Before I went to AHIMSA, I dreaded taking my dog for a walk. We went out at night, before dawn and in the rain, just to avoid seeing another dog. I was near tears with how unhappy my dog and I had become while out on a walk. Wynona and Mary helped me to see what my dog needed and how to provide it for him. By the end of the introductory class of Growly Dog I was already filled with hope, and as the weeks progressed, I saw that my dog and I were having more fun, walking better, and relaxing more. It has been a life saver for me. And my dog has a new side to his personality that is more confident, more relaxed, and more responsive to me. I am thrilled. Thank you Wynona and Mary. I will sing your praises to any and all! read more

I'm halfway through the Puppy Elementary with Klara and Ken, and i couldn't be happier. They have been very patient and helpful both in the classroom and via email, with my high energy rescue puppy. My dog and i have learned so much since starting the classes. I look forward to going through all of their basic dog training classes, and continue seeing the progress in my dog. read more

Over several decades my dogs and I have taken many dog training classes both in the basics and special ones (e.g. agility, therapy dogs etc). Wynona Karbo at Ahimsa is head and shoulders above all the other trainers I've encountered. She knows her stuff and can use it effectively. She is totally about positive reinforcement. She communicates very well with the humans (99% of dog training classes are for the humans). She is the only trainer I have had who remembers each human and dog (strengths, weaknesses, who was out of town etc) at every class. In addition to communication, the dogs love her and she shows her skills many times per class. Wynona and Klara are excellent at interpreting dog body language when the young ones get to play and helping the pups grow in their dog interaction skills and the humans understand how the dog is communicating. We've also recently taken classes at Puppy Manners (they still include aversives in their training) and Doggy Haven (adequate but not spectacular). Ahimsa's facility is set up well with tough padding on the floors and barriers between students so the canines can focus on learning rather than flirting with their neighbors. Parking may require walking a block or two, but it is a good time for the canine student to eliminate and calm before entering class. The only downside - their classes or so popular you have to be ready to submit your reservation when they put up the new class schedule. read more

Finished up Puppy Elementary with my 7 month old Pembroke Welsh Corgi and we both loved it! Awesome facility, the trainers were great, followed up each training session with a detailed email of what we learned, and the pups got to socialize also which is extra important. Looking forward to continuing our training there with Finn as he gets older :) read more

We took our wheaten terrier puppy to the Puppy Kindergarten and Puppy Elementary classes and Amber was our instructor for both. We had an amazing experience. It was a safe and very clean environment. Never too many dogs at a time and playtime was well organized so everyone could have a good experience as well as a learning experience. Amber is a very well-versed dog trainer and behavioralist. Our dog learned quite a bit through these two classes and so did her moms! Highly recommend this training facility for positive reinforcement dog training. read more

The owner contacted me and apologized and explained the cause for the mix up. She was very prompt and I appreciate her prompt response and customer service to resolve the issue. We were very happy with the training we received while we were able to attend, the classes are a different style as others have noted, but as long as you understand what you are signing up for it works out very well, especially for socialization. If our schedules line up we will definitely look at Ahimsa for more dog training. read more

Wynona and her classes are fun and so helpful with puppy training. The staff monitors progress and goes out of their way to help all the pup's succeed. The program is very effective for pups and their owners. Highly recommended for a well behaved new friend. read more

I had had two anxious rescues that I took to their basic obedience classes. One had had previous class time somewhere else, but I felt it would be a great opportunity to re-teach some basic skills. I absolutely love how the classes are set up! Because both my dogs were super anxious it was really great that we could start off the class in our own little private area until our dogs could warm up to the noise and sounds before removing curtains, and raising the distraction level. One of our pup is disabled and Carly as amazing at making class accessible to her, and helping up figure out some challenging games and muscle building activities. Our other pup was on the reactive side of socializing, and was rather fearful. I went to their reactive dog seminar and learned the BAT program, and I loved every part of this. We took things super slow, and they helped me learn how to read my dogs body language so that I could reward him before he exploded. They really focus on creating confident dogs that can make the right choices, and it shows. I Also had a private session with Wynona. Though this was pricey it was amazingly productive. She never shied away from sharing information, always answered my questions (and follow up questions) and really helped me create the best environment to work with my rescues. Since Ahimsa, both of my dogs have been able to pass the CGC test, one is working in agility and the other is getting amazingly good at scent work. I really could not have done this without their help. read more

