My puppy has been going to woofs puppy social for 2 months now. It was recommended to us by our vet to help with socialization and teach him manners regarding dog play. He was timid the first time he came and had some barking issues. Now, a couple socials later, he's well adapted. There's still room for improvement for him but overall he's learned a lot from woofs. They also offer puppy obedience school but it was all full when we were looking to we had to go somewhere else. The staff are super nice and welcoming. They explain to you what your dog is doing and how you can help you puppy. You can book through the website and it's very easy and user friendly. There's plenty of parking as well. There's been some puppies who have accidents during the social and the trainers would ask all owners to pick up their dog while they mop or clean the poop. It's very nice that they watch the dog and really monitor play. The dogs actually play. Some places we've tried weren't as great as Woofs because dogs don't even get to play and staff from other business are rude and not welcoming. We highly recommend woofs! Our puppy, Kenji, recommends Woofs as well! read more

Great staff great training. We brought our new 10 week old puppy to learn some socialization skills. It was awesome and she had a great time. Slept like a rock that night. Laura abd her staff are to be commended. We highly recommend. read more

WOOFS! Dog Training Center - Olivia 10 weeks old Havapoo. - Pet Training Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I love Woofs! They offer so much support for puppy owners. They offer a Puppy Chat with Laura, the owner, that is free to everyone. We attended a few weeks prior to getting our puppy and Laura answered all of our burning questions as well as offering very helpful advice to the first few days and what to expect. We then signed up for puppy kindergarten for our puppy, which was conducted via Zoom due to COVID. It was super informative and helpful as new issues or questions arose each week as our puppy grew older. The class was highly interactive and Jennifer was a great instructor. We also take our puppy to daycare each week so that she can be properly socialized during her crucial development phase. She always comes back happy and tired from playing with the other puppies. I highly recommend Woofs! to any puppy owner! read more

I have absolutely no hesitation about recommending Woofs for daycare and training. Their new daycare offering at the Ballston location has been fantastic so far to help draw my shy dog out of his shell, and we can see the difference in his confidence levels when he is at home, as well. read more

I really had a great experience with Woofs! over the past few years. I am very sad that I do not live close by anymore. I know trainers come and go so things may change slightly but I still trust woofs core training process and have always benefitted from their advice. I started with the puppy fundamentals class and went on to complete multiple agility classes. My dog doesn't really love to be around other dogs but they helped me work on this and helped me continue agility training while being conscious about the other dogs in the class. The other class participants were always extremely friendly and provide great camaraderie. The price may seem steep (after completing several classes it certainly adds up) but it is definitely worth it and you really do get 1:1 training advice. Hoping this review helps as I like many other only get the urge to write a review when I have a negative experience. I really had a positive experience at this facility! read more

WOOFS! Dog Training Center - Pet Training Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I have 2 dogs in my home and they have had 3 horrible fights in the last 7wks. I was searching for a dog behaviorist and contacted 5 or 6 in Northern VA. I heard back from only 2, one of them being WOOFS. The situation at home had been very stressful and I needed help asap. I spoke to someone over the phone for maybe 10-15min about what had occurred and she was a great listener, very informative, kind and patient. I was given some sound advice on what measures to put in place. Thank you to the person that took time out to communicate with me. Its very evidential that you truly care about the wellbeing of dogs. Kind regards, Temeka Berry (reference XL Bully & Pit fighting) read more

This is going to be a little bit long but my pup loooooves Woofs. He just finished intermediate obedience and has previously completed puppy basic obedience and one puppy party here. The puppy party was at the ballston location and was pretty nerve wracking because it was the first time my little buddy was off leash around other pups. I was immediately put at ease when the trainers were clearly explaining every behavior and all the play styles to all of us owners stuck sitting in chairs around the outside. My little guy was a little bigger than some of the others but the Woofs employees were very attentive and were rotating little and/or shy dogs into different areas to make sure no one got overwhelmed. Potty accidents were quickly cleaned up in a safe and sanitary way while letting play continue as soon as was safe. Our puppy basic class at the Shirlington location was really great. A few of the sessions started with puppy play time to make sure all the zoomies were gone before it was time to focus. While we didn't learn a bunch of tricks, I feel like we covered a lot of basic exercises that will quickly lead to tricks or (more importantly) better attention/obedience in a variety of settings. Carrie was always open to answering specific questions about each pup whether it was related to that days class or not. She really honestly felt invested in each puppy and getting them to become successful in the owners training objectives. We enjoyed the basic class so much that we signed up for intermediate class right after. Carrie and Sarah are both great teachers and really worked to tailor each class to the dogs and how they're feeling. One week towards the end of the intermediate class, all the pups showed up and were acting absolutely insane. Not focusing on people or treats or really anything other than being super hyper. Instead of the lessons they had planned, they called an audible and we all went outside and just focused the whole hour on getting our dogs attention. That might sound like a waste of time/attention but when the alternative is trying to force pups to listen when they're all clearly distracted, it was really appreciated. At the end of the intermediate class, I've got a good idea of how we can progress moving forward on our own, plus a 9 month old pup that will sit every time I stop walking and while going through adolescence, listens to me almost 90% of the time (100% if jo other pups are around!) and is really on the road to being an amazing listener. Brooks used to be terrified of stairs (and still is of the exit stairs in my condo building), but he will literally drag me up to the Woofs building and up the stairs until he is let into the daycare area! He absolutely loves going to daycare and we've both learned so much with the obedience classes. There may be cheaper places but in terms of places I feel comfortable leaving my little buddy when I have to go to the office or go on a business trip, Woofs is really the only choice. Brooks LOVES it so much! Thank you all! read more

