Testimonials

Professionalism & Dedication

From our first encounters with BlueDog & Kimberly we have been nothing but impressed by the professionalism & dedication. It is certainly impressive & exciting to watch Kim transform her expertise & love for dogs into a thriving small business.

We love our dog walker Meghan, she is great with our timid pug, & reading up on the daily dog logs when we return home from work is always fun.

We especially appreciate BlueDog’s unquestioning flexibility given our unpredictable schedules. Overall, we could not be putting Tula in better hands when we are out for the day!

Jordan

We have been so pleased with BlueDog and Benny just adores Tara! She is always so kind, has great communication, and is very respectful. We always feel that our beloved fur baby is in the best hands when we’re at work! I also love the upgraded system for scheduling and digital notes. Knowing exactly when she leaves, helps my husband and I coordinate our return home.

Couldn’t Be More Impressed

Our dog Sophie is a nine year old yellow lab who is our first child. We have a busy household of two young children and sometimes Sophie was getting denied her walks, so we found Blue Dog to help us out. I met with Kim and Sophie’s new walker (Amy) and couldn’t have been more impressed with the both of them.

We started our weekly walks in August of 2010 and unfortunately just a month into her walks, we received some heart breaking news about her health. She had been diagnosed with bone cancer and the Dr. had given her a matter of months to survive. My husband and I were completely devastated and we were not ready to give up on her, so we chose to do Chemotherapy.

Obviously, Sophie’s walks had to stop for a little while and I called Kim to let her know. I didn’t expect to get the response that I did from Kim and Amy, considering that Sophie had only been on a couple of walks with them. Kim had wrote me a very encouraging email(s) and also sent me recommendations of vitamins to try and help her, I was completely grateful!

Then there was Amy, who seemed completely devastated when I told her and very concerned. There were cookies and a toy left for Sophie on her last walk and a very nice letter from Amy and Blue Dog.

After six months of Chemotherapy, nothing had changed and we were stuck with a very hard decision and that was to amputate her leg or lose her. We chose amputation and Sophie went into surgery in January and it was very successful. Unfortunately, we had already booked a vacation in February and I was stuck on what to do.

We have never left her in a kennel and immediately thought of Blue Dog and Amy, to see if they could help us. Luckily, Amy was able to house sit for us for one week and she was wonderful. She went over and beyond to make Sophie (and us) feel comfortable and well taken care. While I was away, I would receive text messages about Sophie and all of the daily errands that Amy took her on.

I feel very lucky to have found Blue Dog and I know that Sophie feels the same way. Watching Sophie run to the door wagging her tail every time she sees Amy and her little dog Jal, makes us all so happy!

Michele

Mary is the BEST walker we have ever had and I am saying that after being with you all for over 10 years. She is so attentive and kind to Oreo. He absolutely adores her. Blue Dog is a wonderful company to work with and we feel lucky to be a customer!

Always There to Help

BlueDog is so reliable and trustworthy! We have had Kim walk our dog for the past two years and she is so good with our Labrador. She taught her how to walk on the leash like a good girl and she gives her a ton of exercise and helps expend her puppy-like energy.

Kim has helped us out at the last minute when we get stuck at work or even when I was headed into the delivery room with our first born… she is always there to help with our pup. We would definitely recommend BlueDog to anyone.

Not only is it a great dog walking service but they also have great tips on how to care for your dog and obedience suggestions, as well.

We cannot thank the staff at BlueDog enough

A year and a half ago my husband and I took home a Frenchie puppy named Birkin. After about 3 months of struggling with potty training issues we thought it was the right time to enroll her in training classes at BlueDog. My husband and I could tell right away that our trainer Amy was extremely knowledgeable as Amy quickly helped us solve our potty training dilemma. Amy helped us realize that Birkin was aware that she needed to go outside to go to the bathroom but that she couldn’t figure out how to tell us that she had to go. Amy suggested that we try bell training and within 2 weeks of instituting the bell training Birkin was potty trained! We knew from the beginning that Frenchie’s are stubborn, which makes them difficult to train and Birkin proved to be very stubborn. We wanted to give up but Amy encouraged us to keep going as she knew that Birkin could be trained. Amy helped us to tailor the training program to meet Birkin’s needs by having us focus on learning 1 command instead of trying to learn all of the commands at once. We started by focusing on the sit command and as Birkin mastered that command we focused on another one. Amy was right Birkin could be trained; Birkin is now in college and will be taking the Canine Good Citizen Exam shortly. If it weren’t for Amy’s knowledge and encouragement we wouldn’t be where we are today. We cannot thank the staff at BlueDog enough.

