Beware, your dog will be in a crate the majority of the day. I took my dog here for an eval day, followed by one day of daycare. While the staff was very nice, I will not be returning based on how long they keep dogs in crates throughout the day. (I skimmed reviews ahead of time but didn't see any mention of this so I feel compelled to let others know). My dog was at daycare for almost 6 hours and I did not see him anywhere on the cameras during that time. (He is friendly and gets along with all dogs so should not have been secluded). When asking the staff how much playtime he had, they could not tell me and they estimated he was probably outside two hours total (and that maybe I just didn't see him on camera). That means the other four hours he was in a crate. This is not the norm for most daycares, as my dog has been to three other ones before and all of them allowed dogs outside of the crate at all times except for an hour mid-day around lunch for quiet time/napping. Another staff member told me the dogs have two 30-45 min breaks before and after noon naptime. So you mean to tell me if I drop by dog off at 7 AM and pick him up around 7 PM he's only being allowed outside his crate for two to three of the twelve hours? Absolutely not. Additionally, upon daycare pickup I was told because he's a pitbull mix that he classifies as a short-nosed dog and they sometimes limit playtime for dogs like that because they don't want them to overheat. This is insane to me and was not discussed ahead of time or during the eval. My dog has a ton of energy and is not prone to overheating and loves to play for hours. Lastly, the pickup and dropoff times were unacceptable. Waiting 10+ minutes with one person working the desk is unheard of. I've never been to a daycare that only allows one owner/dog inside at a time. Not even a vet's office does that! Clearly they need more staff members. read more

Taurus Dog Daycare: Where Oliver Gets Pampered Like a Celebrity!" So, I took my dog Oliver to Taurus Dog Daycare, and let me just say--his groomer deserves a standing ovation. This isn't just a "brush-and-bathe" situation; this is a doggy spa experience that makes my dog look like he's ready for his own runway show. Seriously, he's strutting around now like he's got an endorsement deal with a fancy dog food brand. Oliver walked in looking like a scruffy little mop, and 2 hours later, he emerged looking like he'd been personally styled by a celebrity groomer. I'm pretty sure if he could speak, he'd be telling me how perfect he feels. His coat is so shiny, I'm half expecting him to start catching the sunlight like a diamond. The staff is beyond friendly, and they treated Oliver like the precious floof he is. It's not every day you find a groomer who knows how to make a dog look like a million bucks without charging you an arm and a leg. Honestly, I think I might be jealous of how good he looks now. If you're looking for a place where your dog can get pampered and actually enjoy the experience, Taurus Dog Daycare is your spot. I mean, Oliver's ready to start his own Instagram account, and I'm just here for the photo ops. Brilliant Dog Spa! read more

Taurus Academy Lamar - Oliver Dale!! - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

I believe that $2600 was wasted in training and my dog was underfed for three weeks. When I picked up my mom's dog after three weeks of boarding and training, Daisy was "skinny" (per vet). Though I could feel her spine, ribs and pelvic bones, the veterinarian said she was not in danger luckily. When questioned, Taurus said Daisy had arrived that way. Daisy had been kenneled elsewhere before Taurus as my mom was in rehab. Three weeks of food at Taurus should have had Daisy gain weight if she had indeed arrived skinny. I even paid for several sessions of cuddle time in which I would think Taurus employees would have felt the obvious bones when she was on their laps. At check in, I had told Taurus that I did not know how much Daisy ate as she is my mother's dog and to use their dog food. They set the amount of food given, not me. I believe that $2600 was wasted because of the lack of training. My mom and I wanted Daisy to learn not to jump on people as my mom is recovering from injury (Daisy didn't learn) and also not to rush out the door (Daisy didn't learn). We're just really careful about opening the front door. Daisy can sit now and with treats will come when called from back yard though so that's good. We've never tried or will never try letting her loose in the front yard. Taurus' daily updates said such things as "sweet" but didn't address the training. When they showed me their work, Daisy was on an extendable leash. We were in the back of the lot but busy Lamar was nearby. It made me nervous about Daisy slipping her harness. I don't know if this is where they train the dogs. Daisy didn't always come but she may have been distracted. I am unhappy also that Taurus felt free to call my veterinarian with questions about Daisy and her chart. read more

