Dog Training Now!

I recently adopted a rescue dog who lived the first 8 months of his life locked in a cage. It was clear that he needed help. We turned to the professionals at Dog Training Now for this help, and I’m glad we did. Darby is an intelligent, strong-​willed 60 pound Pit Bull mix; proper training for him was essential. The trainers at DTN knew exactly what he needed to learn, and delivered what they promised, including training me as his handler. I strongly recommend contacting Judy and discussing the training needs of your dog. I can now take Darby out in public with confidence in his good behavior. What a difference.

What an amazing place! My boyfriend and I brought our 4 month old German Shepard Murphy to lessons. She didn’t know anything when we adopted her but to sit. We did the 10 day program and by the time the 10 days were up it was like Murphy was a brand new dog! Every time we brought Murphy in the morning she was pulling at the leash to get in the building, she loved it there! The people are even better, everyone knew who Murphy was and they were so sweet and very knowledgeable on everything. Even now after not being there for awhile Murphy still gets excited if we drive down the road and pass by the building she used to train at! Highly recommend this place!!!

We’ve taken Duke here for his training, advanced training and doggie boot camp. Judy is a great own and treats all her customers as if they were family. We will continue to keep taking Duke back for refresher classes.

LOVE this place so much! We had tried out three or four different puppy classes in the area before finding out about this one and once we started, we were hooked! It is like the Zoom Room (if you are familiar) but it picks up where the Zoom Room leaves off by focusing on socialization for puppies.
1. the prices are extremely competitive /​cheaper than the competition for a MUCH better class experience. We paid like $ 20 a class, which seems like a lot, but most classes in the suburbs and city were at least $ 35 a class (and if you think $ 20 is too expensive for a puppy class, then go to Petco and waste your time AND money on training that won’t work. This place is legit and well worth the price!). They even use other dogs they are privately training as examples during the class and it’s obvious the private training methods work.
2. The owner, Judy, is also super sweet and really knows her stuff. She is so gentle with the dogs and they usually have at least two other trainers helping out with the puppies during the class to keep things moving. Her staff are also really knowledgeable and sweet and can answer any questions you have about your puppy. No one was condescending or mean. They keep a careful eye on the class.
3. Our favorite aspect of the puppy class was that it was all about socialization. They do «pass the puppy» (exactly what it sounds like) and even playtime. They also try to do confidence building exercises like A-​frames and ramps (thought the A-​frame is probably too steep for many puppies and should be lowered). It has been great for socializing our dog!
The puppy class is perfect for dogs 8 weeks to 6 months that need socialization with both dogs, people, vacuums, and weird obstacles. Could not be happier with our decision to attend this class!!!

All I can say is that Judy and the staff at Dog Training Now were great! All the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, they were willing to work with you as long as you wanted to until you felt comfortable to do it on your own. I am an experienced dog owner and have had several large breed dogs, but none of them were as hard to train and stubborn as my German Shepherd, Primo. His behavior was very bad, he would jump on everyone that walked in the door, would not listen to any command (sit, come, down); his behavior was causing family members and friends to not want to come over to my house anymore. I took him to other training places but with no success, he would be tired after the classes, but showed no improvement in his behavior. Then I found Dog Training Now and decided to look into them, that was the BEST decision I could have made. I found a program they offered that fit what I was looking for. I enrolled Primo into the Fabulous Dog Program, the program was 10 days and I would drop him off around 7:30 a.m. (before I had work) then I would pick him up after work, and a staff member would work with me on everything they taught him that day. After the first day there was a huge change in his behavior. Not only was he exhausted, but he was starting to follow simple commands. After the third day of the program I had a new dog. His bad behaviors were nearly gone. Walking him became a joy to do because there was no more of him biting the leash, pulling in any direction he wants, and not listening to commands. He has become so easy to walk that my mother is able to walk him now. His house manner is 100%improved, no more jumping on people and no more frantic energy. It was a great experience that I had with Dog Training Now, I have already recommended them to friends and family and I will continue to in the future. Thank for everything!

What a great experience this has been! I have a golden doodle that started in their puppy preschool program, and then did the 10 day obedience training. Their entire staff is so friendly and passionate about their work. They take the time to help you with all your questions and my dog was always excited to go back. This place is well worth the money as I see it as a lifelong investment you’re making with your dog.

Judy and the trainers are amazing! At my first meeting with Judy, I could tell she honestly believed in her training program and truly loved dogs. We enrolled our 5 month-​old puppy, Chewie, in their 2 week day training program. I cannot say enough about how wonderful the experience was! Each trainer I encountered was knowledgable, caring and patient. I learned so much during the program and Chewie was so excited to go to the training each morning! Chewie is now so well-​behaved, walks wonderfully on a leash and listens to all of her commands. Numerous people have commented how well-​behaved she is for such a young puppy. She is also doing so much better with her potty-​training. Using Dog Training Now is one of the best decisions I have made in a long time!

