Years ago this was a great place to train your dog. Some of the trainers are good still, but Layne allows substitute trainers that are not trained properly with dogs with special needs. Denise is the worst. They also do not foster any kind of socialization with the dogs. I do not recommend this expensive business. read more

This business has helped my rescue pup learn how to get along in society. The owner (Laine) reached out to make sure my pup was set up to succeed. Thanks to Laine, Lynn, Tabitha, and Claire, my sweet Cinde is making huge progress. Claire has spent a handful of private lessons with Cinde and EVERY time we walk away in such a better place. She is very patient and really knows these simple tricks that help me as an owner of a reactive dog learn how to redirect her. I really cannot say enough about how happy I am to have been recommended to this place by my vet's office (Lookout Mountain). read more

AZ Dog Sports - Pet Training Near Me

Originally, I wanted to sign my dog up for a beginner agility course to which they told me she was too young and I couldn't sign up for it. So they suggested I take their "beginner" rally class. Sure, anything to keep my dog learning. So I showed up on night one. I was not greeted by anyone, the sign in process was awkward. I sat and waited. I figured that this class had just started and everyone would be a beginner. Wrong. They apparently don't have semesters here and you can just start a class whenever you want. So some people had been doing rally for a while and I could sense the frustration they had when it took me and my six month old puppy a little longer to get through a pattern. I get it! I was frustrated that I spent my money on a class where I got five to ten minutes of floor time. To top it off, I was there during the coronavirus. Classes were cancelled and they closed the business. That's fine. However, when they opened again no one ever reached out to me to get me back into a class. I had only taken 3/6 of my classes. I emailed her and asked for a refund. She told me that they don't do refunds and that I could use the credit for up to a year on either a class or merchandise/equipment. What am I supposed to get out of three classes? And I don't want over priced treats/collars etc. She informed me that classes are always non-refundable and that I needed to look back at my receipt. Ok, I looked at my email receipt. I see the line. However, given these unprecedented times we've all had to be more flexible in how we run our returns/exchanges etc. This is the response I got when I again requested a refund. I will never return and I will never recommend this business. I'm appalled with the way the OWNER handled this. read more

AZ Dog Sports - Pet Training Near Me

The worst place you could take your dog for training. We have a 6 month old German Sheppard. We wanted to train her to be an obedient dog, follow basic commands like come, stay and sit. Instead the trainer came with food treats and fed her standing up and rewarded her for begging. Now instead of sitting she jumps up and knocks you over any time you have food in your hands. She won't come but runs every time you call her thinking it's a game and begs constantly. We paid in advance for a full package that cost $595. She gave us a 50% refund but we DID NOT use up half our classes. Horrible training and dishonest business practices. I'd advise everyone to stay clear of this business. read more

We took our golden retriever pup here since she was 6 months old. we initially started out with privates at home with one of their instructors to learn the basics then graduated to group classes. Our puppy is almost 1 year old and she is doing great! We will be testing her to get her Canine Good Citizen soon! For those reviews that were disappointed that their dog didn't get what the owners expected after one class... well it takes more than 1 class. Just coming to class and expecting your dog to be awesome on day 1 or 2 or even a month is not realistic. You need to be able to commit to continuing the training on your own time, after and in-between classes, as you will not see progress unless you practice practice practice! Training is a journey and even the best trained dog will have the occasional bad day. Keep at it! And you can't go into a group class expecting personalized training - that is what a private class is for! read more

Do NOT go to this facility.... We were mislead about the evaluation... what I had described to the person I scheduled with was not what the trainer did... I now have read a lot of the comments and reviews... I just wish I had read them before I wasted my$$. read more

I have been disappointed with the obedience training. I need tips, suggestions, and best practices. I didn't get any of those. The training is just gives them treats for things they won't ever do at home, and of the 55 minutes, 10 minutes of it is walking your dog in front of the stores near them. My dog is super distracted but she never suggested how to manage that or provide me with any guidance. Trainer was very nice but just kept showing us where to place treats. I was hoping for: how to stop jumping, excessive barking, walking a dog without pulling, etc. None of that was even mentioned! Disappointing!!!!l LAYNE - that is my point actually! She never once taught the basic cues and that is what I wanted to learn. (Not how to put her paws in a pool) I admit my dog is a spazz but that is why I was there and needed help. Disappointing after spending the money. read more

