Barbara Jean (and her team) are amazing trainers to work with and I cannot recommend her enough! What makes her a step above other trainers in the area is that Barbara Jean takes time to understand your and your dog’s needs and goals and helps you to train the dog in front of you. Working with her will help you understand your dog better.

Barbara Jean is amazing no exaggeration. Before training, my dog, Pippa, was very anxious, unpredictable, and aggressive, making it difficult to be with other dogs and people. During the consultation, we already saw so many changes and were extremely impressed. We actually thought she had switched out my dog with a new one because Pippa was so calm and relaxed. On the first night, Barbara Jean put her pizza on the floor, and Pippa, who was known for jumping up ONTO the table, DID NOT move out of “place”. Barbara Jean’s teaching is direct and applicable. She gave us the tools to establish expectations and ways to communicate with Pippa. After 5 private lessons, Pippa is a much happier and confident dog, because she understands the boundaries. A huge success is that Pippa can be OFF LEASH, something I laughed at when Barbara Jean said was possible. I can’t thank Barbara Jean enough, she has truly changed my relationship with Pippa. I would highly recommend Barbara Jean, she is worth every penny and my only regret is not starting sooner! Thanks, Barbara Jean & Really Special Animals! You have changed our lives!

We adopted our pup Louie from a shelter in the south and he was quite a handful, Barbara Jean and the staff at Really Special Animals have really done wonders working with him. He has done 2 group classes and day school and he loves it there! We also recently rescued a puppy and he will be doing a group class as well because we know how well it worked for Louie!

I love Barbara-Jean. She is just like the dog whisperer. It feel like my pups listen to her the First time training like she has this power over them lol. It’s so cool ! She really helps my pups behave and shows me how to reinforce the commands so I will be able to do it too. Barbara-Jean is always quick for responding and answering my questions. She is always willing to help. My pups have been to class and day care. I am so happy Ollie and Kona goes to Real Special Animals. I definitely recommend her.

We love RSA! Barbara Jean and her team came highly recommended to help further our ‘COVID puppy’s’ training and exposure to other dogs. Gus loves his time at daycare, as evidenced by his melting into the floor upon returning home. ☺️

We have enjoyed working with Really Special Animals. They are knowledgeable, helpful, and great with our dog, Gus. Gus is always excited to visit them and we feel good about the care he receives. Barbara-Jean is very responsive and helps trouble shoot and come up with solutions with us. Gus loves Bella, who has done great caring for him while we vacation, doing his nails, and helping to train him. He gets lots of hugs and love while at school and comes home exhausted and ready for a nap.

Barbara Jean is amazing. She is very knowledgeable and she seems to just understand dogs.Not only did she teach my family how to be better dog owners (We may have needed more training than the dog), she helped turn a scared and insecure dog into a confident, fun, loving member of our family.Barbara Jean truly loves her dogs at Really Special Animals and treats them like family. She is literally the only other person that I trust to take care of my Gracie!

Barbara Jean has been my one and only trainer for 10+ years now. She has an amazing gift with dogs and how she understands their behavior. Barbara Jean helped me immensely with a dog reactive pup, who later aced his CGC. She also helped with a new rescue who struggled with some basic obedience and needed some different techniques. We just love her like family !

Barbara Jean and Bella are OUTSTANDING! boarding my pets always gave me anxiety, but that has all changed since I started using RSA. Zoey loves going and she has learned so much in the process. Her experience is so positive that we sometimes have her go to school just for the fun of being with her “friends”. I highly recommend RSA it is DEFINITELY THE BEST!! Her training results exceed expectations.

Everyone told us not to get an Akita puppy because of how stubborn and difficult they are...What those people didnt know is that we bring our dogs to Really Special Animals!Now we just get compliments about how well behaved our big boy is. Ive watched friends spend thousands of dollars at other dog trainers for very little results. If youre serious about building the best relationship you can with your pup, Barbara Jean and her team at RSA is a must.

