my dog for dog hiking and just NEVER showed up. Then, the business charged ME for not being home to give the trainer the dog.
For one, HE HAD A KEY TO MY HOUSE, which was part of the arrangement that I had made with the business, so he could have just came inside and picked up my dog. Secondly, I WAS HERE IN THE HOUSE, but he said there was no answer at the door? NO ONE KNOCKED!// I should have been suspicious when I first met this trainer, a week prior to this, because my dogs did not take a liking to him.
I told Richie after two sessions with this trainer that my dog did not like him and that I was going to cancel the hikes with this trainer. Richie advised me to LET IT RIDE. Bad Idea! After that session, where he never showed up, I got an email from the owner stating that she was charging me. She said that SHE decided that my dog will not be allowed on hikes any longer.
This makes no sense since I was the one that discussed this with Richie about my concerns with the dog hikes and the trainer who takes my dog, and he was the one who asked me to keep working on it. After she heard this, she apologized and said the trainer should not have advised me to continue to stick it out. This angers me because of this negligent advice my dog, other dogs, and/or the trainer could have been hurt! Looking back on it now, the trainer was pushing my dog to the point that my dog snapped at him and at another dog. Now, on top of all the reasons I originally brought my dog to the trainer, I have a hard time getting my dog to go with the dog walkers that he doesn't know, due to this negligence. //I spent over $5,000 in a few short months.
The top trainer Richie made sure to let me know his opinion was that I had gotten my money's worth out of them. I was so appalled because I invested this money as part of a long term investment for my dog, so I actually DID NOT get my moneys worth! I am left now with a dog that is half trained. Also I paid full price for a muzzle that Richie fave to broken and strap missing and charged me full price for, and an e-collar that was missing the clip to the remote. Richie had warned me that if I complained, the result would not be favorable to me because the owner was known to yell back at customers because she is an ALPHA.
I am left with a company that will NOT return me my house key, even after several requests. Also, I have over $300 in credits that the owner gave me and will not let me use for dog services. Richie clearly threatened to not allow me to use these credits, if I were to leave them a bad review, however, they were not letting me use them anyways, since they had blocked me from booking any and all services, prior to that. Do not waste their time or their money on this place!
At the end she apologized to me, and stated that because the miscommunication was all their fault, she would give me a credit towards future services as an apology gesture. She told me that she was going through a divorce and basically took it out on me. It was awkward to hear about the divorce situation, she went on to say that she has not been dealing with it well and that it has been having negative effects on the business, not just with me, but with other clients, as well, including a lot of miscommunications between her and her employees.
The top trainer Richie refused to admit that he was part of the miscommunication by telling me one thing and telling her another, and he never apologized. Long story short, she gave me over $300 in credits for all my trouble and I truly thought we were moving past this whole thing. Over the next few weeks, I have been calling to book training sessions and over July 4th weekend, I was looking to board my dog, and the responses that I kept getting were that they were all booked up.
At first, I didn't see anything wrong, until I kept getting the same response over and over again, I realized she had, essentially, blocked me from booking any training sessions or boarding, which I learned only after confronting Richie, who told me that she DOES NOT WANT ME AS A CUSTOMER ANYMORE, Because I Had asked one of their trainers if there is someone they suggested for boarding for my dog, since DoggoneFit was Full''.
According to Richie Marin the owner felt stabbed in the back and decided to block me out. (Which btw, I have previous texts from Richie giving me Trainers phone numbers to contact them in case i needed anything) DRAMA. One of the last miscommunications that happened to me with this business was when a trainer said that he would come and pick up my dog for dog hiking and just NEVER showed up. Then, the business charged ME for not being home to give the trainer the dog.
For one, HE HAD A KEY TO MY HOUSE, which was part of the arrangement that I had made with the business, so he could have just came inside and picked up my dog. Secondly, I WAS HERE IN THE HOUSE, but he said there was no answer at the door? NO ONE KNOCKED!// I should have been suspicious when I first met this trainer, a week prior to this, because my dogs did not take a liking to him.
I told Richie after two sessions with this trainer that my dog did not like him and that I was going to cancel the hikes with this trainer. Richie advised me to LET IT RIDE. Bad Idea! After that session, where he never showed up, I got an email from the owner stating that she was charging me. She said that SHE decided that my dog will not be allowed on hikes any longer.
