A Better Pet Cleveland Heights, Ohio

I am loving my experience at A Better Pet LLC. Rachel and her dogs are phenomenal. I went through her training with my puppy Holden at about 3 months old and not only learned the process she uses to train dogs, but also a lot about the psychology of dogs and how I can be a lot more effective with my training through positive reinforcement. The DIPs (drop in plays) that she holds have been priceless. Holden is more socialized than we could have hoped and so accepting of other dogs. We recommend Rachel hands down. Although Holden is not a service dog, I have met many of the service dogs that she works with and they are phenomenal. If you listen to what she says, and you come practice what you learn at DIPs, you are set up for for success and everyone will have fun.

I recently purchased a Har-vest from A Better Pet for my dog, Ally, who is a large black lab mix. She LOVES it! The Har-vest has helped her pay attention to me and feel more confident in new environments. In the past, she has gotten overwhelmed or nervous when we walk in new areas or busy streets. While she still needs guidance, she is much more likely to look at me and engage more quickly than before. Another huge improvement that I've seen is in Ally's confidence when meeting and playing with other dogs. She feels less threatened by dogs that are larger than her, and has stared running around to play! The Har-vest is durable and made with high quality materials. It does not shift on Ally when she pulls, and stays in position even while she runs and plays. I highly recommend getting a Harvest for your dog. :)

I am a service dog client. From the beginning, Rachel exposes the puppies to new experiences so that they can develop confidence early on. She communicates her ideas effectively and clearly. She is not only invested in your partnership with your dog, but she cares about your personal struggles and accomplishments aside from training. I met my dog, Billie, in August, and adopted her in December. She lovingly pushes me to get out in the world and is there with me every step of the way. Billie has improved my self-esteem and makes me feel loved unconditionally wherever I am. I think it's great because it's a mutual kind of love. It makes me so proud to know that I'm the one who has transformed Billie into a well-behaved and responsible dog who is ready to face any challenges that come her way. No matter where I end up or how I'm feeling, she is always right there to support me and lift me up. She has gotten quite close to becoming my soulmate. I honestly don't know how I'd turn out if I didn't have Billie during my worst moments. Rachel has an amazing talent for matching service dogs with their owners. If you're looking for a lifelong journey with a service dog, please remember my review and contact Rachel at A Better Pet.

I don’t think the client (owner) is the center of Rachel’s training and objective. She is quite talented in working with dogs that she personally knows and can articulate what she understands about them. However I don’t think that she was …

Racheals program transformed the puppy training experience for our family from just training a dog to welcoming a new family member with the right resources for all of us to have a smooth transition. I would 100% recommend her to all.

Thank you so much Rachel for helping us find the missing piece of our family!! Munchkin fits right in ????????. We couldn’t be more happy.

I hired Rachel in 2002 when I adopted my cattle dog mix who was smart difficult to control. Rachel had my dog, Skittles, sitting and attentive without even uttering a single word to her - all while explaining her training methods to us. Her methods involve training the owners to train their dogs. Any of my dog's current poor behavior is due to my lack of consistency while training her and does not reflect on Rachel's expertise! She understands dog behavior and is an excellent trainer. I love the Harvest dog vest because it keeps the handler in control and not the dog. I used one exclusively on Skittles and now on my current dog, Taffy. Taffy walks so much better when she wears the Harvest and doesn't pull as much while wearing it. I just purchased my second Harvest for Taffy - who is 10 years old - which shows just how durable this item it. I have been using it every day for the past ten years. The only reason it needed to be replaced was that some of the snaps broke after extensive use. I also really like the leather leashes that A Better Pet sells. They are durable and have clips on both ends so you can "wear" your dog. I have only needed to replace them a handful of times since 2002 and that is because my dog tends to bite her leash. I highly recommend Rachel as a trainer and the products that she sells, especially the Harvest.

Rachel with a Better Pet connected my family with a perfect dog fit. We went from a family with no pet experience to a family who would do anything for our new dog almost overnight. Rachel has made the transition so smooth with all of her guidence and advice and is always available to answer questions. I highly recommend a Better Pet. Having a dog (trained by Rachel) is the best!

