I highly recommend WAGD! My 3 year old pup Shadow and I have completed several classes with trainer Victoria -- and she's awesome! She's very easy to work with and extremely knowledgeable... I've described her as a "dog whisperer". She's so good at reading my pups body language - and literally knowing what Shadow is thinking! Also, I would promptly disregard any of the 1 star/negative reviews you see below. I would chalk these up to the old adage of business - "you can't please everyone...". I'd say if 100 customers come through WAGD's doors, they can very happily please 95 of them... but 5 no matter how awesome they are, you still can't make all 100 happy, no matter what! Be certain to read the "owners" reply to any negative reviews - she took the time to reply and explain. The front desk staff have all been FANTASTIC to work with! Lots of smiles... plus they each seem to TRULY CARE about my pup. Superior customer service is what you will find... and you don't see that everyday. Matter of fact, the service you will receive at WAGD is clearly a notch above the rest! In summary - if you are looking for THE BEST training for your doggo - or need every dog treat and healthy food you can think of... go check out WAGD! read more

So far so good, or should I say great?! Took my pup to his first preschool class and was welcomed by the front desk when I came in. He seemed to enjoy the class and the instructor was very knowledgeable. He answered all my questions after class. I enjoyed the entire experience and will be bringing him back for his next class next week. Also, I would help to note they are one of the few places that actually list their prices on their website. One of the reasons I selected them. I don't like companies who try to lure you in and then slap a huge price tag on their services. Thanks for being transparent! read more

What a great facility! I used to be in the training world and when I was this facility and it's trainers took the cake. I now work in vetmed and this is still the place I refer clients when they ask about anything from behavior problems to basic puppy training. The owner is an incredibly amazing person with compassion for what she does and animals that goes far and wide! Take it from this veterinary medicine professional, I highly recommend this training facility, look no further because you have found "The Place"! PS I live in Fort Worth and it is WORTH the drive. read more

WAGD is a professional training facility with excellent trainers and plenty of classes to keep you and your dog engaged. In March of this year, we adopted our dog from a local rescue. She was shy, anxious, and mostly untrained on a leash. Our goal was to improve her confidence and reduce her fear in everyday situations (like taking a walk and walking past another human). We wanted to enroll her in a group class, but after reading the very clear guidelines on the website we decided to bring her in for an individual evaluation first. We came back for one more private lesson with the trainer and at that point, the trainer recommended we skip Manners 1 and enroll in Manners 2. Despite our pup's behavioral issues, it was clear her previous owners had done some basic training with her. Our Manners 2 and subsequent Manners 3 classes were taught by trainer Shelby - who was GREAT. In the group class environment, Shelby did an excellent job of balancing the curriculum of the class with the needs of the specific dogs enrolled. We learned lots of new skills, but mostly, the exercises each week helped us build trust with our dog. It was also fun getting to know the other owners & dogs in our classes as well. We later enrolled our dog into the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen course. It's a two week course, the first week practicing all of the skills required for the certification and the second week actually demonstrating the skills for the certification. It was amazing the change our dog had made from the first day we walked into WAGD to the day she received her CGC blue ribbon! We primarily use the Richardson facility but I've also been to the Frisco facility. Both facilities are very clean with plenty of space for parking. They have many more classes beyond manners and we hope to enroll our dog in a future tricks class, nosework class, or even pupgility. They also have plenty of special events. For example they hosted holiday portraits at both locations for a small fee. And- I love that they keep my credit card on file. If I run out of training treats, I can just grab a bag off the wall and they charge my account. Since I usually have my dog's leash in hand at the same time, it's nice not to have to fumble for a credit card. Opportunities for improvement: We struggle with the class times and having to attend specific subsequent classes (i.e. six Tuesdays in a row) as our business travel schedules don't always permit for this. We've missed classes before in Manners 2/3 but we don't want to enroll in a class where we miss the first or last day. We'd love a punch-card style set up where we could attend a course when we're available. As an alternative to group classes we've tried to sign up for private training, but it seems private lessons are near impossible to come by. I've looked on the online calendar as far out as it will let me, but we still can't lock down a lesson for nights or weekends. In general: even more classes or trainers would be wonderful. Finally - it's not WAGD's fault, but many owners that bring their dogs for the first few weeks of Manners 1 don't know yet or just don't follow the "rules" of training - for example, not allowing dogs to visit with each other, giving dogs plenty of space between each other at the facility, etc. Sometimes this becomes an issue when classes let out. I recommend WAGD to every dog owner I know in the area. Their classes are top-notch and facilities are excellent. We're excited to continue training our dog there! read more

