Training classes will help grow and develop your dog. Check out available classes and meet our trainers.

TESTIMONIALS

"Betsy is my 3 1/2 year old Pitsky. She’s always been terrible to walk on a leash. She would pull, lunge, bark, and run around in circles when any sort of distraction came along and it was nearly impossible to redirect her once she got going. She is strong and her pulling and lunging would leave me with sore and sometimes strained muscles— it was scary and anxiety-inducing even thinking about walking her. It got to the point where we were only walking around the outside of the house or up and down the sidewalk where I knew it’d be safe and distraction-free. I decided that I really needed help and signed her up for day training with Sami where she would work with her one-on-one during the day. I was absolutely amazed with the results! She walks right beside me and no longer pulls, lunges, or runs in circles! Betsy and I now go for several mile walks almost daily in new areas. I feel so much more confident in my ability to handle her while walking- I welcome distractions now! Betsy’s behavior all around has been improved now that she can go on longer, more stimulating walks. We are BOTH much happier now." ~Cristina Matos

"Paws have given Meeka & me a place to grow and learn. When I first got Meeka she would pull on her leash, didn’t know commands, had anxiety in her kennel. Sami Jo has helped Meeka in Basic 101&201 grow in her skill and given me the education I needed to know how to teach her to make her understand. We even were able to do private lessons to help teach Meeka her kennel is a safe place and minimize anxiety. It’s her home away from home. Meeka is always excited to go to training and daycare there and I am at ease knowing she’s well cared for." ~Jaclyn Claussen

"Working with Sami Jo has been a very rewarding and great experience. We got our Labrador puppy, Birdie, in March of 2019 at 8 weeks old and have been taking classes with Sami Jo and even private lessons. Birdie has changed so much since then and has made leaps and bounds with her listening skills and behavior all thanks to Sami Jo’s direction and exceptional ability to handle dogs. Thank you so much Sami Jo! We couldn’t have made it this far without you!" ~ Elizabeth Willers

"Our pups officially graduated from 101 class! It was such an awesome program. Kellar and Penny learned a few great tools that we’ve put in to practice – place training, door etiquette, sit stays and leave-its. Taryn was fantastic! And the distraction of other dogs really helped elevate the training experience, too." ~Courtney Collen

"I have a history of epic canine failure. None of the prior incidents were as traumatizing as one from my early childhood when I decided to try my hand at dog training. My one (and only) customer was a Saint Bernard who drug me around the back yard and didn’t follow any of my commands. I didn’t know the dog’s participation in my class was meant as a joke. It served to humiliate me and, I realize now, deterred me from considering having a dog as an adult.

Instead, I became a cat person. You don’t need to train a cat. You give them food and water and a nice, clean litter box. That worked really well until we moved into a loft downtown. There were a lot of dogs in our building and it seemed like we should get one, too.

And that’s how Downtown Henry came into our lives. Before coming to Paws Pet Resort, we took a basic obedience class from a chain pet store. That was a good introduction to very basic commands, but I wanted to continue learning and building a bond with Henry.

There are two key aspects of the training at Paws that I think are most beneficial. 1) They don’t train the dog, they train the humans and give them all the tools they need to achieve the desired results with their dog. 2) The instruction is based on positive reinforcement, which builds confidence for both canine and human.

Henry has been enrolled in Sami Jo’s classes, but Taryn has assisted in several of them and even filled in as instructor. Their teaching styles are complementary and I think it’s beneficial to be exposed to both instructors as you will get different suggestions of things to try.

While there was little doubt Henry would grasp the concepts in class, I was a bit of a mess in the early days – super nervous, freaking out over the slip lead choking my dog and intimidated by classmates who seemed to have no trouble perfecting every skill. I got over myself because I could plainly see that Sami’s instructions work. Henry’s sits came quicker, his down stays lasted longer, he walked next to me more and more and didn’t pull on the leash as much.

Success in training classes takes work and practice outside the classroom. It’s not work like you do at your day job, though. It’s fun! And it pays off in ways that you can never imagine when you start.

From basic obedience to dock diving lessons and learning to be a Canine Good Citizen, Henry has demonstrated his two best traits – pleasing his humans and learning. With each lesson, our bond has become stronger. He is a gentleman walking around downtown on a busy Friday night. He goes to dog-friendly stores and is getting better and better about not shoplifting treats!

This testimonial is likely longer than desired, but there is probably nothing that attests to how great Paws is than sharing how Henry starts to whimper at 69th and Cliff in sheer excitement because he knows where we are headed. He bounds out of the car and has to muster every bit of restraint he gained studying to be a Canine Good Citizen so he doesn’t leap into Jeanine or Sami Jo’s arms when he enters the building!" ~Susan Hoffmann