We've been so pleased with Taurus. I previously worked from home, but when I got a new office job, we needed dog day care a few days a week. I think that having consistent time with the staff and trainers at Taurus has been good for our dog, Alice. Alice, is a bit of a handful! She is very sweet, but also high energy, excitable and a little off socially. We had taken her to puppy training classes and sporadic day care at another local training center and she actually was digressing there - we needed to turn things around and Taurus has really helped with this! Taurus understands Alice's energy and quirks and the team there has tried different methods to find what works best for her. In January, they made her one of their focus dogs, which meant that they would spend extra time training her (this was free of charge, I think it is part of a program they have for training their trainers - we didn't sign up for this, they just asked us if we were interested.) This extra one-on-one time, mainly with a trainer named Rianna, has made a huge differed to Alice. She is much calmer in new situations and we've seen a huge improvement in how she acts - and reacts - to other dogs on walks. I think the most impressive thing with Taurus is that they are flexible and adaptable when it comes to their training approach. Not all dogs will learn in the same way. Alice's former training center didn't have this same flexibility and gave up when their approach wasn't working. I love that Taurus didn't just give up or label Alice as un-trainable, they tried a variety of approaches and tailored their training style to fit Alice's needs. To me, that seems like what a good trainer should do. And we have seen much improvement as a result! In addition to Rianna, we have liked pretty much all of their staff. Nikki is great, too and is always quick to offer tips on the fly when we drop Alice off in the morning. She too has a spirited pit bull mix, so she gets it. We get helpful feedback from the whole team. Alice is also very excited to go to Taurus each week and has made some great friends there, both dog and human. We are big fans of Taurus. read more

Our 5 month old puppy finished his 2wk board and train program with Nikki at Taurus. I was so impressed to see the way my puppy followed his trainer attentively and adoringly when I picked him up and when Nikki came back to visit us at our house. The two had established a great bond. I was also delighted to see our puppy finally start to walk on loose leash, which had been a major challenging for us in the past. Taurus is a very well run and organized facility. When our puppy stayed with them, I got regular text, email with pictures and videos on his updates, which is very reassuring. Our puppy is always happy and well behaved after spending time at Taurus. read more

Our dog Fido is a Labradoodle of the most energetic sort. When he first started at Taurus Lamar, he was almost a year old and was rapidly growing out of the cute puppy stage and into something akin to the rowdy teenage dog stage. We started at Taurus one day a week and he did so well and loved it so much we signed him up for Play and Train, which includes training sessions throughout the day in addition to the regular playtime in the backyard doggie playground. Thanks to Jilian and the rest of the staff, Fido's manners have improved greatly. He sits before we go through doorways, stays in a down stay in a room full of distractions, and actually looks us in the eyes when we say his name. Fido loves everybody at Taurus and I venture to say the feeling is mutual. read more

We use Taurus for boarding only as opposed to play days and have been very happy with them. A plus is that that they take 10% off if you have a Go Local card which paid for itself the first time I used it and boarded my dog. My dog was getting stressed when lots of dogs were coming and going and they placed her in a quieter environment which I appreciated. A downside regarding this specific Taurus is that if you are not already an established client they are not taking any new dogs for play dates. They are expensive, around $40/night for boarding with play date but I think they are the most conscious of dogs needs. read more

Update: I spoke with Jeff from Taurus and they reimbursed my boarding and daycare costs, as well as covered my grooming bill.

We've been taking our dog there for the last year-and-a-half, first to be boarded for a week and then coming back to have her trained. We were initially nervous about turning her over to strangers but we quickly saw how great the staff is with all of the animals. The dog we got back after two weeks of training was much different from the one we sent them, way more calm and more responsive to our commands. Meanwhile we continue to board her when we go out of town and drop her off for the occasional play day. The staff is really good about texting pictures and videos while we are out of town, and our dog has bonded so much with them that she gets super excited when she sees certain people there. Can't speak to the size of the facilities compared to other places in Austin but they seem reasonable especially in the context of what I consider pretty affordable prices. The dogs also seem to get a lot of time outside in the yard or on walks, although probably not as much when it is really hot or raining, so play days are probably better in the fall and spring. Overall though as long as the current staff remains we will continue to feel comfortable leaving our dog in their hands. read more

I called Taurus and left three different messages asking for someone to call me about training my puppy. Someone called a week later & said a trainer would be in touch. No trainer ever called. I called Taurus again & left a message, asking a manager to please call me. No call. We used Taurus when it had different ownership for all of our puppies & were always very happy. This lack of service has left me not wanting to do business with Taurus any longer. read more

These guys wanted me to sign a 1 year contract where my dog had to go at least 1x/week. Really? No thanks.