This makes no sense since I was the one that discussed this with Richie about my concerns with the dog hikes and the trainer who takes my dog, and he was the one who asked me to keep working on it. After she heard this, she apologized and said the trainer should not have advised me to continue to stick it out. This angers me because of this negligent advice my dog, other dogs, and/or the trainer could have been hurt! Looking back on it now, the trainer was pushing my dog to the point that my dog snapped at him and at another dog. Now, on top of all the reasons I originally brought my dog to the trainer, I have a hard time getting my dog to go with the dog walkers that he doesn't know, due to this negligence. //I spent over $5,000 in a few short months.
The top trainer Richie made sure to let me know his opinion was that I had gotten my money's worth out of them. I was so appalled because I invested this money as part of a long term investment for my dog, so I actually DID NOT get my moneys worth! I am left now with a dog that is half trained. Also I paid full price for a muzzle that Richie fave to broken and strap missing and charged me full price for, and an e-collar that was missing the clip to the remote. Richie had warned me that if I complained, the result would not be favorable to me because the owner was known to yell back at customers because she is an ALPHA.
I am left with a company that will NOT return me my house key, even after several requests. Also, I have over $300 in credits that the owner gave me and will not let me use for dog services. Richie clearly threatened to not allow me to use these credits, if I were to leave them a bad review, however, they were not letting me use them anyways, since they had blocked me from booking any and all services, prior to that. Do not waste their time or their money on this place!
Maggie M.
Jun 04, 2020
All I can say is "WOW." Hands down the best training for our over-energetic dog. Abby has only been home for 24 hours from her two week board and train and we (the humans) still have a lot of learning to do, but Abby is ready (more importantly willing) to learn with us. I cannot say enough good things about Nikolle, who spent a TON of time with our goofy girl.
She and Richie made and executed a plan suited for our dog and her personality and needs. Nikolle went above and beyond preparing Abby for a lot of the usual struggles we have at home (counter surfing, pulling on walks, general naughty household behaviors). We have actual solutions and tools to use with our dog instead our usual routine - which was NOT working.
She even practiced things like walking in our neighborhood, pushing a stroller (we have a newborn) and leaving diapers and pacifiers alone. Additionally, I appreciated the personalized updates everyday and the time Nikolle took at our midweek meetup and final discharge to explain everything to us (despite our baby not exactly being cooperative). Usually at this time of night, Abby is literally tearing up the walls asking for dinner, instead (at the time of writing this review) she is peacefully sleeping in "place" waiting for our say-so.
She by no means emerged a "perfect" dog after two weeks (we still love her spirited nature). Doggone Fit gave us a language (and tools) to communicate our expectations. If you are considering sending your dog(s) to Doggone Fit for any type of training. I would highly recommend it. Be prepared to learn along side your dog. It is worth it!
She and Richie made and executed a plan suited for our dog and her personality and needs. Nikolle went above and beyond preparing Abby for a lot of the usual struggles we have at home (counter surfing, pulling on walks, general naughty household behaviors). We have actual solutions and tools to use with our dog instead our usual routine - which was NOT working.
She even practiced things like walking in our neighborhood, pushing a stroller (we have a newborn) and leaving diapers and pacifiers alone. Additionally, I appreciated the personalized updates everyday and the time Nikolle took at our midweek meetup and final discharge to explain everything to us (despite our baby not exactly being cooperative). Usually at this time of night, Abby is literally tearing up the walls asking for dinner, instead (at the time of writing this review) she is peacefully sleeping in "place" waiting for our say-so.
She by no means emerged a "perfect" dog after two weeks (we still love her spirited nature). Doggone Fit gave us a language (and tools) to communicate our expectations. If you are considering sending your dog(s) to Doggone Fit for any type of training. I would highly recommend it. Be prepared to learn along side your dog. It is worth it!
Leslie Fraser
Mar 20, 2020
I am absolutely GOBSMACKED. After an initial assessment with my 7 month old Pittie/Pointer mix and 2 year old Hound/Pincer mix (both rescues) on Sunday at their faciility, Richie Marin came to our home last night for in home training. We had been having a terrible time with walks with the young pup tugging the lead, counter surfing for food, and overall naughty behavior with my elderly cats.
