Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training

ariel lin

2024-03

My husband and I adopted our 7 month old puppy Reggie right before Christmas, and knew we needed some help pretty much immediately. He was such a sweet boy, but had no "off" switch. He was very toy fixated and would nip and bite at us when he was frustrated from not getting what he wanted. No amount of stern "no's", or pretend yelping helped him calm down. It was clear that he was having trouble self regulating.We started with 3 weeks of day training in Old City, and we quickly saw so much progress that I didn't think was possible.We ended up opting for the full 6 week program, and it was such an easy choice to make, after seeing how much Reg was getting out of the classes. He was able to release his toys on command now and turn his brain off of the fixation from the toy to us when we asked. He learned how to quickly go from play, to relaxation, and we saw a huge improvement on his impulse control skills.Plus we were learning just how much rest and sleep this poor puppy really was needing on a daily basis in order to make better decisions during waking hours.Our trainer, Britt, really is the best kind of dog trainer there is. She's so incredibly knowledgeable, and compassionate. She looped us in every day about Reggie's progress, and I always looked forward to her daily updates and videos. Our 1:1 classes gave us so much clarity on what they were working on, and how to level up at home. She was always willing to answer our questions, and when I would over-fixate on socializing him with other dogs (trauma from owning a reactive dog for years before), she explained how socialization really means neutrality. It was a big learning experience for our whole family, not just the pup!We are officially an OpBarks family through and through, and I will always recommend them to anyone with a dog. Reggie might have graduated, but he'll always be a return customer, leveling up as he gets older and wiser.

Tracey Atkinson

2024-03

Loved Leigh! She is a great trainer. We have 2 dogs at different stages and we got a lot of good tips to get us started. Looking forward to the next session. Highly recommend this facility, they have a lot of different options for each dog to help with unique behaviors! They really care and that matters!

Stephanie Witz

2024-05

Ten star. Wonderful team of compassionate and talented instructors. I look forward to learning more from them. They were also super chill and kind about me bringing my teenager. Thanks from your baby newf- Freddie !!

Katlyn Luckenbach

2023-05

This team is AMAZING! My little jack Russell mix was scared of the world when she showed up. We started at the puppy socials in the city and she was too scared, they recommended her going to the farm puppy socials and then we ended up enrolling her in the farm dog program which was so worth it! After her first week, she was already warming up to other dogs, which she previously would wrap around my legs and be terrified of. Now, she willingly goes up to other dogs and even when they aren’t showing interest she just wants to go up to them so badly to sniff them and check them out. If you have a dog that is very shy and you’re looking to break them out of their shell, I highly recommend!!! I’m excited to continue working with them! If you need anything else to convince you, look at the pictures. We went from tail in between the legs to happily wagging in the air!

Paul Phan

2020-05

We brought our little Koda to OP Barks at 3 months old for their puppy socials. This was great for her especially this young. She was able to socialize with other young pups in a controlled environment and the trainers taught us how to read our dogs and other dogs they interact with. These socials have helped build confidence in our puppy and now she's an extremely social puppy with no fears! Not only did we witness progress in our puppy but we've also witnessed shy and scared dogs grow drastically over the weeks. They went from hiding in a corner to playing with other dogs after a few weeks. I love this place and will continue to bring my puppy as long as I can!

IndeVets Clinical Leadership Team

2023-05

Leigh, Alyssa, and her team are amazing! I am a veterinarian and I refer many dogs to them for evaluation, training, farm dog, and boarding. I have a very active dog who has loved the Farm Dog program for years. Now, my fiance and I are working on training and integrating our dogs and OpBarks has been amazing in helping us with this process!

Carmen Rosa-Rodriguez

2023-05

Worth every penny! Our trainer, Britt was super helpful and knowledgable. Lola started lessons at 6-months old, a 100% energetic husky and we were very anxious about her behavior (nipping, jumping pulling, yelling etc...). Britt put us at ease right away, gave us endless resources and better ways to communicate with Lola and enrich her puppy life.I am so happy to have found Opportunity Barks, Lola's behavior has improved tremendously and we cannot wait to continue being a part of the community and visiting the farm soon!

