Bette Yip’s Picture Perfect Pets

It takes a village to raise a puppy and Puppy Day School was my village!
My pup went to Puppy Day School two times a week for a little over a year. I only stopped because the space was too small for him to really run. (He’s a fast, energetic, Standard poodle — any indoor space smaller than Costco is too small.)
The staff were consistently gentle and patient with my pushy pup and had great advice every time I brought up a problematic behavior. They helped him figure out how to play politely with other dogs, reinforced all the training I was doing at home and exposed him to everything from people using crutches or wearing funny hats, to skateboards, to strollers with small children. I now have a well behaved, confident dog who LOVES people, and who can be trusted to play with just about any other dog. That’s not all because of Puppy Day School — genetics and training at home also played a part — but I’m so happy they were part of the mix.

Run. Stay away. They took my money to lock my puppy in a small crate meant only for transport in solitary confinement in a back office for nearly the entire day every day for over 6 months as part of a «training regiment» that we had «discussed». I didn’t know a timeout mentioned in a daily report card once several months ago meant that.
We could have locked her up for free at home if that’s what we wanted. We thought we were paying all that money for our pup to get lots of love and training, and have a good day while we work.
As a result of being locked up, she came home frustrated and wound up, and her hips started cracking before her first birthday, probably due to being forced to crouch most of the day. I don’t know if she got enough food, water, or potty time while she was locked away like that. I’m so glad we finally found out what these psychos were doing to our baby! Once we did hear about it, several sources were able to confirm it. This business knows what to say to make it sound like everything is all good, but DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT YOUR DOG IS DOING AFTER YOU DROP THEM OFF?
We now take her to a large doggy day care with tons of room to run and play, they offer all the same services and then some for slightly cheaper, plus they have web cams so we can see her running around and loving life. Any behavioral issues we had concerns about before are fine now that she’s not neglected and locked in a tiny box. She is such a happy sweet puppy. Now she has a chance to get proper attention and exercise for a dog her age and size, and to be well adjusted. We can take her anywhere with confidence that she’ll behave with people and other dogs, now that we got away from picture prefect pets.

Bette is incredibly devoted and passionate about dogs and training them using positive reinforcement. She clearly is doing what she loves and it shows! We have received countless compliments about how well behaved our puppy is, and trust me it’s 100% due to Bette and her staff. We could not be happier that we went with Bette!

I first contacted Bette Yip of Picture Perfect Pets in March of 2013. We started with a home visit from one of her trainers. We were not thrilled with the session and ended up mentioning it to a friend. That friend mentioned the experience to Bette and Bette reached out to me for more info. How amazing that a business owner cared enough to reach out to me?! We discussed my concerns and Bette offered me a free session with her as a second chance for my business. The session with Bette was the best decision I had ever made! She is so knowledgeable and has an enormous amount of patience.
We signed up for a Pass the Puppy class, then moved onto training level one and two, and I even got private training sessions with Bette. She is AMAZING! And offers great discounts promotions from time to time.
In the beginning of 2014 Bette opened a Puppy Day School in Burlington, which is a brilliant service. It is not just doggie day care — they train your dog while they are there! The skills Maggie learned in training classes are strengthened and built upon every time she goes to the Day School. She is so much better at home now… and I didn’t have to do the hard work!
I am amazed by how excellent the communication is as well. Emails, phone calls, and/​or text messages are responded to quickly and every day Maggie goes to school, I am emailed a «report card» shortly after I pick her up. The report card details everything Maggie did that day — what her training sessions consisted of, potty breaks, and play time. And if there is an issue that needs to be communicated, Bette is on it. She really cares about her students.
The facility is spotless and they use only veterinarian approved products (cleaning supplies and treats). She spares no expense and buys the best even if it costs more.
I am so happy Bette reached out to me for a second chance. Otherwise I would be missing out on what has turned out to be the best dog training my family could have asked for.

When our vet had recommended Picture Perfect Pets we had no idea how great of a recommendation we got. We signed up for Puppy group training class and the Puppy Day School.
The group puppy class really thought us (the owners) so much about positive reinforcement training. And Bette was so calm with our very hyper puppy. There has been a huge difference in our puppy’s behavior. So much so that we decided to sign him up for the puppy day school so that we do not lose any traction in his behavior progress.
What other place can you board your puppy all day, feel confident that you are leaving them in good hands and to top it all off there is controlled structure and training all day? I cannot stress enough how happy we have been with Picture Perfect Pets. You truly cannot go wrong with Bette’s training services.