My 2 year old dog had picked up bad habits, and behavior changes from the pup, and from the change in the hierarchy in the house. The barking was driving me nuts, the incessant dogs shadowing my every move. Gah! Well, there is a new sheriff in town. Richie whipped both dogs into shape in one session, and taught our family how to train them on "place", sleep in crates (first night was harder on me than them, but I got my best night of sleep last night in months). Richie and the team at Doggonefit have changed our lives, and given me a peace-filled home again.
I am vacillating between tears of joy and shaking my head in wonder at how easy life can be with consistency, know-how and diligence. Absolutely astounding. Cannot thank DoggoneFit enough. You guys are seriously - the BOMB! All that money spent on doggie play dates and toys was a waste. Bring your dogs to Richie, and you will have more money in your pocket, a peaceful home, and well-behaved dogs that you can be proud to introduce to your friends.
My 2 year old dog had picked up bad habits, and behavior changes from the pup, and from the change in the hierarchy in the house. The barking was driving me nuts, the incessant dogs shadowing my every move. Gah! Well, there is a new sheriff in town. Richie whipped both dogs into shape in one session, and taught our family how to train them on "place", sleep in crates (first night was harder on me than them, but I got my best night of sleep last night in months). Richie and the team at Doggonefit have changed our lives, and given me a peace-filled home again.
I am vacillating between tears of joy and shaking my head in wonder at how easy life can be with consistency, know-how and diligence. Absolutely astounding. Cannot thank DoggoneFit enough. You guys are seriously - the BOMB! All that money spent on doggie play dates and toys was a waste. Bring your dogs to Richie, and you will have more money in your pocket, a peaceful home, and well-behaved dogs that you can be proud to introduce to your friends.
Marcel Droz
Dec 14, 2019
Best canine care around! Absolutely cannot say enough about how fantastic our experience has been. Erin has been walking my dog Annie (60 lb lab/pointer mix) for at least 5 years now and she is a happy healthy dog because of it. They treat each dog like it was his or her own. Expert training and care no matter the breed (small, medium, large & XL. Boarding with Doggone Fit has also been perfect. So thankful for this group of excellent trainers.
Megan Horvitz
Nov 06, 2019
Can't say enough about how much we love Doggone Fit! We tried a number of different doggie daycare places for our super high-energy Goldendoodle and were so lucky to finally find Doggone fit. Our dog adores Joe his walker and we love seeing all the photos/videos on Instagram every day and knowing that he's getting a lot of exercise and social time with other dogs.
Deb M.
Oct 15, 2019
We had a very positive experience with Doggone Fit, which is an organization focused on dog training and exercise including weekly adventure hikes. We initially worked with Richie for an introduction to training, which was tremendously helpful. We then worked with Joe Langlois, who was excellent with initial training and weekly adventure hikes for our pup.
He spent so much time getting to know our pup to make sure he could bond and effectively work with him. He also took a tremendous amount of time to listen and explain everything including tips to help with our pup's anxieties, which have been an invaluable help. We loved having our high energy dog participate in the adventure hikes and seeing all the adorable photos Joe would very actively post after almost every walk.
He obviously loves dogs and really cares about giving them exercise, fun, and training. Also he has rescued all of his dogs, a good marker of how much he cares about dogs in general. We hope to continue working with Joe and highly recommend.
He spent so much time getting to know our pup to make sure he could bond and effectively work with him. He also took a tremendous amount of time to listen and explain everything including tips to help with our pup's anxieties, which have been an invaluable help. We loved having our high energy dog participate in the adventure hikes and seeing all the adorable photos Joe would very actively post after almost every walk.
He obviously loves dogs and really cares about giving them exercise, fun, and training. Also he has rescued all of his dogs, a good marker of how much he cares about dogs in general. We hope to continue working with Joe and highly recommend.
Kate R. Wagner
May 04, 2019
We started our dog with Doggone fit as a puppy and it's been the BEST decision we've ever made! He loves going on his adventure hikes and getting exercise, and the added discipline/training element that's built in has made him into such a remarkably well behaved and enjoyable dog. It's been so much easier to be consistent at home when we have a Doggone trainer who is setting the tone for expected behavior. We HIGHLY recommend Doggone Fit over any other doggy daycare/dog walking options!
Riley Mclean
Apr 29, 2018
Richie has been working with our puppy since she was 12 weeks old. She has gone from a scared little one who shook and wouldn't walk past cars to a delightful, confident and friendly dog with people and animals. I originally hired Doggone fit for Ellie to have exercise and activity with other dogs (which has been great for tiring her out) but I totally underestimated the value of the training the dogs get while out with their pack.
