NWA School For Dogs

Our hound mix, Scout, was a handful when we first got him at 4 months old. He jumped on us, barked at us, chased us, bit us and had the zoomies a little too often, like beyond hyper. He had no "off switch." Shanthi, Donavan and the crew were amazing and taught Scout to find his off switch. No amount of physical exercise would be enough for him, but once he started learning his foundation skills and focusing on what the trainers wanted, he was a different dog. Not saying he's perfect in all situations, but he's a wonderful member of the family now. We're very grateful to the NWA School for Dogs. I'm convinced Scout would not be a member of our family if not for Shanthi.

I can't give enough praise for SHANTHI and staff , esp Donavan and Amber. The training my pups have received has made our lives so much easier😊. They are patient and quite frankly the dog whisperers of NWA. They love my dogs as if they were theirs! When I travel I have complete confidence when I board my dogs with Shanthi, the owner, and she takes care on my senior dog who's on a plethora of meds. Plus you can't beat the price !

8 months update: Since my initial post, it's been 8 months and wanted to give a little update. Waffles graduated doggy school in December but I loved the training she received and wanted to build on the momentum. So I reached out to Waffles' favorite trainer, Rachel, and was like: can we figure out how to nail down loose leash training while she is at school?? Luckily, she said yes!!! She proposed that she pick up Waffles' from school and take her to nearby parks and drill in loose leash training. All I can say is wow, she's improved SIGNIFICANTLY - less distracted, way more attentive, and walks have become much more enjoyable. I love that Rachel thought up this plan and treats her as one of her own! Also knowing no force is ever used and just positive reinforcement gives me such relief. So happy to know that I can just drop her off and she's in excellent care and I never have to worry if something bad happened with her. My 1 yo golden retriever puppy has been going for about 1 month so far (2x a week dog school) and I’ve definitely seen improvement in her behavior with other dogs. The instructors know her so well! For instance when we come in the mornings, Donovan knows the best way to distract her is with peanut butter and has it immediately ready for when we get there. She’s pretty mellow afterwards which is a huge plus. Can’t recommend them enough! I’ve already enrolled her in 3x for next month. Can’t wait until they get to the leash manners portion haha

If you’re even thinking about dog training, stop looking and go to School for Dogs. Shanti and Fed have been absolutely incredible. We brought home a 6-month-old puppy who had endless energy and quickly realized we were in over our heads. We wanted to set him up for success, but we also wanted to make sure we were training him the right way. From day one, Shanti and Fed made us feel supported, never judged, and gave us practical advice that actually worked. What meant the most to us was that they didn’t just focus on our puppy, they focused on our whole family. We already had another dog at home, and introducing a new puppy wasn’t as easy as we had hoped. Shanti spent so much time helping us understand both dogs, teaching us how to build positive interactions, and giving us the confidence to navigate the transition. Thanks to her, they have formed such a great relationship, and we honestly don’t know where we’d be without her guidance. Every class was fun, engaging, and tailored to what our puppy needed. They explain the “why” behind everything, which made it so much easier to continue training at home. The progress we’ve seen has been amazing, not just in our puppy’s behavior, but in our confidence as dog owners. Shanti and Fed genuinely care about every dog and every family that walks through their doors. You can tell this isn’t just a job for them, it’s something they’re passionate about, and it shows in everything they do. Thank you both for helping us raise such an amazing puppy and for making the transition into a two-dog household so much smoother than we ever thought possible. We are beyond grateful and recommend School for Dogs to anyone looking for trainers who truly care. Five stars isn’t enough. ❤️