“As always, Tara is prepared, knowledge, and encouraging in class. She does a great job analyzing what each puppy needed and gauge the environment for them.” – Jean M. with her German Shepherd Dog Chevy, reviewing their Puppy Class with Tara Post

“The understanding with a deaf puppy and our class mishaps have been more than what I would have expected.” – Carolann M. with Charlie reviewing their Puppy Class with Tara Post

“Tara was amazing. She is so cool and collected and was always able to offer such amazing advice and insight when our pups were having play time. She had great advice for all questions that were asked of her. It was a great class!” – Carrie M. with Archie reviewing their Puppy Class with Tara Post

“There were only 2 of us in class, so we got individual attention and helpful suggestions for any and all dog related issues and concerns. Having some sessions outside was helpful. Great class, very individualized, helpful videos were sent out.” – Betty L. with Grace reviewing their Intermediate Obedience class with Tara Post

“Tara’s class was very good for practical dog training. She has you work to reasonable levels, not perfection. We are all human even if we have 4 paws. She pointed out things I was doing and not conscious of. It was nice to have, ‘do you realize what signal you are giving,’ rather than, ‘you are doing that wrong.’” – Jim P. with Jasper reviewing their Intermediate Obedience class with Tara Post

“[Megan, Michelle, and Tara] showed me ways to work with Doug. Doug and I had a good time being around other dogs.” – Mark T. with Doug reviewing their Puppy Class with Megan Cogswell, Michelle Daiss, and Tara Post.

“Tara was very responsive to our concerns and took time to answer all of our questions. She also demonstrated training techniques very well.” – Charles R. with Quincy reviewing their Private Training Lesson with Tara Post

“I think the class was well run, I learned some valuable things to improve the working relationship between Bailey and I, and it really helped Bailey learn some self-control. Bailey loves Tara!! I love having the ability to take quality classes close to home! Facility is great and having only 4 dogs in the class worked so well — especially during the pandemic. Tara is great and does a wonderful job with advice for what each dog specifically needs. Tailored training to help each of us with what we needed.” – Patty C. and their dog, Bailey reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Tara Post

“Tara is amazing. She read the dogs well and helped us with introducing multiple new dogs who were visiting for the weekend. We appreciate how knowledge is broken down into easier to understand steps. Big fan of the clicker now that I’ve been taught how to use it!” – Sara E. reviewing their Private Training Lesson with Tara Post

“Tara was able to see the behaviors that brought us to asking for a private lesson and gave us things to work on until we meet again. You matched our dog’s concerns with a teacher who was quickly able to diagnose his problems and make and demonstrate suggestions to help remediate the issue.” – Robyn F. and their dog, Huxley, reviewing their Private Training Lesson with Tara Post

“Great instruction and a good class size. We got lots of individualized attention. Appreciated the attention to safety in a time of COVID. Louise is not the most self-confident dog. The chance to work in proximity to other dogs is so good for her (and her owner)!” – Kathy S. and Louise reviewing their Rally Obedience class with Tara Post

“Tara does a great job and genuinely cares for our puppy, Bailey. She’s [my puppy] building confidence and starting to play during free play. Great location and facility. Wonderful instructor. Great class. We’re very happy to have a quality training program near us in SE MN.” – Patty C. and their puppy, Bailey, reviewing their Puppy Class with Tara Post

“After our first in-home session with Tara, we chose to add 3 additional sessions because we were so pleased with the information and education that she provided. 

“Tara is amazing! She really took the time to listen to us and observe Luna in our home to understand the causes of the behaviors that we are struggling with. She answered our questions and provided us with materials/videos after our appointment that were so helpful to reference and to show our children to help them understand what we are working on and how they can help support Luna.” – Brian T. and their dog, Luna, reviewing their private training lessons with Tara Post

“Pearl and I like having Tara come in and help. When Pearl went after that little dog I was mortified. But Tara had been very supportive and helpful in working with helping me understand and give Pearl positive direction in working through her anxieties. She has a fair amount of them, too; I didn’t realize how much.

“I am very glad I reached out to Paws Abilities when this incident happened. Some people have something like this happen and don’t know what to do as in what is best for the dog. I wanted to understand and help Pearl with whatever was behind the behavior she was exhibiting and after 2 sessions that has been addressed very well.

“Tara is a wonderful trainer. She definitely knows her stuff.” – Jackie W. with their Labrador Retriever mix, Pearl, reviewing their Private Training lesson with Tara Post

“Tara is great with dogs! Love her! We loved that our dog improved and she clearly loved Tara.”- MJ W. and their Toy Australian Shepherd, Bodie, reviewing their Specialty Canine to Five program with Tara Post.

