Here is what our clients say:
-Megan M. Santa Monica, CA
“Rachel has been a godsend for my dog Rufio. Rufio is a 40 lb lagotto puppy and he arrived very curious and sweet, very goofy. However after he turned 1 yr old he started barking at security dogs at our nearby park and really defying me when it came to coming back to the leash after off-leash play. I felt really traumatized after having a pitbull for 14 years that had a lot of behavioral issues that restricted both of our lives and I didn’t want that experience for this dog.
Rachel has such a powerful presence about her, while being so sweet and endearing. Rufio respected her immediately and wanted to work for her! She is great at breaking down the exercises so we only have a few things to practice week over week so we can get good at something and move on. She is also really great at being attuned to animal behavior, which has helped me to better understand my dog’s needs.
I think without knowing Rufio’s cues or needs for mental stimulation we were both getting frustrated with each other. Our relationship has really improved and he is doing amazing on the leash and with obedience training. He truly enjoys the learning process and working with Rachel, he gets so excited to go to his class.
A secondary benefit is just all the lessons I obviously needed to learn for myself to stand in my power with him, not treat him like a child, lead him and direct him – it has been really healing for me to recover some of my own power and boundaries throughout this process.
10/10 recommend working with Rachel and her husband, they are true salt of the earth people!”
-Beth P. Los Angeles, CA
“SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue is simply the best dog training around. Trainer Rachel Burrell is a master trainer.
She helped us with our 2 and half year old rescue Rufus. He is a sweet and friendly dog, but can be hard to handle on walks, because of his overly friendly nature. In her calm and relaxed style, Rachel showed us how to transform his behavior. I realized that I was letting him be the one in control and that in fact I was the pack leader, and that he would actually benefit from knowing that I was in charge. She also showed us that Rufus picks up on our temperament, so I am very mindful of how I do and say things around him.
This is just one of a number of things we have learned. We’ve had other trainers before, but Rachel is the real deal. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the growth of Rufus, and we are excited as we continue to work with Rachel and see him transform.”
-Sheda M. Santa Monica, CA
“I learned about the wonderful Rachel from watching a handful of dogs around my Santa Monica neighborhood transform right before my eyes. From the minute she walked in, Rachel offered a psychological analysis of why my recently adopted senior shepherd mix (Willow) was resisting leash walks and why she had begun to assert herself after a few months of being friendly and sweet with other dogs.
Within one session, Willow was walking beautifully on a leash, and within a few days of our first training, Willow was back to respecting me as her Alpha.
From her house and off the clock, Rachel researched myriad naturopathic ways to reduce my dog’s skin allergies and arthritis. With a few herbs added to her diet, Willow is now entirely off her Cytopoint and Adequan and doing better than when she was on them. She’s going on longer walks (even hiking) and itching less. I only needed Rachel for two sessions, which is beyond belief, but I know she’s the one and only dog trainer I’ll ever need should other issues arise. Rachel possesses a wisdom about dogs and uses gentle and effective techniques that work. She goes beyond what you’d expect any trainer to offer, giving you all the time, energy, and support you need during the training process. I’m so fortunate to have met her and to have her continued support!”
-Lisa L. Santa Monica, CA
“If I were to imagine the ideal dog trainer for our pup, my dream came true when my spouse and I met Rachel Burrell. We were referred to her by our astute neighbor. Rachel works with me, my spouse and our dog with utmost knowledge, respect, humility and gentle guidance with all of our concerns (my overprotection, my spouse learning about Behavior Modification). Our dog Rufus adores her, as we do. Rachel trains dogs (and owners) out of innate passion, knowledge and talent. I couldn’t have wished for a more perfect dog trainer: I have the utmost respect for her, and she makes the training fun for all of us. My spouse and I see how our dog is soaring in obedience while becoming happier in both pleasing us (making sure he’s safe) and still having shear joy in playing freely and happily.”
-Karen U. Westwood, CA
“My husband and I recently adopted an eight-month-old labradoodle as company for our nearly six-year-old poodle mix. We previously had an Australian Shepard who was very high-energy, so we thought—no big deal. But our new pup was larger, even more energetic, and harder to handle on walks than our Aussie had ever been. She’d also had zero training. Desperate, I was referred by a friend to Rachel.
Rachel has taught us the power of positive reinforcement, patience, and kindness. She is gentle and generous with praise both for our dog and for us. She has been helping us navigate our pup’s leash behavior, obedience, separation anxiety, and house training. Rachel has all sorts of fun drills that both dogs love and that reinforce important safety commands such as stay and come. She has been instructive in how to correct difficult behavior as well as how to modify our habits to be more successful with our puppy.
We love working with Rachel and our pup has become much easier to handle and a best friend to our other dog. We still have work to do but who knew it could be this fun.”
-Kathleen and Chase D. Santa Monica, CA
“Working with Rachel has been great! She helped us significantly improve our golden doodles obedience on walks, around other dogs and generally with day-to-day activities. Her coaching style is super positive and is very flexible in working with all types of dogs/families. Would highly recommend and we’ll continue to work with her!”