The best puppy classes around!! Took our Eskipoo to puppy kindergarten and puppy elementary since we have had cats, not puppies. They made it easy for us humans to learn the concepts, and the puppy grew in confidence until he couldn't wait to go to class. I especially liked that classes for young puppies can be first thing in the morning to minimize germ exposure till all the shots are onboard. Each class starts with puppy socialization where the puppies are divided into groups with animals they are likely to get along with and then supervised, with adjustments made. This was easily our favorite part of the class. Your puppy playing well with other puppies. It was adorable, so fun. Now we have a well socialized dog who adores people and other dogs. Big thanks to Wynona and all the trainers. I highly recommend Ahimsa! read more

I can't say enough good things about Ahimsa. We first brought our labradoodle puppy Koji here for Puppy Kindergarten starting at 9 weeks. The flexible format was a godsend. You can reschedule classes as many times as you need to, and you can drop into other kindergarten classes as often as you want for free. (Space available, but in our experience there was always space.) When Koji got kennel cough (not from Ahimsa), Ahimsa extended our pass by a month, no questions asked. We're now back at Ahimsa for Puppy Elementary, which is a structured sequence of 6 classes. The classes themselves are a great mix of play, skills demonstration, and practice with your pup. This is my first time using clicker training, and it has been amazingly effective with Koji. The instructors (especially Wynona and Lindsey) are knowledgeable, friendly, and always willing to answer extra questions. read more

We have been going to puppy kindergarten and using the puppy day camp as well. Both are fabulous and we have seen an extremely positive change in our pup for the better. The kindergarten is great for socialization for your puppy when it's too young to go to dog parks. We've picked up a lot of training tips as well that we've been able to apply at home. The puppy day camp has great trainers giving each pup personalized attention. We get a report card that helps us to determine what areas of focus we need to work on at home. The trainers are well informed and are very patient. Our puppy was extremely mouthy and had trouble with distractions, and after the puppy day camp she has reduced this negative behavior significantly. Highly recommend! read more

Ahimsa saved us! When my husband and I rescued our dog Molly, she was an anxious, aggressive dog. We started with an individual session with a trainer who taught us some strategies for helping Molly meet new people and generally manage her aggression. We then enrolled Molly in Growly Dog, and I could not believe the progress she made in four sessions! By the end of class, Molly was able to comfortably walk behind other dogs, and has just gotten better since then! Every trainer we worked with was knowledgeable, sensitive, and really understood our dog. We learned techniques that we continue to use and have a much better sense of how to work with our dog. We would recommend Ahimsa to anyone! read more

Ahimsa Dog Training is a professional run school for pets and owners who are interested in positive discipline training. Today, Christmas Eve, I called with a problem having to do with house training. I was panicked over several messes the last few days since my husband and kids have left town. I was talked down by one of trainers who answered on the eve of the holiday with really good information that helped me to understand what was going on. Additionally, I've been in puppy kindergarten with my golden. I found the teaching exercises, the explanations, the in class practice time to be invaluable, and easy to follow at home. Highly recommend. read more

My boyfriend and I rescued a high maintenance "aggressive breed" around 6 months of age. We brought her here for the BAT classes (dog aggression) which in theory made alot of sense but the time frame of improvement just wasn't acceptable to us. We needed a solution asap and we need one that we felt confident about. During the 6 weeks class it was just talking theory of what if this or that happens and what to do which always involved food. The idea of bribing your dog for everything just didn't add up to me, Dogs are very smart and will take full advantage of this. Our dog would just take the food and continue with the bad behavior. We were told it would take a minimum of a year for her to stop reacting if we followed the training which through the whole course we never felt confident about training and what we were learning. I give this place 2 stars because the trainer(Carly) we had was great and was always patient and kept a positive atmosphere, We attended some of her other workshops to learn other training methods and I've seen personally the success she has had with other dogs. I would recommend this place for people fortunate enough to get their dog at the early stages and start from the beginning, This is a great place for low-med maintenance dogs, they do clicker training here which is great. However for the rescue dogs which most have aggression issues I would not recommend this place because it did not work out for us and from other reviews for them as well. We did go a different route and found a training program that had no doubt in their mind they had the right training tools to help us and pretty much guaranteed success and I'm proud to say our puppy is a new dog I never thought I'd see the day I would be able to off leash my dog with 100 percent confidence to have her under control and it didn't involve any food to bribe her, A different approach and really understanding how your dog learns and using those tools to build that strong bond. If anyone is interested you can contact me and I'd be more than happy to give you the info. read more

