This is a gem of a place. I insist all my friends who have dogs go through this training course. I've had all my dogs go through Acoma and can credit what I have learned in my class to saving the lives of my dogs time and again. These people KNOW DOGS and can help with difficult cases. Their main focus for the obedience training is safety first, and always. Trish and the gang always do an outstanding job training, and making sure you understand the process. They totally understand dogs and I would say they are Albuquerque's Dog Whisperers. The methods are tried and true and I have seen totally outstanding results from them time and again. The reason for obedience is to teach the owner how to work with the dog and together the owner and dog can learn to have a happy and safe life together. Trish and her ladies will have you and your dog well on their way to a long, happy life. The snake training for life is a superb idea and I will always go back for more. :) VERY HAPPY CAMPER. For those that gave a review citing 'fear and intimidation' system was used, did you go to the same place I did? I can hardly believe that. You need to learn to be fully integrated with your dog, which at some point will include discipline, not to be confused with fear and intimidation. For those that coddle their dogs, that method will hardly do the trick for ensuring a safe and happy life together. This is a very good training place, bar non, BEST IN THE CITY. That's a fact, Jack! :D read more

Great trainers. The class schedule is a bit limited. Mostly evenings. They also do agility training.

My dog loves this training center and all the trainers there are amazing! I definitely cannot recommend it more!

I have worked with several dogs that received training here , 2 did basic obedience hoping to save a little before starting service dog training. Both needed extensive remediation due to fear based tactics employe by aroma. I also helped several dogs that had prong collar injuries and were terrified of further training and needed help recovering from long ago disproved obsolete methods that are illegal in several countries now. Cheers Don't worry I'm retired now. read more

I attended 2 classes here and then requested a refund for the remainder of the classes. I provided my reasons in a phone call and then followed up with an e-mail. My refund request was declined. Based on the circumstances I have listed below, I didn't wish to continue my association with this business. The center is located in what I consider a questionable neighborhood on Wyoming, south of Zuni. When I told the owners that I felt unsafe there, they told me they lived there and had never had any problems. I suppose if I had criminal intent, I might be dissuaded by a dog training center and the sound of barking dogs. Most classes are held in the evening and it is often after dark. The center is fenced and there is all kinds of trash and debris outside the fence. It is most unpleasant. In all fairness, I wish I had gone to the center to observe and question before I enrolled my dog. I would have looked elsewhere. Basic obedience classes are outdoors on a dirt floor fenced area. The dirt is a very unpleasant medium and my dog would come home covered in dirt. It also made him scratch. The dust from the dirt also aggravated my allergies. The center training philosophy uses choke chains for training. Other training methods have evolved over the years so I would caution potential clients to explore all options based on the temperament of their dog. I was offered a bigger choke chain for my 30 lb dog who was pulling. I don't find the choking method acceptable for my gentle dog and I didn't wish to choke him with a larger chain. There is a lot of standing around during class listening to the trainer tell stories and explain training procedures. I understand that she needed to explain training procedures, but more time in active practice with supervision might be more helpful assuming, of course, that you are an advocate of the choke training method. Also, their bookkeeping methods are antiquated as they were only able to provide me with a written receipt which they mailed to me. I requested a receipt by e-mail but they were unable to accommodate this. I would caution anyone to look elsewhere for their dog training needs. read more

I stopped attending after 4 classes. Each class I attended the instructor made me feel like I was in trouble for my dogs response to exercises. I was there for my dog to learn basic obedience, not for dog shows. The instructor used a prong collar on several dogs in the class that were obviously frightened and intimidated and it was painful to watch. I would not recommend. read more

Have attended Trish's show conformation classes in the past with several Great Danes. She is knowledgable and welcoming. Classes are held outside and sometimes inside their building. When outside, dogs in an adjacent training area do agility which provides a great distraction and unfamiliar noises for your dogs to acclimate too. Class size can be large but again it is a great training aid for dogs to learn to ignore other dogs around them, just like they would experience at a dog show, vet office etc,. The location is what it is....it's Albuquerque! I have never been bothered by anyone. If you don't want real life distractions or outside training on grass/dirt for your dog then go somewhere else. If you want real world training with a knowledgable instructor then this is a great place to go to work with your dog. I also chuckled over some of the negative reviews. These are the types of people that have dogs that run up to yours and they tell you they are friendly and just saying hi as they bark and lunge at your well mannered dog. read more

