Playful Pups & Performance Training, Inc.

My dog Raine and I had the privilege of training under Deborah at PLAYFUL PUPS TRAINING CENTER. I was so impressed with how dog training has changed over the years . Deborah teaches methods that involve positive reinforcement without non force methods. My dog and I have a better relationship having worked under Deborah’s guidance. Deborah's run through class helped me and my girl Raine pass our certification for CGC/TDI . Deborah will teach you beyond sit, stay, and come. She has the knowledge and skills to help bond you and your dog and also have Sooooooooo much fun getting there. Thank you Deborah

I tried to take my puppy here in the summer of 2021. We went for one class and never returned. I debated posting this review because Deborah’s an older woman, and I don’t want to hurt her business. However, if someone else had left an honest review, it would’ve saved me a lot of hassle, so hopefully I can spare future customers the trouble. Deborah was polite and responsive up until the actual class day. When it came time to check in, she helped everyone standing near me—then turned around and walked away from me to go help other people. She made me wait until everyone else had been checked in and attended to me last, despite being right in front of me and deliberately walking away from me. It was rude, but I tried not to think too much of it. When we got inside, another owner was having a hard time getting her dog under control, and Deborah even remarked on her dog’s behavior. However, when the other dog cornered mine, Deborah loudly lectured me, said it was my fault, and that I should’ve intervened. She legitimately took a tone with me as if I were a child and said absolutely nothing to the owner whose dog couldn’t be reined in. At this point, it was clear that there was something about me she had decided not to like before class even started, and that attitude continued throughout. Against my better judgment, I stayed, hoping it would be worth it if my dog got socialization opportunities out of being there. When it came time to formally start class, Deborah opened by badmouthing another client who decided not to attend until her dog had been vaccinated. That’s a completely appropriate and valid choice, but Deborah made a point of calling the decision stupid, obviously with the expectation that we’d agree with her. The people who did agree with her ended up getting most of her attention throughout the class and were also talked to politely and respectfully. Needless to say, those of us who just stared at her (because what adult business owner behaves that way?) might as well have left right then. Later, she used my dog for a demonstration to show how positive reinforcement helps improve behavior…and promptly ignored him nearly every time he did the right thing. It was so frustrating. I don’t even know why she’d use him for that, just to treat him like he didn’t exist, all because he belonged to me. Honestly, I should’ve walked out right then, but I was still trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. Against my better judgment, I paid the $150 fee. I hoped it would still be a good experience for my dog and figured I’d just have to set firm boundaries with her. I again was required to wait until everyone else had been taken care of before I was attended to, and just as I was about to leave, Deborah gave me an entire diatribe about how I was wrong to get my dog neutered before he was a year old. She took an actual attitude with me, complete with body language and facial expressions to match her tone. Another customer had hung back after paying to talk to Deborah, and even she jumped in on this. The customer ended up following me outside to apologize immediately after—but not Deborah. We never went back, and I would recommend that no one else bother with her, either. I’ve tried very hard to figure out what I did to her to make her treat me that way, since that treatment began before we had ever spoken. It felt like she literally took one look at me and discarded me, and by extension, my dog. All I can figure is that I’m younger (approaching 30), ethnically ambiguous, large, and showed up in high-waisted pants and a crop top. Deborah was very kind to customers who were older, dressed conservatively, looked like her, and kissed her a**. To be completely honest, most of what she teaches can be Googled for free or taught elsewhere. If you have the patience for a pretentious older woman who’s never been confronted with the reality of how she impacts people, by all means, pay for Deborah’s class. If you don’t check her boxes, however, and have any modicum of self-respect and love for your dog, go elsewhere.

I originally rated this place one star one year ago for “responsive” because I didn’t receive any response despite emailing them a several times to register my second dog for a puppy class, ended up going to somewhere else. Now I am editing my rate because I have been taking my third dog here since last fall. I like Deborah’s training methods of allowing dogs to make choices. Also she knows how to communicate owners and does never fail to email us handouts from what was covered in each class. That’s extra time that she has to spend outside classes. I rated four stars at this time. The reason is my second dog is about to get helped with her fearful issues there, and I will wait to see how the results come out. My third dog is a little shy in his classes but has learned a lot from Deborah, especially the puppy manners was a great class for him to get socialized with other dogs. The both of my dogs are German