Hunter Mill Retrievers, LLC

Training is offered in three formats: Obedience Boot Camp (10 x 30-min sessions for basics), Day Training (4 sessions/week for 5 weeks with weekly transfer sessions to owners), and Stay & Train (customizable board-and-train with daily walks, play, and evening care). Programs focus on commands like sit, stay, recall, loose leash walking, and behavior correction for biting, jumping, and reactivity. All training uses positive reinforcement and includes owner education to ensure consistency at home.

Pricing Summary

Training packages include Obedience Boot Camp ($900 for 10 sessions), Day Training ($300/week for 5 weeks), and Stay & Train ($140/day with walks, play, and socialization included). Dog walking options are 15, 30, or 60 minutes. Boarding and daycare rates are available upon request. All programs include a free meet & greet.

Hunter Mill Retrievers, LLC is a dog training and pet services business based in Vienna, VA, founded and led by Victoria Cherpes, a certified Training Partner from the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA-CTP). They specialize in positive reinforcement training methods and offer customized programs for obedience, puppy training, leash manners, reactivity, and behavior modification. Services include private and facility-based training, day training, and board-and-train programs, along with dog walking, daycare, and overnight boarding. They also breed Labrador Retrievers known for intelligence and versatility. Their team consists of background-checked, experienced, and dog-obsessed professionals who provide consistent, compassionate care. Clients appreciate the personalized approach, real-time updates via the Time to Pet app, and the emphasis on building strong human-dog bonds through kindness and science-based methods.

They serve the Northern Virginia communities of Vienna, Reston, Oakton, and McLean, and welcome all breeds, sizes, and temperaments. Their training philosophy focuses on rewarding desired behaviors, reducing unwanted ones without force, and empowering owners with the tools to continue training at home.

Additional services include puppy placement, healthy dog food education, and socialization guidance, with a strong community presence and over 20 five-star Google reviews.

Accomplishments

Victoria Cherpes is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), certified since November 2023. She has titled her own Labrador Retrievers in AKC events including Hunt Test, Canine Good Citizen, and Fast Cat. Juno, one of her Labs, was the 4th fastest Labrador Retriever in AKC FastCat 2024. She has been training dogs since 2002 and has successfully transformed rescue and reactive dogs into well-behaved companions.

How to Get Started!

Client engagement begins with a free meet & greet to assess the dog’s needs, discuss goals, and customize a training plan. Clients can schedule via the website form or client portal. After the meet & greet, training programs begin with scheduled sessions tailored to the dog’s age, behavior, and owner’s lifestyle.