Need a dog whisperer? Look no further. She’s an excellent trainer and I’ve been to several over the decades with various dogs. Not sure about the photography, but her pics look great. Be forewarned; she’s more expensive than most. But you get what you pay for in training. Invest a little money now and have a well-​behaved dog forever.

Bette Yip must have been a dog in a past life because she understands every gesture and noise they make.
After puppy classes and private lessons, our dog is absolutely in love with Bette. All her training is built around positive reinforcement and working to get the dog calm and comfortable in a variety of situations.
In addition to being a great instructor, Bette is an involved member of the Arlington dog owner community. Once you know her, you’ll see her working with dogs at the park, helping out in local causes, and contributing to the discussion on the facebook groups. She’s as kind and understanding with dog people as she is with dogs.
There’s a reason Picture Perfect Pets is continually ranked among the very best dog trainers.

Bette is amazing! She does not waste time judging you or making you feel guilty about how you may have um, not done the best job training your dog before you called her. She understands dogs and is a walking advanced course in dog body language and behavior. Her sessions have distinct goals and she always tries to end on a high note– for both your sake and your pup’s. I am still a good distance from where I want both me and my dog to be, but Bette has given me the hope our goals are achievable, and the tools to start the journey. Most importantly in my mind, she clearly loves dogs and will make you feel like your pup is the most terrific, loving dog in the world. Even when both you and your dog are not at your best, her patience and confidence pulls you through!

After looking at all the local dog training locations in greater Boston we choose Picture Perfect Pets for our Boxer Puppy. We were fortunate enough to signup for a class run by the owner Betty, but hear the other trainers are great too. The pricing was competitive, a million times better than the top dog training location in the South End of Boston. Most importantly, they practice positive dog training like Ian Dunbar and the top Dog Psychologists have suggested is the best way. One note, the puppy class was all small dogs and our puppy boxer was a bit larger breed and more active than a typical small dog. But she offers a class for puppies and larger dogs that may be a better bet for larger breeds. She also overs training videos on her member site which are helpful and our dog is the most well behaved dog now we’ve ever had. We plan on eventually signing up for the second advanced class too!

Our cockapoo’s breeder suggested we work with Bette Yip for individual dog training. Bette came to our home and helped us train our dog in a positive manner, that would be enjoyable for both dog and owners. She had a lot of great ideas and really helped us in the areas where we were struggling!
We also enrolled our dog in Bette’s puppy kindergarten class — which was great! There were 6 smaller dogs in our class and our dog learned basic commands as well as had a safe outlet to socialize with other puppies. I’d recommend Bette to anyone in the Boston area!

Bette is saving my life right now! I recently adopted a lab, and she is helping me through all of the transitional issues. I signed up for the obedience classes with her company, which will start this week, but also signed up for a ½ price private training session. She was incredibly helpful, friendly, great with the dog. But the most important thing to me is that she has been completely accessible via email whenever anything has come up. I feel like she goes above and beyond to make sure her clients (and their dogs) are happy.

Bette Yip was recommended by the breeder who sold us our cockapoo — and we are so lucky to have found her. We’ve done puppy classes and individual training sessions — the combination works perfectly for our family and our puppy. She is boundlessly patient, extremely flexible, not at all condescending (even though I know NOTHING about training dogs). She has an infectious enthusiasm for dogs — finds something to love about every pup in the class — but still reminds us that the dogs need to learn to fit OUR lives.
Classes are mostly hands-​on, she explains the logic behind her instructions and method, but gives everyone the chance to try everything out. Very convenient location in Arlington Center; parking is easy any time of day.
She is accommodating in the group classes — welcomes even several trainers per pup, makes children feel welcome (and makes sure they know what they can do and what they should let adults do). My kids love her.
Absolutely worth every penny.

We’ve worked with several dog trainers over the years. Bette Yip is the best.
Her small-​group classes are hands-​on and information-​rich. She structures the time so that the dogs have some free socialization time, which is equally valuable when it comes to teaching good doggie manners.
Bette is just as passionate about working with dogs as she is with working with their owners. It’s a rare person who can strike that perfect balance – and Bette does so with ease.
Whether you’re a first-​time dog owner or a seasoned puppy parent, Bette is full of useful tips and techniques that will help you be proud of your well-​behaved pooch.