WOOFS! Dog Training Center - Pet Training Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Our 3 month old Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy attended their free puppy party this morning and we couldn't be happier. The staff did a great job separating the puppies by size/energy level and knew when it was time to "graduate" the puppy to the next play room. They also intervened whenever a pup was getting to aggressive and would pick them up for time out. There were 3 groups, smaller timid, medium size and the bigger/older pups. There were a few potty accidents in the bigger/older group and the staff was quick to clean it up and would pick up/hold back puppies until the mess was clear. I highly recommend checking them out! Everyone who attends the puppy class will be allowed for doggy day care/boarding given they played nice and got along with the other pups. Unfortunately this location doesn't have the daycare/boarding. I can't speak about their training classes but will definitely check out one of them in the future. read more

WOOFS! Dog Training Center - Pet Training Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Added one star to this review due to excellent customer service from the owner. The facility had been highly recommended to me by a relation so I went in with high hopes, and at least now my faith in customer service has been restored ... other folks I know have had a good time there with their dogs but here's my experience: I spent an hour with one of their "lead" trainers; all she did was boastfully spout advice I've readily found on the internet, while constantly feeding my dog pieces of chopped-up hot dogs. I brought my own treats and tried to politely transition to using those, but she insisted that "dogs really like these, you can get them at Costco for really cheap." I wanted to reply: "Excuse me, you're feeding my dog what essentially amounts to plastic-bound artificially dyed grease? The last time my husband and I braved the food court at Costco on a Sunday and he dared to eat one of those hot dogs because we looked at the crowd and the lines and realized we'd be stuck there for several hours, when we got home that evening he ended up sitting on the john longer even longer than we spent in the check-out line!" But I wanted to really give the session a shot.... waste of time... She did *nothing* to work on on my dog's jumping or the basic commands like "lie down" that we wanted to address. Her idea of training was to make him sit repeatedly -- a command he already knows -- and condescendingly inform me that giving him the hot dogs would really make him listen. And it got worse. My EIGHTEEN POUND DOG THREW UP A BASEBALL-SIZED AMOUNT OF THE HOT DOGS. And after this "trainer" cleaned it up, SHE TRIED TO KEEP FEEDING HIM PIECES OF CHEAP GREASY HOT DOGS. I was in shock at the time and trying to be polite so I stood there stupefied. What I should have done was get my dog out of there and refuse to pay. Instead, because I'm non-confrontational and easily shocked, I paid $150 to get my dog sick. He wouldn't eat for a day afterwards. A week later, I still feel sick about the whole thing. Also, the facility was infested with roaches. I heard from the owner immediately after I reached out to her, and was extended an apology and a refund for the poor experience. She was extremely professional and kind about the ordeal. Perhaps it can be a great place to go, if you've got a larger dog with a strong stomach. read more

I started taking my puppy Avery to their free Saturday morning puppy party 4 weeks ago, and have gone back every single week since then (it's been life changing for both of us- she gets to run around and play for an hour and burn her energy and I get to see so many puppies but she's also tired when we get home and I can run errands, knowing she is happy napping). She was a shy 10 week old puppy back then and had her tail tucked in when we first got there. She was a little overwhelmed but the trainers there did an awesome job, separating the puppies according to their size and playfulness. Avery started out in the small room with smaller shy puppies the first week and "graduated" to the big room the next week. She has made a best friend there and immediately runs to her when we get there. Ever since taking her there she wants to be friends with all the dogs. Every time we take her on a walk she wants to say hello to all the dogs and isn't scared anymore. It's a supervised playtime, so as a first time puppy parent i have learned so much. I used to be worried anytime she barked at a dog thinking she was being too aggressive but I have learned that wasn't the case. If any dog gets overwhelmed or anything the trainers will intervene and separate pups if necessary. After seeing such a positive environment, my boyfriend and I enrolled Avery for their day school training program which she will start soon. read more

