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Jackie the Dog Trainer / SouthPaw Pet Care & Training — 5.0★ (27 reviews), Akron Dog Trainer

Jackie the Dog Trainer / SouthPaw Pet Care & Training

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 27 reviews
1277 Dewitt Dr, Akron, Ohio 44313
Force-freeObedience Training
1277 Dewitt Dr, Akron, Ohio 44313

Overview

FormatIn-home, Online
Training methodForce-free
Experience18+ years as a pet professional
Led byJackie Pekar

About Jackie the Dog Trainer / SouthPaw Pet Care & Training

Services

Jackie the Dog Trainer (also SouthPaw Pet Care & Training), led by Jackie Pekar in the Akron, Ohio area, offers private in-home training and virtual/Zoom sessions. Specialties include puppy manners, separation anxiety, leash pulling, reactivity, barking, potty training, and fear-based behaviors, plus day training and small group puppy socialization.

Approach

Training is positive-reinforcement and force-free — reward-based methods only, without aversive tools or corrections.

Credentials

Jackie is a Karen Pryor Certified Training Partner, a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer, a Fear Free / Force Free Certified Professional.

Who it's for

Owners wanting gentle, reward-based help — especially for puppies, reactivity, or separation anxiety — delivered in their home or online.

What they can help with

In-Home Training ↗
Sessions in your own home, where many behavior problems actually happen.
Separation Anxiety ↗
Easing the panic and destruction some dogs feel when left home alone.
Puppy Training ↗
Early socialization, house-training and first manners for young dogs.
Leash Reactivity ↗
Help for dogs that bite, lunge or react out of fear or aggression.
Obedience Training ↗
Sit, stay, recall and reliable commands, from beginner to advanced.
Puppy Socialization ↗
Early socialization, house-training and first manners for young dogs.

Certifications & verification

GetDogSchool checks each credential against the official public registry. We mark Certified only what we could independently confirm. How we verify →
●
Karen Pryor Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP)
Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, a positive-reinforcement credential. Listed by the trainer — not independently verified. check the registry ↗
●
Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT)
Listed by the trainer — not independently verified.
●
Fear Free / Force Free Certified Professional (FFCP)
Listed by the trainer — not independently verified.

Reviews

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.0 27 reviews · Google
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emily tenney · 6 months ago
★★★★★
We worked with Jackie for our 4-month-old puppy and had such a great experience. She was patient, knowledgeable, and immediately understood our puppy’s personality. It was so important to our family to use positive reinforcement training, and Jackie absolutely delivered.

She made every session fun and easy to follow, and our puppy made noticeable progress right away, better manners, better focus, and so much more confidence. Jackie also supported us outside of sessions and never made us feel silly for asking questions.

If you want a kind, skilled trainer who truly cares, Jackie is the one. We’re so grateful for her help!

MN
melissa nixon · 5 months ago
★★★★★
Jackie was absolutely amazing! She cared for my dog as well as two of my friends’ dogs, including one senior dog with anxiety and special needs. From the start, Jackie was patient, attentive, and incredibly compassionate. She took the time to understand each dog’s personality and needs, and it truly showed in the level of care she provided.
We felt completely at ease knowing the dogs were in such capable and loving hands. Jackie kept us updated, treated every dog like her own, and went above and beyond to make sure they were comfortable and happy. I would trust her again without hesitation and highly recommend her to anyone looking for a reliable, kind, and knowledgeable pet sitter.

KP
Karen Palazzolo · a year ago
★★★★★
Jackie is wonderful. I adopted a 2 year old Aussiedoodle and only wanted to work with a positive reenforcement trainer. No shock collars! Jackie was patient and had so many techniques. My dog went from jumping all over us to sitting on command and from being terrified of the leash and car to driving to the park for walks. Thank you Jackie!

MK
Mandy Kraynak · a year ago
★★★★★
Jackie is an extremely knowledgeable, encouraging, and patient trainer! She has been a major help with my hound pup, Sandy, who has stranger danger and anxiety.

Thanks to Jackie’s guidance, Sandy is making lots of progress growing her confidence and working through her fears.

Jackie came to each session prepared with lots of fun training games planned, but was always ready to pivot to other activities to meet Sandy’s needs in the moment. She is a joy to learn from and shares tons of great information and resources.

I’m so grateful Sandy and I got to work with Jackie!

AB
Ashley Bohinc · a year ago
★★★★★
Jackie is THE BEST. We really wanted a dog trainer who only used positive reinforcement, no shocks or collars. We really loved working with her for loose leash training and we will likely be working with her in the near future to help with separation anxiety. Poppy loved her too!

Recent reviews from Google. View all 27 →

Helpful guides

GuideSeparation AnxietySigns, causes, and the desensitization plan that actually resolves it.Read the guide →GuideAggressive Dog TrainingReactivity, fear, and aggression — what’s treatable and how specialists work safely.Read the guide →GuideDog BehavioristWhen you need a behavior specialist instead of a trainer — and how to tell them apart.Read the guide →

Comparing options in Akron? Browse all Akron dog trainers or read our full training guides.

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