I trailed my dog about 30 years ago here. 8 weeks ago I went back with my new dog Coco and let me tell you he is something else. Love the training. Trish teaches you not your dog as how to train your dog and if you follow the steps you will love to walk with your dog enjoy him/her not pulling you, sit when you tell them stay when they are told to do and most importantly keep them safe. Nothing good come without discipline, you have to have that for greater cause. Thank you Trish and team for what you all do for our animals. Your business wouldn't be around if people wouldn't see results. read more

Acoma Training Center - Coco - Pet Training Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

This is a bait and switch operation: they tell you repeatedly you can make up missed classes, but I lost my money after I missed classes due to illness and a planned vacation. They told me I had to start over at a different time. When I called to check the date, they told me I was not signed up for the new class. Then they said they had a cancelation. I went to the first class and then again had to miss two classes due to work and family obligations. Now they are keeping my money and telling me I have to sign up for a new class: they offered a whopping 10% discount. Wow. The director has an overblown sense of her own talents. It's about ego, not about the customers and the dogs. read more

The owner Trish, comes from a family of dog trainers, having inherited the business from her parents. The have an indoor training space for obedience and conformation and a large outside space for agility. Not being in agility I don't know about that part of their business. I went there because Trish has been affiliated in the past with our German Shepherd Dog Club and it is the "go to" place for our club members needed conformation training. Since I have a 9 month puppy who is destined for the show ring I have chosen to use the center although it is on the opposite side of the world from where I live in RR. The negative comments posted here are obviously from people who are there for obedience and not having been there for obedience, I can't say if they are on the mark or not. I have attended a lot of obedience classes in the past with other dogs in another state but have no way of knowing if these people are rookies and are not familiar with normal obedience training techniques or if they are knowledgeable and there poor ratings can be strongly considered. Many people who get into obedience freak out when their little darling gets spoken to with a loud, correcting voice or are given some stern corrections. There are instances when one stern correction is better than repetitive small, meaningless and ignored corrections. The one reviewer mentioned there dog was aggressive. From my experience they are already dealing with a too little, too late scenario and so more drastic measures would be needed. I suspect their dog wasn't properly socialized and corrected properly when it had exhibited poor doggy manners. read more

Acoma Training Center - Front of building - Pet Training Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Trish really is a dog whisperer. Her fellow trainers are amazing as well. They are there for the dogs and you can tell. The classes are dirt cheap compared to places I've taken other dogs but so much more rewarding. My boxer Lily was extremely leash reactive to dogs and people. People we walked past would call her satan or the devil. She would end up biting me while I tried to keep her from attacking anything in sight. It seemed like nothing could get her attention away once she was in that state. I couldn't take her out of the house anymore. Then a friend recommended Acoma. Trish showed me that her reaction was purely fear based and we worked on how to keep her from getting reactive in the first place with both positive reinforcement and corrections using her own dogs and trainers as triggers. Lily responded very well to this training and after a few private sessions she was able to join a large class full of people and dogs. I never thought I'd be able to let Lily out of the house, let alone leave her in a down stay in a room full of loose dogs. Trish suggested a muzzle and a prong collar at first, but I was uncomfortable with the muzzle so she worked around it. She doesn't force you to use any training equipment you don't want to. The prong collar was what really made the difference. Lily's reactions were based on fear and once she was really anxious she would not listen at all. The prong collar allows me to communicate with her through that fear and get her attention on me. And for anyone who thinks prong collars are cruel, you should just see how excited Lily gets when I pull it out. Lily loves her collar because it means she doesn't have to get so stressed out anymore. The prongs don't hurt her and I think it's a very safe collar because Lily has yet to find a way out of it. Before the training, she had gotten out of her flat collar or harness and tried to run across the road to attack people and dogs multiple times. I once had to tackle her in the middle of a highway to keep her from running into oncoming traffic after she got out of her supposed escape free harness. I can honestly say that Trish saved her life. I will be forever grateful that she did and that it was very very affordable. If you are having any behavioral issues with your pet from potty training to aggression, I highly recommend Acoma. read more