“Tara is very experienced and was able to come up with very practical and kind solutions to every problem we asked about. She also paid astute attention to everyone in class and gave us well directed guidance.

Riley was truly petrified the first class. He was afraid of the other puppies, of the people, of the objects in class. He hid behind me against the wall. Tara gave me guidance on how to help him and by the 4th class he was happily playing with the other puppies, excited about to class and climbing over the objects without fear!

Great selection of objects to explore and a way to explore them that encouraged confidence in the puppies. Spacing was done well to respect Covid-19 issues. Positive reinforcement for the puppies and the trainers.” – Terrie W. and their Black Mouth Cur puppy, Riley, reviewing their Puppy Class with Tara Post

“Tara is great. Her follow-up has been great. Her report from our first meeting was spot-on.

Provided tips and tricks to feel more comfortable when other people are around Augie. Taught us how we should handle meeting new people. Gave us great ideas on how to get Augie some exercise. Extremely happy with Tara.” – Cindy S. and their dog Augie reviewing their private training lesson with Tara Post

“All were helpful and communicated amongst themselves. My morning questions were always answered during puppy class and when I returned to pick up my pup.” – Tom S. and his Vizsla, Barleigh, reviewing Puppy Camp: Puppy PhD program with Katie Kelly, Margit Lovoll, & Tara Post

“I liked the structure of the class and balance of play and teaching. I also liked that we used the play time to teach as well. Super impressed with our first class here. Both my husband and I are ready to sign up for more classes.” – Carly B. and their Golden Retriever puppy, Margot, reviewing their Puppy Class with Tara Post

“All were helpful and communicated amongst themselves. My morning questions were always answered during puppy class and when I returned to pick up my pup.” – Tom S. and his Vizsla, Barleigh, reviewing Puppy Camp: Puppy PhD program with Katie Kelly, Margit Lovoll, & Tara Post

“Tara was awesome! He is doing much better when facing other dogs since the class. Thanks Tara!” – The Nord family with their puppy, Mochi, reviewing Puppy Class with Tara Post

“The additional presences of Taras young and more mature demo dogs was very helpful. Instructors who seem to genuinely care about the progress of our dogs.” – Kathy S. with her 2 German Shepherd dogs, Thelma and Louise, reviewing Rally Obedience with Tara.

“I really liked the videos that were sent along with any handouts. I really liked how Tara knew how to work with each dog’s individual needs. My dog was not the most cooperative with certain things and Tara gave me many alternatives to help with training her.” -Courtney B. with her 3 dogs, Julie, Mia, and Reigna, reviewing Rally Obedience with Tara.

“Tara was excellent and very knowledgeable and encouraging when trying to deal with a hyper energetic puppy. She suggested using a harness when trying to walk and it has worked out well!” -Janet C. with her Golden Retriever Poodle mix, Millie Mae, reviewing Puppy Class with Tara.

“I went [to Puppy Class] on Thursdays and Saturdays. The classes were organized and I liked that the instructors ran the class slightly differently, to their own unique style. We received a lot of great tips! You helped me not let any stress I had affect my puppy. Everyone I met there was wonderful; staff and puppy owners and their families. :)” – Kristine K. and her Dachshund, George, reviewing their Puppy Class with Michelle and Tara

“Tara was very responsive to my request for an in-home training session. She took her time to work with our dog and us and asked if we had questions. She followed up with us after the session.” – Kristin S. and her Border Terrier, Phoebe, reviewing their Private In-Home Training lesson with Tara P.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect because this is my first dog and first training class. I was very impressed and already have seen an improvement in my dog reacting to other animals. I loved that in the reactive class, it’s not just about getting your (dog) to not react to their trigger, but also using relaxation and distraction.
I really like Tara. She was easy to talk to, ask questions, or voice any concerns. For example, I wasn’t sure my dog would be able to do the relaxation protocol because she is SO food motivated. Tara suggested using a pet as a reward and that works for us.” – Larissa C. and her Australian Shepherd, Bella, reviewing their Beginning Reactive Dog Rehab class with Tara and Michelle

“We have purchased the 4 pack package! I love Tara and plan on working with her as long as possible. She has made such a difference for both CoCo and us and I think it’s just going to keep getting better with time and as more of the family gets to come to training! Love the facility to work in, it’s so helpful to have to do our training. Tara had been exceptionally accommodating! I can’t say enough how pleased we are and how much we have appreciated Tara’s help! She is phenomenal. The follow-up emails and descriptions of the things we covered in detail along with videos has been so helpful. CoCo is coming along in such a short time and doing so well. I have told so many friends/family and favorite pet stores about you all!” – Lisa C. and her Labrador/Pit Bull mix, CoCo, reviewing their private training lessons with Tara