I have very much enjoyed working with and getting to know the staff at Really Special Animals! I work closely with Barbara Jean, the owner, and I have seen her grow both professionally and personally as the owner of Really Special Animals. She is a compassionate and thoughtful woman.Being able to see the care and mentorship she puts into her staff members, I know that as her business continues to grow that the staff will continue to share her vision of professional and reliable care for both the clients ... and their humans!

Barbara Jean is a wonderful person to work with. She has such a caring heart and brings that love to your special friend! I would never hesitate to trust her with my dog because I know that she gives her all to them. Thanks Barbara Jean and the Really Special Animals team for making a positive impact in our world!

Barbara Jean knows her dogs, and cares for them from a place of knowledge and experience. As a human I have enjoyed working with Barbara Jean and you can see the dogs also respond to the love she pours into them. I have recommended her services and will happily do so again.

Barbara Jean is a unique, compassionate carer for your pet. She will treat your fur friend as if they were her own child. I have no hesitation to highly recommend Barbara Jean and her Really Special Animals business. Jane from Canada.

I cannot say enough about Barbara!I rescued a very strong, untrained, reactive Corso out of LA and couldnt walk him with out getting yanked down the street or thrown into objects. He was wild, weighed more than me and stubborn as could be. I was referred to Barbara and practically begged for her help. We met up. Had a few training sessions and he was like a brand new boy! Barbara is professional, very reliable and was available for any questions I had! Highly recommend Barbara and really special animals to anyone looking for a knowledgeable trainer who really knows her stuff!

Great work environment 💗 this business has so much love for each and every pup that they have worked with and is always excited to meet the newbies, always accommodating to each dogs and parents individual needs. I highly recommend really special animals so all the fur baby parents 💗

What an amazing experience! Our little beagle pup has gone here for training and has made a world of a difference. BarbaraJean is super knowledgeable and is just an awesome person all the way around!

This place is amazing ,clean ,respectful and cares very much for your fur babies. there employees will go above and beyond to make sure you dog feels right at home and is safe!

Barbara Jean was here for one session and my girls had already showed improvement! I have one dog who has anxiety and one who thinks she’s the boss. They both showed such ability to learn and grow, and I never thought it was possible. I can’t wait to see what happens between now and our next check in!!If you ever had any doubt about dog training drop it and call Really Special Animals you will NOT regret it

Barbara Jean is absolutely a wealth of valuable knowledge and experience. In just one interaction with our dog, she had taught my husband and I simple techniques on how to correct behaviors (in us and our dog). We now have a healthier relationship with our dog, and shes happier too! I definitely recommend all of the wonderful services at Really Special Animals! 👏👏👏👏👏

My dog loves to go to school at RSA. The RSA staff are very professional; they love the dogs and the dogs love them. The health and safety of the dogs is their highest priority. My dog comes home happy and exhausted.

We love the fact that they will come to your house, whether youre home or not, and transport the dogs to and from the facility on the Drool Bus. We have done some one-on-one training sessions & our dog has learned SO much, and so have we!

Barbara Jean is a lover of dogs and treats your dog like one of the family. Doggies are lucky to spend time with this caring woman!❤️

Barbara Jean is so so wonderful! She has so much knowledge about dogs and works very well with them. I would highly recommend this company!

Staff are very friendly. Our dog loves going for the day to play with his buddies. Nice facility. Definitely a great addition to the Weare community. Boarding option is a plus. Go check them out. We did and now our guy is a happy regular.

Clean facility full of great workers and animals. I send a couple of my pups three times a week and have seen them grow in every aspect. Respecting personal space, learning basic/ complex commands, interaction and and play with other dogs etc... I recommend RSA over any other facility for a trainer or daycare!!!

Love them. My dog is so happy when he goes there

We LOVE sending our dogs to RSA for day school. Barbara Jean and Bella are fantastic with the dogs, and it’s so clear they love what they do. I wholeheartedly trust them both with my dog. They create a safe and productive environment for the pups, and Roxy runs right in every time!!We also have been using RSA for 1:1 training. Barbara Jean is patient, and communicates clearly. She truly is a pleasure to work with!