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First, I would like to say Trish is awesome. I came to her classes with my pup over 15 years ago. I learned so much. The proper training tools go a long way and I've seen them improve lives of so many, many times. My family and I haven't had a family dog, so a couple years ago we got a standard poodle. I reached out to Trish (as I now live out of state), and she was so helpful. She sent me many tips over fb messenger and said if I needed any other tips to please reach out to her, thanks to her classes I learned many techniques and applied them to my home training as well. I have stopped by her facility a couple times to pick up leashes and such, she has the most beautiful leather leashes. I will always be grateful to Trish for helping me all those years ago, it's truly set me up for handling our 2 dogs now. I'm a firm believer in her saying "Train for life", you really have to, if you want an obedient dog. Thanks Trish for always being there. Larry is also very nice and helpful. Looking forward to popping in for a visit sometime. read more

I love this place so much. They stock quality products and have a great variety of training classes available. I would absolutely recommend to anyone looking to learn about dog training or get involved in a community of dog sporting activities. If they don't have/provide something, I guarantee they know where you can find the best option! I have been going to Acoma for years and have only ever seen inappropriate behavior from one employee, who I happen to know left the place years ago. I absolutely would not trust anybody who looks down on Acoma's practices as "outdated," as people need to stop viewing "correction" as abuse. Prong collars mimic natural corrective behaviors exhibited between dogs, and while a great many people use these tools incorrectly and inappropriately, the staff at Acoma make it very clear the students in their classes are the OWNERS, not their dogs. Food is used in these classes to help teach dogs to "Come," and it is also used to teach "Poison Proofing," which helps your dog refrain from eating things without permission. This practice has kept my dog from eating dropped pills and chocolate, and I've heard so many horror stories about neighbors poisoning dogs over the wall. It is your responsibility to decide how to train your dog, but the owner of this place has decades of experience and family background in dog training, agility, and confirmation. I would trust that over the word of a few people who simply prefer different practices. Do your research. read more

It has been a couple of years since I took my dog through the training here, but after someone recently recommended this place to another person I had to see what their reviews were. I'm disappointed there aren't more, I know quite a few people who agree, DON'T take your dogs here. My dog did great when it came to certain things, she can sit and stay like a pro. But in all honesty those weren't things she didn't already know when we started the class. As the other reviewer mentions, they use pain to correct bad behavior which apparently can lead to worse behavior in the future. I wish I would have know this before throwing away $150+. My dog was never aggressive prior to her training at Acoma, since her training at Acoma I can't even have her around new dogs. We will now be paying hundreds of dollars to a personal trainer in hopes of correcting this behavior. Not only do they make you use a prong collar, they make you buy it all right there the first day. Tack that on to the class fee and that's where you've now spent more than $150. I no longer use any of the stuff I bought from there. The last thing I did not care for, their class sizes are huge. There were at least 20 dogs, talk about chaos. We recently adopted a 2nd dog and took them both back to Animal Humane for their training. Much better experience, only 5 dogs per class, and they are 100% against punishment as a training method. Positive reinforcement is what to look for if you're looking to take your dogs to obedience school. read more

I've been very impressed with my 8 weeks so far. I signed up for the puppy class because I had been struggling with what I felt like was a difficult puppy. They calmed my frustrations and my puppy and I began learning immediately. My puppy was put thru a lot of real life examples and I was taught how to overcome. Teacher Trish always opens the class for questions and you are welcome to stay after and ask more questions. I have learned a lot and I really appreciate having a great set of Trainers in the middle of Albuquerque, We have signed up for the next class and I look forward to many years to come with this fabulous group of folks willing to help new-puppy-owners like me! read more

The lady who works the front desk is VERY rude and disrespectful. Never called me back about rescheduling due to COVID and she was super rude about it when I called. read more

