Providing a follow-up review after our off leash training with Randy at Diamond Dog Academy. We did…read morethe on-leash training with our dog Cheddar about a year ago and we couldn't believe the results. Cheddar would pull on the leash constantly and bolt any chance he could. A year later and we're almost done with off-leash training. Cheddar now comes back every single time without fail. This is a dog that would be halfway down the block if he slipped or broke his collar. We've also seen how much more confident and happy Cheddar is after his training. We can let him off knowing he will come back every time, and we're now even considering obedience competitions. We can't thank Randy enough for everything he's done for us.

Randall is a sincere businessman, displaying flexibility in his approach to training different…read moredogs. His expertise convinced me that my own dog would greatly benefit from obedience training.

We have two dogs: a 6.5 year old, 80 pound Black Lab mix, and an almost-1 year old Corgi mix. The…read morelab mix has always been pretty good inside, but we got her right before COVID started, and whenever the door opens she freaks out and barks at and jumps all over whoever is coming in. Outside, she cannot be trusted off a leash, because she will just literally run away and come back when she feels like it. The Corgi mix is a sweet guy but we got our first notice from our HOA that we have a nuisance dog. He has been incessantly barking at the hallway when we're out of the house. Walking them together is a nightmare because they both zip off in different directions and you become an acrobat trying to manage the leashes. We attended initial 8-week training sessions at PetSmart with both of them, and they can sit and lay down, but anything more than that is wishful thinking, and a sit/stay does not really translate into actual obedience. Scott helped us fix almost all of that in about 90 minutes. Scott's approach is to talk to dogs like you're a dog. To get their attention, you basically growl at them, and imitate(!) snapping at them if necessary (I want to emphasize that there is no physical punishment for the dogs), and you assert leadership, and then when they are doing the right thing, you talk to them sweetly. My wife and I love this because it's so simple and consistent. We don't have to remember when to use "stay" vs "wait." Which hand signal do we use for this command vs that command? It's "bah!" and "gooood!" The first session was all indoor behavior, and since then we've had two sets of friends over and gotten the lab calmed in about 2 min vs 10 before. The corgi is much less growly/barky about hallway noises. Since we did leash training in the second session, both dogs follow respectfully on walks. Like, it was a near instant improvement. It's not perfect, but with the lab it's gonna take some time because she's had 6 years of thinking she's the boss! But the technique is so simple that it's easy to apply to new situations. The lab likes to jump up to steal food from the counter at my dad's house. A few "bah!"s with follow-up "gooood"s and that stopped cold after 5 years of it being a habit, and we didn't need to leash her the entire time we were there! It's expensive, but the speed at which we've seen improvement has made it very worth it, and knowing we can call Scott for any stuff that comes up in the future makes the price easier to handle. For example, we're hoping just the general increased respect/deference from the lab mix will allow us to eventually let her off leash, but if it doesn't, we know we can call to address that directly.

I have never left a review on Yelp - ever - but this business is such a scam that I feel compelled…read moreto say something. My dog is no better than before - we learned precisely one tactic that helps *some* of the time. Most of the time it's meaningless, and otherwise we've seen no improvement whatsoever. My biggest frustration is the combination of having paid an exorbitant fee to see no change, combined with the fact that the trainer spends almost no time with you and the pet, so you can't even pretend to feel like it was worthwhile. He comes for like an hour (or even less? I don't remember exactly -- I gave the process some time to take effect before leaving this review, so it's been a little while) and then leaves. This company says they train the pet owner to care for the dog, rather than train the dog his/herself, saying that the pet owner is who the dog will need to behave with long term. I should have just paid an effective dog trainer to take the dog or come over and train her -- I would've paid much less to have much, much better outcomes. In this case, the trainer stops by, tells you to do some things that aren't going to work, leaves you with a measly spray bottle and bag of pennies to throw down near the dog (not joking) and you're left broke, with a poorly-behaved dog at your side. Buyer beware.

We've been working with Jose for a few months. He's been awesome to work with. He's been great…read moreabout teaching us how to train our dogs. His group classes are great as well. We've really benefited from one-on-one training, and within just a few sessions, we are seeing a difference. Be ready to do the work with your dog! If you take the tools and techniques Jose teaches and implement them, it'll work, and you'll be happy and have a well-behaved dog! Additionally, his prices are some of the fairest I found after interviewing several dog trainers. He takes the approach of letting me lead in what I think my dog needs, but also offers his opinions. Thanks, Jose!

