Happy Dog Training & Behavior

I've brought my (now) almost 6 year old, anxious dog here when he was a pup, and have consulted with Ellen for his needs over the years many times. Ellen is knowledgeable, experienced, and more than qualified. His life has improved, and most important, I MYSELF learned how to approach many facets of dog training the right way. I've also brought my younger pup (now 1) there for puppy training classes. Yes it's great to bring your dog to the classes for socialization, but the classes are for US, not the dogs. Once a week for less than an hour isn't going to train any dog. Consistency and patience go a long way, and our little girl is GREAT with any dog she meets, and very social. I recommend Happy Dog to anybody I discuss training with, and they have been and continue to be my first choice for dog training despite a bit of a drive. Best trainers (Ellen and Lorrie both) I've ever worked with, and I have tried many.

We wanted an alternative to pet store training for our nervous rescue puppy and found Happy Dog through word of mouth. Pet store training seemed way too distracting and we liked that Happy Dog is limited to 6 puppies per class. Happy Dog also offers personal support for special issues and is always fast to respond to my emails with worries/questions about my puppy's behavior. Our 3-month old adopted border collie came out of her shell at the second class and has learned so much. The tips and tricks are priceless (literally gamechangers for daily living) and the best part of her progress so far is remaining calm and focused on us when other dogs are around. She loves other dogs so this is key. Pictured is our pup being calm and checking in with me while being barked and stared at by 2 fully grown, out of control golden retrievers at an bar patio. So proud of our puppy and the progress she's made with Ellen's guidance. 10/10 recommend. The only thing I wish we did was pick an earlier class time so we could stick closer to our regular routine.

Horrible experience for my husband and our 5-month old puppy. Complete waste of money!!! If I could give zero stars, I would. The class was for dogs that are trained - not puppies that require attention and bark in class. Keep in mind there were only two other dogs in the class. So, we couldn't see why there would be any issues with our dog. After two classes, he stopped going because it was absolutely not providing any assistance for my puppy or my husband. We never received a phone call as to why he stopped going. I think they were glad to be rid of him.

This place was recommended to me after my cousin went to their dog training class and my sister enrolled her puppy in their puppy class. Ellen and Lorrie are truly amazing. Thoughtful, kind and caring. They are extremely knowledgable and understanding.They help you understand why your dog is practicing their behaviors and they use positive reinforcement for you to develop a good relationship with your dog as well as keep your dog wanting to do those good behaviors. After an initial consultation, we enrolled my dog Olaf in their Dog 1 class. The exercises were easy to learn and practice in a safe environment. The classes helped me understand and anticipate what my dog might do in a real world situation and help us to be successful. All of the exercises we went over focused on behaviors that keep Olaf safe and happy rather than focusing on tricks. After leaving the class, I have had reactivity and anxious behavior issues with my dog, and I reached out for guidance and help. Ellen stayed on the phone with me, answered all my questions, gave me guidance and suggestions, plus materials to work on. She is always available to answer questions via email or phone call, even after the class is done. I would recommend this center over and over again. I am so happy we went and I do see an improvement in my dogs behavior. Thank you Ellen and Lorrie!

We could not be happier with Ellen and Lori. We had an initial private session with Lori when we first got our puppy so we could get our bearings with her and we have since taken both Puppy kindergarten and Family Dog 1 with Ellen and we absolutely love her! We looked forward to each class as much as our puppy did (she would seriously jump in her carrier on Wednesday nights because she knew where we were going and was so excited) and we learned so much. Ellen takes time to demonstrate everything, gives you written class take-homes and homework to practice with each week. She is so available to answer any and all questions, responds to email and returns phone calls. We are so sad our classes are over and are working hard on getting our girl ready for Family Dog 2. It was the BEST!!!!