I got some useful training out of this, particularly around training with distractions, but I'm not entirely in agreement with their methodologies. The very frequent use of leash popping for a dog "thinking evil thoughts" just didn't sit right with me. My main issue is that I don't want my dog heeling (or doing any other behavior) with her tail between her legs in fear, I want her eagerly and enthusiastically participating. So I gave it a new command and used positive reinforcement only, and her body language completely shifted. Another example is the labeling of a dog as "having a temper tantrum" because it wouldn't listen to a "down" command. This is probably anthropomorphizing and not evidence-based. The trainer's advice to step on the leash and wait ultimately didn't work to get the dog in a down, and he looked very physically uncomfortable. read more

Was recommended from my niece! glad we brought out golden here for training. We did puppy thru CGC (4 classes) mostly with trainer Natasha and have had great results (that's been almost 3 years ago that we started) I tried another training center with our new golden puppy (since it was a lot closer) and I wasn't quite as happy so she started beginning home obedience here hopefully we will have as much success with this one. read more

We found this business through a Groupon deal. Roxy, our 1 year old Boston Terrier's behavior was getting to be a bit unmanageable so we sought to learn more about how to train her. We have read books about using only positive reinforcement methods and did this for her first year. What happened was that she would be very obedient if she knew you had a treat but if not she would totally ignore you (stinker). The main reason for wanting to get her trained is for her own safety. She wasn't coming when called and that scared us. We signed up for the home obedience course, Natasha at Family Dog gave us direction and encouragement to take the lead (I am not a disciplinary so this does NOT come naturally to me). I had to get out of my comfort zone and be open and willing enough to try something new. Glad I did! Roxy responded to the corrections and with lots of love and praise she completed her course! She's so smart and now knows who is the pack leader is (still working on this). I think, like children, knowing who the leader is brings a degree of comfort. I appreciate the concept of "take what you like and leave the rest". That being said, I would recommend this class :) read more

Friends had recommended this training school to us, so we had high hopes. We ended up very disappointed in the quality of the training and lack of value of the money we spent. There was little one on one time and when I spoke up and asked for advice on certain issues, they did not offer any real helpful solutions that actually worked well. Prior to these classes we had watched a copious amount of YouTube videos on puppy training and felt like we received much better guidance and ideas online than we ever did with these classes. The main trainer was very nice, but seemed amateur. Overall, not a great experience and do not recommend. Save your money and find a better training school for your pup. read more

I went to one class with our new puppy and never went back. She's not our first puppy so I'm familiar with current practices and I know how to train her but my husband wanted to take the lead on this dog and training classes can be good to help teach focus and social skills. The trainer uses leash pops to teach heel, completely skipping over the skill of loose leash walking. A choke collar was recommended after about five minutes of our dog not walking perfectly. There was a beagle puppy in the class that was clearly afraid of the other dogs and would bark when getting near one. Her solution was to have the owner spray the dog with water whenever he barked, resulting in this dog barking and then cowering from the owner. That doesn't teach the dog to be comfortable around others, it teaches him to be afraid of everything, including his family. One hour classes are too long to keep a dog's focus and there was no socializing allowed at the end or the start of class. We brought our daughter to this class and she was so upset over the treatment of these dogs she asked to sit in the car. I've had better experiences with PetSmart. read more

Big red flags! If you want to learn to bully your dog with intimidating harsh "corrections" like prong collars, spraying bitter apple in their mouths and outdated physically painful old school methods go here. I have had dogs my whole life and raised 3 Airedales myself. My 4th Airedale has a much higher distractability level, so I registered for a home obedience class to have the chance to train in a busy dog place. Although this is facility presents as clean, well organized and busy I will NEVER take my dog there. I went to the introduction first evening of a home obedience class. The instructor had a family emergency so the owner herself led the class. She was clear in their philosophy - which turned me off completely. First, she said they use the "mildest of corrections" then went on to explain what these may be. If dogs are barking or rumbling at each other the correction method is to squirt water aimed at their face. Yes she said, THEIR FACE! This could be not only dangerous to their eyes, but only intimidates them, doesn't teach them self regulation. If a dog doesn't sit, PUSH him into sit. etc. Second, when showing leashes and collars she came to the last collar and said, and I quote, "95% of our students will end up using a prong collar" Big red flag. If 95% of her clients need to use a prong collar to have their dog behave the dogs are not being trained to work with their person, they are being trained to fear pain and intimidation. The training methods she described: jerking/popping the leash, pushing a dog into a particular body position and intimidating "being the alpha" over your dog is simply not in alignment with current animal behavior science. two thumbs down and sorrow for all the dogs trained in this out dated method. read more

