Customer Reviews & Testimonials
Cheryl Marks
May 22, 2022
We have a 9 month old mini schnoodle and worked with Chitra on basic training. We had already completed a beginning puppy class but needed more individual direction. We had 4 one-hour sessions and the training took place at our home.
Chitra is experienced, calm and confident and uses a positive reinforcement approach with training. She had a well thought out plan for each session and gave us on the spot feedback and instruction as well as detailed homework for each week. Our dog loved her, we found her easy to work with and the techniques we learned have made a difference in our dog’s behavior and ability to listen. We would highly recommend Chitra for anyone looking to train their dog.
Chitra is experienced, calm and confident and uses a positive reinforcement approach with training. She had a well thought out plan for each session and gave us on the spot feedback and instruction as well as detailed homework for each week. Our dog loved her, we found her easy to work with and the techniques we learned have made a difference in our dog’s behavior and ability to listen. We would highly recommend Chitra for anyone looking to train their dog.
Margaux Leonard
April 6, 2022
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My family had a wonderful experience working with Chitra over the past few months. Our dog Peach is almost 9 years old and was having some anxiety issues that got worse during the pandemic. Chitra recommended that we work on desensitization training as well as revisiting some of the basic training Peach had done when she was a puppy. Once we began the training, we could see the positive changes in Peach right away. In addition to training, Chitra had so many good tips for puzzles and other ways to keep Peach engaged with mental enrichment. By the end of our sessions, we were working on adding new tricks to Peach's repertoire and began doing nose work which she really enjoyed. I highly recommend working with Chitra, especially with older dogs. I now realize how incredibly important and beneficial it is to continue with training after the puppy stage. Peach would see Chitra’s car turning the corner onto our street and get so excited - she loved her training sessions so much!
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Claire Schneckenberge
March 7, 2022
Chitra is terrific! She has a very good, positive way of working with my 2 dogs. She, also, is patient with me (the bigger problem!). Chitra clearly has a deep knowledge of dog behavior. I have learned a lot from her. And, my 2 maniacs are much better behaved!
Sandra Batra
December 10, 2021
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Chitra is an amazing trainer! I needed her guidance, and support as much as my 1 year old rescue, Coco, who needed her direction and positive training. Chitra observed our interactions, helped me understand Coco’s behavior and anxiety towards other dogs and taught us how to desensitize her. Chitra’s patience and gentle reminders were a god send, that I needed far too often, as I often forgot how to follow through. Her weekly homework was a great reminder of skills to work on too. Chitra is a wonderful person and her knowledge and love for all dogs shines through. Thanks to her my bond with Coco is much stronger. We have more to work on, and if I need to, I will call Chitra in a heart beat to help us. Thanks to Chitra, I now feel prepared to work with Coco on some of her other anxieties. I'm ready to teach her new words so she can communicate her needs with us.
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Alaina Perachi
November 3, 2021
We really enjoyed our training with Chitra! Our 6 month old Swiss Mountain Dog, Luna, is a very excited and energetic puppy. We had a bunch of areas that we wanted to work on with Luna and Chitra helped every step of the way. At the end of each session she would give us summary sheets of what to work on each week and also suggested different puzzle games to help stimulate her mind. We have seen a big difference in Luna’s behavior since Chitra has trained her. Chitra is extremely knowledgeable, professional and was always on time to our meetings. We would recommend Chitra to any dog owners out there!
Howard Block
October 16, 2021
I got a wonderful rescue dog early this summer, and knew immediately that I needed help. He is about a year old, full of energy and incredibly sweet. I knew that I was incapable of channeling all of this energy in the right direction, so I hired Chitra for an initial 6 session package.
I couldn't be more satisfied. My dog, Julian, is a different dog. All of the wonderful qualities remain, but his energy is now channeled in positive directions, rather than in aimless ways. I knew I was incapable of doing this myself, but with Chitra's guidance, it has been fun, rewarding and interesting. Julian is much happier also, which is the most important thing. So, I've hired Chitra for an additional 6 sessions, and I'm certain that we will all be in better shape after that. If you get a new dog, or have problems with your current dog, contact Chitra, you won't regret it. It's obvious that Chitra has trained me as well as my dog.