Competent, Friendly & Upbeat

We have been customers of BlueDog for over a year now, and we are beyond satisfied with the care and attention our chocolate lab Simon has received. Amy, his primary walker, is truly a dog whisperer. The best part of Simon’s day is when he goes happily out for a brisk walk with her and her own little buddy, Jal. Simon loves having them come over, and she’s even snuck in a few training moments much to our delight. We couldn’t be more happy than to have such a competent, friendly, and upbeat walker.

I’m also extremely impressed with the professionalism and reliability of Kim and BlueDog in general, particularly in comparison to other services we had tried. Kim has been very gracious in accommodating our varying scheduling needs, is very accessible via phone and e-mail, and works very hard to provide as many fun opportunities for her clients as possible. The information sent around in her newsletters, as well as contained on her website, has proven very useful (especially the anti-skunk recipe!)

In sum, we can’t say enough positive things about BlueDog. This is by far the best dog-walking experience we’ve had, and I take every opportunity to recommend BlueDog to friends. I’m sure they’d do a wonderful job for your furry family member as well.

Mary

My experience with both Alex and Kris, with all the walkers who have cared for Mona, in fact, has been terrific. I get thorough feedback, especially in the electronic forms, and I know Mona loves them. I appreciate the high standard BlueDog has for its walkers and feel fortunate that Mona has such caring folks working with her.

Genuine Care, Excellent Training

There really aren’t words for how much genuine care we received from Eric & Kimberly at BlueDog and how grateful we are for the excellent training.

Our 4-year old dachshund had become increasingly reactive both on-leash and off-leash and was beginning to make our 1-year old puppy a bit skittish as well. While he was a gentle sweetheart at home, walks in the neighborhood were nearly impossible and any canine interaction was a potentially volatile situation.

We were referred to BlueDog through a friend and I was immediately impressed with the prompt response to my initial call and the length of time Kim took to discuss our needs. Her genuine concern for our situation was evident.

(Our trainer) Eric’s unique approach built up both Dublin’s confidence and mine with each successive week. We learned to understand our dog and communicate in his canine “language” and become effective, confident “pack leaders” for him to follow. Eric is talented, knowledgeable and very personable; taking time to explain each step of the process and why it works.

The transformation has been astounding; our once very barky, nervous dog has become relaxed, comfortable and non-reactive while out in public. He is more playful at home and seems to be a happier guy overall. My 12-year old daughter started using the training techniques with our puppy and she’s discovered that she is a strong “pack leader” as well.

After only five weeks, I was able to walk both my dogs downtown, interact with other owners and their dogs and even take both my pups to the very active Andover Day festivities where they chilled out and watched the action go by without a fuss. BlueDog has given us all the tools to keep our dogs on the right track.

BlueDog exceeded our expectations many, many times over! Going forward we may even give the Canine Good Citizen class a try (hard to imagine a few months ago!) and will be using their house sitting services as well. Looking forward to dropping in on the free Walking Club this fall as well!

Always Come Through

I have been a client of BlueDog for approximately two years and I think they are wonderful. All of the dog caretakers are warm and caring (Wilbur has a particular crush on Amy!) and I do believe my dog is truly loved while I am away from my home. They leave messages and updates (alerting me to anything “off” in my dog so I can follow up and attend to) and they are very reliable.

Sometimes my schedule is erratic and last minute but they always come through. I would highly recommend BlueDog to any person needing a dog walker/caretaker.

Reliability & Flexibility

Our dog is a handful on a leash! BlueDog does a great job giving him the exercise he needs during his long days home alone. We can’t thank them enough for their continued reliability and flexibility. We also love the journal about his daily walks!

Molly

Kate is a lovely, kind and conscientious person and Sophie clearly loves going on walks with her. I really appreciate that Kate is very accepting of Sophie’s quirks and even disagreed when I characterized Sophie as “difficult” (which she kinda is)! I always feel confident that Sophie will be safe and well taken care of with Kate. I couldn’t be happier.

