Whether it was dog walking, pet sitting, or playing enrichment games, beautiful senior Lola was always ready for snuggles!
Barking with Delight:
Read What Our Clients Have to Say
I can’t rave enough about Nicole and her professionalism, dedication, and knowledge about dogs and dog training. She really listens and works with you to ensure it’s a positive experience for both the owner and dog. My dog was so excited to see her every time and I looked forward to seeing her too! You never feel rushed or pressured and I liked that she was available outside the training sessions to give feedback and answer questions that may arise as you practice with your dog in between sessions. I was anxious about the time commitment as my schedule was already pretty full, but Nicole was able to work with me to make it doable. Nicole fully exceeded my expectations, made dog training an enjoyable experience, and gave me the tools to continue to work with my dog. I highly recommend her and so does my dog!
Alisa
Nicole helped us ENORMOUSLY. Our dog is a rescue and was pretty hard to handle. We have learned a lot and have come a very long way since working with her! She is an extraordinary and patient trainer.
Zeta H.
We LOOOOVE Walking with Paws. This is my third attempt to post. Cairo, our once naughty welsh terrier, is a completely different canine thanks to Nicole’s remarkable effective, cruel free training tactics. Nicole is extremely kind and so personable. Cairo is always overly excited to see her! We used her services for 12 weeks and saw a tremendous difference in not only Cairo’s behavior, but ours also. She taught us tips, tricks and the importance of consistency. Nicole’s gentle, yet stern nature is exactly what we all needed to have a sense of peace in our home with our new puppy. She is well worth EVERY PENNY. We highly recommend Walking with Paws. It’s the BEST in all of Orange County.
Christa P.
I initially met Nicole through a PetSmart training class and could tell that she was a true pro at what she does. She always brought great energy to her classes and was so patient with all the dogs, especially my very vocal Doberman-Husky. After completing two group courses, I wanted to work 1:1 with Nicole to address some of the specific challenges I was having with my dog, namely her separation anxiety. I booked an initial evaluation through Walking With Paws and Nicole took the time to really understand my dog’s current situation and pain points. She also asked really thoughtful questions and was very detail-oriented throughout the process. The homework she assigned between sessions really reinforced what she teaches and helped to truly instill changes in the way my dog and I interact. You can tell how passionate she is about dog training and pet owner education. I particularly love that she’s so knowledgable about positive reinforcement techniques, which is how I prefer to train my dog. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for an experienced dog trainer!
Chantel H.
Nicole has been training, walking and taking care of our fur baby for years. I recommend Walking with Paws 200%! I appreciate her speedy response time and flexibility too!
Cindy A.
Walking with Paws (Nicole ) was my one and only trainer I have used . She came to my home before I picked up my darling boxer puppy “Roxy” and advised me on everything from my crate to food . When Roxy arrived she came again and done the training with me . The most beneficial thing being that Roxy is not afraid of anything !! If I tell her “ Good girl , it’s ok “ that’s it !! She is fine . . She is a well-behaved, loving dog that’s good on the lead and happy and that’s all I need . Nicole is a wonderful, nice, loving and happy person . Pleasure to work with and I wish her the best and if you want a well behaved dog like I have them you know who to call !????????????????
Ray H.
We’ve been working with Nicole for over 6 years. When we got our first dog, Scout, we went to Nicole for puppy training then continued with 3 more levels of training. More recently, we had some questions about some new behaviors. We again went to Nicole for follow up training and she came to the house to help us work with Scout. On several occasions, including out of town trips, we had Nicole watch our pups. Through all the training Nicole has been patient both with Scout and with us and she’s helped us have a less stressful relationship with Scout and now with Sproket. When she’d come over to walk the pups Nicole always sent an update with photos. We have enjoyed working with her and the pups get excited when she comes over.
Steve C.
Our dog, Darling, and I first met Nicole when Darling was just a few months old and in puppy training. After graduating from the puppy training we took a break and decided to return to training when Darling was about 1 year old and it was evident that she is deaf. Nicole had to focus on using sign language in order to get Darling to understand. Darling has made huge steps in working towards being well behaved. Nicole is passionate about what she does and has a great deal of patience. She is very knowledgeable, as well. It’s great that she gives homework and we were able to see quite an improvement in Darling’s behaviors. We really recommend Nicole and her services.
Alyson K.
We Love Nicole! And it was Love at first sight for our big Lab Ranger (110 pounds) I saw how big he was growing and contacted Nicole to help walk him and train him to not pull me down the street. She is Amazing! Reliable, trust worthy and the love she has for the animals comes shining through all around. You Need this Lady in your life, if you have a dog or any pets that you need tending to while you are away, or to get some daily walks in.
We highly recommend her to everyone we know.
Julie G.
Our 20 month old Golden Retriever, Shiloh, loves Nicole. She looks forward to Nicole’s visits.
Nicole is very special to Shiloh, because Shiloh went through training with Nicole. They have been friends since Shiloh was 12 weeks old.
Nicole is always on time and spends quality time with our big, loving puppy.
I would recommend Nicole as a wonderful and responsible pet sitter to anyone’s family pet.
J.A.