My wife and I have been taking our goldendoodle puppy to AZ Dog Sports since she was 4 months old. AZ Dog Sports has been an immense help training her to be a happy, friendly, well-behaved, well-mannered pup. Now at 8 months, she has really come a long way. We have benefited tremendously from the training and teaching. Much of the training is for the owners so they know how to reinforce desired behavior and correct undesired behavior effectively and with affection. The AZ Dog Sports staff is friendly, professional, and give great advice and examples. We've mostly gone to classes run by Karen, but the entire staff has been excellent. We've seen them teach both pups and older dogs with an existing behavior issue, so not just for puppies starting out. On walks, we even get stopped by passersby who compliment her on how well behaved she is! I strongly recommend AZ Dog Sports, read more

My dog had fun here and we learned some basic commands, but it really was not worth the money. Some of the trainers are great, others, not so much. We tried a beginner agility class on our last package of 6 classes and the trainer gave no information and we felt lost (not to mention we spent most of the class in the cage waiting for our turn; boring! I would not recommend AZ dog sports unless you are just looking for some easy fun/socialization with your dog. read more

I signed up Tails for the ten class package. Call the office and ask which class is right for you (I received a lot of help over the phone). Today we had day one of class, and like many people have scrutinized, there were other people in my class that had attended previous sessions. I personally had no issues with it. I felt as though Tails and I got a lot of personal help because we were all at different stages in training. I informed Denise that Tails and I had worked at home on some training, but that I really wanted him to be able to train with other dogs in the room. After I mentioned that she showed us all a technique to disengage our dogs when they get distracted and are at the end of their leash pulling. I really appreciated her going outside of the "syllabus" to show us. Denise said she is happy to address more training techniques as we see fit for our individual dogs. She also does a great job of explaining the why behind the described techniques. I'm happy I decided to commit to ten weeks and save money! read more

AZ Dog Sports - Tails after day 1 of training - Pet Training Near Me

We just finished our 2nd class of Obedience I with our 6 month old shih tzu, Poppins. AZ Dog Sports is a completely professional training business with friendly staff members and a clean spacious facility. I asked a million questions before signing up and we sat in on a class to observe. We are warmly greeted when arriving and appreciate the small class size which allows for the teacher to give lots of attention to each furry student. Our teacher, Will, is wonderful, informative and makes the the class lots of fun. It's a surprise how much we ALL learn in an hour. Thank you Mr. WILL!! We look forward to many years of working together to make Poppins a therapy dog!! I whole heartedly recommend AZ Dogs Sports for your beloved furry children. read more

