The Happy Retriever

Kayla Beaudoin

2024-04

We sent our dog Ellie to the board and train one week class. Prior to that we sent her to many bump up days. I was very nervous leaving her somewhere but she loves it there and I could not be more happy with the progress she made and what she learned and will continue to learn there. All the workers I have met were very friendly and professional. I highly recommend the happy retriever.

Catherine Ehret

2024-03

Our rescue puppy has been going to "Bump Up" days once a week since we brought her home to learn how to socialize, learn commands and gain confidence. We were so impressed with her progress, that we decided to sign her up for a Two-Week Resident Program. We definitely missed her while she was gone, but we are amazed by the progress she made. She is completely comfortable with her loose lease walk, auto-sit, heel, place and more. It's hard to believe that they got so much training into two weeks. We are so happy with the results. Plus, she is continuing her Bump Up days to reinforce her skills. Love the staff and the training methods at the Happy Retriever.

Callie Petkauskos

2023-08

I am here to give The Happy Retriever a wonderful review! We took our dog Finn to the two week resident program. We were having trouble with reactivity, aggression towards our other dog, and other behavior issues.We started out doing an initial evaluation and learned so much from just that. They took the time to really learn about and get to know our dog.Our trainer Hannah was absolutely amazing and extremely knowledgeable. She answered all of our questions without hesitation and was very professional. She did not sugar coat anything and told us exactly what we needed to work on. She had so many tricks up her sleeve and she had my bf and myself saying “I can’t believe we didn’t think of that!” When we picked our dog up we couldn’t believe how well he listened to her commands. She really did a great job with him! She also shows you exactly what to do when you bring your dog home so you don’t feel like you’re in the dark. For me that was a big concern of mine, but since we’ve been home I’ve been following her very specific instructions and Finn is continuing to listen and follow the commands like he did for her.We’ve tried other training before and none of them were as professional and knowledgeable as The Happy Retriever! We are very happy we decided to bring our dog there!

Nicholas Faillace

2024-04

Our goldendoodle Teddy has completed the puppy program, multiple bump up days and the a pinch collar board and train program. We could not be happier with the results of the training. Our walks, home behavior and Teddy's overall demeanor has been noticeably improved. We couldn't recommend the Happy Retriever enough.

Ben Steckler

2023-05

My Aussiedoodle, Gordon, has been going to the Happy Retriever since he was a tiny pup. The staff is very friendly and the trainers do a great job with him. He was a super active and energetic puppy and the trainers knew how to handle him to get him into work mode. He also gets to have playtime after training which is nice because the staff ensures safety and a positive play environment. We've been progressing through the classes and programs as he's grown and he's had consistent improvement in his obedience and behavior. We've done the puppy package, pinch collar, and e-collar programs. He is almost perfectly obedient now which will allow him to do more fun things and have more freedom in the long run. It takes a lot of work at home as well, but the staff does a good job of guiding you and answering questions. Also, there are drop-in classes that you can sign up for where you handle your dog and you get trained on the correct way to do so at the same time that your dog gets training. Lastly, we've utilized the boarding here many times. I felt totally comfortable having him stay at THR because he loves being there and he gets additional training so he's active/engaged during his stay.

Phil Businger

2023-05

Amazing! Our 75lb dog Zoë was pulling on her leash and making walks very difficult. She is a changed dog thanks to the Board and Train Pinch Collar and E-Collar programs at Happy Retriever. Hannah did an amazing job training Zoë who now comes, waits, and heels consistently! The E-Collar training especially allowed us to give Zoë some freedom while maintaining control, and has made walking her so much more fun! All of the staff were great to work with, and we could not be happier with the outcome!

Andrew Keim

2024-04

We had a great experience bringing our 8 month old puppy to a week of boot camp! When asking my wife after our first training session “was it worth it”, her response was that it was worth 10x what it cost.

kleidiane torres

2023-05

I have been using The Happy Retriever since I got Onyx. The staff is friendly and very responsive. Onyx just finished his one week's board/training program and his behavior has changed tremendously. I highly recommend them for obedience classes.

