This review is for doggy day school. I started taking my dog, Tucker, to Dog School Austin a few weeks ago. Tucker is a very high energy dog, and no matter how many walks/runs/days sprinting circles in our yard he experiences, he still wants more. We wanted to find a place that would mentally and physically engage Tucker without leaving him feeling anxious or overwhelmed. Dog School Austin has done that and more! He loves springing up the front stairs and waiting patiently at the gate. His tail doesn't stop wagging, and he's happy and relaxed when we pick him up. The only thing that would improve our experience would be if a few pictures of Tucker appeared on Dog School's facebook page. I know, I'm totally "that" person who likes to see pictures of my dogs online. Whatevs, haters can hate. We love Dog School Austin! read more

Austin Dog School is the best!! First of all, the free evaluation--awesome. Rachel really seemed to care, and she asked so many questions! Super thorough and we felt really cared for and listened to. We needed a session asap, and as Rachel was all booked up for the week, we made an appointment for their other trainer Trish to come by for our hour-long training session at our apartment. (My evaluation was on a Saturday afternoon, and Trish was at our apartment on Monday--talk about a quick turnaround.) Trish was super friendly and got right down to business and asked us what we needed help with. Our big thing was crate training for our puppy, and so she helped us teach him how to start loving the big, scary thing. I couldn't believe how fast he was learning with her, and it was so fun to see him enjoying himself doing things I though it would take him forever to do. We went over a bunch more, and Trish even stayed a few minutes late to be sure all of my questions were answered. We talked about crate training, biting our hands while we played, safe ways to play tug, leash walking, how to help our pup not freak out when we leave the apartment--so much for just an hour! She even left us with a whole page of handwritten instructions for what we had learned. Overall, I was just so happy with everyone at Dog School. Super attentive, really responsive when setting up and appointment, etc., amazing with my dog, and overall they just really seemed to love what they do. Not to mention their training sessions are really reasonably priced. I am so glad we made an appointment, and I'm definitely going to schedule another in a few weeks for some more tips. read more

I was lucky enough to live a couple blocks away when the Dog School on Manchaca opened. We had a meet and greet with one of the trainers, Robin, where she gave me a tour of the house and yard and ran down how everything works. This was very helpful as a first time dog owner. I felt extremely confident they would take good care of my little marshmallow. She started off going twice a week and her tail could not wag enough when we walked up. At about 4 months they suggested a package that included some training for me, thank god. Rachel, the owner, came to my house to see what Marshmallow's environment was like and gave me specific tips on how to work with her on what I needed. It's hard to go to "just daycare" after you go to the Dog School! It's a little expensive but worth every penny. They train your dog at all times with certified trainers spending time with each pup. She was worn out and so well behaved when she got home. Love me some Dog School Austin! read more

This review is for at-home private training sessions, as my dog, Doozer, has never been onsite at the school. Trish is awesome! Very professional, helpful and understanding about what we were hoping to accomplish with our 20 month old boxer/mix. He's learning to loose-leash walk and keep calm under stressful situations (like coming across a cat...). Doozer is 75 lbs of muscle and way stronger than both Trish and I, but he's just a big puddle of mush eating out of the palm of her hand by the end of his session. She gave me some very helpful tools to work with my dog on my own, and they've been working great! He's doing better every day. I also received very prompt emails and was able to schedule our first session within a week. Can't rave enough! Love Dog School Austin! read more

We had Rachel to our home for a socially-distanced dog training session for our newly-adopted 1-year-old dog. Rachel was prompt and prepared, with a mask for herself and treats for Penny. We wanted to work on how to integrate Penny's energy-level into our already busy home with WFH parents and virtually learning kids. She offered us tips and tricks for ways to incorporate successful crate time, activity toys, alternative leash/halter tools to what we have, set-ups for Penny in the house, as well as productive ball-throwing while managing her mouthy behavior. We have a lot of work on our end, but I'm very grateful for Rachel's expertise and assistance in getting us going! read more