My little Winston is 3 years old & he has been going to Taurus since he was 3 months old. The staff there are all wonderful & caring. I know that when I'm at work he is always well taken care of. Joe & Rachelle are the managers and kudos to Shawn, Jody, Lisa & all of the other staff members for taking care of my little Winston. read more

Taurus Academy Lamar - Winston, a happy Taurus pup! - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

Unfortunately, after a year of services, including boarding, training, and daycare, at Taurus Lamar, I cannot recommend this facility and would recommend you send you dog to another facility. TLDR: After raising concerns about observations made via live web camera of the facility, the staff at Taurus were dishonest, would not inform me what their internal investigation showed, refused to tell me how they would deal with the staff member who engaged in the concerning behavior, and told me to trust their internal integrity in handling the issue, after they lied. If you ever have an issue or concern with the facility, do not expect Taurus Lamar to be honest, to address your concerns with integrity, or to put the well-being of you dog above their staff. Full Story: In early March 2025, I sent my dog to daycare at Taurus Lamar. During a break in work, I checked the live webcam to check in on my dog. I observed my dog being on a leash for at least 2-3 minutes sitting and staring at the staff member while the other smaller dogs were running around. I watched for a few minutes before taking a screenshot, where you can see the staff member leaning against a pole while my dog just sat leashed. She did eventually unleash my dog, so she could go sit and look at her phone. Finally, when she was rounding up the dogs, I observed her chasing a corgi, before roughly grabbing the dog to bring the dog back inside. When I picked my dog up from daycare, I checked with Joe, the facility manager, to ensure there wasn't a reason my dog needed to be leashed, to give the staff member the benefit of the doubt. I did not inform Joe at the time that I observed my dog being leashed for 2-3 minutes. Joe reported that he spoke to the staff member and my dog was on the leash "just for the transition." This is not what I observed on the camera and I wanted to see if the staff member would be truthful, which they failed to be. I raised these concerns and a few other in email to the staff at Taurus Lamar, with screenshots attached. Initially In his first email response, Joe stated, "This will be used in a one-on-one training capacity and will also be a large topic at our next monthly all-staff meeting" and asked to speak with me on the phone. When I responded asking for specifics as what the footage showed, if the staff member would be unsupervised around the dogs, what specific actions Taurus was taking, all Joe would say is: "all necessary support center departments are included in this communication to uphold our internal integrity and service-based obligations to those we serve. To be clear, your complaint was taking with serious considerations, all components of your complaint were evaluated, and all appropriate actions are being taken as deemed necessary by myself and my leadership team... Unfortunately, I cannot have you involved in the process beyond the information that I have already provided to you." I found Taurus' lack of transparency to be unacceptable, especially when they serve a population that cannot advocate for themselves. This would NEVER be acceptable for children at a daycare. There was no check on their "internal integrity" as they were unwilling to share information with customers, especially after a staff member lied to a customer. To me, the facility has no integrity. Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking. They cannot even do the right thing when someone is watching. I gave Taurus the opportunity to be transparent, honest, and to correct the action. However, their response made the situation worse, not better. The only good thing that came from this was a refund from the facility and me finding a better facility for my dog. read more

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Casey at Taurus South Lamar might be the perfect dog trainer. My young, high-energy pup returned from a two-week board-and-train with new skills, more manageable energy, and easy-to-follow instructions so I could learn and work with him to keep it going. Casey's follow-up sessions made it clear she knows my dog and had really personalized his training. She was always patient and never seemed rushed, and she demonstrated the training work in a way that made me feel confident moving forward. (She also sent me updates and photos of my dog regularly, as I was out of town while he was boarded and trained.) To top things off, she volunteered to move a heavy new dog crate up the stairs to my house. I'm looking forward to continuing my dog's training and play dates at Taurus, and I'm sure he'll continue to love both. read more