Being a rescue and currently housing 8 dogs who come from the most extreme environments of abuse and neglect, Barbara Jean and staff take training to another level. I have witnessed situations where people have gone through multiple trainers to no avail. That is until they meet Barbara Jean! She and her staff can handle the most difficult of dog behaviors and leave you and your pup feeling happy, safe and empowered. We call her the “dog whisperer”. We cannot recommend her enough!

Really Special Animals (RSA) is absolutely amazing! Such kind staff. A clean and fun facility for the dogs to play and learn. We have 2 Golden Retriever pups but all different breeds and sizes attend. I highly recommend them!!

Clean, welcoming facility. My one year old lab has been going there for about 7 months. She loves going to school and Barbara Jean is amazing with all dogs and humans alike. Training, fun and safe!

Barbara Jean and Really Special Animals are simply the best option for dog training and day care. Her knowledge and professionalism is second to none. Highly recommend them for day school or any type of training.

Mabel goes to Really Special Animals 3 afternoons a week and it’s her favorite thing to do. All I have to say is “dog school” and she runs for the car. Barbara Jean and her staff are professional, patient and clearly love what they do and it makes all the difference. The socialization skills and manners she has learned at RSA are wonderful and she continues to make progress every week. We love it!

I cant say enough about Barbara Jean - she is one of the BEST trainers in the New England area. I am lucky she trained my dogs & even more fortunate she trained me. This is her vocation & shes been working at it since she was 13. I trust her, I rely on her expertise; I appreciate her honesty and work ethic.If youre having issues with your dog, or even if youre not, Barbara Jean will work with you to fix the problem

I highly recommend Really Special Animals for boarding (or any of their services for that matter)! We had only been away from our sweet, anxious dog Jazzy ONCE since adopting her 3 years ago, but I was fully confident that she would be in great hands with Barbara Jean. Our expectations were exceeded. Jazzy had a blast and even learned a few things that we easily implemented at home. I look forward to many more stays and training for Jazzy at Really Special Animals.

Barbara Jean and her staff at RSA are incredible. She is an outstanding teacher and teaches in a way that almost anyone would be able to understand. She’s extremely relatable and down to earth, so you never feel like you can’t go to her for help. She genuinely cares about the dogs that she trains, as well as equipping dog owners and handlers with the tools necessary to give their dogs the best life possible. Our American Akita spent a week with Barbara Jean at Bootcamp, he goes to Daycare via the Drool Bus (which is his favorite!!), and we have attended group classes. Everytime I am in the presence of Barbra Jean I learn something new that is valuable for building trust and communication with our pup.

Barbara Jean and RSA are fantastic! We drive over an hour and dont think twice. If youre looking for someone who can help shape your dogs future and give you the tools you need to sustain the changes, look no further than RSA.

Chewbacca our German Shepherd LOVES RSA. Barbara Jean takes pride in caring for every pet. I highly recommend RSA.

Nova LOVES day school at RSA. I usually bring her 1 day a week The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating. When she gets home, she is worn out!!

We love and trust Barbara Jean and her amazing staff. Like most people, these animals are part of our family and at RSA they are treated with love, kindness, respect and most of all...good manners. From daycare to individualize training RSA has got you covered. We are truly grateful for RSA.The Farm At Sakaris Place.

I found Barbara Jean when I ended up with 3 dogs and felt completely overwhelmed. What started out as my desire to work with one of my pup turned into a training session for all 3. My german shepherd was almost 8 had always been a high energy anxious dog acting aggressive toward anything she didnt understand such as small children running and my horses in the field. Her anxiety peaked after she lost her beloved friend Timber whom she grew up with. After losing her friend her anxiety was at an all time high and she would chew out of an enclosed fence if left alone.I worked other trainers with some success but my goal was to allow her to be truly free as she really was a perfect dog after getting to know people and other pets (we had to slowly introduce her to Rocky over 3 weeks and when Hazel came along she was better with only 3 days). She really was a wonderful girl who came off aggressive but she wasnt she was very anxious, noises like gunshots, fireworks would send her climbing the walls to find relief, even frying on a pan. So to put it mildly she was not an easy dog to understand or deal with..and being a responsible dog owner I had to be very careful...Well along comes Barbara Jean and I explained my goal and she helped me achieve that goal. Within a short time I was able to take all 3 of them including Kira on walks and jogs w/o a leash... we finally had recall and honestly once she understood she didnt need to respond there was no need for recall she just stayed w/ me and payed no attention to what was going on or who was walking by. I was even able to bring her with me on horseback rides, while she would circle the horse Barbara Jean taught me how to help her and communicate with her prior to her behaving inappropriately. LONG story shortened was able to be free in the very last year of her life which allowed her to reduce her stress/anxiety and get rid of her energy. She was able to go to the barn with me and be around people at our camp. This was a true gift as little did we know that she would only be able to walk for one year, it was a few short months and she was diagnosed with DM and was paralyzed within a year. This diagnosis was hard and difficult to watch the decline but I am forever grateful that Kira had her freedom in the last year! Thank you Barbara Jean I am forever blessed with you coming into our lives and Kira got to enjoy her remaining life because of you, as she was high energy and deserved her freedom at last!

