"Sonja McBerry has an excellent reputation, having been recommended to me by many people who have had great experiences with her! Sonja helped us with both basic obedience and changing some problem behaviors that our one-year-old puppy had developed. Sonja is a master of her craft of dog-training which she developed through years of experience and education. Throughout our work with Sonja, she was readily available if we had any concerns or questions, and she continues to be available should concerns arise. She is professional, reliable, respectful, and an excellent teacher. Sonja transformed our problem puppy into a delightful and well-behaved dog! No more chewing on inappropriate items, no more leash-pulling, no more jumping up on us or our guests! Thanks to Sonja, we can thoroughly enjoy our dog - without worries! I highly recommend Sonja McBerry of Dog Smart Atlanta!"

Sonja McBerry is knowledgeable and effective. Although we've had dogs in the past, we'd forgotten how to train a new pup. Sonja came to our home and gave us an evaluation session with our dog at no charge. We were quite pleased with her technique and our dog, Beau, just loved her. At the end of each lesson she talked about what he was expected to do. He quickly responded to her instruction. Sonja gave us written instructions after each session. Sonja is wonderful trainer and we highly recommend her.

We had a rescue puppy in need of basic training. Sonja McBerry set us up on a weekly schedule to teach and then reinforce what we needed our puppy to do -- and not do. It worked so well, and so fast! We love that the training was done in our home and not in a setting that we wouldn't normally go to. Also, until she had her full vaccines and flea/tick prevention, keeping her out of a setting with a lot of other dogs was important to us. We would recommend her wholeheartedly!

I highly recommend Sonja with DogSmart Atlanta! I reached out to her after my dog Grace attacked my senior chihuahua Darcy and I was afraid to leave them alone together. She identified that Grace had issues with anxiety and lack of confidence. Sonja is easy to work with and will tailor her training to your unique situation by asking lots of questions. She also offers feedback in a kind way and is patient with both dog and human! I’ve made adjustments to my own behaviors to improve Grace’s anxiety using tips and tools Sonja provided. It’s a work in progress and I’m glad to know that Sonja is available to answer questions in the future

Sonja is the best. She helped us to turn our overly excitable puppy into a calmer one. He is still a work in progress, but fortunately Sonja offers follow up phone calls if we have questions in the future. The secret to her success, in my opinion, is that she very patiently trained us to follow through between sessions. Also of value is the folder with notes of what we practiced each meeting and printouts of Sonja’s training techniques.

Sonja is amazing! Two years after losing our 15 year old pup we decided to get a new puppy.We obviously forgot what puppies were like and our little girl was a handful. I had tried a training course at the pet store which did nothing but leave me frustrated. I told my vet about my frustration and asked if he knew any trainers and he suggested I give Sonja a call. She had worked with several of his clients as well as one of his techs. I later found out she also worked with two of my neighbors. From my first phone call I could tell this was worth a try. She listened to me and was honest in letting me know when my expectations were too high for a 3 month old puppy. Once she came for the eval I was sold. I could tell she was knowledgable and passionate the way she interacted with Ellie. She has worked with Ellie as she has developed month to month but more importantly she worked with me in understanding my puppy and our relationship. She has helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel as we continue to work through this puppy stage. Sonja talks about your goals and what is needed to reach them . I wanted to be able to take Ellie out in public so we did training at the park and a shopping area . Sonja gave me the tools so that I have the confidence when I go out with Ellie. Another important thing is that Sonja is available even after the training when I have questions always checking to see how things are going. I would not hesitate to recommend Sonja to anyone who is serious about making your dog the best they can be. I am forever thankful that I met her.