Mike Curry

2024-01

We enrolled our Chocolate Lab, KODA, in Doggie Boot Camp 1. The results were all we could hope for. Jana did a spectacular job of training him and of working with us to understand the methods she used and how to continue his training. KODA is now a pleasure to walk, he is "polite" and responds to commands. We will be continuing with KODAs training at THR and there is no higher praise than that.

Audra

2020-05

We're first time dog owners with a wonderful, exuberant puppy. We've taken two obedience classes with The Happy Retriever, a bump up day, done boarding, and e-collar training -- if it's not obvious from the repeat business, we love this place. Every staffer is friendly and clearly loves dogs, and not only are we getting exceptional training for our dog, but we're learning how to be responsible dog owners. It's such a pleasure to have a puppy we get complimented on for being so well-mannered, and it's all due to the folks at The Happy Retriever.

Toni Hogan

2023-05

We are beyond pleased with our 8 month old Golden Retriever's experience at The Happy Retriever! Riggins was a wild and crazy boy, who would eat anything that came his way including items that would result in surgical removal (ugh!) He was out of control on leash and had no manners despite our efforts at other training facilities. All of the staff and trainers at the Happy Retriever are knowledgeable, energetic and most importantly - friendly! They are quick to reply to all online requests and do not try to sell you on any service that is not going to benefit your dog. We will continue utilizing bump up days and over night boarding. We now have a certified good boy on our hands and have all the tools in our back pocket to continue training at home! Thank you Hannah and Staff!

Chelsea Andrews

2023-05

We started with Puppy 101, Puppy 101A, and weekly bump up days at the The Happy Retriever with our golden retriever puppy, Remy, starting when she was about 4 months old. My partner and I have found our training to be instrumental in both Remy and our development as Remy’s pawrents. Remy still goes to “school” for bump up days once per week and truly loves being at the facility with her trainers. As soon as we pull into the parking lot, she starts wiggling, and as far as we know, never stops. Remy is a very intelligent girl who struggles with focusing her attention. The time she spends at The Happy Retriever has allowed her to work on a personalized program AND as a bonus, through regular socialization with other humans and dogs, she has become a very well adjusted pup. The staff and trainers are phenomenal and most importantly show passion and love for what they do. We recently completely a week long pinch collar board and train program to continue working on Remy’s development. What a remarkable difference — she truly came home a different dog! Hannah worked with her during her stay and afterwards, patiently explained to us what Remy learned and what to work on at home. If you are looking for a great training and boarding facility, look no further - our family cannot recommend The Happy Retriever enough!

Carole Regele

2023-07

Five stars! If there were six or seven, or MORE I would DEFINITELY be rating them all. Do NOT hesitate, we had SUCH an amazing experience. I was so hesitant to board my 4 year old rescue. I adopted her as a 4 mo. old "cautious" pup, and while she's come along way socially and emotionally, she was in dire need of probably private training, and lots of it. SO we spent a couple of weeks doing bump-up training and the progression was slooowww going. I came back from my trip to a completely well trained dog. What a joy !I cannot sing loud enough praises for Hazelyn, Hannah and Alexa. Thank you for all your care , attention from the bottom of my heart!!!There were daily report cards that were thorough, honest and insightful.

Beth Crane

2023-05

Our 2 year old Lab Dakota has been going to THR for almost a year. He had started with some bump days and just completed a program. He needed a lot of work with his commands and manners as he is a very high energy “puppy”. He has improved so much. His basic obedience skills are second nature to him and he listens more and has better manners. We learned a lot from the trainers on how to help Dakota become an even more amazing dog. All the trainers are great! He did his program week with Hannah and she was amazing. Highly recommend to anyone looking for dog training.

Lesley Sullivan

2023-05

I can't say enough good things about The Happy Retriever. My one year old Goldendoodle, Charlie, has been going here weekly for roughly seven months; we also did a two-week training session. He's still crazy with puppy energy, but he knows all of the basic commands and he's much easier to control (and live with!). The bump up days are great - he comes home super tired, and it's so much better than doggie daycare at other places where the dogs just run wild (and get hurt). He absolutely loves coming here and playing with the other pups, who they carefully pair him with based on personality traits. We're incredibly lucky that we live so close by, but I would honestly still go here even if we were further away. Shae, Alexa and team are wonderful with the dogs. Highly recommend!