I couldn't be more satisfied. My dog, Julian, is a different dog. All of the wonderful qualities remain, but his energy is now channeled in positive directions, rather than in aimless ways. I knew I was incapable of doing this myself, but with Chitra's guidance, it has been fun, rewarding and interesting. Julian is much happier also, which is the most important thing. So, I've hired Chitra for an additional 6 sessions, and I'm certain that we will all be in better shape after that. If you get a new dog, or have problems with your current dog, contact Chitra, you won't regret it. It's obvious that Chitra has trained me as well as my dog.
Tim & Kyra
September 12, 2021
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We and our dog Lupine had a wonderful time training with Chitra. He immediately knew she was an important person in his life and was eager to please. Chitra has a subtle, deft touch with dogs and is good at sharing her approach such that we could help our Dog understand what he needed to do and not do. Chitra provided a helpful homework document, so we could easily remind ourselves what to work on between sessions. Finally, Chitra is an entertaining human in her own right, bringing a good amount of humor to her explanations of how dogs experience the world and how we need to adjust our expectations and approaches to meet them where they are.
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Brendan Fischer
August 30, 2021
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We had a great experience working with Chitra! Our dog Rosie is just about a year old, with lots of energy. Chitra was extremely patient working with Rosie on everything from basic name recognition all the way to advanced commands and recall, which we struggled with initially. After each session we received a summary of what was going well and what we should be focusing on, and it was extremely helpful. I highly recommend!
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Megan Cronin
May 16, 2021
My husband and I both had the pleasure of working with Chitra to help train our Golden-doodle pup Rusty. I can’t say enough wonderful things about Chitra’s kindness and professionalism. We all learned so much from her. When Rusty would see her car pull up, he would get so excited and couldn’t wait to see her. We are so grateful to have had the recommendation of Chitra as a trainer and I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone else looking for a trainer. We will definitely be working with her again in the future.
Meredith D
May 13, 2021
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If you are looking for a dog trainer, look no further! Chitra’s services are a gift to us and our dogs. She is so knowledgeable, kind, and patient. Our lab/German shorthair hybrid was showing aggressive behavior (thankfully not biting) and barking at delivery drivers. This behavior started during Covid. Chitra formulated a perfect plan to help Thurman overcome his stranger anxiety. Now we feel less anxious as well. Thank you so much, Chitra! You are the best!
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Dana Lehman
April 24, 2021
We have loved working with Chitra! We have an almost two year old labradoodle who has anxiety with new people. Chitra did a careful assessment and designed activities to help us work on desensitizing her. Chitra is responsive, knowledgeable, and kind! We are so grateful to her!
Amy Zaffuto
March 28, 2021
I’ve had a great experience working with Chitra. I have tried multiple other trainers in the past, but Chitra is the first trainer we’ve been successful with. I originally reached out to Chitra for help with some behaviors my dog Alaska exhibited on walks. Alaska always wants to be in charge of choosing where we walk, and she lies down if she doesn’t get her way. She’s a 100lb Great Pyrenees, so this can be a tricky situation to navigate. This has been an issue I’ve been struggling with for years, and Chitra has given us some tools to help work though it. Chitra has also helped us reduce Alaska’s reactivity to other dogs during walks and work on some other basic cues. I appreciate all the great product recommendations Chitra has made as well; I finally found a harness that works well for Alaska, and we’ve also found some puzzle toys that she really enjoys.
Alaska is always thrilled to see Chitra when she arrives for our sessions, and it’s great to see the progress she’s made as a result of our sessions. Alaska is a senior pup, but Chitra has helped prove that you can still teach an old(er) dog some new tricks!
Alaska is always thrilled to see Chitra when she arrives for our sessions, and it’s great to see the progress she’s made as a result of our sessions. Alaska is a senior pup, but Chitra has helped prove that you can still teach an old(er) dog some new tricks!
Amy Lynn Munslow
March 21, 2021
Chitra is an amazing trainer for our dog Maisie and I would recommend her to any other pet parent! We reached out to her in hopes that she could help us with Maisie's general nervousness and reactivity on the leash, as well as brushing up on obedience training. Chitra's gentle, positive training style is exactly what we needed to start to build Maisie's confidence and our communication with her. Beyond that, Chitra creative solutions for day-to-day life with Maisie have really made life at home much more relaxed and fun! Chitra has helped us to create good routines with plenty of mental and physical exercise and shown us how to incorporate Maisie's training commands into everyday life. She has made me feel more confident about training and working with Maisie. I'm so grateful to Chitra for helping me to be a better pet parent- her humor, passion and care for dogs make her a pleasure to work with. We look forward to our training sessions every week!