Taurus Academy Lamar - My dog on a walk during his training at Taurus - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

People were nice enough. Very disorganized. Lost track of my check-out date for training. Multiple times I had to follow up for training start times. They offered a free grooming as a make up for that, but next time I dropped off, they claimed I didn't pay the last time when they had checked me out. I asked for a couple weeks given that they told me I had initially paid it off. They said no. A combination of this extra charge and my poor budgeting now leaves me with $14 to feed myself for the next 10 days. Also the training did not work. She learned "place" and still just knows how to sit and the commands I taught her. She exhibited the same problem behaviors even with months of following up. So I'm out $1700 for "training." read more

Everyone here really cares! We took our boxer dog to Taurus on Lamar when we needed to go out of town; unfortunately our dog was very anxious and got sick (he's a recent rescue) yet they were quick to call us and help us come up with a game plan. They took such kind care of him while we arranged with a neighbor to bring him back home -- and were very accommodating about cutting the boarding reservation short. They made a stressful situation so much better; we would not hesitate to come back in the future once our dog is feeling better! read more

We love this location - the staff is great and I can tell they genuinely love our sweet dog! She has the best time at daycare and for boarding! read more

Taurus has been my primary kennel for my doggy (Sophie) for the past few years when I've needed the service. There has been somewhat of a growth spurt in the kennel business in recent years, and throughout this I continue to stick with Taurus since I've been pretty happy with their quality of service. I initially started to use their McNeil Rd. facility since I lived in the area. I recently started using their Lamar location for a few times now - it's a smaller operation (not as much outside space for the dogs to roam around) than other locations, but Sophie doesn't seem to mind at all. I like how you can log onto an account online and fill out the timeframe and schedule, plus the staff is good about following any special directions or needs your pet may have and the service has always been solid. I'd say the only drawback to Taurus is that they raised their prices dramatically (close to 50%) within the past few years during that surge in business. Even though I wasn't happy about that, I still continued to use them based on a good history. Pricing details: they currently charge $23 per dog per day (which used to be mid teens), or $34 per dog per night (which used to be mid 20's). There is a $30 savings if your dog stays there 10 days or more, and there's also an extra charge if you want your dog washed when you pick him/her up - which I recall thinking was a bit overpriced (IMHO). I guess I could shop around for something a few dollars cheaper, but like I said, Sophie always seems really happy when pick her up and she's not complaining so why bother to change? I wouldn't want to stress her our too much or be responsible for an anxiety attack, right? Right. read more

Taurus Academy Lamar - Owners William and Melanie McLeroy - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

Please see photo below. After asking to be unsubscribed from their automated email list this was the response from business. I believe the email back from Taurus Academy says everything about the type/level of customer service provided here. read more

Taurus Academy Lamar - Email received 10.5.22 - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

They expect me to spay my 5 month old puppy for puppy play dates. They don't have the dogs best interest in mind. Who spays their puppy at 5 months? They also expect influenza shots for a 5 month old. She had all her other shots. I don't believe in overloading a baby's system with all of these vaccines. maybe when she is an adult, she will get the influenza vaccine. They were also very rude. I wouldn't trust th read more

I want my money back. I spent $1,800 dollars for three weeks of day training, and my dog learned "place." There were no goals, and the trainer seemed to only spend about half an hour a day with the dog. And, according to the staff there, they let my dog sleep most of the day--and it showed when he came home. I feel ripped off. I've called the office and was told I need to speak to the trainer, but she hasn't called back. It was an awful experience all around. read more

We have used Taurus in the past and had a good experience. This time, we boarded our dog for 3 weeks. It was awful. When we picked our dog up, we knew something was off. We got her home and took her for a walk. She peed 10 different times and continued to pee while she walked. It was obvious that they did not attend to her basic needs. I have boarded my dog in Houston and Austin and have NEVER had this experience. Will not go back. read more

