I enrolled my puppy in Sherwood Barks Puppy class a few months ago. I was not impressed and would not recommend this business to others. A note to potential clients- ask about class sizes! All other classes I researched had a max of 6 or 8 puppies. Our class with Sherwood Barks had 20 puppies. I counted so am not exaggerating. Right from the first class, it was disorganized. The orientation started late because People were still paying at the front. Why not have people pay online? I suspect it's because although Jen says she's not trying to sell you stuff, she will sell you stuff. Clickers, bags, leashes, collars, raw food etc. Jen told all students at the orientation that all male puppies would have to wear puppy belly pads so they wouldn't urinate and damage the facility. She said she would provide them. I was ok with that. She also said that she would decide which pen each puppy went into the first time they arrived, the pen for outgoing pups, or the pen for shyer pups. She said a small puppy isn't necessarily shyer and vice versa. I agreed with that too. Well, the first class and all thereafter, no puppies had to wear the belly pads and all dogs were sorted according to size, exactly what she said she wouldn't do! To top it off, it was so chaotic because the dogs could enter each other's pens from the outside runs, so separating them was pointless. She ended up opening the gates so the dogs just ran back and forth. She did have an assistant, but with 20 puppies, it was chaos. She clearly states there's socialization time, but it was so chaotic, it seems that's all it was. Half the time she couldn't be heard above the din, all it takes is a few dogs barking. And there was no way her assistant could go around to help everyone. If she chose a dog to demonstrate with who didn't obey her command, she'd choose another puppy, who obeyed her command. It was so packed you barely could move with your puppy, and if your puppy was near an excited puppy, forget it. At the end of one class, people were leaving already and she ran outside to show people how to walk on a leash. After each class I felt overwhelmed and frustrated. She kept saying how the first class was an introduction only and you had to enrol in puppy 2 to learn more. I agree with the other reviewer that some of her methods and suggestions are not research or medically based. Not only that, her classes are expensive, especially with the number of dogs. To top it off, my puppy drank out of a mop clean up bucket that was in the pen, later that week he was at the vet with a bacterial infection in his tummy and on antibiotics, and although there's no way it could be proven, we were super careful where he was being taken at that time and this was the likeliest source. I left to find another trainer who had tiny classes, was cheaper, and best of all, we learned valuable things. Note to readers...I suspect the owner is trying to remove these reviews from Yelp, as the title of this page is now 'Remove' as opposed to Sherwood Barks. For this reason, I'm posting this under the doggy day care section as well. Not recommended. read more

Do not take your dog here. Vanessa C was bang on with her review and that was 3 years ago. Nothing has changed. Jen seriously thinks she is the greatest thing to happen to dog training even tho she is 50 years behind everyone else. I tried giving her multiple chances to win my respect, but every class she just lost more and more of it. The way she talked to her volunteers made me feel embarrassed, I haven't seen somebody be that rude to someone ever. The way she set people up in their first ever puppy class with a question that she could purposely rip their throat out on was disgusting. I know at least 6 people that have got kennel cough there in the last few months. So many people quit that she had to combine multiple classes and there was over 20 people there, and I actually have a ton of photos and video to prove it. Then when I chewed her out via Facebook review, she actually deleted all the reviews by changing her page so no one could give reviews anymore. We went to close to 10 classes and she still didn't know my or my dogs name, despite 20 emails and multiple conversations. She tells me that some of the best vets and best trainers in the world are wrong and don't know anything. When I gave her my shitty review, instead of trying to change her attitude, she actually kicked my fiancée and dog out of her class and said we were not welcome there, and I was the "only" person she could not please there before. We won all the puppy competitions she had because we had trained our dog before we even went there, her training is garbage. Her building is littered with disease. Her attitude is piss poor. She is just a scam artist who capitalizes on her location and Edmontons population. She begs people to give her a review on their first couple classes before they actually know what she is like. Or she picks the people who don't know any better. Any real dog people will see thru her in a heartbeat and you will regret going there, I promise. I signed up specifically to leave this review. Not out of hate, but out of love for dogs. I would never wish this upon anyone to start their journey with their new best friend like that. If you actually talk to lots of vets and people in competitions they will all tell you they heard the same stories. Stay away. Stay far away. read more