Attended the fear and aggression 101 class in hopes of taking the growly dog class. The class was some what informative. My issue was after the calls the instructor Wynonna came outside to answer questions as an actual training class was about to start. However when I asked her a question she really didn't seem like she was listening. Several times she turned her attention away from me to talk to someone else with out even saying excuse me for a moment. So I don't feel she could have possibly answered my question when she wasn't even paying attention to me. It was rude and did not make me feel confident that she would work well in a group setting. I am in desperate need of a training for my dog and was really hoping Ahimsa was going to be the answer with all of the great reviews. Looks like I will have to continue my search for an attentive instructor. read more

Ahimsa was our go-to training facility when our Poodle, Jasper, was a puppy. We took Puppy Kindergarten, Puppy Elementary and Puppy Junior High. Jasper also attended a week or two of Puppy Camp to help us get him adjusted to his crate; he regularly attended Puppy Playdays, and we went to a couple of Backyard Tricks and Games classes on a drop in basis. (Which were a blast!) The overwhelmingly positive and respectful attitude towards dogs and humans that was expressed by every instructor we met made going to classes really fun. Besides everything Jasper picked up, I loved how much we, the people, learned about dog behavior and communication. Three years later, I still use what I learned not only with my own dog at home, but every time we go to a dog park or I meet a new dog. I felt like I really got to understand what was going on in the dog's mind - and can therefore intervene or redirect before a problem erupts. Is Ahimsa perfect? Of course not. Because of the flexible attendance policy for some classes (especially the first two puppy series), there was a lot of variation in which students attended - and so a lot of repetition of topics. Granted, puppies need repetition! But I sometimes finished a series feeling like we hadn't covered everything I expected. This was not a problem in the series that had a set schedule, like Puppy Junior High. The policy of being able to attend some classes on a drop in basis if there was space had its plusses and minuses - because we were commuting from the south end to Ahimsa, I didn't want to risk coming all that way only to find there wasn't a space. But it was very fun to get to sample a new class if we happened to be in the area. Overall, I would and do recommend Ahimsa highly. read more

I have a giant breed puppy that "sized out" of other puppy play groups so I thought I would take him to Ahimsa since they don't have weight restrictions. Big mistake. The room is divided into sections dependant upon size of dog. Makes sense, but at first they left my dog all alone even though there was another large breed puppy there and she was roughly the same size. They "realized" and moved her over with my puppy. They'd play nicely, meander about and then play a little more. All fine and dandy, until another puppy was added to the mix. A medium sized puppy came late and was put into the medium sized group. This puppy was unruly, had poor dog communication skills and didn't respect other puppies' boundaries. The trainer told the owner that it would need to try and play with the "big" puppies because it was too assertive for the medium sized ones. And if that didn't work, she'd have to work on training with it. Mind you, my puppy has been to many play groups and has a lot of puppy friends of all sizes and I have never had an issue. This new puppy continuously jumped at my puppy's face and did not respect the boundaries that my puppy tried to put up. He would turn and walk away, he'd give a menacing growl, but the new puppy wasn't listening and continued with it's behavior. The trainer was working with another group and failed to see all of this, but, of course, saw when my puppy had finally had enough and lunged with his teeth bared. The owner of the unruly puppy freaked out, scooped up her puppy, kept saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" to her puppy and looked at me as if I had this horrible, aggressive dog even though she was warned about her puppy's behavior. I took a time out with my puppy to let him calm down and then let him go back to playing with the other large puppy. The trainer stayed to supervise and kept rewarding my puppy for walking away and making right choices, which is what he had done all along, she was just too busy to see it. This scenario kept playing out over and over again, but the trainer still did not ask the owner of the other puppy to leave, even though she was told ahead of time that it may not work out. I didn't understand this at all. After 20 minutes of dealing with this I decided it was time to leave, put a harness on my puppy and the trainer saw me, not realizing I was leaving, and told me that it was great that I was harnessing MY dog for the rest of playtime. As if my dog were the problem. We had a much better time playing outside waiting to go in. He would play bow with the little ones and get all wiggly and happy, but I was treated as if I had a problem puppy, when clearly wasn't the case. My puppy was set up for failure which is rule #1 of what not to do and I will not be going back. read more