I came here during the non-open hours for a tour, I like to see how boarding facilities operate outside the designated "tour" hours on surprise - they let me in... This review is in no way a reflection of the girl that gave me the tour, you were great and informational. By my uploaded pictures, I'm sure you will remember who I am. With that being said.... Drumroll.... *If you don't love your animal, bring them here* Lets start off with the facility, apparently it was a Veterinary office prior to being sadly converted, by sadly.. I mean nothing changed. Basically as you can tell by the pictures... they use the vet tech rooms (closets) to stack crates on crates.. basically small bathrooms with crates shoved into them and clutter (junk) strewn about.... See photo. Continuing onward... room on left side as a storage room for treats, food (which was sitting out in the open not sealed sitting in a giant 4 foot high barrel. Crates with random hoses blowing air into them (see picture)... apparently if they give the dog a bath, they put them in there to "air dry" - ummm.. ya.. ok.... Let's keep walking to the back, ohh more crates stacked on each other with every dog looking lethargic. (see picture) I think Mike Vick's dogs had better care than this...#MV7 - The outside play yards had what was described as a structure for athletic play and height variables. IT'S A DAMN CIRCULAR BENCH, PEOPLE. But, hey... who am I to judge, its only $1200 bucks for two weeks of boarding and that includes training of the dog... oh wait, you are right next to Uchi..? - Let me take my $1200 and blow it on some Sake instead, at least I wouldn't be contributing to the profits of this place that are obviously lining the owners pockets instead of going towards the care and well being of the animals. "c'mon man"... in my ESPN voice - Someone called this the "Four Seasons of doggie care" - how long have you and the owners been best friends? - F****** joke. Pictures don't lie. read more

Taurus Academy Lamar - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This is an absolutely wonderful place for dogs. Our dog has gone to Taurus Lamar for more than 5 years now. We have had an outstanding experience with Taurus Lamar. The staff is really great -- very intuitive with the dogs and very responsive to clients. We initially sent our dog to Taurus Lamar because he was a rescue dog and, when he came to us, he had issues with both strangers and other dogs. We thought he needed positive experiences with other people and other dogs, and we hoped that Taurus could provide that. And they truly have. He is such a happy dog now, and much of the credit for this goes to their wonderful staff. We sent him in the beginning because we thought he needed what Taurus could provide, but we continue to send him just because he loves it so. It is expensive, but I would recommend Taurus Lamar without reservation to anyone. read more

I can't say enough good things about Taurus Academy. I have a two year old Labradoodle. We were both very frustrated and it was hard for me to walk him on a leash without him pulling me to the ground chasing squirrels and other dogs. I made an appointment for an evaluation and my dog spent the day at the Lamar location.Afterwards,they explained fully about the behaviors he exhibited and how they could help. I decided to have my dog enrolled in their Board and Train where they stay for two weeks of training. We meet Caitlin and she is the wonderful and is very knowledgeable about dogs and correcting behaviors. My dog loves her and wow I can't describe how much better things are for me and my dog. We can take nice relaxing walks with minimal trouble. I use to dread walks now I enjoy walks and hikes. Caitlin is the best and I totally recommend this service!!! Sydney read more

Taurus was like the rehab my dog needed to become the best version of himself. When I first took Kane my rescue pitbull/shar pei mix to Taurus they were so welcoming and excited. He had some trust issues towards men and hadn't played with a ton of dogs. I was a single mom to him working long shift work and didn't have time to socialize and exercise him the way he needed and deserved. But Taurus helped Kane with everything! They worked on having male workers be around him more and eventually become his trusted buddies, in turn helping him use these same tools outside of day care. They monitored his play with his furry buddies and made appropriate corrections that allowed him to find his play style and bouncy personality. Kane has become an incredibly well trained, happy dog and I know that Taurus and the amazing staff have an incredible role in this. I would recommend Taurus to anyone, especially if your pup is needing the encouragement and guidance to be the best dog they can be. Taurus did not only let Kane play and be happy but also took the time to train him throughout each visit and loved him along the way as their own. We are so appreciative! read more

