My husband and I were fortunate enough to work with trainer Trevor, who is not only an expert at what he does, but also always greeted us with a smile and endless patience for my many questions! Our 6-month-old Golden Retriever, Buddy, has shown tremendous progress and even passed his AKC Canine Good Citizen test today! It was clear that Trevor loved seeing Buddy and Buddy loved seeing him, too. We are grateful for all that Trevor has done and have to say that all of the trainers we interacted with were also always kind and encouraging. We always looked forward to our training sessions and now that they have come to an end, it's comforting to know that we can come back for a refresher anytime if needed. Thank you to Trevor and all of the staff for taking good care of our pup! Attached is a photo of Buddy with his CGC ribbon, looking proud and rather serious! :) read more

Shelly's School For Dogs - Our puppy - Pet Sitting Near Me - Millstone Township, New Jersey

I have a very hyper golden doodle 70 pound puppy. She would learn things like sit, leave it and other basic commands, but would only practice these things when she felt like doing so. On our walks she was literally pulling my arm out of socket. Totally uncontrollable if any distraction crossed her path. She was jumping on everyone wanting to great them face to face. So many other bad "puppy" habits. But such a loving dog. She was literally getting to be too much for me to handle at only 8 months old. I turned to Shelly's School for Dogs in desperation. The day we met with Shelly in the lobby he was holding her leash and she was just being Madison, trying to greet EVERYONE who came into the center. Shelly asked why I waited so long...good question! We just completed obedience training/boarding where I would drop her off on Tuesday and pick her up on Saturday. Madison was always very happy when we pulled up and could not wait to get inside...a great indication to me that she was being treated well and she liked this place. Right now we are in the process of the human training stage. Katey has worked miracles with Madison. We can now go for long walks and I do not have to worry about the tiniest distractions. My shoulder is feeling so much better now that I do not have a moose pulling me the entire walk. I am still learning, but Katey has taught Maddie how to be a member of society. I even believe, now, that Madison could someday be a great therapy dog. Katey has brought out the best of my Maddie. Her spirit was never broken. Maddie has what I term "Doodle ADD". She still has this, but now Katey has trained us how to get Madison out of that manic moment and focus when necessary. So Madison is done with her training and now we are in the next stage where the humans learn how to utilize what the dog learned. Amazing! Katey is so patient with us humans. She is listening to our concerns about behaviors at home and teaching/showing us how to deal with these issues. And one important thing I have to say for anyone just thinking about Shelly's School, you pay for the training and it is guaranteed for the life of the dog! In the future, if I mess up and cannot get Madison to respond correctly we can go back at any time for free refreshers. I have read that some are upset that they use the pinch collars. I admit my heart sunk when I went to her "graduation" and saw this had been used. However, I put it on my arm and yanked it very hard and it did not hurt. It is made to simulate the mother correcting her pup. You do not choke the dog, and most of the time it is just hanging loose and does not bother the dog at all. If I need to get her attention a very quick soft tug is all it takes. I take it off the dog at night and in the morning she gets excited when we put her "necklace" on. It looks awful, but with the proper training it works wonders! There is no negative training going on here...positive reinforcement is how they roll! They love our dogs almost as much as we love them. read more

Maybe this is my own fault, but I had to leave my 13week old puppy there for a few weeks. I thought this would be a better alternative to my regular dog sitter bc he would get obedience training. (I've heard Min Pins can be difficult) I returned home 2weeks early from the original month I'd scheduled. Shelly's school was hell bent on keeping my puppy regardless. They even said they might need to keep him longer bc he hadn't learned all of his training. When i went to watch his demo, i was so impressed! He did magnificent! He still needed much practice with me though. To cut to the chase, I found out my puppy wasn't being socialized at all while he was there. He started as an enthusiastic, friendly dog & now he is timid and sometimes snarly around other dogs. He will be bouncy & obnoxious one minute & at any moment can go to tail between his legs & sitting at full attention staring at me from across the room. He won't come, he won't be interested in play, treats, anything! This makes me so upset bc my other little dog is happy as a clam 24/7, loves everyone, and is eager to train and eat snacks and be loved on. Shelly's school for dogs has messed up my little guy. :( don't leave your dog there read more