We spend many months looking for a place to send out dogs during the day while we were at work and many more places to begin training with our pups. we did not find any place that we were comfortable leaving our dogs at or begin training with UNTIL we found RSA through a mutual friend, we started sending our pups, Onyx and Roscoe, a month ago and we have had the best experience with RSA! Both of our dogs attend the dayschool two days a week! RSA is very understanding if you need to adjust you drop off/pick up time, they were super flexible which made me so happy because that was the one thing standing in our way of signing up at first! Our girl Onyx needs lots of help with socialization and listening with distractions around her! RSA has taken in onyx and began to show her how to play and listen with other dogs and we are already seeing a difference in our girl!! We are so thankful and cant wait to see what the future holds with onyx! With RSA there are so many resources they offer to help with your dogs! We are definitely looking forward to continuing our pups training with them! Our little man Roscoe has the best time at school, and we get to enjoy all the pictures they post about their day! We love seeing both our pups making new furry friends! They both come home exhausted from their day at school! We highly recommend Really Special Animals to anyone looking for a place to send your dogs for daycare, dayschool, training, or anything else needed! They treat the pups like their own and know exactly what they need to stay safe and have a good time! We cant even begin to explain how happy we are with our decision to send our dogs here!!

Barbara Jean has years of experience training and working with all types of canines! She has an incredible way with them; teaching them manners if they need that and helping them become more of a fabulous member of your family! If you need help to have your canine become really special - I recommend you reach out to Barbara Jean at Really Special Animals!

Theres just WAY too much I can say about what Barbara Jean and her team at Really Special Animals (RSA) has done for my Daisy. I adopted Daisy asa really young pup, and as much as I tried to train her, she was very destructive and almost impossible to reel in when called and get her to be a welcoming addition to my family. I needed to seek out someone that would train with me, and not at me. Barbara Jean was that and SO much more. Daisy has never been more compliant, understanding and most of all, trusting with me as her owner, and truly has turned a leaf I only dreamt of. RSA has been constantly available to me with daycare needs, boarding and even just quick calls in my moments of uncertainty. Barbara Jean has really given me the confidence I didnt have when as soon as Daisy came back from boarding, that I would just end up inadvertently undoing everything. She gave me the confidence to trust the process and MAN was it the best thing Ive ever done. I truly recommend RSA a very real 11/10 recommendation for anyone that needs help with their pups in learning, confidence, and making sure youre giving your loved one the best chance at a great life, for you and for them.

I have known Barbara Jean for many years now. I have done in house training, group classes and my favorite Structured Strides. She is the only person I trust to board my dogs with. She is a truly amazing and gifted trainer. She is the dog whisperer of MA and NH. Don’t take my word for it . Go ahead , call yourself .What are you waiting for? Your dogs with love you for it

I have had the opportunity to work alongside of Barbara Jean in a professional capacity. She has an amazing ability to connect to dogs in a way that earns their confidence in her. She can read their energy and, more importantly, the energy of the owners to gain an understanding of the motivation behind the dogs behaviors. She is extremely patient with both the dogs and the owners. Barbara Jean assists owners in learning how to teach their dogs appropriate and acceptable behaviors, but she also assists them in establishing a relationship of confidence and trust with their dogs which ultimately sets them up for long term success with modifying current and future behaviors.

