Urban Pawsibilities - Dog & Puppy Training Classes in SE Portland

I started taking my dog, Nova, to UP about 10 months ago. She was struggling with separation anxiety, reactive barking, and general anxiety. So far we have completed three group training classes and two private lessons, and Nova is doing great! I learned so many skills and techniques that are specifically designed address Nova's unique needs. It has been such a game changer! Needless to say, we LOVE UP! I want to give a big shoutout to Fern, Emma, and all the other amazing trainers and staff at UP! Thank you!

After being attacked by 3 dogs and harassed by some of our neighbors, I honestly wasn't sure what to do with my girl. She was sweet and calm before, and an anxious, barking mess after it all happened. Just a few of the reactive dog classes and she's a different dog. She's not back to her old self yet, but she's clearly on the right path. The classes came at a rough point in our lives and we had to miss a few, but even with that, the trainer, Skip, was incredibly helpful. Greta can go for walks again. She sees other dogs and doesn't immediately bark or run in terror. She's not perfect, she still barks sometimes, but it's an amazing difference. I honestly can't recommend the class enough. I feel like it's more of a class for the humans than the dogs. Skip knows what they're talking about. Take all the info you can get from them. EDIT: Just had to update my review. Just had a dog run up on Greta in the dark, barking at her during her nighttime last "out". I followed the steps Skip gave us for "1, 2, 3" (Greta's second favorite new game, followed only by "Up") and she walked away with no issues. No barking, no running, no lunging. Just Greta getting a few treats while counting and walking away from the other dog. The classes are amazing. For anyone doubting, just do yourself and your dog a favor and sign up.

We took a recall class here over a year ago with our very excitable dog and have been intermittently practicing what we learned since. We finally worked up to 1000 acres today (huge off leash dog oriented nature area with lots of dogs) and our dog’s recall was impeccable!! We were honestly kind of shocked! He’s always been so excited by other dogs, he even had to be behind a visual barrier during class so he could try to focus because seeing other dogs was too distracting. I didn’t fully expect him to be able to recall in an environment like this, but he did! We learned a lot of great foundations at UP and today proved to me that he’s really getting it. If you think your dog can’t ever be trusted off leash, I definitely recommend the trainers here.

I struggled for years with my dog Charlies reactivity. I talked with my vet about it, and she recommended the triggered dog class at Urban Pawsibilites. After trying so many different methods and trainers, this class has truly transformed mine and my dog's relationship and Charlie's confidence in the world. His reactivity to other dogs has decreased SIGNIFICANTLY. I learned lots of different games and methods of redirecting, focusing on having fun with Charlie, rather than any sort of negative response. We used to not be able to walk by other dogs on the other side of the street without a huge scene, and now we can while Charlie is relatively calm. After taking triggered dog, we signed up for calm dog to continue his progress. Both Skip and Fern are great trainers, and I plan to continue taking other classes in the future. If you have a reactive dog and are considering triggered dog, do it!!!