I have many dogsitting options closer to me, but Taurus is worth the 30 minute drive. I started…read moreusing them for my rescue pit because they were recommended by Austin Pets Alive! My dog is really sweet, but had some behavioral challenges when we were starting out. Taurus does a free initial visit where they give you a detailed report on how your dog does with a variety of other dogs. I HIGHLY recommend you do this just for the intel, even if you aren't looking for a dog boarding service. A Taurus employee walked me through everything that my dog did well, and also where he needed some help. They're also really flexible, which I really appreciate. When my work day starts getting crazy, I can run my dog up there with no notice, which is a huge help. He gets a lot of social time in and dropoff/pickup is a breeze, even with the COVID restrictions.

I only have good things to say about Taurus Academy- lake travis. We have use 3 services from them…read more- training, play day and overnight stay. I trust them with my dog since they are always looking out for his behavior and pair him up with the right dogs to play with. All of them do a great job!

::Just a note: I am a personal friend of the owner, Catherine O'Donnell::…read more That said, this is one of only three trainers I will recommend in the Austin area. Having seen Catherine interact with not only her own dogs, but client dogs, I can personally say she is knowledgeable beyond belief and you can completely trust you are in excellent hands (and paws) with The Ranch For Canine Training and Behavior. This facility is immaculate. There is plenty of parking and her indoor facility is well lit and very well cared for. Catherine's knowledge extends way beyond basic training. She has handled and titled multiple dogs in conformation, obedience and protection work. This is a very big deal as many trainers have not successfully competed with and titled dogs to the level she has. She knows canine structure and behavior very well. These qualities are very hard to come by in a trainer. Not only the above, but she is great with communication on the human front. I challenge you to meet a more caring, loving, detail oriented dog trainer! She is fantastic with communication on the human level. Great lady, fantastic training space and a solid place to take your pup for schooling.

My friend shows champion Great Danes and found Catherine O'Donnell to help her with her new puppy…read more(already 80 pounds at 6 months!!!). I am also the proud new mom of a pug puppy (11 pounds at 6 months-LOL), so we hired Catherine to train our pups for the AKC S.T.A.R Puppy certification. I was blown away by Catherine's knowledge, communication with our puppies and ability to train we humans to be better leaders for our dogs. Not to mention we had so much fun!!! Catherine recently opened a lovely new facility on Hwy 290 just off RR12 and not only does she do private instruction, but also group classes and she brings in experts for training on pet massage, etc. I look forward to taking my puggy back for further certifications and classes with Catherine. She truly is a "dog whisperer" and her patient, yet commanding methods will ensure dogs (and their owners) of all ages, shapes and sizes can learn to be the best they can be! Thank you Catherine!!

We rescued a dog about a year ago, who was a little rough around the edges and we weren't sure how…read morehe'd do in a boarding setting. So finding a spot where he felt understood and where we felt comfortable leaving him was very important. I love that they started him with a smaller group play for a couple of days and then slowly increased how many dogs he was around. The staff is exceptional and provided him and his brother with so much attention, love and care. My dogs are literally pulling me to get inside JGO's every time I come here. Our rescue pup typically gets anxious at most boarding places, but this is one of the few boarding places where he hasn't come home with anxiety induced GI issues. We actually started going here prior to the rebranding and the quality is still top notch even if we are paying a little bit more. They provide frequent updates and also have a snazzy portal to book reservations easily. Highly recommend this place!

Saul and his friendly staff are top notch! Got some training for my chihuahua. Very clean,…read moreaccessible and friendly.

We just finished 16 sessions with Mac and our puppy Bear is truly like a new dog. Mac is an…read moreincredible trainer -- patient, intuitive, and always tailoring each session to whatever Bear needed that week (including any new, random puppy behaviors that showed up along the way!). Bear absolutely LOVES Mac and was excited every single session, which honestly says it all. Over our time together, we worked on so much: sit, stay, drop, down, loose leash walking, reliable recall, proper greetings, high five, pool/water confidence, getting in and out of the car, touching paws, relaxation protocols, mind games, and healthy play etiquette. Mac even spent extra time educating us on pet nutrition, which was incredibly helpful and above-and-beyond. Not only is Mac an amazing trainer, they're just a genuinely great person. We learned so much and feel so much more confident as dog owners. I would 100% recommend Mac to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, compassionate, and truly effective dog trainer!

We're currently working with Karma dog training for our new puppy Goose. We couldn't be more…read morepleased with our trainer Xandra. She's so knowledgeable and patient! We've noticed huge improvements in our pup and I'm sure he'll continue to learn lots with her guidance.

In 2021, my dog completed a board-and-train program at Total Dog as a 4-month-old puppy. I recently…read morecontacted the owner, Brice, to request a record of completion as I needed paperwork showing the training programs my dog has undergone. After two weeks of no response and only after I followed up, Brice stated he would provide the documentation only if my dog underwent a new 'reassessment.' I clarified that I was not requesting a current skill evaluation, but a record of services already rendered over 4 years ago and paid for in full. I also informed him that we no longer live in the same city. He did not reply. I messaged again, stating the urgency of the paperwork and offering to discuss any questions he might have. He has still not responded, and my deadline has passed. This follows a previous pattern of non-communication. When my dog became violently ill while in their care years ago, the business ceased communication and declined to cover the resulting vet bills despite our repeated contact. Additionally, the training at the time escalated minor behavioral hurdles into significant issues; consequently, we had to undertake months of corrective work ourselves to resolve the damage they caused. I cannot recommend Total Dog. Between the refusal to accept accountability, a history of non-communication, and a failure to provide proper care, the pattern is clear. This business lacks a foundational understanding of dog behavior and professional standards. After we invested thousands of dollars into his business, Brice wouldn't even write us a letter. There are far too many qualified, ethical trainers in the area to waste your time or money here.