We absolutely love taking puppy classes at Sherwood Barks. Jen is a fantastic dog trainer and her methods of positive behaviour training work extremely well. As brand new puppy owners, we took our first dog there in November. In the first couple classes you go from not knowing where to start with that cute, poorly behaved pup to having a tried-and-true method of working with your puppy. That puppy unfortunately passed away when we were pedestrians hit by a vehicle that ran a red light, and Jen was totally sympathetic and issued us a refund. She even took the time to email back and forth to make sure we were okay, and offered advice on what to look for with the insurance settlement. We got a new puppy shortly after and have completed Puppy 1 and are part way through Puppy 2. Our second puppy was extremely timid and nervous around other dogs, but the socializing at the start of classes changed that. He now has the confidence to play with other dogs. Puppy 1 taught us how to train the puppy and got him going on the basic commands that every dog should know. The videos that accompany the lessons are great reminders of everything that they covered during class and provide more to practice for when the dog is ready. Our puppy is doing extremely well in Puppy 2 and we are loving the new content. There is no way that that he could have retained all this new information along with the first course. He needed to work on and practice the basics, so we were happy to take the second course. The content scaffolding and order in which the courses are taught make absolute sense so that the puppy and owners can be successful with practice. All of the trainers offered tips along the way for dealing with other problems that came up extra to the course. They also make sure students get one-in-one time during classes to receive feedback. We highly recommend Sherwood Barks to anyone who is willing to work and receive feedback so their puppy will be well-behaved. We look forward to having our puppy in doggy day care and absolutely trust all the trainers here. read more

I love Sherwood Barks! We first came to Sherwood Barks in October 2014 with two very high-energy breeds, a German Short-haired Pointer and a Brittany Spaniel, who barely knew how to sit. I have taken the puppy 1 and puppy 2 classes and we are currently in the agility classes, which we plan to continue with for many years! Thanks to Sherwood Barks, I now have two well-behaved dogs with fantastic recall. Guests who were once afraid that my dogs would leap onto their laps while they were sitting on the couch are now impressed by my two dogs who are sitting nicely on their mats. My dogs are not counter-surfing and stealing food anymore. In fact, I can even stack multiple dog treats on their paws while they are lying down and they will not touch them until I say "okay". Going to the off-leash dog park is now a breeze - I never have to worry about my dogs running off as they both come back to me quickly on command. The Agility Classes are a blast, too! We initially sought out Sherwood Barks for their agility classes as my husband and I were looking for a fun activity that we could enjoy with our dogs. Both Jen and Hannah are fabulous instructors. They are so knowledgeable, patient, and create a wonderful learning environment. They really want to ensure that your dog has success, too. Jen even let us take a piece of equipment home so that we could practice! Both my dogs LOVE their agility classes. I always smile at class because it seems like my dogs are so proud when they get something right. What I didn't expect was how much I would love the agility classes. It is such a joy to watch your dog having so much fun while they learn new tricks. I also enjoy seeing all the other breeds and meeting people who love dogs just as much as I do. We look forward to our agility class every week. My German Short-haired Pointer actually whines with excitement when we pull into the parking lot. I am so glad we found this place and I highly recommend Sherwood Barks to anyone. -Jenna read more

I registered for a one on one session for my rescue dog who is just over a year old and who spent the first 6 months of her life on the streets of the Dominican Republic. Kip (the dog) is very lovable but also very territorial and would bark and people and cars. Kip recently started 'fence fighting' with the neighbors dog and it had gotten to the point she could not be in the yard while the neighbors had their dog out. Her behaviors were far beyond my skill level and i was worried for her. I started researching various trainers and facilities but was looking for a trainer who would use positive reinforcement with Kip and who also had a reputation of helping dogs reach their full potential. A co-worker had been to Sherwood Barks with her dog and recommended I give Jen the owner a call. After speaking with Jen I decided to book a one on one session so Kip could be assessed and hopefully I would learn some techniques that would help. The 2 hours we spent with Jen were (for lack of a better word) amazing. We learned so much and my stress levels have decreased 10-fold. Jen not only taught Kip but she taught me how to work with Kip in a positive and fun way. Kip who has never played with dogs outside her "pack" was playing with 4 new dogs at the end of our session. If someone had told me that would happen I would have never believed it. It has been 5 days since our session and Kip is walking with more confidence and is starting to see cars as an opportunity to get a treat and alot of praise. The fence fighting has stopped, something I am so happy about. I would recommend Sherwood barks to anyone who is willing to dedicate time to helping their dog reach it's fullest potential in a POSITIVE way. read more