Oh my goodness, Judy Leonardis, the owner of this business is absolutely amazing! My husband and I brought our dog, Bella in for training and we couldn’t be more pleased. The best part is that she is treated with a lot of love. It took 2 weeks and magic happened! The staff at Dog Training Now are all skilled professionals that care so much about their clients. Thank you so much, Judy, for putting your heart and soul into developing this one of a kind business. I am an avid Unilocal reader and writer and I want to say that this technique is by far, the very best method of dog training out there!

I’m the proud owner of a Dogo Argentino also know as Argentinean Mastiff. I can’t say enough good things about Dog Training Now, the owner Judy Leonardis & all of her friendly staff. My Dogo Argentiono was perfectly trained after the 2 week program. I did the full fledged stay overnight training. Everyone marveled at my dogs obedience skills! If you have a Dogo Argentino or any other large breed look no further Judy Leonardis and her staff are true professionals and I highly recommend her service! THANK YOU Dog Training Now!

If I could give a negative review with stars I would. My 6 month old puppy started on Monday July 27^th. 2015 When I picked her up in the morning the trainer explained how to properly use the prong training collars and told me that if the dog lags behind, never pull her but rather encourage her to «come».
When I dropped her off on Tuesday, I watched one of the trainers pull her all the way across the room only to hurry and put her in a cage. When I picked her up in the afternoon, I told the trainer what happened. He said that was really bad and would tell the owner.
That evening, I got a call from the owner and she apologized again and again. I thought this was was very professional and thanked her for her call. I told her that I am there to learn as well.
When I picked her up on Wednesday I noticed a lot of blood on her neck. I didn’t say anything but I did take her home and cleaned her up and put antibacterial ointment on her.
I dropped her off on Thursday without the prong collar on and there to receive her was the guy who was there the day my puppy got pulled across the floor. He had a horrible attitude when I walked in and I told him that I didn’t have her training collar on and he said he would put it on as he cut me off from talking.
I explained why she didn’t have her collar on and that she was bleeding and he said show me and I did. He said he would then use a sleeve on her and I asked what a sleeve was and he told me.
He took her across the room to put her in a cage and I was standing at the door watching her. He turned to me and said «you do her more harm by standing there and you should leave». He said «seriously». So I shook my head and left. He of all people should have understood my concern.
Moments later I get a call from the owner telling me I am not a good fit for the program. I asked her if her trainer called her and she said yes. I said I wasn’t surprised as he probably thought I was going to call her first because I am sure he knew how unprofessional he was.
The bottom line is I think they probably have some good trainers but something bad happened to my puppy. I think they just wanted to get rid of me as a customer for liability reasons. There are other reviews out here where other dogs were mis treated by them as well.
I think the owner Judy is a nice person but the way she handled this was ALL WRONG. I paid for a service and never received it. That guy should have been apologizing to me not giving me an attitude. She should «train» her employees to act as professionals and not allow them to be rude to her customers, costing her business.

This is our second dog (Zena) that we have taken for the 2 week training here– once again the staff at Dog Training Now & Ryan specifically did a FANTASTIC job!!! Zena came home a new dog. Not only are we so happy with the results but everyone is so accommodating, passionate & really understanding. I would have never thought I would be walking a Boxer mix, Pit Bull & Shitzu all at once!
Along with the training, my dogs will be spending some time being, «babysat» over there. They are taken home with the trainers & I have even received pictures from whoever has my pooch while at their homes.
We have referred many people here & will continue to do so. Not only will your pooch go through training but socialization with children & other animals. This has been EXTREMELY beneficial while taking our dogs in public. It’s crazy how individuals who were scared of the breeds we have now want to pet & play with them!

We brought our Cavapoo to puppy school and obedience school here. She started out as a very shy puppy and has become quite a social butterfly! We cannot believe how in just two weeks they got her to listen and obey multiple commands. The trainers are all super nice and helpful! We have kept up the training at home, and she is doing great! Dog Training Now is worth every penny!

My puppy was hyper and stubborn, unfocused, and I had a hard time taking her out to make potty. She went to training for two weeks and now walks beautifully on the lease, goes to her place when I am serving her food, or when I sit to eat my own meals. She is focused on making potty instead of chasing after the other dogs or wanting to say Hi to all the people. We’re still working on not jumping up on people, but I continue to practice what the trainers have taught me. The trainers: they are very personable with the owners and the dogs, they actually love what they do, and they take time to work with the owners at the end of each day sending one home with what the dogs learn in class. All this has been so helpful! Thank you!

I wish I could give them 10 stars! To say that Judy, Marcus, Kara, Andrea, Ryan and team are miracle workers would be an understatement. I brought my rescue pup KC here after walks with her became a complete nightmare. I dreaded her dragging me all over the place (and I know she was super stressed as well). After ONE DAY I noticed a huge difference and after two weeks she is just a completely different dog. She is so excited to show off all her skills, she loves her walks, and my confidence with her has greatly improved. I will definitely be continuing to bring her back for socialization with other dogs and for more advanced training once we have mastered everything from the first class.
You guys saved my relationship with my dog!