The group classes at WOOFS! are a game changer. All the instructors are great, but Carrie is especially genius! We've taken just 2 classes (the basic and intermediate) and 1 workshop (the leashing walking intensive), and learned so much every single session. These classes taught us the basics and even some cute tricks, but what makes these an absolute MUST is the way you develop a language to speak with your dog. read more

Updating to reflect that customer service wise they do work to make it right. They offered an evaluation/private session and returned my $ for the class when I passed on the private session. Thumbs up on customer service and their puppy play dates. Just don't agree w the training. I enrolled my puppy in puppy K and puppy obedience. The puppy K class was ok and helped with puppy socialization for sure. My dog was one of the younger ones because it is so hard to get into one of their puppy K classes. I continued on our journey with puppy obedience and was underwhelmed and frustrated as was my puppy. In that time they taught me nothing except how to reward bad behavior and my dog would help and cry because he was so anxious and made to sit still (he was under 6 months old). The trainers did not like him and said he was way too anxious and did nothing to try to help mentally stimulate him so he wouldn't bark and cry to play with the dogs. The sessions were way too long for young puppies without any play. They taught me how to call to my dog I. A high pitches voice which only made him more excited and anxious. They got upset with me when they saw me working on the command of stay because they hadn't taught that word yet. They also didn't teach the command to come during this class. Basically I learned nothing nor did my dog and I'm annoyed I wasted so much time and money. My dog already knew how to sit and they spend 4 weeks on down which my puppy also knew. When I asked to work on other commands they brushed me off and scolded me for working on things they said my dog was not ready for which he clearly was. I have found a new trainer and won't recommend it to anyone beyond their free puppy socials read more

Our dog went to WOOFS! doggy daycare in Ballston when he was a puppy and we had a good experience. Until he grew - they told us to move him to Shirlington because they have the big dogs there. Then they kicked him out for herding and playing too much! Not any aggression, just an Aussie doing what they do. Shocked that a professional dog training facility cannot manage a goofy Aussie puppy. read more

I came to Woofs to buy bully sticks for my dog (they carry K9 Kravings brand!) and I asked some general questions about their obedience training. Needless to say, I left laughing because of the brainwashed answers I got: Me: So, what type of collars can be used during sessions? Staff: quick release or buckle. Me: Hmm. What about metal choke or prong? Staff: Nooo. We believe in positive reinforcement only. Me: Well, as pups, a bitch bites her pups around the neck if they are naughty & that's mother nature's version of a those collars. It just simulates it. Staff: We believe in more positive experiences than that. Me: More positive than what mother nature intended?? You're kidding me right? No thanks. read more

I called them to ask about private lessons. The conversations went something like this: Me: Hi. I'm interested in private lessons for my dog, Duke. WDTC: Sorry, we don't have any trainers available for some period of time. Would you like to sign up for a group lesson? Me: No. WDTC: Ok then. Thanks for calling. Um.... ok. read more

Woofs is absolutely amazing. I began taking my dog to the Saturday morning puppy parties and they were fantastic. I was so impressed by the staff who took the time not only to watch and care for the puppies but also to explain to the parents what acceptable behavior was and what "normal" non-aggressive play looks like, which was so helpful for me as a first time puppy parent. My dog had an accident (not at woofs and completely unrelated to her time there) which meant she was completely out of commission and isolated out of necessity during key socialisation stages. The trainers were very good about reintegrating her into playtime once she was ready and reassuring me that she would be fine. We have now progressed through puppy K, beginner, intermediate and advanced classes and are currently in the rally sport class. I have been blown away by each of the classes we have taken and the abilities and commitment of each of the trainers. They clearly LOVE dogs and are equally good at dealing with people which is especially important in the early classes, as, let's be honest, those are more for training the owners than the dogs. My dog has traveled with me on several occasions and each time we have been stopped in the airport or on the plane multiple times and told how well behaved she is. I credit Woofs entirely and it is such a relief not to have to worry about how she will behave in public or if she will be sociable. Most importantly, my dog loves it! She absolutely adores all of her trainers (especially Erica!) and they have learned to use cuddle time as an extra reward when she has done well because getting to snuggle with them is the best thing in the world for my little one. She knows when its a class day and simply can't contain her excitement when we head to class. Knowing that she is so so happy with it makes me happy, and the amazing results are really just a huge bonus. read more