I relied on all the great reviews I read and decided to send my 10 year old dog here to socialize with other dogs. I was sending him twice a week at $35 per visit. I had asked to see the facilities several times and the staff never had time. It has been a month in a half and each time my dog comes home hoarse. Today I dropped him off in the morning and then walked back to the "yard". I saw an employee there and asked her about my dog who happens to be 18 pounds so he goes out with the little dogs. She told me that the little dogs go out twice maybe 3 times per day, but usually only twice. Yikes! I was told by the front staff that my dog goes out 8 to 10 times a day. Then I saw some bigger dogs being let out and I saw a male employee push a dog with his foot and leg to make the dog go out the door. If you just drop your dog off in the front and don't go in the back, I guess you will never know what happens. When I picked up my dog at 11:30, they told me he had not been out yet and I dropped him off at 9 AM. When they are not going out in the "yard" they are sitting in kennels all day. read more

I love Taurus. The staff is so responsive, and they are excellent with my dog. By 8:00 in the morning, he is going bonkers with excitement hoping it's a Taurus day so he can play with his friends and see his favorite trainers. Thanks Taurus! read more

i have a special needs doggie. no, she doesn't need pills or wear a special harness or have braces or anything, she is just a needy, spoiled, socially retarded mama's girl with some Issues that not all doggie day care places can or will deal with. i had taken lucy to another place here in town, which is extremely convenient to my house, and the people seemed nice enough, but at the end of the day, i suspect she had spent the whole day in the corner of the big dog pen, and was more torqued up when i got her home than she would have been had i just left her there all day. it was kind of like i had put her in a big kindercare and all that really happened is they made sure she had a place to pee and get some water. i had heard good things about taurus from a couple folks at the dog parks, and so decided to give them a try. my first clue that this might work out better for miss lucy was the first gal we encountered at the counter had dog tattoos on her arms. i mean, if your commitment to the love of the canines goes to that length, i probably can trust you with my dog. they called me that first afternoon to give me a report on how lucy was doing. she was still freaked out, spent a lot of time on her own, but they were going to try and introduce her to some dogs her speed. no great success that time, but i felt good about trying again. she's still a little shy/skiddish of other dogs, but i think she's loosening up, and i have no doubt it is the attention and care these folks have for pups that is doing it. they still give me little updates on how she is doing and i have faith that one day my nerdy little dog will be the bell of the ball. or a pain in the ass to all the other dogs. am not sure. if i could change or improve one thing at taurus, it would be to give them a bigger yard and a team of bored little leaguers to throw balls and frisbees all afternoon for my pup. but that might be asking a bit much. read more

I have been taking my 3 year old dog to Taurus for play days for almost 10 months and have been totally amazed with Taurus. My original intent was to get my dog more socialized and exercised and this intention has been met by Taurus! The staff is always so friendly and you can tell they love every dog! They are very flexible and their new hours allow you more flexibility for pick ups and drop offs. I would highly recommend Taurus for boarding and play days!! They make you feel like you're part of a family and my dog looks forward to going to play days every week! read more

I have been taking my chocolate lab here for about a year and he has never been happier. We tried other day cares around town and they were terrible. Taurus has trained employees who understand canine behavior and create a safe and loving environment. I am partial to Nikki the trainer, as she has taken special care of my boy on a number of occasions. Rachel and McKenzie are also delightful. I recommend Taurus to everyone I know. Bodhi and I won't go anywhere else. read more

The space is pretty small and older. But it's in downtown Austin so you can't expect to have a ton of space. Their prices are pretty reasonable and they treat my dog so well. They're even incredibly nice and accommodating to me. read more

My dog loves it, I can tell. We try to take her once a week to doggie play days to burn off her energy. Asside from the obvious I think it has also helped our rambunctious lab learn to socialize with other dogs. It is nice to know that when we are on vacation she loves her boarding place and is having fun the whole time too. read more