My family recently brought three of our dogs over for portraits, and we are thrilled with the process and results! Bette was able to wrangle three dogs with all sorts of weird drama between them and take beautiful photos.

Bette has helped me train my dog who is now on her way to being a therapy dog. I found Bette enormously helpful and a very creative problem solver. She has great ideas and tecniques and if you practice them your dog will learn. She is non judgemental and just interested in helping you work things out with your dog/​s.

Bette is great! I started taking my morkie puppy to the group puppy lessons. After that was over, I began home lessons. We’re 2 sessions into the home lessons and I’m very pleased with our progress. Bette has a great personality and truly loves what she does. I’m happy to have found her (and I found her from all the other wonderful reviews on Unilocal)! Thanks Bette and thanks Unilocal

I still haven’t gotten back to Picture Perfect Pets for more classes, but I’ve considered some, along with private sessions. Each time I’ve had a question, I’ve emailed Bette, and she’s taken time to thoughtfully respond and advise me on any and all questions I have about Woofie.
She’s also gone way above and beyond for someone (me) who took a single training class at her school nearly a year ago; today, I emailed her with a marketing question, and a few months ago, I included her on a list of people I sent an email about a friend’s cousin’s dog who was in dire need of a home.
Bette spread the word about the poor little guy– who now has a home in Virginia – and found him a back-​up home with a friend who takes in foster dogs. She offered to feature him in her email newsletter, and checked in with me later to see if he’d found a permanent family.
Not only a model small business owner who always looks for feedback and offers great deals on her services, Bette’s sincere love for dogs and compassion for their owners is matched by few. She is a genuinely awesome person, and I wish her the best success with Picture Perfect Pets.

Picture Perfect Pets is the perfect place to take your little puppy for socialization classes, or your adopted (not afraid) dog for grown-​up training classes.
When my little adopted dog couldn’t attend Bette’s (fun) skills training (using the clicker method) group for dogs because of his excessive anxiety, Bette came to the rescue! She recommended armloads of books, a CD called, «Through a Dog’s Ear,» which is classical music specially formulated to calm dogs (check it out: it really works for separation anxiety, fear of storms, and problems on road trips!), as well as a downloadable booklet of suggestions, which she compiles for every training group.
Not only is she extremely knowledgeable and resourceful, but Bette is generous with her time and energy; she wrote me page-​long emails of helpful hints, advice, asked me questions, and offered support.
Bette is rockstar good! She’s clearly an expert in the field of dog training.

Great dog trainer, for both the life time dog owner or the new dog owner. They have an approach that is first rate and the personality and patience to get you and your pet to where you want to be.

Okay, I have to post an update as I just had photos done with Bette as well… in a word, AWESOME!
I didn’t know what to expect but it was a lot of fun, for both myself and my pup! (As evidenced by the smile on her face.)
The photo shoot was fast (*not* rushed — Bette is a complete professional and managed to get great shots in no time) which kept the energy good, made for a really fun experience and the pictures were great! Bette even got some really great action shots, which are by no means easy.
I don’t think I was super photogenic that day and it just didn’t matter… Bette really captured the essence of my relationship that I have with my dog and THAT is what makes the pictures beautiful — she somehow got me looking my best (my pup ALWAYS looks great) even if I wasn’t feeling that way to begin with.
I definitely recommend doing this with your pets!

Love it! My pup just completed level one, and she went from whining the entire first class (she REALLY likes other dogs), to lying down calmly between exercises on the last one!
Bette is super nice and incredibly helpful, and will work wonders as long as you put in the work! After all, this is more about training you rather than training your dog!

Bette Yip runs this outstanding, «Best of Boston 2006» «Best Training School» for dogs. As the name suggests, she also does pet portraits.
We brought our puppy, now 5 ½ months, to her 6-​week «Puppy Perfect» course and it’s been great. We learned that the owner needs more training than the dog! It’s worth the hard work, though, and Bette is VERY helpful and supportive.
Classes are held in small groups to guarantee attention for each owner/​pet, and range from Puppy Perfect to Doggy Do-​Right, Doggy Do-​Better, and Beyond the Basics. Bette also runs private sessions and home sessions.