What's the saying? A dog knows best. Or something like that... On the rare occasion that I have to bring my "oh, so fabulous" dog to daycare, we go to Woofs. This is partially for convenience, but more because of the staff. The facility on Pershing is admittedly kind of a dump...walk past the dumpsters behind El Paso Mexican Restaurant to find the entrance. I was admittedly a little sketched out when I first saw it, but we decided to take their Puppy Basics Training Class anyway. The type of training is "positive reinforcement" and food motivated...which my dog was totally stoked about! Although we learned some useful techniques, overall we needed a more intensive, individualized training program in the end. Getting to know the staff was the most important reassurance when I began taking my dog to daycare there. They are hands-on dog LOVERS! There are always a lot of people on staff watching the dogs in the two play areas. And, they are very proactive about monitoring the dogs' behaviors - always, giving a "time-out" to dogs that get over-excited. Here's the negative: The dogs are not given any outside time. This means that the dogs either "hold it" or have to poop and pee inside on the floor of the play areas. The staff is super quick to clean the mess, but I know some people have had problems with their dogs' housebreaking after taking them for daycare there. This could be a deal-breaker for some dogs. At the end of the day, it's as though my dog had spent 8 hours at Disney World. He usually poops out on the ride home. This can be priceless for many. read more

We started bringing our puppy here as soon as she was able to attend puppy party on Saturday morning. It was an amazing socializing situation to expose our dog to others at a young age. I think that her experiences at Woof really helped her at the dog park once she got older. Definitely don't miss out on this if you are getting a new puppy, especially because its free! We did try the puppy basics training class and found it not to be so helpful. Our dog was super distracted because all the dog would be allowed to play with each other for a few minutes and then they would need to pay attention. Then they would be allowed to play again. It was very hard for us to capture our dogs attention once play time was over. There were also quite a few dogs in the class so we hardly ever got one on one time with the instructor. I also did not care for the rubber flooring in the room. Our had learned to not pee inside, however, every time she was there, she would just let loose. They claimed that spraying cleaner on the floor would take away the smell, however, our dog certainly could still smell it. I also didn't care for one of the owners dogs who would constantly mark his territory without any repercussions. read more

I have a 5 month old lab-pit mix named Oscar. I adopted him when he was 10 weeks old, and we started puppy kindergarten the following week. What a great decision! The location is great for me, since I live in North Arlington, and there's plenty of parking, although the traffic around Glebe is a little nuts. Some have mentioned that the trainers don't introduce themselves right away, which is true, but I kind of expect that from animal trainers. They will learn your dog's name immediately, so I just kinda got used to being 'Oscar's mom.' And they introduce themselves at the start of class. Training is all positive reinforcement, voluntary attention and treat based. There's a lot of good info on training your dog online, but I always learn or see something new at class. We went from puppy kindergarten into puppy obedience; another great decision! Oscar loves it. He's very food-focused, and has learned sit, down, down-stay, cookie position (heel), and here. I love that they teach practical things, like how to condition your pup to having his collar grabbed so that anyone can grab him if he runs away, or how to keep your dog from food guarding. Carrie, Diane and Estee are all experienced and good at what they do. Another nice thing is they train without many verbal commands; it's nice to know you really don't have to nag at your dog; just use body language and muscle memory. I'm hoping to do the Canine Good Citizenship class after this, and then maybe agility. It's an awesome place for dog training. read more

I'm evaluating Woofs from the view of a perspective of dog training client. I tend to take all reviews with a grain of salt, but when I was looking into Woofs for training there was something that stuck out - there is absolutely NO information about their trainers on Woofs' website. The trainers are not listed by name, nor is there any information about their certifications, experience, etc.. That right there is probably enough for someone to stay away. My experience with the Woof's staff was during one of their free puppy socials, and there were a lot of additional warning bells that went off during the session. First, none of the staff introduced themselves when we came in. Their only concern was making sure we presented our pup's shot records (which is definitely important). However, after that it was a free-for-all. The staff did not give any direction to the owners about what type of behavior was appropriate, nor did they try and get the owners to interact with dogs during the session. Pretty much all of the owners stood around the edges while the dogs played, and the trainers just stepped in every now and then to make sure the puppies weren't playing too rough. To me this was a very poor example of dog training and proper socialization. Part of the reason for a puppy social is to have the dogs interact with different people, not just other dogs. It's also extremely important for the trainers to 1) identify themselves to the group and 2) give at least some basic guidelines as to what is expected from the owners and their puppies. I highly suggest that you consider a different trainer. read more

I liked this place for a long time but decided to go elsewhere. I found another dog care business nearby that I far prefer. First the positives: the staff is very friendly and I think they really love dogs. Now the negatives: be sure to ask the staff if your dog will be upstairs or downstairs. If they say the latter, ask if you can go down and take a look. I went downstairs accidentally once and they got pretty upset with me - and I can see why. Whereas the upstairs is nice and has lots of light, the basement seems like somebody's scary basement, dank and dark. I also see that when a dog needs a "timeout," they hook them on a rope or leash to the wall. I think that is a cruel thing to do to a dog. At the place I go now they separate the dogs that need a little break rather than leashing them to the wall. Not bad...just not great, either. If you entrust your dog to them I don't think you'll be disappointed, but you can probably do better. read more