This had to be one of the worst experiences i have had as a dog owner not o it was the training out right useless even after multiple follow ups and working with my dog from home but to find out that behind all the smoke and mirrors that Shelly in fact doesn't work with ur dog he just sells the program of his personal resume and has basically people with if anything 3 years experience work your dog.... all in all biggest waste of around 3k of my life and now i am sending my dog to another trainer make sure you ask every possible question and fully read your contracts. read more

We have been working with Shelly and his team since 2003. We were interested in adopting a German Shepard, but did not want to buy from a pet store. We already had a 1y.o. shiba-inu and were concerned about introducing a large dog into the house. A friend recommended Shelly's after his rottweilers were trained there and knew they also imported quality dogs from Europe. We spoke with Shelly and set up an adoption from a litter that was arriving from Belgium. These dogs' ancestries can be traced back further then most people I know. We met Shelly & his wife at EWR and picked the puppy we wanted as soon as they were set free from their cargo crate. We began training at the school soon after. Shelly is a world-champion trainer and gets to know the dogs before recommending a training program. We had both dogs in the "daycare" program for on-leash, then off-leash training. Basically, you drop them off at 9am and pick up after 4. They are trained in 15/20 min intervals and crated in-between. Owners are not allowed to train at home during this time. After the school is satisfied with the results (however long it takes, usually 2-3 wks), owners are brought in to be "trained" on how to command their dogs. I honestly think training the owners is the hard part. Our shiba was a different dog at the end of his schooling. I was amazed how well he listened to commands and he was happy doing them. Our Shepard was easily trained off leash. Whenever we take them out in public we always get compliments on how behaved and friendly they are and how big & handsome our Shepard is. Since then we have been taking the boys for grooming at the school and boarding at Shelly's home. The dogs are allowed to go back for training "touch-ups" whenever needed. Usually they do this when they are boarded. Our dogs love going to Shelly's and we travel a lot, sometimes last minute, so it's nice having a trusted place to leave our boys. Shelly, his wife, and the team are truly like family to us. Sadly, our Shepard became seriously ill last week and needed to be put down. Shelly's wife was there with us at the vet to check up on our boy and brought some of the crew in to say "goodbye" during his final hours. The vet was taken aback after walking in on 6 people crying over our dog. Shelly's wife stayed with us, hugging our pup in his final moments. I can't say enough wonderful things about Shelly's... if you have a dog or want a dog, go see him. You will not be disappointed. read more

My review is appointed solely on their grooming services. I've tried several places around my house (new one and previous) and I did not have good experiences. My dog would come back home scared, traumatized or with smoke odor. Some places would leave him all day long in a crate, no food or water. The first day my dog went here he came back happier than he went. I'm not sure what they do to him, but he comes back calm and happy. They also don't take long to get the job done. So, in and out (with an appointment of course). Their new building is beatiful and spacious. However, I would not bring any of my dogs here for training. The filtered reviews here on Yelp are pretty bad. read more

Shelly's School For Dogs - Pet Sitting Near Me - Millstone Township, New Jersey

When we were looking for a trainer for our Chow-mix Ginger we looked for suggestions from friends and vets for anyone who could help between Philadelphia and New York, and they sent us to Shelly and his great team. Our dog Ginger was known by our vet as "fear biter" and we had little to no luck getting her trained. She was a rescue dog and we helped nurse her to health after saving her from life as a bait dog for dog fighting people. From the first day the folks at Shelly's let us know that we cannot "fix" her but we can teach her to behave and they also let us know that training the human was as much a part of the learning experience as training the animal since bad habits were shared issues. We had her in the day-program and after a few weeks Shelly's staff taught us and our dog how to walk on a leash (like most people we did not know how) and that our dog actually enjoyed control. Within no time we could confidently walk our dog in busy parks, and with the proper leash and collar we could take her most anywhere. We were very happy with the results, and they were kind enough to have us back for "refreshers" just to make sure we were all (dog and human) still doing things properly. We were taught by the wonderful staff that the dog and the human have to learn how to behave together. The folks at Shelly's helped us find the right kennel for our dog for an extended vacation, helped us board for short trips, and were all around some of the best animal people we have ever had the chance to work with. They were truly professional from start to finish and the training stuck for us and our dog for as long as we had our wonderful doggy Ginger. read more

