I love city canine...they have trained me to be a better pet owner. I have taken each of my 3 dogs through basic obedience. I have learned how to be consistent and clear when working with my dogs. We often get compliments on how well behaved we all are. Instructors are patient and make class an enjoyable experience for both the pet and the owner... Thumbs up... read more

City Canine - Pet Training Near Me - Houston, Texas

I have to agree with Philip. First of all, I, too,agree that Dan and Jeff are excellent at training dogs. Dan is especially caring and responsive and has helped me very much in the past with two of my dogs. I would not have hesitated to take my dogs there and used board and train with one of my dogs. I cannot say enough good things about Dan. But Jeff has really bad anger management issues. This incident happened some time ago and still seems like it was yesterday. I was in Dan's class having difficulty with my dog doing what he was supposed to. Mind you this was Dan's class, but Jeff came over to me citing F-words and telling me that I should not own a dog. I was too shocked to move. I followed up with Jeff by e-mail stating that I did not appreciate his behavior and that he was to leave me, his F-bombs and my dog alone during Dan's class in the future. He told me that from now on he was teaching the class and offered no apology. In fact, he accused me of not doing my homework and told me that I had better shape up in his class. The end result is my dog and I dropped the class. I am woman over sixty years old. I found Jeff's behavior toward me appalling. I would not recommend CityCanine for this reason. read more

I was about to leave town for a week and needed a solution for my year old rescue - the first time I'd leave her since I got her about three months earlier. I'd been attending training sessions at Petco and she is a fast learner, but I had trouble with her off the leash on long walks in the park. I called City Canine and spent about 15 minutes asking questions. The company is run by a couple: one fellow takes most of the calls and does the paperwork while the other does sales and training. They wanted me to put up a deposit and commit over the phone, but I was concerned and told them I wanted to know what they could do with Sugar. I was told to make an appointment and come in for an evaluation for $40. When I drove into the neighborhood, I did not feel very safe, even though it is very close to a school. I was surprised by the physical facility, it seemed, well, residential. The trainer explained that all my dog's problems were the result of me being inconsistent and not knowing what I'm doing. Yeah, duh, that is common dog training knowledge. He wanted me agree to change everything or go elsewhere. I like having Sugar walk at my right, but was told she would now walk on my left, etc. After about five minutes it was clear that I did not want to conform to his program, and I let him know. He spent the next 25 minutes trying to convince me that he was the best trainer in town, and he could train my dog in 5 minutes a day. I'm guessing that 5 minutes is how much he spends with the dogs in the board and train program. I did not like the fact that all the dogs are kept together in a large pen. I left Sugar in a place like that once and she came back barking wild, when she had been very mild mannered previously. It took some weeks to get her settled down again and I decided this was definitely not a place for Sugar. I asked to see the area where Sugar would sleep. One of the guys complained he had not had time to clean up, and in fact the place was grimy to say the least. It was a bunch of old crates and kennels in a very large shed. (Danny Boy thinks this is a cottage - well, drive over there and see it BEFORE you give them a deposit.) I would board my pet there if everything else was OK, she is a dog and does not mind filth, but it seemed they should do better on the cleanliness scale. I also asked to see an example of their best trained dog and how it behaved. The trainer brought out a really excited collie, with a pretty good attention span, eager to please the master, but not quite all there. Not actually following all the commands, and with an odd demeanor, at least to me. Had I been shown a really awesome companion animal, I might have felt differently, this dog was probably trained for tricks and obstacles, not my objective. But the dog also simply ignored many commands. This was five minute demonstration, so I thought the master should have much more control. In the end I had a friend come take care of Sugar and I bought her a shock collar (canine walkie-talkie) and could not be more pleased. Sugar pays much closer attention to me almost all the time. She does not chase cats or squirrels anymore, after only a couple of milder shocks. I would have rated Canine City higher if they had not spent 25 minutes of my time and $40 my money trying to sell me. I would have been much more than happy had I been given some tips or useful advice in exchange for my money, but felt cheated in the end. MY RESPONSE to DANNY BOY (calling me a web troll), U R A TRUE PIECE OF WORK. MY OPINION STANDS. BEWARE - THESE GUYS HAVE SERIOUS ANGER MANAGEMENT ISSUES) And just so you know, I shocked myself with the collar on full strength before I ever put it on Sugar - and I never shock her with greater than half strength. It gets her attention, but does not hurt her. She runs to me to get the collar put on. I think she knows it helps us communicate better. 1/2015 UPDATE - Sugar is a very well trained, polite and extremely happy and loyal dog. The shock collar training lasted only two months and it was extremely effective. Most of the time I only used the vibrate mode. PLEASE GO SPEND TIME WITH THESE PEOPLE BEFORE YOU LEAVE A PET WITH THEM. read more