I've taken my dog for daycare to both Shirlington and Ballston "campuses" and for overnight lodging as well. I recommend WOOFS! to just about everyone. The staff is very friendly and it's smaller size feels more cozier and nicer for the dogs compared to some larger doggie daycares in the area that feel more utilitarian and kennel-like. Haven't used the training courses yet. Also, it's pretty clean considering all the messes I'm sure they have to deal with. Overall, it's the friendly staff that keeps me coming back. I never have to worry about my dog when she's at WOOFS! read more

This review is in regards to the Shirlington Campus. They have another location on Pershing in Arlington. I take my dog here for day care once a week. The staff is all very friendly and attentive to the dogs' needs and know them all by name. It's like a little community. Also you can walk in and see all the dogs playing in the common area which I like. The dogs have to pass an entrance evaluation which is good. The fact that they eased my puppy into joining the rest of the day care group shows how much they care about about the welfare of your dog. Also used their lodging services which I have no complaints about. My dog loves the place; everytime we pull up she's ready to jump out of the car and go play. Haven't used their training classes yet so can't comment on that but wouldn't hesitate to sign up (though they are little more expensive compared to Petsmart et al.) read more

All in all, our Woofs experience hasn't been awful, but just wanted to offer a word to the wise about their free Saturday morning puppy party. They don't ask for any sort of registration so you never know how many/what types of pups will show up, which can mean that either your dog is playing by himself or there is a mass overrun of high energy dogs in a single room. The owner, Laura, does a good job of trying to rein in the chaos (this is less the case when she is not the one monitoring the puppy party) but it still gets a little hairy (excuse the pun). Our sweet and playful pup developed defensive tendencies in such a large and uncontrolled group environment and my husband and I both left our last attempt at the puppy party with scratches and bite marks pulling him out from underneath the multiple dogs that had pinned him down, so that was the end of that - we'll be trying a different puppy party option in the area moving forward. Oh, and I can't speak to their standard training classes but we took the puppy kindergarden and frankly didn't get a lot out of it. Unless you are completely new to the training process you won't learn much, we are first time dog owners but still felt like the format of the class (15+ dogs, all with their owners) didn't really teach us anything, especially not more than we had already learned from books, etc. Not an awful experience, but also probably not worth the cost considering it is such a large group setting. read more

I am still a huge fan of Woofs! 4 stars instead of 5 because their class schedules leave something to be desired when you get out of puppy K. If you miss the sign up or have to delay, it's a full 2 months normally before the next class rolls around. That's frustrating. After taking Puppy K and Puppy Basic with them, and recently looking into a variety of courses elsewhere, I am more a fan of their training techniques than ever for two reasons. On top of all the others (great teachers, awesome local business, positive training methods that work - I keep hearing how friendly and polite my Shiba is, and I owe a major part of that to Woofs! and their training program). Both of these reasons go back to one major thought though - they train for this area and for the city/metro environment. This is key. #1 reason: Some other trainers seem to all use a method that doesn't allow you to ever hold the leash while training... and instead mandating a two handed approach that makes it impossible to do hand targeting without having to drop the leash on the ground... IDK about you, but as someone who lives in Shirlington with a flight-risk Shiba, I don't want to let go of my leash, I'd like to hold onto it so that they don't run into traffic. Woofs! uses a leash handling technique that I'm going to admit was odd for the first month of using it... but 6 months in, I don't know why I never held a leash like it before. It makes SO. MUCH. SENSE. #2 reason: I don't want my dog to come when I call their name. I just want them to look at me and wait for a command. This is what Woofs teaches, and I appreciate it. Say my dog gets out of the condo and goes on a sniffing spree, I find her, but on the opposite side of the road... I'd like to call her name to get her attention then tell her to stay. Other trainers want you to use their names for recall, which means if I call her name, there she comes barreling through the street, and again, would like my dog to not run into traffic and get hit by a car. Those might seem silly, but if you'd going to pay $180-220 bucks for a trainer in this area, pick one like Woofs! that actually has experience training dogs for metro environments. read more

We've been going here since our dog was 8 weeks old. I highly recommend the free puppy parties on Saturday morning to get your new puppy socialised and used to the space. She loves it here and the people who work there love her. She's always excited to go to Woofs and returns to us a happy puppy. We day care her here about once a week so she can play with other dogs. They also offer free transfer to the Shirlington location if you want to board your dog. The only incident we had was when our puppy played a little too rough with another dog in day care and got hurt. They called up immediately and let us know about it. We are very happy with the *Ballston* Woofs. Note, this review is completely separate from the *Shirlington* location, which has yet to impress us. I really wish the Ballston location had boarding... read more

