I've been attending puppy kindergarten with my four-month Labradoodle, Dahboo, for the past six weeks. I was hoping it would be a positive experience for him to socialize with other dogs, I didn't expect to have as much fun as I have going with him though. The class format is 15 minutes off-leash play interspersed with 5-10 minute guided on-leash sessions. You focus on one command each class with the idea being that you learn the basics of teaching the command and finish the training on your own at home. I like that the focus is on practical commands and not silly tricks (not against teaching those, just figure you can teach those on your own time). Our instructor, Bridget, has been great. I can imagine it's tough working a room with as many as a dozen or so pups running around, but she always took time to give everyone individual attention and make herself available for questions and practical answers. It's also a great way to meet other people. I'd often look forward to seeing some of the pup parents as much as their pups each week. Overall, it's a great environment for everyone and as an added bonus we attended the class held at Austin Corner Vet East, which is fantastic since that's also our vet. Dahboo's now excited to pull into the parking lot of his vet -- mission accomplished! :) We've enjoyed the class so much we'll be continuing on with the next class in the sequence and look forward to more fun working with Karma Dog Training as Dahboo works toward his therapy certification. read more

Karma Dog Training - Dahboo, at 10 weeks, getting ready for his first puppy kindergarten class :) - Pet Training Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

Karma Dog Training provides fantastic services for dogs and owners alike. My puppy, Dexter, and I just completed the Puppy Kindergarten class with Darci, and it was a terrific, worthwhile experience. As a first-time puppy parent, I was somewhat unsure of what to expect with a new puppy, and the trainers provided excellent coaching and advice throughout our 7-week class. During the first class, Dexter was so nervous that he was finding every corner possible to hide in. The trainers coached us on the best ways to encourage Dexter to socialize and by the third week of class, he was eager and excited to play with all the other puppies. The socialization aspect of class was exactly what our shy puppy needed to come out of his shell. In addition to that, the training portion of the class was very helpful. Each class focused on one of the seven basic commands that puppies need to learn, and Darci provided very clear explanations of how to teach and reinforce each command. Then, we were able to practice and get feedback from Darci and the other trainers in order to help Dexter master each command. Finally, Karma Dog Training provides excellent customer service. Any time I have reached out with a question or scheduling conflict, they have responded within hours with a helpful and understanding response. Dexter can't wait to continue with the next level of classes at Karma Dog Training! read more

Karma Dog Training - Dexter with his Puppy Kindergarten diploma :) - Pet Training Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

We signed up our 8 week old pup, Birdie, for the puppy kindergarten class this past summer, and it was an incredible way to help our pup start to figure out the world next to a lot of other pups trying to figure out the world. Much of the class is just socialization, which is probably the best part of the class (for both the pups and the owners... a room full of 10-15 pups running around... it's a dream!). However, the best part of the class is that, while there are 10-15 other pups that are all learning a group lesson (stay, leave it, etc.), Ashley and Bridget came over to each one of us to personally get to know our pup, us being the pup parents, and our individual problems that we needed to address. So, while they teach us the 7 standard commands, really Birdie got a whole lot of personal one-on-one behavior correction training including learning not to jump up on people, how to eat a treat properly without biting, and how to approach strangers. We are so grateful for having taken this class, and will definitely be signing up for more. read more

Karma Dog Training - Birdie, a proud puppy kindergarten graduate - Pet Training Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

I just got a new pupster and he started showing signs of being a kennel dog despite what his breeder had sworn to. Never the less, we have taken ownership and want to assure than he learns that people and dogs are great. I called around to many places in the area, that offer puppy training but found out socialization was not a promise of the program. I thought this was ludicrous, as the main component should be learning how to be a good neighbor to all. I chose Karma due to the socialization and learning efforts promised. The location I had to go to was northern San Antonio, but I drove mostly back roads from Wimberley and it was a good drive. The class went great! My puppy is a growler at the unknown, and I was afraid he would be problematic with the other dogs. Once they got playing though, he showed his potential. We learned a few techniques but honestly the socialization was the most important part! In 7 weeks, I feel as though my puppy will be a super friendly dog thanks to this program. read more

I had a wonderful experience with Karma dog training this past spring for our pup Hendrix. We adopted him right at 8 weeks and it was also our first time training a puppy in an apartment. We were able to enroll him around 10 weeks and what a HUGE difference it has made! The class was held at my local vet and was sterilized beforehand for any pups who are not fully vaccinated. The main benefits of the puppy kindergarten classes are: 1. Trains the owner! With getting so much advice from different dog owners, this class helped me to learn ways to (positively) encourage behavior and be consistent with how I corrected my pup. They were more than happy to answer individual questions, stay after class and chat, or respond via email throughout the week 2. Puppy play! One of the major reasons I have had such a great experience with my puppy is all of the socialization we started early at this class. They encouraged play and I saw drastic improvement in shy or previously unsocialized dogs in class. Overall, the trainers, the office staff and everyone at Karma has been responsive, knowledgable, and patient. I can't wait to enroll Hendrix in the adult obedience classes so we can keep going with the training! I constantly get comments on how well behaved and friendly he is :) read more

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I found karma dog training after our youngest dog Oscar started having behavioral problems. He started showing aggression towards our other dogs and people he didn't know, and we weren't sure we could rehabilitate him seeing he was no longer a puppy. We chose private sessions with Shyra. She was great! She was super flexible with scheduling, which was so helpful as my work schedule fluctuates a lot. She showed us how training and teaching commands could help us get Oscar back on track. We also learned how we had accidentally been reinforcing some of his bad behavior, and the importance of setting expectations--for example, not opening the front door until he is calm and sitting. In many ways, Shyra rehabilitated us as much as Oscar! As long as you follow through on the homework assigned to you, you will see results! read more