She sits patiently at corners when we walk her, she plays politely with other dogs, and she has excellent recall already at age 5.5 months. Heidi, the owner, is wonderful at getting back to you quickly about any scheduling or billing questions. Matt, one of the other trainers also boarded Ellie for a night and was great about updating us about how she was doing and picked her up at our house and dropped her off without any issues.
Everyone is wonderful and I really can't say enough about how great Richie has been. Doggone fit is worth every penny (it's a little more costly than a short walk) and is helping us raise a well adjusted, obedient, and friendly family pet. Do yourself a favor and call them.
She sits patiently at corners when we walk her, she plays politely with other dogs, and she has excellent recall already at age 5.5 months. Heidi, the owner, is wonderful at getting back to you quickly about any scheduling or billing questions. Matt, one of the other trainers also boarded Ellie for a night and was great about updating us about how she was doing and picked her up at our house and dropped her off without any issues.
Everyone is wonderful and I really can't say enough about how great Richie has been. Doggone fit is worth every penny (it's a little more costly than a short walk) and is helping us raise a well adjusted, obedient, and friendly family pet. Do yourself a favor and call them.
Victoria Graham
Feb 15, 2018
We had a fabulous experience! Richie was kind, considerate and non-judge mental. Our 185 lb dog was becoming a behavior issue and we needed help. Richie taught us that we were not communicating and getting respect. We learned how to use a few tools and our dog is now manageable by all members of our family. We still have work to do but Richie is patient and continues to encourage us! The owner was easy to work with and extremely accommodating - highly recommend!
Michael N.
Jan 18, 2018
Richie has been wonderful with our puppy. We adopted her over the summer, and after having her for a few months she started to develop severe anxiety, especially with strangers. She had done basic puppy training before, so we were looking for something more personalized for her social fears. Richie came to our house several times to work with us and he was great!
He showed us ways to introduce her to strangers and take her out in public without her shutting down. She now warms up to strangers much more quickly and no longer barks every time she hears someone at the door. We are so thankful for Richie and everything he has done for us and our puppy!
He showed us ways to introduce her to strangers and take her out in public without her shutting down. She now warms up to strangers much more quickly and no longer barks every time she hears someone at the door. We are so thankful for Richie and everything he has done for us and our puppy!
Ashley M.
Jul 05, 2017
We finally caved when we were expecting our first child into getting our 2 Australian shepherds trained. We have had issues in the past with them jumping, barking, and nipping. They were never allowed to be around people. Any time someone came over we would put them in the basement because we werent sure how they would react. We have very much spoiled our dogs from day one, they practically did whatever they wanted.
We were very concerned with them around our newborn which led us to doggone fit. We got in contact with Richie and thank goodness we did. Richie completely helped change our lives for the better. With only 5 sessions both of our dogs are so well behaved. They are great with people, they listen to my husband and I, and most importantly they are amazing with our son. I would highly recommend doggone fit to anyone looking to add more structure into their dogs lives. Pur dogs are still our spoiled babies but in a healthy way now.
We were very concerned with them around our newborn which led us to doggone fit. We got in contact with Richie and thank goodness we did. Richie completely helped change our lives for the better. With only 5 sessions both of our dogs are so well behaved. They are great with people, they listen to my husband and I, and most importantly they are amazing with our son. I would highly recommend doggone fit to anyone looking to add more structure into their dogs lives. Pur dogs are still our spoiled babies but in a healthy way now.
Irina K.
May 15, 2015
Doggone Fit is a wonderful group of caring individuals! They have provided daily hikes, training and boarding for our pup for three years. Our dog walker takes the dog out for several hours each day with a group of 3-4 others. They typically go to a local state park for walking, exploring and sometimes swimming. Our pup loves his team and comes home happy every day. I can't recommend this team highly enough! They are a vital part of our family!
Stacey H.
Apr 08, 2013
Love Dog Gone Fit and completely trust them with my two large dogs. Erin takes care of my boys 2-3x/week and has been working with them on their leash skills, entering/exiting house, in/out of a car, walking with other dogs, etc. They're learning alot and LOVE their walks. She leaves me notes each time she comes to let me know how they did. The service is reasonably priced as well. Highly recommend!