“I went [to Puppy Class] on Thursdays and Saturdays. The classes were organized and I liked that the instructors ran the class slightly differently, to their own unique style. We received a lot of great tips! You helped me not let any stress I had affect my puppy. Everyone I met there was wonderful; staff and puppy owners and their families. :)” – Kristine K. and her Dachshund, George, reviewing their Puppy Class with Michelle and Tara

“Tara was a great instructor and provided a variety of activities each week to help socialize our puppy. She always was happy to answer our questions or give us some guidance. I learned several take-home strategies to work on and use at home. Love the training philosophy that I find on the website, articles, and in person at class. You have many class options which is great for scheduling into a busy family life!” – Julia S. and her Labrador Retriever mix, Hopper, reviewing their Puppy Class with Tara

“It was very helpful to have a trainer and an assistant trainer so everyone could get one-on-one help and attention.” – Nancy W. and her English Setter, Jackson, reviewing their Beginning Focus & Control lessons with Tara and Michelle

“Loved the exposure to a variety of different (new) items for my puppy to check out. Lots of helpful tips for socializing my puppy!” – Susan H. and her English Cocker Spaniel, Luna, reviewing their Puppy Class with Tara

“Tara is extremely knowledgeable and very patient with me and the puppy. I’ve been impressed with the things she has been able to do with the dog very quickly AND teach me what to do to follow through after she left” – Trish L. and her puppy Ginger reviewing their private training lessons with Tara

“The small class size gave us opportunity to practice in the training setting… (Tara adjusted) to who was there and what might affect the dogs positively. Also, patience with me as a novice trainer. Never made me feel like a failure.” – Suzann C. and her Collie, Robbie McRae reviewing Rocket Recall with Tara

“Tara was very good at making sure we all knew what we needed to work on – especially since it was a class with lots of young pups. Her assistant was awesome also.” – Heidi L. and her Doberman Eli, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Tara

“We loved the personal touch and the caring atmosphere.” – Michael and Suzumi L. with their Jack Russell crosses Ajax and Monte, reviewing their Canine Good Citizen Prep class with Tara

“Sarala and Tara were great with giving personalized recommendations and answers for each dog. I thought they did a great job. I think we’ll take that class again, amongst others.” – Amanda P. and her English Setter Myer, reviewing their Beginning Focus & Control class with Sarala and Tara

“I have owned and trained dogs for about 15 years. Cooper is my current dog that was in this class. He is about 1 1/2 years old and has trained with about 9 different obedience instructors in that time. Paws Abilities in the fifth training organization we have worked with. I rate Paws Abilities as one of the top if not the best training program we have attended.

“The instructor to student ratio is very good. I have not been in a team instructed dog training class where the instructors were so evenly matched and complementary in style and experience. Both Sarala and Tara brought a strong set of experiences and work well together.

“You are masters of operant conditioning. I wish that I had attended Paws Abilities classes earlier in Coopers development. I have trained using many different methods with Cooper. After getting a good start with operant conditioning we had some setbacks with older forms of training. St. Paul Dog Training Club is the classic example of how this issue played out. We started out using clicker training and positive reinforcement. The more advanced obedience classes are taught using slip chain and prong collars. The irony of this is that in St. Paul Dog training agility classes we continued to use operant conditioning. I can say that for my particular dog the harness system you use and how it is used is very beneficial. If we would have used this tool a year ago Cooper would be far more advanced in his obedience training. Great program and training classes. Keep up the good work.” -Steve N. and his Golden Retriever Cooper reviewing their Beginning Focus & Control class with Tara and Sarala

“The longer duration of each session and having two instructors allowed for a great deal of personal attention. We were able to discuss our major concerns and were taught techniques to work on those concerns with our dog. I even wrote to both instructors after having a little crisis at home with our dog and both provided insight and encouragement in between classes, that was very helpful. I felt that everything we had been learning in all the classes we had taken came together. Outstanding.” – Pilar D. and her Coonhound Vida reviewing their Beginning Focus & Control class with Linda and Tara

“Fun and informative. Really made an impact on myself and my dog. Good one on one attention. Super excited to see everyone make progress. Sarala and Tara made an excellent teaching team. They worked well together and great sense of humor.” -Kristin S. and her Border Terrier Cooper reviewing their Beginning Focus & Control class with Tara and Sarala