Ransing Sheeba

2023-05

I love this place. Its amazing. There are so many good things to say about this training centre.1. To begin with, they have well maintained facility with huge yard for dogs to zoom around. Indoor is very clean and hygine. I have observed staff cleaning and maitaining the place regularly.(This was the main criteria, that i was looking for)2. I want to credit the receiption staff, they are so welcoming, enthusiastic and always cheerful . I feel rest assured that i am leaving my Jaan (lab) in a safer hands.3. Trainers are excellent and very skilled , there is huge difference in my 90lb labrador before and after training, I can control him now and leash walk is super easy . His barking is reduced alot. (i can go on...)4. i left my lab for a month due to some emergency, looks like boarding staff took very good care of him. They were able to accomadate my last minute request and extend his boarding.5. Email communications are very prompt. they respond promptly and address all the concerns patiently.6. I like reading the progress report that they send at the end of the training day. They are very detailed.It feels like a family. I am glad i found this place and this will be surely a second home for my lab going forward.Thanks

Andrew McDowell

2024-03

The trainers and staff here are AMAZING. My boy, Dale, loves coming to THR! They've done an amazing job channeling his Spaniel energy into something productive and he's such a joy to be around because of their hard work!Update 9/27/22:I just picked up Dale from his 9 day ECollar training class and he's a dream to be around! The team at THR really knows how to bring out the best in all dogs - even ones as wilful and energetic as my boy!

Sarah Glover

2023-05

My experience with them has been great! When we went to our consultation I wasn’t sure how it would be personally to let our dog go somewhere for a week and have someone else train him. We tried so hard for 2 years to get our adopted pit mix to not pull us basically every time we went on a walk (believe it or not we still took him everywhere). After going through their program his trainer Hannah helped Savage understand things I couldn’t. She also taught me and my girlfriend how to control every single walk we go on + handle other issues. They are extremely engaged with you, very professional and serious about what they do. They’ve even checked up on us through email a few times since we’ve had him back! We look forward to continuing with them on the things we’re working on and even more!Just remember YOU need to put the work with your dog in too

Elizabeth Richmond

2023-05

We love the Happy Retriever! We recently adopted a 2 ½-year-old crazy Black Labrador Retriever ‘Hula” (Hula Hoop Fruit Loop).She was signed up for classes at the Happy Retriever for their 1-week (daily) Boot Camp I training. Within the first couple of days, we could already see the difference in her behavior! Hula learned her commands quickly and by the end of the week, we had a well-behaved dog.We are working to have Hula become a First Responder Therapy. To do so she needs to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen certification. I have full confidence that she will.Shae meets with me at the end of each day to “train” me so that I could give her the commands she had been working on. We are so lucky to have found the Happy Retriever and staff.Stay tuned as Hula is already signed up for Boot Camp II.

Kim Tannetta

2023-05

Oh my goodness, what a great establishment. The trainers and staff are amazing - great customer service and very friendly. My bernedoodle, Bergy, has been coming here for months now (bump up days), and he LOVES it.THR offers so many different training classes, and they are accommodating. I'm considering on signing up for one of their 5 day training sessions in the near future, and I wouldn't hesitate on the boarding option either! Definitely a repeat customer, for sure.

Julie Randall

2023-05

I worked here for maybe a little over/under a month. Before I got the job they did give me 2 training hrs they failed to fully train me and expose me to there expectations of the job, They had the worst communication with me and when they reached out it was always about last min hrs and my availability, and if I were to say it didn't work for me I was reminded I didn't have a choice and had to come in anyway. The staff can be incredible and answer all your questions but most the time they are unreachable. My job title was a 'Weekend walker' and I put in my best efforts at work but the communication within this place of work is horrible and caused me some slip ups that were both there fault and my own. I do not recommend a job there but I would recommend that you bore/train your dogs with them because the trainers are amazing and the boarding is decent.

