Off-Leash K9 Training is AWESOME! I took my boy Rowan (Doberman) to the Woodbridge location and thoroughly enjoyed my sessions. I completed the BASIC training package which includes the e-collar along with 4 separate 1 hour long sessions which I schedule at my convenience. First off... for those of you who have concerns or doubts about using an e-collar like I did, you will feel better about it within the first half hour if that of your 1st session. I worked with Danny on my first day and he took the time to explain what the training is all about and the equipment we will be working with (e-collar). Danny was very thorough and covered tips/tricks/maintenance of the e-collar as well. After showing me the e-collar and its basic functions he says... "OK, now you get to feel it!" haha... I was thinking... what the heck? but they are that confident it will not harm the dogs or you. It is a muscle stimulation, not a "shock" as most people including myself believe it is. Any other questions, ask away and they will answer. One other comment I have is due to availability, you may or may not always get to work with the same trainer. In my case, I had 4 sessions to attend and I ended up working with 3 different trainers. While I was originally put off by this, I went along with it and ended up being very okay with this. All three trainers were awesome and unique in their own way. Based on what program you are doing and what training day it is, they know exactly where to pick up. I learned something different and unique from each trainer which at the end all ended up being very useful. My last two sessions were with a gentleman named Tank and he was a pleasure to work with. You can tell the man really truly loves dogs. The team at Off-Leash K9 Training were all awesome. I love my Rowan even more now and my arm/shoulders are not in constant pain from him pulling the leash. It's awesome to let him off leash knowing he will respond to my next command. I do highly recommend checking this crew out. They have a great program. Key is to be patient and keep up with the training. This is no magic trick where you attend 4 sessions and your dog is obedient immediately and forever haha... They provide you the knowledge and technique, you must practice practice practice and make it perfect. Nick (founder of Off-Leash K9 Training) was cool too. I sent a thank you email to him and providing some of his trainers kudos. He replied back within minutes to say thank you. And it wasn't some sort of automated message. He actually read my email and replied. Good job everyone, please keep up the great work. read more

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Seems like the manager of Off Leash K9 is responding to reviews today and the reply I got to my review sucked. Apparently not being taken seriously enough to get into contact with me for 3 weeks was ME "getting lost in communication." This establishment is sub par and there are better trainers with better prices in northern Virginia. Joe, you need to learn how to become a better manager and how to actually apologize to customers. Or don't, you've lost my (and many others) business. read more

Great experience so far... Hopefully everything we learned from Off Leash K9 Trainers will help us succeed in training our unruly German Shepard pup read more

We signed our dog Boomer (3 yo lab mix) up for the Basic Obedience package (4 classes) @ Woodbridge location. These classes consisted of the following 4 commands: sit, place (have them sit on an object), heel, and down. Overall, we were pleased with the instruction and would recommend OLK to friends. Below are the pros and cons: Pros: - It's pretty impressive how much they can do in an hour. Not everyone is a fan of e-collar training, but I believe it is the fastest way to get results (we have tried several different methods) - All the trainers (we had 4 different) were very kind and we're more than happy to answer any questions we had. Our personal favorite was Tank, no offense to the others. - We got results - he did improve. - All trainers were confident and knowledgable. Cons: - It's quite a drive from Falls Church/Vienna/McClean/Fairfax area to get down to their Woodbridge location. Strongly consider in-home lessons. - They are super busy - we had to schedule *months* in advance at weird times in order to get a slot on the weekend. - The heel lesson left a little to be desired - the instructor did not try to enter distractions into the mix, so our dog was perfect during instruction, but he got home w/ distractions and struggled. To us, heel is the most important of these 4 commands and should have been given more time IMHO. - It would be nice to have continuity between lessons (i.e. have the same instructor) - or at least have the option to do so. We had a different instructor each lesson. - It's a bit pricey read more

UPDATE: thank you for the tip. Unfortunately (for me at least) a walk rarely goes by where there is not a squirrel/bunny/dog/something the triggers him. Luckily I can move in November and have started bi-weekly massages to offset the yanking of my arm constantly. I just wish I would have known before I spent so much money. The staff is great...but there was no benefit for the issue we had. read more