I had my dog go in for grooming and told them that my dog was a 14 years old Husky and not to dry her to much because of the heat from the dryers. I went to pick her up and she was extremely hot to touch and had had a stroke. They asked if this was normal for her and as I rushed her to the Vets, no one even bothered to help me get her to the car. They had left her outside on a 95 degree day. I received a call from Shelly and all he had to say was it wasn't our fault, not once did he ask how she was. The only thing that matters to these people is money. I have heard horrible things from trainers that worked or work there on how the dogs are treated or crated. I would NEVER IN MY LIFE RECOMMEND THEM FOR ANYTHING. Please beware. I honestly can't even give them a quater star but I am forced to pick one, so my real star rating is a ZERO. read more

I am embarrassed that we paid this much for training. The end result is that our dog has shown a mild improvement overall after 3k invested and 5 weeks of training. To demonstrate what he has learned the trainer kept a ecollar and a choke collar on at the same time. The fact that he needs those things shows he hasn't learned anything. We could have gotten the same result day 1 with the same tools. Very disappointing experience. read more

We brought in a highly anxious occasionally rambunctious bichon poodle mix, Chloe, was having trouble adjusting to a new baby; now we have a well behaved dog. I remember when we brought Chloe in, Shelly, the owner, told us he could work with the dog, but he couldn't make steel out of paper. We signed the contract which called for a minimum 4 weeks of training, but we were told it could take longer. It took 7. After a few weeks of human training, the difference was amazing. The dog not only knew a few commands, but she was calmer almost all the time. She behaves much better around guests and our young daughter. We took her back for the next level of training and few weeks ago. This time took 4 works. The difference again was amazing. My dog can now down stay for a seemingly endless amount of time. Amazing! Our trainer, Karen, really cares for our dog. She also has an endless fountain of patience in working with humans too! Thank you for all that you have done for Chloe! read more

Very nice facility and most of the staff is friendly, but our experience was overall negative. When meeting with Shelly, we communicated that our main concern was house breaking the dog. We weren't focused on the dog taking any sort of commands. Both Shelly and our assigned trainer assured us that the problem would be fixed. After five weeks and almost $4,000, we took the dog back home to realize that there were no improvements in her bathroom behavior. They trained her how to heal and sit but that was the very least of our concerns. Please keep in mind that my wife and I are experienced dog owners and know how to correctly keep a walking/feeding schedule for our pet. We were also disappointed with our trainer. He tried to up-sell us for additional training immediately following our first session. I get the fact that they're running a business but the guy literally told us we should pay almost $2,000 more for off-leash training because 'the dog can become a liability by running into the street and cause a car crash resulting in you being sued.' His sales pitch was utterly ridiculous. This same trainer scheduled another training session with us for the following Saturday at 8:30am and specifically emphasized that we should not run late. We showed up on time to see him pitching some sort of training package to another couple. We then proceeded to wait for 30 minutes before deciding to leave. Again, I realize that they're running a business but we paid a small fortune for our dog's training (or lack thereof) and respected his request to be punctual. We were disappointed that the courtesy wasn't returned. On our way out, he asked us if we were leaving. When we responded yes, instead of apologizing for brushing us off for half an hour to make a sale, he casually asked if we want to set up another appointment. It made my wife and I feel as if they were completely apathetic towards us now that our money was already in their hands. We feel cheated by our experience with Shelly's School for Dogs. I would advise all dog owners to look elsewhere for training and learn from my experience. The thousands of dollars spent did nothing to house break our dog, and their attitude toward our concerns was insulting and unhelpful. read more

