went to the Etobicoke location. I won't be going back!! I was in a cold sweat. I felt nauseous going home.

We booked a private in-person training session that did not go well. It was pretty much a consultation. Overall bad experience for a hefty price. Meanwhile we found someone committed at a tiny fraction of the price that actually brings value to a session. read more

Have done Foundations 1 and Foundations 2. Would highly recommend. Both classes provided handouts with a breakdown of how to train a behaviour and modifications to train. These are great takeaways as you may not remember everything from class or you may need a refresher if you come back to work on it at a later time. In Foundations 1, we had three trainers throughout and each class had an assistant. Out of those 3 trainers, Stephanie and Hu were amazing, clear, and ran a great class. In Foundations 2, had one trainer throughout and no assistant. We had Ethan for this and he was absolutely wonderful! Wish I was able to get into agility with them, if you are interested be fast with you booking! read more

Staff is not very helpful. My puppy stepped on a bee while inside the Etobicoke location, no one really offered assistance for the poor thing, they didn't have ice or anything to help soothe her. They just told my husband they would see if they could refund the puppy play class because this happened within the first 15mins.... Honestly disappointed, we won't be going back. It's too bad because she was having so much fun up until this incident. Hopefully she will be okay read more

When Hounds Fly is a business with absolutely no concern for their customers. I paid them $300 and they have refused to give me anything. I purchased classes but as the second wave of COVID-19 got worse, I was not comfortable or allowed by public health restrictions to gather and have these classes. When Hounds Fly expected me to book classes within 6 months, and expected online classes to be booked if in-person classes could not be held. This was not what I purchased. More than 6 months later, the province is opening up and people are starting to gather again. After taking my money, they are refusing to offer me anything. I cannot get a refund and I cannot get services. The company can reply and point to their policies that "clearly state" that they have a 6-month completion timeframe and no refund policy. I can understand not offering refunds. But refusing to provide any services, after I paid them hundreds of dollars, because a pandemic prevented me from having classes is just callous disregard for their customer. My dog is one of the most important things in my life. If you are going to have anything to do with my dog, the most important thing is that you care, about me as a customer and about my dog. I'm sure their trainers are all great people who care a great deal about the dogs they work with. But When Hounds Fly is not a company that cares about me or my dog. read more

Great experience. I did the puppy socialization classes and they were a good intro for my puppy into some basic training and also getting along with other dogs. I highly recommend. read more

I had the pleasure of doing private lessons with Sarah from When Hounds Fly. We switched to Sarah after attending group classes elsewhere and decided to seek out R+ clicker training. Sarah is a wonderful teacher who is great at explaining things in simple terms to help you understand how your dog thinks, breaking down the steps and making it seem less daunting. My dog, Chip was always very excited to work with Sarah and I also looked forward to our lessons. Sarah always encouraged me through difficult times in our training, pointing out the successes I sometimes did not see. I remember the first session when we were working on eye contact outdoors, and how I had doubts my excited about everything pup would ever be able to focus on me. I now have a dog that gives me so much eye contact outside that he frequently walks into things (Sorry Chip). Sarah also helped us with achieving our trick dog titles. Her constant encouragement and troubleshooting made the impossible seem possible and we now have our champion title! read more

My puppy is currently in Puppy Socialization classes. It's been a very positive experience so far and I've learned A LOT. I got my puppy at 9 weeks and was at the end of my patience and sanity about 2 weeks into having him. These classes helped to save my sanity by teaching me great training tips to deal with the standard puppy things (resource guarding, barking, nipping, walking on leash, etc.) AND giving my puppy the opportunity to learn how to socialize with other dogs. That being said, I don't think all the trainers are equal -- Andre is absolutely amazing but I've found some of the other trainers to be rushed and not pay so much attention to individual dogs (even though it's only a class of 5 puppies). Along those lines, I feel like there could be more opportunity for individual attention if the classes were a bit longer (1 hour goes by lightning fast!) or if there was less stuff crammed into every class. I'd like to clarify that the Puppy Socialization classes alone didn't help me train my dog. I had to go home and dedicate time to training him every day, multiple times a day. But the trainers gave me the tools and knowledge to train him at home. He's now a pretty wonderful puppy that I know will grow into a confident, friendly dog. I will definitely be registering my puppy for the regular obedience classes! read more

