Beyond the Leash Dog Training

I have interacted with trainers and employees at Beyond the Leash on several occasions in the past few years. In my experience, this place is disorganized at best, and completely toxic at worst. Most recently, I reached out with a detailed email about coming up with a training plan for my two adult rescue dogs who have very different behavioral issues and needs. I never received a response to this email. I also left a voice message as well and never got a call back. The only communication I received back was after I sent a separate email about the group class on lure coursing they were offering - which apparently had already started weeks ago even though I just got the email. After a few email exchanges, they finally set me up with a private training lesson. I specifically asked if it was ok to bring both of my dogs, and they said yes. When I arrived, the trainer did not introduce herself or greet me or ask for the forms they had emailed me to fill out. She gave me no instruction on what to do with my dogs, just asked me to sit in a chair. She decided to work with one of my dogs first and asked ME to crate the other (mind you I am the client and I have no idea how these crates work) while she just stood there. After 10 seconds my dog who is not used to a crate started chewing the bars. She said nothing about this until I asked what should we do about this, and she simply responded "he just has FOMO". I had to firmly say that my dog has a cracked tooth that is getting extracted next week and seems like he is going to hurt himself and I don't want to pay for more dental work. It was then she admitted that she was not aware I was bringing two dogs with me today, even though I had asked and been told prior to this session I was bringing two dogs. They want to charge $125 for this training session that basically amounted to "just put your reactive dog on a choke collar." I got no training plan, no suggestions on how to move forward working on both of their specific issues, when I had originally reached out about day camp and was ready to spend a lot of money to help get my rescue dogs the rehabilitation they need. I will never be giving BTL my business again. This is only a fraction of the disturbing and borderline abusive behavior I have witnessed from trainers and clients here (I also took a therapy dog course with my senior, deaf golden retriever who has since passed and had a terrible experience), aside from the abysmal communication. I do not know how this place has so many good reviews. I would never trust them with my dogs.

I want to start with the positive, because there truly is a lot of good. Beyond the Leash was an amazing experience for both me and my pup, Rocky. The trainers are knowledgeable, the energy is great, and the facility itself is welcoming and well organized. I also loved knowing I was supporting a woman-owned business in our Orlando community. We completed two courses, began using their day camp program, and had a reservation scheduled for a two-week train-and-board stay—perfectly aligned with an upcoming work trip. Up until that point, everything felt seamless and professional. However, things took a disappointing turn. On October 31st, just two hours before closing—and only days before Rocky was supposed to begin his stay—I received an email stating that the train-and-board pricing would nearly double starting November 1st. Despite having a confirmed reservation at the previous rate, I was told the new pricing would apply. The decision to raise prices was never mentioned when I made the original reservation, and it’s hard to believe such a significant change was made overnight. There was no notice, no heads-up, and no communication leading up to it—just a sudden change that took effect immediately. I explained that I fully understood price changes and was more than willing to pay the updated rate for any future bookings, but simply asked that the pricing for my existing reservation be honored. Unfortunately, the answer was still no. It felt like the rug was pulled out from under me—especially given the timing and lack of transparency. With a major work trip approaching, I was left scrambling to find an alternative solution. After the trust, financial investment, and loyalty we had already placed in the team, the situation was incredibly disappointing. We truly loved Beyond the Leash and believed in what they were building, which is why this experience was so disheartening. My hope is that sharing this feedback helps prevent something similar from happening to another client in the future.

Our 6-month-old dachshund, Goose, started Puppy 101 three weeks ago along with socialization day camp, and the progress has been incredible in such a short time. His barking is improving, crate training is getting better, and his confidence and socialization skills have dramatically grown. The team is absolutely wonderful to work with - always patient, supportive, and willing to spend extra time helping us navigate Goose’s specific needs. We’re so grateful for the guidance and care they’ve given him (and us!). Highly recommend!