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AZ Dog Sports for sure has some things going for it, namely it's indoors with a/c which is huge and all the trainers I've had were very well qualified, but I've never seen good results here like other classes I've taken. The biggest reason for the poor results is lack of structure in the classes. It's hard to easily explain, so I'll just compare it to a college course. When I signed up, I asked what "school supplies" I would need and was told to just bring a leash and treats. Not until I would arrive at class would I find out I should have also brought a toy, a box, a blanket from home (more on that later), etc. Also, AZ Dog sports has no "semesters" - you just show up and there are dogs/owners who have been taking the class for months, and others like yourself who are just beginning, and everyone is learning something different. To make matters more perplexing, there isn't a progression of things you're expected to master (for example, knowing addition and subtraction before moving on to multiplication). I was lost in their Beginning Agility class and their Agility For Fun (which they later told me is the same as Beginning Agility. whaa??). My first class they had me and my dog doing a full course, but never learned what to do with my body (I recently learned there's a certain way you have to hold treats, hand signals you give your dog, where your dog is in relation to your body; in short, the basics.) I tried my best to get the most I could out of the classes, but my dog picked up on my confusion and was miserable. Although it said nothing in the course description, I also found out not until I showed up that AZ Dog Sports keeps the dogs crated during all their agility classes, other than the approx 20 minutes the dog is actually on the course, which my dog still hates me for to this day. (That is what the blanket is for, trying to make your dog not so stressed in the crate.) And this was in a class titled "Agility For Fun"! Fun is definitely what we were not having, so we dropped the class and signed up for Obedience II. Which, again, we could start in the middle of because that class too has no beginning, middle or end. During Obedience we learned the value of having a syllabus. I've had several dogs and been through several rounds of obedience training over the years, but never has my obedience class consisted solely of the trainer asking dog parents what they want to work on. I was perhaps naively expecting the instructor to tell me what my dog needed. Based on everyone's answers, we were taught how to jump on a box and other skills whose purpose I had no need. AZ Dog Sports were also the first dog classes I've had with no homework. Class would end, we would be sent home and show up the next class with no reinforcement, no test to see how we did, no competition amongst the dogs as an incentive. My dog and I liked the a/c but ultimately we both got bored and quit. AZ Dog Sports is great if you and your dog just need a place to hang out for an hour, but if you want results I strongly suggest signing up for a much more structured class. read more

Great facility to train your dog! My dogs loved coming here. Friendly trainers as well They were able to guide me towards the best option for my pets when I enrolled also. read more

Our whippet, sight hound, took his first class in scent nose work. The dog and I both love the trainer. It was good fun and I swear my dog smiled all the way home. We can't wait to go back to our next class. read more

Ok company but the part time trainer they hired a few months ago is horrible! Has no idea what he is doing!

Three cheers . . . or would it be bow-wows? for our instructor Monika. We were in the dog world for about twenty-five years with conformation, SAR, kennel club membership and also a puppy-raiser family for GSD's for an eye assistance organization. We're an advanced age now and have a boxer who has been quite ill several times in his short seven years. In that, he lost confidence and the things he'd acquired through obedience and agility and now, a dog that scares easily and doesn't quite know his role in the world. His life depended upon running in a city park in Cave Creek where he had his dog "friends," and his off-leash freedom. Now, we are in an apartment, soon to go into a home we've been remodeling which will give him a large grass yard, however, now, he's not completely dependable around certain people and it's filled with small children. Not sure a trickster class will help him, yet it gives a dog something to think about and acquire, he's now completed the six weeks. We've seen many individuals who were gifted and enjoyed dogs as we acquired dog friends around the world, but Monika has the expertise to be "on the moment" and patient. We're aware that every second counts for a dog, don't leave them in "neutral," knowing what is being expected of him/her and kindly giving guidelines, assistance and the split-second of when to treat and she has the eye for when the moment should be with your dog -- for canine and the handler's understanding. This is a gift, not just training of knowing when to intercede to give your dog happiness and produce the skills that are in them, just waiting for someone to be patient enough with them to learn and excel. Our boxer is also overcoming a situation of paramedics being in our place. Seven men, two dogs crated, and all the activity -- he broke out of his crate throwing diarrhea on the walls and one paramedic was cruel to him in our home while I watched. Speechless. Since then, he's had problems. This was a good experience for him and he's more comfortable with a crate and I'm sure he liked the new "tricks" that were introduced. Whatever you're trying to achieve or to correct in your pet or performance dog, she has the capability to correct the handler and the dog. Being seventy years-old doesn't mean we can't improve on our dog's unwanted behaviors or their well-being. read more

We just signed up for the agility class for my German Shephard and love it. The staff is friendly and helpful. The facility is clean. I bring my two children and we all are learning and having fun with the agility class!! I highly recommend it. read more

This really is as good as it gets for dog training! Have taken both our rescue dogs here for a few different classes; agility, obedience & CGC training. The Instructors are the best!! They work at keeping you comfortable in developing the skill level of your dog.They do not ask more of you then you can handle and never put your dog in a position where they are not successful. Great experience! Thank you Monica & Layne read more