Lauryn Cannon
March 21, 2021
Chitra is amazing! She is extremely professional, knowledgeable, timely, and her love of dogs always comes through in each of our training sessions. We enlisted her help with our six year old rescue mix Ruby, who is very lovable but had started showing signs of anxiety around other dogs and dog reactivity. Over our four training sessions, Chitra has taught us how to work with Ruby on her dog reactivity and we have seen a marked improvement, especially in busy areas like the Arboretum. In addition to that, we have learned to tighten up our basic cues and are constantly adding more to our repertoire. Training with Ruby has also improved our communication and relationship with her, and all without any harsh corrections or punitive measures. It's so fun watching her brain work each session! Plus, Ruby adores her and gets so excited to see her each visit! If you are considering training with Chitra, go for it - you won't regret it!
Sarah Gibson
March 15, 2021
"Chitra is an amazing trainer! I adopted my dog Goose in November and knew I wanted to get him into training ASAP to help him settle in to his new life. Goose is a year old, he was a stray and had zero prior training (he didn’t even know his name or how to sit). We signed up for 4 basic obedience sessions with Chitra and I am extremely impressed with his progress! Chitra came to our home every week for 1 hour and worked with us one-on-one. After each session Chitra emailed us a detailed outline of our lesson and gave us “homework” for the week. We spent hours each week practicing, but the time we invested paid off. My dog ADORES Chitra, he is always so excited to see her and enjoys working with her. She is gentle, patient, encouraging, all of the things you want out of a positive reinforcement trainer. We've graduated from basic obedience training and plan try scent work with Chitra next! Lastly, I wanted to mention Chitra’s professionalism around Covid. She sends out a health screening the day before your appointment, masks are required, and all of our trainings were conducted outside in my backyard. If you’re in the West Roxbury/Roslindale area I highly recommend her!"
Follow up:
"We have now completed 8 training sessions with Chitra and our dog Goose. After graduating from basic obedience we signed up for 4 more sessions, focused around scent training this time. Goose is a German Shepherd/Husky mix. He is quite driven by his nose and we wanted to give him an outlet to exercise that natural instinct. We were also hoping it would give us another way to expend his energy, particularly on days where we can’t get outside much because it’s snowing, rainy, extremely hot, etc. A mentally stimulated dog is a happy dog, especially when you have a working breed. To no surprise, Goose took to scent training like a duck to water and it was a lot of fun for both of us! He absolutely loved it and was completely exhausted after each training session. Chitra started with him finding high value treats in a box, increasing the number of boxes and progressively making it more challenging for him. He worked his way up from finding treats to being able to find different scents, birch and amyris. It was really fun seeing his progress over the four sessions. Goose is really becoming such a well-rounded, well-mannered, happy dog. Partly because of the time and effort we have put into practicing the trainings, but we owe a huge thank you to Chitra for giving us the tools we needed as new dog parents. She truly cares about her clients and makes herself available, even outside of training sessions. I emailed her regarding a behavioral issue we were having and she quickly provided a detailed, helpful response. She also referred us to our dog walker and doggy daycare, both turned out to be top notch recommendations. I cannot recommend her enough!"
Follow up:
"We have now completed 8 training sessions with Chitra and our dog Goose. After graduating from basic obedience we signed up for 4 more sessions, focused around scent training this time. Goose is a German Shepherd/Husky mix. He is quite driven by his nose and we wanted to give him an outlet to exercise that natural instinct. We were also hoping it would give us another way to expend his energy, particularly on days where we can’t get outside much because it’s snowing, rainy, extremely hot, etc. A mentally stimulated dog is a happy dog, especially when you have a working breed. To no surprise, Goose took to scent training like a duck to water and it was a lot of fun for both of us! He absolutely loved it and was completely exhausted after each training session. Chitra started with him finding high value treats in a box, increasing the number of boxes and progressively making it more challenging for him. He worked his way up from finding treats to being able to find different scents, birch and amyris. It was really fun seeing his progress over the four sessions. Goose is really becoming such a well-rounded, well-mannered, happy dog. Partly because of the time and effort we have put into practicing the trainings, but we owe a huge thank you to Chitra for giving us the tools we needed as new dog parents. She truly cares about her clients and makes herself available, even outside of training sessions. I emailed her regarding a behavioral issue we were having and she quickly provided a detailed, helpful response. She also referred us to our dog walker and doggy daycare, both turned out to be top notch recommendations. I cannot recommend her enough!"