I can obviously only comment on how our dog progressed with Off Leash K9 Training Woodbridge, but the fact that its services are sought after from locations outside of the Washington, DC MSA is pretty impressive. We have a two-year-old pit bull mix and he is highly distracted by other dogs and humans - but always in a friendly manner. It was difficult to get him to walk with us without pulling and getting excited. He still does that from time to time, but he always listens to his commands - even without the e-collar on these days. A quick note about the e-collar: We expressed concern that the e-collar would change our dog's personality (he's goofy and we don't want him to lose that), and the instructors were clear that it would absolutely not do that, and that our dog would come to like it because he knew that it was time to train or go somewhere, and we found that to be absolutely true. It doesn't shock the dog - it's similar to a cell phone going off in your pocket to get your attention. We had a slight mix-up during his first training, and Off Leash K9 Training immediately gave us another lesson to redo that session. The point being - you have nothing to lose by trying it out. It's absolutely baffling to me that people wouldn't spend the money in the DMV area for at least the basic training ($650) to build their dog's confidence and skill set. One of our mother's is not a big fan of dogs or animals, in general, and she's come to really love our dog. She commented the other day that taking him for a walk was so much more fun now that he's gone through his training. That's the best review he could earn! read more

AMAZING! We sent our 5.5 month old Presa Canario puppy, Cain to the 2 week board and train with Carrie. Cain is by far the sweetest puppy I have ever had but he needed some training. Carrie kept us informed the entire time with Cain's progress and answered any questions that we had while he was away. Cain was amazing at pick up and had learned so much -- same great puppy, but he was trained. It took us a few days to get used to using the E-Collar and for him to understand we were in charge and there were rules, but we haven't used a leash since and he is great! At 6 months, he weighs in at 80 lbs and I can't imagine not having him under control especially as he grows. We recommended our friends work with Carrie with their doberman, and after only one session they are making progress as well. I cannot recommend this program enough...worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY!!! read more

We did not have a great experience with Off-Leash. We tried the in-home training. The first lesson was fine and worked well, but could never get the trainer or the company to return for the other 3 lessons. Tried several times and no response. In terms of the training, we had a smaller dog so the collar that they must always wear is very bulky and heavy, but we still use it for the one command she learned in the one lesson. read more

off leash k9 training is a ripe off. consumer beware. they are left in a cage for too long. my dogs toys came home reaping of urine. they do not back up any thing that they advertise. if you request a refund, you have to go to court to get it. consumer beware consumer beware read more

This place is outstanding. It is well worth the money. David went above and beyond to ensure my dog was reaching all the goals he set beforehand. My dog has some aggression issues and has actually attacked other dogs. He's a rescue dog and not sure what his background was exactly. He used to go crazy when he would see seagulls or squirrels too. After the training he was completely different. It all starts with just basic obedience. He now never pulls, listens despite distractions, and can heel from long distances now. He actually just ignores the seagulls and squirrels when we're walking now and a few times he has been off-leash at my own indiscretion and he comes right back. I still keep him away from unknown dogs because it's just safer all around, but he's much more calm now, and again, much more obedient. Ideally, I would love to introduce him to all other dogs without having to worry after the training, but realistically that's likely not possible after just two weeks of training. It can be almost impossible to reverse instincts that a dog has had since who knows when. Importantly, there are a few brief training sessions that essentially are reminders. I'm glad that's included because we may regress on our own end if we don't keep up continuously training and enforcing the prior training. All in all, highly recommended and well worth the cost. We plan to bring our dog back for another training session sometime in the future. read more

This is simply the most amazing dog trainers that I have seen. Not only are they working with our dog, but teach us how to work with our dog at home. I have seen such progress in our pup Lana! I would recommend these trainers to ANYONE!! read more

Positive punishment is NOT the way to train dogs, especially dogs that express fear or frustration. I didn't know they would be using e-collars during the training process 100% of the time, but maybe under dire circumstances to prevent fights or aggression. This company uses "testimonials" from Cesar Milan who is absolutely against the use of e-collars except in situations mentioned above. This company is a scam and they ruined my pit bull, who now expresses extreme fear toward men, children, other big dogs, and crowded environments. It's because of this that I decided to become a certified dog trainer (oh yeah these trainers are not certified by CPDT, APTD, IACP or other accredited programs) and correct the problems this company created in my dog. She still has some fear and reactive issues but is getting better each day WITHOUT the collar. In fact, when she sees the collar, she cowers in fear. Seek out professional dog trainers that don't use pain to break apart your dog for "obedience" read more