What a great experience for us and our dog! The communication was great from the initial inquiry through the in-home training sessions following a 2-week Basics Training Program. We had minimal training requests, but the main one was leash training, which they were able to address and teach. It has made a huge difference in our walks already. We still have our spunky, high-energy pup (60lb boxer mix), but now he can walk alongside us rather than pull for the duration of the walk. Robert and Rachel (and I'm sure other trainers!) took such great care of our dog! We learned some great training tips/tools to use moving forward so we may continue to mentally & physically challenge our pup in a constructive way. Thank you, Dog School Austin! read more

I called a few months ago and they never got back to me. Doesn't quite sound like they have their act together. I've since found another facility that got to me right away and is perfect for my dog. read more

Dog School Austin got our 4 month old puppy on the right track quickly with great training. They are professional, timely and very knowledgeable. I would recommend Dog School Austin to anyone whose dog needs training. In our case, our new dog was trained to walk on a leash, not bite, not run out of the front door when left open and to go to the bathroom outside. Don't get frustrated with your pet, get some help from these experts. read more

I had an appointment set up last week for Rachael to evaluate my dog so that we could begin training and all. However, when I got there, I knew something was off. The house that it is held at is in worse condition than the pictures they had sent originally showed. Of course, I was able to overlook this detail since it is a dog school. However, I arrived at around 7:20pm since our appointment was for 7:30pm. I waited until around 7:40pm since I thought maybe she had an appointment before me and was just running behind. However, at around 7:50 I was worried that she had just bailed on me. So, I called and got no reply on the phone. By that time, the sun was going down, and I just got an extremely uneasy feeling about the entire thing. So, I booked it out of there before anything bad happened. Of course, this past week, nobody has even had the decency to call or email us back about why they never bothered to show up or let me know they weren't going to make it. This is the worst service I've received and I definitely do not recommend this to anybody else. read more

We took our 7 month old Golden Retriever to Dog School Austin and it was well worth it. Duke came home a gentleman! Rachel was able to help correct some problems we were having which included nipping for attention, counter surfing and chewing his leash. He also learned tons of other useful commands such as place and not bolting through doors. We chose the two week boarding option which is well worth it. Our Golden Retriever Duke is now a spoiled well behaved inside dog who enjoys camping with the family! Thanks Rachel! read more

Rachel is amazing! She has helped us with one on one training and takes Bear out on Field Trips where he gets to hike and play all over the city. He's been to places I haven't been to yet! He really loves her and whenever he comes back from boarding at the school house, he's even better behaved. It's obvious that Rachel is working on his doggie skills and I love the pick up and drop off! read more

Rachel and Jayme are the best! Our dog Emmylou returns from Dog School happy and better behaved every time.

Our dog Traveler has been going to Rachel of Dog School since she was 12 weeks old. Traveler is hands down (paws up) the best companion dog ever. She sailed through her Canine Good Citizen certification and is now on her way to being trained as a therapy dog. She is completely in alignment with her obedience skills and thrives when working and learning new things. Her confidence levels improve every time she goes to Dog School and is a superstar. Rachel and Dog School are the ultimate professionals, easy to talk to, and really fun. We enjoy them almost as much as Traveler does. If you want to learn how to communicate effectively with your dog and feel confident taking them in all situations, go to Dog School. They are simply the best you will find for dog training. read more