Lianne Stovold

2022-05

It’s hard to find a trainer that shares your philosophy and genuinely wants to see your puppy succeed in there training program.I know I tried two other trainers before going to Opportunity Barks. I enrolled my mini golden doodle in to Farm Dog Adventures after his first day I saw a change in his walking skills. Now, as his 3rd week comes to end I know it was the best thing I did for him. On the days he is at the farm, I received a report card and videos that helped me continue to work with my puppy at home.I love Opportunity Barks, the staff are helpful, caring and most importantly knowledgeable.

Jacki Ish

2022-05

When deciding to adopt a puppy, I wanted to make sure that I did absolutely everything I could to build a solid foundation. I looked for puppy training classes but also wanted somewhere that could take us beyond puppy stage. I also looked specifically for a place that offered a range of training techniques so I could feel comfortable in whatever ended up working for Della. I participated at the East Falls location over the past year.The puppy foundation classes were great. It was a good opportunity to learn the basics, troubleshoot some issues, but mostly build confidence and start developing a relationship.We also participated in puppy socials for a long as she could because it was a safe environment for all the pups. The supervised play made me feel good about interactions with other pups.We were having some confidence issues and decided to participate in the one week drop off program. By the end of the week she had come so far and we had a great session with Allison to teach us specifics about Della and how to continue at home.We went to a couple B2 classes which were great refreshers. I hope to participate in some of the agility and cafe manners.We went back yesterday to troubleshoot a very specific issue with leash pulling with a private lesson. We were blown away by Amanda and the amount of knowledge and information that went into that session. She was professional and her time management skills were amazing. She got right to the issue and was able to correct it by the end of the session. Our walk there and back were night and day. That evening we had the best walk with Della in the past year.I am so happy that I decided to commit to working with Della from the beginning and am even more happy to have somewhere I can go if any issues come up in the future.

Alexa Sofranko

2023-05

We enrolled our 10 month old male Vizsla in the Farm Dog program and cannot recommend Opportunity Barks enough. Cooper is a highly, highly energetic dog with a lot of drive - he's a bird dog. Our goals going into the program, which was absolutely worth the financial investment, were patience (at doors, when being served lunch, when needing to go outside), enhancing recall especially when there are distractions (aka other fun dogs, birds/squirrels/deer), and for him to have the best time outdoors. All of our goals were met, including training Cooper on the e-collar which will give us such a peace of mind letting him off-leash in new and familiar territories. As part of the package, you also get 2 private training sessions. We highly recommend doing them at the farm.One of our favorite "operational" things about Farm Dog, is the communication between the trainers and us. They sent frequent videos of the training activities in action so we can mirror them at home along with other fun photos of Cooper throughout the day.Alyssa, Dani, Syd & Kathryn really know what they are doing. Thank you so much!

Hannah E

2022-05

My pup recently finished an off-leash adventure program with Opportunity Barks and we absolutely loved it! The farm dog programs are an excellent way to give city dogs a safe space (10 acres!) to be dogs - sniffing all the sniffs, sprinting through the woods, splashing in a creek and interacting with other dogs. I knew Gus would be safe - which is something you can't be sure of at a dog park or with random dogs you may meet on a trail.Alyssa and the other trainers also worked with Gus individually, multiple times per day on coming when called around distractions (squirrels, bunnies, and other playful dogs) and helped him learn how to play appropriately with dogs of all ages and sizes. I can't say enough about how valuable this experience has been, truly worth every penny and then some.Gus and I love the smart, compassionate team at Opbarks, and I wouldn't trust my dog with anyone else.