We feel very deceived by this school and feel like they intentionally withheld their training methods from us. There is another older review that explains a similar situation as us. Here is a short summary of how: We decided to take our puppy here to be evaluated for training because it was recommended by a colleague. The school's motto is "control through kindness." At our evaluation, we asked specifically about training methods. We were told "we use positive reinforcement." I asked specifically "do you train with treats?" Shelley told me no- "we give the dog a lot of praise." We were recommended the day school for our dog. You drop him off in the morning and pick him up in the evening- 4days/week and then the owners come for training after about a month. We went in for our first training and the trainer pulled out a prong collar. It was NEVER mentioned to us that they would be using a prong collar. Needless to say- we have a dog who does not respond to verbal commands and only responds to a tug on the collar. We feel very deceived by the school and the consultation. It really is our own fault and we should have done more research. read more

We are so fortunate to have "Louis," our pet Briard, attend Shelly's School for Dogs and be trained with kindness and professionalism by Training Director Scott Krzywicki. Shelly, Donna, Scott and all staff members represent a wonderful community of individuals who are concerned about your pet's well being and success. David C. read more

One star is one more than they deserve. If you want your puppy trained with prong collars and shock collars, you've found the right place. If you love your pet, stay away! The real problem here is the owner. Read the contract. Once you sign, Shelly is too busy to talk to you. Don't expect to get him on the phone. He doesn't even have the courtesy to return calls. The facility is very nice. The staff was always polite and professional. They could not have been better to our pup. The glaring weak spot here is the owner. Stay Away! read more

Our Golden, Baxter, is an "exuberant" dog, to say the least. We signed him up for "boot camp"---we dropped him off in the morning and picked him up after 4. We wanted Baxter to listen better and learn how to walk off leash. We liked the idea of working with Baxter all day long, but with several breaks in between. Shelly explained that dogs only have about 20 minutes of training at a time time because that's about all they can handle. Our trainer, Josh, was EXCELLENT. He was very friendly and professional. He commanded respect from our dog, while at the same time showing affection. Baxter loves him! Every day we took him there he was happy and excited. We were such proud owners when Baxter "graduated" a bit early! Now we have the perfect dog! He is still exuberant and happy, but is much calmer and listens better. He heels perfectly and we go off leash on hikes with him all the time. We so enjoy having him as part of our family. Yesterday, we took Baxter for a refresher class (included in the price), as he still gets a bit crazy with a ball and the chuck-it. We hadn't been there since last summer. Baxter was so happy to see Josh! I get why people complain this school is pricey, because it is. Sometimes you get what you pay for. read more

I brought my dog there for separation anxiety issues. After leaving him there for a period of time and inquiring periodically "how's he doing." I received the same answer "fine". Then when pushing for a little elaboration on the "fine" I was told "We don't give feedback" - Red Flag. After a few weeks, I was called to pick him up (not because he was done training), but because he developed kennel cough - Red Flag, when I got him, not only was he *not* trained, he was worse then before, emaciated, his front paw had a broken nail down the the quick and he had a long raised scratch from his back hind quarters down to his knee. (HUGE RED FLAG). I would not recommend and stay clear of. read more

In 2001, I brought my leash-reactive, fearful, man-hating rescue Chow-Shepherd to Shelly. Thanks to his training, in a matter of days, we had the commands/methods down that we needed to handle our beloved but challenging dog properly. This school was great for our dog. read more

Normally, I never like to give out reviews unless they are on the extreme ends (Extremely Good, Absolutely Horrible) This place is beyond Absolute Horrible. We signed up for Puppy Training Classes and went there today morning to be shoved in a class where all the dogs are 3-6 yards old whereas our puppy is 4 months old. They started training with spike dog collars & when we got suspicious that the class is not puppy training, the trainer (btw, let me know talk about the trainer after this) would not let the puppy leave, let alone let us ask questions. So the trainer is basically a dictator in the place. He yells at not only customer and their dogs, but also at his own employees without any disregard for anyone or anything. He treats the dogs like dogs, but he also treats every human being like dogs. Next when we went out the receptionist area to inquire about the class. We informed them that we had signed up for the puppy training class. The receptionist goes, "We have a puppy training class?" SERIOUSLY. We actually had to pull out our phone and show them on their website where it says Puppy Training. Their own employees (esp the receptionist woman & man) did not know they had a Puppy training class on their website. Also btw, they don't have a puppy training class. If you have a puppy, stay away from this place. If you have a dog that needs obedience training, still stay away from this place. We immediately went and got our dog out from the class, despite the trainer protesting. We got our refund thankfully and then the owner atleast had the decency to come and apologize and offer us another class (mind you, not for free - but at a regular price even after the horrible experience we had been through) But would you ever go back to a place such as this? Would you put your own dog through a misery as this ? read more