Unfortunately, I decided to enroll my 6 month old lab in this obedience training. It could not have failed my expectations worse. The instructor recommended methods I didn't agree with such as forcing the dog to sit by pushing on his back, teaching the dog to roll by physically rolling the dog, teaching the dog not to pull on the leash and to recall by forcibly and strongly pulling the leash back toward you he does not return after a command is given. In result it was awful, and I don't support the methods. We learned nothing and began to rely on a prong collar because of his prompting. Now our dog struggles to transition away from the prong collar. Don't go here, there have to be better options in Seattle. read more

We had a great experience training our dog here with good results. You're mostly just shown how to train you dog with not much direct guidance, it's up to you to do the training yourself outside of the class. Instructor was good, a school teacher full time so not surprising. Definitely attend every session, many people in our class skipped weeks (make up classes are available but difficult to do if you fall out of sync with your own class). Attending class really helps you know what to work on, if you don't, the training won't pay off because you do most of the work. We have since realized what works for one dog may not work for another, we adopted a second rescue dog a few months after going through training and the same techniques from the manual they give you to stop leash pulling aren't working well, hence 4 stars. They also encourage a few things that seem a little inhibiting and strict, but we see our dogs as our kids, not animals to be disciplined and put in line so that be a very subjective opinion. read more

They got us with the groupon and sold us with there extensive knowledge of dogs. Obviously they love animals and know what there doing. We tried petsmart and online training with our other dog but we are going to them to start over. Highly recommended! read more

Edit to add an update and to be fully transparent - they were very apologetic about this and continued to reach out. They offered a second class, for free, to address the issue we had with our dog. That was not something they had to do and I fully appreciate them doing that. One star was added. We signed up for a one hour private lesson to address a specific behavioral issue with our dog. We had hope to get some guidance, including how to address this issue and perhaps even create a mock session and then work on resolving this issue. The issue was made clear in the questionnaire we sent to the office. Instead, we spent $125 for the instructor to read generic instructions from a pre-printed packet. The instructions had to do with a variety of issues and included such gems as how to hold a leash and that you should never pet your dog without having them do a trick first (seriously, who doesn't pet their dog simply because they are a good doggo!). The instructor interacted with our dog for *maybe* 1-2 minutes and was for an issue that has never come up in our household. There was no other interaction with our dog and the issue we wanted addressed was summarily glossed over. Total waste of time and money! read more

We took puppy training here and quit halfway through the 7 week class. After reading all the yelp reviews, we thought this was the place to be for local dog training...we only read the highlighted reviews. You don't get much one on one time with the trainers and they don't seem that interested in showing you techniques on your individual dog, the trainer we had just liked to show how well trained his dog was. Solutions to bad behaviors were copious amounts of bitter apple and dousing with a squirt bottle. We have a breed that is vocal but every time he barked (not that much) the instructor looked irritated and once completely doused our dog in the face. We decided not to go back after that and they never called to see why or ask if we were not satisfied. Another owner almost left once during class as well because the trainer was not helpful at all. Overall, not a good experience. read more

My husband I completed the Beginning Home Obedience and are currently in the midst of Advanced Home Obedience with our 5 1/2 month old Pit Bull Terrier. Both classes are with Instructor Jayne. We basically cannot say enough good things about this place and our instructor! We read about various training centers / classes before deciding on Family Dog. The prices are similar to other sites but I believe that we are getting MUCH more of our money's worth at this place versus others. We very much agree with their philosophy regarding dog training and pack leadership. Though we both had dogs growing up, this is our first dog who is our responsibility completely. We have learned SO much through our classes about how to be responsible, firm, loving dog owners. Classes are held once per week for an hour, for a total of 7 sessions. We are assigned "homework" each week to practice what we've learned in class. Jayne is a great instructor. She is very calm, patient, and assertive as well as fun. She never makes you feel guilty if your dog is not behaving or not doing what you want him or her to do. She calmly but firmly instructs you on how to work through a puppy tantrum (even WHILE it's happening in class) and compliments you on your handling. She is much firmer in the advanced class and challenges both us and our dog. We understood the responsibility we were taking on when we adopted our Pit Bull Terrier at 7 weeks. At 5 1/2 months he already weighs 50 pounds and can easily knock me off balance and hurt my arm if he were to pull on the leash. However, for several weeks now we practically never have to worry about him pulling, thanks to what we've learned about controlled walking. It has taken a lot of time and effort outside of class, but we are so happy with his progress and our handling skills. The classes give you all the skills you need but it is up to you to spend the time outside of class that your dog deserves. We would absolutely recommend this school with no reservations. read more