What A Great Dog - Training Ring #2 - 10 marked wall spots with hooks and chairs. Separation walls available between stations if needed. - Pet Training Near Me - Richardson, Texas

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They seem to be a great company, although when my dog didn't perform after 3 classes I asked for my money back. I asked for the money back for the 3 remaining classes. I was told that they don't do that. I was also informed that if they did that it would come out of the trainers pocket. I feel like I paid for a service and was unhappy with the results read more

I'm new here from Los Angeles... in fact, if you look me up on Instagram (@christophertakahashi) you'll see I was Cesar Millans and his families personal hairstylist for years back in LA. So I've worked many days in the dog training environment. Bane is my first dog, and this place came highly recommended. I'll say, my trainers I've been working with have been wonderful, which is the whole point of coming here and the only reason I'm continuing to come so I'm grateful of that.... Although, all that goes down the toilet when you have extremely unfriendly front desk. Every time I interact with them it's VERY UNWELCOMING. They all give dirty looks when I walk in and I've even made a point to say "good morning, how are you?" And they just stare with the nastiest glare and don't say a thing. It's really uncomfortable. I hate walking in and out of there. It's funny, people all told me how polite and friendly the south is, but this place has the attitude of some stuck up Beverly Hills salon (except your NOT, your support STAFF to a DOG SCHOOL in RICHARDSON TEXAS, you are literally no one, calm down). The front desk of any business is a direct representation of the owners and management, to have such bad attitude makes me wonder who the hell owns this place and how are they surviving?! Ashton, thank you for being such a wonderful human, you are the only reason I'm staying with this god awful place.... I hope they don't treat you and the other trainers as poorly as they do their clients. read more

I have trained for five years with WAGD. I have read some of the reviews about evaluations. First, I appreciate that WAGD does evaluations for finding the best fit for dogs. It may be hard to hear that your dog needs a private lesson or two. But... honestly it is for the dogs sake. They will get to know your dog and work to make sure the training is perfect for the dog. Their ultimate goal IS to have your dog in class. Once in class, it is nice to know that all the dogs are appropriate and the group process works well. For some dogs it takes very little to get their confidence up and their training in groups gets started quickly. Then there are dogs that do have significant behavior challenges and do need private training to start with. I've seen them take some really challenging dogs and build them up.... to even doing dog sports or just being a happy family member. All dog training does take an investment of time with you, but you end up with an amazing partnership. If you have a young pup, that is the best time to start your training, I have trained dogs for 30 years. Their training far exceeds most training places. Their puppy classes and their manners classes give excellent information. If you want more, they have some of the top trainers in the nation for agility, rally, nosework. They can train and prep for therapy dog work... my dog passed with flying colors for testing in a national program after Manners classes. They hooked me on agility and rally too. But for the pet owner who wants a well behaved dog.... they have top instructors who have had extensive training. I have not met an instructor there at either facility, that doesn't care deeply about your dog. Lastly I have to add, WAGD ONLY does positive training. NO training should use harsh words or negative training.... and the result is a dog who WANTS to work with you. So even if you are looking elsewhere than WAGD please find a trainer who only uses positive training. But if you want positive training... WAGD lives and breathes this and there are AMAZING dogs that have trained there! read more

What A Great Dog - Pet Training Near Me - Richardson, Texas

Laurel was a huge help in fitting my rescue dog Addy's new Blue-9 balance harness. She also gave me some tips and was very patient with me and my dog, helping my dog to settle and be calm as we fitted the harness - no easy task for little Addy. Thank you!! read more

We (my dog and I) LOVE WAGD! I have taken dogs to several other places for training classes, and I only wish I'd encountered WAGD sooner. I just completed Manners 2 with my six-month-old puppy, and needless to say, we are already signed up for Manners 3. First of all, the facility is great. There is so much space, which helps tremendously when you're trying to help your dog learn to focus around distractions. It's clean and professional (talk about a cool big agility ring!) - the best I've seen in Dallas. Secondly, the staff is so professional and knowledgeable. Our instructor ran a well-structured, easy-to-follow, engaging class every week. She even brought her own dog to provide demonstrations, which was really helpful. She did a great job of understanding the unique personalities and needs of each pup in the class and tailoring instructions and recommendations accordingly. Lastly, WAGD provides so many options for you and your pup. I've only done the Manners courses, but WAGD offers tons of courses we can take from here so that my pup (and I!) can continue learning and having fun. And all this for a great price! I highly recommend WAGD to anyone looking to invest some time in helping their pup be the best pup he or she can be. read more

