Your Dog's Friend Rockville, Virginia

I would recommend this place HIGHLY! My dog Zelda went to puppy school, and basic training here and they were able to make a very shy puppy into an excited happy puppy over time and she learned QUICKLY! What I loved is they allowed free play time before class would begin that way the dog can work off their zoomies. Also, they never allow to pair dogs with each other that don’t get along. Always make the owner and dog comfortable. This place is great! I could go on and on but I’ll let you be the judge here! ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

We live in DC and it's a 45-minute drive to Your Dog's Friend, but chose them anyway after *lots* of research about the best puppy kindergarten and dog training classes in the DC area. I love that they are a nonprofit organization, how experienced their trainers are (with all relevant certifications), and that they are positive-only (as recommended by AVSAB- American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior - and best supported by research). We started with puppy kindergarten with our golden retriever (6 sessions, starting around 14 weeks) and LOVED it. I can't say enough good things. The trainers at Your Dog's Friend are so knowledgeable about research-based, positive training and socialization. Everything we learned from Sarah Stoycos and the other trainers we have put into practice with our puppy, Griffey. After puppy K, we signed up for puppy first-grade and will be starting this weekend. We hope to keep going all the way through Canine Good Citizen and potentially do some of their nosework and agility classes, as we think Griffey would enjoy them!

**update** Nicole reached out to me and I also had a chance to speak with Sarah. I now have a plan to help my anxious puppy, and I was given many resources! While the particular class in person didn't work for my pup (she's very anxious, and it was too much for her) they have other classes that will, so if you're looking for help, keep asking! My pup didn't have a great experience here. We probably should have started when she was younger, but I did inquire before we joined. I was hoping to get more direction into another class or options to help her with her fear of dogs. Unfortunately after our last class she seems to be worse after she had made so much progress with the neighborhood dogs, and can get close to them with no fear or barking at all. Three stars because the person I spoke with through email was phenomal and very responsive and helpful.

The staff are friendly and have a lot of knowledge. My dog seems to enjoy playing here

Great place to take your pups for basic training! Science based positive reinforcement training with experienced professional trainers! Definitely recommend!

The Adolescent Dog class was a lot of fun for both the puppies and their owners, and good value for money. Melissa and her team were great. The training venue was well equipped. Owners should have realistic expectations. You may not necessarily have a perfectly trained puppy at the end of the course, but you will definitely have the basic skills and tactics to continue the training on your own. My family feels we got that, so we are totally happy with the course. We look forward to additional classes in the future.

Had a great time with my dog. They gave us the perfect tools to teach simply and easily. Highly reccommended.

Great dog training so far we are just starting basic manners but it is a positive training program that is very well run and friendly to the dogs and their people

Your Dog's Friend not only helps so many dogs, but it helps the entire community. YDF provides a wealth of free online information and training about how to make the world a better place for dogs and people. Classes focusing on puppies, reactive dogs, and even multiple-pet homes are accessible to everyone at no cost. And, for more in-depth teaching, YDF has so many classes, both online and in person. YDF also exposes viewers/readers to a variety of trainers so that we might be able to find one that is a good fit I am grateful for all YDF does, and I only wish I could give more. Thanks to YDF!!!

I can't recommend Your Dog's Friend enough. They offer many different classes to help enhance the bond you have with your dog. Force Free, Positive Training Always! They also offer free webinars on various topics that I have found so helpful, from Dog Car Safety to Dog Oral Care.

As far as having parts in stock is great service in general needs improvement.

Just signed up, so I'll be back to update my review. However the customer service was beyond expectations. Debbie was so very helpful, kind, informative and passionate. I couldn't wait to sign up, right on the spot! I'm so excited for what's to come.

We took our chocolate lab Otis here (@otie_oats on Instagram) for puppy class and first grade a few years ago when he was a puppy. The classes are incredibly informative and the techniques and training both you and your dog learn stick with you forever. Flash forward a few years and Otie will turn 4 in a week. We are complimented everywhere we go about how sweet and well behaved Otis is. Your Dog’s Friend is a major reason why.

Anyone with a dog needs to know about this outstanding non-profit! We have an extremely challenging 9 month old puppy and would be lost without Your Dog's Friend. The puppy socials saved us during COVID lock-down. The webinars are excellent. The on-line classes and in-person classes are safe, fun and very well-run. The staff is dedicated to helping you and your dog become a better team. The trainers are all excellent, devoted professionals who are knowledgable and only using positive training methods. Our dogs favorite thing in the world is to go to the puppy socials to have positive interactions with other dogs. The puppy socials are small, well-managed and transform shy dogs and help socialize all dogs. We did an online puppy K (which I thought might be difficult or awkward) with Sarah Stoycos and it was fun and extremely worthwhile...and the opposite of difficult and awkward! It was fun, easy and we learned a lot. Sarah has a great way of bringing the group together and using other trainers and break-out rooms to provide excellent coaching and training. We just completed in-person first grade with Melissa Dilla and that was another excellent course. Melissa works hard to make every class positive, fun and educational. Her follow-up instructions and review are always helpful and valuable. If you are looking for a knowledgeable and wonderful trainer I highly recommend Melissa. I think our dog loves Melissa more than she loves me! The Training Coordinator, Nicole Wright needs to run our US government....she would fixed it in 48 hours.Nicole is the most organized, on-top of it person ever!! She keeps the place running smoothly allowing the amazing trainers to do their work! The DMV is lucky to have a resourse like Your Dog's Friend.