Mary Thomforde

2023-05

How do I even start. The amount of love that I have for the entire OPBarks community is immeasurable.We had the good fortune of starting off with Britt (though all their trainers are amazing) and she has guided our dog and us through some challenging times.We came to OPBarks because our dog was having issues with reactivity and severe anxiety. She would shake when she would enter a new environment from fear, was not a fan of other dogs, would chase after squirrels/cats on walks without any regard for the person she was attached to, the list goes on and on. She was on anti-anxiety meds and still was having issues.We opted for the 3 Week Drop-Off Training program (though if you aren’t sure where to start they have a Evaluation option which we started with to really understand what program would be the best fit for our dog). This meant dropping the pup off for an hour while Britt and the stellar team at OPBarks worked their magic.I will admit. I was super hesitant at first. This was a new environment and I wasn’t the one handling her. Was she just gonna cower in a corner and not learn anything? How was this going to translate to life at home? This couldn’t possibly work.Goodness was I wrong. She LOVED it. She learned so much, AND she knew it better than we did. We had homework and it’s a forgiving process (as long as you’re also doing the work at home). Britt would check in with us, hear what we were struggling with, and offer suggestions and tools and SO much support. We would get videos of the training sessions so Britt could teach us HOW even though we weren’t physically in the class with our pup.They have mentor dogs (which was a must for our pups training) which help your dog’s “pack mentality” and offers them a dog that has been through the OPBarks program to either distract them or teach them how to do things. Literally game-changing for our dog.So I’m writing this 5 weeks after we finished our training with OPBarks. Things have only gotten better - AND she is off some of her anxiety medication!! We set the foundations in her Drop-off training and we practice the skills we were taught every day at home. When I say there are days when I am absolutely shocked that this is the same dog I walked into OPBarks with 8 weeks ago MEAN it. She is now braver than I have ever seen her (still cautious but she has CONFIDENCE!!), more neutral with other dogs, and when she sees a squirrel or cat, her ears still perk up - BUT when I tell her to leave it we continue with our walk like NOTHING HAPPENED!!! Words cannot describe how that feels as a city dog mom who is surrounded by these distractions every day.And I have to say, the community they have created doesn’t end when you’re done with training. I’ve been able to connect with so many other people in the OPBarks community who are a testament to how good OPBarks is at building a community to remind you that you’re not alone. Your dog is not a lost cause. Your dog actually IS trainable. You have a support system now.I will forever be so thankful for this community and everyone at OPBarks. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Saoirse Sullivan

2023-05

My little Nadja is having the time of her life! It makes me feel happy she’s in good hands and with ppl who take their jobs seriously.I’ve never seen my pup so happy and I see she made some friends. Because all of these dog lovers all animal lovers we consider our pets family and I would want my pup to be treated with care like anyone part of my family. UPDATE!! My Yorkshire has gotten worse and I don’t know how they gave a certificate of completion . I appreciate them keeping a couple days keeping her for a while because I have been very busy but it’s not like they didn’t get paid for it. They still got money for that and all that money I paid didn’t pan out her behavior got worse. I want to spend all that money on this please just have someone come in and help you as your best bet

Tara Bankard

2022-05

Adopted a Doodle with some behavior issues (guarding, mouthing) & turned to OPBarks after a few friends recommended them. It’s only been 2 weeks & one private lesson in but it’s already made a huge difference in how we handle issues with the dog. Our household already feels calmer & Parker has taken to the lessons really well. Excited to watch him progress more & very relieved that we now have the tools to correct him in a way that doesn’t lead to us yelling or getting frustrated!

Gail Pray

2024-05

I had an evaluation for my dog Feb 29th. It's been 11 weeks and I'm still waiting for the writeup that is supposed to follow that includes details about the session and advised next steps for training. I paid $175 to have this company ghost me after the evaluation. In April after multiple follow ups and a form submission on their website they did reach out with some excuse about having a spam issue, but I still haven't heard back despite me following up three more times.

Greg Lubinski

2023-05

Could not reccomend OpBarks more. My boston terrier puppy has completed their puppy foundations and puppy farm adventure programs as well as some puppy socials and the difference is night and day with leash skills and manners around other dogs and people. Not just for dogs- the amazing trainers set me up with the tools to continue communication, trust and confidence with my puppy for a lifetime of calm walks and balanced enrichment. If you wish to set yourself and your dog up for success while becoming a part of an amazing community I highly reccomend OpBarks!

Amy Kazakidis

2023-05

Leigh is fabulous. She immediately analyzed Sammie's problems and provided insight and training exercises to help us. After one lesson, Sammie has already begun to respond in a more positive way. Love Opportunity Barks

Regina Chang

2021-05

Had Leigh give my dog, Dino, a Canine Good Citizen certification a few years back. I just had a introductory Scent Work the other day and it was so fun. Turned out to be one-on-one and we also bought a mat that Dino loves playing with.

Madison Wilson

2022-05

We brought our first dog to puppy classes here and had a great experience. A year and another dog later, we were back for private lessons with our second leash reactive dog. Within an hour we felt so relieved to learn and understand properly how to communicate with our dog, and now we can keep working in breaking the reactive cycle. Really appreciate Leigh and the OP Barks team!