“I absolutely LOVED the class!!! Due to work issues, I was unable to attend all of the classes, but I am very excited to sign up for more. I received feedback from family and friends that they could see a difference in Charley’s behaviors (for the better :). Thank you to Paws Abilities and to Tara for such an amazing experience!!! 🙂 – Julie A. and her Golden Retriever Charley, reviewing their Canine Good Citizen Prep class with Tara

“The instructor was kind and helpful and made an effort to check in with everyone. She was always positive and encouraging. The number of dogs was good: everyone got attention.” – Linda M. and her dogs Otis the Rottweiler and Gus the German Shorthaired Pointer, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Tara

“I think the instructors did very well tailoring homework and class activities to our specific needs. The dogs in the class were all very young, so much of the class was focused on how to teach young puppies how to relax.” -Tamara D. and her Brittany Chewie, reviewing their Beginning Focus & Control class with Tara & Michelle

“I really end up enjoying the class. I wasn’t use to the slow pace of this class at first but it picked up during week three. Very patient instructors. Great job. I know this was Michelle’s first time assisting with this class but she worked well with Tara and this kept the class on task. Nice small class, which is great. Love the newsletters and emails too. You do a great job listening to our goals, working with different personalities, and individual plans for the dogs.” -Jean M. and her German Shepherd Chili B. Lewis, reviewing their Beginning Focus & Control class with Tara and Michelle

“Tara was patient, kind and very knowledgeable. She was very helpful. She answered questions thoroughly and gave good advice. This was a well rounded class that helped us in training our young dog to have better manners and be more in control of his impulses.” – Nancy W. and her English Setter Jackson, reviewing their Canine Good Citizen Prep class with Tara

“Instructors were great and made me feel very at ease. Very calm considering you were handling a reactive class!” – Kim E. and her German Shepherd Venn, reviewing their Beginning Reactive Dog Rehab class with Tara and Carrie I.

“Tara was helpful and took genuine interest in Blaise doing well. She encouraged us to try different techniques for leash walking. We had fun! The hand outs were helpful because they reinforced what we learned in class. Phone call reminders were appreciated and good communication on weather cancellation.” – Lorraine U. and her American Eskimo Blaise, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Tara

“Everyone was so kind and understanding of our reactive dogs! They had such great tools and built on what we worked on every week. We loved the class are are SO excited that we are already seeing improvements! Before this class I felt like my hands were tied and now I feel like I have the tools to help my dog with her reactivity. We can’t wait to take another class!” -Jill J. and her Lab cross Stella, reviewing their Beginning Reactive Dog Rehab class with Tara and Carrie I.

“We covered the basics of having a dog to behave, attention training, clicker training. I liked the small class, each student was given equal time in class. I was pleased with the class. I thought the class was very informational.” -Patricia W. and her English Springer Spaniel Gypsy reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Tara

“I thought it was very well done. This was my first dog training class and I was very impressed with the amount of progress Casper made during the class.” -Cathy M. and her Patterdale Terrier Casper, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Tara

“My year-old newly adopted pup was born deaf, and they (Tara and Linda) were wonderful about suggestions and how to adapt the different skills to me and Dobby! They were terrific! Everything I experienced with this organization was terrific!” – Susan C. and her Pit Bull Dobby, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Tara and Linda

“The Reactive Dog Rehab class was extremely helpful. I started the class feeling very frustrated and now I feel like I have the tools to manage any situation that my dog and I might run into… I love the small class size. I really felt like I was able to have all my concerns addressed each week. Tara and Linda did a great job touching base with each owner to specifically address any stumbling blocks from the past week.” – Kaya W. and her German Shepherd Dog/Great Pyrenees, Lennon reviewing their Reactive Dog Rehab lessons with Linda and Tara

“Tara is a great instructor with the puppies” – Tammi J. and her Havanese/Poodle, Jammer reviewing their Puppy Class with Tara

“She came over and watched our dogs interact and helped give us tips on handling our dogs since they were not getting along. They seem to be getting along better.” -Mary P. with her dogs Kovu, Milo, and Otis, reviewing their private training lesson with Tara

“Location is great! Tara was great. I have had her before and specifically look for her when signing up for classes.” -Jean M. and her German Shepherd Chulu Unity, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Tara

“Even though the class has up to six dog-owner teams in it, there was always options to work and talk to the trainers one on one. Tara was great, especially because my dog has some special needs.” -Susan C. and her Pit Bull Dobby, reviewing their Beginning Obedience class with Tara