We purchased home training from When Hounds Fly. You have to pay for two sessions up front. The first session was mediocre. In trying to book the second session our trainer told us she was leaving for school in September. Her summer calendar was very full, we had limited days to choose from. We tried to find a day that worked but I realized approximately 30 hours before that I would be stuck at work. When I asked to reschedule I was told there would be an $80 fee, because is was not 48 hours. If that is their policy, the company and its trainers should make better efforts to remind their customers when booking/paying for sessions. We ended up eating the costs of the second session (which was a lot of money considering the first session was not overly impressive). All in all, it was very expensive and not really worth it. I will be investigating other training schools for additional help. read more

I HIGHLY recommend When Hounds Fly. I've recommended this place to all my friends and colleagues. Even though this place is a bit out of the way for me, it's worth the trip. I came here with my rottie pup for Puppy Socialization classes. This class was predominantly to teach me as the owner the right skills it takes to train my pup, which is especially important for the strong breed that he is. It's been worth every penny. Now my pup is the most well behaved dog in my neighbourhood - no kidding! People are so impressed with how obedient he is. Andre is an AMAZING instructor. He's extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. He takes the time to calmly answer all your questions and concerns; before, during or after the class. He has a great energy and genuinely cares about dogs. I was a bit skeptical about clicker training but it's amazing. I will be back for Foundation Classes soon :) read more

Zero customer service, but quick to take your $. Incredibly inflexible cancellation policy and to be honest, they don't really care about you as soon as you've paid for classes (paid upfront and on a strict timeframe to use). My car broke down on the highway on a drive from Windsor to Toronto. First chance I got to email them requesting to re-book was at 11:30 pm when I arrived home for a class scheduled for 7:20 pm the next day. I told them the situation, and after waiting more than 8 hours for an email response (because they don't have anyone to answer the phones, because why provide that service?!), I was told by email that only dog or owner illness are acceptable reasons for more than 24 hours notice. I can't attend the class as I'm to pick up my car from the shop after work. I DO NOT recommend this place. While they do sometimes good, sometimes unimpressive work with dogs (highly dependent on which instructor you get), they give ZERO interest to their humans -- the ones that actually pay for the lessons. read more

After following our vet's recommendations as well as trying other training methods, we reluctantly considered sending our rescue beagle back to a shelter because of his increasing reactivity towards other dogs. A friend recommended we consult Andre at When Hounds Fly. Over several private sessions, his coaching was direct, simple and had a profound effect. Our dog is happier because less stressed, and we can take happy walks, incident free. I'd highly recommend Andre for his compassionate, intelligent approach. We are profoundly grateful for his help. read more

Totally disappointed in their costumer service. Was judged without a single question about my dogs training or history. All I wanted was to sign up for the trick class said I could as long as I took the prep glass BUT the thing is my dog is trained. Passed all levels of obedience. Once I said I didn't want to pay for the extra classes it was excuse after excuse. After I refused I was told I wasn't a good fit. What does that even mean?? "ME", they don't know me! They certainly didn't ask any questions. Just because I refused to be shaken down for money. I am a bad fit? Don't give these people your money... read more

I signed up my dog for puppy socialization which consists of a set number of classes. They give you a way to sign up online for which days and times you want and then all you have to do is show up and the rest is history. Each time I went I had a different instructor and for the most part there were different dogs each time. The instructors all seemed knowledgeable and the other puppies were great when it was time for free play. It was amazing to teach my dog basic commands like sit and stay. What I didn't really enjoy was the fact that there were other puppies there on different "classes" than us so they were learning different things during the same time. Which was fine in the beginning because the instructor came and did one-on-one time with each person. But then I realized we actually missed out on certain activities like tug of war because all the other puppies in the class did it and we hadn't. Also, when the instructors do have their one-on-one time with other dogs it leaves you left doing the one task over and over again which is tiresome and not that necessary. I understand that you have to repeat to get her dog to learn but it also makes you feel like you're being left in the dust. I think to improve they should have one set schedule so that all the dogs learn at the same rate and learn different things at the same time. It's okay to have one-on-one but maybe with a smaller class size, or more instructors. read more