Don't bring your dog to City Canine. It's a terrible place where 3 dogs have died since July and the trainer/owner doesn't know how to run a business and refuses to refund my money. In late July I paid for board and train services for my dog at City Canine. Less than a week later I learned about 2 dogs dying after being left at City Canine in late July. Fortunately I had not dropped off my dog and I immediately called Dan to cancel my dog's appointment and get my money refunded. During that call Dan said he'd give me a refund the next day. I tried calling Dan the next day, but the call almost immediately went to his voicemail. I tried calling about 2-3x week for the next several weeks, but never got a call back. I also tried emailing Dan, but I never got a response. I then learned in early Sept. that a 3rd dog had died after staying at City Canine. This place is now being sued by 2 of the owners of the dogs who died. Go see for yourself: Case #201660605 and #201652418 on the Harris County District clerk's website: http://www.hcdistrictclerk.com/eDocs/Public/Search.aspx Don't leave your dog with City Canine! Don't listen to the other positive reviews that have been posted recently. 3 incidents in 3 months are not tragic incidents. They're a terrible trend of recklessness. You might lose your money and your best friend. read more

Normally I don't care to leave reviews unless a business is exceptionally good or in this case - exceptionally bad. After calling several places from $ PetSmart classes to $$$$$ Private trainers that come to you and train, we settled on $$$ City Canine due to two reasons. The location and the great communication we received on our initial call with Dan. However it slowly went down hill from there. Here's a quick 'rough' timeline: Called in Feb 2015. Paid in Mar 2015 for three classes. First class in April. Houston RAIN. Second class in May (2-3 weeks apart from first class, as advised by Dan). Houston RAIN. Third class is ... Never Happened. So after paying up and reading up on the emails, we were advised to schedule all 3 of our classes 2-3 weeks apart from each other. In the very first class, we noticed a kind of rushed environment and were criticized a few times on the expensive leashes we used and were rather pushed on a leash that they use and get a kick back on. We politey declined but were still asked to use it for that day incase we changed our mind? For our 2nd training session, we had to reschedule because it was raining, so this pushed it from 2-3 weeks to more like 3-4 weeks. Again we were criticized like we actually had control over the weather - umm hello? In this training we were also pushed on "treats they cook in home rather the expensive one we bought - both were chicken flavor." If you were in Houston in this year from April-June you'll remember the amount of rain we got and the flooding that occurred inside the loop, this caused our training to be delayed/cancelled several times since City Canine ONLY trains outside. Anyways - it was at this second training that while going over the lesson of "How to Walk on a Leash", on their property that my dog was bitten by several FIRE ANTS. Dan just shrugged and said - Geez we just cleared the area for FIRE ANTS last week. Well apparently not well enough. Luckily our dog only had to go to the VET once - it could have been a lot worse and I wanted to talk to Dan and his partner about this in person however the third training never occurred. Houston's Rain season continued for a good month and a half, and I kept in touch with Dan in June and tried to schedule several times in July with no responses via text or calls. I left voicemails and after every 3-4 texts/calls I would get a response like "Let me talk to my partner and get back to you." I never did get the calls back and ended up asking for a refund or to reschedule for the third class... They did neither. Customer Service is worse than ComCast! This is a prime example of why small businesses get a bad rep. As of now I've asked my credit card company to refund me the partial charge of the third class and also made sure my circle of 20+ dog friends do not use this business for training. We've had great luck with indoor training (I won't mention names as I hope this business can get its shit together and does'nt treat anyone else like us). I still have all the text messages with their time stamps saved - but honestly if they even offer to do a third training, I'll probably pass on it. This business has left a bitter taste. To try and impose your leash, your treats, your 'outdoor' only training without clearing fireants or accounting for Houston weather is not acceptable. Customer service sucks - read all the reviews and buyer beware. read more