Trish at Acoma is the best. We have been training with Trish for over 35 years. We have 3 dogs at Acoma now, and they are all currently learning Rally. The dogs are having a great time. I have noticed that there are some poor reviews. A training manager of the training department of a large pet store seems to be the source of many of those reviews. He gets paid on commission, and I have heard him bad mouth Acoma more than once. My recommendation is to go and visit a class. You will find that Trish and staff are professional, caring, and very very knowledgeable. I suspect most of not all of the negative reviews trace to unfair business practices by her big box competition. Shame on them. read more

Outdated, punishment-based methods. My dog didn't learn much here and came away more aggressive than when we started. I'd avoid, and seek out trainers who practice positive reinforcement (and not physically forceful) techniques instead. read more

Very disappointed in Acoma Training Center. The training is done with fear and intimidation. I attended three classes where I saw Trish, the instructor, yank and pull on dogs to the point that they cried out. Even if the dog was not actually hurt, they were certainly afraid. Not what I want for my dogs. This is an extremely outdated method of training. I never returned after the third class. Additionally, their classes are extremely large -25-30 people. Acoma is not a training center I would ever recommend. read more

I wish I had never signed up for this. First off they do not check vaccination records. Second of all they use fear based training, collar yanking, bitter apple sprayed in their mouth if they bark, pushing down on their backs to get them to sit etc. etc. etc. Then they want you buying all their overpriced leashes, choke collars etc. They use your dog to misbehave in class so they can show how to correct...the dogs end up fearful of the teacher, peeing on the floor etc. I'm glad I only went twice, I certainly don't want my puppy's spirit broken and fearful of people. Steer clear of this disaster. read more

Attempted to attend an agility class last year. Waited for 45 minutes in the cold. Then class was cancelled and I was told to join another group. The teacher and participants spent the next 15-20 minutes discussing their show placings. Then all dogs were expected to do an advanced run. We were freezing, less experienced and not at all welcomed. We left with the directive to try again later. Won't be doing that. read more

I give Acoma 5 stars. Contrary to the only four reviews recommended by yelp, Acoma Training Center is the best place in town to go for life long dog training. Training a dog is a learning experience for both the dog and the dog owner. It seems that many of the negative reviews are from people who did not fully commit to the training or even attend all of the classes they signed up for. I've taken five dogs to Acoma over the last eight years and have always been very pleased with the training we received. We continue to attend agility and advanced novice classes on a weekly basis. It is a great way to spend some quality time with our dogs, keep up their obedience skills, and build their confidence. Unlike other obedience schools and trainers in Albuquerque, Acoma will accept any dog into its classes. I've seen unsocialized dogs that the owners could not even get out of the car turn into well behaved dogs after attending her classes. Admittedly the first few weeks of an intro class can be pretty crazy, but this is because some of the dogs going to Acoma really need socializing and training. The motto at Acoma is "train for life". This means training so you can take your dog places and keep your dog safe. Dogs trained at Acoma have laid down on command instead of running into a busy street, have refrained from eating poisoned meat thrown in their yard, and have run away from rattlesnakes they encountered. The owner, Trish, has worked with thousands of dogs over the years and is a very caring person with excellent dog understanding and training skills. She has been so nice to us and our dogs. I recommend Acoma to anyone willing to commit to working with their dog. The end result is a well socialized and confident dog that you can take in public safely and without stress. I have no problem with Acoma's use of pronged collars. Contrary to other reviews, dogs at Acoma classes "earn" a pronged collar - they are not given to every dog and you are not required to buy the equipment from Acoma. Corrections are always followed by praise. If you are curious about the Acoma teaching style, the class schedule is online and classes are open to the public for observation. All of our dogs wear pronged collars and have suffered no ill effects. In fact, I feel safer knowing that I can control my dog. Again, I give Acoma five stars and highly recommend their obedience and agility classes, their private lessons, and dog dancing classes - all of which I have personally attended over the years. read more

This training program is great for most dogs. My dog did not respond well to negative reinforcement (choke collars and bitter apple spray) favored by the instructor. He had a severe allergy to metal collars and they weren't able to offer human alternatives. Additionally I felt singled out. read more