I recently adopted a dog who is fearful of other dogs (mostly barking and pulling) and so I enrolled in private training in hopes that I would learn skills that would assist me as my boyfriend and I worked on her training. We had just started clicker training and were interested in tips and tricks that the trainer could provide me. Generally private training is expensive, and this is no different - around $300 for two training sessions (one 90-minute lesson and one 60-minute lesson). My first lesson was OK - my dog wasn't too far in her training, but we basically just went over the fundamentals of clicker training. This wasn't too useful, we were already doing clicker training on our own but the trainer reinforced my timing. We avoided all other dogs and basically just took a walk in a secluded area while we chatted. I figured the second lesson would be more useful as we would be further along in our training and I would be able to have the trainer there to assist with a dog-to-dog introduction (which is something my dog has never been able to have). I got an email from the trainer asking me to schedule my second lesson with her as she was returning to school in another city shortly. I am guessing this is her summer job? Doesn't really instill very much assurance that this trainer has been taught or received any certifications with regards to dog training. I asked her and I was told that she used to be the receptionist and has just learned by being around dogs - this is fine, but I am paying a lot of money for training and I would hope that it would be by someone with education with regards to animal training. I believe that perhaps her training abilities and experience have been misrepresented to potential clients. The second lesson was unfortunately much worse than the first. My dog can now be fairly close to other dogs without reacting, but we can't seem to close the gap and actually have an introduction. I was hoping to ask the trainer questions to understand how we move forward - but most of our questions were answered with a shrug and that it's up to the individual dog?? As it was a chance to feel confident with the trainer's back-up, I was hoping we might be able to get closer than ever to another dog or perhaps (since her recall is great) see how she is off-leash in the dog park. Instead, we again returned to a secluded area and avoided dogs at all costs. At one point, there was a dog at the other end of the park and were told that was too close so we should go the opposite way. This is super unhelpful as we live in the city and at minimum need some mechanisms for avoidance or coping when we do see other dogs (which is constantly). I am still a bit unsure of how to instill more confidence in my dog and it would have been great to have the trainer there to assist. Instead at points I almost felt like my boyfriend and I were teaching her things about positive reinforcement training and she seemed scared to actually teach us anything. It was a bizarre experience. In our two training sessions, we might have done less than 20 clicks total with dogs that were so far away, my dog quite honestly might not have even seen them. I'm not sure that at any point in the private training we learned anything new unfortunately. I called because I was disappointed and wanted to share my feedback with the owner to ensure that no one else had a similar experience but never heard back. We received a generic email from When Hounds Fly asking for my feedback and I provided it, along with my contact information so they could call me back to discuss but again never heard back. Our dog has minor reactivity, so it is manageable on our own but in my experience, there are better trainers in the city for private lessons for the same cost who can provide ongoing support and I would try them if you have any sort of serious behavioural issues in your dog. read more

I would like to comment on this company's customer service. You can determine for yourself about this company: 1. The support person is dismissive of your problem. - I booked and paid for a class and explained my adopted dog's situation. Andre replied and did not care about my dog's issues, did not even ask and told me to go elsewhere, even though I sincerely explained it in depth, even offered to visit the office to inquire further, but he told me to go away 2. The customer service team is unreachable, or communication was otherwise consistent - the phone number provided on the business does not give a direct line to speak to someone about your questions. Andre took over 24 hours to reply every time, and in short, unfriendly, dismissive messages. When I asked for a contact number he ignored my question. I gave my phone number and he ignored it too. 3. The product's offerings has been misrepresented in marketing and ongoing service conversations about its features - I paid for the Canine Good neighbour class and my payment was accepted. However Andre told me I need to take another Foundation Class first, that is fine with me. Then he emails me telling me to go elsewhere. My money has not been refunded yet. If I cannot take the class why was there nothing in the login system indicating such? Why tell me to take a class then cancel?? *****In my opinion Andre does not seem to take his potential customers seriously. I see that he had some good reviews before, but either it is a ruse to make money or he has never showed his true character before. He never even asked my dog situation. Does he even care about dogs and their owners, or he just wants to make money??**** Even if there is any availability in the future, would you want someone who doesn't care about dogs and their owners, who just wants to make money, training your dog? Even my money has not been refunded yet. I am shocked this company is still running. Dog lovers, take your lovable dog and money elsewhere. read more