Your dog's friend is an awesome place to learn about how to train your dog for different levels. They do a good job of explaining especially for kindergarten and first grade so far. We are interested in taking many more classes there including agility. Our dog loves it and the people and friends he makes too

Adopting a puppy was easy; coming up with a plan for training during a global pandemic was not. I came across Your Dog’s Friend through my searches, and from the first few things I found on their site, I knew I had found a great resource. None of their advice sounded gimmicky or “too good to be true.” The online/remote puppy kindergarten class I took with Sarah Stoycos (Laughing Dog Academy) was something I looked forward to every week. It was so structured, yet so fun, and my puppy and I learned so much. Sarah is the type of trainer who truly has a passion for helping every person and every animal. She has an inexhaustible energy, and such a warm and kind approach. She is an enthusiastic and talented instructor, and she adapted her extensive knowledge to make the class a personal experience for every family and their puppy. I also took the reactive dog class that she and Marnie Montgomery (Joyful Dog) teach, and their insights and guidance have been instrumental in working with my reactive pup. Your Dog’s Friend is such a great organization, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Look no further, you’re in good hands!

Excellent classes to learn how to train your puppy. Sarah is a very good instructor and my dog loves going to class.

Great non profit dog training school. I have taken many classes with my dogs over the years. I highly recommend the puppy classes which have a continuous rolling enrollment. The Canine Good Citizen Prep class is excellent and well. In addition to their classes they also have free seminars on a various subjects and sell dog toys and games to stimulate and challenge doggy minds.

Rosie loves going to puppy kindergarten and we are learning lots of ways to help her have a healthy, happy life.

Great place, they really care about training.

Best place in the area to learn how to train your dog. Terrific trainers, excellent resources, superb free seminars.

Have not had one yet, but have been told good things. Jean Fabish

We attended two separate types of classes for two of our dogs and were not impressed with either. The first was a basic manners class for our puppy. The instructors ushered us all into small "cubicles" of fencing covered with tarp so the dogs could not see each other or interact. They then proceeded to walk around giving tips and a basic set of instructions. There was absolutely no one on one training and it was difficult to get the attention of the instructors. I do however believe this class would be helpful for a first time dog parent but not if you have had dogs before. The second class we attended was a scent tracking/training class. Sounds pretty cool right? I will say that this class was very effective for what it was intended but the name is kind of misleading. The owner of the training company told the class she is not licensed to train in scent tracking (like what police dogs do) but rather she teaches a game that you and your dogs can play. Not what I had in mind when we enrolled for the class. My hound mix is now really good at sniffing out clove oil to find the treats but did not actually gain any practical skill from the class. Still its a fun game that she enjoys so it can be worth it as long as you know what you are really paying for. Other impressions were relatively poor. The owner of the class brings her own dog but locks him in a covered crate so he cant see anything and no dogs can see him. The class is in the basement of a building and resembles a mostly unfinished basement with some padded floors like you might find in a gymnasium. Naturally the padded floors are stained and saturated with puppy urine. Overall not a very impressive training company or facility in my opinion.

We came here with our dog for Puppy Kindergarten with Sarah and Puppy First Grade. We loved the class with Sarah! The class always started with socialization where the dogs were divided into groups based on temperament. The trainers were watching the dogs the whole time to make sure nothing got too rough. Then, we did lessons for things like sit, come, etc. First grade was more training. There was no socialization in the beginning of class like in kindergarten. We were a bit sad by that and so was our pup. The lessons learned were valuable. We also had a different trainer for first grade and we didn't really connect with her. She kept calling our dog by the wrong name and was not as personable as Sarah. Highly recommend Sarah. So personable and shows she truly cares! Your Dog's Friend still sends newsletters with tons of information that we read regularly.

Nice facility, instructors are very well educated in dog behavior and training, puppy party is a great way to get puppy play time in a safe, appropriate , supervised environment

I had did puppy kindergarten and I absolutely loved it ; was great socialization and Sarah the trainer was great!

Best training facility! Love the perspective each trainer brings to their classes. The variety of offerings will keep us coming back for years!

If you love your dog you need to invest in training. The dog will love it, you will love it, and this place is great. We liked the course and the instructor. They are competent and useful, so we warmly recommend them.

Very welcoming & very knowledgeable on dog behavior training for the owner & companion

Taking the reactive dog class and the staff are top notch. Lots of help in learning to manage all kinds of difficult situations. And it's working! Our dog is now better able to handle seeing other dogs.