The Tom Rose School

The best school for dog trainers you'll find. Staff and instructors are incredibly knowledgeable, and no matter how much experience you do or do not have, the school will improve your skillset without question. I would take the course 100x over without thinking twice! Edit: 12/28/24 I felt the need to add to my review and offer some perspective related to some of the negative reviews. First, I grew up in the industry, with my family owning large boarding and training facilities while also competing at the highest level of Shutzhund. I did not NEED to attend any school to learn how to train dogs, I had already been doing so very successfully and professionally for a long time. However, there comes a point in any profession where you are willing to spend a lot of time and money to try and get fractionally better in your skillset. That's the position I was in, and life events aligned to where I was able to step away from the business and seek to reinforce what I believed I already knew. I attended the first class under the new ownership and Tom stepping away. For me, this was of no concern because I am fully aware of how those in the dog world, or rather really any business, choose a predecessor. They do not choose equals to pass the torch on to, they choose someone who is better than them with potential and ambition left over to further improve on what they spent a lifetime building. Also, Tom was overdue to retire. The man has deserved to do so for a very long time. With that, I also understood there were going to be some transitional pains, because that's just how it goes when things switch hands. That doesn't mean its bad, just something that happens. My class was BIG. That was fine, and honestly at times pretty fun. However, I was there to maximize what I was already a professional doing, and in the beginning I grew easily bored, frustrated, and annoyed since to me everything we are going over in class felt so rudimentary and in my head I was seeking something far more advanced. The instructor picked up on this, and he picked up on it before even I myself did. He came and visited me while I was working my pups at where I was staying and we had a very long talk about my experience and what I was trying to achieve with my attendance. Granted, we had talked about this before on the phone before going to the school, but it's much different in person. This man completely and utterly found a way to turn everything I thought I knew upside down, and he does this with everyone, you just have to be willing to listen. My perspective changed from yea I know this to why or why not am I doing it this way. The way he instructs forced me every. single. day. to critically think. While that may not sound all that unique, one thing anyone will come to understand from training for a long time, is that is incredibly easy to get stuck in a pattern of doing things the way those around you and whom taught you are doing them. Go join a few different clubs, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. He was able to pierce the veil and tap into exactly what I was looking for without me even knowing it until way later into the program. The point is, the new owners are incredibly incredibly capable of carrying on the legacy of Tom Rose, and as a person and instructor, he is one of the absolute best in the world. I'm trying to give the perspective from someone WITH a lot of experience not to toot my own horn, but because if even someone like me benefitted an immeasurable amount from attending the school, the launchpad provided to someone new or with little experience is an absolute magnitude higher (and a little unfair). This school is known for generating some of the most elite trainers out there, and the new owners add rocket fuel to that recipe, you just have to be willing to put in the work. They are doing everything within their power to improve all aspects of the school including the facilities. These things take time and a lot of money. Things are progressing. My essay is over the character limit apparently.

We have a Board and Train kennel business in a different state. We sent one of our experienced trainers to TRS. He came back a much more balanced trainer, using more motivational techniques when he returned. I actually flew out to graduation. During my visit I saw the students all using balanced techniques. My background is in the sport of Schutzhund, (IGP). I have known Tom for years. I have read some recent reviews actually wondering why Tom wasn’t teaching the class. He’s retired. I believe he is pushing late 70’s. I myself would greatly prefer to have a younger instructor who is able to actually physically show you how to handle a dog. Tom remains available for consultation. I seriously am confused about the comments of using unwarranted harsh corrections. If you are working a high drive dog in bitework training, then you better know how to correct firmly when needed!! Maybe that’s what offends some novices. The new owner is extremely passionate about dog training and teaching students how to communicate effectively with the dogs. He even brings in highly skilled competition trainer/handlers to provide different prospectives to the students. This is a great thing!! As a business owner myself I am always amazed how someone can, in this case, complete an entire course they apparently don’t agree with, and not say a word to the owner/instructor but instead choose to try to damage the integrity of a business on social media. TRS is top notch and only getting better as they continue to make improvements, grow, and move forward.

