FirstBarkThe best place for classes and training! Harlow loves every minute of it and the small sized classes make for great learning! Thank you Gin for an awesome experience!
A Pleasant Dog
Grand Rapids, Michigan
About A Pleasant Dog
A Pleasant Dog offers gentle, modern dog and cat training, behavior help, and grooming in keeping with the advice of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.
Training & services
Training goals
- Behavior consultation
Program details
Resource guarding, territorial aggression, fear based aggression, conflict aggression, interdog aggression, separation anxiety, and hypersensitivity hyperarousal syndrome are all challenging behaviors. We can help you modify these behaviors using evidence based training and management strategies.
- Leash training
- Obedience training
- Puppy training
- Socialization
Behavior support
- Aggression training
- Counter surfing
- Reactivity training
Program details
Reactive Dogs Are Good Dogs Too! We live by this motto at A Pleasant Dog and have a host of offerings for our reactive friends, everything from private lessons to group classes, and beyond! We are particularly proud of our group sport classes for reactive dogs!
- Resource guarding
- Separation anxiety
Program details
Separation anxiety is a complex behavior disorder. Our owner and head trainer, Jenn Gavin, has developed a method for treating this disorder that is the subject of a book, Pleasantly Independent, and scientific research demonstrating its efficacy. In person or virtual training available!
How training happens
- Board and train
- Day training
Program details
Too busy to train? Let our professional dog trainers train your dog for you with drop off day training. Drop your dog for a full or half day, and we will teach them what they need to do between fun play sessions with other dogs and/or humans. Also available for reactive dogs!
- Group classes
- Online or virtual training
- Private training
Dog age
- Puppies
Assistance and working dogs
- Therapy dog training
Dog sports
- Agility
Your dog’s background
- Rescue dogs
Training approach
- Positive reinforcement
Additional services
- Boarding
- Daycare
Program details
We offer luxury doggy daycare with a care ratio of four dogs per human on our 2.5 acres of rolling hills in the city! Our doggy daycare is staffed with professional trainers and offers the safest, gentlest doggy care in the city! Add training for an additional fee.
- Dog walking
- Grooming
Program details
Fear Free Grooming for your dog. We groom dogs one at a time and owner may be present for the grooming session. Perfect for fearful, anxious, or reactive dogs. Does your dog struggle with the groomer? We can help!
Other listed services
View 24 additional details
- Dog bathing and blow dry
- Dog ear cleaning
- Dog training
Program details
We offer group classes for general obedience and dog sports, private lessons, and behavior consultations, as well as classes specifically for reactive dogs.
- Animal Behavior Consultants
Program details
Does your dog struggle with anxiety, separation anxiety, noisephobia, reactivity, aggression directed toward humans or toward other dogs? We can help! Our behavior trainers are the best in the state, and we can help restore harmony to your household.
- Animal Learning
- Canine Trainers Academy
- Classical Conditioning
- Continuing Education
Program details
We offer continuing education to the training and veterinary industries on a diverse array of topics. Our research in animal behavior has been consistently honored with selection for presentation before the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and others. We also offer trainer workshops.
- Dog Barks
- Dog Camping
- Dog Parks
- Dog Parties
- Dog Sports
- Dog Welfare
- Education Seminar
- Family Dogs
- Flea And Tick Prevention
- Medical Treatment
- Play Groups
- Private Consultation
- Six Week Class
- Stay & Train Program
- Veterinary Behaviorists
- Walk And Train
Confirm current programs and availability directly.
Business-stated qualifications
Qualifications stated by the business, not independently verified.
- Jenn Gavin
- CPDT-KA
Questions & answers
From GoogleWhat people have asked about this business.
What are your fees for taining and what specific training do you offer?
Our fees vary depending upon the service provided! We offer positive reinforcement training in private sessions for basic skills and tough behaviors, group classes, and drop off day training; together with grooming and cooperative care training sessions! As of 7/2024, our fees start at $160 for six week outdoor agility classes, $199 for our 6 week indoor basic skills classes, and go up to $350 for or reactive dog classes. Private lessons start at $100. Behavior consultations start at $250.
Community answer · A Pleasant Dog · 2024-09-21
Public community answers. Authors are not verified as business representatives; details may have changed.
Customer reviews
Google listing4.4
216 Google reviews
Mentioned in reviews
- Positive reinforcement 22
- Managing reactivity 14
- Reactive dog training 11
- Puppy class 7
- Welcoming atmosphere 6
- Anxiety management 5
All 10 topics
- Knowledgeable trainers 5
- Private training 3
- Arthritis specialist referral 2
- Small class sizes 2
Google review topics, not confirmed services.
Not a huge fan of the experience I had here. I rescued my dog summer 2023, and brought him for a consult with the owner shortly after. I was told my dog would be nearly impossible to train without drugs, because he was too anxious and reactive and OBVIOUSLY UNCOMFORTABLE. I am ne…Read full reviewClose full review
Not a huge fan of the experience I had here. I rescued my dog summer 2023, and brought him for a consult with the owner shortly after. I was told my dog would be nearly impossible to train without drugs, because he was too anxious and reactive and OBVIOUSLY UNCOMFORTABLE. I am never against medication in any scenario, but it should be the last case scenario- not the first response. I felt it was pushed very heavily in my consult and it simply did not sit right with me, my dog was newly rescued and a very happy guy. I left this appointment bawling and feeling defeated. After this encounter I sought out a different training company and had an excellent experience learning how to work with my dog on his triggers and get better with them. I’m happy to say in less than a year, WITHOUT medication- i have an excellently trained dog who does not struggle with anxiety or aggression any longer. I am sure there are some great trainers at a pleasant dog, and I do not doubt people have had positive experiences. The idea of the company is fantastic. However, training you (the human) should always be a first attempt before medication is suggested. I highly recommend seeking a second opinion if medication is the first response from a trainer. Listen to your gut. We all love our dogs and want what’s best for them.
We love APD! From Socializing as a puppy, to mastering Separation Anxiety, to learning fun Dog Sports, to essential Obedience Training; they do it all, and make it fun! We couldn’t be happier with our experience with the trainers at APD through the fun and tough work! <3
I am amazed at how well the “yes” works! Honey had her neutering surgery soon after our training session I’m anxious to begin working with her.
I will try to keep this brief as possible. ( i tend to be long winded) The amount of hope a pleasant dog has given us could fill a book. Jen has given us actual play by play advice, recommendations, and training plans. Steps to truly help him. No smoke blown or sugar coating. No…Read full reviewClose full review
I will try to keep this brief as possible. ( i tend to be long winded) The amount of hope a pleasant dog has given us could fill a book. Jen has given us actual play by play advice, recommendations, and training plans. Steps to truly help him. No smoke blown or sugar coating. No blaming or judgment. She is so intuitive along with experienced. I am so greatful to have found her. Pow pow loves her!! I would recommend to everyone. She has paved Pows new life. A path where the rainbow bridge is not the option we need to explore. Jen has literally saved my dogs life. Euthanasia was a suggestion from others. Im soooooo happy i decided another opinion is nessasary. If it werent for her we wouldnt have known he was in pain. He has massive arthritis at 2 years old. The vets office didnt catch this. 40 seconds in Jen knew. Fast foward we were refered to an arthritis specialist. Hes already dooing sooooooo much better. My gratitude to a pleasant dog is immeasurable. It will be a long beautiful healing road ahead!!!! Thank you with all my soul.
Original customer experiences from the collected Google data. Ratings without comments follow written reviews.