This review is for puppy kindergarten only. We didn't have a great experience because our puppy is too small for all sizes but too big for small breeds, so every class it felt like a struggle to find a playmate for him because they insist on matching sizes. This is despite him being both very gentle with small puppies and tolerant (and not afraid) of larger puppies. They don't seem to take what the puppy actually wants into account, I would also say they seem too breedist and they end up missing out on some great play couples, because of their insistence on 3 groups of 2 - 3 puppies instead of everyone playing. Basically they insist on making a few play groups with like sized puppies. Sometimes energy plays into it too. If your dog doesn't play well with the puppy you're with - tough luck. Generally they'll try to move one puppy, but we had a few sessions where no play happened with our puppy at all because he wasn't a good match with the other sized puppies. They are too over-protective of the puppies, as well in terms of micro-managaing the play style. For dogs that are shy with other puppies, of course special accomodations need to be made or for toy puppies who are just so fragile. I don't see the point of segregating everyone else though or for giving constant timeouts for normal roughhousing when both puppies are enjoying the play. If your puppy likes to wrestle, don't come here. If your puppy is on top wrestling for 3 seconds he gets a time out, so you will constantly have to pull your puppy off the other puppy even when both are clearly having a good time and the mouthings are very gentle. Your puppy will learn being on top of wrestling is bad, as a result our puppy is VERY hesitant to wrestle on top and only likes to be on bottom since coming here. Obviously he didn't make the connection that being on top for more than 3 seconds is not ok but being on top in general is so he thinks that being on top in general is not allowed anymore *sigh*. My puppy has spent a ton of time at puppyworks where they don't split off puppies except for special circumstances which I greatly, greatly prefer. It's too hard to predict who will want to play with who. It;s also important for puppies to experience small amounts of stress so that they can learn. For example my puppy wasn't confident telling other puppies off, but after playing with a larger puppy it started to learn 'hey I have to tell a puppy when I don't want to play anymore'. Also my puppy is not afraid of larger dogs because he's played with both larger and smaller puppies, whereas a few puppies at ahimsa were clearly afraid of larger puppies (and not huge) because they've never played with them. Also he's learned to be gentle with smaller puppies (and in general) through experiences particularly experiences where he gets told off and play stops. He would never get these experiences if play was always perfect and hyper-managed by a person. The training is also strange too, there isn't much coaching of the owners at all. At another class I took, the trainer came around to each person to see how it was going. I heard an owner yelling at their puppy several times over several classes and the trainer never said 'that's not a positive method, it works better to say 'oops' and deny affection instead of yelling'. I noticed owners doing other things that aren't generally recommended anymore like saying 'good sit' after a sit. They expect you to read the training book and coach yourself - but the classes should be to refine your coaching skills too not just to play with puppies. read more

Ahimsa Dog Training and its fantastic staff are phenomenal with puppies, adult dogs and their humans! I'm not sure I can adequately describe what a positive influence they were in helping my dog, Homer, reach her full potential. We took our first class when she was just 7 weeks old, and as class unfolded I wondered how I would ever teach my dog everything she needed to succeed... turns out, I needn't have worried. Ahimsa understands puppies and dogs, and their method of positive reinforcement helps to create a trusting relationship between the owner and pet. They give you all the tools you need to have a well behaved, socially assured pet. The trainers have heard it all, and never fail to have a helpful recommendation for any trouble spots. And, during the classes for the younger pups, there is AMPLE playtime for your puppy to safely learn HOW to play---and the owners get to watch a bunch of puppies playing together with wild abandon! Socialization is so important, and it's really nice to have a place to "practice" with other puppies and like-minded owners. As Homer matured, we continued to take classes off and on because there's always something new to learn, and the process is safe and reliable. I learned so much by spending time with my dog in that environment---it's as if they gave me the key to unlocking the way my dog thinks. And, when you know how your dog thinks, and why they do the things they do, shaping their behavior becomes second nature. My dog learned so much, and excelled in obedience---we became a therapy animal team and we owe it all to Ahimsa. Years later, we still utilize the lessons we learned, and I'm so grateful for the instruction we received. My closing thought is to keep in mind that dog training, and shaping dog behavior is a process---the more time you put in and the more patience you practice, the better outcome you may have. If you take the lessons from the classroom and work on them consistently at home you'll be rewarded with a relationship of mutual trust. read more