We have a year old rescue puppy that we got when she was still quite young. Being new dog owners, we tried the Petsmart training classes, which we found weren't working for us at all. We heard about Sherwood Barks through a co-worker of mine and decided to try it out. Lola is a high energy puppy and we really didn't know what to expect. We found Jen and Hannah so helpful. The facilities are clean and well maintained. They took the time to hear about our questions and concerns and worked with us individually when we needed it. She also e-mailed a copy of the class handbook with step-by-step instructions on how to train the basics of puppy class as well as natural treat recipes and suggestions to keep your dog happy and healthy. They taught us how to use her energy in a positive way and for us to use positive reinforcement, which I think is so important. The classes allowed the dogs to socialize for the majority of the class, which was essential for Lola because we hadn't really socialized her that much outside of class. Now that we are done with the classes we take Lola to their puppy daycare twice a week and they are still willing to give us advice when we need it. We love how tired she is when we pick her up and we know that we can trust Hannah and Jen to make sure she's safe and still getting the guidance she needs. We would recommend this class to anyone who has a new puppy or even an older one like Lola was. read more

I've been taking my mini aussie Bowser to sherwood barks since he was 15 weeks old. (He is now a year and a half) I've done all of the classes up until basic agility 2 and plan to continue. I've had classes taught by both Jen and Hannah and appreciate their teaching styles! For those people reviewing saying they don't put an effort into learning your puppies or your name.... that's absolute garbage! They do get to learn your names, you just need to keep in mind that the two of them and Aaron also run x amount of other classes and a puppy day care with hundreds of dogs so don't be offended if they don't learn your name right away. Having been there a year or so now I can also debunk some of these other negative reviews. Not ONCE has Jen or hannah tried to sell me something. They simply run by you that they do sell them incase you didn't want to go on a wild goose hunt for raw food, clickers, collars what have you when they're literally right in the store out front. I am so happy I brought bowser to sherwood barks. The clicker training is a magical tool that has made bowser learn so fast. They focus on positive reinforcement which has made the bond between my dog and I so strong because he's never been scolded or yelled at. The agility classes are so fun and can be quite a workout. I have and still will continue to recommend sherwood barks to people. read more

I cannot say enough about Jen at Sherwood Barks! Jen uses up-to-date and scientifically proven POSITIVE training methods-- the type of training I can feel good about!!! (No chock chains or prong collars permitted!) Jen's communication methods with her clients are current and SUPER fun!!! She has created private Facebook groups for each class I have enrolled in where I can post videos of my pup and ask questions about her behaviour and training progress! (Such a wonderful tool for one-on-one advice!!!) I was heartbroken when I read a couple of negative reviews about Jen, and I would like to address my feelings about those reviews: Jen is very passionate about what she does, and she wants the absolute best for every pup and their owner! Sadly, from a few reviews I have read, some people don't take her suggestions in the spirit in which they are intended, and that's really unfortunate!!! Jen gives constructive criticism that is extremely helpful, and I always welcome and appreciate her suggestions!!! Taking classes at Sherwood Barks has been such a wonderful experience for myself and my pup! We are learning to communicate with each other and are having a wonderful time doing it!!! Thank you Jen!!! I am so proud of the happy and well behaved pup Karma is turning into!!! I couldn't have done it without your expertise!!! read more

When I first rescued my puppy, she came with a ton of bad habits, but the worst was biting... not puppy nipping - BITING! I called Jen at Sherwood Barks and although her next puppy class was full, she let me come anyways... I was desperate. Puppy class was awesome for us. As a new dog owner, Jen was always willing to address specific issues and help not only the dogs become more confident, but the owners too. The training is clicker/reward (food and/or toy) based, which is awesome! I would have to say the best thing about puppy class is that, weather permitting, it is outdoors. There is also off-leash playtime, which is INVALUABLE for puppy socialization. This is the only training class I have found that you don't have to keep the dogs calm, controlled and leashed for the full hour and I LOVE THAT! Now, three years after our first class, my dog and I are taking foundations, which teaches the basics of agility, and we are having so much fun! All in all, I would have to say that I highly recommend Sherwood Barks for anyone with a high energy dog (like mine) that needs unstructured playtime in order to be able to focus and learn. You will notice at your first class that this type of training is unlike anything you've tried before and if you trust it, it can really work for you! read more