We got Shih-Tzu littermate puppies at the end of November and we were having a heck of a time trying to get them potty trained. We read books, online blogs, asked our vet, asked our friends... no advice seemed to work for Rex and Lexi. They'd go outside, go potty, and STILL come back in 5/10 minutes later and go again on the floor inside. They were having 10-15 accidents A DAY! I started to look around and research training in Houston, and kept coming back to the great reviews for CityCanine. We had an out of town trip planned for 6 days, and figured if we were going to board and train them, we should start while we would be out of town, since we would have to board them for that time anyway. When I called CityCanine, Dan explained to me the different programs they had and recommended the potty training program for small dogs instead of the traditional board and train program they offer. Both were 2 week programs, but the potty training one was a bit less expensive. I appreciated that he pointed me in the right direction with the potty training program, instead of just signing them up for the other (more expensive) program. That showed me he really cared about the problem my dogs had and was committed to helping, not just taking our money. It was hard to think about them being gone for 2 whole weeks, but Dan kept us updated every few days so we would know how they were doing. When the end of the 2 weeks came we picked the pups up- we were hopeful, but a little skeptical that they would really be trained. Turns out we were SO wrong, and they are completely house-trained. I'm not sure how he did it, but neither dog has had an accident since the day we brought them home (March 14), so we're on 3 weeks now. Amazing! By the way, the day we picked them up, Dan was pretty ill, and he still sat outside with us talking about the dogs and their new schedule until he just couldn't take it anymore. He had to go to the ER the next day, and soon after that had surgery to have his gallbladder taken out. He called me from the hospital the next day just to check on the pups. These guys are amazing and really care! : ) When we decide to move forward with command training, we will definitely come back to CityCanine. read more

You can tell that the owners really care about dogs. When I first brought my stray dog in she was super unruly and when I got her back from the board and train program she had made remarkable improvements - sitting, lying down, staying and walking on her leash better. The problem is their horrible customer service skills. While they both seem like nice people, once I paid for additional training and immediately had some questions all communication was cutoff. From the get go they'd expressed whether you ever had any questions or concerns that they'd be answered by the next day at the latest but I've called, texted and emailed continuously and nothing. They did a good job with my dog, but I felt really let down by all of this. read more

Wow. I find it interesting that the other 5 star review is hidden. I am sorry that the previous reviewer had such a bad experience with City Canine but I am here to say that I have had a different experience with Dan & Jeff. First all - I have not used them for board & train but I have taken both of my rescue dogs through their 8-week basic obedience course. I took my first dog 2 years and returned last month to go through the course with my new dog. A few things: Yes, their neighborhood isn't the best but Dan & Jeff live on-site & own the shaded field next to the their home that is used for training. I have never had issues with the area and found it extremely convenient since I live within 5 miles. Also, they may not be the trainers for all dog-owners. I am a huge dog-lover but I treat my dogs like dogs. Beloved family members, yes (they even sleep with us) but dogs nonetheless. I understand their need for a pack-leader and I think Dan & Jeff work to train you primarily (not the dog) to lead. You are taught how to get the dog to want to follow you through use of treats (at first), praise, verbal & non-verbal commands. They truly do care about dogs and their love for dogs shows. They also understand that dogs will be dogs and even the best trained won't always listen. Be aware too that although not all dogs will require it, some may need a choke or pinch collar at first. They show you how to use them safely and effectively. They are not necessarily evil. In short, Dan & Jeff successfully trained me and my two dogs and both dogs passed their AKC Canine Good Citizen test (included as part of the basic obedience training during your 8th session). They recognize dog's and owner's weaknesses and help you overcome them with good tips. Over 2 years later, my 1st dog still remembers his commands and walks well on a leash. I am actually looking forward to boarding my dogs with them when we go on vacation this summer (a service offered to former clients) because I know they will have a blast running & playing all day with Dan & Jeff's dogs. read more

In 2008, I adopted a rescue dog who had lots of serious issues. I took him to a different board & train outside of Houston and while he learned to sit and stay, that was about it. Then I took him to CIty Canine, and my dog learned to stay, leave it, heel, and more. We also did the advanced obedience class, an agility course, and sometimes when I travel, he gets a refresher course. City Canine has become a friend of the family. They love dogs, and they are amazing with them. My chubby dog, who is afraid of strangers, LOVES Dan and loves being at City Canine. I am so grateful for everything they have taught my little guy and for the kindness they show to a difficult little dog. read more

City Canine - Pet Training Near Me - Houston, Texas

My precious beau who city canine not only trained but has boarded for us over the last . all we can say is that Dan and Geoff have always taken care of our prized possession!! We feel like leaving him at city canine is as good as being home with us. I wish that those who wish to disrespect this business take into account all the good things that city canine provides. We have and will continue to support city canine. read more