I was introduced to Family Dog by a friend then attended classes with my sister. When I got my own dog in 2005, a Shih Tzu named Bentley, I knew that Family Dog was the only place for me. I believe this so much that I drive from Redmond to Kent at least once a week and have been since 2005. I receive compliments from everyone who meets my dog on how well behaved he is. Part if it is my dog's personality is really good, but the other part is the training at Family Dog. My instructor is Cathy Horrocks and I'm sure there are other great trainers at Family Dog, but Bentley loves her and with Cathy's help I've learned so much about myself and Bentley. What I like about Family Dog. * They are focused on the best success for the dog. * They encourage everyone in the family to attend class (you pay by the dog) so the dog has more consistent training. * They get to know the dog AND the owner and tailor the training towards your needs and learning. * They teach you about your dog and how to recognize what the dog is thinking...is he confused, just being difficult, scared, etc. Additionally they help you with how to handle that situation. * In agility, the most important part is safety and fun for the dog. Ribbons and titles are nice, but not at the expense of your dog. If you want to learn how to be the best pack leader for your dog and build a really strong relationship with him/her, then this is the place for you. If you want someone else to train your dog for you, enjoy telling your dog what to do over and over again, or think that hitting is a good training tool, keep looking. read more

Bar none, this is the best place to go in the Puget Sound area for pet obedience, competition style obedience training, conformation handling, or agility. I have trained with other people, and I don't think they come any better than Kathy Lang and Cathy Horrocks. If you want to understand your dog, and understand your relationship with your dog, and be the best pack leader you can be, this is the place! If you think your dog is merely a person in a fur suit -- this probably isn't the place for you -- I'm not sure if there is a place for you. For the rest of us with a reasonable grip on the reality of dogs -- this is a great place to train. The building is large, and well-matted (meaning your dog won't slip all over the place), there are even padded chairs for you to sit on while you listen and benefit from the many many years of experience the trainers at this facility have to offer. If you want to compete with your dog, then a solid working relationship with your dog is emphasized along with both of you having fun, and keeping the dog safe from injury -- especially important in an agility venue. I have trained with other facilities claiming to be "the biggest obedience school in the northwest," but when things didn't go well, then it was your fault for not having the correct breed. At Family Dog, they work with you and the breed you love, whether it is the obedience breed of the moment, or one of the less popular breeds. Kathy Lang's emphasis on your relationship with your dog, and her patience in allowing my very active Aussie to mature, and her encouragement along the way, makes me believe I can achieve the goals I want with this dog. I just wish I had found her before when I was working with my corgi. I also really enjoy that this training facility is a positive atmosphere, and there just isn't the gossipy, mean-spirited atmosphere you find at other training places. People come here to train because they love to train and show their dogs, and they don't waste their time trying to build themselves up by criticizing others, they don't need to. read more

Family Dog is the BEST! I did extensive research after moving to the Seattle area. Based on this research, I chose Family Dog. I wasn't disappointed. I've been to a few other training facilities which were fine but in comparision, Family Dog, rocks. The training is very effective, firm, and compassionate. Family Dog is 20+ from my home but I am willing to travel the distance because I believe it is worth it. I've recommended Family Dog to my sister. She was so thrilled that she recommended it to her best friend. I'm going to sign up again now that I have a second dog. read more

I have been training at FDTC for several years with both working dogs and companion dogs. They have classes specifically for home obedience and for competition obedience. The home obedience classes are more laid back and fun, while the competitive training classes are more structured and detail oriented so your dog learns the various skills correctly. The trainers work with you figure out how to best motivate YOUR dog. When training a new skill, they do a GREAT job of breaking the skill down into baby steps. Each step is taught so the dog clearly understands what it is being asked to do, then the steps are strung together. This has been a GREAT way for my dogs to learn. It has been extremely positive, and even my most stubborn dogs really enjoy working this way. I have been to several other training facilities closer to my home but none have provided the quality of training and excellent results I have received at FDTC. I am willing to make the 40+ minute drive from my house for their classes. The trainers at FTDC all compete regularly in obedience / confirmation. When looking for a good trainer it is always a good idea to see what titles the trainer has put on their dogs. read more