We cannot thank this company enough. Three weeks ago, my mother got pulled down by our Bernese Mountain Dog. After that, we made the decision to install an electric fence. We found Off Leash through the fence installation, and decided to get him started right away. Trainers John and Kimberly took our 9 month old puppy for two weeks, and we couldn't be happier with the results. When picking him up, John and Kimberly demonstrated what they had taught him, and we were so impressed. Even better, the commands were so easy to learn, and our puppy was obeying us just as well when we got home. We have been continuing the training every day, and he is just getting better and better. John and Kimberly were so easy to work with, and our pup felt very comfortable with them. We highly recommend Off Leash training! read more

Friendly and knowledgeable trainers! Took great care of our dog and sent us videos or pictures everyday. They love animals and are great at their job! read more

My Hana worked with Danny and Garry and we couldn't be happier. It was well worth the money and the drive. Looking forward to checking out the new office in Richmond for advanced training. In 4 short lessons, she learned come, sit, off, down, place, and heel. Thanks again Nick! read more

Do not use this company- Josh sounded great on the phone, so I signed up for training my dog with them. Once I paid the $2,800. I NEVER heard from the company again. I requested a refund in April, I was told twice it was processed. It is now June and I still have not receive my refund. What a scam. If this is how they treat customers imagine what they do to the dogs. Find another training company-- read more

We took our 1 year old vizsla, and they did such an amazing job with him! Trainers were very helpful and patient with our energetic puppy. We did only four lessons and learned to get him to come, sit, place and down. It's crazy how vital these simple commands help and have improved our daily routines with our dog. Definitely a head turner with our neighbors when they now see how obedient Duke is! read more

**Reposting b/c Yelp seems to arbitrarily filter reviews*** After working with Nick and his team for the two-week board-and-train for my puppy, Paco, I feel compelled to share my *very* positive experience with the online community and recommend Off Leash K9 Training without reservation to any dog owners out there looking to transform their pets. Just one short month ago, Paco was a typical puppy -- wild, disobedient, and destructive, yet insanely adorable. The Paco we picked up from Off Leash K9 Training was the same loving puppy, but a world apart away in terms of obedience and training. He not only listens to us now; he can also walk 100% off leash without any issues. Our neighbors are absolutely shocked by his transformation. If you love your pets and want to invest in the quality of your time together over the long haul, send them to the Ivy League of dog training -- Off Leash K9 Training. Guaranteed you won't regret it. read more

Took my 2.5 year old german shepherd here for the basic and advanced classes. Bdfore the classes we had to go on short walks at odd times of the day to avoid other people and dogs but now we go on long walks at all hours of the day! After her classes with Off Leask K9 she is the confident dog I always knew she could be. The trainers make classes fun and I loved developing a better relationship with my dog. Can't recommend these trainers enough!! read more

I took my English Cream Golden Retriever there. All IL can say is wow. The training is first rate and the trainers really seem to love what they do. It's a little expensive, but it's definitely worth it. read more

I've had my 6 year old Shiba Inu since she was 2 years old. If you know anything about Shiba Inus, they are known for their incredible intelligence and stubborn behavior. My Shiba was extremely aggressive with other dogs (as they are known to be) - so much so that one trainer fired us as trainees. I was traumatized and was sure I'd have a lawsuit on my hands eventually because of my dog's aggression. I continued doing my research and came across Off Leash K9, and I put them in my list of potential trainers. I spent about a year researching and deliberating, and finally contacted them. Josh Wilson called me back and chatted with me for a while over the phone. This was the first time I felt like my dog's life - MY life - could change, so I signed my dog up that night for a 2 week board and train program. Honestly, the only thing I struggled with at all was the use of an e-collar, but without stating it, Josh let me know that I was putting my dog in very capable, well-trained hands. I even consulted other training companies, and they attested to OLK9's positive environment and expertise. For those concerned about using an e-collar, understand this: when placed in the hands of someone who knows how to use them and CAN TEACH YOU, these can be great corrective tools for your dog - not a punishment. Well, now I have my dog back, and I purposefully waited over a month to write this review so that I could be honest in my feedback. My dog is so incredibly well-behaved, and we're both happier because of it. The communication lapses between us and the power struggles have ceased. The animal that would run from me, going from dog to dog in the neighborhood just to bite them can now be trusted off leash (seriously, she was like a fat kid in a cake shop). She comes when I call, not just when she wants to. She behaves well with guests, and can even be trusted around other dogs. No joke - people even slow down their cars to tell me how perfectly my dog behaves. If I have any questions, I know I can always call or email Josh, and he'll walk me through tips on how to work with my dog - and they totally work. This isn't to say that my dog is totally recovered from her aggression. This is going to be something we work on for a while, but now I can manage it. If you've ever had an aggressive, uncontrollable dog that inflicts harm on other dogs, you would know that even just the possibility of being able to manage and help your pup means the world to you. I'm going to go play fetch with my dog in our fence-less, community backyard now :D read more