Very welcoming environment with friendly staff.

Barbara Jean is an excellent dog trainer. Her experience and patience can help any dog with any issue. Within the first couple minutes of speaking with her, you can tell that she has true passion for bettering the lives of dogs and their families. Highly recommended!

We contacted Barbara Jean Crehan for help with our rescue that we nicknamed “Dogzilla” and “ Frankendog” need I say more? Our daughter had recommended her after she trained her two dogs who were literally trying to kill each other. We met with her and after she evaluated him ,we all agreed he needed a 2 week boot camp...he was definitely a “punk” . He bit 2 people, didn’t listen at all, jumped all over everyone, he barked out of control at anyone or anything that walked by our home, someone coming into our home was a nightmare, walking him was even worse than a nightmare. I was near tears after 10 minutes of trying, none of this was fun. When Barbara Jean brought him back after 2 weeks with her, the transformation was amazing...he was a different dog. All those bad habits are GONE. Her training him has changed our daily lives. We enjoy him, enjoy long walks and no more of those bad behaviors... we can’t thank her enough! Barbara Jean truly has a gift...The moment she stepped into our home, our dog reacted in a calm way without her speaking a word to him, she is so knowledgeable and can tell you exactly what your dog is going to do next before they even do it...watching her is incredible..She explains everything in a way you can understand, and is such an all around positive , nice person. If you are looking for a trainer, look no further because you have found, hands down found the BEST.

Barbara Jean is an amazing dog trainer. Ive witnessed the amazing transformations of my foster dogs, and friends and family members dogs - really miraculous changes where dogs sometimes go to her at the point where a family isnt sure they can keep their animal, and they return able to fit in and be embraced as a beloved family member. She helps the animal and family to figure out what they all need and how to make sure everyones needs are met. Allowing your family and your dog to work with Barbara Jean is a worthwhile investment in your time and resources - you will be glad you made the commitment.

I have been to Barbara Jean for Structured Strides (training walks), Group Training sessions, and private consultations. I have also boarded my dog with her. She is calm, cool, collected and amazing at what she does. I trust her unequivocally with my dog.

Barbara Jean cares so much about every animal that she works with! I was so impressed with her! Highly recommended!

My wife and I had the pleasure of dealing with and meeting Barbara Jean Crehan, owner of Really Special Animals, last year when she facilitated the long distance adoption of our Pit Bull, Dolly. We have found her to be an extraordinary trainer and human being. Prior to our arrival from Arizona, Barbara Jean had worked with Dolly to the point where Dolly knew all her basic commands. Then after our arrival in New Hampshire we spent 3 days where Barbara Jean worked with both Dolly and us ensuring a smooth transition for this timid Pittie. Barbara Jean had taught Dolly the fundamentals of good behavior and left us with more than enough human training to take Dolly to the next level.No one knew Dolly better than Barbara Jean. It has now been a year that we have had Dolly. Over the course of the past year we have had numerous questions about how to handle certain situations and resolve some challenges Dolly posed. With her experience and guidance we reached our first major training level when Dolly and I passed the Pet Partners Therapy Dog Team Evaluation with a Complex (highest) rating. Our second hurdle was being accepted as a Caring Canine at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Both of these achievements are rare for a 2 year old dog, let alone a Pit Bull. This was all possible because of the expertise of Barbara Jean. Barbara Jean seems to have a very special connection with these animals and it all comes out in the finished product. I have to say this though, it’s one thing to train a dog but the most important thing to realize is that the training must continue when you and your dog are together alone without the trainer. Barbara Jean will explain the training process to you and it is up to you to keep training.I have been a Pet Partners Therapy Dog Handler for 5 years and am also a licensed Pet Partners Team Evaluator. I have been dealing with trainers from all over. Short and sweet, Barbara Jean is absolutely one of best I have ever dealt with. She is like a dog whisperer and I am completely sure you will not be disappointed with her abilities.

Barbara Jean has a love for, and a way with, dogs like Ive never seen. Her many years of training and expertise will get your dog to behave in ways you never thought possible!