I am currently having issues with my dog jumping on my guest and was referred by my dog walker to Ahimsa. I called and spoke with a representative who advised me to prepay for my private lessons and the trainer would contact me for scheduling. I had to contact the trainer three times and finally received a response a week later. She showed up late to our first appointment and chatted with me for most of the session. However, there were results, when she was working with our dog. Since then, I've tried to schedule our following appointments and found that I am dealing with the same issues as before. I am disappointed in the lack of communication and the fact that it takes a week for me to get a of response. In addition, I also have to be the person who is constantly contacting them for future appointments or I will not hear from anyone at all. I do not see my dog benefiting from a lesson every 2 months and I now in the process of getting a refund. read more

Would not recommend. My husband & I took our rescue dog to a BAT class because she is leash reactive. The course came out to about $60 per hour long class. Altogether, we & our dog got about 20 minutes maximum of personal attention. That 20 minute guesstimate is generous: it was probably less. Not worth the money, really. Most of the class was taken up with listening to other people detail how their week went. I really wasn't interested in hearing how Spot reacted to the 50 dogs it saw during the week, so listening to that from 5 different people was not great. Maybe putting a time limit on that would be helpful, like 1 minute per person. Anything additional & you could stay over after class or email for more personal attention When we finally got to the hands on portion, we only got to bring our dog in twice. For the really one-on-one part where it was just our dog & one other, more than half of class was taken up by the aforementioned chatting. We were left with 15 minutes to actually work our dogs, & mine got about 5-10 minutes. Afterwards, we were left with a dog who wasn't any better. The book was helpful, but there wasn't enough instruction on cues to read specific to my dog that indicated stress. Since reactivity is pretty specific to each dog, we needed more one-on-one for a class like this. I would give it one star, except - as my husband pointed out - the information was useful. The class wasn't, but hey, at least we got the book. read more

I took the Growly class for my reactive dog. It was a bit expensive and a class for six dogs. Most of the classes were handled with two dogs at a time, so the rest of the class just watched. Even with all the dogs at the class you just practice a BAT set up, which anyone can do on their own. After you finish the class they encourage you to go to the Growly 2 class, and tell you if you take too long you will have to pay for a refresher class and they tell you about some other walk in classes you can continue to pay for. So if you can handle doing a BAT set up and treat your dog then don't bother paying $225 for this class. That's all you get out of it besides some minor input from the trainer. I heard this is a good place and my review is for the Growly class only. read more

I used to instruct dog training classes elsewhere so I am pretty picky about who I let boss me and my pup pup around. I heard great things about ahimsa so I decided to check it out. I looked at the website and decided to enroll... but it took me until my dog began having agression problems to actually get in a class. When b hit a little over one year old she began having some onleash aggression issues. She was born deaf and I did all of her basic training myself because I hadnt really found a trainer that had much experience with deaf dogs so I figured I could do just as well on my own. I needed some extra help when she started getting growly though so I enrolled in Grisha's growly dog class in ballard. I liked grisha's class because 1) she encourages the use of logical positive re-enforcement techniques. I liked the idea of reconditioning my dogs unease around other dogs and replacing it with a relaxed and excited manner. 2) I felt very comfortable in the class. There were a lot of different types of students (and parents!) so ididnt feel weird to be the tattooed girl with the pitbull. A very queer, veggie, and tattoo friendly environment. 3) I have a lot of dog experience and my boyfriend has none and she was able to address both of our needs in a helpfull way. 4) Dealing with dogs who can be aggressive to other dogs and to people can be unsafe and scary but grisha had everything under control and I never felt worried that anything would go wrong. It can be hard to go for help with aggression when you have a breed that is stereotypicaly considered "dangerous". I felt like grisha didnt judge my sweet girl for being born a pitbull, but at the same time was very knowledgable and forward with the extra safety measures bully owners need to take to make sure their dog is a good representitive of the breed. Please take your dog here. I had a great experience. read more