Honestly, I cannot give a review for the training aspect of "when hounds fly" i did not get that far because of the initial experience. However, I can give a response on the customer service as well as the overall experience that I have witnessed first hand. Do not try to call the company, no one answers, there is a automated voice touch tone pad that does not give you the information that you need and that you cant find on the website. You will never get in contact with a "live person". Email responses... Do not bother, by the time you get a response it will be too late... I did show up for the "orientation"...The facility let just say if my dog was uneasy about the place that should say something. Its basically like a dungeon and looks like an unsafe environment for humans and pets. The email response that i received from "Claire" was "Today is just Orientation, and is people only, as per the welcome email and multiple reminders. Please do not bring your dog". Atleast she said please I guess... On top of it all my puppy is only 4 months old and I was told she would not be able to participate in the puppy training classes. I had to go all the way to the facility for someone to tell me this. The guy that was there stated that she would have to go to the "foundation class". Overall response, would not recommend the place based on the customer service aspect. read more

This is the best training facility ever! Its lots of fun, and my puppy was tired as heck when he got home. Saved lots of time, and had fun. The techniques work as well, my dog is being trained proficiently because of this place. Bonus: he made a lot of new puppy friends (: read more

Highly recommend! We signed our little frenchie puppy for socialization a month ago and she just graduated yesterday. She was very shy in the first class and always tried to hide behind us or under the chair.. Verena told us that watching others play was also part of socialization. She started to build her confidence in the second class , she played with large puppy and if the battle was too rough she would immediately ran away =) so funny.... She is now extremely sweet and friendly to both people and dogs on the street! We will enroll her into the fundamental course after she finished all the shots. read more

I was really looking forward to sending my dog here for the Foundations class, however, the confusing website, delays in receiving email responses, no returned voice message and a curt response to one of my questions has made me decide to go elsewhere. As I was anxious to get my dog started I saw that an orientation was first required. In the interest of time I sent an email to ask if my dog could attend the Tuesday evening Foundations class at 7:30 and then the orientation afterward. (I mistakingly thought the orientation included my dog). I didn't receive an email response to my question so I went over to the Pape location to ask and it was explained to me that I had to attend the orientation class without my dog before she could attend any classes. Rather inconvenient I thought since I would have to make a trip back for the orientation before even getting my dog started but fair enough if that is their policy. But it was this snarky email response that I eventually rec'd to my question that really turned me off: "Sorry, no, as orientation as the name implies is to orient you before your first class. Otherwise we wouldnt waste our time running orientations." You have to wonder what they are thinking in sending out a response like that. Obviously, they don't seem to care if they offend potential customers who have what they consider to be silly questions. read more

As new dog/puppy owners we really needed a trainer that taught us as much as taught our puppy and the Puppy Socialization classes did not disappoint. Our dog is a larger breed and I only wish we had been able to get him in classes a few weeks earlier because he quickly out-grew the other puppies. I liked the ability to sign-up on-line and appreciated that every time we had a specific question the trainers always took the time to answer us and quell our anxieties. The puppy play-time during each class was invaluable to us as the trainers talked us through what was acceptable play, when things got too excited and how we should monitor things to ensure all of the puppies safety and well being. Great pre-training for the dog park! The only reason I gave this review a four instead of a five - the puppies at each class were on different class numbers and as a result we would spend longer on some exercises while the trainer gave one-on-one instructions to another owner and their puppy. I do not begrudge this as we were at times the receiver of the one-on-one instructions ourselves - but it did leave us feeding our puppy an excessive amount of treats and trying to keep his attention as he would get bored. read more

I signed up for puppy socialization classes and found them to be exactly that. If you are looking for any form of training this is not the classes for you. The class is an hour long and there are usually 4-5 puppies. The puppies are never on the same class so the instructor spends time with each individual, which is fine when it's your turn but for the majority of the time you are on your own. The puppy learns sit and down and touch...that's pretty much it. Bring tons of treats, you will need them. There is playtime which is fun for your pup unless its bigger than the other dogs. Then your pup is pretty much segregated. I didn't find this class very helpful and will be looking for another training school for the next level. The instructors were friendly, but I would have preferred, the owner, Andrew(I believe)' he seemed more knowledgable and explained concepts quite well. Overall, it was ok, but not what I had previously experienced. read more

Andre is amazing and clicker training is the best way to train a dog. We had such a good experience training my daughter's puppy that we then trained my ten year old dog. Both did really well thanks to the easy, clear methods Andre teaches. It really is as good as it gets. read more

Andre is very good with dogs and really understands them. They train easily with him.