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 consultationProgram 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 trainingProgram details
Obedience trainingProgram details
Puppy trainingProgram details
SocializationProgram details
Behavior support
Aggression trainingProgram details
Counter surfingProgram details
Reactivity trainingProgram 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 guardingProgram details
Separation anxietyProgram 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 trainProgram details
Day trainingProgram 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 classesProgram details
Online or virtual trainingProgram details
Private trainingProgram details
Dog age
PuppiesProgram details
Assistance and working dogs
Therapy dog trainingProgram details
Dog sports
AgilityProgram details
Your dog’s background
Rescue dogsProgram details
Training approach
Positive reinforcementProgram details
Additional services
BoardingProgram details
DaycareProgram 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 walkingProgram details
GroomingProgram 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 dryProgram details
Dog ear cleaningProgram details
Dog trainingProgram 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 ConsultantsProgram 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 LearningProgram details
Canine Trainers AcademyProgram details
Classical ConditioningProgram details
Continuing EducationProgram 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 BarksProgram details
Dog CampingProgram details
Dog ParksProgram details
Dog PartiesProgram details
Dog SportsProgram details
Dog WelfareProgram details
Education SeminarProgram details
Family DogsProgram details
Flea And Tick PreventionProgram details
Medical TreatmentProgram details
Play GroupsProgram details
Private ConsultationProgram details
Six Week ClassProgram details
Stay & Train ProgramProgram details
Veterinary BehavioristsProgram details
Walk And TrainProgram details
Confirm current programs and availability directly.
Business-stated qualifications
Qualifications stated by the business, not independently verified.
Jenn Gavin
CPDT-KA
Questions & answers
From Google
What 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.
5/5My husband and I have seen Roxi twice (one visit per dog, both for anxiety related instances.)
They truly listened to our concerns and were a sounding board without us ever feeling judged and helped us find best course of action for both dogs moving forward. We never felt rushed…Read full reviewClose full review
My husband and I have seen Roxi twice (one visit per dog, both for anxiety related instances.)
They truly listened to our concerns and were a sounding board without us ever feeling judged and helped us find best course of action for both dogs moving forward. We never felt rushed or pressured into anything, and their suggestions were thoughtful, practical, and genuinely helpful. It never once felt like a money grab.
A Pleasant Dog clearly runs their establishment as people who really care about helping you and your dog succeed. Highly recommend A Pleasant Dog, and thank you especially, Roxi!
- Sara & Raleigh Rushing, Burt & Alfie
B
B Davis Scoby
5/5A friend of mine recommended A pleasent dog to me for puppy training and I'm so glad she did. My dog is a reactive dog and the trainers and staff here have been a true blessing to myself and my pup. not only do I feel seen and heard but they see my dog for who she is and have giv…Read full reviewClose full review
A friend of mine recommended A pleasent dog to me for puppy training and I'm so glad she did. My dog is a reactive dog and the trainers and staff here have been a true blessing to myself and my pup. not only do I feel seen and heard but they see my dog for who she is and have given me the tools to help her succeed.
I can't recommend A pleasant dog for training enough.
Thank you so much. We are so grateful for you. ❤️
L
Lauren Perrin Photo
1/5I paid for a private consultation at A Pleasant Dog, and unfortunately, everything they taught us backfired. Their approach of using only positive reinforcement did not work for our dog.
We were also sent photos of our puppy destroying a stuffed animal while in daycare - somethi…Read full reviewClose full review
I paid for a private consultation at A Pleasant Dog, and unfortunately, everything they taught us backfired. Their approach of using only positive reinforcement did not work for our dog.
We were also sent photos of our puppy destroying a stuffed animal while in daycare - something she has never done under our supervision. This happened while a staff member watched and found it “cute and funny.” This is not acceptable when I am paying a training facility to safely monitor my pet and work on corrective behavior.
Our experience with A Pleasant Dog left us feeling like our puppy was the problem, that we knew nothing, and that they could “fix it all” with just a swipe of a credit card. Fortunately, we found a local trainer who offered corrective training with deep knowledge of our dog’s breed. This trainer understood our dog’s needs and tailored their approach accordingly.
APD’s “gentle parent” approach is not only unfortunate—it can be dangerous. Their method reinforces negative behaviors by distracting the dog with treats. For example, giving an intelligent herding dog a treat when she barks at the window only teaches her that barking earns rewards. It took fewer than three instances for our dog to figure this out.
It is also worth noting that A Pleasant Dog made us feel as though using e-collars and training collars was inherently abusive. While these tools must be used responsibly, many dogs benefit from a variety of training methods, and it’s essential to use the approach that works best for your specific dog.
In summary, I would not recommend A Pleasant Dog. Their exclusive reliance on positive reinforcement did not work for our dog, their communication was inconsistent, and the overall experience left us feeling frustrated and unsupported.
It is also deeply concerning that a friend of mine went to APD and was told her dog should be euthanized due to behavior issues. I referred her and her dog to our trainer, who discovered the puppy had significant neurological issues, potential blindness, and a stress-induced seizure disorder. This experience solidified for me that APD is not a safe or reliable place to train your animal.
I would very seriously take into consideration the negative reviews on their Google listing before allowing them to have access to your dog.
S
Stacey Tober
2/5
Think gentle parenting for dogs. It's not going to hurt your dog, but in our case, it didn't help them or us. Zen hands are an interesting idea but my dog ended up nipping people's hands. I ended up going with a different trainer and I saw almost immediate results. She's more attentive and a lot calmer.
C
Cindy Minnema
5/5
I've been going to classes with my puppy here! Love their loving way of teaching pets and owners too. They use a positive reinforcement approach.
Original customer experiences from the collected Google data. Ratings without comments follow written reviews.