“Thank you so so so much Beth!!! Seriously words cannot express how grateful I am for you! ❤️ So appreciate you dealing with his quirks and challenges, and It makes my heart so full that you can appreciate his goofy, sweet personality!! 🥰”
— Laura W.
“We’re so grateful we found Challenging Dogs. Our first dog had special needs and for a long time we couldn’t travel because we didn’t feel comfortable leaving him under someone else’s care. That changed once we started working with Challenging Dogs. We could finally go away and actually enjoy ourselves knowing he was being cared for by people we trusted.
They’ve continued caring for our dogs over the years and Susan M and Nicole have become people we feel lucky to have in our lives. It means so much to know our dogs are with someone who knows them and cares about them.
Susan A, the owner, has also been incredibly kind and understanding. When we needed to make changes to our daily care arrangements she helped us find a way to keep our dogs with the caregivers they already knew and loved. That level of care speak volumes about her and the business she runs and shows that your dog truly comes first.
Challenging Dogs has made a real difference in our lives. We would happily recommend them to anyone, especially someone who feels like their dog’s needs make it hard to find care they can trust.”
— Anita L.
“I cannot give enough praise for the people at Challenging Dogs and the wonderful work they do!.....Each person that has spent time with Sammy has shown compassion, care, professionalism, skills and knowledge in dog behavior and trustworthiness. They are committed and friendly people. Everyone has been extremely kind and patient with Sammy, and with me, and I have full confidence in their skills and knowledge in handling dogs. Better yet is the philosophy embodied by the people at Challenging Dogs, which is centered around positive reinforcement, humane treatment and handling, conflict stressor avoidance, and most of all, love and careful, individual attention shown towards the dog in their care”
— Caitlyn Q.
“Hi team! Thanks so much for the visits and walks this week. I was working from home (on a tricky intense project) for two of the days this week and it was so nice to see how well Max and Charlotte respond to your visits and how they run to the door happily when you come and how much they like their walks. After a couple of years (really) of not being able to find trusted friends to take care of them, it warms my heart to see how they have bonded with this team and how much they look forward to your interactions. Thank you so much!”
— Brenda P.
“I knew I had a special animal companion company unlike anything out there. They know how to work with fear and aggressive dogs. This alone brought me a lot of comfort and hope. Grace means everything to me and to have people who can help Grace and not just baby sit her made a world of difference to me.”
— Lauretta C.
“Our first experience with Susan showed me that Luna was in the perfect place. Susan was calm, reassuring, speaking with us waiting for Luna to be comfortable enough to come to her. I knew then and there, Susan’s primary goal was to show Luna loving care and attention. She’s a dog whipserer if you will. All the Challenging Dogs staff that I have had the opportunity to interact with have been amazing. It’s obvious that Susan has hand-picked her team to match her kindness and love for dogs. It’s so hard to trust someone with your family, but I assure you that Challenging Dogs is worthy of it.”
— Kim G.
“Challenging Dogs has always taken amazing care of our reactive dog. We’ve used them for about two years now whenever we can’t find a friend or family member to help babysit. Scheduling with Nicole is a breeze, and Susan and her care team are wonderful with the dogs. They always send many updates, ask questions along the way, and always make us feel like our girl is in the best of hands. We are so thankful for their services!”
— Cassandra S.
“For the first two years that Achilles and Neville were in our home, we didn’t go on vacation where we could not bring them- we simply could not imagine a dog-sitter who could be able to handle our dogs with patience and humor. But then we met Susan. Susan is generous, humble, hilarious, and a complete game-changer for us. She found a niche in the business ecosystem, based out of her own experience but has been able to grow that business because she moves with integrity and acumen.”
— Heather C. and Abigail K.
“Thoughtful, caring, attentive, and trustworthy pet care providers! These folks really set a high standard for care. We’ve used them a few times and have been very happy with how they care for our dogs.”
— Krista S.
“Thanks for the support and updates this week team! It sounds like Max and Charlotte have gotten very comfortable with you and with the schedule. They aren’t freaking out when you come into the house (or even to the door) - which is huge. That is a big accomplishment for us!
They’re also relaxing on walks and you’re starting to experience some of their normal behaviors (over excitement, anxiety from running into large dogs, Max lunging at trucks, etc.) - I think that’s actually really positive because it means they’re comfortable and they trust you and are less “on-guard” and unsure with the newness. Now we can collectively continue to work on reinforcing good walking manners and behaviors but I’m so happy they’re bonding with you and they love the visits with their friends!”
— Brenda P.
“I am SO grateful for today. XO . Thank you for your hard work, patience and love for her.”
— Kathleen W.
“Can’t say how much I appreciate Antonio staying longer than expected with Murry and Scout! Makes this much less stressful”
— Lindsay P.
“Thank you for checking in! Babs is doing great thanks to Eli’s quick thinking. She’s sleeping comfortably right now and we haven’t found any injuries. As I told Eli, our gratitude is unmeasurable.
I stress again how impressed and thankful we are to Eli. He got Babs safe, immediately contacted me, calmly gave me the whole story and answered my questions. He sent a photo of potential cut on Babs paw (it looks fine to us now), contacted police, and took a video of the other dog. He’s an excellent representative of the Challenging Dogs organization.”
— Timur A.
“Our boy Clark is a nervous + reactive herding breed who doesn’t warm up to just anyone — but Lauren won him over completely, and honestly, she won us over too.
From the very first visit, her patience and genuine love for dogs was obvious. She never rushed Clark or pushed him past his comfort zone, and that calm, caring approach made all the difference. Ball became their thing, and seeing the photos she sent of him actually playing and relaxed just melted our hearts. She has a real talent for capturing them too, and kept us updated throughout every visit so we never had to worry for a second.
We used Lauren for both recurring day visits and weekend stays, and she was flexible and easy to work with every single time. No stress, no complications — just someone you could genuinely rely on.
By the end of our time in Richmond, Lauren felt like a true friend to Clark, my husband, and me.”
— Karina M.
“Thank you both so much for caring for Emmie and the kitties while we were away! I know Emmie was happier at home. I also really appreciate the photos and videos that you send daily!”
— Bonnie B.
“We made it home! We’re so happy to be back with Marcie 🥰. She was excited to see us, but at the same time she was calm and relaxed, a reflection of how well looked after she was. Antonio and Eli, you are THE BEST! Thank you, also, for leaving our house so clean and tidy. Happy dog, tidy house — perfect homecoming!”
— Sarah H.
“I can’t believe we have officially booked two trips out of town. Such a big step for us and I appreciate all of your patience with Nash (and dealing with Jo’s over exuberance). ”
— Shanna M.
“We’re so happy that this week has been a success! We’ve been able to enjoy our trip knowing that our pups were in good hands. Thank you!”
— Amy B.
“You take great care of the gremlin and I couldn’t do any of these trips without your help. I am forever grateful!! You’ve changed my life, lol. ”
— David W.
“In all seriousness, we couldn’t do life without you.”
