Black Paw is more than just a great pet store, they also offer an amazing training program. Sophie, my almost two year lab mix rescue, had a lot of confidence issues, even after over a year in a loving home. She barked and lunged on leash walks wanting to play with other dogs, was scared of noises, and flinched at new things in the house, like a package that was delivered or a new pair of shoes sitting on the floor. She is so loving and sweet, just skittish and unsure, and she wasn’t responding to any method I tried with training. She loves other dogs and loves to play, but she would bark non-stop at the dog park or doggie day care, and it was becoming problematic. I brought her to Bernadette, at the Black Paw Training Center in Lafayette, for the two week boarding school program. The facility is really amazing, the property is gorgeous, with lots of room to run and fun creatures like horses to learn about. I debated hourly training vs boarding, but Sophie really needed both the socialization and total immersion in the program, where someone “other than Mom” would teach her what she needed to learn - to become more calm, socialized, and a well behaved little girl. The attention at Black Paw is very personalized, with only a small number of training dogs at a time. They quickly assessed Sophie’s personality and trouble spots, and worked closely with her, both one-on-one and as part of “the pack” to help her grow and learn. Sophie came back home two weeks later a very confident little one. She learned all of the basics of sit, stay, come, but also learned to go on walks without pulling, to ignore other dogs or loud noises like skateboards. She did so well with learning to go outside restaurants and parks and sit calmly until it was time to go. The COVID crisis hit just as I got her home, so we haven’t had as much consistency with home training as I would have liked, but she’s clearly a happier, more confident girl. And I’m more confident too, in that a lot of what I was trying to do to train her just wasn’t working. I had all but given up on taking her places, like outdoor concerts in the park by our house or walking to the local coffee shop. I can’t recommend Black Paw training strongly enough, and I feel that they’ve really opened up a whole new world for me and my best little friend. PS: I love the store and the grooming as well! We buy all of Soph’s food and toys there!