Taurus Academy Lamar - Happy dog, happy life - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

Our 8 year old dog Leeloo loves Taurus. Everytime we ask her "Do you want to go to Taurus?" she runs to the car and can't wait until she's brought inside. She goes regularly for play days and is always boarded there when we're out of town. The staff send us pictures and videos of her when we're out of town. We trust them completely and wouldn't send our dog anywhere else! read more

In past 35 years I have had four dogs trained by four different trainers. After boarding for training for a 3 week period, no goals were achieved. Three goals; sit come, stay. Would not recommend. Possibly the "Cesar Dog Whisper" method of " training" the owner has diluted the current trainers from training the dog. My past experience had been a trainer can be successful in the three basics. At Taurus it was a failure. You would get better results from YouTube or a book. For me, $1200 wasted. read more

A kind stranger on the greenbelt saw me struggling with my 2 yr old APA rescue black mouth cur mix, Joy, who lunges and barks when she is startled, which is frequently. (She really is very sweet even though she resembles Cujo in those moments.) Kind stranger recommended Taurus on Lamar and said her dog had been grumpy too, hard to believe because her dog was unbothered while walking unleashed. I called Taurus and got to talk to a trainer immediately. Casey asked me about Joy's behaviors and really listened. She recommended an in-home appointment and came out within a few days. I could see Casey at work from the moment she walked in the door, as she interacted with Joy and observed her responses. She also asked about what I had tried, and I told her I wasn't having much luck with a "command and control" method that I had learned from a another trainer. Casey said that she prefers training that involves frequent communication between dog and owner, which was music to my ears because I'm just not an Alpha human. We all went for a walk together, and Casey showed me how I could give Joy some room on the leash and freedom to make choices, rewarding her when she made the right ones. Casey also provided strategies for redirecting the reactivity (barking and lunging) and said to be patient, as Joy needs time to feel safe. Let me tell you... ONE HOUR with Casey transformed our walks! We are both so much happier with our newfound freedom (Joy gets more room to explore on the leash and I get to loosen my grip). I was concerned about cost because am recently divorced and on a tight budget, but being able to hike with my new best friend means everything to me. The time I spent with Casey gave me confidence that I would someday be hiking the greenbelt with Joy and that training would be affordable. Taurus did not push additional classes or products, and Casey is willing to work with us as much or as little as we need. Casey, you are wonderful!!! THANK YOU!!! read more

Taurus is really popular in Austin but I was disappointed in this location. The thing about taking your dog to a boarding place is that you can't ask him/her how was their day? Did they have fun? Did they get to go outside a lot and play with other dogs? Were any of the dogs mean to them? This is where we as dog owners depend on the establishment to feed us some PR. For example my dog's vet downtown does overnight boarding and they always give me a written report card on what she did, and they tell me some sort of story about her and even give a print out of a digital picture of her. Of course all of this is to make me the human feel like she had a good time and was in good hands. On Saturday I had an all day 8-5 event and being the fact that the high was going to be 72 degrees I felt like my lil' munchkin (Dolly) deserved a doggy day-care day instead of being trapped inside the house all day. I took her here. The girl that checked Dolly in had the personality of dish soap. She said maybe 2 words. When I went to pick Dolly up she was full of energy, so much so that I took her to Auditorium Shores to play with the other dogs for an hour. I seriously wonder if she really got to play at all while at Taurus. I asked the girl checking me out what Dolly had done that day and she acted like I was weird for asking. She went back into the hall and came back out, claiming that Dolly had played with a Maltipoo and some other small dog that day though I'm not sure if she just made that up. The other Taurus up off Metric always gives report cards and I made mention of that but she said they don't do that. She really had a I-could-care-less attitude. The real clincher: $35 for a day of doggy day care!! This pricing is INSANE. Especially for the tiny location and lack of customer service/communication. I wish the Taurus Metric location wasn't so dang far away because they are much better. I will be finding another place to take Dolly for any future doggy day care needs. read more

