Your Dog's Friend

Our boxer, Kiki, just graduated from puppy kindergarten at Your Dog’s Best Friend, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. The positive reinforcement training techniques they use really work—not just for the dogs, but for the humans too! We had to unlearn some old habits and learn how to truly understand Kiki’s needs, and it has made a huge difference. What makes this the best puppy kindergarten in the DMV is the combination of expert instruction and socialization. Kiki had a blast playing with other puppies and the amazing trainers during each session. By the end of class, she was happy, tired, and ready to nap the rest of the day (see photo of her snuggling her graduation stuffy she earned today!). The entire team at Your Dog’s Best Friend is warm, knowledgeable, and truly sets you and your dog up for long-term success. If you’re looking for top-rated dog trainers in Maryland or a fun and effective puppy socialization class in the DMV, this is the place to go! Your Dog’s Best Friend is by far the best puppy training in Maryland! In the video, you’ll notice our boxer, Kiki, is separated from the two other puppies in the video for safety since she’s older and bigger than them. But she still got to interact with them through the partitions and she loved it.

We adopted our goldendoodle rescue at the start of the pandemic. We had essentially no experience with dogs and he was only 9 months old. We went for classes as soon as they were available and watched many of the videos. Now he has been in basic manners, beginning and intermediate agility, out and about, and AKC prep which he passed on his first try. He is now a happy, outgoing, and well-behaved doodle. When we hike each weekend we often get questions about where did he learn to behave so well, and we tell them Your Dogs Friend.

My puppy and I are in our third class at YDF. The space is well-appointed, there are multiple different classes to choose from, and the price is accessible and competitive. More importantly, however, the trainers are incredibly thoughtful and kind. They understand that they are ultimately training owners, not dogs, and they help break things down for the densest of us :) I have specifically taken classes with Sarah Stoycos and Morgan Stroup, and they are wonderful. They are so patient with all my questions, and I feel like my understanding of dog psychology has truly improved. But one of the behind-the-scenes gems of YDF is the coordinator, Nicole. She is incredibly organized and goes above and beyond to help owners access the resources I need. The other day she called me after hours just to talk through a struggle I was having and offer practical suggestions towards resources that might help. So grateful for Nicole and the YDF volunteers!