Jose at Word of Mouth Training completely changed our lives!! Our dog Otis was extremely reactive…read moreand fearful. We could barely leave the house with him. Car rides were awful, we had to cover our windows so he would not react to people or dogs walking by, and he even reacted to cartoon dogs on TV. He also started showing aggression toward our other dog. We had tried multiple training classes before and things were only getting worse. After Jose's 16 day program Otis came home like a completely different dog. Even after the first few days we could see his confidence growing and every group class showed more progress. Other dog owners even commented on how much he had changed. I truly never thought I would see Otis running around playing with other dogs but now he is a normal, happy dog. Jose fixed him and completely changed his life and ours. This is the best money we have ever spent and I will always be grateful. I cannot recommend him enough!

UPDATE: 2022 brought on some unexpected life changes like moving into new apartment style that was…read morecompletely "foreign" to Peyton. He was terrified of everything!!! He wouldn't walk through doorways, he walked on the new floors like they were going to fall out from underneath him and for a little over a week we only took the stairs, up & down, to the 7th floor because I knew introducing an elevator to Peyton would be impossible. I never once panicked but instead used all the training we had learned & if I needed additional guidance from FRK9A they always responded to my emailed questions. It makes me so proud to say Peyton not only rides in the elevator now but he can calmly be in there with multiple strangers + a bike and he's cool as a cucumber. FRK9A has provided both me & Peyton with the continued knowledge to build a bond between us that keeps us safe & happy while adventuring around downtown Denver!! I'd recommend FRK9A to everyone who loves their dog & I'm looking forward to furthering our work in their advanced program. Thank you Jordan Dye & everyone at Front Range K9 Academy!!

Fantastic group of trainers. Very affordable classes and flexible scheduling - my partner and I…read morewere able to make it work with full-time jobs very easily. Our rescue pup is now well-trained on a leash, is much less anxious around other dogs and people, and is able to be given much more freedom to live her best life. Best money ever spent.

We had such a great session with this trainer. In just one hour she gave us so many useful,…read moreeasy-to-follow tools and even sent notes after so we wouldn't forget anything. Our dog is reactive, and we were honestly shocked at how quickly her techniques started working. She explained things in a way that actually made sense, focused on helping our dog feel safe, and even stayed longer to help us practice around other dogs. We left feeling way more confident and hopeful. Highly recommend her if you have a sensitive or reactive pup. Also, Heidi is incredibly funny, so it was a great time!

Heidi did an excellent job with our pup, and was able to come over and do a private lesson quickly…read more We feel much more confident after just an hour session. She knew just how to teach not only the puppy, but the humans as well. We are excited to join her puppy manners class next month too!

I have 3 rescue dogs. I absolutely love them to death. They are the sweetest, most loving animals…read morehere at home. Two of them are my problem children: a Rottweiler mix foster fail who is reactive to bikes and other dogs and occasionally nervous around people like visiting contractors or UPS men, and the other is a 100+ lb Brazilian mastiff rescue from Aruba who is not fond of other dogs. The two of them began showing increasingly worse dog aggression toward other dogs on the trail and while camping, and had attacked several dogs by the time I found Loyal Hound/Juliet. I was at my wit's end, because I had already spent thousands of dollars and tried everything including other trainers at that point with little to no progress. I felt stuck with 2 big problems for the next 6-8 years. I hike at least 3 miles every single day off leash on the trails by my house, and I love to camp with my dogs in the summer, but they became such a liability that walks became stressful and camping became impossible. I finally found Juliet with Loyal Hound, and for our very first session we met at a crowded park and were going to be doing off leash training right away. I was so nervous -- all the triggers were present: other people with dogs on leashes, dogs off leashes, people on bikes, squirrels -- so I was absolutely AMAZED when we were walking my Rottweiler off leash through a gaggle of geese, past people on bikes, and past other dogs within a few minutes with no problems. It was nothing short of a miracle. Within a few sessions, I had both of my dog aggressive dogs walking on and off leash next to me, passing other dogs (sometimes dogs that were even barking at them) on trails safely with no reactivity. I cannot explain in words how much of a difference this has made in my life -- I feel like I got my life back. If you have a dog aggressive dog, this is the place to go. It's WELL worth the investment, and you will be amazed at the difference you will see in your dog. Thank you Loyal Hound & Juliet!!

I have so many amazing things to say about this training with Juliet. I just had a follow up…read moresession, 4 months after our off leash training, because I had gotten a little lax with one of my dogs since I have a 1 year old and things are hectic. Within 5 minutes we were able to re-establish the training methods that work and get Hope back on track with easy leash walking. I am so impressed with her concise easy to follow instructions. I am looking forward to taking my two Samoyeds on walks again while walking my toddler in a stroller without having to worry that Hope will pull us. Trained dogs are safe dogs and I'd pay for the training with Juliet 10x over. Worth every penny! It makes my life easier as a single mom managing all the things to have two dogs that get to enjoy being outside with us because I trust them and they trust me. Don't hesitate if you need help with your dog!