I took my puppy here initially for puppy class and then he went back for the 2 week day program. From our first meeting with trainer Marcus had a great feeling and were excited for our puppy to start class. All the trainers are very attentive and care about you and your dog learning all the commands. After the two week program, Burt was a changed dog! He is noticeable better behaved, and not just for the commands they taught him. My boyfriend was out of town for the entire 2 week class, and they were so great and offered for him to come back with Burt to learn all the commands once he was back in town. I highly recommend this place!

In my sincere opinion, Dog Training Now is a gift from above! I found out about this place while I was on a walk one day with my two poorly behaved French Bulldogs (Mimi & Mugzy), and one of them was barking and charging at a dog (per usual) that was sitting ever so calmly and nicely by the side of its owner. I apologized and intended to get my dogs away as quickly as possible, but then the well-​behaved dog’s owner proceeded to tell me not to let her dog fool me because he too used to be poorly behaved and acted very similarly to my dog — he too would pull her arm out her socket on walks and would bark/​charge at other dogs etc until she took him to training at Dog Training Now. I could not believe was I was hearing/​seeing. I immediately went home and convinced my better half that we had to give it a shot because we didn’t know what else to do, and while we love our dogs so much, and they mean the world to us (they are literally our dog children), we wanted the rest of the world to see how wonderful they are too, and more importantly, we just wanted to enjoy our time on our walks and in general with them more. So, we signed them up, and they went through the program, and we could not be happier. The results that they were able to achieve in a such a short period of time (2 weeks!!!) were absolutely amazing. I never thought that it was going to be possible, especially with our dominant/​stubborn male, however, there was an immediate change. Now, we can proudly say that our dogs are well-​behaved too, and we will be recommending this place to everyone that we know.

I had asked friends and family about a recommendation for dog training after venting that my eight-​month-​old Havanese was not yet housebroken. Numerous people sent me referrals and I contacted five of them. Judy the owner seemed to be the most personable and seemed to know what she was talking about. I met with her that day and she assured me that she could train my dog to be housebroken… I was skeptical. After I picked him up and took him home he had three accidents three days in a row. I emailed Judy and she came over with Mary to see what I was doing wrong. We figured out the issue and my puppy has not had an accident in three weeks. Besides being housebroken they trained him to sit, heel, down, stay, walk without pulling and come. I cannot recommend Judy and her team enough.

I adpoted a corgi mix at about 2.5 years old. She had some bad habits that were really hard to break. The worse ones were jumping, rushing people at the door, and aggression towards other dogs. I tried to train her. Anything you can think of, I probably tried it. One obedience class actually told me there is no hope to get her to stop jumping.
I noticed dog training now online and advertised on their goodie bag when I went to Dash for the Dogs for Animal House Shelter. You know when you sit down with someone and you just get this feeling that they really know what they are talking about? That is how I felt with Judy. She had confidence they could help us.
When she started talking about the stay and learn day program, I wanted to sign up then and there but from what I have seen with other training facilities, these types of programs cost a fortune. I was pleasantly suprised when I found this was actually affordable.
Now keep in mind, this isnt a drop off and fix my dog and now I can rest easy type thing. You drop them off and they teach the dog the commands. You have to do your work at home. They take the trouble out of the stressful part in getting your furchild to understand. All you have to do is keep it up.
So the results… amazing. My baby rarely jumps now. Even when she does… which again is rarely… when you tell her «off» she immediately backs away and sits down. She would love to rush the door, and you can tell by how her body vibrates when someone comes through that door, but she will stay in her place and wait until she is called out. They posted pictures on Facebook of her sitting with other dogs, walking with other dogs, sniffing other dogs and not trying to eat them. I am sure she still has some dog issues but they helped get her more socialized and they did more for her than I ever could. And then as if it doesn’t get any better, they offer lifetime alumni classes so you can go back and brush up on skills and get help if any new problems arise.
The whole staff at Dog Training Now is amazing at what they do and I feel every penny spent there was more than worth it.

My dog went for the 5 day training to learn the basics. Before going, all he knew was to not pee in the house. Now that he’s gone to school, he can sit, heel, and is so much better on walks. He is a stubborn little cuss so it is fantastic that they were able to get through to him. Everyone there is so nice! I highly recommend this place to anyone needing to have their dog trained. My dog enjoyed the experience, and I enjoy the results!

The results was remarkable! We noticed the change in our dog instantly. It’s now a pleasure to take him out on walks, with out him dragging me where he wants to go. The trainers Judy and Marcus are the best. You can tell that they are very passionate about the work they do. They showed us what we had to do, to continue with our dogs success with his training at home. My dog was very excited to go there every morning which is a good sign. I highly recommend this place!