Rachel is a talented, focused trainer. She is so gifted with her dog training skills. Rachel had our dog doing basic commands on the first day. I highly recommend her!

I met Rachel in the year 2000, saw her business card at my vet's office, my dog was 10 months at the time had very large paws and I knew he was gonna be big and wanted him to trained. He would jump on people, barked a lot especially when …

When we first met on Zoom, we right away new Rachael is the one for us and and Drax. She has fantastic teaching techniques that we were able to use. Rachael is very knowledgeable and we highly recommend her.

Rachel gave me the best gift ever in my service dog. She knows a lot and is always willing to help those who ask. I would 100% recommend her no matter where you live!

Rachel has great knowledge about dog training! She is great and really knows how to calm all of the “quirks” of a pup. Really looking forward to continuing to work with her and get back to DIPS soon! She also recommended Life’s Abundance dog food both wet and dry. Since doing so, my pup has been less anxious in the car and eating more regularly!

We recently finished Puppy Kindergarten classes (via Zoom due to covid) and learned SO much. It worked really well via Zoom and you can access the class recording if you have to miss one. Rachel has a holistic approach and works with the entire family. The drop in playgroups - a place to practice training and receive feedback in a 'real world' setting, with lots of distractions - were such a great addition.

We started working with A Better Pet just one week ago to help us manage our new puppy and what a difference it has made! When I first talked to Rachel, I was beyond overwhelmed by a 10 week old puppy that was biting and jumping on our kids …

I have had my service dog (Spark) for almost 4 weeks now and Spark has helped me so much. Rachel is extremely helpful and supportive.

Rachel has been an absolute life saver with my challenging puppy! Her extensive knowledge and experience is priceless during training sessions, and the DIPs are the best thing for socializing and continued positive growth!

Rachel was able to help us identify the issues that we were having with our Doodle and help us modify the behavior that was contributing to it. When hiring a trainer, the human must be willing to modify the way they interact with their dog in order to get the desired results.There is no magic wand! Rachel has a wealth of knowledge about and experience with dogs. Upon meeting your dog, she will quickly assess their temperament and make very practical recommendations. Her leash and vest combo have made walking our dog safer and more enjoyable.

Rachel has provided me with the tools and guidance I need to make Charlii A Better Pet!!! I was first introduced to Rachel online, so when she started a Zoom Training Series I immediately jumped at the opportunity and it’s been a great experience. Rachel quickly identified some basic responses that were missing in our handler/pet relationship and provided guidance on how to teach my pup the expected behaviors. Rachel taught the entire class series over zoom, paying special attention to everyone’s needs. She educated us all on the formula for success, gave us the tools to develop and customize our own training plans and provided encouragement. She also shared a formula on how to break an unwanted behavior which has been a great tool for level setting expectations. She is responsive and encourages videos to share situations which help her to provide customized guidance. While I’d love an opportunity to travel to Ohio, until then Zoom works great! Her online sessions have been extremely helpful in guiding me through the teen years helping to train Charlii become A Better Pet. We look forward to more Zoom sessions ~ Thanks Rachel!! Brii & Charlii in Carlsbad, California

I received my Service Dog, Summer, on Valentine’s Day of 2019. She has been incredible for me, and I cannot begin to explain to you how amazing this dog is. She is smart, sweet, loving, loves to please, is super friendly, and is honestly just the perfect dog and Service Dog. I am so grateful to Rachel for giving me my Service Dog and changing my life for the better. Because of Summer I can do so many more things now than I was able to before. The way Rachel trains dogs has been scientifically proven to be the most effective, and it is up to date with the newest research. It works with human and canine psychology, and has proven to be extremely effective at not only having positive long-term results but also creating a unique bond with your dog that otherwise could not be achieved. This is vital for Service Dogs, especially for mine who is a seizure alert dog. Again, I cannot recommend this company enough.

