Professional Testimonials
We are so grateful to have had the support of Virginia at Happily Furever After Rescue! She generously donated her time to offer virtual training sessions for our foster volunteers, and her kindness, knowledge, and professionalism truly stood out.
What we appreciate most is Virginia’s commitment to using only positive reinforcement methods. Her approach is compassionate, effective, and easy to follow—helping our fosters better understand and support the dogs in their care. From building confidence to addressing common behavioral challenges, her guidance has made a lasting impact on our team and the pups we rescue.
We can’t thank Virginia enough for her generosity and expertise, and we highly recommend her to anyone looking for a skilled and thoughtful dog trainer!
~ Jaclyn Gartner, Happily Furever After Rescue, Bethel, CT
Ms. Dare is one of the most knowledgeable professional trainers and seminar presenters that I know. Dog training seems to come naturally to her. She has a way of explaining scientific terms so they are easy to understand. For me, one of the most telling signs of a great trainer is how her dogs behave. She always has five or more dogs of varying sizes and temperaments and they are all so well-behaved. When I am stumped with a training issue, I call her and she always has good suggestions to help me.
~ Connie Snavely, Owner of Happy Tails Dog Training, Madison Hts., VA
Virginia Dare is, without question, one of the most gifted animal behavior experts I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to know. I met her relatively early in my career, and as my own experience and knowledge base grew, it became more and more apparent to me how very fortunate I was to have enjoyed her mentorship.
Virginia is the whole package. She possesses a sound understanding of learning theory and ethology, and she applies the scientific principles behind effective behavior modification with considerable skill. Watching her teach new behaviors, I’ve often thought that she makes the communication between trainer and animal look like an art form. She’s also an adept problem solver and always offers creative solutions when discussing strategies for changing undesirable behavior. I’d never hesitate to send the most challenging cases her way.
Not only does Virginia work magic with animals; she’s also an incredible trainer of people. Whether educating a whole room of animal behavior professionals during a lecture or teaching a pet owner one-on-one, Virginia explains both the “how” and “why” when acting as instructor. She delivers information clearly, patiently and empathetically.
Virginia’s accomplishments are many and her range of experience is broad. She has produced multiple entertaining and instructional videos on clicker training, each one full of useful guidance for pet owners and trainers alike. She’s worked with a variety of species, including cats, dogs, rats, horses and exotic animals. She developed and maintained several successful prison training programs. She’s done hands-on work with shelter animals, helping many find homes, and provided invaluable consultations for shelter behavior experts. She’s an engaging speaker, popular on the professional lecture circuit. She has years of experience counseling pet owners, resolving behavior problems to restore bonds and keep cats and dogs in their homes.
To sum it up, Virginia Dare is our field’s version of the “triple threat.” She has it all---a solid and extensive knowledge base, the ability to apply that knowledge to change the behavior of animals effectively and efficiently, and, finally, years of experience to inform her work. Simply put, she is one of the best. I emphatically, wholeheartedly recommend her.
~ Kristen Collins, MS, ACAAB / Senior Director, ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center
I first met Ms. Dare over 15 years ago when she provided an in-service on canine training at the veterinary clinic where I was working. I was impressed then with her gentle training techniques, the clear results of the training and the obvious affection that her canine companions had for her. Her training methods were in sharp contrast with other trainers who had come to the same veterinary setting. Over the years, in my practice as a veterinarian, when asked for a recommendation for an animal trainer, Virginia's name always came to mind.
​Most recently, she has aided me in the training of my own young and impulsive Labrador Retriever. Her recommendations were easy to practice at home and the lessons reinforced on dvd. Two lessons were scheduled at her home where I had the opportunity to see at least a partial collection of her references on training - it was quite impressive and evidence of her dedication to the art of animal training. I would recommend her, without reservation, to anyone looking for assistance with their pet's education.
~ Marissa Gonzalez, DVM, Lakeside Animal Hospital, Richmond, VA
Ms. Dare is amazing. Over the past four years, I've seen her train more than 20 inmates to be exceptional dog trainers at the largest maximum security women's prison in the North/Mid East. To date, well over 110 dogs have been trained and adopted to families, with a current CGC success rate of over 90%. Yes, the shelter dogs are beautifully trained, but perhaps more importantly, her grace, care, clarity, patience, and commitment have created healing and transformation in the lives of human beings that most of society have given up on. Each of us would be fortunate to have Ms. Dare in our life.
~ Susan Perry, Counselor at Fluvanna Correction Center for Women, Troy, VA