Notre Dog Academy

Long review coming up. I want to start this review by noting that my dog is my family. Before getting a puppy I signed up for a bunch of courses and thought I knew more than the average dog owner. I didn't think I would get much from the puppy classes or puppy social but boy was I wrong! Below is a review for each. Puppy 101: Gabz is a fabulous instructor/teacher. She meets each puppy where they are and comes up with creative ways to help them. They also focus less on simple things like teaching "sit" and more important concepts that are SO important. Like good recall, grooming, preventing resource guarding etc. The commentary on watching puppies play and how to intervene mid play is also so helpful. We got so much out of these classes and highly recommend them. My puppy had difficulty with a leash and we started the classes with her constantly pulling and barking and we ended the classes with her chilling and watching other dogs in class. This is a testament to Gabzs' creative ways and setting them up for success. Puppy Preschool: What is the worth of an hour of puppy play with an instructor present? A Lot. Seriously some of the best money I've spent for my dog. Stephanie talks through their play and what it means and when to intervene. If you can, I HIGHLY recommend watching it on webcam. I have learned so much and I'm now much more comfortable with my dog playing with other dogs and know what is okay/what isn't and when and how I should intervene. As for dogs, its super educational for them too. My puppy started preschool by thinking play = body slamming other dogs (I know, rude). Ended preschool around her 6 month mark by playing appropriately with other dogs and teaching younger puppies to play better! Day School: Puppy is just starting day school and WOW. Everytime I have opened up the webcam I am blown away but how wonderful the team is. Gabz, John and Stephanie. The way they talk to dogs. "Thank you", "please", "good job", "okay honey"... the list goes on. You might wonder what is the value of a dog sitting with a trainer in a room while another dog plays? A lot. I recently attended a dinner and my 6 month puppy was at my feet the whole time, relaxing. The day school is definetly spendy but so worth it. Final notes: This team will be your dog's biggest advocates. They will politely tell you what to do/not to do and I love that. They will treat them with kindness yet set boundaries gently when needed. I can not recommend them enough. I'm hoping they continue to grow and have a huge training center and can help many more puppies! Of note, you know you have a winner when other dog trainers bring their puppy to these classes ;)

I've been dropping my young pup off for play sessions on the weekends. Stephanie is AWESOME: after drop-off I can watch the session on the studio webcam to see how it's going. She narrates everything she's doing, describes the dogs' behavior down to the tiniest detail, and handles each animal with care, sensitivity, and gentleness. I learn a ton just by watching and can hardly wait to enroll my pooch in the next level of classes. Four paws up, highly recommend!

Stefanie came out to our house on a Sunday to have a training session with our 6 1/2 month old pup. We were concerned ed with his barking and what we thought was reactivity. We were told by another trainer that he was aggressive, but Stefanie could see that it was not the case at all. He is reactive and she was able to help us learn what needs to be done to get him to calm himself down, We are extremely impressed with Stefanie and her knowledge and techniques. We will be enrolling him for more classes including Day-school. Thanks you Stefanie.