Testimonials

We think we are pretty great, but let some of our clients tell you what they think!

Our family is beyond grateful for Nora and Happy Hounds. I have a difficult time trusting others with Finn, but the moment we met Nora, we knew he was in great hands! He is loved and cared for and it’s easy to tell that he loves her back. (She is his favorite human in the whole world) Finn is well socialized and because of our time with Happy Hounds, we’ve been able to travel with him with ease, enjoy meetups with our neighborhood dog friends, and watch him grow into the fun loving pup that he is! My favorite moments are watching him greet dogs that are smaller than him (and he’s a pretty big guy!) He approaches with such gentleness and loves to play with all of the puppies he meets. I cannot recommend Happy Hounds enough, I promise you won’t regret working with Nora. – Emily H.

We met Nora at a time of desperation for us. We rescued a dog in February 2020 right before “lockdown” due to Covid. No one had any idea the world was going to be turned upside down and what was to come. Our dog, along with many many others, wasn’t going to get the proper socialization he needed, and none of us could’ve predicted that or the implications of it. Our dog turned out to be fearful with no confidence. While he was good with us and our other dogs, he ended up being nervous around anyone outside of our home. One fateful day he bit our friend. We had to do something. Dogs with bite histories don’t generally get rehomed, their fate is often much worse. This stressful time in our life lead us to Nora. Nora came to our house weekly and worked with our dog to slowly build his confidence and gain his trust. We went on walks together and worked on reactivity. She taught us how to make a “safe zone” in our house, so when we could have people over again, our dog felt like he could retreat on his terms. We also worked with snuffle mats and lick mats to exhaust his brain. Week by week, our dog grew more trusting and less anxious. It was such a blessing. We couldn’t be more appreciative and thankful for the help, guidance and patience of Nora. She’s absolutely top-notch at what she does. She’s easygoing and friendly, compassionate, and a great teacher. We can’t thank her enough for helping us through a dark time, and would recommend her to anyone. – Julie H.

Nora, Maven and her team have been enriching our dog Winston’s life for over a year now. We started our Happy Hounds journey with an adventure once a week, and have since added on a small group play date once a week as well. It is so comforting to know that someone who understands our dogs unique needs is looking out for his best interests. Each weeks adventure is unique depending on Winston’s needs at that specific time – and we always get photos showing what the days outing entailed (so fun!). Not only does Nora take Winston out for structured outings, she also helped us at the get-go in getting Winston on CBD and meds (in conjunction with our vet) to help with his anxiety. The differences we saw after a few months were life changing. We can go on walks now past other dogs and not have to turn around in fear that Winnie will have a reaction to the stressors around him. We’ve also learned some great at-home enrichment ideas through their very active Instagram account! We’ve learned to love things like destruction boxes, snuffle mats and filled/frozen West Paw toys thanks to the great content Happy Hounds shares on social media. Lastly, Emma has been an absolute treasured addition to the team. Having an in-home pet sitter available to come stay at our home has given us the freedom to be able to occasionally go out of town and know Win’s in good hands. We’re so grateful for the entire Happy Hounds team!  -Amanda F

Nora began working with our dog, June, well over a year ago.  June is very fearful of new people/new surroundings and her reactivity in those situations made life for her (and us) extremely challenging.  We were at a loss.  We didn’t want the world to be a scary place for June, but we had no idea where to start. When we first met Nora, she immediately made us feel comfortable.  We realized we weren’t alone, and that sometimes dogs are going to need different things – and that’s okay! Nora’s level of respect and patience for the dogs she works with is unmatched.  The first time that Nora met June, June was her typical fearful self.  Nora did not push her, and instead kept her on a long leash while they just sat together.  Nora’s patience way back then (and countless moments of patience along the way) means that today June will run up to her for attention on their adventures. Another great thing about Happy Hounds is that we get to see June’s progress as a result of adventures and small group play, but Nora also gives us tools to use on our own.  We have now learned how to work through June’s triggers in ways that build her confidence.  June is a happier dog because of Nora and Happy Hounds, and we could not be more grateful! – Katie S