Natalie Ake
December 23, 2020
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"Our family adopted Louie (the Potcake pup) in early March 2020 just before we went into lock down. He was rescued from an abandoned house in the Bahamas when he was only two months old. While Louie is the sweetest pup, when we first got him he was also very anxious. He missed out on some key socialization prior to his rescue and in his first months with us during quarantine. With every month that passed, Louie became more attached to our family and more fearful of the outside world.
By the time he was 8 months old, he refused to go for walks and barked at everyone outside of our immediate family. Chitra started working with Louie a few months ago and has literally transformed our pup into a much more confident and friendly dog. While we still have a lot of work to do, we can now take Louie for walks all around our neighborhood, he is much more disciplined in our home, and has even welcomed family members over for dinner with licks and nuzzles. Louie loves every session with Chitra and he especially looks forward to the agility work she has introduced to him to build his confidence. Louie has improved in his basic manners and impulse control. Chitra was the first person Louie allowed into our home and is by far one of his favorite human beings! We are so thankful for Chitra and all that she has taught Louie (and us)!" |
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Terry Nearhos
December 9, 2020
"I have recently finished a course with Chitra Walmsley and my 18 month old German Shepard. I was referred by the amazing Lisa's at Pet Cabaret in Roslindale and I could not be more happy with the results. Chitra is a delightful trainer who is a fully in tune communicator with dogs and their owners alike. Her calm and obviously dog oriented personality suited our needs for just fine tuning our gorgeous rescue from good to great has been a game changer. Shelby was always devoted but needed a little more attention to not being so needy in my attention to her at all times. She now sits and waits for meals, stays while I leave and knows I'll come back, can be distracted from other dogs and people on now lovely walks, can walk away from distracting elements such as our cats or trash on the sidewalk, is much more attentive to me calling her back to look at me and sit, lay or come. We are still working on perfecting these things, but I am feeling much more confident in making Shelby confident as my best buddy.
After every session (once a week), Chitra sends me a plan for the week for reinforcing my dogs newly learned accomplishments. The most important thing I can mention in this time of pandemic is Chitra's professionalism and very strict adherence to Covid guidelines which, as a nurse, I am extremely impressed and reassured by. The night before our sessions, I have to attest to a number of questions regarding exposure, symptoms, travel and working responsibilities during our sessions.
I cannot recommend Chitra enough. Her attention to every interaction between my dog and myself is so keen and introspective to give just the right advice. Just little cues to make the experience better have led to an amazing, yet subtle, change in my Shelby's behavior.
Do this! Chitra is the best!"
After every session (once a week), Chitra sends me a plan for the week for reinforcing my dogs newly learned accomplishments. The most important thing I can mention in this time of pandemic is Chitra's professionalism and very strict adherence to Covid guidelines which, as a nurse, I am extremely impressed and reassured by. The night before our sessions, I have to attest to a number of questions regarding exposure, symptoms, travel and working responsibilities during our sessions.
I cannot recommend Chitra enough. Her attention to every interaction between my dog and myself is so keen and introspective to give just the right advice. Just little cues to make the experience better have led to an amazing, yet subtle, change in my Shelby's behavior.
Do this! Chitra is the best!"
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"Chitra Walmsley is a dog whisperer! From the moment I spoke with her on the phone, I felt comfortable and confident that she was the right dog trainer for us. We were first time puppy parents to a mini Australian Labradoodle named Bella. Chitra helped guide us calmly and lovingly in our training beginning day one.
Chitra exudes such warmth and charisma in all that she does. Her cheerful smile shines through even when she is wearing a mask (during The Pandemic). Chitra is devoted to the overall wellbeing of our dog; she is well versed in all areas of Bella's physical and emotional development. Chitra has taught us how to read Bella's cues in order to meet her needs. Chitra strives to make sure our puppy is healthy and happy. We are grateful to work with her and know you will be too!" ~ Debbie and Jeff |
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"Chitra is a wonderfully warm trainer and person! She taught me to understand and work with our shy rescue dog who was afraid of everything! He has come a long way and I have too! Chitra is as genuine as they come and she truly cares!"
~ W. Wallace |
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"Chitra is truly a gem with willful dogs and their resistant owners! She is training both of us."