Great experience for my family and our dog. Sofia, our dog, was a rescue and had issues adjusting with our family and 3 year old son. We also had issues with setting up boundaries for her and our son. Off leash taught us the skills we needed to make her a part of our family. Money well spent! read more

I was a little skeptical before we started the training but it has made a world of difference. After 3 lessons, my dog is a joy to take on walks. After just the first lesson where she learned to come and sit, going to the park was a different experience for us. She learned how to heel easily. Her trainer, Elise, is amazing with her. When I first rescued my pup from the humane society, we had tried incentive training at one of the big pet stores and it didn't work for us. My dog was just guessing what commands I wanted her to do because she wanted a snack. She always wants snacks. With Off Leash K9 Training, she knows what I want her to do and she does it with confidence. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to better communicate commands to their dog. If you think your dog is not trainable, I guarantee you, Off Leash K9 Training is your solution. read more

Customer service is great. The training is a little iffy. Not sure what's going on. My pup can't be the most stubborn out of all these other dogs. Very expensive to get back a unreliable dog. Looking forward to unlimited touch up training though, to make it worth it. Trainer is great and helpful at least. We text back and forth and she is very responsive. read more

We've been brining our shepherd/lab mix here and it's been such a good decision. Not only is she catching on fast, but the trainers are excellent at explaining the process so we can be just as successful at home as we are during our lessons. We'd highly recommend this to everyone. read more

I just did the complete beginners training for both my dogs, they are both 3 years old. They had some bad habits! The training has really helped them learn new things and whenever the collar is on they are very calm and ready to learn. The trainers really helped my dogs with their different personalities, and helped me be a better owner for my dogs! I love all of the information that I got from them and it really is worth the price you pay! I would say if you have the money it is worth it for what you get. I think the only thing I wish was a little different was that you had the same trainer throughout because they can understand how your dogs have done in all four sessions. I'm excited to do advanced lessons at some point. All the trainers were very nice, and very helpful with all the lessons I had. read more

I have already reviewed my experience w/Off Leash K9 Training but will always give my opinion again !! The training is amazing . Just need to work on CUSTOMER SERVICE !!! . I left feeling confident that I continue training w/ Harper .. It is sometimes not that easy.. She is a VERY SMART LAB !! I needed help and follow w/ my trainer ..I have reached out SEVERAL !! Time to Josh Wilson w/ no follow up... This not how or what I expected . When I left my traing w/ Josh he very enthusiast about the trainng Harper got and if I NEEDED ANYTHING AT ALL PLEASE CALL TEXT OR EMAIl. Well I have serveral times and NEVER got any response.. .PLEASE FOLLOW UP W/ me. or maybe this is how you all do business .Thank you for taking the time to read this and hope I get follow up.. read more