My puppy Theia started the Puppy 1 class around 4 months old. Each class was different, learned skills were practiced with our puppies with distraction, and we had homework and video instruction after each class to further teach our puppies new behaviours. Sherwood Barks is positive, clicker based training with food and/or toy rewards, which my puppy responds to very well. The first 15 minuets of class was off leash playtime, including access to outside. This was a great way for my puppy to socialize and get some energy out before class starts. Jen takes the time to teach us humans how we need to interact with our dogs to build a strong connection between handler and pup. We are introduced to some agility equipment as well, such as the tunnel. Classes are interactive and fun, and Jen is confident and well versed. She always takes time after each class to chat with owners one on one about any issues they may be having. She also highly recommends a raw food diet, and I thought since my puppy was having allergic reactions to her food I would give it a try. This stuff is amazing! My puppy LOVES it, and it is very easy to feed as it comes in 1/2 pound frozen pucks. I am very happy with Sherwood Barks and Jen, and I recommend her to everyone! read more

We are so grateful for the staff and facility at Sherwood Barks and highly recommend them to other dog owners. Our poodle pup needed a lot of work around socializing so we've added the daycare experience a couple of times a week to her puppy classes. What a difference it has made! Sherwood Barks staff are experienced, honest/direct, and really structure things for maximum safety as well as interaction. This can be a tough line to walk and we've had a negative experience elsewhere where the organization didn't support safety of the smaller dogs. What helps our experience be so wonderful? Leave ego at the door and soak as much feedback up as you can. Trust the experience of the trainers and daycare staff. Their force-free methods are excellent and you will see results if you practice their strategies. The homework videos are extra helpful. Staff here truly love dogs and have so much insight into how to understand their doggy minds and hearts. We are happy to see our friends joining the Sherwood Barks community, too - especially the small dog Sundays. If you have a small dog, this is one of the best ways to spend your Sunday. Hope to see you there soon! read more

We brought our two rescue dogs here for some private training with Jen the owner before Christmas. Our dogs had been very mistreated before we adopted them, and our littlest one was so scared it was heartbreaking. Jen patiently spent time giving us lots of advice and some great methods for training. Several times after we called and asked for advice and she always took the time to answer our questions. Yesterday I was able to take both of them to their first small dog recreation time and it was wonderful. I felt like a new mom at the playground for the first time. Our dogs had a great time, the littlest is still quite shy, but did venture out several times to interact with other dogs. I met other dog owners, and the whole experience was extremely positive. It was very fun getting to talk to other owners, and I look forward to our next visit. Our experience with Sherwood Barks was very good. I read the other reviews, and completely understand their comments however, I appreciated the no nonsense approach, training dogs you need to be firm and clear our priority was our dogs, and the results we achieved, and and it really worked for us. read more

SMALL BREED OWNER: We started our Chihuahua puppy Paxton at (12) weeks old with Jen. In the fall of 2007. We had a (1) hour training session in our home. We started Puppy Classes at Sherwood Barks when Paxton was (18) weeks old. He was so small but the training I had started at home and Jen working with us to accommodate his needs as a small breed we completed the puppy classes and returned to complete Agility Level I and then Agility Level II. With Jen's guidance I managed to work through my issues as a small dog owner and my dog's issues. He is a bright, funny, attentive, polite Chihuahua. Yes it is possible! After I had completed my training with Paxton I have since added two more Chihuahua's to our home. Madison and Willow and yes I was able to apply the knowledge shared by Jen with all my dogs. I started a Small Breed Dog Play Group MIghty Mutts in March 2009 and have hosted over (400) meetups with owners of small breed dogs. I attritubute my sucess to the skills I learned in my classes at Sherwood Barks. Thank you for your patience and understaning Jen. www.mightymutts.ca read more