City Canine - Pet Training Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

First, I must admit, I'm the type that conducts extensive research before 'pulling the trigger' on any major decisions. Deciding where to leave and train our two new dogs for two weeks during a trip abroad was very important to us. In the few months we had the puppies, we had the usual issues - chewing, and pulling hard on the leash, etc. The most annoying to us was definitely the pulling on our daily walks. Long story short, we were thrilled when we returned home, and very glad we chose City Canine. Dan did a fabulous job with our dogs. We could believe how disciplined they were when walking and with all the commands that were practiced. We had two one hour sessions to train us (the humans) and reinforce all the commands and proper ways for us to behave and also correct the dogs when needed. This was a great investment and we are looking forward to the additional 8 hours of classes coming up in the new year (all included in the price). Great value. Finding the site wasn't a problem but we used our GPS. Dan and Jeff live on the premises and are very caring and committed. I would recommend City Canine to anyone. Keep up the great work! read more

We have been clients for 2+ years and have nothing but high praise for Dan and Jeffrey. They are exceptional dog trainers and have taken wonderful care of our dog Otis when boarded. I believe that the tragic instances that took place were in no way due to their negligence. I continue to use them for boarding. read more

I chose city canine based on yelp reviews, and unfortunately, I did not have a good experience. The method used is food. If your dog is difficult, easily distracted and is not into the food during the training sessions, the trainer asks you to stop giving the dog their regular food for days so they will be hungry enough to work during training. If you are not comfortable doing that, as I was not, I would not recommend them. No alternative methods were provided and little empathy was given to an inexperienced, insecure dog owner. read more

I have a 5 month old Catahoula whom I rescued from a shelter. I found City Canine though a friend who had a very positive experience with them so I figured they would be a safe bet. He put me in contact with Dan who handled my payments as well as well as scheduling me dropping off my dog. I spoke to Dan questioning if it was too early to train my dog in a board and train scenario and he told me that 16-20 weeks is the best time to train a dog which worked perfectly with my puppy. It should have been a red flag from the start when he told my friend that he would give me a discount if I signed up and paid up front making it $650 as opposed to the regular $800 (for the board and train), but when I actually paid there was no such discount. I however thought its no problem I can pay the extra $150 I just want them to take good care of my dog. So I paid the $800, I scheduled the drop off, and brought her up there on a Sunday. The facility was in a rough area and upon first glance I was questioning my decision of bringing my dog there. However I sat with Dan we went through the paperwork and discussed any issues I have with my dog and he briefly went over what he would be doing. He does a good job of putting you at ease and almost makes it seem like a doggie summer camp. I made it exceptionally clear to him that my big issue was that I have to chase my dog around every morning before I go to work simply because she doesn't come when she is called. He expressed to me that they would be able to train her to come when called as well as several other commands. He also told me that he rarely answers his phone because he is busy. So, if I needed to get in touch with him I would need to either text or e-mail him and he would get back to me. I then got a phone call 4 days after dropping her off saying that my puppy is very shy and they would not be able to get as much training done as they needed for her to be released on time. So, she would need to stay there for another week he told me that it would be an additional $200. I spoke to him and explained that I am not rolling in money and I was wondering if he could help me at all. He said that he couldn't but if it ended up that she needed to stay longer it would be on them. So I agreed and just expressed that now I have a $1,000 dollar investment into training my dog I expect her to come back as promised. Throughout the next 2 weeks and change Dan was incredibly difficult to get a hold of. I followed his instructions in regards to communication and he would not reply to texts until sometimes 6 to 8 hours later. I asked several times if he would send me photos or a video of my puppy and he said each time he would, yet he still never did. He then gave me a call on a Wednesday and set to schedule a pick up for my puppy on the next Sunday. I asked him if he would send me the required readings so that I could be familiar with them before I arrived he sent me a few documents as soon as I got off the phone. Then at 8 am that Sunday morning I receive 3 more readings as well as a note saying that I would need to buy a treat waist pouch for that afternoon. I arrive and Dan tells me briefly what they did and takes me through the hand signals they use. I met Jeff and he walked me through the leash training they did. Over the next few days she settled back in and I kept up with the training that I was told to do. Yet even a week after bringing her home and keeping up with training she will still not come when called. I asked Dan if the command was taught to her as she still wont come when I do the hand signal and give the command, He replied saying my dog is hard headed. So now I have a dog that will not come when called, after having to drive 3 hours out of my way to both drop her off and pick her up, as well as paying $1000 all upfront. I would not recommend using these guys as I have found them to practice poor communication, dishonest business transactions, and sub par training. I think that they are simply just incredibly inconsistent in their training as some people have a great experience and others do not. read more