We did Off Leash's two-week Board and Train program -- Morgan Lampe was the trainer -- for our 5 month old golden retriever puppy and we're so glad we did. We're thrilled with the results! When we dropped our puppy off, she was a bad walker - she pulled, didn't want to walk, and we couldn't do anything with her off leash. She only knew the beginnings of basic commands (sit, stay, down, etc.), but would only do them in a no distraction environment. Now, she's a fantastic walker, she comes when called, and we have confidence to take her out in public on or off leash. She's still the same sweet, playful puppy, but just all around much better behaved. We're continuing to work with her using the e-collar 30 mins to an hour every day. We're confident that if we keep with it, she'll be perfect in no time. At the end of the program, when we went to pick up our puppy, Morgan spent a couple of hours with us explaining in great detail all that our puppy had learned and how we can continue to re-enforce and improve on it over the coming months. We were really comforted that Morgan seemed to genuinely love our dog and vice versa. Morgan and OffLeash K-9 did a great job and we highly recommend the two-week Board and Train program. read more

Most complete dog training I've ever experienced. I have a completely new dog back who is still as playful and energetic as before but is significantly more obedient. Would recommend read more

Amazing! I cannot emphasize how incredible this training company is. They were extremely flexible. Even when I needed to drop my Great Dane puppy off earlier than planned due to worsening behavior, they accommodated us! Same experience for pick up! After a 2 week board and training camp, my puppy now is a changed dog. He's super obedient, plays nice with other dogs and doesn't lunge at people or kids any longer! I wish I had known about them earlier so that is why I'm spreading the word. I also had a previous private trainer try and help me train my puppy but it was basically useless. If you have issues with obedience and basic manners, this is the place to bring your dog to! Thank you Morgan for your dedication and awesome work!! Cheers. read more

Zoe, my GSD and I are excited about returning to Off Leash when our Virginia trainer, Danny, comes out to Las Vegas in January. We've completed the basic and advanced and protection work. We were starting on nose work, but I became ill and was out of commission for a number of months. Now, we can get Zoe and me back in shape. She has not forgotten what she has learned, but living la vida loca out here, we both need additional training, e.g. what to do when workmen are inside the house?how can Zoe know friend from foe? Mostly, we need to reinforce some of the protection behavior because our new home is different from our old. OLK9 totally changed the way I viewed canine behavior. Working as a team with your dog is a great experience........ read more

Can't say enough great things about OLK9. We took our Australian Cattle dog there 3 years ago and we still receive comments on how well she behaves and that she is the "best dog". We recommend OLK9 to everyone. She gained confidence and most importantly we both learned how to communicate with each other. Don't waste your time going to silly pet store classes or clicker training yourself. Just go to OLK9. read more

Highly recommend. While at first I was nervous with the e-collar- I learned to use it as a tool. I did the basic + adv package and worked with Garry mainly as my trainer who was awesome! You will find that all of the trainers sincerely care about you learning and take care with your dog. Yes, the cost hurts the wallet - but sooooo worth it! Friends have seen our before and after and are amazed how different -well behaved--our dog is. Don't hesitate making your appointment - you will be so glad you did! read more

Off leash k9 training honestly changed my life and my dogs life. Before coming to them for lessons my dog was out of control. Anytime I had people come to the house he had to be outside. After completing lessons with them we can finally have people come over and our dog can be part of the action without needing to be in everyone's face. My husband was at the point where he was ready to get rid of the dog because how miss behaved he was whenever we had anyone other than just family and a house. When it was just us in the house he listened really well but with any distraction all bets were off. It's as if he didn't know his name! Not anymore!!! Thank you for making our dog part of our family! read more

VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE! At first, I signed up for the Therapy Dog Training package, but realized that was not what I needed in order to advance my already trained lab to becoming a service dog. I opted to change my package from Therapy Dog training to Canine Good Citizenship training. The website did not offer pricing on this, so I arranged the switch via customer service. Honestly, I did not notice that they instead signed me up for Basic Obedience until we were three weeks into the training, and I was concerned that we were not learning/doing anything but true basic training, of which my dog had already done 13+ hours of both group and private work (she knew all the commands before hand, yet the trainer was contributing my dog's success to the equipment). When I brought this up with the trainer (who admitted we was not AKA Canine Good Citizenship trained himself), he promised to look into it. For the next two sessions I asked, and he again said he would look into it. After we finished, he never contacted me again. A month later I contacted customer service, who said someone would get back to me...that was weeks ago. I paid a LOT of money for training my dog had already mastered due to their clerical error that no one seems willing to correct. PISSED! read more