Rachel has transformed our Double-Doodle, Moose, into A Better Pet! She came highly recommended by a friend, and was immediately responsive, inquisitive, and eager to share her methods with us. Rachel's background in counseling and therapy also gives her an innate ability to listen deeply and hone in on core issues while simultaneously providing easy, manageable guidance on how to help our dog be the best he can be. We look forward to a long relationship!

I wish I did not have to write this review. It comes from a place of regret, pain and shame. I’m out $15,000. This review will also not be as organized as I wish due to the emotional toll it brings. I hope to save you the reader time, money …

Love following the training of these amazing dogs, albeit from afar. I wish that Rachel lived closer - I need her services! She takes imperfect dogs, and makes them their best selves. A beautiful gesture for both the animal and the people lucky to share their lives. Brava, Rachel!!

I would highly recommend Rachel and A Better Pet for dog training as well as for "owner training". Rachel is very knowledgable and a great trainer. She knows how to train both the dogs and the owners! Our experience was exceptional. Our dog is so much better for being with Rachel and her companions!

I am absolutely in love with my service dog, Puck, I got from A Better Pet!! The day I received her, we got on an airplane together and flew to Wisconsin, successfully and without issues! The dog I received was absolutely perfect for me, she balances me out. She helps me be brave and confident. She reminds me that everything is okay and I feel safe when shes with me. She is smart, easily trainable, and loves to learn new things!! With the training from Rachel, Ive learned how to teach my dog to do awesome things, such as helping me with laundry and taking off my sheets! Very soon after being placed with Puck, she started picking up on my self destructing behaviors and interrupts them on her own. Puck forces me to be active, responsible, and has taught me how to enjoy life again. Puck is by my side through the good and bad and I could never imagine it any other way! Rachel can be blunt when she needs to be, and its truly because she wants what is best for your dog! I could never thank her enough for my life saving best friend!!

Rachel, the owner of A Better Pet, has a unique and extremely wonderful skill set: 1) She knows dogs and can very quickly assess a dog's temperament or draw your attention to significant behaviors so you can understand your dog better;. 2) She's a systemic thinker (and a social worker-- she conducts a needs assessment and writes up a treatment plan for your dog!) and after 20 years in this field, she's developed a systematic, teachable approach to dog training, which she teaches every single client -- both a theory of dog behavior and the tools for changing that behavior 3) As a therapist, Rachel is a keen observer of human, as well as canine behavior, and her approach teaches people to be more aware of their own role in causing their dog's behavior. 4) This skill is at the core of her service dog training program in which the owner begins working with their service dog as a puppy, developing their bond as the dog ages and learns increasingly sophisticated service dog behavior. As a result, clients gain as much therapeutic value working with their dogs as they do from the services the fully-trained dogs can provide. In short, if you'd like to know how you and your dog -- pet dog or service dog -- can live better lives together, Rachel is the best trainer there is. Whether you're got a dog with a problem or are starting from scratch with a new puppy, working with Rachel will increase your understanding of the many benefits of the human-canine bond . Oh, and she uses ONLY positive training methods -- no shock collars or pronged collars; no pain is applied to the dog to change its behavior (because that doesn't improve the human-canine bond). Rewarding dogs for good behavior and redirecting them from negative behaviors to positive ones is much more powerful than you might imagine; ,I've been bringing my dog to the drop in dog play dates Rachel makes available for free to all her clients, for over 3 years and in that time I've seen her help literally dozens of people coach their dogs into better behaviors. It's pretty amazing -- as I said at the beginning, she has a real gift.

Rachel Friedman at A Better Pet, LLC is a wonderful dog trainer. She knows dog behavior and needs for understanding training. She teaches dog owners to use positive and supportive methods . And she offers Drop-In-Play sessions to clients who can bring their dogs to great socializing sessions. - for both the dogs and their owners!

Rachel's understanding of both dog and human behavior is amazing. She not only trains dogs but does so in a way that raised self awareness. I cannot recommend working with Rachel enough.

She helped my sister’s high energy/high anxiety border collie rescue. She is doing much better now. I would highly recommend her for pet dog training/service dog training. She offers her own leash and harness products that I would also recommend getting