Southcoast Dog Training & Care, Inc.

We’ve been going to South Coast Dog Training with our English Lab, Maui, since he was 8 weeks old, and we truly couldn’t be happier with the experience. Sandy & Patti are incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and clearly passionate about what they do. From basic puppy training to more advanced obedience work, they’ve helped Maui become a well-behaved and confident dog. The training is always well thought out, effective and always delivered in a positive and supportive way. What really sets SCDT apart is the genuine care they have for the dogs AND their owners. My wife & I have always felt supported and informed every step of the way. I’d highly recommend SCDT to any dog owner looking for top-notch training and guidance!

I almost don't even know where to start with sharing my gratitude for Sandy. My 17-year-old daughter has a one year old black lab who has been in service dog training with Sandy since she was 8 weeks old. Sandy approaches all of her sessions with us with honesty, empathy, and kindness. To say she goes above and beyond is an understatement. She takes my daughter's phone calls when she has questions, is willing to make house calls for training "emergencies", has filmed videos for my daughter's high school to help prepare students for having a service dog in school, and she has become a true friend of our family. Sandy also genuinely LOVES our dog, which we can see with every session. This puppy has honestly saved my daughter's life, and none of this would have been possible without Sandy. If you are looking for a trainer who truly loves dogs and who will take the time to genuinely get to know you as a human being, Sandy is your trainer. I cannot recommend her enough.

Several years ago I brought my dog here for level 1 obedience classes. It was a great experience for me and my dog. The whole experience with Sandy was stellar experience. Fast forward to November 2024. I brought my new puppy for a private class with Sandy. One private session is required before starting classes. That went well. With the holidays coming up, I decided to wait until March to start the classes. I signed up, paid with Venmo, and received a general welcome email with some do’s and dont’s, address, and parking instructions. The first class was run by Sandy and Patti. This class was informative and also went well. The next week, the second class, was only run by Patti. Sandy wasn’t there. After class, when I was walking out the door, my puppy was startled by the people and dogs waiting outside the door for the next class. He started pulling and barking, so I redirected him back inside to try again. Patti snatched the leash from me and took him outside. Again my puppy was pulling and barking. Let me preface this before I move on. My puppy was wearing a prong collar that was recommended and purchased from Sandy at our private session in November and his regular flat collar. Patti tried getting a handle on controlling my puppy as she walked back and forth in front of the people and dogs standing there and finally, I realized she had him out an arms length hanging him up. This next part is not an exaggeration. My puppy was gasping for a breath and foaming at the mouth. I grabbed the leash from her and we walked around the corner of the building and she alluded to she certain he wanted to bite her. He was, at the time a 7 month old weighing 45 pounds wearing a prong collar. I fully know that prong collars are a tool,and a training aid used WITH caution and care as they can injure dogs necks if used inappropriately. Patti’s solution after all that happened was to redirect him with a toy when he exhibits this behavior next time. Nothing was said about the mishandling of my puppy. I was so upset after I saw my puppy being mishandled, I don’t think I had he words to express how I felt about what happened. The next day I called Sandy, who owns the business to talk about what happened and WHY. Since she wasn’t there the night prior I explained everything and she wouldn’t acknowledge what the trainer did. She said She’d have handled it the same way. I asked her to check her cameras, and please ask the people who witnessed what happened. That didn’t happen, and an apology didn’t happen. The group classes cost was $250, 5 classes. I asked to be refunded $150 dollars for the remaining classes as I did not feel comfortable with Patti teaching the class and handling my puppy. Sandy said they don’t do refunds. There was nothing on her website or in the welcome email that I received that said that . So I put a claim through my bank. The bank denied the claim because Sandy sent a sheet of paper, a “contract “ that I had never seen before. It wasn’t in the email nor was I given it in hand. Here’s the thing, I was only asking for the amount of 3 classes. If I were just “trying to get my money back” for no good reason is one thing, but the fact I wasn’t comfortable to have my puppy in that position with a trainer who mishandled him, is a legitimate concern, as I would think it would be to anyone. This was my experience with South coast dog training. I’m not gaining anything by leaving this review, but maybe someone finds it useful. I’ll wrap this up by saying this whole thing was disappointing because we had such a positive experience with Sandy the first time and then ending up on such a sour note. It was 5 stars several years ago, but zero stars for 2025.