FirstBarkWe had a wonderful experience taking our puppy to Puppy Kindergarden and Puppy Social. WHA provides lots of resources and support in the classes. Looking forward to Good Dog 101.
Wholistic Hound Academy
Alexandria, Virginia
About Wholistic Hound Academy
Wholistic Hound Academy is Alexandria, Virginia’s premier award-winning canine training and learning center for people and their dogs. We were voted the Best of NOVA Dog Trainers from the Northern Virginia Magazine and voted Alexandria’s best dog trainers in the Zebra Newspaper Reader’s Choice Award for the past 6 years. At our state-of-the-art dog training facility, we offer a wide variety of services for people and their dogs, including: * Pre-pet planning * Pet selection * Puppy foundation training and socialization * Basic manners and life skills * Advanced training * Dog sports (agility, nose games, rally, parkour, and tricks) * Behavior modification * Family Paws Parent Educators We help people and dogs have a better life together.
Training & services
Training goals
- Behavior consultation
- Crate training
- Leash training
- Obedience training
- Puppy training
- Socialization
Behavior support
- Fear and confidence
- Reactivity training
How training happens
- Board and train
- Day training
- Group classes
- Private training
Dog age
- Adult dogs
- Puppies
Training level
- Advanced training
- Beginner training
Dog sports
- Agility
- Scent work
- Trick training
Your dog’s background
- Rescue dogs
Training approach
- Positive reinforcement
Additional services
- Boarding
Other listed services
View 32 additional details
- Dog training
Program details
Private lessons, group classes and workshops in manners training, behavior modification, puppy socialization, agility and dog sports, canine conditioning and more.
- Animal Rescues
- Apprentice Program
- Basic Manner Training
- Behavior Analysis
- Behavior Course
- Canine Fitness
- Classes & Workshops
- Continuing Education
- Day School
- Dog Behaviors
- Dog Classes Specialty
- Dog Show
- Dog Sports
- Dog Trainer Certification
- Dog Training Programs
- Dog's Learning
- Early Training
- Educational Seminars
- Explosives Detection
- Family Dog
- Family Paws Parent Educators - Babies, kids, and dogs
- Fecal Test
- Jump Start
- Obstacle Course
- Online Classes
- Pet Selection
- Prep Classes For Dog
- Specialty Classes
- Training Exercises
- Training Skills
- Training Your Dog
Confirm current programs and availability directly.
Customer reviews
Google listing4.5
40 Google reviews
Mentioned in reviews
- Basic obedience 4
- Building dog confidence 3
- Calming skills 3
- Clean facility 3
- Leash walking 3
- Puppy social 3
All 10 topics
- Reactivity issues 3
- Certified instructors 2
- Personal training 2
- Rescue dog adoption 2
Google review topics, not confirmed services.
Best place in Alexandria area for positive reinforcement training. One on one or classes. They can even come to your home. Highly recommend!
We took our very reactive dog, Toast, to both private lessons and two classes. We were recommended to take him to the dogs with big feelings class. It helped Toast be less reactive to other dogs. In 6 months he went from running at any dog that he saw to calmly being an example d…Read full reviewClose full review
We took our very reactive dog, Toast, to both private lessons and two classes. We were recommended to take him to the dogs with big feelings class. It helped Toast be less reactive to other dogs. In 6 months he went from running at any dog that he saw to calmly being an example dog in his intro class, Good Dog 101 with Paul. He used to bark for attention and throw temper tantrums to the point we couldn't even talk for 5 minutes. Sandy, who was extremely knowledgeable, worked with us to gently correct his behavior to a truly great dog.
I've had an extremely positive experience at Wholistic Hound Academy, both in a group class and in individual sessions with the owner and lead trainer Sandy Modell. My foster-fail and rescue dog Wilber is a sweet boy with some issues to work through due to the neglect and abuse h…Read full reviewClose full review
I've had an extremely positive experience at Wholistic Hound Academy, both in a group class and in individual sessions with the owner and lead trainer Sandy Modell. My foster-fail and rescue dog Wilber is a sweet boy with some issues to work through due to the neglect and abuse he experienced early in his life. He is reactive to some dogs on leash and "Dogs with Big Feelings" was an extremely useful six-week course that provided a different techniques that I can use to distract him and retain his focus on me during walks. I've also learned a lot of other techniques for handling him and helping him relax during one on one sessions with Sandy. She has been working in the field for a very long time and is extremely, extremely helpful with whatever dog question you have. I look forward to taking more classes a Wholistic Hound Academy, particularly the dog sports classes, to increase my bond with Wilber.
We can't say enough good things about working with Sandy Modell at Wholistic Hound Academy! We came to her with a 3 year old pandemic youngster in our female cocker spaniel, Calli. We have learned so much in the private training sessions we have invested time in with Calli. We…Read full reviewClose full review
We can't say enough good things about working with Sandy Modell at Wholistic Hound Academy! We came to her with a 3 year old pandemic youngster in our female cocker spaniel, Calli. We have learned so much in the private training sessions we have invested time in with Calli. We have learned managing Calli's interactions with our older mini schnauzer and 2 cats at home. Sandy has introduced us to useful training exercises to help Calli calm herself and become a more confident dog as she as had fear aggression issues. We feel like we have an excellent tool set thanks to Sandy to continue to help Calli become a great companion! We highly recommend Sandy's training expertise and the great staff at Wholistic Hound. Marianna Dunn & Cindy Gady
Original customer experiences from the collected Google data. Ratings without comments follow written reviews.