I have been taking my dog Goose to SMS starting in Portland in 2021 and now to this location since…read moreJune of 2023. First, on the program as a whole. I was very apprehensive about an e-collar at first, but it has been exactly the tool we needed. Goose was a rescue and was very aggressive and reactive toward other dogs and no amount of treats or praise would detract her from that. This training has made walks so much more enjoyable for both of us, given her much more freedom, and strengthened our relationship. She gets excited when I bring her collar out, knowing that she is going to work and get to do something fun and engaging whether that be around the house or out and about. Second, this location. The transition to transfer over was seamless and the trainers have been extraordinarily helpful. The free group classes for life are so valuable and help Goose keep up on her training. She has gone from not being able to be a block away from a dog without barking and lunging to practicing off leash in a room full of 10+ dogs. Nicole and Ed both manage to keep a room full of often reactive/ anxious dogs under control and create an environment where everyone can practice and work on their skills regardless of what level that may be at. I have personally watched other owners and dogs join group class after the training program and go from being no more than 6 feet from other dogs to integrated into the class within a matter of weeks. I'm very thankful to SMS and this location for helping me and Goose enjoy life and training much more!

I used sit means sit to train my seven year old dog who had a little too much freedom and started…read morecausing issues. Even after 6 years of no training their staff was able to help with his behavior! The entire staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable on training dogs.

After struggling to find an honest groomer who makes my dog and myself happy, I finally found The…read moreBrown Dog School. My dog leaves there looking just the way i asked and is a happy playful pup. Other places in town left both my dog, me, and my wallet sad upon leaving.

I bring my boy here because he fights me so hard at bath time. He's anxious in general but seems…read moreexcited at drop off now that he knows the staff. They get tons of the dreaded German Shepherd fur off of him and he seems happy so I'm happy.

After 4 different doggie daycares we found HEAVEN for Bentley the Boxer. Dylan M. and Stella are…read moreamazing individuals. They are both very polite, informative and have the best customer service I have had in a long time. They have implemented stringent guidelines to keep the dogs safe and healthy. Bentley loves this please and is allowed to run around until his heart is content. I really cannot say enough good things about the staff and this business. I am so glad you opened stores in Colorado. Again, Thank you Dylan & Stella for making Robin, Landin, Bentley the Boxer and I feel like family! We literally have had no anxiety or worries about dropping Bentley off. Clint Acree

We found this place lacking, and even unhealthy and dangerous for our dog in so many ways that I…read moresimply had to provide an honest review to counter what seems to be (at least in one case) a dishonest review. To begin with the staff, while friendly and polite are obviously disempowered, not well paid so they don't really care, and they have no problem saying - as they did to me - "yeah, well we aren't professionals." The place reeks of urine and has no outdoor area and apparently no ventilation. We watched as dogs were unattended and bigger agressive dogs were humping and bullying smaller dogs -- pointed this out as it was happening on the closed circut video to staff. They claimed to have bathed and deshedded our dog (also said they gave him the "spa" treatment and tried to charge for it but put up no arguement when we pointed out they clearly didn't do the work that was promised. When we went to get our dog he was wet, stank strongly of shampoo as did our hands after rubbing him so we can only assume he wasn;t thoroughly rinsed, and hair was coming off in clouds so he never received the deshedding. This place is a joke and worse. Don't waste your time and money, and most importantly, don't put your dog at risk.

This is the only place we will bring our dog…read more We've boarded and brought her to doggy care for the last few years. We started coming in April of 2023 when we needed a last minute place to board her for Easter weekend. What drew us to Zen Doggy Den is that we didn't have to pay extra for outdoor time which was a plus for boarding. We've boarded her a few times since then. But mostly for doggy daycare now. It's nice when there's something going on at the house like construction or anything like that. We can drop her off in the morning and then pick her up. She really enjoys her time there and seems like a happy pup. She's a senior dog so I think she just loves getting out of the house and getting to interact with others. Definitely recommend this place for dog boarding and doggy daycare. Thank you for always taking such good care of our Lilly girl.

What a great place to place your fur baby. We were traveling and had to attend a graduation and…read moreour hotel (Hilton Garden Inn in Arvada) recommended Zen Doggy Den. It was easy to sign up online at the last minute and have our Zoe stay a few hours while we were at our granddaughter's graduation at the Colorado School of Mines. Don't forget to submit a copy of your Rabies and DHPP certificate and provide the expiration dates as that is a requirement. The staff is kind and will provide pictures and a report card during the day. The best surprise is your 1st stay if free. So leave them a good tip!!! Thank you for loving our Zoe!!!