Jeffrey and Dan were a tremendous help with my 1 year-old rescue lab. I was on the verge of giving her away for adoption - being the first time dog owner (and I mean a BIG young dog full of energy), I could not possibly handle her. Now having a dog turns out to be a joy and before City Canine it was a torture. Now I know what to do and how to do it thanks to City Canine. These guys know some magic, I am telling you. read more

City Canine is a top notch operation. Dan and Jeffrey are excellent at what they do. My first dog trained with them six years ago and my new pup just last month. They just keep on getting better. My dogs came home from board and train knowing basic commands and with great housebreaking behaviors. The written report and the two follow up classes are a great help in training the owner. In addition they offer a free seven week class following board and train. I highly recommend City Canine to any dog owner. These guys are the best! read more

Last October I found a little beagle pup wandering the streets of Midtown. She was about 3 1/2-4mo. old and completely untrained. I never found her owners after looking for several months and adopted her as my own at Christmas. She was a terror! I would sometimes cry because training on my own seemed hopeless and she would not listen. I used what I had learned years back at PetSmart classes and bought a few books on training, and on beagles in particular. Common problems: house training, mouthing, chewing the carpet and baseboards, getting into trash and dragging it all over the house and on the furniture, destroying my shoes, and jumping. She also ate a few rare books that my roommate left on the floor, as well as some of my students' exams. At 7mo. I took her to City Canine, and I immediately began to see results. She graduated from puppy classes but due to my ever changing schedule as a student I haven't been able to get her into intermediate classes yet. Shiloh is doing great! She listens to commands, doesn't chew anything except her toys and bones, stays out of the trash without having to be told anymore, housebreaking seemed almost instantaneous after enrolling her in class, and she is a much more confident and happy dog. Her vocabulary of commands has grown since her training, and she is truly coming into her own more each day. I have also boarded her several times with Dan and Jeffrey, and she loves it! If I mention their names, she immediately runs to the car and can't wait to see them. City Canine has truly given me a peace of mind that words can not explain. My dog is no longer a stressor in my life; she is sweet, quiet, calm, playful (in the non-destructive ways), responsive, and trustworthy. For a one year old beagle, that is truly saying something. read more

I can't begin to tell all the good City Canine has done for me and how they enriched my life. City Canine blessed me with my amazing Blue Healer, Callie. They had her completely house broke, obedience trained and well groomed when I got her. Callie is just one example of the many positive effects that comes from Dan & Jeffrey's hard work, compassion and love for what they do. I will forever be grateful to them for all they do to enrich the lives of the dogs they care for and for how they have truly blessed me beyond words. read more

TICK AND FLEA ABUSE! DO NOT SEND YOUR DOG HERE! You would think a dog trainer, of all people, would be disgusted by seeing an animal infested with ticks and fleas. Not Dan, with City Canine. Dan apparently thinks it's acceptable to "train" a dog that is fully infested with ticks and fleas because that's what his facility did to my dog and that's how my dog, Roscoe, was returned to me. I brought Roscoe to City Canine because Dan insured me that he could teach him commands, teach him how to walk on a leash properly (without biting the leash) and how to stop jumping on people. Roscoe came home after SIX WEEKS (yes, six) with no improvement on any of the above. When I picked up Roscoe from City Canine I was in shock by his appearance and by his smell. Roscoe was completely matted and stunk horribly. Dan was apologetic for Roscoe's appearance since Dan's groomer never came to any of the appointments that I scheduled or that Dan scheduled for him. Dan offered to keep Roscoe for a couple of more days to continue his "training" and get him cleaned up since I had already paid for these services. I was not about to leave my dog there for one more minute! The next morning I took Roscoe to his regular groomer, who had to shave him completely because he was INFESTED with TICKS and FLEAS! The ticks and flea wounds were so bad that I took Roscoe to his vet the next day. Roscoe was given medicine for the wounds and is still recovering from this abuse today. My fiancé and I have called Dan to talk about these issues. The one and only day we each spoke to Dan we asked for a full refund since not only were the services not met, there were several more expenses afterwards due to the flea and tick abuse. Dan stated that he was not in the financial position to return our money to us. Dan asked that I send him the pictures of the flea and tick wounds on Roscoe and that he would then call me back. My fiancé and I have called him repeatedly since then only to have our calls ignored. I am moving forward to report the abuse Roscoe went through while at City Canine. I hope my story helps another family from choosing this disgusting facility. read more