After seeing some good reviews online, we decided to sign up for AZ Dog Sports' puppy obedience class with our then 4-month old Corgi. We purchased their Bronze plan which included 6 consecutive weeks of classes. We chose this place in hopes it would be better than what PetSmart or something would offer, but in hindsight, we probably should have just gone there! The class setup was odd as it's not necessarily a structured 6-week course, but 6 weeks of classes on a rolling basis. So, new puppies can join the class and older puppies can leave the class anytime throughout those 6 weeks, making the classes very repetitive, and for our pup, pretty boring. However the thing that bugged me most about the classes, was that if our pup was acting up (she's pretty vocal and gets a little jealous when other pups were doing the activities and it wasn't her turn just yet) the instructor would not help at all. No guidance on how to get her to quiet or calm down. If we weren't going to get some sort of guidance on those things, then why were we there? During our very last class one of the team members at the front desk noticed we were really struggling and let us know after class that this probably wasn't the best fit for our Corgi, offered to credit us a class and suggested a different puppy class which had two sessions both at times that normal working people could not attend. It was a nice gesture, but I would say 5 out of the 6 classes left us feeling frustrated. We also had some issues with scheduling. The calendar probably has 6 or 7 different sessions of the class and there were only two sessions we could attend (again outside of normal working hours). Our preferable session got cancelled 5 out of the 6 times we attended class, forcing us to attend the other session (This often happened last minute, or the team would sign us up for sessions without us knowing leaving lots of confusion). I understand the need to cancel a session if only one pup is signed up, but some heads up on this kind of thing would have been appreciated before we paid for the classes. Overall, AZ Dog Sports may be a good fit for some puppies, but I really wish we would have put our money towards something more beneficial for our pup. read more

We have one of our dogs in agility training and the other in behavioral. Both have made incredible progress thanks to the patience and help of Monika and the other trainers. We love this place!! read more

AZ Dog Sports is a great place for obedience, agility and all sorts of training. Trainers and staff are professional and dedicated. They really want your dog and you to have fun, learn and connect. read more

AZ Dog Sports - Excellent agility training for both dogs and owners! - Pet Training Near Me

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This has been the best place we have ever gone for dog training. What a diverse group of trainers. You can be a novice with a new puppy, or need expert training in advanced agility...and anything in between. We love our classes with Debby and Marilee. We are currently training our puppy Lizzie Lou to become a therapy dog, one class at a time she is getting closer to her goal. read more

If you have a small dog, go somewhere else. I don't think they are very knowledgeable/experienced with small dogs. I had a private evaluation setup with Karen. The first thing Karen did was ask me to give her some of the treats that I had brought with me. I politely reminded her that I have a very small dog and to break the treats into 4 or 5 pieces or she would fill up. Of course she didn't listen, she immediately started dropping treats around the floor by her feet to get my dog to come over to her feet. By the time the session was up, my dog had eaten so many treats, she puked. I didn't really get much out of the session. The trainer had had eye surgery the day before our session and couldn't bend over, so she could't interact with our dog. She wanted to see her for another $50 private session to evaluate her better - I think not. I told them upon booking that my dog was a Chihuahua so I don't know why they would book this trainer if she was unable to bend over. Here is a tip - make sure to bring your own treats. They have a big display of them at the door - I suspect they make a healthy profit off selling you treats. read more

Great place to take your dog to have some fun! We have been going here for several years and love it. The teachers are knowledgeable, helpful and encouraging. Great variety of classes for all different types of dogs. Also a nice way to get to know other dog owners in the area. read more

Great place to train especially in the summer. Can you say Air Conditioning?!!!