We've been training with WAGD for 9 months now. I cannot say enough about amazing it is to start your puppy with WAGD in Puppy Manners 1 and socialization classes! They are a positive-only training facility and up-to-date on the latest training techniques. All kinds of dogs (that are not aggressive) are welcome - "just for fun" pets learning manners to sports dogs training for national agility competitions. Our puppy learned quickly at first and hit a plateau during his second manners class. On our trainer's advice, we practiced our "manners" in their retail store literally like 3x a week. Not buying anything, but sitting in the corner practicing our skills from class. Every single time, the WAGD trainers and store members were kind, loving and understanding. After lots of hard work, we went from a bouncy puppy to a CGC certified (national obedience test) good boy. We now are exploring agility and rally classes with WAGD, too. There's no other place or people I would trust to help guide us. Our only negative is that their class availability & timings can be difficult. It's hard to find evening and weekend classes in specialties like agility, rally and nosework. Private lessons are very difficult to come by, as well. I wish they would add a couple trainers. read more

Our pup has made great strides in her Manners classes at WAGD. She's learned a ton and the training has really given us the tools to feel comfortable with reinforcing behaviors, etc on our own and at home. Alyssa is the best instructor ever. Even in a full classroom she has hawk eyes and you can tell that's she's paying attention to every student - human and canine. She does 1 on 1 time so well even in a group class setting. If you're looking for basic training for any aged dog - WAGD is a fantastic place to do so. They also have advanced classes as well but baby steps for our pup. read more

What a great place to train your dog! Though COVID has changed things a bit, the staff instruction at WAGD is extremely impressive. I've attended training elsewhere and it doesn't even begin to compare with how training is handled at both of their locations. I love their store, too. Great, unique products for my growing, curious pup. What I find very unfortunate is the inability for the dogs to interact here, which is crucial for a puppy to become a well rounded dog. That's my biggest upset for sure. But I'm still a fan of WAGD and will most likely continue my Aussie's training here to get her into agility. read more

So happy with our training at WAGD and especially our trainer Shelby. She uses positive reinforcement; is a wealth of knowledge about dog behavior and shares wonderful tips/insights with the owners based on their dogs needs. She is so patient and kind. Working with her and practicing her suggestions at home have made life much more pleasant with a puppy; especially for our old dog and 3 cats. I have also been very impressed given the Covid situation; once the facility reopened for classes WAGD has been the model for how to reopen a business. Face Masks, Hand Sanitizer, Social Distancing & a Spotless Facility make it apparent they really care about their client's health & safety. . read more

My trainer no showed on my first appointment. After waiting around for 20 minutes or so, just got a refund and left. Very disappointing as this place was recommended but very bad first impression. I DO NOT recommend as this was very frustrating and disappointing experience. read more

We had a very negative experience at WAGD in Richardson. We went for the assessment. When my husband entered with our dog he wasn't greeted at all and was just asked "What are you here for?" When he checked in they didn't know the dog's name, which even big box places like PetSmart greet your dog right away. I drove all the way from work really far away to meet them there. I got there and of course when I got there, my dog was very excited to see me after a day without me. The second I got there, they told us he needed private lessons and shooed him out. They didn't even give him a chance to chill out after greeting me. I was there for less than 2 minutes. We felt very unwelcomed and they were extremely unfriendly towards us. read more

I love WAGD! Everything about their facility is amazing. I love the store they have inside with products that are safe for your dog and good quality. I always look to see what is there to provide new enrichment for my golden retriever. My dog is a bit timid and they have always been patient with him while offering tips to manage his personality. I took Manners 1-3 with them and hope to go back to do more specialty classes when I have more time. Great place! Can't wait to go back. read more

I really wanted to like this place because it is conveniently located and I wanted to start training my pup however, I was very disappointed in the process. Before enrolling my dog I had to attend an evaluation class to determine which class was the best fit. My dog is a little timid in new situations, therefore would not take a treat on the first or second attempt. He did take treats after that. I would have enrolled him in the puppy manners class, but was told he had to take a private lesson first, to build his confidence. It appeared that all 5 families were told the same thing, for one reason or another. I felt this was purely an up-selling tactic and felt duped. You could have had my 150 dollars, but wanted 200, now you have 0. read more

