About Hearth and Hounds, LLC

Hearth and Hounds is a small Chapel Hill training practice that states plainly where it works: "Currently servicing Chapel Hill and immediate surroundings." Its stated goal is harmonious households where human and dog are emotionally connected and respectful of each other's needs, built on a common language between guardian and dog.

Approach

The practice describes its method as science-based and positive, and puts it memorably: training "where the operative word is 'yes' and rarely, if ever, 'no'." It is explicit that the work is teaching the owner – "We will teach you, and help YOU train your dog" – and just as explicit that the owner's own behavior is part of the deal.

Services and rates

Private training covers basic obedience, loose-leash walking, recall and crate training at $90 for the first hour with discounts on later sessions. A Canine Good Citizen package runs $575 for six sessions: a 90-minute start session in a local park, four weekly half-hour practice sessions, and the test at the sixth meeting. A Teacher for Hire option brings a five-week class to a group of two to four dogs and their families at the client's own location for $500, with the per-family cost falling as the group grows; the site is careful to say that class follows a set curriculum and is not the place for significant behavior issues, and that all dogs must be friendly with dogs and people.

The trainers

Susan Spinks holds CPDT-KA certification from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, earned in April 2016, and is an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, number 91355. Her published record includes Pet Dog Ambassador Instructor and Assessor from the Pet Professional Guild in 2017, graduating top of her class from Level 1 of the Pat Miller Canine Behavior and Training Academy in 2018, professional membership of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers since 2015, six years mentoring under Jane Marshall at Cheery Dogs, and running the dog training program at Paws4ever in Mebane from January 2020 to June 2022. Melanie Berk also holds CPDT-KA, earned a master's in Animals and Public Policy from Tufts Veterinary School, began specializing in behavior while working at the MSPCA, and is a certified canine enrichment technician. The site says she has a particular affinity for shy, anxious or fearful dogs and specializes in puppies.

Reviews

The practice asks for reviews to be left on Google rather than collected on its own site, with the stated reason that cherry-picked testimonials only show the good ones.