Woofs has been a great experience for our new puppy. We signed up for a four pack of classes, and overall we've found them to be very helpful. The best part of the class is the group play, which is excellent for socializing the dog with other puppies. They have a few instructors who act as referees and they're quick to separate the dogs if they try to hump or bite each other. I'd also recommend going to the free puppy party on Saturday mornings. This is essentially the same thing as the class, except without instruction, and it's free. Can't beat that! read more

Our pup, Toby, loves Woofs daycare and dog training classes. We started him off with the puppy kindergarten and (free) puppy parties on Saturdays. This was so important for Toby's socialization, and he is such a well-adjusted, happy pup now. The puppy kindergarten really helped us more than Toby, really, and the subsequent trainings were really helpful for Toby. We see consistent improvements with each training session. I realize there are some bad reviews for the place, but I think the bad reviews are due to the dog parents not getting along with or not seeing eye-to-eye with the human trainers. The trainers truly care so much about each and every dog, and I am not there to make myself feel happy or good. I go to these trainings and day cares so that my dog can be happy and well-rounded. So I think everyone should give Woofs a try, even if you feel that your personalities don't mesh well with the trainers. In the end, everyone is just trying to give the best time for the dogs, and that's all that matters! read more

I'm placing the same review for the Ballston and Shirlington locations, because I've interacted with the staff at both locations and they are wonderful. I send email questions to them all the time, and usually get a super quick response! We started coming here in April 2017, the week after we got our 9 week old husky puppy, Korra. We started with Puppy Kindergarten. At the first class, they give you a folder with a handout already printed for every class. It's nice to refer back to so you don't have to take notes or anything during class. It's the basic stuff - introducing puppies to something they are afraid of, mouthing/teething, etc. The class structure is ~15 of puppy playtime, then ~30 minutes of a training lesson, then ~15 minutes of playtime again. You also do a voluntary attention exercise to help teach your puppy to focus and pay attention to you, which sets the stage for later learning. The puppy socialization window is key - from all the research I had done, I knew that the window for socialization closes at 16 weeks so your dog needs to learn to get along with as many different types/sizes/breeds of dog as possible before that age. The lessons are fun and interactive but I think the puppy socialization has been the best part for Korra. The puppies are separated by size or shyness (Korra is big, but had to stay with the tiny breeds because she was so shy) in different corrals to encourage full playtime and to keep everyone safe. By the third class, Korra was courageous enough to join the other big dogs in the bigger corral. We've only been to daycare once, but it was great. It was my first time leaving her so I was a wreck. When I picked her up, she was exhausted but happy. The manager in the office spent time chatting with me and telling me about Korra's day - how she liked to play with a french bulldog puppy and barely napped because she wanted to play so much. The manager said she didn't even realize it was Korra's first day because she was doing so well. It was a relief to hear, since she was so terrified of the place that morning. Even better, when we went to puppy kindergarten that night, the trainer came up and said that Korra did well at daycare - which she had noticed because Korra had been so shy at the first puppy kindergarten and the trainer remembered her. I really appreciate the time and attention they've given to Korra, since she had trouble adjusting to both daycare and training at first. Now she's doing really well! I definitely think it's a huge benefit to have your dog go to the same place for training and daycare from our experience so far. We also went through Basic Obedience (you get a discount if you did puppy kindergarten) and I thought it was worth it. We drive to class in Ballston so it's super convenient because we live in Rosslyn. The Shirlington location is easy to get to as well - they only allow the puppies to go to daycare at the Shirlington location but our dog will be able to go to the Ballston daycare once she's older. The price seems pretty high, but I'm satisfied with it given the time and attention we get (staying after class with questions, etc). My only wish is that there were more of a discount for repeat customers - for example, if you sign up for puppy kindergarten, basic obedience, and adult basic obedience, you get a better package deal or something. It was worth it for us to move on to the second class after puppy kindergarten though because now I get compliments on how well behaved she is. read more

I have been hesitant to post a review and have not reached out to the owner, but here it goes. We only made it to two puppy kindergarten classes. My puppy got very sick and took 2 months to fully recover. Of course I cannot prove that he got sick from attending WOOFS, but I do know that we had all of the vet paperwork for vaccinations and they were never checked. Which means if they never checked our paperwork....they must not be checking everyone else's. On top of that, we thought he was getting better and was taking medicine, so we called to ask what to do, and they told us to just bring him to class because "the vet says it takes longer but he's fine." Our main goal was socialization, so we listened to them and brought him for his second class. We never went back. After many vet visits ($$$) guessing what was wrong and failed attempts with medications, he finally got better after a strong two week antibiotic that is usually not recommended for puppies. There are too many puppies in the puppy play/off leash time. In my opinion, way too overstimulating and not my ideal way of introducing socialization with other dogs. ~20 hyper puppies running around playing rough was not appropriate for my puppy who is high energy. Recipe for disaster. Save the free-for-all for the puppy Super Bowl We wasted $150 on 2 basically pointless classes (all he was sit for endless treats at the first class and the second class he went through a tunnel -piece of cake) I haven't even bothered contacting them, I feel this review will do just fine. read more