Provided Teaching & Encouragement

I am happy to send this testimonial for BlueDog knowing without hesitation that in the 3 years you’ve worked with our family, and I mean our whole family, humans and dogs alike, there has never once been a time that I questioned your commitment to our dogs or the competency and passion you show as a public service business.

With the growth your business has seen, over the years, we’ve never felt that our dogs are any less important a priority to you than when you first began.

You shepherded our whole family through the new experience of being dog owners. You supported the problem solving phases and the training moments that come with rescuing dogs.

You provided the teaching and encouragement we so very much wanted and needed. When we call to adjust schedules, and we do that often, you have ALWAYS accommodated.

The comfort our dogs have with each of you on the daily visits and the overnights is our strongest measure. Thank you for all that you offer.

A lot of helpful information

I just wanted to say that I’m very happy with Tom Prendergast’s training. I’ve met with him twice and he has a lot of helpful information and techniques. I look forward to future sessions training me to work with my German Shepherd pup.

Thank you Tom for all of your information and training!

Mia – Shy and Timid

Most of you know that Mia is a super shy and timid pup. We adopted her in October of 2021 and haven’t had any house guests other than our next door neighbors & occasionally my brother (who Mia was not a fan of) up until March of this year. Mia loves our neighbors so that’s never been an issue for her.

We recently had my mother-in-laws birthday as well as my brother’s birthday celebration at our house. Needless to say, the first time Mia saw random people (to her) walk into our home, she was way less enthusiastic as any of us were to celebrate.

I have used the training that I have learned from working at BlueDog and going to classes with Mia to help her settle down around ‘strangers’. I have used the Open & Close Bar as well as clicking training everytime she looked up at them sitting at the table; associating our family with good things happen (lots of treats).

It took Mia about 10-12 mins to finally relax and stop barking at them. Once she stopped barking we gave her a station cue and followed it up with a tasty bone. She was pretty content eating the bone in the same room on her station and we were able to enjoy the celebration without a barking dog🤗🐾👏 The BEST part of this for my family and I was that after meeting my brother for at least 4 different times, she was FINALLY comfortable enough (with a TON of positive interactions & reinforcements) to go up to him, kiss him and play fetch with him💖It absolutely warmed my heart to see how far she has come!!

This is ALL thanks to the guidance and support from the amazing trainers at Blue Dog

Reliable, Accommodating & Loving

When we adopted our 3 year old lab Jake last year we hired Blue Dog to walk him while we were at work during the day. On one or two occasions I have been home when Meghan has arrived and Jake gets so excited and runs to see her. She always takes him for nice long walks and leaves me a detailed note on how he acted and what he “did”. BlueDog has been reliable, accommodating and loving toward Jake.

Our “little” 80 pounder didn’t know how to walk on a leash when we first got him and Meghan helped us train him so that now he is a perfect gentleman. Kimberly is a true professional and always responds right away and follows through if I have any schedule changes. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Blue Dog.

Ruby – 123 Game

I’m practicing having [Ruby] sit when people approach while we’re out walking. A couple of weeks ago a runner was coming up a hill as we were going down. I had her sit and then I stepped on her leash so I could do open bar hands-free. After he passed, I made the mistake of removing my foot from the leash before I grabbed the handle. Well, in that very moment she got a terrible case of the zoomies and went bouncing down the hill like a popcorn kernel. Of course, my immediate reaction was to start running after her shouting “Ruby! Ruby!”. I don’t need to tell you how (in)effective that was. I had to think fast and the only thing I could think to do was 123. So, I started counting. “One…two…,” and as I took a breath in to say three, she whipped around with a big goofy smile and came galloping towards me, “I know this game! I know this game!” I would probably still be chasing her through the neighborhood if it weren’t for that game. 🙂

Lynn

We are thrilled with the care and attention that Ally receives on her walks with Alex. As you know, we really don’t need her to be walked as I am home now, but we just love Alex and Blue Dog so much that we continue her walks! We are very happy with Blue Dog and always recommend them to anyone who asks

Noticed a Significant Difference

Thanks to BlueDog, Riley and I completed a complete loop around the complex with her at my heels with a loose leash and no physical corrections! She braved the wind and stayed focused on me even with the garbage cans flying around us. We passed 5 dogs all of whom barked/lunged at her. One of the dogs was less than 10 feet away when we passed.

