It’s a Dog’s Life

Left my puppy here for a night. The lady was nice, my dog seemed to have a good time and I appreciated the text updates. There was a strong smell of cigarette smoke when I went to collect my pup so that was the only negative.

Good. Had a Wagjag deal; deadline to use it is by Feb. 28.
Updated dog’s shots yesterday, so that we could bring the little guy to It’s a Dog’s Life today.
Warned husband about probable smell of dog urine. It was bad, but not so bad imo.
Better than another indoor dog gym that we once visited.
*** Best time to go with a dog new to this location: Saturday a.m., as close to 9 am as possible. Numbers of dogs present will range, from 2 – 10 dogs on any given Sat. Give or take a few.
Tip: if you’re intent on coming here, download the multi-​sheet Registration Form in advance to avoid taking 10 min. to stand there and fill it out there…
They have one person in the gym for every 10 dogs. This person will keep an eye on all dogs, and will even initiate play (throwing a ball for the dogs, even though none of them might be fetch-​ball types. Our guy will chase balls, but not fetch them).
I wish this location was closer, or more accessible by subway.
At present moment, I don’t have easy access to a vehicle. Location is south on Dundas St. West, just west of Jane street. A touch past the KFC, and immediately before the Pizza Nova at the corner of Dundas X Jane.
Also, when our little guy returned home, he wasn’t pooped like he usually is after being returned from a dog walk.
other: both good things. 1. They require all dogs to undergo a temperament «test» (takes but a few minutes long), before being accepted into the pack/​gym; 2. They will also require people to prove that their dog is up to date with required vaccinations.

I took my dog here for a few classes back when they were at their old location. We loved the tricks class. My dog learned to shake paw, high five, jump through my arms, weave, and spin… not bad for a few classes. The instructor Denise Joyce was fantastic… my dog just loved her (and she appreciated his fabulousity so I thought she was fantastic too!). We also did the reliable recall class. This was good too but not as much fun. Also, my dog has pretty good recall (just not when other dogs get into a little squirmish) so some of the stuff was a little basic for him.

This is where I take my little pup for his Jr. Kinderpuppy class. With a name like that, you can’t really go wrong! This class is perfect to get your dog socialized, as you are able to attend even if your dog’s shots aren’t complete. This class focuses on attention, foundation of of good manners, and desensitization from kids, skateboards, hats, umbrellas etc. There is plenty of time for the dogs to play together as well.
We really benefited from the positive training and small class sizes. Even still, having 3 small dogs and 4 large, rambunctious dogs in the class seemed a bit much for the trainer to handle at times. Our trainer was extremely knowledgeable, with a positive attitude and really wants the dogs to succeed.
This place also offers boarding, grooming, day care, seminars, and a variety of training options. The staff are extremely friendly and get to know each dog personally. One peeve: while the facility always looks clean, it always smells like pee.