The most wonderful facility to train your dog. My poodle loves it here. We do Nose Work, Agility, obedience and Rally. The trainers are uber qualified and seem to find a work around for any roadblocks. Yeah Woofs. Yeah Wonderful Trainer of Stars. read more

WOOFS! Dog Training Center - Pet Training Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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My review is for their puppy socials only. At first I was happy to find this place for my puppy to socialize for free, but it has truly been underwhelming. Will not be coming here anymore even if it is free. Not including Woofs, I bring my puppy to 6 other establishments that offer puppy socials in the DMV area. This place was my least favorite. PROS: -Free, easy to find parking in lot -Lots of grass outside for puppies to potty before or in between play -There's 3 classes held at different times on Sat mornings depending on the size & energy of your puppy -These classes are further divided into 2-3 sections for more outgoing vs. shy/young dogs CONS: -Floor is dirty and hairy (actually large balls of hair on the ground). My dog is covered in fur and dust after each play date. Not a great place if you have allergies. -NO water bowl inside the play areas. If your pup needs water, you have to bring them outside near the grass where they have water bowls. You are NOT allowed to bring your own dog bowl/bottle to give your dog water inside!!! This is SO strange to me because puppies should have water accessible during play. This is the only place I've been to that does this. Their reasoning is that puppies may fight over water and get aggressive??? .. but I've literally never seen this procedure in place at any other dog training center I've been to. -Only for puppies up to 4 months. All other places I've been to allow up to 6 months. -Trainers do not introduce themselves, which is extremely unprofessional. They have name tags but when they're running around after the puppies, it's hard to address anyone for questions. -Some trainers just seem very condescending and rude, but there are also a few nice trainers. ***Overall this is an OK place to bring your dog for socialization. After all, it is free. It's a hit or miss if you will have a good experience and it will depend weekly. If you look harder, there are plenty of other companies who offer free socials on the weekends with more professional and nicer trainers which is the biggest deal breaker for me. I will only bring my puppy places where the trainers are friendly and calm. read more

We love going to Woofs. We got our puppy when he was 8 weeks old and started taking him to puppy parties at 9 weeks. The puppy parties are a great way to safely socialize your pup. Playtime is supervised and all pups shot records are checked. We also signed up for puppy obedience. Today our pup is graduating from Puppy Obedience. We loved the class and the training was very helpful. The trainers are so nice and patient. They also answer any questions that you have even if they were not specifically related to the class that day. After each class they send you a pdf to go over what you learned that day and your homework for the week. This is so helpful for training because sometimes you can't remember every step from class. We loved this class so much that we signed up for the intermediate training and we will be starting that in three weeks! read more

My black lab puppy has been a student at woofs for a few classes. First puppy kindergarten and now puppy basic. The staff at Woofs has been fantasic and gives a lot of personal attention to your puppy. They also gives prizes and awards each class so it makes it fun. In Puppy Kindergarten, they really focused on teaching puppies proper socialization and how to be attentive to their owners. We live in a building with a ton of dogs and it's been so great to have our puppy get along with everyone. In Puppy Kindergarten she was tought how to treat other dogs, how rough is acceptable to play, how to approach kids and she learned not to be scared of loud sounds, distractions and being touched. The staff at Woofs also makes sure to group the puppies accordingly. Ie: the shy, timid puppies are put in a pen to play together and the larger, more playful puppies get another area. This helps the dogs feel comfortable in their surroundings. My puppy spent 1 session in the baby pen (shy/timid) and after one session she was out with the big guys! In Puppy Basic she uses all her Puppy K skills, which is great! It makes it a lot easier to teach her basic obedience. We are only in our 3rd week of Puppy Basic, but our puppy has already learned so much. Overall, Woofs is a great place to train your dog and get them socialized properly from the beginning. I highly recommend them. read more