My 8 month old LOVES going to school. He has completed both puppy kindergarten and puppy elementary through Ahimsa. While you learn great training at Ahimsa, it is important to practice at home. Your dog will learn good basic manners through the puppy schools and also learn how to socialize with other dogs which is really important to learn in early stages. read more

I credit Ahimsa with training ME perfectly! Today my beagle puppy broke out and darted directly toward my busy street. I initially panicked but then remembered the training of act excited and run away from the dog (goes against every instinct you have) and it worked! He chased me right inside for a treat reward! Bless you Ahimsa. Very much looking forward to learning more. read more

We just completed Ahimsa's six-week puppy kindergarten with our Lab puppy. Pros: really terrific instructors who are firm yet gentle with the dogs (and people) and always willing to give extra advice and ideas for specific issues; great flexibility - the option to swap for other time slots was really handy; learned a lot of basics Cons: commute was challenging for us from NE Seattle but well worth the trip - we knew what we were getting into. read more

We started the "Growly Dog" class last week, and so far it's going great! We have a very reactive Shepherd mix, and were worried she might be a little too "growly" even for this class... my dad and I both expressed our concerns with the leader of the class, Ken... and he could not have been more caring and encouraging! He came up with different ways to make the class work for our dog.. and better ways to train her at home! He said it might take her longer.. but she will get there! It was so refreshing to hear! The last trainer we worked with seemed to think her ONE way works for all dogs... and it didn't work.. at all! Every dog is different.. and it's nice to have a training center that understands that! Our dog is very sweet and she adores people, but she had a really rough life, and it left her with a lot of fear and anxiety with dogs. She needs to take things really slow, and do things a little different than the other dogs in class. And thanks to Ahimsa, she is able to! Today's class went so well!! She did better than she ever has around other dogs! She was able to go at her own speed and both of the instructors (Ken and Kara) worked so well with her! We are SO excited to see how far she will go in this class! We already worked with our dog at home daily.. but we now have new ways to train her, and it's made a big difference in a short time! We would recommend this class to anyone! As long as you are willing to put in the effort to work with your dog outside of class, and read the book they give you.. it will do wonders! read more

I went to a workshop and was not impressed. The trainer only spent time on dogs that she knew from other classes/workshops. I didn't feel like I learned anything that I could not have googled. Waste of time. read more

Hachi (my pup) and I are having a great time at Ahimsa! We have been to 3 classes so far and I can see a huge difference in my shy/cautious pup's confidence already. She's a great puppy with humans but a little afraid of dogs even though she wants to play with them. I would call the dog trainers here the occupational therapists for dogs! They are professional, fun and very knowledgeable. I ask questions after class and they take the time to patiently answer them. I also enjoy meeting the other puppies and their owners! Keep up the great work!! read more

Ahimsa Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me - Seattle, Washington

After reading all the great reviews, and exploring the website I was disappointed when I called Ahimsa's dog training. I called to ask about how many puppies per class and basic training covered. I explained we were waiting to give Kokua 2 weeks to adjust to being in our home, the person I spoke with said she would not wait. (Which is fine, I respect all opinions) however I explained this was consistent with what I had read, recommend by our vet, the breeder, and the puppy was coming from Atlanta, her response was a rude "and that has to do with what?" I politely responded thank you for your time and the person hung up on me. read more

