57 Sunflower Rd, Colorado Springs
Tue 6:30AM - 10PM
5.0
★★★★★
131 reviews
“Katara started at House of Dog shortly after we moved to Colorado Springs in mid-2022, and I am so grateful for the role they have played in her life and confidence.
Katara is a rescue from Puerto Rico, and by the time we moved to Colorado, she had already lived in New Jersey, Virginia, and Arizona. I adopted her at 12 weeks old, and she has had training for most of her life. When she was about six months old, I noticed she was fear reactive, especially around new people. We worked with a trainer in Virginia, but her reactivity continued to get worse over time. This was especially heartbreaking because she had also been able to come with me to my university courses, interact with students, and have lots of dog friends.
When we found House of Dog, we started with a reactivity package, then completed Level One and a sniff course. We also did a lot of private training with Abby. Katara made real progress, and more than anything, our relationship improved. She still had reactivity, but I could see her gaining skills and confidence.
In April 2025, we found out that Katara had a glove in her gut that had likely been there since before I adopted her. The emergency vet told me it could have been a major part of her “shyness” and discomfort. After she healed, I decided to bring her back to House of Dog to work on socialization, even though I was nervous. I had spent years being afraid for her around new people. She does well with slow introductions, but her outbursts have always made me worry about her happiness and wellbeing. She is everything to me.
This year, Katara started going to House of Dog for half days once a week, and she has absolutely flourished. She loves Amber so much, and I am incredibly grateful for Amber’s patience, gentleness, and skill with her. Amber gives Katara space, lets her approach on her own timeline, and celebrates the small wins that matter so much with a fearful or people-selective dog. She also speaks to me with so much care and understanding about what it is like to love a dog with reactivity and fear. That kind of support matters more than I can really explain.
Katara gets excited when I say Amber’s name and tell her we’re going to “school.” She has also built relationships with Angie, other dogs, and other members of the team.
Katara’s reactivity is not perfect, and I have learned to manage a lot of it since she was a puppy. But she has become noticeably more confident in the outside world, and it means everything to see her happy, excited, and comfortable somewhere outside of our home. It makes me feel like her mental health is improving, too.
I am extremely grateful for House of Dog, and especially for Amber. I highly recommend them for people-selective dogs, fearful dogs, reactive dogs, and anyone who wants trainers who are patient, thoughtful, and genuinely invested in a dog’s wellbeing.”