AZ DOG SPORTS Is the best training place in the Vally of The Sun Trainers are great love Monica & Darcey GOLDMINER GOLDENS.COM SHARON read more

So far, so good. On my third training class here for puppy school, and it's been a wonderful experience. The school is next to the Kids Park and Best Buy. Very conveniently located. Staff is patient. I look forward to continuing with their programs! read more

Great place for dog training. Offer a variety of training classes, taught by trainers that practice what they teach. Best is that it is in a comfortable INDOOR facility - can't beat that in Phoenix. read more

I rescued my dog Sketch a year ago and wanted to train him so I could take him anywhere I wanted to go. After one year in various classes at AZ Dog Sports he has an AKC obedience title, his Canine Good Citizen Advanced title and competes in various other dog sports like Barn Hunt, Agility and Rally. The classes and training have built such a strong and respectful bond between Sketch and I. We have so much fun in training classes and dog sports I now see how an active dog is a happy dog. read more

AZ Dog Sports - Agility class - Pet Training Near Me

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Arizona Dog Sports is awesome! I've taken one dog for agility and she loved it. She was sad if we missed class, she would mope around. My other dog went to basic obedience and then private classes. I've even taken a few of my foster dogs. I highly recommend them. read more

This is a great place for dog training! I love the instructors! They are so experienced and very good at handling the dogs. After just a couple of sessions I already noticed a big change in my puppy. I have learned so much about communicating with dogs, I now have the confidence and knowledge to handle my puppy. I highly recommend this place to anyone who loves dogs and want the best service for their dogs! read more

We love AZ sports. We decided to try it because our dog has training classes but no fun classes. Will be s awesome as an instructor and to be honest he does great at training ya more than the dog because we are the ones with the issues telling our puppy what we want. We recently met Jessa another trainer and she was great. Was concerned at first on the. Holding blocks idea of classes instead of sequence classes but it totally works. read more

My dog and I have been doing agility with AZ Dog Sports for a couple of months now and love it. Ken has been a great trainer. He helps both my dog and i step by step on how to improve in each aspect and is good with trying different methods to see what works best for her and i. My dog gets more excited than she does for a normal outing when i'm gathering the items she's learned means we're going to class and seems very happy when there. I look forward to it each week and really enjoy our classes as well. I would recommend them. read more

AZ Dog Sports is an amazing place for you any your dog. They have a great team of trainers that seem to really enjoy what they do and make training fun for you and your K9 companion. They have classes to meet whatever you are looking for. read more

Recent transplant to Phoenix from Seattle. In the heat of summer I decided to sign up for a basic agility class for my pup to get some exercise/stimulation in the a/c. Bummer here is that the protocol is to put pups not on the course in a crate. In 1 hour your dog gets maybe 10 mins on the floor. I've attended other similar classes in other cities that kept the pace faster, didnt find a need to crate dogs and was just a generally better experience. Additionally, I found some of the ways they trained dogs through obstacles to be less effective than other classes I've taken. I'll look elsewhere. read more

Very disappointed. As others have noted, if you go to AZDogSports for agility, be prepared to leave your dog in a crate for the majority of the time. Also, perhaps because of the rolling enrollment, your dog may be at the end of his training session, or the beginning. You'll be treated the same either way. The most disappointing part was that the trainer treats all dogs as though they learn at the same pace, and apparently that pace is presumed to be slow. Add to this the location is very small, which means all obstacles are very close together. The entire venue has a front desk where people will come in and out and stand chatting while you're trying to hear what the instructor is saying. All in all, for about forty dollars a class, this is not a great experience. Your dog will get maybe 3-4 runs of just three or four obstacles in the hour. That works out to about $10 per run, on a good day. Agility is great, AZ Dog Sports -- not so much. read more

Fantastic Training Facility. We got a rescue puppy this Christmas. We have worked with four different training companies so we have some ability to do a comparison. AZ Dog Sports is our favorite for on-going training as they have such a huge variety of classes allowing us to keep our dog constantly challenged. It enables her to positively channel her puppy brain, continue to build trust with us and just plain have a blast - especially during agility class. Will is our favorite trainer - he has a great sense of humor and extremely insightful into how our cues need to be modified to get the best from our Emma. read more

The trainers are great. But the lady who sits behind the desk could use some training. It's unfortunate that she is the first impression of this business. read more