City Canine - FLEA and TICK WOUNDS after being left at City Canine! - Pet Training Near Me - Houston, Texas

I have had my dog, Penny, both trained and boarded at City Canine since the spring of 2014. I was very surprised to see the negative reviews. Although I do understand concern with regards to the recent incidents, I do not feel it was due to negligence on their behalf, I can say with certainty that I have never hesitated with leaving Penny at City Canine. I believe she receives excellent care and I trust both Dan and Jeff with her well being. They continue to address her behavioral issues with excellent knowledge and skill. read more

See all

My husband and I ran into his old friend from college and I began having small talk with his wife. Coincidently, we both had new puppies. Finally, I thought I had someone who could relate to all the trials I was going through with potty & leash training, chewing etc. Then to my amazement, she told me her puppy didn't have any of the problems mine had although they are the same age. So, I asked her what she was doing that solved all of her puppies problems ,and she said she sent him to City Canine. I thought about it for a couple days and finally decided to call City Canine. Dan recommended the boarding school option, where the dog stays about two weeks. It worked out for us because we were going to be gone one of those weeks and she would need to be boarded anyway. I think any new dog parent is skeptical about leaving their puppy for two weeks, and I was of course. When I arrived to City Canine I noticed the owners live on the property where they train and board the dogs. This put me at ease, because only people who really love and are invested in dogs turn their home into a training camp. With that being said, you have to understand that this is their environment and work place. I'm a firm believer of letting the expert do their job and just follow what they say to do. You can't get a prescription from your doctor and not take it and expect to get better. They have a system that works for the dogs and thats what their customers are paying for. Dan explained the entire schedule of my puppies training and answered all my questions. We would text every few days with an update on how she was doing. When I returned to pick her up, my husband and I had our own 1 hour training with our pup and Jeff. I didn't think I would be as surprised as I was to see how well she was doing ( and how big she got) with the leash and her commands. Since we have had her home, we have been practicing what Dan & Jeff taught us, and Tootsie actually looks forward to her practice time on the leash ( she will go sit by the front door and stare at us lol). Even better then that, she's completely potty trained and has not had accident since she's been home. We could not be more satisfied! Worth every penny for sure! read more

I tended to Taj when he was brought into the ER. I was with him for over an hour as the tech tried to clean caked-on dirt from around and inside the myriad of puncture wounds and open gashes on poor Taj's neck. He was so dirty, and so cut up, it is unimaginable how anyone could have "not noticed" this before it turned into septic shock. City Canine was incredibly neglectful to leave Taj in such a state of filth, let alone to not notice the dog fight he got in and subsequent wounds. It makes me wonder how much they are really supervised there during play. With multiple dogs that are just meeting each other while boarding, City Canine should have them under constant supervision and should investigate any dog that "has a limp", as City Canine noticed on Sunday. I would recommend not bringing your dog here, as three dogs have died in the past and this last one suffered a painful death, as I saw standing with him in the ER trying to comfort him as he struggled. So heartbreaking and City Canine should not be allowed to treat anyone else's beloved pets with such neglect. http://www.khou.com/mb/news/local/animals/another-family-blames-kennel-for-dog-s-death-1/315333187 read more

Let me preface this by saying I did the research before I sent my puppy to a board and train. I read practically every review out there on both paid and free review sites, and I decided on CityCanine based on results and price. My puppy had serious play biting/mouthing issues, pulling issues, and most distressingly, severe housebreaking issues. He is lucky he is cute because crate training was just not working, even after weeks of consistency on my part. When he was old enough I sent him to CityCanine for the two-week board and train. Dan handles the housebreaking cases and he decided to keep him for an extra week (without charge) because he wasn't satisfied with his progress. Dan kept him until he achieved 5 days without an accident, which was great. The puppy I got back almost never play bites, and if he does, at such a reduced level it actually is cute (anyone who has a serious problem with this knows that it is normally NOT cute). He now walks calmly on the leash and rarely needs to be corrected. It took awhile to achieve the potty training results at home. I texted Dan EVERY DAY about our progress (or lack thereof - accidents 3x a day in the crate, etc.) and I always got a response, either phone call or text, with another method to try. I was on the verge of just deciding that he would be an outdoor dog, but Dan convinced me to keep at it. It took a really regimented schedule but we got it - our puppy is officially house trained. He really was one of the most difficult cases Dan has come across and I can personally attest to how many times Dan talked me off a ledge when it came to my frustration with my puppy (and yes, we checked for medical reasons, etc., he is fine, just a really stubborn terrier mix). I can't say enough about Dan's dedication to his clients, both human and canine. I am looking forward to taking Jeff's advanced classes (included in the board and train fee) and plan on enrolling my pup in agility courses later. We have boarded with Dan and Jeff as well and will continue to do so, since the pup can't get enough of them. read more