I wanted to like Woofs. I really did. They have good name recognition in the area, a couple neighbors have taken their dogs there, I am very pro-obedience classes, etc. But taking their Adult Basic obedience class with my dog completely turned me off of them. I will not go back to them for training, and I will not be trying any of their other services. The trainer and I did not click. (No pun intended. Get it? Because it was clicker training? Eh? Ehh???) The class' pace was uneven but she demanded that our dogs pay attention to us during the ENTIRE class. Even during their verbal instruction periods, which would go on for up to 5 minutes. Even I'm bored by that point.... unless you're dancing around or eating a steak, my energetic 1-year-old dog is WAY over you by the 5-minute mark. Her solution? Drop a treat on the ground every 3-5 seconds. So... I'm supposed to give my dog a minimum of 12 treats per minute for 60 minutes? 12x60=720. Homegirl's stomach is tough but let's not tempt fate here. I mean, I live in a carpeted condo. If this backfires, I'm the one who has to clean it up. I also found the instructor to be consistently mildly abrasive throughout our interactions. I don't need someone to coddle me or tell me that I have the world's best dog (clearly I don't... we're at basic obedience class) but I would like someone who is at least reasonably approachable. For example, the trainer came around near the end of the first class and noted that my dog was (obviously) pulling on her leash. (She was restless. This was the first class, before I knew the amazing trade secret of giving her 700+ treats per hour.) Our conversation went like this: "Have you tried a harness?" "Yes, I have one--" "Bring it!" Ooookay. Woofs has a policy of no refunds after the start of the session, so I finished the session (because I paid $205 for it) but I'm not a fan and I don't recommend Woofs to other dog owners. read more

I am a veterinary professional and had the displeasure of picking up a friend's dog from this daycare. This place is HORRIBLE. It reeked of urine, was dead silent, and full of miserable looking dogs. There was a large concrete space and zero toys. The staff was all huddled in a small space fenced off from the dogs - zero interactions occurring. This was in the middle of the day on a Friday. I am sure they make it look like a fun place when it's after the work day and everyone comes to pick up. There are WAY better places in Arlington. Don't waste your money and your dog's comfort. read more

I wanted so much to like Woofs, but the truth is that the dog trainers are extremely condescending and rude. They clearly play favorites amongst the dogs and label dogs 'bad' when they are only 4 months old. I was so very disappointed by the training techniques and they don't run the place professionally. They forgot to call people to tell them that class would be canceled and when they were asked about it, tried to kick our dog out of class. So disappointing. And their dogs aren't even that well-behaved. We will never come back. Take your dog to Petco or another place for training. Better run, better trainers and more affordable. read more

Make sure to read all the fine print. There are no make ups. And if you ask instead to move to a different session because work travel came up, you won't be able to get a single cent back if you don't cancel 6 business days out. Totally unreasonable customer service. And slow responses to email. read more

I should have known not to take my dog back after he did not get excited when I told him he was going to "school" for daycare. They tether dogs to the wall if they bark which can "upset the balance of the pack" and who knows what else? Very dangerous! Um....aren't dogs supposed to bark? After boarding him there for a week, I get a call in the middle of my trip stating he has separation anxiety and attacked a dog. Hmmm...he had never done that before at his other daycare. They want me to pick him up or send someone...I just moved to the area, so there was no one to get him. Obviously, they asked me not to bring him back. My dog is now nervous/agressive around other dogs when he used to LOVE them, all kinds! Somehow I think my dog is the one that got attacked. If you want your dog tethered to a wall while in the room with the rest of the dogs if it barks, then by all means, take them to Woofs! read more

my partner and I took our german shepherd/Belgian malinois puppy to the 7 week puppy basics course at Woofs. The facility is clean and convenient for people living in the Ballston area. We really enjoyed meeting the other dogs and owners, many of whom live in our neighborhood. To be honest, I felt like the class itself was a let down. I expected my puppy to learn basic commands throughout the seven weeks, but the curriculum moved at a glacial pace. By the seventh and final session the instructor still was having us use the aid of treats/clickers to get our dogs to do basic commands. For as expensive and as much of a time commitment as this class was, I felt we should've walked away with more progress and several of the other owners in our class felt the same way. I also was rubbed the wrong way by the trainer and her attitude towards our puppy. From our first class she continuously made off-handed comments about our puppy having "so many problems" due to her breed. She repeatedly characterized our dog as "aggressive" due to her herding instincts and play style, which was no different than any of the other large puppies' in our class. She also did the same to a husky/shepherd cross in our class, and I've heard from other dog owners in our neighborhood that Woofs' is not very friendly towards herding dogs of all types. I get that a shepherd or herding dog might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I felt like I was there with our dog and paying to be in the training class so the instructor needed to put aside her personal feelings about our dog's breed and treat us like any other client. Her snide remarks and obvious bias left a bitter, unprofessional taste in my mouth. Overall, I think Woofs is fine for some who are looking for a convenient option in the Ballston area, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else with any type of working or herding dog. We have since started another puppy basics obedience course at a different facility and are much happier with the trainer and our puppy's progress. read more