Took my puppy for evaluation and was told it would cost $2,100 for a undefined period of time and did not clearly explain the training objectives. I asked for material on what was included but was told they don't have anything written on their services. I wanted to explore other options: obedience classes, puppy kindergarten etc. but was repeatedly told his was my best option ..Why was I so pressured to sign a contract right there on the spot? Beware of the high pressure sales tactics. I felt like I was being sold a "used car". Very, very high pressure experience. Look elsewhere. read more

We'd like to say a special Thanks to shelly and his staff, Especially trainer Mark. We contacted shelly via E-mail concerning our 11 month old CaneCorso(Roman). We had roman since he was 10 weeks old. When roman turned 6months or so. He progressively became out of control. Jumping, play bitting, And signs of aggession. The next day we recieved a call from Shelly to bring roman in for an evaluation. Shelly described in detail what program would suit our needs for roman. He was up front with all the pricing and costs, And stayed true to his word. Romans trainer Mark is a true professional. His knowledge and commitment to the dogs he trains is exceptional. We are very Thankful, And appreciate all the hard work and dedication that went into training roman. We knew our situation was a very difficult one to overcome. But after roman completed his in-house training. He is now a much better, Trained dog. The difference is night and day. Our friends and family can't believe the transformation. And of course the staff and front desk personnel, Were a pleasure to deal with. Always friendly and courteous. They treated us with respect and kindness every time we visited. We are very pleased with our decision to bring roman to Shelly's School for Dogs for training. read more

We could not be happier with this business. First and foremost, they did exactly what they said they would do. We now have a dog that does comes when she is called, sits, lies down and stays and walks at our heel the first time we tell her too! Both on and off leash, with and without distractions!!! Since our dog is a Cane Corso/Staffordshire mix who is 80l bs at 8 months, we wanted her to be 100% under control by voice command. Mark her trainer taught her and then us, how to do this. We take her everywhere with us and we have zero concerns that she will create any problems. What a great feeling to have as an owner of such a large and powerful dog. Most important, her training did not effect her "spirit". She still is a happy go lucky puppy who loves to play and loves to give and get affection. The only change is that she now minds us as soon as we tell her too. In addition, EVERYONE at Shelly's and Green Leaf has treated her with so much love. Whenever we take her there for training or doggy daycare, at least one of the staff members comes out and fusses all over her. At first I thought this was something they made there people do..... But after watching it happen, I'm convinced that this is because they hire true dog lovers. Her reaction to them is the same, so I know she has bonded with them and enjoyed her time there. Mark and Shelly were always available and willing to answer questions and do additional trainings with my wife and I. In conclusion, Shelly's is the only place we will take any future dogs for training and the only kennel/boarding facility we will use when necessary. read more

Before I brought home my puppy Rottweiler, I interviewed several dog trainers in New Jersey. I found out real quick that most of these trainers use intimidation to train dogs. My wife and I did not want to raise a powerful dog like that. Once we went to Shelly, toured his facility, met his wife Donna and the rest of the staff, this was the only place for us. We started our Rottweiler at 12 weeks old and also brought our Puggle who was 1 year. They both went in for there board and train program. When Shelley brought our Puggle out to see us after a couple of weeks, I could not believe my eyes. Carmel the Puggle actually listened to me. After the dogs were both trained, Shelly then trained us. I think training my wife and I was harder than training the dogs. I have to say, Shelly is an amazing trainer and his staff treats your dogs as if they were their own. Darrell Leger read more

The facility is like a hotel for people. Immaculate...fresh smell (doesn't smell like dog) ...friendly & helpful staff. Trainers are very knowledgable. Just let them do their thing and in no time you'll have well behaved dogs (keep in mind you, the owner has to practice with your dogs). Our trainer was Josh Molinoff and he was fantastic! Good attitude and very knowledgeable! Thank you Josh and Thank you Shelly! Pete & Debbie Z. read more