I was new in town and looking for a local place for my best friend in the world to stay while I take a short work trip. The staff at Taurus was very understanding of my anxieties, and incredibly helpful throughout every step of the process of getting my best boy into a cozy situation while I'm not there for him. I was very grateful they offer options like walks and cuddle time for your dog during their stay, my wallace lives for belly rubs. Thanks Taurus Academy, for helping me feel my dog's in good hands. read more

I would strongly recommend against boarding your smaller dogs with Taurus - rr620 location. I had a horrible experience boarding my min pin with them. He is my baby and is very small. I had a death in the family that required me to leave on a very short notice and travel overseas so I decided to let him board with Taurus. While in their care my little dog broke his leg, it snapped in two. I was told that his leg caught in one of the linoleum metal strips on the stairs that hold it down and broke. The dog was supposed to be carried down the stairs, but instead they let him run down the stairs and hurt himself. The little bone on the leg is broken in 3 place, the bigger one snapped in half. I am crying as I am writing this, I still cant believe that they did that to him. The dog is not the same. He is always afraid, his leg is now crooked, and who knows if/how he will heal. I am heartbroken looking at my little boy suffer every day because of the pure negligence of the people at Taurus. PLEASE, FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR PETS, CONSIDER BOARDING THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE. read more

I love Taurus Academy! I put my spazadoodle (half poodle half spaz) through their boot camp because he is a rescue dog with questionable instincts and training and loves to BOLT out the door and run away. They were amazing with me when I discussed options and their approach. I had confidence that they were going to be kind yet firm and that it would be money well spent. I was not wrong. They were very thorough with his training and with mine (you have to keep up the training at home for it to really take long-term). Part of the boot camp training is to learn about his environment at home, his personality and our day to day routine. I could tell that they really got to know my dog and his spaztic individual personality - he wasn't just another dog that they collected money for to temporarily teach to sit for food. Another part of the boot camp package is a few sessions at home, showing the owner how to manage the dog and maintain consistent training. I thought that was a nice touch for the $$. In short, he actually came back with some listening skills. And as a result, I am very loyal to Taurus and will board him there whenever we have to leave town. Some reviews comment that boarding is pretty pricey but it really isn't outside the norm. Yes, you need to pay a bit extra for your dog to get a walk while you're away but it's not like he doesn't have any outside time. He always comes back happy. And I love the staff at the Lamar location (shout out to you, McKenzie). They love dogs! read more

I am completely disappointed in the poor customer service Taurus has shown to a faithful return customer. I moved to California for almost 3 years and my dog is now back in Austin and we wanted to return to Taurus b/c he'd spent a number of years boarding there and getting training. Previously they had been accommodating of the fact that he has separation anxiety and barks a good deal. However, after putting in both a phone call and an online request upon my return I received an email informing me that they could not board him at all. Sight unseen after 3 years, apparently they are no longer capable of devoting a full run to a dog. I didn't realize all runs had to be shared or they were so seemingly incapable of boarding they flat refuse business. They ARE a DOG boarding facility right?? And to not even return my phone call but send an email is horrible form. They of course have yet to return my follow up phone call. I've spent thousands of dollars with Taurus and in return to be welcomed back to Austin with such incredibly poor taste leaves me with the inability to recommend them to anyone. It's unfortunate I will go to a large chain like Petsmart and get far better customer service and appreciation for my dog, not to mention better prices, and not be able to recommend a local Austin business. Very disappointing. "Unfortunately, our kennel has become increasingly busy and we are unable to board **** here because of the care he requires while boarding. We just don't have the room to devote a full run to him." read more

