Okay Lady K-9 Training, L.L.C. - Fayetteville, Arkansas

Jessica Castro (Williams)

I did a lot of research before landing on Jessica to train our anxious / nervous dog Frank. I was looking for someone who would be patient and understand his needs - he is a collie / great pyrenees mix and I wanted someone who would be patient with him, give him a second to process what was requested before implementing the ecollar, and most importantly work to teach him the tools to help calm his mind. Jessica was an amazing fit - she is endlessly patient (not only with Frank but with us as we learned), was always quick to respond and give updates while Frank was in her care, and you could tell just genuinely loved and cared for our dog as if he was one of her own. I also appreciate that she offers a 3 week program because I think Frank needed that first week to almost just decompress and learn he was safe there.

We initially reached out to Jessica because while Frank is a very sweet dog with us and was mellow / well behaved about 80% of the time, he had a lot of fear and fear reactivity that we just didn't know how to manage for the other 20%. The 20% is I think why it took us a year to finally work with someone but let me tell you, it is honestly life changing having a dog that you have the tools needed to manage 100% of the time! He would bark relentlessly at a lot of males he encountered (including my husband sometimes), was completely out of control when an Amazon / UPS driver or bicyclist drove / rode by or if we passed one on walks (bucking like a bronco to get out of his collar to chase), and was reactive to other dogs on walks. He is truly a completely different dog now! We recently did some work on our house and have had many people, mostly men, in and out working on different things - he calmly goes to place and remains there, and he honestly puts himself in place to work through any big emotion that he previously lashed out at even when we aren't actively asking him to (ex: vacuum on, etc). Our friends have commented on the insane progress he has made and it has truly impacted our daily life so immensely. We are so thankful to Jessica not only for the time she spent with Frank but also her ongoing support and kindness. Can't say enough good things!

Katrina Newman

Came here after feeling helpless and defeated with our dog, Etta. She’s a 3 year old who was raised in a caring home - plenty of social interaction growing up going to dog parks, visiting people, and we even put her in training as a puppy - but she never behaved well. Her behavior got worse over time until she attacked our other family dog because the doorbell rang. We were genuinely scared for her and of her unpredictable behavior. We felt like we had done EVERYTHING online and we even talked to other trainers and vets - nothing worked. UNTIL we came here to Okay Lady.

This program completely changed my life. That sounds dramatic but it IS a dramatic change! We never wanted people over, but now my sister visits all the time with her newborn baby! Etta is so much happier and safer. Our dogs get along perfectly, we can walk anywhere, and we can actually relax at home. Etta is now the best, most well behaved dog. She listens to what we say and obeys HAPPILY 100% of the time.

To be clear - this is a HUGE amount of work and practice. It’s a whole new world full of different rules and routines but it WORKS! We work every day on being better owners and we still contact Jessica, from time to time, to ensure we are still being good owners.

Jessica is one of the kindest people on earth. I remember being really embarrassed when I first came to her with all our problems, but she is patient and understanding. I never felt judged, dumb, or like a bad owner. All communication was clear and immediate. I still text her randomly with questions, concerns, or about boarding availability and she responds quickly.

I went into this so worried that it wouldn’t go well or that the money wouldn’t be worth the results… I believed this was our last hope. My expectations were completely blown away. I received detailed instructions on what to do and WHY. I learned more in the last few weeks from the study material and classes than my whole life growing up with dogs.

Etta is the best dog I’ve ever had and we have Jessica to thank for it. If you are looking at these reviews searching for a way to possibly help your dog THIS IS THE WAY! I only regret not coming here sooner.

Shelby M

Jessica did a wonderful job with my Standard Poodle! We made very positive progress! She taught/advised me how to keep up my dog's training at home and is very helpful answering the nuances of behavior. Highly recommend!!!! My dog LOVES going to see Jessica for training!

Cody Jendro

Jess with OK Lady K9 Training is fantastic. We have been taking our dog to Jess for three and a half years and are very pleased. We started out with Jess’ training program while our dog was still a puppy. It has made all the difference. On and off over the last few years, we have also utilized Jess for boarding while we are out of town. There is nothing better than knowing your furry four-legged is in a safe and happy environment while you are away. That peace of mind has been everything. We could not recommend Jess enough. She is fantastic.

Casey Neill

We hired Jessica at OKLady to train our 3 month old Great Dane. We did the three week basic training course. We loved seeing her Facebook updates of our pup each day. She did a great job of keeping us connected to him while he was in her care. As part of the program we did a mid point session and got to participate and learn everything he had been taught. We have since used Jessica for additional training and boarding services. We would 100% recommend Jessica and OKLady dog training.

Heather Kleber

5 STARS! We are absolutely floored by how well our puppy did with Okay Lady K9 Training!

Honestly, I'm not even sure Jessica gave us the right dog to bring home, because he changed so much! ? Our anxious little pandemic puppy Charlie is a brand new dog with excellent manners.

Our little scholar just came home from his board & train with perfect car manners, perfect leash manners, a perfect heel, threshold manners, sit, down, here, kennel, no, out, and place.

Jessica was able to have Charlie practice the Place command in the middle of an aisle at PetsMart with a dropped leash as she walked away, take him to dinner on a restaurant patio, and enjoy field trips to Gully Park and Wilson Park. This is a HUGE deal, because our puppy has been so scared of new people, places, bikes, cars, car rides, etc. She just opened up a whole new world of possibilities for us!

Jessica is truly a magician. We can tell our sweet Charlie boy really understands us now, which is boosting his confidence. He went from scared of everything pandemic puppy to a much more calm, confident dog who respects his people and understands that he has choices.

One of my favorite things that Jessica does for her clients is that she posts consistent training videos on social media so you can see your dog's progress in real time, feel connected to the training process, and understand how/why she is teaching your dog specific commands. Her holistic and balanced approach to training addresses each dog uniquely, and it is amazing to watch how she creates lessons specific for her clients' needs.

Jessica helped us connect our expectations and leadership abilities to our dog's comprehension -- and then she taught us how to help him be the best version of Charlie he can be. We are so grateful for her knowledge and expertise. Time for Charlie to live his best life!

Cassi Curry

We have had such an amazing experience with Jessica at Okay Lady K-9 Training. She has transformed our two dogs. We never thought our older dog wouldn’t be anxious, run out the door and bark at everything, but he learned so much from Jessica. She really treats them like her own, and works with each individual dog in the way they need it, personalizing their training. We are so thankful for her experience and helping our dogs with their journies.

Michelle Rogers

DEFINITELY 5 STARS!

Jessica can definitely read an animal’s needs and wants to get them to behave like a normal, wonderfully trained, calm, sweet dog. We have been more than pleased with the outcome and it was money well spent.

Lacy was scared of everything before she spent some time with Jessica. I don’t know how she managed to do it, but when Lacy came home she now behaves like a normal, loving dog. She is finally a pleasure to be with. She follows directions and rides in the car like a little trooper, and she will stay right beside me with the heel command.

We would highly recommend Jessica to anyone having an issue with their dog, or to help them adjust to being a well-behaved loving animal.

Michelle Mullin Rogers