I don't know what I would do without all the help and expertise from the wonderful people at Acoma Training Center. Trish can read a dog like book. The soft or nervous ones are comforted, but still corrected so they learn to obey and be safe. The more dominant, head strong dogs like our Mavis, need a bit more, sometimes a lot more correction to get through to them, but I have never seen what I would call a harsh correction. I am so thankful we have taken Mavis to Acoma for Puppy Class and then Novice (twice). What was a very high drive, totally out of control puppy (picture a fish on a line, the first time we put a leash on her) has turned into the most wonderful dog. Friends and neighbors no longer worry about being mugged by Mavis when they drop by. And it's not all work, we celebrate birthdays with singing, howling and puppy cookies! We now attend Advanced Novice and Agility classes that Mavis really enjoys with her characteristic over the top enthusiasm. We love all the folks at Acoma that have added so much to the quality of Mavis' life and are truly grateful. read more

I love the large class size because it really challenges a dog to focus with distractions. That being said, the training methods are outdated. Fear and punishment are not what animal behavior science recommends when training a dog. It is generally not too harmful if the dog has a very stable temperament; however, if you are dealing with a dog that is fearful, aggressive, insecure or anything else that's even remotely unstable, this type of training is a recipe for disaster! Don't believe me? Ask any animal behaviorist. read more

I took a dog through their training classes quite a while ago, and I was hoping that they would have changed their outdated methods considering that positive reinforcement training is the big thing right now, but sadly, they have not. They still require prong collars for the dogs in the class (which are DANGEROUS no matter how skilled you are at handling your dog), the classes are overfilled, and the dogs never get the chance to actually socialize and/or do off-leash training exercises. A lot of people go here because they think this is the only place that offers agility training with a full course, but if you are interested in that check out Sandia Dog Obedience instead. They have a course and do not have the same restrictions nor punishment-based methods that this facility does. I ended up taking my fear aggressive dog through one of PetSmart's training courses and he wound up doing lovely. There were several other people in the class with fear aggressive dogs who had previously been at Acoma and they feel that the training methods used at Acoma were what really caused the aggression in their animals. With today's new tools and gadgets for positive training methods, there is NO NEED for this type of training anymore. Instead of a prong or choke collar, go for the Gentle Leaders or Easy Walk Harnesses. My dogs responded SO much better to these items and I only wish I had them for the first dog that went through Acoma, but alas I did not know there was an alternative training method to Acoma's program at the time. read more

After reading some of the reviews, I felt compelled to share my AMAZING experience with this facility and with Trish. To be fair, our dog was decently trained but not consistent when we were recommended to Acoma by a local dog therapy group. I attended our first class with a well behaved but nervous family dog, and by the last Novice class my doodle was a well oiled machine. Trish trains the owner more than the animal I feel, which typically is 90% of any dog's behavior issues. Prong collars are NOT a requirement! Only the more aggressive dogs 'earn' a prong collar to aid in control and safety of other participants and NEVER did I witness any abusive or corporal punishment of any animal. The more nervous puppies were given soft , gentle and ensuring treatment by Trish until they were more comfortable in the bigger class environment. The bigger class sizes prepare you and your dog for the real world environment, it will do an owner and pup no good to only know how to obey in a one on one situation. I also have never seen a facility that has 4 return visits for refreshers and lifetime snakeproofing (love this) for your pet. The cost to return ratio is outstanding (90.00 for 8 weeks, a steal!). I recommend Trish & Acoma to everyone who needs a human and canine training! read more

I tried positive reinforcement with my boxer mix dog of 69lbs. Not quite as effective because of their stubborn nature. The type of training at Acoma is much more suitable for her nature. She reponds well to their instructions and still is behaving if I follow their suggestions for her. Thanks Acoma and Trish read more