Just finished up a 7 week puppy class. Very nice atmosphere, clean, personal, and relaxed. It was nice they had the intro to agility to boost their confidence. By the way why are there 50 million other reviews filtered? Oh thats right its becuase its YELP. If you dont pay them to advertise they will filter all your good reviews and move the bad reviews to the top. I experience that in my business, so please take the time to read all the filtered reviews. All those folks cant be wrong. I will be back to take other training classes. read more

I have trained our two dogs with five of the FDTC instructors and have been extremely impressed with each of them. We started with Basic Home Obedience, progressed through Advanced HO and off leash control and now work one of our dogs in agility classes. The instructors have a wealth of knowledge to help you the owner/leader, be the one in control of your dog..not vice-versa. Without a doubt, it has been a very positive experience for my husband and I, and our dogs. The proof is in the tail: When I tell my dog it's "time to go to school", you'd think she was a helicopter ready to take flight with that tail of hers wildly wagging..she can't get into the vehicle fast enough! read more

This place changed our puppy in more ways than we could have ever imagined. We initially bought a Groupon for puppy classes that lasted 6 weeks and were with the instructor Liz. She was so awesome and amazing towards our struggle with our little Pomeranian puppy Pixel who struggled with walking on a leash and stayed with us as our instructor into puppy class level 2. After advancing into level 2, we finally tried the prong collar and it dramatically changed our little puppy from a small diva and into a obedient wonderful Pomeranian puppy. Words cannot describe how thankful I am that Liz introduced us to this collar, and I recommend this training center if you have a small dog or large dog. We will continue classes when Pixel is older and ready for her agility training. Thank you!! read more

I quess they didn't like us or our dog. I can see not liking the humans but who in the business doesn't like a dog. They never referred to our dog by name just the collie. However the aggressive dog who they knew from other classes got his name used. We were in beginning agility. From the start they were irritated that we did not take beginning obedience from them but not so irritated that they didn't take our money. The instructor who was the owner, was rude and disrespectful after 4 classes we stopped going. This is not our first dog and we have spent years in agility so we will train at home. We just wanted the social time for our dog. read more

I signed my 8 month old Doberman up for Beginning Home Obedience here and was originally super excited that they offered earlier afternoon classes because I work a really early shift at work. Sadly right before the class was supposed to start they emailed me saying that not enough people signed up and that they'd have to switch me to a later class. Unfortunately that "later" class was 7:15-8:30. We went and was informed that our trainer was on her final "check run" to be official and I worried that it was yet another bad sign. To be honest our class was small - 3-4 dogs depending on the day. My dog and I were bored out of our minds. Their "beginning" was very very beginning. My dog has known how to "sit" and "down" since she was 10 weeks old. The final straw was being told by their office that I could use an amazon local coupon for 50% off and then being told a week later that I couldn't and their excuse was they had a new office manager. Uh... how is that my fault? Fine, so I signed up for Adv. Obd. and sucked up the rest of the cost. Only to be told that this new class was also cancelled. Seriously? Either have the classes available or don't. Tell your customers they can use a coupon or they can't. Don't tell me 5 hours before my class is set to start that it's cancelled. read more

We have finished both Beginning Home Obedience and Advanced Home Obedience classes and we are blown away at how our dog has learned. Gino is our Cocker Spaniel who is high energy and never seemed to listen. After these two classes, Gino is a completely different dog! We are so impressed. Our instructor Doug is simply the best! This place has been recommended by a friend and we will forever be grateful that we found this place. read more

Our dog just graduated from Advanced Home Obedience at Family Dog and it it was a wonderful experience for both us as pet owners and for our dog. Our trainer, Denise, was patient, straightforward and clear with her directions. I'll be coming back again and again for more classes. read more

This is an amazing place for dog training. I just finished my 7th week of class today & it was worth every cent!! My 8 month old bull terrier has learned so much & acts much better than before taking her to this class. YES-- this dog training is more expensive then most around the area... but I promise you it is worth the cost for you & your pup! read more