Emily Pisarski

2016-05

My husband and I scheduled a consultation with the Happy Retriever after trying a number of dog trainers in the Boston area. Our dog, Casey, constantly pulled on her leash and was barking at any/all dogs as we passed them on our walks. She was showing a lot of nervous/attention-seeking behaviors that we couldn't seem to resolve. Dorothy and Michael spent a great deal of time with us at the initial consultation and we were excited to sign Casey up to begin training with the e-collar. After spending three weeks working with Dorothy and Michael, Casey was a new dog. She walked well on the leash and even more excitingly, we could begin practicing off leash walking with the e-collar. We picked Casey up a month ago and have been excited to see that she is a much calmer dog in general, she no longer begs at dinner and does not react every time we see a dog. Dorothy and Michael want you to keep up with the training, so they really encourage you to attend the weekly pack walks or "bump up" days with them to keep your training going. I'd highly recommend Happy Retriever to anyone!

Christine Garvey

2020-05

Michael, Dorothy, and the entire Happy Retriever team are amazing. They can't come highly recommended enough.Scout is an Aussie/Husky/Hound mix with boundless energy. As a puppy, we took her through basic obedience training and several other more "advanced" obedience classes. When she was "in training mode," with few distractions, she was great! However, when she was out with other dogs (at the park), or around distractions, her obedience left much to be desired! A squirrel, another dog running off, or even a body of water on a warm day left her running for the hills. But, we managed.When Scout started pulling and weaving on the leash, and, worse, barking (often uncontrollably) at other dogs, bikers, skateboarders, and anything that moved, we reached our tipping point. We spoke to, and worked with several trainers, all with a purely treat based approach, but we weren't able to help Scout overcome her issues. Walks became unbelievably stressful and we would play chicken on who would have to "take Scout" on her walks.When we had a vacation coming up, we decided to look into board and train options. Our evaluation with Dorothy was a breath of fresh air. Whereas in some evaluations we did, the trainer barely interacted with Scout and gave a rote training outline, or prescribed "more cookies!" (or worse, better treats -- we were up to gourmet beef jerky and salami!), Dorothy worked with Scout, asked us about her triggers and history, and clearly laid out her approach. Knowing that our goal was to have a reliable "off-leash" dog we could hike with, run with, and live with, we signed her up for the 3-week Resident program.We came back from our vacation and picked up a "new" dog! Scout was (and still is) tremendous on-leash and amazing off-leash. We can take her on runs along the Esplanade in Boston, with people and dogs and bikes and scooters galore, off-leash with no issues. She stops when we ask her, recalls with a huge smile on her face, and isn't bothered by passing dogs. Even more amazing for us, she does the same while hiking in New Hampshire. Even when she saw a deer and started to chase, we recalled her and she came. We were ready for a full search and rescue mission; instead, we had a happy dog by our side. That in itself more than justified sending her to The Happy Retriever!Dorothy and Michael also spent just as much time "training" us on how to help Scout through her issues. This isn't a "pick your dog up -- and good luck!" training program; THR is available for effectively immediate feedback through email, phone, text, and Facebook when we have questions or concerns.Speaking specifically to the e-collar and balanced training approach THR takes, I can say we were initially hesitant. Having read "horror stories" online, we were most concerned about bringing Scout home and finding she was a changed dog -- and not for the better. This couldn't be further from the truth. Scout is still the same loving dog, greeting us with tail wags, kisses, and general excitement. She isn't scared of us -- or of Michael or Dorothy or any of the other trainers. In fact, she might be even more excited to see them than us when we drop her off for bump-up days!At our evaluation, Dorothy did an amazing job explaining the theory and evolution of the prong and e-collar, describing clearly how they are used (and NOT used!), and giving us immense comfort in the "why" behind their use. Scout, who hated(!) getting her harness on, couldn't be more excited to put on her collars -- because she "knows" she'll have the freedom explore and will "know" what we need her to do. It's the reminder that she, as an active, excited, and smart dog, needs. And, she still gets rewarded with treats!Again, we can't recommend the Happy Retriever highly enough. As many have mentioned, our only regret is that we didn't find them sooner! Scout is now the "adventure pup" we envisioned when we adopted her, and we couldn't be happier.