(I know this review is very long, but please take a few minutes to read my story and understand why this review is so important to me) If i was able to give zero or negative stars, i certainly would. Let me start off this review by saying it has taken me almost a year to sit down and finally be able to put together the words to truly explain why i do not support this business and why i would not recommend you send your pet here. My fiancé and i were new to Austin and had just adopted a loving puppy from the Austin Humane Society. Like most owners, we were interested in having the best training for our puppy Duke and after reading many of the positive reviews here on yelp of Dog School Austin, we decided this would be the perfect place to send our pup. My fiancé and i were flying to New York, where we are both from originally, for our wedding, and signed up Duke for the two week training program. My Husband dropped him off at 1 pm on a Thursday and arrived in New York later that night. Friday morning he receives a call from a member of the staff at Dog School Austin letting him know that our puppy Duke had passed away and they were "sorry." The shock we felt from this news was beyond belief, our 2 and a half month old puppy who had been to the vet for all necessary check ups and vaccinations and had zero signs of any type of sickness, had just suddenly passed away after being at Dog School Austin for ONE NIGHT. This happened just 3 days before our wedding and we were not set to fly back to Texas for another week and a half to deal with this traumatic experience. When asked what happened, all the staff said was "Duke was acting lethargic so we decided to take him to the vet, and on the way to the vet he threw up in the car and passed away before getting there." That was the only information they gave us. It was not our vet that they brought him to, but their own vet they deal privately with. The vet is located minutes down the road which causes me to question how in a mere 3 minute drive a perfectly healthy puppy was able to go from being tired to passing away. When we finally made it back to Texas and went to the vet to finalize all the logistics we were told that Dog School Austin chose to have Duke cremated but the vet was unable to find his ashes. I asked for the documentation of the visit where they brought Duke in and on the paperwork under "Breed" they wrote "Beagle". Duke looked nothing like a beagle, Dog School Austin had his breed information on file with his vet records we submitted upon dropping him off. There were so many missing parts of this story, and Dog School Austin did NOTHING to try and help explain or fill the holes of the story. When trying to arrange with the owner ( Rachel) of Dog School Austin to pick up Dukes belongings we were unable to get a hold of anyone for about 2 weeks. Every time we would call they would say someone was out on a walk or not around that day. We were just two grieving owners trying to pick up our puppy's belongings and not once did i feel any type of sympathy from them regarding the situation, considering my puppy passed away on their watch i would expect something more. All i have to say is, if you love your pet like i loved mine i would HIGHLY recommend finding another place to take your dog. This is something i will carry with me forever and will never be able to find out the full story behind this tragic event. Please Please take my review into account when choosing a place to send your pet. I know its easy to read a few of the "good" reviews and think that you're in for a treat, it's exactly what my husband and i did. Thank you for taking the time to read my review. P.S Now almost a year later, my husband and i have a new puppy in our lives that we love very much and If you are looking for an amazing place to send your pet for training, boarding, grooming, day care etc. i would HIGHLY recommend Action Pack Day School located in Round Rock. Our Puppy Kylie LOVED to go there, her training results were amazing and more importantly she was the happiest puppy on the block. They are full of the most loving staff and and do everything possible to make your experience the best one yet. read more

I guess if you are in, consider yourself lucky, My original appointment was re-scheduled and I had to wait over a week to get the next available appointment. The second request for a schedule change was attempted while on my way to the appointment. I politely declined. Like most folks, it takes some serious finessing and wrangling to re-arrange one's work schedule and I travel on the weekends. Normally, I'm a three-strike person, but when it comes to my puppy, two strikes is two too many. I really, really wanted to support this business, but since there wasn't a back-up person in place, it made me wonder if I would really get the quality training I was more than willing to pay for - for a few years. I'll take my business elsewhere. read more

Completely trust Dog School with our Lab, who they have known since she was a puppy. She has been on plenty of field trips with Dog School, and they have kept her when we are out of town. They are 100% reliable, affordable, and worth every penny. I trust them with a key to my house...literally, as their services include picking up and dropping off your pup, which is a HUGE advantage. They are very helpful with problem solving any specific issues or just generally sending you and your pup in the right direction. They offer several fun classes both humans and canines enjoy and are flexible with meeting your needs. Highly recommend! read more

Although our 8 month old dog Max has not completed his 6wk dog training class yet, the instruction and training provided by Rachael is already getting him on the right path. I am sure by the time he finishes Max will be stop "leash pulling", barking at every dog and person and be a better family dog. I am glad we decided to go with Dog School Austin. read more

Dog School Austin has been an amazing partner and teacher to our family. Rachel is the ultimate dog whisperer! We have all learned an enormous amount and we have a wild puppy that has evolved into a greats puppy that listens and is a total joy. Dog School gave us the tools to raise an awesome dog in a short amount of time. They are also a joy to work with. Flexible, diverse options and friendly. Really talented and great at what they do. read more