Dog Gone Smart Norwalk, New York

My puppy, a highly driven German shepherd, has had fear reactivity issues since she was very young, so we repeatedly sought help from this place via puppy playtime (Which she eventually warmed up to,) and doggy daycare once a week when she got too large for the puppy playtime (after being supervised by a trainer for her first two visits to confirm her stability in the environment.) I was skeptical since the beginning of these visits, since I was of the belief that shoving an anxious and fearful dog into a situation shes afraid of would just worsen her insecurities, but it was recommended that we send her to get her used to strangers and other dogs. Since I am not a professional, I briefly trusted this facility. From her first shorter sessions being supervised by a trainer, I noticed in videos they sent us that my pup seemed stressed and nervous while being surrounded by so many dogs in one room (Around 30 is the amount of dogs we were told that show up on crowded days.) She only actually played with a few. I convinced myself that maybe it was just her adjusting to the new situation, so I let her continue going to the doggy daycare after she was approved to stay without being personally supervised by a trainer (Of course there were people in the room with the dogs, just not paying special attention to any particular dogs from what I gather, as well as no videos or live cameras to assure to owners their dogs are safe.) My pup came back from one of her few visits to the daycare with a small nick on her face, despite being told she was fine that day. This obviously left a pit in my stomach, because if she had truly been fine, I doubt there would’ve been evidence of the contrary on her FACE. One of many red flags. A day after one of her last visits, she became sick and missed about four weeks of her usual daycare visits. On her first day back, my mom who dropped her off was sure to REMIND them that my pup was a very NERVOUS dog and had been absent due to being sick for quite awhile. My dog was able to be clipped on their lead and led away. Everything seemed fine at first, from what I was told, but something happened (I never found out what caused this) and she ended up becoming defensive, reacting/attacking (or whatever happened that day because I’m still unsure) and ripping the jacket of the person leading her inside. My mom, who would bring her in the mornings, was told to take her back and that she would receive a call regarding how to proceed with training after security cameras were viewed to find out what happened. Long story short, it took over a week for anyone to contact us about the situation, and all we were told was to consult further with a trainer at dogone smart and basically nothing of what happened at that last visit cut short. If you’re looking to enroll your dog in doggy daycare, do not risk sending it somewhere with so many dogs and with such poor communication. I learned my lesson, if I need boarding or doggy daycare services, I will be diligent in looking for a quality place with no red flags. I have consulted another trainer at a different program and my first evaluation with them is coming up. She is now just 10 months, this situation happened months ago but I decided to finally share my dogs experience. Even though I hold myself responsible for deciding to send her to this place in particular, I still believe that staff, trainers, whoever working there should’ve realized that my dog was not doing well and communicated that to us immediately rather than leaving us in the dark and only giving us vague information on how to proceed when we WERE ever contacted. The only thing I enjoyed about this place was the private swimming sessions for dogs. It was concise and I believed helped build my pup’s confidence a little, the trainer was nice and I believed he knew how to handle a puppy like mine. It is by far my favorite experience here (Which is why I don’t give 1 star.)

Client takes dog there, says it's a good service.

I went to dog gone smart for a 6 week, hour long class for my puppy. Pros: The trainers seemed to know what they were doing —I did notice positive changes in my dog’s behavior. And I feel like the price for the class was reasonable for this area. Cons: communication is poor and made the overall environment feel unwelcoming. I had to miss a training class because my puppy got neutered. I let the trainer know ahead of time and was told to reschedule on their website. The website was not working for me. So, I called and was told to email the training coordinator help. The person did get back to me, but once I replied with the class I wanted to take, i got no further response. And I did not just want to show up in the class without confirmation because of Covid and potential number limitations. So, I emailed the trainer and got no response. At my next regularly scheduled class, I let the trainer know that I did not hear back and he told me to text him. I did and got no response. I’d texted him right after my training class which was after hours, so I figured it was a work number and the trainer would not respond after hours, so the next morning I’ve attempted to follow up. And again got no response. Overall, this experience made me feel unwelcomed and made me feel like a nuisance when everything could have been resolved with a simple response. I ended up missing my last two classes due to scheduling conflicts, but I figured there was no use in attempting to contact them about it, so I just dropped out of the class. And I will not be returning.

My pup seems to really like it here and the counselors that I've met so far are wonderful with him. Not giving 4/5 stars because of two things: 1. COVID... haven't yet been able to go INSIDE with my dog and take a proper tour and meet the people who work there (no fault of the daycare for sure), and 2. NO CAMERAS! What??? In this day and age??? They need to get livestream installed so folks can watch their pups in daycare like all the other daycares do!

Great customer service! Love Pierce who trained Kairo in swimming!

We love to leave our pup here for daycare as well as over night stays. With their option to pick up as late as 11pm it gives us an entire day to do something while knowing our dog is safe and having fun at day camp. Half day and full day options are great for busy days.

Dog gone smart is great with our pooch. The staff is thoughtful, loving and clearly enjoy their work.