~ J. Rossman |
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"I was desperate to get help in controlling Dakota, our three-year-old Bullmastiff, on our walks. I now feel safe and confident, thanks to Chitra, because I know what to do to avoid potential situations."
~ P. & R. Murphy |
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"As an adult rescue, our dog missed out on important socialization when he was a puppy and instead developed a host of maladaptive behaviors. Chitra has given us great insight into his mindset and the tools to bring out the best in him. She is equally knowledgeable and personable. We're so grateful to have found her!"
~ J. Seaman |
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"Chitra is a life saver! Three weeks after we brought Pepper home from the shelter, she started growling and biting our family. She came to our house and worked with my husband, our two daughters and me to train our puppy. Over time Chitra has helped us to develop positive behavior based strategies to address Pepper’s guarding issues … Chitra is very patient, optimistic and always comes prepared."
~ H. St. Clair |
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"My husband and I have enjoyed working with Chitra as we continue to learn more about working with our two pups. Her training methodology has been very successful for us. She’s great about not only the importance of training consistency for the dogs, but also the humans! And the dogs love working with her as well."
~ A. Florczak |
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"After our first lesson with Chitra I felt like the Mary Poppins for dogs had landed on my door step. She is training both of us! And what I love is that she makes sure to correct what I am doing wrong as it turns out Coco is a faster learner than I am."
~ S. Maislen |
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"Chitra helped me to correct, Tess, my Black Lab Retriever's reactive behavior and used the gentle leader head collar that I now love."
~ S. Kearney |
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"I am so grateful to Chitra for her guidance in getting me started with training my Wheaten Terrier, Bonnie! I had not had a new puppy in over 20 years so was a little overwhelmed. Chitra put me and Bonnie completely at ease. The best part was that she gave lessons in my home so we could get started before Bonnie was even eligible for typical obedience classes!"
~ L. Denekamp |
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"We had just adopted our 12 week Pitbull mix who was full of energy and a good spirit so we knew we needed someone knowledgeable to come in and guide us. That is exactly what Chitra has done over the past 6 weeks; guided us with her positive reinforcement training that we can apply daily into our lives. Her passion for dogs was instantly recognizable."
~ K. Phelan |
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"Rosie has changed so much since Chitra began the training with us. We have seen the progress in Rosie and we are so thankful that Chitra is helping us! We never thought Rosie could learn 'down' or 'leave it', and we never knew she would enjoy the training so much! Thank you Chitra!"
~ C. Wheeler |
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"Our now two-year-old golden retriever, Mia, was quite the spirited little pup, so at age 4 months I took her to puppy obedience … It was remarkable to see Mia’s reaction and response to Chitra. There's nothing better than walking into our private training sessions and being greeted with a warm smile and hug from Chitra. She provides a high-touch, personalized approach that works! Chitra’s number one priority for her clients is to provide behavior modification to ensure the safety and well-being of our dog."
~ K. Holman |
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"Chitra was amazing! We've never had a rescue before and she gave us the tools to work effectively with our Suki. In a sense, she rescued us."
~ R. Zalocha |
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"Chitra played a key role in helping us prepare our male Labrador Retriever for search and rescue dog training by providing us with the obedience and dog handler training required by the California Rescue Dog Association (CARDA). Chitra took the CARDA requirements and developed a customized obedience training for our dog that was a great success. With Chitra's help, we now know that our dog has what it takes to become a search and rescue dog..."
~ R. Reed |
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"In the three weeks we have worked with Chitra, Cara has shown appreciable improvement. We know the steps will be small ones, but each week we have moved forward. We look forward to continuing our work with Chitra. We are certain that with her help, we will have a happy and confident dog."
~ S. Sweetgall |
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"Chitra has been amazing with Max. We have had dogs in our family for over forty years and Chitra has helped us faster than any of our previous trainers."
~ T. Roiter |
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"Chitra has helped us with our rescue puppy, Dash, guiding us through his most challenging months. She is patient, knowledgeable, empathetic and good-humored in her positive reinforcement approach."
~ C. Cota & E. Casey |
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"Chitra helped me and my 2 dogs (ages 8 years old & 5 months old) with so many things. Her vast knowledge of dogs assured me that my dogs had the temperaments to learn to get along, helped me recognize their signals, and above all has given me the skills and confidence to train my dogs!"
~ A. Rounseville |
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"I would highly recommend Chitra for training your dog and giving you both the skills and techniques needed for a happy and safe life! Thank you, Chitra!"
~ C. Tarantino |