The school misled my husband . They advertised Tom as a head instructor. He in fact is removed from the business. Tom met the students for lunch the first week it’s was not scheduled and my husband already had plans so he missed that opportunity. He later came to the school on one occasion to do a demo, and his teaching methods were vastly different from what is currently being taught. Students no longer have access to the Tom Rose Ranch. My husband asked about the property and was told they had access. His class toured it once, he enjoyed the experience but it wasn’t accessible for training . In the past, students were taught pet first aid and CPR, but this class didn’t receive that training. The actual owner/ main instructor lacks the interpersonal skills to run this program he is gruff and often would have a it is what it is attitude in regards to his missteps but held students 100% accountable. I feel this school intentionally deceptive about itself to both students and the VA. The new owners lack the knowledge, experience, and competence to run a program like this. They advertise job placement and claim to teach business and marketing for dog trainers, but none of this is true. Graduates leave with no assistance finding work, and the business and marketing training is practically nonexistent. It’s basically free labor they clean up the center. The living quarters are grossly outdated and they lack the support to fix things. My husband spent the entire 20 weeks without a working oven because nobody knew how to replace the components in the RV that he was paying for a monthly. We also have problems with the water when they informed us that they had not flushed the waterline in months and so we had days where the water was no good. There was problem with the heating. There was problem with the AC problems with the lighting. When asked about the cost-of-living, we were quoted one price when we arrived my husband was informed that he would have to pay for electricity. There was no Internet or cell phone coverage so he had to get a secondary Internet source The main building and offices do have Internet, but they do not have routers or extenders to allow the students to access it unless they are inside the training facility. There’s also no cable. He also had to pay for the gas tanks to heat his water and heat the RV. The electricity was not specifically for his RV and was split amongst him and other students based on how the school saw fit. The training methods taught here are outdated, extremely harsh, and unethical. The school relies heavily on compulsion training, emphasizing “yank and crank” corrections with prong collars and e-collars. To prevent exposure of their aggressive practices, students are prohibited from recording during class. Many of the dogs are just puppies. Some dogs are malnourished and treated poorly, The puppies are subjected to e-collar corrections set high and other aggressive means of corrections. Whether the dog is a pet, a future service animal for a veteran, or a potential working dog for law enforcement, they are all treated with the same harsh methods. The dogs at the students work with the students are responsible for buying along with all the training equipment. The puppies are entirely Too young to perform a lot of the required assessments. Based on the standards that are set by AKC. This school is a cash grab, riding on the Legacy of Tom Rose’s . It has misrepresented itself to students, veterans, and the VA. If you’re considering this school—especially as a veteran using VA benefits—don’t waste your time, money, or effort. There are far better programs out there that are ethical, transparent, and genuinely dedicated to dog training. There’s no continuous support post program.

I trained at Tom Rose summer of 2023. Hayssam and Kirsten were the best trainers ever. This is no easy school by any means. There were challenges I faced every single day. These trials prepared me for the real world of dog training. I have had so much success in my dog training business rehabilitating shelter dogs because of the lessons I learned at Tom Rose. They changed my life forever! I am not the same person who entered those doors. I am more disciplined, confident, knowledgeable, and happy since training there. I love the staff there. They supported me through some trying times as an Army Veteran with PTSD. They teach you so much from agility to tracking to obedience and working with customers and running your business. 5 stars is not enough to rate this world class training experience.

The Tom Rose School is a complete fraud. My partner and I moved across several states specifically because the school advertised itself as a place to train directly with Tom Rose. However, when my partner, toured the school last spring, it had already been sold and placed under new ownership and instructors. This crucial detail was never disclosed—then or now. Tom Rose is rarely involved with the school, yet they continue to exploit his name and reputation to mislead prospective students. Meanwhile, tuition has been increased, courses shortened, and important parts of the curriculum removed. The misrepresentation doesn’t end there. They advertised Tom as a head instructor however, Tom met the students for lunch the first week and came to the school once to do a demo, and the methods he demonstrated were vastly different from what is currently being taught. Students no longer have access to the Tom Rose Ranch—this class toured it once, and that was it. In the past, students were taught pet first aid and CPR, but this class didn’t receive that training. I feel this school has grossly misrepresented itself to both students and the VA. The new owners lack the knowledge, experience, and competence to run a program like this. They advertise job placement and claim to teach business and marketing for dog trainers, but none of this is true. Graduates leave with no assistance finding work, and the business and marketing training is practically nonexistent. The training methods taught here are outdated, excessively harsh, and unethical. The school relies heavily on compulsion training, emphasizing “yank and crank” corrections with prong collars and e-collars. To prevent exposure of their aggressive practices, students are prohibited from recording during class. I’ve personally seen dogs broken down, with tails between their legs, and many of them are just puppies. Some dogs are malnourished and treated poorly, I’ve witnessed puppies being subjected to e-collar corrections set dangerously high and other aggressive means of corrections. Whether the dog is a pet, a future service animal for a veteran, or a potential working dog for law enforcement, they are all treated with the same harsh methods. This school is nothing more than a cash grab, riding on the coattails of Tom Rose’s name and legacy. It has misrepresented itself to students, veterans, and the VA. If you’re considering this school—especially as a veteran using VA benefits—don’t waste your time, money, or effort. There are far better programs out there that are ethical, transparent, and genuinely dedicated to dog training.