We've taken 5 dogs to this place over the past 10+ years. It's amazing how much they learn in the first 7 weeks of home obedience classes! We always do the Advanced Home Obedience classes also to make sure we the humans continue doing our training part the right way. The instructors watch us as much as the dogs to ensure we're being consistent in our words and hand signals. Sure, there's homework every week, but we do the training exercises at the park, while walking in the neighborhood and at our friends' homes. That's where my dogs will be going with me, so they need to practice in those places! I can take 1, 2, 3 or all 4 dogs together walking around Greenlake. They don't get scared by the other people, skateboarders or baby strollers. They know to leave the other dogs alone and just mind their own business. People shout out compliments as we walk by, "Hey, those are well-behaved dogs!" and "How do you teach your dogs not to pull on the leash?" The closest Family Dog training place is about 25 miles from my house, but it's well worth the drive for the behavior my dogs learns that affects the rest of their lives. I'm glad we learned how to trim toenails because the vet charges a lot to do that when you have four dogs! My dogs don't jump up on the furniture except for their own dog couch, and they don't steal food off the counters. We've stayed in hotels across the country and many times our neighbors in the hallways have said they couldn't tell there were dogs next door. G.R. read more

Whether you want to teach your dog household manners or compete in companion and performance events, Family Dog Training Center is the best place to bring your dog. I am taking competitive obedience classes with my five-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and have been continually amazed by how fast she is learning. I believe her rapid progress is in large part due to owner and training director Kathy Lang's emphasis on teaching dogs to problem-solve. The training is not about forcing your dog to do what you want, but teaching your dog how to figure out what you want. Progress also comes quickly because Family Dog trainers help you learn how to communicate clearly as a handler and reduce your dog's confusion. Family Dog trainers pay attention to the specific needs of your dog. Class time is set aside to raise questions about your dog's behavior and response to training, and solutions are based on your own dog's temperament, history, and special needs. Family Dog Training Center is perfect for people who want to unleash their dogs' potential and build a better relationship with them. My relationship with my dog has improved, and I'm looking forward to competing in companion events with her. read more

I was really disappointed with this class. I'm glad we got a deal on it through Groupon because I wouldn't have taken the class otherwise. We really are only finishing out the class because we did pay for it. It's sad to see them using outdated training methods like prong collars and collar pops. I've learned more about training from Zak George or Reddit /r/DogTraining than I have in this class. I've had more success with positive training and a clicker. I couldn't believe when I was told to use a prong collar on a 6-month-old puppy. I saw a 4 month old puppy with one as well. I've seen small dogs get pulled almost off their legs completely by their collar to "teach" recall. Do yourself a favor and try training using online resources first. There are so many online videos that are free and wont destroy the bond you have with your dog like the pain and fear tactics used by this "facility". Please find humane ways to train your dogs. read more

My wife and I have owned show dogs and competed in Breed Ring competition for over a decade. During that time I'd remained behind the scenes and had only taken a dog into the ring on six or seven occasions, and never with any success. In fall 2012 an opportunity to breed our retired champion gave us the pick male from the litter as stud fee. We unexpectedly found ourselves with two active show dogs and my wife as the only capable handler. In February 2013 I began attending Kathy Lang's Breed Ring classes with the modest goal of not embarrassing myself or my wife on those occasions we were fortunate to have both dogs in the ring at once. Through August 2013 I've shown our puppy to three AKC Reserve Dog wins at a touh regional specialty, his UKC Championship, four of the five UKC Champion Class wins he needs to earn his UKC Grand Championship, a UKC Best in Show and a place on the UKC Top Ten breed standings. Were it not for Family Dog Training Center and Kathy Lang's Breed Ring classes I doubt I'd have been allowed in the ring, let alone enjoyed any success. I'm sure my highly competitive wife would have instead found somebody else to handle our puppy when she couldn't herself. Kathy Lang's broad success in all things canine provide depth to her Breed Ring instruction. Beyond show ring presentation, topics have included structure, movement, conditioning, obedience and general insight into the canine psyche. While I may never elevate my breed ring skills to a professional handler level I believe my best chance to do so will be with Kathy Lang's instruction. read more