Jessica Joseph

2023-05

Opportunity Barks (we go to Old City) is great! We worked with Sydney, and the foundational package really helped us support or new dog, Moe. Sydney provided a very supportive, tailored approach to our training and training goals, and she was also able to be really emotionally supportive/thoughtful with us too! I find the multiple ways to continue engaging with training, after the foundational course to be accessible and support a myriad of training goals.

Justin Stillwell

2023-05

We had a great experience with Britt and now our dog responds to us much better than before and has been able to get past some of her anxiousness. Highly recommend!

Ryan Donachie

2021-05

Recently got a black lab puppy. Heard about Opportunity Barks through a neighbor and have been taking our puppy Hendrix to the puppy socials for 6 weeks and he loves it. It was really important for us to socialize our puppy with other dogs at a young age. Going to the park, we mostly only play with larger dogs so having this class was a great way for him to play comfortably with dogs his own size. Also having the trainers watchful eye and guidance gave us confidence as they were great with providing feedback on his playdates. Our favorite part was the little report cards they gave after every social showing how he behaved and who his best buddies were that day. Would recommend Opportunity Barks to anyone wanting to socialize their dog.

Lauren Paul

2023-05

I just had my first puppy class with my 4 month old Chocolate Lab. Leigh was absolutely amazing! In just one lesson I already feel more confident in my ability to help build successful communication skills with my pup. I’m looking forward to more sessions!

Justine Bacon

2023-05

My husband and I are so very impressed with this place. Alyssa was kind, professional, intuitive and gave my husband and I extra time that we really needed. She gave us a lot of hope for our new rescue pup as well as our older pup. We will absolutely be bringing both of our dogs in for several of their programs. The investment is well worth the price!

Sarah Jacobson

2023-09

We are so happy with the progress we've seen with our big puppy. We've learned so much, too, and feel even more bonded and connected with him. Endlessly grateful for all our trainers' insight, patience, skill, the list goes on!

Blair Herring

2019-05

I HIGHLY recommend OpBarks. We've now done their dog starter class as well as 1 private session. The starter class is a great start to bonding with your pup, learning how to keep their focus, and other fundamental skills. I feel so comfortable working with their trainers, and they truly care about your pup and how things are going. For our private lesson, Leigh was such a pleasure to work with, and the techniques she taught us have already been helping a ton! Our husky, foxhound mix is super happy, as are we :) She is really well-behaved, loyal, and loves playing with her new lure toy. We can't wait to sign up for more training classes! They truly are the best in the area!

Rachel Baucom

2019-05

We had such a great time at Opportunity Barks! We signed up for the Puppy Socialization class for $15 on Sunday mornings at the East Falls location. It was our first visit, recommended by a fellow corgi owner, and we were a little nervous to bring our baby Lip along. However, as soon as we arrived, our nerves were put to rest! The facility is very large and clean, and has so many toys and activities for the pups to play with. They have ball pits, agility tubes, ramps and more!! The trainer was amazing as well, so calm and reassured us that our puppy is healthy and behaving normally. I’m so glad we took Lip so he could get the socialization experience he needed to help train and prepare him for when he can finally start walking around outside. All you need is to have started your pup’s vaccines (bring proof of course) and your pup is ready to go! We will be going back every week until our pup finishes all of his shots, and we will be starting behavioral training as well. Thanks Opportunity Barks!!

Lauren O'Garro-Moore

2022-05

We had a great experience with Britt who got us started in our puppy training journey. She was able to seamlessly handle our energetic puppy alongside our two eager young kids during the training session and all had fun and learned a good amount. We're excited to continue working with this company for the remainder of our lessons!

Lauren Purpura

2022-05

We love Opportunity Barks!We first started working with Opportunity Barks when we enrolled our puppy in socialization classes, puppy foundations classes and occasional tune up classes. We love the opportunity barks farm in Bucks county. When we drop off our dog he is always so excited to see the trainers and the farm, he runs straight to the door and is so happy to be there. We are so grateful that we can leave our dog in their care and not have to stress about him. Thank you Opportunity Barks!

Kristi Hughes

2022-05

I did a virtual training with Leigh and she was super helpful with my issues with my puppy. She’s so knowledgeable and had practical tips for me to try out. She had me try them on my dog while she watched and gave feedback, and she even got a dog and demonstrated what I should be doing. Really helpful, money well spent. She knows her stuff!