My dog hates this place! One time I dropped her off she literally jumped the counter trying to escape. When i picked her up she was overly happy to see me and did not seem she had much outside activity, as she was full of energy. 90% of the time when i board my dog she falls asleep in the backseat in the car on the drive home. so i am always suspicious if she is all over the place. This place sucks! read more

My almost 4 year old shelter special LOVES Taurus Lamar and all the staff! He can be an anxious little fella, but the staff at Taurus Lamar has been so patient with him, we couldn't be happier with their daycare program! They are so well organized, and are always excited to see Gus when he arrives. They are also very attentive to the playgroups they choose for my guy, which gives me so much peace of mind! Highly recommend. read more

Taurus Academy Lamar - Working puzzle brain games at Taurus Lamar! - Pet Training Near Me - Austin, Texas

Taurus is the best! They will treat your dogs like their own. Our family loves Taurus!

I love Taurus. We adopted our doggie in January. Shortly afterwards, we realized we needed a place for her to go to daycare. This Taurus was one of the closest doggie daycare places to our house so we decided to give it a whirl. I have always been impressed by their professionalism and obvious love of the dogs who go there. My dog loves going there. seriously. We can't really use the word Taurus around our house or else the dog starts making happy noises and running to the garage to to hop in the car. We have a small dog ~ 20 pounds. She literally leaps into my arms for me to put her in the car when she knows she is going to Taurus and leaps back into my arms when I take her out of the car at their location. We have probably taken our dog there 30 times now and she still loves it. They know her by name and love on her when she comes in. Every dog is treated like a special guest on arriving and picked up. The best part is when my dog comes home at night (we take her twice a week currently). She's happy, calm, and sleepy. She wants to eat, have a bathroom break walk, and then curl up with us on the sofa and snooze until bedtime. read more

Love love love these guys. They have done sooo much with me and my 2 Shelties!! Casey and Sidda my 14 month old is becoming quite the little lady!! read more

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We have been associated with Taurus Lamar for about seven years now. They tamed and trained our first Puggle and about a year and a half ago we assumed joint responsibility for our very active second dude. God love 'em that was a tall order with the new guy. Here is what they have done for us: *Been a partner in training *As part of the puppy boot camp trained on basics at their location; came to our home on multiple occasions to train US, including kids; gave text numbers to meet at car exiting, which was initially a disaster and now better; offered to show up at our home at random times to work on door etiquette; work continually on bark and other issues (no charge, part of the responsibility they take for our pets) *Assess which dogs are good "transition" to interact with the newbies They all really care at Taurus Lamar. When we were to have a Christmas card photo shoot, Jose had agreed to be right there to keep the dogs in line. Yes, they are expensive (plan your drop off times carefully and save $$ on boarding; buy play date and walk package deals, etc, etc). I joke that it is the "Four Seasons" of doggie care. Also the application for new dogs makes Harvard, Ivy League look like a piece of cake. As near as I can tell they don't allow aggressive dogs or owners, hence the screening. But I can easily justify the expense and hassle with the happy results we get at Taurus Lamar. We genuinely like the folks there. Our dogs do, too. read more

I'm not sure why Taurus Lamar has only 3.5 stars. They are amazing! We've taken our middle aged dog, who is seven years old, there since April of 2014 for weekly doggie daycare. And, we added our new 6 month old pup to weekly daycare as soon as we could. The new pup has a ton of energy, and the staff are very patient and understanding with her, and they work some training into the play. They carefully place dogs in play groups with dogs who match their energy level and size. Our dogs LOVE it there. They come home tired and content, but not completely exhausted, as they are given some quiet time during the day as well. It's easy to see how much the staff members love and care for the four-legged members of our family! read more

Could not recommend Taurus more. I have two dogs - one is SUPER scared of people and one loves everyone. They take amazing care of both dogs and go above and beyond. I asked them to cut my puppy's nails and they said she was scared and wouldn't let them. The very next week I went back to pick her up and said "Hey, I know I asked you to cut her nails last week, do you think it would work better if I held her and you cut them?" They said "Oh we actually did some training with her today. We held her paw, gave her some cheese. Messed with her paw, gave her some cheese. Then we cut one nail and gave her some cheese. We'll do more next week". I was blown away. I didn't ask, they just took the initiative to care for my pup because that is what she needed. I bring my dogs every week and that won't be changing soon. Thanks Taurus team!! read more