I got super lucky and met Nicole when I first moved into the neighborhood. She quickly became a very important part of my dog;s and my life. She is fantastic and whether it is dog walking or dog training she has always been a great resource. After reading a few of the other reviews here, I agree with all the great and fantastic things they say about Nicole. And I would like to add a personal story. About a month ago, I was injured while traveling and will not be able to walk for at least 6 months. Nicole worked my dog, Fitz, into her schedule so generously and has shown herself to be just as amazing helping out humans (me) as she is helping with puppy dogs and other animals. She is so dedicated and professional, that I am able to keep my dog with me at the house during my long recovery and do not have to leave him with other family. I feel 100% comfortable knowing that she will be here at my house when she says she will and that my dog Fitz is being treated like a prince. This is what distinguishes her from other dog walkers/business owners: her generous nature and great kindness and her professionalism.
If you are looking for someone who will care for your furry family member like you would; then Nicole is that person. She is irreplaceable.
Courtney H.
Nicole is a fantastic and experienced dog trainer!! She taught our 3 year old rescue dog and myself all the fundamental and intermediate dog training techniques with love, patience, knowledge, and skill.
Also, during and after every dog training session Nicole shared tips, feedback, and what to practice to reinforce each dog training session! Her advice is exactly what you need to train your dog and yourself.
Before Nicole’ s dog training session, our dog did whatever she wanted, completely undisciplined, unmanageable, pulled when we walked her, etc. Now, our family and our dog are happy, we use all her dog training techniques & tips, she is a joy to walk, and our neighbors love her! We highly recommend Nicole!!! Thank you so much for everything!!!
M.C.
Such a caring and attentive doggy service! I met Nicole in my neighborhood and my dog absolutely adores her. I know Cricket is in great hands with every Walking With Paws appointment and that I can rely on Nicole to take care of everything related to my dog. I feel really lucky to trust her with Cricket and I highly recommend Walking With Paws.
Melinda C.
This is the best dog walker I have ever had! I have had dogs my whole life. My Angel is a senior dog now at 15+yrs so she needs a lot of patience and love. Angel has now lost most hearing and seeing and has Cushings Diease so she takes a few pills am and pm. Older dogs can be a challenge to get pills down and I have been impressed with her talent to get the job done. I am a flight attendant so am gone sometimes a few days at a time. My Angel is a dachshund and the center of my life. I totally trust NICOLE with her and know that she’s in good hands . I would give NICOLE a hundred s if I could
Lynn S.
Nicole is awesome! She is always reliable, attentive, and an excellent dog trainer. She really cares for the dogs and makes sure they are happy. Definitely the best dog walker we have ever had.
Tony S.
Walking with Paws (Nicole) has been walking our 10 month old puppy for a few months now and we love the service. Nicole is excellent with our puppy and is always reinforcing good leash behavior. When we walk our puppy ourselves we can tell the improvements compared to before Nicole started walking our puppy. We first met Nicole when our puppy was going through training. My husband and I instantly recognized how receptive our puppy was to Nicole and how good of a trainer Nicole is. Thanks to Nicole we have a very well behaved 55 pound Boxer/Pointer/Amstaff puppy.
Walking with Paws is very reasonably priced for the excellent service they provide, we never have to worry because our puppy is in excellent hands when she is with Nicole. They are also extremely flexible with scheduling, reliable and trustworthy. If it wasn’t for Walking with Paws our puppy would not get nearly the quality and quantity of exercise she does now. I highly recommend Walking with Paws to anyone who cares about their dog.
Bonus – they have cat services too!
Julie B.
Nicole is a great trainer!!! She teaches such useful tricks that all link together to create a well behaved dog! All of her training just makes so much sense. I recommend her to everyone with a dog!
We absolutely love Nicole and so does our puppy, Faith! I have a 1 year old Newfoundland that has a lot of energy and has a habit of pulling on the leash. Since taking walks with Nicole her pulling has dramatically decreased and she is now mastering the art of loose leash walking!! Nicole is not just a dog walker, she is also an accredited dog trainer so needless to say Faith really benefits from her walks with her. Also, I especially think it’s great that Nicole gives feedback on how Faith did on her walk and advises for what we can work on with her on our walks which really helps us!
I am also planning to use Nicole to feed my kitties when we go on vacation! We are so happy we found someone who is reliable and we can totally trust with our fur babies and feel totally confident they are in good caring hands!!!
Stacy H.
We went away for a few days. Having Nicole watch our little boy was like leaving him with family. She takes the extra step to make you and your puppy feel comfortable. You can’t go wrong with her.
Gary R.
Nicole is fantastic. Harlie (my rescue mutt) and I trained with her when Harlie was just a pup. We both learned a lot. Nicole also has walked Harlie weekly for the last year and a half. With her training and help, Harlie has become an obedient dog without loosing her spunk and personality. I highly recommend her.
Steve B.
It’s not easy to leave our dog home alone (and also to let someone we don’t know into our home) but Nicole has made it so easy and worry free! We know her from previous trainings so we knew our dog would be in great hands. She really goes the extra mile in making sure my dog is well walked and pottied out until i can get home, and I can tell she truly loves what she does!