We used the Woodbridge office of OLT on a recommendation from a friend. Our then 1 year old male boxer was totally out of control. He had a lot of energy and no manners. Mountain took him for 2 weeks. It was a a transformative period for Jackson. He took him to public spaces off the leash and jackson would sit there until he was released by a command. We could have never done this before. Although we let him slide back into some bad habits we use the collar and a few commands to make corrections. He is a great dog and still a ton of energy but it's more manageable now. Mountain still boards Jax when we go out of town. Jax loves him and that is his second family. Mountains love of dogs is evident and he looks the part for a trainer of large breed dogs. read more

I started with Off Leash K9 when my chocolate lab Duncan was almost a year old. I wanted to not only be able to walk my dog off leash with the confidence he would stay out of the street and come when called but also have him pass the Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog tests. The trainers were AMAZING!! The training is systematic with the dog learning one new thing each week. Duncan had his basic commands reinforced with the remote collar and then learned so much more...like door manners and walking nicely on a leash. They trained my dog and then trained me on how to communicate with my dog effectively. I think that is the most important part...training the human on how to communicate with their dog! I highly recommend Danny, Carrie and Mountain to everyone who wants a good mannered dog. read more

A few years ago my husband and I adopted our third dog, a young female Saint Bernard, that as she settled into our home began causing some big issues. (Adding a third dog changes the ENTIRE dynamic!) She was horrible on a leash, couldn't be left out when we were out of the house but hated her kennel, counter surfed, barked at everyone, dog reactive, the list goes on. Clearly, she hadn't been well socialized or had any time spent on basic obedience in her first home. A Saint is not a small dog so when issues with her and our older male Saint began within our home, that was the last straw. We knew we needed to put a stop to it immediately and that we needed help. We started with another training company (which I will not name) and worked with them for several months. Some of her issues improved. She got much better in her crate and no more swiping things off the counters but we had a few dog fights over food and toys. Thankfully, neither of the dogs were injured but we knew we had to figure something out. I contacted our trainer at the time and I was incredibly disappointed in his response. He gave us the option of trying a few things around the house, one of which being both of them wearing basket muzzles all the time .. Not a fan of the idea. It wouldn't actually fix anything. It was just a band-aid. He suggested keeping an air horn around to break up fights, which I do still keep around, just in case; It still wasn't a solution though ...again, just a band-aid. His last option for us was considering getting rid of one of our dogs. SERIOUSLY?! We paid for training to make this work for you to then tell us not to keep her? He never even offered another training session. I knew right then that we had made a mistake in selecting a trainer. I work at a vet clinic in the area and we had brochures for Off Leash K9 that we were frequently handing out to clients, so I decided to check them out for myself. My husband and I were very impressed by the before and after videos and reviews and even though we don't live near the Woodbridge location, I'd heard such good things about trainers at this particular location that I didn't want to go anywhere else. We opted to do the dog aggression package and we wanted to attend the lessons and do the training ourselves rather than do the board and train. I have no doubt that the board and train would have been easier for us, but we wanted to be more involved in her training. It took us a while to complete because of our crazy schedules but I am a believer in their methods and I wish we had started with them from the get go. We noticed a difference in her immediately after our first 1 hour lesson. All but one of her lessons were done with Morgan and I highly recommend her to everyone I send to Off Leash K9. We had one session with another female trainer that I was not pleased with and our dog did not respond to her or the way she utilized the collar. Our dog shut down during the lesson and I felt like we took a few steps back by the end of that hour. However, we made sure we scheduled the rest with Morgan and each time we left feeling more confident in how to mold our dog into a better behaved pup. The best part for anyone skeptical about e-collar training; Our dog legitimately gets EXCITED when she sees her collar! It is NOT used as punishment but as a way of better communicating with her. We're so grateful to Morgan at Off Leash K9 for all of her help. It has made a huge difference in our lives. read more

customer support is good but they will then spam you with emails about leaving a review to the point that it's annoying. All I did was ask a few questions and next thing I know I have at least 30 emails going 'rate your experience/how was your experience/share your experience' it's incredibly annoying and the emails alone are what lowered my rating. read more

The trainers are awesome and the training is easy and intuitive the way they explain it. We are all enjoying being able to take our German Shepherd out with us and include her in our active lifestyle. She has always been outgoing and friendly, now she is able to interact without overwhelming people. Thank you, Elise and all! read more