Y2K9s Dog Sports Club

It’s okay. The first time I went there I had to wait for an hour outside with my dog because I was not allowed in before my evaluation for training, and the instructor forgot about us. There is one gravel area where dogs are allowed to relieve themselves and it smells absolutely horrible most days (not necessarily their fault as they rent their location, but still, unpleasant). And they seriously need some noise baffling on the walls in the general training room. It’s basically a warehouse and a lot of information gets missed with all the echoing between two classes separated by a curtain. Other than that, the training experience was great, I certainly learned a lot as did my dog. The location just needs some consideration.

Overall, not very welcoming but I learned a lot about how dogs learn. The trainer and scheduler were nice but I found the beginner course I took to not be very beneficial for reactive dogs (ex. rottweiler, border collie, etc.) which need more down time and become very distracted in a class of 5 other dogs when learning for the first time. Throughout all of my sessions, another dog stared, growled, barked, lunged, etc. with no issue but my pup and I were constantly labeled as the problem dog/problem owner which was used as an example for the group during trainings (ex. I apparently pet the wrong way, used the wrong treats, had the wrong collar, had the wrong leash, had the wrong mat, had the wrong harness, spoke the wrong way, didn't practice at home, etc.). After seeing a pattern in the reviews, I was compelled to share my experience.

Phenomenal lessons from instructor who love dogs. Even in a group class my instructor (Tina) is making sure my dog (and me) get custom lessons for where my dog (and I) are at skill wise. When other dogs more skilled dogs trained she still teaches me by showing how I can get my dog to relax and not stress. I have also worked with Alexa and she is also super talented. Watching the instructors interact with mine and others' dogs teaches me patience and problem solving. What I appreciate most is the emphasis placed on my dog's overall demeanor and confidence...and not just the skills we are learning in the class. Each lesson is capped with homework and a detailed email recapping the class. Highly recommended.