Things started out great, I will give them that. However, once I expressed my concerns about how I was treated (talked down to), that my dogs were not in the correct class (beginners put in advanced class), and we were wasting our time, the claws came out. I was told I was unfair, too sensitive, and that my attitude was poor. Very unprofessional. They didn't even take the time to learn my dogs names or breed. They never asked what I wanted to get out of our training and was forwarded an email sent by a happy customer whose dog had won $100 and a cooler. I'm not looking for champions. I was just biding time until it cooled down so we could go back to herding sheep, at a much friendlier facility. I would not reccomend this facility to anyone. read more

I am sorry to have to write this review. I was hoping they would remedy the situation, but when I explained this to the owner/manager he was very rude, didn't appear to listen or care about the DOG. When you train a dog, you are trying to help the dog. This is a long story - but - can't explain my review without it. I rescued a 9 month old, 70 pound puppy who had been horribly abused. He was extremely dominant and was in desperate need of training. We signed him up for puppy class here and took him to his first class. He was a mess. He barked at every dog, he pulled us over on the leash. He had no clue how to sit or even pay attention. We were frustrated and we asked the teacher to help us and give us pointers. She took the dog for about 1 minute and couldn't handle him. She couldn't get him to sit either. She showed obvious fear of him. We asked for suggestions and she said, and I quote, " just keep giving him food and at some point he will sit". We asked about pinch collars or more "aggressive" training since he was so unruly and they said they do not believe in that type of training. (The dog class was filled of puppys who were already obedient and seemed to only want to work on agility. There was no "alpha" in this room - except my dog). We left that day distraught and strongly considered returning this dog. Then we decided that we needed to do what was right FOR THE DOG and had an independent trainer from another company come to the house for evaluation. Within 5 minutes she had him heeling on a leash and he gave her eye contact. In fact, that first we didn't even work with the dog. We saw how fast he responded to her and decided to postpone puppy classes as it didn't appear that he had this reaction to the puppy class teacher. She was not afraid of him and she demanded respect from him. Just what he needed. We sent him away for 3 weeks, in this trainers home where he was taught what he needed to know. He came back a different dog. He is our family now. He goes everywhere with us. We are proud to call him our dog. He is AMAZING and most importantly, it was the right thing to do for HIM. Now this was a unique situation. We feared calling AZ dog sports because we didn't want to call out their teacher as not being able to handle our dog, and we felt kind of bad for not being able to continue, but the METHODS did not match this dog. (and by the way - they don't tell you their methods up front...you don't know if it will work till your dog gets there, and every dog is different). So, finally, I got up the courage to go in and explain the situation and ask for my money back (for 5 classes that I did not attend) due to a mismatch of methods that were needed for this unique dog. I figured they would be happy that our big guy is finally happy and healthy. Maybe remember him (as he made a pretty horrible impression his first day) and realize that we were just TRYING TO HELP THE DOG. Instead, the manager got defensive and told me there are no refunds and I could've used the money towards one of his private trainers. (right, the trainer who couldn't even WALK my dog or offer suggestions on how to make him sit). Then he tells me that he will let me use it towards product, and that he normally does not even offer this. Considering they don't even carry the collars my dog needs, no the toys (he has massive teeth), totally pointless. They don't carry food...so what would I buy exactly? And why would I want to support them if they don't support me and what I had to do to save this dog? My impression - if your dog doesn't fit THEIR mold, you will be at a loss. And they won't care. Also - if you have a big dog who is really in need of training - go elsewhere. This place is meant for agility and dogs who already have a calm and submissive personality. Even the trainer who came to the house only charged us for the time she was with the dog - and we had an opportunity to see what her methods were before "signing up" for the program. She cared about my dog and wanted him to find what worked for him, whether it was her or not. She wouldn't sign up a dog without meeting him first. When I signed my dog up for these puppy classes at dog sports, they didn't even ask about the dog. Just the age and size. And I had to pay for all 6 classes up front. No sample classes, no meeting the dog first, nothing. They are in it for the money only, not the dog. Final note: if you rescue a dog who has been abused and untrained, they CAN BE SAVED. Just find the trainer that works for that particular dog. And my guess is, it won't be one found here. Save the dog and find the right fit. read more