We started training at Sherwood Barks when our puppy was 3 months old. He loved socializing with the other large and small puppies. The instructions were clear and what we learned was very helpful for a well behaved dog in our home and when we were out on our walks. Jen and the other instructors were always willing to answer a question or help out if we were having problems. We have one more class in puppy class level 2. Our puppy loves learning new things, he loves the games and especially running through the tunnel. The positive training techniques that are taught makes learning easy for the pups. We have just enrolled in puppy class level 3. We chose Sherwood Barks because of the positive dog training techniques, the different levels of puppy training and the ability to continue and do agility, fly ball and disc training. The facility is clean and well suited for the training. Jen and the other instructors are very knowledgeable. We recommend Sherwood Barks training as we are very satisfied with our puppies results. read more

I have been going to Sherwood Barks for classes starting from puppy foundation to agility for nearly 6 years. I starting with a Pom-Papillion and now am with a Cattle dog mix breed. Ever since starting at Sherwood Barks I have learned so much about dog behaviour, positive reinforcement, and how to raise an all-round good dog. As a university student the classes have been expensive, but they are worth it!! In the end you have all the tools to raise a dog that is well socialized and mannered and also who can do some cool tricks. Another great thing about Sherwood Barks is that there is a little store where there are lots of custom made items for sale for your pets at a fair price. At the dog park in Terwilliger, I love that I am able to recognize other Sherwood Barks students from the trademark 2 inch thick collars. I have highly recommended Jen and Sherwood Barks in the past and I stand by that. I believe that she a great trainer and that attending classes at Sherwood Barks will be good for you and your dog. read more

I enrolled my 3 month old English bulldog into puppy class 1 and from orientation to my final class of level 1 I thoroughly enjoyed it. The level of knowledge from the staff especially Jen is amazing. You can easily see that she knows her stuff and always has time to answer any questions that you may have. The training moved at a great pace and every week I had new behaviors for me and my pup to learn. Every class there was at least 2 staff members working with all the puppies, going through the lesson showing how to do it and explaining what to do and what not to do. Most importantly why we are teaching this behavior and how the puppy will use this behavior to become a happy well trained dog. As the training progressed I could really see the benefits training was in my everyday life with my puppy. He is becoming more and more obedient and most importantly happier as a result. I will be enrolling my puppy into the next level and would highly recommend Sherwood barks. read more

Wow I am shocked by the negative reviews as I have taken the puppy 1 & 2 classes with my small dog as well attended a small dog yoga class and the Sunday small dog play group. This Sunday play group has been a blessing to my small dog,she has a safe fun environment to play with other small dogs and they learn to not be timid and gives them a lot of confidence.Jen her staff and volunteers do an amazing job, the rules are common sense if your dog poops or pees on the mats you need to clean up after your dog, pretty straight forward, as well ignore your dog let them play and learn to socialize it's their play time not yours.There are plenty of great people to meet and talk to while your dog plays with other dogs. Some dogs need to go a few times to get their confidence up enough to play and interact.We are so happy to have this facility to take our small dog to! Shelley and Peanut read more

Both instructors really know their stuff and really know dogs. I have been to other places for obedience and agility with dogs I have owned in the past, but, by far, the most effective methods I learned were at Sherwood Barks. Rather than just your dog learning a few basic commands, the focus here is to teach YOU how the techniques to teach your dog (pretty much anything you set your mind to), in a strictly positive manner. Having gone through dog training here, I can confidently say that I can make meaningful progress on training a new task to my dogs in the space of just 20 minutes (for example: to bring me the cordless phone when it rings), and then have it solidified within a week, working just 20 minutes a day. And it's not as if my dogs are forgiving pupils! In fact .... I'm going to go work on that one right now.... ;) read more

My puppy Sophie and I are on our second puppy class with Sherwood Barks and I highly recommend it. Jen comes with so many years of experience and just watching her working with her own dogs and how they respond to her, motivates me to want to work hard to get to the same place with my dog. I love the socialization my puppy gets interacting with the other puppies. Jen always follows up her class with an email with reminders of what we learned, videos demonstrating the skills and what to expect next. Jen makes herself very accessible and is extremely personable. Her training methods are positive enforcement based which I love so my dog never feels shamed or forced. Instead my dog wants to obey to please me. What a great experience. I highly recommend Sherwood Barks. Thanks for all you do Jen and all your hard earned expertise!!! read more