Eric trained our puppy and was great. Very patient and willing to take the time to work with my entire family, including our 3 children under 14 years old. I highly recommend him and Shelly's School. Everyone took the time to get to know Nala, and she gets so excited going back every time (and they don't mind cleaning up her "excitement leaks")! read more

I'd like to start off by saying that in spite of my strong dissatisfaction with this school and a total waste of my $3000 fee, it had nothing to do with the trainer I was assigned. Roy was professional, very easy to work with and great with my dog. He accomplished what he was instructed to do by Shelly Leibowitz, owner of the school. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT INSTRUCTION, SHELLY'S PROGRAM, DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. When I first met Shelly, we told him that our Golden Doodle Dexter was excitable and jumped on people. It was especially a problem for our young grandchildren who were often severely scratched and knocked down. I asked Shelley if he could correct the jumping behavior. HE ASSURED ME HE COULD. I was feeling desperate at the time - I loved my dog and didn't want to give him up, but couldn't allow him to hurt visitors. Shelly explained that Dexter would be obedience-trained and then I would be trained to control him properly. I made a point to say that I'd be willing to follow all his instructions, but at the end, I just wanted to be assured that the jumping would stop. I didn't care about the sitting, healing, etc, but Shelly said that was a "means to an end". He assured me that "no more jumping" would be the result. He said I'd have a "whole new dog." I should expect it to take 2-3 months. I agreed to the $3000 fee. Yes, $3000 - I was desperate. During the next year, I dropped off Dexter at the school as required and then went myself for training. I tried my very hardest to follow all the instructions I learned at my training sessions. I went to training 2-3 times per week. I practiced for several hours a week. I truly gave it my all. Roy said I was doing everything correctly. But, now it is a year later and Dexter is still jumping on people. Things are no better than they were a year ago. I was upset for a couple of other reasons. Shelley never told me ahead of time that Dexter might be required to wear and be trained by electric collar. I was desperate enough to agree to using it (I wasn't given a choice) but I do feel he should have told me that before I signed the contract - not everyone is comfortable using an electric collar on their dog. I feel he deliberately hid that information. The contract, by the way, is very, very long and required dozens of initials. I really felt like I was signing my life away. Shelly makes quite sure he is protected. With the verbal promises he makes and doesn't keep, I can understand why he needs to do that. Another reason I was upset was that when I agreed to pay the $3000, Shelley told me that would include everything. I would not have to pay another cent. That wasn't true. I was strongly pressured into buying the e-collar (about $250) from him. When I confronted Shelly about the issue, he said I could buy it but return it when I was done. I would NOT get all my money back, however. Just a portion. So, in spite of his promise there were additional expenses. On a positive note, Shelly was willing to continue working with me and Dexter longer if needed. However, after a year and investing 100's of hours and still getting nowhere, it was time to cut my losses. If I used the electric collar and stood right over Dexter, he did not jump up. However, when the collar was off or I wasn't around, Dexter continued jumping. The continued hours (and I mean HOURS) I invested in his training was getting me nowhere. My grandkids were still getting scratched. Shelly didn't have an answer of how to protect my grandkids when I wasn't right there watching. The real problem is that Shelly made promises he couldn't keep. He led me to believe that with time Dexter would no longer require the collar. He also NEVER explained that I (or whoever went through the training) would always have to be around to control the dog. That doesn't help when my children and grandchildren stop by the house when I'm not home. If I turn my back, Dexter jumps. If I knew I'd always have to be around, I could have just as easily kept him on a leash next to me at all times and saved myself $3000. I feel that Shelly is not forthright about what can be accomplished. When things were not improving, he made it a habit of blaming my inability. Yet Ray, Dexter's assigned trainer, told me I was doing everything perfectly. He said few others put in the amount of time and effort that I did. I am writing this review as a warning to others. With the contract I signed, I have no legal recourse to getting any of my $3000 back. It is lost. So, if you decide to use this school (and I recommend you don't) ASK VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. Find out what methods (e-collar?) will be used. Protect yourself. Get Shelly to put in writing that the behavior you want to be corrected will be corrected in the way you need - I 'm quite sure he won't agree to signing anything beyond his own contract. I know of several other people that went through similar experiences with Shelly. I only wish I had been warned ahead of time. read more