These classes are located in a large, warehouse building. It was easy to sign up because they offer so many classes that can fit a large quantity of dogs inside. They were very business-like and very flexible about what classes you could make it to with your dog or not. My small poodle mix and I signed up for beginning home obedience. Immediately, I noticed their philosophies were very different. Family Dog's policy is to "always be honest to your dog". What they mean by this is when you make a rule for your dog, the dog should be heavily corrected any time he breaks that rule. A large portion of the class is spent walking the dogs in a circle around the warehouse (for Beginning Home Obedience), and each time your own dog pulled ahead you were expected to jerk their leash backwards. Basically, be prepared for a lot of correction based training. I myself am not entirely opposed to correcting dogs, however, some other dogs in the class were made to wear prong collars and have bitter apple spray shot in their mouths each time they vocalized. My own dog has a very passive personality, so she was not affected by this. Many dogs yelped and cowered, and the trainers labeled those dogs as "dramatic". My own dog did very well in this class and did not require heavy corrections. She improved a lot from this class and now has a stronger recall, a better "stay", and a better tendency to listen to commands I give her. I am not sure whether we will be signing up for more classes here. I tweaked their methods to work more for both my dogs at home. The staff is knowledgeable, but the majority of them are very stern with the dogs and seem to be unaware when they are inflicting pain upon them. I like a good mix of solid leadership (with mild corrections) and positive reinforcement. I would give this review two and a half stars if I could. I even considered three stars, but decided to bump it down. Anyway, those are my thoughts. It is worth the effort to look up other dog training companies before signing up for this one. read more

I have found that taking classes at Family Dog s a bit of a roll of the dice. There are some very good instructors, and there are some instructors who are not as good. The owner of this business can be very abrasive, but I was told that she is very good at what she does. I would prefer to go somewhere more predictable, where there is continuity in the teaching, and not so much variable in the mood from week to week. I got good information. It just was not always easy to be there. read more

I have taken classes with two different dogs at this training facility since 2006. We have done everything from puppy manners through advanced obedience, competition obedience, rally obedience and agility. I love their training methods. Before I discovered them I had tried 3 other facilities with my young puppy / dog. I was very frustrated with the instructors as they always seemed like I was doing it wrong. At Family Dog Training Center, the instructors seem like they want to help you learn how to teach your dog. They are positive, knowledgeable and their methods work! I will never go anywhere else! read more

Have been a student at FDTC for several years after a long hiatus - my first go-around was way back in 1999-2000. Had such positive results that when I decided to take up competition obedience and AKC agility with my current dog, it was the first place I thought to go. Since we started back up, we've earned about 12 obedience, rally and agility titles, thanks in no small part to the training methods and helpful hints provided by our instructor. She's been involved in these canine sports for almost 40 years and as a result has a wealth of knowledge to share. Everything from preparation to entering, to what to wear and what to expect from the judges etc. At many of the trials, when we walked back into the ring to receive our awards, the top three or four placed dogs and handlers were all FDTC students. That speaks volumes. If you are looking for the cheapest place to train, this isn't it - but if you want every penny's worth and then some, you get great value for your money here. read more

I have been training with Kathy Lang and Family Dog Traing Center for 20 years and I continue to learn. The trainers positive traing style has resulted in numerous obedience and breed ring titles. I enjoy the emphasis on reading your dog and knowing when you have a dog ready and willing to work with you and the benefit of this focus. The ability to know your dog is valuable to the owner of the dog that will be a house pet as well as the owner looking forward to competition. read more

I have never seen any business owner spend so much time patting herself on the back in my life, and almost as much time bashing other dog training schools and techniques. Any dog trainer knows that if you have ten dog trainers in a room, you have ten different opinions, most of them correct, so the only reason she is doing it is, along with the inflated self-opinion, to make herself seem more expert. Only a true beginner would be fooled, or someone who trained with her from the ground up. She also spends a lot of time playing with her own dogs and calling it "demo." A better trainer would be able to demonstrate with the dogs in the class rather than hauling out these dogs she's been training forever and expecting us to be impressed. I was there to train my dog, not watch her work with hers. I have heard many many rumors for the last ten years that neither people nor dogs have any fun at this dog school. I finally had to try it to see what was going on. So far I have to agree--dog training should be a blast and this place has missed the point. The instructor has a high opinion of herself, as I mentioned, and isn't very interested in whether you agree, so she doesn't spend a lot of time (or any) making sure you're happy or the dog is having fun. The dog has to OBEY, sure, but whether its tail is up and it wants to come back...not so much. Fortunately most dogs enjoy any kind of attention so it's not a total loss, but I can't say the teachers here really give a poo how you feel about the course. There are plenty of former students who have done well at competition and the teacher makes it seem as though you should be grateful to be there, rather than the school working hard to ensure customers are happy. Unfortunately the very first class set my impression and not much has happened since to change my mind. The very first class, the owner spent the entire hour making everyone take enormous sheaves of useless paper, including ads for other businesses, bragging about herself and former students (nearly went to sleep--it was endless, this highest ranked dog and that first dog ever...) and the only thing she actually taught was how to keep the dog watching you hoping for a cookie. We had that down by 8 weeks just eating dinner every night. I nearly didn't go back but I paid already. Every week since has been an eye-rolling, oh my God I can't believe how stupid this woman thinks we are disaster. Really, if you have any knowledge of dog training you'd be better off going it alone or joining a club. I assume it would be fine for true beginners, because they are easy to convince that Family Dog is the only place to be (what do they have to compare it to?), so if you have not done any dog training before, good luck. Just try to ignore the self-aggrandizing if you can--it really wastes a lot of time--and the weird unnecessary bashing, and maybe you can learn something. read more