We're in our 2nd class at Ahimsa, and we just finished a private lesson with Amber, and I just had to write in with kudos. I am an experienced dog trainer (started obedience training dogs in 4-H as a kid and teen; raised a lab a decade ago and did puppy and basic obedience classes with her) but this is my first fully positive reinforcement training experience. Our pup is a seven (or nine, who knows) month old Taiwan dog rescue. She had a rough start, and Ahimsa's training approach has helped set both her and us as her handlers up for success in a way that traditional dog training would not have (in my humble opinion). For the folks who are reading reviews and are concerned about some of the challenges people have had with Ahimsa's logistics, I'll just say: a little patience and flexibility are worth it. After a private lesson had to be rescheduled, the trainer offered to come to our home instead of the classroom as a courtesy: we had a great experience as a result. Schedule challenges have occurred on both sides (we missed an entire class due to traffic, for example) and we've worked it all out. And I'm thankful we have! Our Puppy Catch-up class was a bit overwhelming for all three of us: at times, with the rolling basis, we were like, "What are we doing?!" The pace was fast, the topics were guided by the class, so it wasn't as structured as most classes I've done. When we got discouraged, though, we'd remind ourselves: (1) she's getting tremendously valuable socialization (and our pup's socialization with dogs and people improved noticeably during that six weeks); and (2) in each class, there was at least one tidbit that was worth all the frustration and effort. It was also a great experience for me and my boyfriend to work together through the classes -- we're still learning how to "share" dog responsibilities, and class is a great place to practice (and to stay calm and work together instead of at odds). Even though I say it was overwhelming: we're SO GRATEFUL for that class. It laid a foundation of positive reinforcement training that we've employed at home, ever since. Our Puppy Junior High class (with the same instructor - Rachel) just finished week two, and again, it's a little overwhelming -- our pup is super fixated on the other dogs, so we're working both (1) the new skills; and (2) ways to get and keep her attention with distraction. Class is tiring, AND it's exactly what we need. Rachel is a straightforward and clear guide through it all: don't expect touchy feely coddling and explanations! We've made great strides both in obedience / working as a team, AND in play, thanks to Rachel's guidance and training. During Puppy Catch-up we took advantage of the drop-in offer and took a few extra puppy kindergarden classes with Amber. Those classes were invaluable as well. What they lacked in training challenge (because they were teaching skills our pup had already learned) they made up for in socialization and practice with distraction, and Amber has "the touch" with dogs AND their people. Amber is also very skilled at explaining things in a way that us people *get* it. We opted to do private lessons with Amber to work on a few of our pup's more special needs because she felt like the best fit one-on-one, and I'm thrilled. Our pup is a challenging breed, and she's a rescue, so she got off to a rough start to begin with, and she's different in personality / motivation / etc than any of the other dogs I've raised. Using what I already knew would not have worked a lick with her. Ahimsa's approach gives my boyfriend and I a common "toolkit" and "language" for working together to raise, train, and work with our puppy, and has helped us understand how to communicate with and work with her in a truly cooperative way: giving all of us the greatest chance of success. With dogs in the past, I've felt doomed by certain behaviors -- I've "given up" on some things. With this pup and Ahimsa's guidance, I feel like anything that comes up, we'll be able to work on together; and, when the "stock" or "basic" approach doesn't cut it, Ahimsa's trainers (Rachel and Amber both) have been really helpful at coaching us to tailored solutions to the issues we're having based on OUR behavior and our dog's. I can't say enough positive about Ahimsa, and would highly recommend them if you're going to invest the time and energy in training. We have a lot still to learn, but get compliments all the time on our puppy's behavior and are very grateful we found this school. read more

Wynona and Lindsey Sunday puppy classes are the best - clear, friendly, and always on topic with what our Springer needs to learn at the time. She is 4 months old and considered by others a well behaved puppy - thanks Ahimsa! read more

This place is great. Patience, understanding and joy is passed out at each class and they have helped me with Ruthie more than I can say. Try it! You'll love it and worth every penny. My puppy has had 5 classes and her social skills have improved by leaps and bounds. Every teacher is aware of all the puppies- especially during playtime. I love this place! You owe it to your puppy and yourself to enroll. read more

My life generally involves work, school, reading, walks, eating at places with good Yelp reviews, and hanging out with friends. At the beginning of this year, I added a 4-month-old pug into the mix. Thanks to Ahimsa and the training that we've received here, my puppy's grown into a rather polite and very well socialized dog. There are two types of classes at Ahimsa: ongoing classes and series classes. For both types, you're paying $169 for reserved spots in 6 one-hour long classes, with the option to drop in to as many other puppy classes (with built-in playtime) or adult dog classes as your heart and schedule desires. Ongoing classes will likely have different dogs attending from week to week and the topics covered are determined by voting. This is where Ahimsa loses a star because this means that you may cover the same topics over and over again instead of learning new things with each passing week. With series classes, you don't have this problem since the same dogs are in the same class each week. The trainers who work at Ahimsa all seem to love dogs and working with them and they do a good job of teaching us the basics of positive reinforcement techniques while keeping the classes fun and focused on the dogs. Training classes should focus more on teaching the human to understand dogs and the way they think and that's exactly what Ahimsa does (instead of focusing on trying to make the dog behave a certain way). The positive reinforcement techniques (clicker training) used at Ahimsa not only helped my dog learn quickly but I also had a lot of fun in the process of training. read more

