Pups Dog Obedience Training

We attended PUPs basic obedience group training course this spring with our rescue Willow. Prior to the class we had a one-on-one with Karen to evaluate Willow's temperament and Karen's knowledge and experience were immediately evident. She gave us some tools to try at home to get us started even before the group class started. The group lessons were well run and we left each lesson feeling confident with the homework assignments to work on each week. When we had questions Karen and her team were reachable via email or text. We also loved that you can attend as many sessions during the week as you want, so I would take Willow to her lesson on Sat mornings and my husband would go on Sun mornings. That way Willow got a bonus of two lessons and both parents learned the lesson as well. You're also allowed to repeat the course for free anytime within a year. Willow gained confidence and our relationship really improved following her training. After the group training we did another one-on-one training for an E-collar to help work on Willow's recall. We had some challenges at first fitting the collar to Willow (likely due to her scruffy neck/thick fur) but Karen and her team were able to make some recommendations that really helped ensure the collar was working/fitting appropriately. All together Willow has come such a long way! She now has amazing recall and walks beautifully on a leash. We went on a hike and when Willow was off leash she stayed close by and came back immediately when called...even when she really wanted to go play with another dog. So happy we went with PUPs!

Just wrapped up the 8-week Basic Group Obedience class today at Pups. I found the class invaluable and it has made all the difference in the relationship my dog and I have. After interviewing and observing a few local trainers, I made the right choice to train my dog with Pups. I highly recommend Pups — especially to folks that own highly-reactive dogs. A bit of background... I adopted a young rescue back in summer 2021 who was totally untrained and highly reactive to both people and other dogs. I am happy to say after completing the 8-week course, my dog listens to basic commands and his reactivity has decreased exponentially. By using a combination of a prong collar and eCollar, in conjunction with the 8-week obedience class, I can happily say my dog has done a total 180-degree change in terms of reactivity. It is astounding. While initially I was VERY concerned about using a prong collar and eCollar on my dog (I had always perceived them as inhumane), I came to understand that these tools are vital. These tools ensures people and dogs, are safe. Prior to training my dog's reactivity in my car had been such a distraction I could barely focus on operating the car — now he is calm and we are good to go. Best of all after using the tools and lessons learned, I have the peace of mind of knowing I am keeping my dog from harming others and risking having him put down (which is typically what occurs if a dog bites someone). I can now walk my dog in parks close to other dogs and have him in my car without him being so reactive it made driving unsafe. Karen Decker and her team are PHENOMENAL and are definitely one of the finest dog-trainers in the Baltimore-area. Thank you Pups!

I cannot recommend pups obedience enough. Our breeder recommended pups obedience for our GSD because she knew that Karen and Kristin would guide us through the journey of being first time GSD owners. We took advantage of their puppy training course and followed up with their basic obedience group training. They take pride in their role to accurately guide each owner on their specific breeds and needs. Karen and Kristin not only help you understand how to do each lesson but give you an understanding of why these lessons play an important role in the relationship between the dog and owner.