Kelly P.
Nicole has walked and trained our dog, Tucker with professionalism and enthusiasm. Tucker is a high energy dog and Nicole is so loving and great with him. He responds with glee whenever she appears and enjoys his walking/learning time immensely! I would reccomend Nicole to anyone that needs a caring and professional trainer for their dog. She is prompt and always pleasant. Tucker gives her 4 paws up!!!????????♥️
Ginger F.
The Pet Trainer, Nicole Narita is AMAZING!!!! We have a 9 month old pug, Yoda, who was 8 months and only lived with us for about 2 weeks when he started training. He was definitely a free spirited, hyper and one track mind kind of puppy. Nicole was patient, simple, and very caring with Yoda and needless to say she was able to get Yoda to learn basics within a matter of 3 classes. She truly cares about animals and always uplifting and reassuring. She even showed us how smart our little guy is and his possibilities for trick training. She really answers all questions and if she can’t figure them out she tries to research it and come back with answers. I definitely will be coming back for more advanced training with her and only her!
Ashley J.
Dog training with Nicole has been such a great experience!! You can tell she loves what she does and she’s wonderful at it. Our dog absolutely loves her. She’s such a positive spirit for not only our dog but for us too. She’s been such a great resource for our family. We have asked her so many questions not related to the curriculum and she is more than happy to answer them. She follows up to see how her suggestions worked for us at home. Her suggestions turned our rambunctious 50 pound puppy into a pup that is so gentle with our 1 year old but still knows how to play when it’s appropriate. Initially we thought we’d just do the Beginner class but we are back for the Intermediate class and plan to continue with the advanced class. If your looking for a dog trainer that will love on your pet, give you guidance to continue training with your pet, and will get to know you on a personal level (she asks about how my kiddo is doing regularly) then she’s the one for you. We highly recommend her!
Alissa S.
Huckleberry Pi, my 3-year-old Catahoula mutt (HIGH ENERGY! & STUBBORN!), and I participated in two rounds of Nicole’s dog training classes. The Beginners course goes through the basic commands such as sit, stay, watch me, leave it, and a nice loose leash walk. The Intermediate course went into duration in commands, introduced distance during commands, and healed walking. Huck already had a good grasp of these commands going in so our focus in class was to learn to how to curb his unwanted behavior towards food aggression and other dogs.
Our experience there was incredible! Nicole guided us through training exercises, pointed out behavioral cues, and provided insight on what we should work on and how to move forward. My experience there felt organic and each time we left the class I felt successful and motivated. Practice, consistency, and affection strengthened my bond with Huck and this class made me feel confident when introducing him to new situations. Nicole is the push and perk to getting to our goals quicker and I am very grateful for her.
I’m excited to start the Advanced Training with Huck and with Nicole as my guide because we couldn’t have asked for a better dog trainer!
Leslie R.
I am a happy customer. I took my pitbull pup to get trained at this location and met Nicole who is the “Caesar Milan” of pet trainers. We graduated from both beginner and intermediate class and are moving on to advanced. I recommend going to this location for her expertise alone. Nicole is very understanding and knows how to handle all breeds of dogs as well as teaching me the fundamentals of raising an obedient companion. 5/5 . Thanks Nicole! Tora & I Can’t wait to start advanced class.
Cody H.
Nicole is so AMAZING!!! She made our learning experience fun and so easy to understand. She was always there if we had questions about something, even if I did not have anything to do with what we were learning in class. She took her time and gave different possible solutions to our questions. My Bella loved her teacher and was so excited every time we got to class; to the point she would pass out from excitement lol. Thank you Nicole for all your help and for being an amazing teacher/trainer. When it’s time for Advanced class, we will definitely be coming back and taking Nicole’s class. Thank you again!! :))
Nicole N.
I am a happy customer. I took my pitbull pup to get trained at this location and met Nicole who is the “Caesar Milan” of pet trainers. We graduated from both beginner and intermediate class and are moving on to advanced. I recommend going to this location for her expertise alone. Nicole is very understanding and knows how to handle all breeds of dogs as well as teaching me the fundamentals of raising an obedient companion. 5/5 . Thanks Nicole! Tora & I Can’t wait to start advanced class.
Cody H.
So I decided to give training a shot with my older dog who I felt needed some socialization. I didn’t really have hopes of him actually learning anything and being trained, but my shy rescue was in need of friends. Little did I know what my boy was capable of. Nicole, the trainer, believed in him from the very start and he now knows basic training skills I never imagined he was capable of learning especially at 8 years old. Nicole was so sweet and understanding of every dog in the class and put so much time and effort into every one of them. I ended up going back with my other rescue dog who was extremely anxious and I’ve never seen him so comfortable with a stranger! I can’t say enough about Nicole, she knows what she’s doing and loves it and loves the dogs even more. I ended up moving out of state and the worst thing for me was having to give up Nicole as a trainer. Her style is so unique and perfect for every dog. I wish she could have moved with me!
Megan M.
Nicole is a great dog trainer. She is patient with furry friends and their parents. We’ve taken beginning, intermediate, and advanced training classes with her and she was wonderful. She gets five stars!
Cynthia A.
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