City Canine is the best! Our one year old English Mastiff did the two week board & train and they not only did an amazing job with him but we felt secure in knowing he was treated like one of their own. It's truly a passion for these guys and you will be amazed at the results! We were unable to walk our dog on a leash because he would drag us along (literally). It was becoming a safety concern because he was also knocking over my elderly parents and pouncing on my 6 & 8 year old. We were really nervous about sending him to a board & train but after talking with Dan, I knew he would be okay. Our vet also saw a major success story from City Canine for a dog she treated. It is so awesome to be able to walk our dog now and for him to listen to our commands. This program is the best in town, I highly recommend it! read more

The owners may know something about dogs but at least one of them has no business working with people. I followed the training homework instructions TO THE LETTER but left after two of the level two classes because I was tired of being yelled and cursed at because my dog didn't perform perfectly. Save your time and your money and find trainers who know how to behave professionally with people and don't expect you to read their minds about training situations that WERE NOT ON THE HOMEWORK SHEET. read more

We decided to take our frenchie puppy to Dan for potty training sessions and basic training. Within my dog staying 2 days, Dan called wanting us to pay for an extra week. This kinda rubbed us the wrong way, but we decided to go forward with it. Dan is NOT the best with communication updates etc while your pup is in his care unless he desired to collect an additional payment from you. I was a little frustrated meeting up with him for the consultation to pick up our pup who had been in his care 3 solid weeks (preparing myself for the huge loss of $). When I picked up my pup, he was a completely different dog!! Obedient, watching me to see what I wish him to do next. He has had a couple accidents here and there (which were my fault), but Dan is always there. He even helped out when my dog ate something he shouldnt have on a routine walk. If you are sending your dog to city canine, do not get discouraged about the lack of contact (videos, updates) while your dog is in their care, these guys DEFINITELY know what they're doing! We even board our pup with them when we are out of town. I highly recommend them! read more

Dan and Jeff run a phenomenal training facility. I sent my dog there for training and he came back a better man/dog! I have since recommended 4 people to him and all have been more than pleased and continue to use him as a boarding facility when they travel. The absolute best!! read more

CityCanine helped us understand how to better communicate with our three year old dog which has led to drastic improvements in behavior after only two private sessions. They spent time getting familiarized with our specific situation and were able to present the material to us in a very user-friendly format. This was our first experience with a professional dog trainer and it has been a very positive and beneficial experience. read more

They were on the news again - KHOU and The Houston Press have both reported incidents of two dog deaths and one dog that they say disappeared. The most recent dog was severely injured, but the facility did not seek medical care for likely bite wounds until the next day when it was too late. These incidents are under investigation. read more

All I have to say is WOW! I used CityCanine 5 years ago when my adult dog was not listening at all. I did the three sessions obedience training and it definitely worked for obedience (sit, stay, and come commands). Dan recommended to do the follow up 3 sessions, which I didn't because you know life happens, I really wished I had follow through then. Flash forward 5 years, my dog was displaying REALLY Aggressive behavior, and I emailed him crying because I couldn't face giving my 9 year old dog up or worse. Dan was very responsive, called me immediately and listened to my and Bentley's story. He scheduled me immediately because of my crisis and emailed me reading material on dog psyche and training, it was such a huge help. After our first session, I noticed a huge difference in Bentley and was no longer scared of giving him up. However, after our final session, I was amazed on Bentley's transformation. I am happy to say that we just walked our VERY active neighborhood and we encountered a cat, a jogger, and two dogs. Bentley did well with the cat and the joggers, but I had the confidence to correct him on the passing dogs. I'm not sure who wrote the negative reviews, but I have to say perhaps THEY were not willing to do the work required. I highly recommend CityCanine and definitely will use them in the future. read more