Our trainer Sara M was fantastic! She really worked with us on scheduling as we quite often pack our days. Our coton de tulear puppy Walter loves Sara and actually looked forward to her visits. It is very apparent that Karma dog training and Sara share a love of animals and passion for training. Walter has learned the basic puppy commands and will be starting puppy kindergarten shortly. We signed up for the in-house private training lessons. We'd absolutely recommend Sara and Karma. read more

We love Karma! Ashley is an amazing trainer. So intuitive and patient. I've learned more in a month with Karma than I've known in my ten years as a dog mom. They're so kind in their approach. I really don't know what we would have done with our new addition without their guidance and I have been so grateful for Ashley's help! read more

We adore our dog trainer Ashley Beasley! We started our mini Aussie puppy, Sophie, who is now almost 6 months old, with a package of private training sessions with Ashley and Puppy Kindergarten Classes.  We scheduled Ashley to come to the house literally the day after we brought Sophie home when she was 8 weeks old! She taught us so much on just getting started with Sophie, potty training her and so many other helpful tips to help her adjust after leaving her brothers and sisters.  We have had several private training sessions with Ashley and will continue to use her to help us stay on track, be consistent with our training, and advance our training.  We really like the philosophy that Karma Dog Training adheres to and their focus on rewarding and reinforcing positive behavior. Ashley is so patient, kind and so good at what she does. She makes it fun for us and helps us when we are frustrated by giving us a variety of techniques and tricks. We were also so fortunate to attend Puppy Kindergarten Classes where Ashley was one the instructors. Sophie would get so excited to see her - We highly recommend Ashley as both a private trainer and as class instructor! read more

Karma Dog Training - Just hanging with Sophie - our super fun and loving mini Aussie who graduated from Puppy Kindergarten and adores her trainer Ashley Beasley! - Pet Training Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

My four-month-old puppy and I are enrolled in Puppy Kindergarten. We've only attended two sessions, and our first class didn't start out the way I had hoped - the class was very full, and a lot of the dogs were pretty big. I'll admit I made a huge mistake by putting my puppy down on the floor while the other dogs were in the middle of social/playtime - all the dogs rushed to greet him, and he became overwhelmed. He had a hard time focusing during class, and I initially thought we might need to find a private trainer. However, the staff at Karma took the time to recommend less crowded alternative locations they felt would be a better fit for my pup. We attended the second class, and both of us learned so much. I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn skills that will create a closer bond with my puppy, provide him with valuable socialization and give him a great foundation for basic training. He's a smart, sweet terrier boy and I want to do all I can to help him become a well-adjusted, well-behaved dog. I'm looking forward to future classes, and I am so impressed with the patience and care provided by the trainers and staff. read more

I am so thankful for Karma! My husband and I moved to Austin in June, and right before we moved our french bulldog (Gus) started being aggressive, and once we moved here it only got worse. We got him fixed, and tried other recommendations, but nothing seemed to be working. We felt hopeless and didn't know what to do. We saw that Karma had good reviews and used positive reinforcement to train, which is what we wanted for our pup, so we filled out a form and they got us in touch with a trainer super fast. Shyra was amazing! She called us to get some more information about our situation, and we had our training session with her just a couple days later. Shyra was able observe Gus and then showed us how to work with him when he did get aggressive, she helped us make changes to how we worked with him, and how to use positive reinforcement to help him. Gus is now less anxious and agressive. We are so thankful for Karma and Shyra! read more

Karma Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

During a holiday get-together we came across a friend who brought her dog with her to the event. Her dog was so well behaved and a delight to be around. We asked her how she trained her dog so well, and she told us about Karma Dog Training. As soon as we got our puppy, we made the call. We are so grateful for the puppy kindergarten course with Ashley, who is one of the best trainers we've dealt with. She knew exactly how to coach our strong willed little girl. We are able to take her with us everywhere because she is so responsive to the skills learned in that class. I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND Ashley's team and wish everyone had the chance to take this class. Your relationship with your dog will be changed for the best!!! read more

Karma Dog Training was incredible. We have a mini australian shepherd with a ton of energy. The trainers were able to teach us to get him to focus and learn. They provided little tips and tricks that made the basics of each lesson simple, easy to understand, and easy to replicate at home or in different situations. In addition to the awesome training, the trainers were more than willing to answer questions we had about our puppy and raising him right. I would recommend them to anyone. read more

Karma Dog Training has been nothing short of excellent for my puppy and family. Murphy is our first dog together and I was determined to do EVERYTHING right. I never knew that I could love an animal like this. To say I am protective of him would be an understatement. Naturally, we took our time choosing a dog training program. We considered traditional board and train which Murphy would complete while we were out of town. (Leaving him with a professional was the only way my husband could convince me to leave him at all.) As luck would have it, we found out about Karma's reverse board and train. This program is outstanding. Sara, Murphy's trainer, made us feel at ease. She took the time to get to know us and Murphy before we left and was in constant communication while we were out of town. We returned from our trip to find a matured puppy who has absolutely in love with his trainer. I was in awe of the progress Murphy had made in only 5 days. I have also been impressed by the structure of the puppy kindergarten classes. The trainers are extremely welcoming and ready to listen to any concerns you may have. Although it is a group class, I felt as though each dog received a good deal of one- on-one attention from the trainers. This high level of communication and customer service extends beyond the trainers at Karma. Everyone we have talked to and every correspondence we have sent has been answered quickly and with all of the information we could need for each particular situation. This company made me feel good about trusting them with Murphy from the very first phone call. read more