Not impressed with the way they treat customers. I signed up for the free evaluation and was 5 minutes late getting to the class due to weird GPS directions and the lady doing the evaluations was super rude that she was already done with the evaluations and I would have to reschedule a different evaluation. I'm trying to sign up to spend money with this company and they don't seem to appreciate that. I don't know if the lady was having an off day or was just too lazy to spend 5 extra minutes but I won't be going back. read more

Wonderful training center. I have been in rally and agility classes and the instructors are knowledgeable and enjoyable to work with. Retail staff are always friendly and willing to help. read more

As a first time dog owner, and having adopted a Great Pyrenees rescue, I am so glad to have found What A Great Dog! The professional and friendly staff helped my confidence with my new family member. Not only was the dog getting great training, but I was learning how to properly do the training. I learned just how much I needed to learn. WAGD training methods are all positive reinforcement and geared towards setting your dog up to be successful. They listen to your specific needs and guide you towards the proper training needed to achieve your goals. In my case the goal is therapy dog and the techniques we are learning are getting us closer to our goal. Without WAGD I would not have gained the control over my dog that was needed. The training also strengthened the bond between Dolly and me. And the best part is that we both have FUN! In fact, Dolly enjoys it so much she refuses to leave. And that became another point to train on! read more

My Dalmatia have been taking classes since the girls were 4 months old. They do manners, agility and tricks and can't wait to start the nose work. The trainers are excellent and work in positive reward training. They know how to help your dog truly become a great memeber of the family!! I HIGHLY recommend them. read more

I am so appreciative of the help Alyssa gave me today in finding the best chew sticks for Lily!

I'm sorry to say that I cannot recommend their group classes if you have a reactive dog like mine. Week after week they watched me wrestle and struggle bringing my dog to class. Since they are dog training professionals, you'd think they would have pulled me aside and let me know that my dog was too hyper to benefit from the group class and should be in a private class. I discovered, on my own, that what he really needed was the proper use of a training prong collar and not just endless treats to try and bribe him to behave. Had they recommended that I use a prong collar, we would have gotten a lot more out of the classes, and my dog could have actually earned his good behavior certificate! Instead, I ended up feeling bad about myself, my dog and judged by the other dog owners for having such an out-of-control dog! read more

We are so impressed with both the terrific instruction (obedience class) and all of the safety precautions that WAGD Richardson has in place. Masks are actually enforced, social distancing is easy to maintain, and walkways are all one way. We've enrolled our 5 month old puppy in manners 1 and we took a private lesson. There was a free evaluation before our first class. It was great to get a sense of the place before actually enrolling. The curriculum is supported with excellent videos and a helpful booklet. My boyfriend and I never dreamed we'd actually be able to get the hang of click training; but, WAGD made it easy as pie. We really recommend this business!! Very positive trainers and staff. We will certainly be taking many of their more advanced courses, too. Thank you WAGD for helping us be responsible dog owners while also stopping the spread by operating a safe and responsible business. read more

I had heard that some people had unpleasant experiences but thought i should at least give it a try. i have a young dog i adopted and want to put in a beginning Manners class. I was told we would have to go through a free evaluation first. I had a appointment so my dog and I went and spent 30 minutes with 5 others and underwent a brief assessment. At the end we were told that she did not have enough confidence to go into a Beginning Manners class and we would need to have a "private" lesson first. I have 5 dogs now, have had dogs for many years and have trained them in Obedience, Rally and most through CGC. This pup I have will do just fine in a beginning manners class. She seems shy at first but quickly makes up for it. She was found on the streets with terrible mange and has spent her puppy-hood recovering. I felt the Evaluator was just going through a mental checklist and not really evaluating each dog. I certainly would not want the Evaluator to be an instructor for any of my pets. I don't hesitate to call in a Private Trainer if i have problems I can't handle, but don't think we need a "private" lesson prior to beginning manners and God forbid, i got the same person who was the evaluator! I have leashes older than she is. I had great hopes for WAGD because they have a "barn". I have another dog already doing beginning Nose work elsewhere and the WAGD training facility is so close to me. I feel insulted and very disappointed in my first impression of WAGD. read more