STAY AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE! WONDER WHY YOU CAN'T FIND ANY REVIEWS ON THESE PEOPLE--THIS IS WHY!!! The price for training is appealing and what brought me here but you get what you pay for. The neighborhood that this training facility is located within should have sent me running but I ignored my instinct. The training is a set price of either 700 or 800 for two weeks training (14 days at a set price of 50.00 if the price is 700.00 and this 50.00 fee is for training). I dropped my dog off and immediately there were three days of rain where training could not be provided which I assumed I would be charged fees for boarding only. I do not try to get anything for free EVER and hoped that this training facility would see that charging me the full 50.00 for training instead of 30.00 for boarding was unreasonable and unfair. UNFORTUNATELY I was told that so long as he was trained at the end I would be charged for a full two weeks of training. HMMM...SO if it rains for 7 days and my dog is a smart enough that it only requires seven days of training then I'm screwed. I am paying for their services, their time and knowledge aren't I? I believe in paying people their worth and realize their expertise is invaluable and I would gladly pay 50.00 for the time they took everyday to train my puppy but I DO NOT believe I should pay the same rate for my dog to be kept in a crate all day due to rain. Training cannot be done in the rain and so I don't believe I should pay. ANYWAY the training facility leaves much to be desired and had I more money to send my puppy to a better school I would. Please save your money and go to MANS BEST FRIEND. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT WORTH IT. The day of pickup was set the day I dropped off and when that day arrived I was called 15 min before said time and told he had suddenly developed diarrhea from a change in treats the day before. My dog had been cycled through 4 different foods while he has been with us and NEVER developed diarrhea like he had when he came home. They graciously offered to keep my dog free of charge so long as I did not come by and see him (because this would set back his training) and when I insisted on seeing my pet one of the owners called me extremely irritable and attacked me verbally, stating my great dane was basicly more trouble than he was worth. I tried to keep my cool as long as I could but when I heard I couldn't see my dog I admit that some obscenities escaped me. I arrived regardless on set date and asked for my pickup training lesson and was pleased to find that he did mind but the trainer was a bit too liberal with choking and forcefulness. It was explained to me that his diarrhea was uncontrollable and would cause a mess so as we had 'made up' at the ight of him behaving so well and just being happy to see him I left him one more day for his tummy and my houses sake. BIG MISTAKE: the following day when I brought him home I gave him a bath and found his inner ears were filthy and totally red covered in bumps. I had to take the day off work the next day and take him to the vet where I discovered that he had a staph infection all over his body, was covered in ticks and had an ear infection. The cost from losing a day of work, vet costs and training fees would have been less than the more expensive alternative. I love my puppy and am angry at myself for putting him through this, please love yours enough to heed my warning. read more

awful awful awful!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could give zero stars!!! My dog was not trained at all!!! She came back meek, scared and had lost weight. She was also infested with ticks and I had given her medication for ticks and fleas They wanted to keep her an extra week to train her more. They pretty much didn't train her at all!!!! She knew how to sit and wait which I already taught her prior to dropping her off. I believe they wanted her longer not because she is challenging because they didn't work with her at all for the two weeks I left her and I was yelled at by the owners on the phone I was doing my dog a disgrace . My dog is super sweet I just wanted her to be trained and have manners. It traumatized her and being yelled at for wanting to pick up my own dog was so unprofessional and rude!!!! The biggest waste of money ever! Don't do it!!! I think they must cater to dogs who have severe issues and train them only while my dog just needed the basics and they should not have accepted her. I had written a bad review right after but I see its been deleted. I am writing again so people don't waste their money. My dog is still has issues from all the tick bites. from almost a year ago! read more

We have a 'special needs' dog who is very sweet-natured but sometimes a bit scatty and not all there. After laboring through months of trying to house train and teach her basic manners (using techniques that had worked successfully on two other dogs), we gave in and started asking around. Neighbors that are active on the rescue dog scene recommended Dan - so glad they did. We enrolled our little pup in the Board & Train program, which is a very fair value if you price shop. Dan even kept her a few additional days as she just wasn't 'getting' a few things. She has come back home an almost new dog. Potty training is sorted, she has a good repertoire of basic commands (sorry to use that word, Dan!), and she is generally calmer and more confident. Dan also helped us sort out some food issues that were causing some tummy trouble in the dog. We will definitely refer Dan and Jeffrey to other dog owners. Plus, the owners are both a hoot to talk to - very kind and funny. Glad we found them! read more