DePaw Dog Sports and Training Academy

I went back and forth on whether or not to post this review, but I feel like people should be warned... please understand, this review is based on my personal experience in one class and is not a review of all of the classes or trainers. ***** I was excited to start learning agility with my dog at Depaw, but my dog and I had a terrible experience in the beginner pre-agility class. We have experience in other dog sports (obedience and rally), but not agility and I'd heard nothing but good things about Depaw. I was so looking forward to training there. However, the trainer made it clear she couldn't care less about any sport other than agility. Which is fine - to each their own - but it made it extremely difficult to work with her e.g. she was unwilling to help me make it clearer to my dog what I wanted when things were potentially contradictory to previous training. Moreover, there was one activity my dog absolutely hated; I asked if their was alternative (response:no). I tried to make it fun for my dog to no avail. THEN I learned the whole thing was pointless anyway - I was told the goal of the exercise was to teach "start line stays." My dog already has an obedience level stay, why am I making him miserable to re-learn something he already knows?? For a week after that class, my dog who loves going to training classes refused to get in the car :'( I emailed the instructor hoping for information, so I could get guidance from my obedience instructor (since pre-agility instructor was unwilling to help). The instructor didn't respond. Instead she addressed it passive aggressively at the next class. That was the last straw for me. My dog and I did not have a good time. Bottom line. We found a different agility instructor at Happy Dog Sports who we love, love, love! My dog is eager to go to class again and we've both learned so much. Again this is not a review of all classes, this was just our personal experience, but it was so negative that I would give it zero stars if I could.