Riley remained by my side, loose-leashed, focused, (though clearly aware of the other dogs) with no aggressive reaction! I noticed a significant difference in her on leash behavior after Eric walked her last week.

I have no question in my mind that it is because of working with you and your team that Riley is as well behaved as she is. Thank you for all your help!

Dina

I’m so happy with the service and Steve is fantastic! He is so great with Lulu and he is so professional and reliable – a very kind man!

Knowledgeable, Professional & Flexible

When we got our 8 week old puppy Sam, we were in a panic to find someone we could trust to let him out multiple times a day for puppy pee breaks and exercise while we are at work. We were thrilled to finally have our puppy and did not want him to suffer for our busy schedules. Maintaining consistency by having BlueDog there when we can’t be, has truly made such a significant difference in Sam’s training. It would have been very difficult to get him as far as he’s come without them.

We’ve found we gained not only a dog walker but a trainer and additional resource for our puppy questions and socialization efforts for him. I am so thankful that we found Kim’s team. Sam lights up when his walker Jenn arrives and it makes us happy to know he is so well cared for.

While handing a key to your home and the care of a family member over to a stranger can be an unsettling idea, it is without hesitation that I say BlueDog proves worthy of this trust from day one, and more than lives up to their promise to put the care of your dog first. They are knowledgeable, professional and flexible at all times, really what more can you ask for?

Sam captured our hearts from day one and is an important member of our family. It is such a relief to know that he is in such excellent hands when we are away from him. Thank you BlueDog for all you do.

So Impressed

[BlueDog is] getting more and more professional by the minute! I am so impressed. I love that you will have the BlueDog logs. Sometimes I feel bad that the girls have to write a whole long thing about the walk. Love everything. Great Job. You truly are the only service to use in the Andovers!

Flexible & Accommodating

Kim is a warm and wonderful person who really cares about the dogs she walks and their owners. She’s been walking my wonderful little mutt for about 2 years and I know how much Sasha loves her time with Kim and her 2 collies.

Kim is always flexible and accommodating when my schedule changes and I’ve never had a problem getting in touch with her, whether it’s a text, email or phone call. She always goes the extra mile for Sasha – making sure that she has water, paying attention to the weather and leaving me notes about their walk including any details that she thinks might be significant.

She is very in tune to Sasha and I believe that Kim caters to each dog to address their individual needs. Kim also has high standards for the girls who work for her and they are just as wonderful as Kim is.

Everyone at Blue Dog is dependable, responsible and caring, and I trust them all completely. I’m so glad I have them to care for my dog and brighten up her day when I can’t be there – I know she is in good hands.

Irene

Loving Bue Dog and Love, love, love our dog walker Micheal! He’s reliable and Whisky seems to love him! Whiskey is always calmer on the days that Michael walks him so I know that Michael gives him a good work out! Michael always leaves a detailed note of his day with Whiskey too — which I love. Couldn’t be happier!

We cannot recommend BlueDog enough

We cannot recommend BlueDog enough! I have gone to other companies to train other pets in the past, and nothing compares to the trainers and programs BlueDog provides. Everyone who works there is nothing short of amazing! We have been taking classes as a family with our two dogs and any issue that we may have gets constructively addressed during class by making the proper adjustments, whether they be how to position the pups, how our body language affects them, or even how we are training them. Along with teaching our dog’s new commands and how to socialize with them, we also get to have fun in class by learning new tricks which are always fun to show off to others. The whole family looks forward to attending classes and events because we know we are in a safe, enriching environment with our dogs. I know that I can personally trust everyone who works there with Lady and Optimus because they’ve shown that they love them and all dogs just as much as I do.

Amy does an amazing job

Amy has the challenge of not only training my headstrong beagle, Anna, but also my brother with moderate special needs. Getting the two of them to work together is no easy feat, but Amy is doing an amazing job!

Provide Peace of Mind

BlueDog is a cut above other dog walking services. The staff are responsible, flexible and accommodating to my ever changing work schedule; more important, they truly care about my pup Bella and it shows with the attention and affection they give her.

I love having a designated walker who takes the time to get to know Bella and her routine; Bella loves her special play time with her walker, Meghan. BlueDog does more than walk dogs; they provide peace of mind for dog owners.