Azalea Dog Training Club

I took my puppy to Older Puppy Obedience and I can't say enough good things about this place. The training space is clean and roomy, and instructors go out of their way to make sure every dog is safe and secure. Our class ran six weeks, over that time attendance waned a bit, but even one week when I was the only participant that could come, Cathey held a private lesson just for me and my dog. She is a wealth of knowledge, and gave me helpful feedback on my progress as well as specific suggestions based on what my puppy was doing. On the last day of class we all took a "field trip" to Lowe's and walked around the store with our dogs to expose them to different sounds, smells, and situations. We had so much fun, and Ozzie slept very well that afternoon Overall, I had a great experience--I completed the course feeling confident and prepared to keep working with my puppy on basic commands, and I think it also helped us bond even more. Cathey said she could tell how much Ozzie and I love each other. Bottom line, these people LOVE dogs and they've got the experience, patience, knowledge and passion to teach you everything you need to know. Highly recommend Azalea to anyone with a puppy!

I have taken classes at Azalea for many years with different breeds of dogs, including Dobes, German Shepherds, Yorkshire Terrier, Boxers, Australian Shepherds, Chihuahua and a Mini Dachshund. The staff have ALWAYS helped in whatever a particular dog needed for a particular problem I may have had. I have followed them in their different locations (since 1984). Facility has always been clean inside and out. In fact, they preach cleanliness is being part of a responsible dog owner! Highly recommend.

Despite having a great time with Azalea Dog Training Club for my puppy's first obedience class last year, my most recent experience was NOT one that would bring me back, nor recommend Diane Dargay as a trainer. I emailed for verification that I could take her nose work class, per the website's instructions. After getting the approval, I paid for the class immediately. Two days later (Oct 21st), my dog went into heat. Understanding that this may affect a nose work class, I emailed Diane the situation, inquiring on what to do and how we can work around this. The next email I received was on Oct. 23rd that went to all participants of the class with instructions, what to expect, etc, and was requested we verified we received the email. Assuming my email was received and reviewed and because it was not addressed, I verified. After arriving at the October 29th class, I re-informed Diane my dog was in heat and of the email that was sent. Immediately her tone changed and we were treated as if my dog had the plague. She and her assistant kept scooting other participants away saying "He brought his dog in heat here," as if I had been irresponsible. She never acknowledged to the others that we had reached out prior to showing up to the class nor that they had failed to read or respond to email. Upon further investigation, she said she received my email, but it went to spam. Still, no apology or accountability. One would think if Email was your preferred method of communication, the spam folder would be regularly checked. Regardless, Diane offered me a refund which I accepted. Although this ordeal was frustrating, I understood and sent her the receipt of the paypal transaction in order to make the refund process easier. She would only offer a check despite paying for this via mastercard. I informed Diane a check via mail is not preferred and offered other refund methods. After several back and forth emails, stipulations kept coming up on why my refund will now be later, how they normally handle these situations, and that she was not obligated to any of this. Nothing from the beginning was clearly communicated, including how this situation is normally handled. What they usually offer in this situation DID sound like an ideal solution, but it WASN'T offered. And you become obligated when you offer. I didn't put you into that position. After a rude email on how she would not pay me out of her own pocket from her own account (I never asked for that), I decided that this back and forth was going nowhere. The tone of the conversation clearly took a turn for the worse, and was just going to wait for the treasurer to reach out to me. After about an hour, I get a notification via venmo that the refund was sent, followed by an email stating that they are a not for profit organization, and everyone is a volunteer and are not paid, and that in the future, no more refunds would be given. She then condescendingly commented that I "surely bypassed" the “no-refund” section stating that when signing up. Again Diane offered a refund. She then stated our business was complete. I immediately thanked her for my refund, and also for volunteering her time for a great cause. Hours laters, I was met with an email later that night stating I have a "superior than me" attitude and was not welcomed in her classes anymore. As you can see this exchange was poorly handled, I felt as if Diane viewed me as the issue when this was her fault for not properly managing her emails, and then I was gaslit as if I was the problem. After this nightmarish exchange, it is clear that Diane does not accept accountability for her actions/inactions, and comes off very retaliatory. She did not have to ban me from her class because I do not feel comfortable taking training advice from her or anyone at Azalea Dog Training after the way this was handled.