Marrin Cahn

2021-05

We recently had an unfortunate boarding experience with our dog. To be fair, he has IBD and on special diet and meds, but by no means is it complicated. His training experience was going well, but his boarding experience was not as we expected. My current instructions were outlined in his box of portioned food/treats/meds and were not followed on the first day and our dog became quite ill. I also verbally reminded the trainer of his condition at drop off to which she responded, “I know, we love *dog name* here.” I asked the employee at pick up what i could have done differently to avoid this and she stated, “You did all of the right things I just think we need to get better on our side”. The owner will no doubt refute my statements (however I truly have nothing to gain by misrepresenting the experience) as well as bring up a profanity I said, which I indicated I regret, after a very frustrating conversation filled with constant defensive and dismissive comments from her regarding the experience. I had to ask the owner to please stop being defensive which became increasingly frustrating. I entered the conversation truly wanting to know what happened to my dog. It was clear from the start she intended to have an argument. I was told that diarrhea from dogs while boarding is “normal", regardless of the presence of significant blood. I was told after the visit that there is limited forms of communication on the weekend with the facility. I was told that email was checked on weekends (by the staff onsite), but ultimately by the owner, after the visit, that the only form of communication that was acceptable was to call during certain times only as voicemails are not responded to, nor are emails, or use Facebook messenger. I’m confused as to why a business would use social media for business communications, especially as many people do not have Facebook. My point of view is that if you dog is 100% healthy and you do not care to get updates on their condition while you are away, this place may be sufficient. If your dog has a medical condition, you expect updates on your dog, and/or to be alerted if they become ill, this is probably not the place for you/your dog. It’s disappointing that the situation was handled this way because we were finding the training sessions useful. It’s also most disappointing that no one showed any sympathy for my dog's condition, nor did the owner ask how he was doing after the fact when we spoke.

Amy Hansen

2016-05

8 months ago and after 2 trainers and months of bad behavior that progressively worsened, we thankfully met owners Dorothy and Michael at The Happy Retreiver. We rescued our mix, Rosie, in April of 2014. Before we even brought Rosie home, she was signed up for training classes but it was clear during the first class that Rosie's temperament was going to make these classes challenging. Each week we struggled through class; it was definitely not the bonding experience I had expected it to be. When we finally graduated from class we were ecouraged to sign up for the next level which I couldn't bring myself to do so we sought help from a private trainer. This trainer came to our house once a week and although the training exercises were easier because of the setting, they were still not addressing many of the behavior problems we were having with Rosie: pulling on the leash, crowding the front door, barking, whining and worst of all, defiant behavior. By December, we were afraid to take her for walks in the neighborhood or even out in our back yard! She was highly reactive to all dogs she'd see during the walk. That's when we met Dorothy and Michael. After they evaluated her, we agreed to sign Rosie up for their 3 week residential program. That was 8 months ago and today, we have a loving, sweet and most importantly, well behaved dog who is always getting compliments from people in the neighborhood on her good behavior. Dorothy and Michael mended our broken hearts and transformed Rosie into a much loved member of our family. We are forever grateful to them!!

Tom Heling

2019-05

Very upset how we were treated by this company. My wife scheduled an evaluation for our puppy twice now and both times the building was closed. Admittedly the first time she went she was 7 minutes late as she had difficulty finding the location. However, tonight she arrived 5 minutes early and again location was locked up and staff were gone. We live over an hour away round trip, so very disappointed with our treatment.

Jamie Kane

2021-05

Pretty intense but they have a good program for dogs. We stopped a bit short of the full program but if you need a solution they have it.

Erin Williams

2018-05

Great puppy classes with positive reinforcement. Dorothy really knows her stuff. They have great variety of classes and care packages.

A L

2018-05

AWFUL. I never felt comfortable there. If the owner doesn't like you she's rude. She even went as far as, after speaking with her and exchanging emails, cancelling my dog's boarding.

carole davis

2023-05

Great place. Training has helped my dog. She loves to go. Staff friendly and kind