I have trained three dogs at Acoma. I could not believe the negative comments. First of all, I was a first time dog owner and "I" needed to be trained. I was so relieved to have some place to go every week to ask my questions on how I should deal with: crating training, biting, jumping, digging, barking, potty training, steps, dog parks, other's dogs, commands, sleep, poison proofing, snake proofing, just everything. Disciplining dogs takes lots of owner training. I trained my first 2 dogs through all the courses: puppy, beginning, intermediate and advanced, and then on to agility. They are very well behaved. I just took the third dog to beginning but "I" had been pretty well trained by the time I got her. Yes, we quickly snap the dog's 8ft leather leash to get their attention when the dog needs refocusing. This isn't aggressive just a quick snap to refocus the dog on me. All commands are firm but not angry or aggressive. All praises are happy and loving. I have small dogs so they didn't require me to use a choke chain or a prong chain. I do however have a large strong granddog who I watched for 3 months. I tried walking her once without a choke chain and she tugged me and I tripped and smashed my face on the curb and ended up with a bruised face and a black eye. After that I switched to a prong collar (they call power steering) and I can walk her easily. No problem. These classes were key to my success as a dog owner. I am so happy it's here. read more

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. My husband and I recently adopted a dog from the Albuquerque East Side shelter and he qualified for the Grant training program. This means we got to attend the 8 week novice classes for free which was totally AMAZING. Our dog is a big 70+lb Lab/ Chow Chow mix and he has some fear/ aggression issues that we are working on. The first week of class was the hardest. My dog was aggressive and scared (there are about 20-25 dogs in the novice classes) and i was so nervous that this wasn't for him. I almost didn't come back after the first week. But i did return and Thor just graduated a week ago. Trish does not us treats in her training (which is great because if you don't have treats your dog won't respond and could put you both in a dangerous situation if they aren't willing to listen) My dog Thor needed the pronged collar (this does not hurt them! I even asked my vet and he said as long as you are trained to use them and you don't leave them on all the time it is perfectly humane and safe so get educated people!) and at first when he received corrections he yelped (out of shock NOT PAIN) and eventually learned to respond to much softer correction. After about three classes my dog turned into a completely different dog. He was able to sit and stay and listen and I actually enjoyed taking him on walks (and he enjoyed going on walks!) now that he wasn't dragging me down the block. He still has some fear of other dogs which can sometimes manifest as aggression but even that is so much better! he is much more relaxed around other dogs and more open to making friends rather than attacking them. He does wear a muzzle to class and around new dogs and environments to keep himself and everyone else safe. Trish and the trainers definitely make sure everyone is safe in class especially since there are so many in class. The first few weeks are a little chaotic but it definitely teaches the dogs that even with chaos around them they need to listen to you for their safety as well as yours. Trish also offers private lessons which Thor and I have taken advantage of to work on his fear aggression and Thor just progresses EVERY TIME. Trish really offers it all including poison proofing and snake proofing. Thor has improved so so so much since graduating from the 8 week novice class and we can't wait to get started on the advanced novice and eventually move into agility. Not all dogs learn the same way but Trish's method was absolutely the most amazing thing for Thor and the only thing that worked for him. Even if you have to make a correction the dog is ALWAYS ALWAYS praised for their good behavior after the correction! My dog has no injuries, and is not in pain ever. He is loving and listens to me even when he is off leash in my house and in my back yard. He is not afraid of me or my husband or Trish. He is so happy to go to training every week and REALLY enjoys showing off how good he is and how much he has learned. I highly recommend Acoma Training and Trish and her wonderful staff! read more

Just completed Novice Obedience with my 2 year old German Shepherd mix. If you want to learn how to train and have a good positive relationship with your dog you need to go to this class. Dogs need boundaries and to understand what is expected of them in order to be happy. There is nothing cruel or inappropriate about the methods used here. Trish very quickly recognizes the soft and insecure dogs and the dominant bullying dogs and works with them very earnestly. At the end of 8 weeks the soft shy dogs were comfortable with other people and dogs and the naughty bullies were acting like good citizens. Of course, if you only go to class and don't work with your dog on the lessons at home, your results may not be what you hoped. The cost is very reasonable especially in light of the extra attention you get from the staff and the 4 free refresher sessions you can attend upon completion. You will get a list of the proper equipment when you sign up and you can buy what you need anywhere. The fact that Acoma also has good quality equipment at reasonable prices is an added benefit and convenient. read more