I don't have kind things to say about this place. I agree with a lot of things that the "filtered" reviews state. I, too, paid for basic & advanced obedience for my dog. I worked with my dog, faithfully. This is not my first dog, & things just never came together. When I asked, why is my dog only listening to me 50% of the time? First, I was told that I didn't work with him enough. So, I worked him more. Then I was told, the dog would listen when he was ready. Huh? My dog also had multiple trainers during his time at Shelly's, & I believe it confused him. My dog is now being trained by a top trainer in the US, not just Monmouth County. This individual thinks that my dog was not trained beyond a basic level. I really feel cheated. read more

I have to give kudos to Shelly's School for Dogs, in particular the trainers Eric and Jake. Prior to obedience training at Shelly's we had a 9 month old young dog with a lot of energy that was tough to control and used his mouth to get the attention of my young daughters and wife. I was on the verge of getting rid of the dog due to my daughter's safety. However, gratefully Shelly's team was able to train our dog Boomer. Originally the training was scheduled for 4 weeks, but Shelly's team worked with Boomer an additional week at no additional charge to ensure he was properly trained. Subsequently, Eric has done a great job giving my family lessons on how to administer the obedience commands to Boomer to get him to properly behave. Eric and the other trainers have been so nice to my daughters So glad we went to Shelly's. We now have a great dog that is a big part of our family. read more

My wife sent our Australian Shepard, a puppy to Shelly's for training. She was under the impression (from Shelly) we would have the perfect dog after the 1 month was completed. (no jumping, would come when called, to name a few routine commands) Well it's safe to say, after 6 weeks total, dropping the dog off 4-days a week for 8 hours/day we did not get what we thought we were paying for. We feel mislead on what we were supposed to get for the very large amount of money we spent & time invested. We received a puppy that could sit, heal and lay down when on a leash only, the average person has the ability to do this. If we want more training, it would cost even more! It's not worth it, I hear great training stories for much less money at Petsmart with results in which the family is able to administer training and see the results at home. Wish I didn't spend all that money. read more

We were very happy with the training our dog Teagan received. Karen was wonderful!

Can't say enough good things about Shelly's school for dogs. Our pup Bruce went through the 3 month training and the transformation is truly incredible. Karen was our trainer, and she has really done a fabulous job. He was a stray and wound up at a few different shelters before we adopted him. He has some serious PTSD, but he is now able to listen to commands, walk a leash and we have been able to have guests in our home for the first time! Thank goodness for Karen! read more

I have owned several German Shepherds & when my previous dog trainer retired, a friend suggested Shelly's. I signed my dog up for basic, & off leash training when he turned 5 months old. He attended 4 days per week, 7 hours a day. He had 3 different trainers, because 2 of the trainers left Shelly's employ. After a few months, my dog's training was complete. We were asked to come in, to see what the dog had learned. We were taken out into the parking lot. The trainer commanded my dog to go into a down, & stay. As she walked away, he disobeyed her, & started running around the parking lot, after cars. We were told, that "we" were a distraction for him, & that's why he didn't listen. Long story short, his entire training here was useless, & there isn't even a foundation to build on. After spending $2,000, he is going to be trained by someone else. Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe how we feel. Let's see if my review stays on Yelp, or if it "mysteriously" disappears like it has in the past. read more

We took our dog Apache to Shelly's because he was becoming aggressive with people and other dogs. We used the 4 day's a week overnight training. Karen was his trainer. He started in Jan 2014 and finished 8 weeks later. We then worked with Karen once a week for an additional 6 weeks. The results are amazing. He now responds to my commands immediately both on and off the leash. Also, he is happier and more fun to be with. Their training is with positive reinforcement and he was always happy to be there. It made it easier for me to drop him off when I saw how happy he was to go in. Karen was great to work with and it is obvious she loves dogs. Apache and her formed a great bond. Apache has now been out of the actual training for 3 months and has retained all he learned. My wife and I comment often that this was one of the best investments we have made. I highly recommend Shelly's and Karen for the great job they did. read more