This training facility is a definite hit and miss. I took a puppy class with Julene that was FUN. I learned how subtle changes in my body posture made a huge difference in whether or not my dog would come to me or not. I would recommend her only. I later took my dog back for a basic obedience class. I felt like the trainer (Cathy H.) used the class time as her soap box to go on and on about home issues (barking, digging, etc.) when a quick few sentence discussion on each issue would have been more useful. Then when we only had 10 minutes left in the class and all the dogs and owners were frustrated from sitting for so long, we would practice walking on a leash, sit and greet, etc. In one of the classes, while we were all standing with our dogs waiting for her next instruction, she decided it was a great time to fit one of the dogs with a head collar. This is something that should have been done at home, with the owners slowly introducing the new training tool with treats and positive reinforcement. In the class, the dog understandably freaked out. I was shocked at how unprofessional this was (not only wasting everyone else's time but traumatizing the dog). I noticed too that when a couple of the other owners asked her behavior questions (like - how do I get my dog to be calm in the class?), she didn't even answer them. I lost all my confidence in her ability to run the class. I cringed every time she pushed the use of bitter apple for dogs that were barking or making any noise in the class. According to the office manager, all of the trainers at this facility believe that if you forcibly pry your dog's mouth open and spray bitter apple in it every time your dog barks, mouths, or other inappropriate "oral" behavior, this will cure it. They don't take the dog's personality into consideration - this is a blanket approach for ALL dogs. I've talked to several other "positive reinforcement" trainers since this class and they all cringed too and said they never heard of that "method". This is such an old school method of training. It teaches your dog to fear you, not respect you. I wish this training facility would stop teaching this method and retrain their trainers on positive reinforcement methods instead. I've used the positive methods recommended by other trainers and they work! AND I feel good about applying the positive methods. I would never use this training facility again nor would I recommend it - do your research and find facilities that only use positive reinforcement. I wish I would have. read more

The Family Dog Training Center of Kent, WA was NOT a positive environment in my personal experience. A couple of dogs looked intimidated and unhappy in the class we attended. Bitter Apple spray or lemon juice was used in the mouths of the dogs as punishment as well as pronged collars and choke chains. Overall the dogs seemed over-punished both verbally and physically and under-encouraged. I also felt like the owner/ trainer was talking down to me on more than one occasion although her abrupt manner didn't bother me. We dropped out before the next class. Although they may have the experience, they seem to have lost the passion and joy for owning and training dogs. I was heartbroken for the dogs in class working for mere love and attention, getting yanks on the leash, harsh tones of disapproving words, owners that pull at their faces, and sprays of lemon juice in the mouth. If that's what it takes to win in competition or the show ring, I prefer to go home a "looser" with a dog that still loves, respects and trusts me. read more

Bottom line: if you're thinking about spending money to train your dog--GO TO FAMILY DOG TRAINING CENTER! I would highly recommend this training facility to ANYONE who wants a well-trained furry friend! Kathy and the other instructors are so professional, helpful and knowledgeable! But humans get ready for some training yourselves! ;) My husband and I started our Dalmatian, Charlie, in puppy classes and continued to competition obedience. Currently we're taking a break but fully intend to return in the future. Our goal for Charlie has never been to compete but to have a well behaved dog with whom we could have a strong bond/relationship. Family Dog Training Center has helped us reach those goals. But for those who do want to compete, read more reviews and I'm sure you'll see this training center is for you too!! :) Before getting Charlie I read multiple books/magazines and though I'm glad I read them nothing could substitute for the hands-on training we received at Family Dog! EVERYTIME we pull into the parking lot Charlie gets so excited and I love knowing he loves his classes too! :) read more