I can’t say enough about Dog Gone Smart! They have such an amazing board and train program! Bebz , who is phenomenal, trained our 12 week puppy, Winnie for two weeks straight! When our pup came home she understood commands and proper playing manners with our daughter. No more nipping and swinging from the drapes! She now returns for daycare and swim lessons when I have to work! When she arrives she is so happy to be at her home away from home! The entire staff is so friendly and incredibly supportive! I was so worried leaving my baby for 2 weeks, but Jaimee, Deb, Britta , Jordan and Sam couldn’t have been more caring and helpful! Thank you for creating such a fun, loving environment for dogs and their families!!!!

After 6 weeks of basic training, we did not find value in the trainer/ style or class. The room is too small & cold, it's hard to hear, they don't provide any additional support or resources. Since taken our dog to another facility and is a huge difference.

Best place around for dogs to have fun and get training!

Excellent staff and fantastic dog swimming pool.

Love that my pup has a pool to swim in!

The team is always on target: kind, professional, and easy to work with.

My First experience with Dog Gone Smart was back in 2003 when I got my first puppy as an adult. At that time I only took one group training class with the them as I knew my dog would need "sport" classes and at that time those options where not available. I have since returned to DGS with my newest dog and used their indoor dog pool for exercise and water training several times and taken an advanced obedience (CGC) class. They have greatly expanded their training class offerings and the senior staff are certified, knowledgeable, and friendly. I have not used their Doggie day care or grooming services.

I take my dog for grooming yesterday and they don’t do a very nice job and they charge me $81 .Is not the first time when they don’t do a very nice job. I will never bring my dog in this place .

The best doggie day care ever! Love the people!

Great place to socialize dogs. Clean and had a doubt pool!

I've had 8 dogs in my life. I 'get' dogs. But Dog Gone Smart blows my mind. Not just a training facility, but a place where the staff completely understands pet behavior, multiple pet dynamics, and trains pet parents to both get rid of unwanted behaviors, and strengthen/reinforce the bond between owner and pet. DGS is simply an astounding place. Would highly recommend!

Use them all the time!

Great place to take my dog swimming for rehab and fun.

My 5yr old loves the nuggets and sweet and sour sauce

I have been taking my dogs to Dog Gone Smart for decades. (five Border Collies and one Belgian Malinois) DGS is first-rate when it comes to anything dogs. The outstanding staff has taught me how to train a dog correctly. If your willing to put the time in with your dog, working with the very capable trainers, you can learn how to understand and properly train your dog. My dogs and I have done so many different kinds of classes there as well as swimming and dogie day care. If you get a new dog or are having and difficulties with your dog I strongly recommend taking some classes at DGS and also doing some day care sessions. The results will be a happy and a well behaved dog that you can take almost anywhere.

My dog is always so happy to go there and the prices are very affordable for the high quality work they do.

Deb, Amanda, Nikki, Pierce, and all of the DGS staff are incredible. From the front desk to the groomers in the back, I've had positive experiences talking with everyone that works here. I bring by hound, Chester, here all the time now. I adopted Chester 4 years ago in KY and brought him up to CT in early 2017. He used to have bad anxiety in past years and had never been boarded before. I was very nervous to leave him while on a 5 day vacation. The team at DGS helped me work him up from a few daycare visits to 4 nights of boarding/playtime. Chester came back EXHAUSTED from playing so much! They said he is much more comfortable every time he comes here. The prices are worth the top notch service. SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS!

I know all the had work and care that is needed for our special pet's.organasation' supporting is amazing.I lost my dog on April29/2016.it is so devastating it is like half your heart is gone.I have a nice apartment highrise for senior living. My sister's have been going on cruises in this past year.so I have been house sitting.and pet care.thankyou for the the avaluable dog to adopt.well my work is done.I need my heart completed.looking for and Even't for dog adoption.love those Dogs????❤️

Dog Gone Smart is Outstanding. My 15 month old GSD absolutely loves everyone there. Deb, Miraya and the entire staff are great - always helpful. My energetic pup usually goes once a week tor day care and swimming. She always comes home happy and pooped which is a sign of a good time! Overnight stays, too, are the best! Can't say enough good things about Dog Gone Smart. Absolutely the best!

We take our Vizsla puppy (LOTS of energy) here maybe once a week or so for day care and she LOVES it! Worth every penny because it takes a lot to wear her out but she is pooped when we pick her up! Lots of play time and socialization. All the employees are super friendly and helpful.

We started with "puppy playdates" and moved up through the training classes as well as some of the "just for fun" classes. The staff is attentive, always available for questions and I have the feeling that they really care about each individual dog/human family. The daycare services are excellent and our dog Buster has benefited from all of his experiences.

The training is fantastic. We did Foundation 1 & 2, Pet Therapy and now we are taking Agility. My dog thrives in DogGoneSmart classes . The trainers and day care also helped us get my dog back on track after he dog developed some anxiety.

I took my puppy here for group training. It was a huge waste of time and money. The trainer literally had us have our dogs sit and lay down over and over again for the first half of the class at each session. She was more attentive to the dogs who were able to submit more easily rather than work with the dogs and their owners who were having a difficult time.