By far the best dog training facility we have ever been to. We really can't say enough good things about them. Winona is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of dog training, including current trends and improvements in that area. They have been exceedingly flexible with classes for our extremely fearful dog. They've allowed her to progress at her own pace, not some predetermined rate based on the class schedule. They are more concerned with making sure that our dog gets the training it needs rather than packing their classes full of clients. Any time we need dog training, we will think of them first. read more

We've got our little rescued lab/hound mix enrolled in the puppy kindergarten class. Before enrolling, I read everything I could on dog training, and came to the realization that positive training techniques were the way to go. I also believe that clicker training helps dogs figure out what it is you expect of them. So, with that in mind, I set about to find a like-minded training school. Ahimsa came solidly recommended, and seemed to be in alignment with how I want to raise my pup. They are as great as the reviews lead you to believe. Yay! We enrolled in 2 guaranteed spots per week, and have dropped in (for free!) to several other sessions. So far we've only seen 2 trainers, but both of them are patient with dogs and humans alike. Anytime I have a question or need clarification as to how best deal with a problem, they stop and ensure that both my pup and I are figuring it out. The only constructive criticism I would add is that I would like to see a little more structure with regards to session learning objectives. We've now covered "leave it" in every session because the mob rules. Perhaps they could do something along the lines of weeks 1 - 6 all have different learning objectives, and just get repeated every 6 weeks. For example, if it is week 1, you get sit and down. Week 4 gets leave it, and then so on until you get back to Week 1, sit and down. That way you could do more drop-ins during the week that you had those particular issues, and you know that each week will be different. Other than that, we are a big fan and plan on continuing our little ones education (and ours) at Ahimsa throughout her puppyhood and into adolescence and adulthood. read more

Ahimsa has been wonderful for us! We attended puppy preschool, puppy kindergarten, and are now finishing up a "play and train" group that our puppy is about to age out of. I have to say, at our very first class at Ahimsa, I felt overwhelmed and confused. I hadn't trained a puppy in 20+ yrs, and the techniques are much different now than they used to be. (clicker?) In fact, I was really discouraged. But as classes went on, we learned so much and our puppy was responding! We worked with Klara and Wynonna, and they have truly helped us to understand our very playful and often "bite-y" Chinook, and to most of all feel like we have tools to teach him good behavior. We still have a lot of work to do with our pup, but after every session at Ahimsa, we feel encouraged that we CAN do this. Thank you so much, Ahimsa! read more

I have an 8 yr old Australian Shepherd that was use to rural areas. Moved to Ballard area and she was pulling me an "freaking out" over noises. Amber at Ahimsa has taught me the Zen method and I have a whole new dog. Love this place. Old dogs can learn new tricks if you are taught how to work with them correctly. Really appreciate the knowledge that Amber has on dealing with all the hyperactivity and pulling that my Aussie has. Highly recommend this Dog Training. read more

We just finished puppy kindergarten here and Doobee has learned a lot. I recommend going to the classes taught by Grisha (she is the owner after all). Their rolling enrollment is great because you can go to any of their classes during your 6-week session. This is a great safe environment to socialize your puppy while he is still young and getting his shots. It's also a good environment to train your puppy with distractions as opposed to just alone in your home. Grisha even brought in a skateboard to class once and we practiced with target sticks another time. I have a few videos of play times on YouTube; search for Doobee or Ahimsa tags. read more

I found the trainers at Ahimsa knowledgeable and kind. Both my dog and I are better off for having taken the class. The only critic is of the rolling start date system. It means that it could be your 1st class and other peoples 5th. This made it hard to have any sort flow to what they are teaching. You could be trying to train your dog to stay before he knows how to sit or lay down. They do offer 1 class that does work like that and I wish I'd picked that one. read more