Bryce is a magician with dogs. He is the sole reason we are able to enjoy and be with our dog…read morepeacefully, the pulling and not listening to us has stopped. Bryce taught us how dogs are dogs and expecting them to be humans is pretty much messing with their way of life. Our dog walks without leash now easily, does a lot of tricks and most importantly listens to us and is still a happy dog and not a robot.

We adopted a 6-month old(ish) American Bulldog (Louie) from a shelter in East Texas last summer. A…read morevery funny and affectionate dog, but with no housebreaking or training. In fact, we're pretty sure he spent his first months roaming outside. A friend suggested we call Ginny, and I'm SO happy we did! She's super patient and trained us to work with Louie on basics like crate training, sit, down, walk on a leash, leave it AND incorporated some fun tricks for our 6-year-old to teach him. What's best of all is that Ginny came to our house, so training was focused on our family and environment. I wouldn't hesitate to call Ginny again if we get a new pet or decide to give Louie some advanced skills.

From the owner: Certified professional dog training in the privacy on your own home. One-on-one positive training…read morethat can cover all the basics, advanced obedience, problem behaviors, service dog skills or any of your specific needs. We offer fully customizable packages or single sessions! Proudly serving parts of south Austin, Dripping Springs, Bee Cave, Lakeway and Spicewood.

I would like to applaud Jonas and his team for helping me with my two dachshunds who were not…read moregetting along and causing me a lot of distress. K911 was so amazing with them (and me) and my dogs are SO MUCH BETTER! highly recommend them!

Great people! Jax Bennett is my son. K thanks bye…read more Management is fantastic. Thanks for all the support for my son and I.

Sit means Zap! If I could leave negative stars, I would! I…read moreenrolled my puppy in the 3day camp and by the end of the day she was confused, anxious, disoriented and visually shaken. I still regret it a few years later. She was being buzzed for behaviors she didn't understand. It was punishment rather than training. The trainers drank the kool-aid and are inexperienced, The group classes were an absolute mess. Owners were confused and just zapped away without proper training and guidance, I pulled my dog out immediately. If you truly love your dog, and want to learn proper communication, consider positive reinforcement. The only situation I 'maybe' consider this is a pup with aggressive behavior. Otherwise, I would NEVER recommend this type of training. NEVER.

We trained our dog Sadie at this location. She was a difficult dog and we were really impressed…read morewith the results. The owner does need to be diligent with taking their dog to the trainings (we kind of fell off at the end but it was okay) but as long as you stick with it, your dog will learn new skills and will be better behaved than before. We can literally walk our dog without a leash now, I never thought that would be possible. She will sit in her place when people come over and we are always getting compliments on how good she is. We can do things in the front yard and have her stay in the garage and she won't run after other dogs that walk by or other other people or children. She has learned to stay in her place for as long as we need her to be. It's funny because she was a really wild dog before and now that she's trained everybody loves her. overall the training here was worth it and we are really happy that we did it!

Kim Kelly has probably trained six or seven dogs at least in my family, and we've not looked to…read moreanyone else in the last 20 years. When my family has to leave town without the pup, I drive an hour away to drop her off at Kim. Why? Because clearly I have trust issues. And I trust Kim completely. Great guy, reliable in a pinch, and just a wonderful trainer.

We had an amazing experience with Kim! Our chocolate lab puppy was driving us insane and we were…read morestruggling getting him trained ourselves. Having two young daughters treating the puppy like a wild animal made it even worse. We were at our breaking point and considering giving away the puppy, but thankfully a friend referred us to Kim. That man is a saint and a dog whisperer! After 6 weeks of training with Kim, our puppy is the best behaved young lab I have ever seen. I could never imagine a transition this dramatic. The best part is that our dog still has a puppy personality, but has simply learned how to listen and obey commands. I highly recommend Kim!

We took our two dogs to TCC and met with Pam. She was very helpful in helping us manage one of our…read moredogs that was very reactive dog to TV's.

The short - I didn't think my trainer was a good fit. I thought it felt scripted and a lot of the…read moreresponse wasn't helpful for the lifestyle I live. I brought my dogs in to the canine center for a few classes and a private training. Today, our trainer said that to solve my GSD's reactivity on the leash, we just needed to stop letting her go to the dog park. Okay, that's fine to have the a stance about a dog park, but i expect some sort of guide or training if I'm paying for a private session; not just - "stop taking your dog to the dog park." That's not a cure-all. Giving us a scripted answer that the dog park is the root of all evil isn't particular helpful for the situation that we're currently in. Which is truly, she has already learned reactivity on the leash so * where do we go/what do we do from here. * My vet had recommended this place many times but fool me three times canine center! Maybe other trainers are better or a better fit, but I felt like I could have Googled and saved myself $100. Additionally - the website says their recess is their take on day care; the trainer told me it's only for puppies. Too many conflicting message here. This place isn't for me and my fur babies.