Randi and the entire Taurus family have changed our lives! My now 5-month old puppy developed a biting problem pretty early into her time living with us, and her behavior made it impossible for myself and my two small children to bond with her. We decided to enroll her in a board and train program at Taurus and saw amazing changes after just 2+ weeks. During the session, Randi helped her learn to manage her energy and control the biting. Perhaps even more importantly, she gave me and my kids the skills we need to communicate more effectively with our puppy. After our post boarding training sessions, Randi took the extra time to make sure that our puppy's new skills were solidified. She even crafted some special in-home sessions with the kids that were instrumental in helping us to begin to bond with her again. We now feel like we can all live together in harmony and are looking forward to making continued memories together! Our relationship with Randi and Taurus has been so positive that I am now using Taurus for daily doggy daycare as well. It's clear that Randi and Taurus care so much about their dog and human clients! I highly recommend Taurus S. Lamar! read more

$100 for boarding my dog for 24 hours???? WTF??? We lived in S. Lamar for several years before having to move to the West Coast for my wife's job, and used Taurus frequently for boarding our dog when we traveled. While they were somewhat pricey, they were convenient and at least reasonable. Fast forward to last December, where we were in TX for an extended period of time, and visiting friends in Austin for 1 1/2 days, with our dog in tow. We dropped him off on a Monday afternoon, with a scheduled pickup time for the following afternoon. Expected total - $40. So far, so good. From there, the price of a 24 hr boarding shot up. First, we found ourselves needing to pick him up an hour early, as we needed to beat traffic in getting out to Houston, which was an additional $25. We knew about this, and agreed to the charge when discussing on the phone, as the gained time was more valuable. Total: $65 The last straw was when we came to pick up our dog. They charged us the $65 noted above plus an ADDITIONAL $35 for a "play day". When questioned about why we were being charged for the play day, they explained that we had left him for an overnight boarding + play day. I asked them what would have happened if I had dropped my dog on a Monday A.M., then picked up on a Tues A.M. The answer -- "well, that's a boarding, not a play day". When I asked a manager to explain why the cost of 24-hour stay varies by ~2X, depending on when the animal is dropped off, DESPITE BEING AN OTHERWISE IDENTICAL 24 HOUR PERIOD, the answer I got was "well, they're different, and that's our policy". Total: $100, and a line of complete bulls**t from the manager to boot. To add insult to injury, the manager told me that I could have avoided the $25 early pickup charge if I had given them a couple of hours notice in advance, which is PRECISELY what I did, and despite being held over the barrel for the ludicrous "play day" charge, he refused to waive either of the additional charges. So, I'm out $100 for boarding my dog for 24 hours, no bath/cleaning or other special services, of this, $60 came from the privilege dealing with an arbitrary boarding policy and apathetic management. Bottom line -- Taurus will take you for every dollar they think they can squeeze out of you, and they are completely unapologetic about it, despite having previously been a loyal customer for nearly 5 years. With the explosion of businesses in S. Lamar over the past 2-3 years, there are likely much better alternatives available by now. We will absolutely not be going back, and have advised our many friends in Austin to do the same. read more

I went to drop off my dog's vet records this afternoon and left the place wondering how can anybody leave their dogs here. I showed up at 3:05 pm without an appointment since they told us over the phone that we could drop off our dog's records at anytime during the day. . I walked in to find no receptionist / staff anywhere. While I waited for someone to come greet us I could hear a lot of distressed barking coming from the back, The barking reminded me of the type of barking you hear at the humane society in the morning when all the dogs are barking to be fed. Another 5 minutes went by and no one came to the reception area. I walked towards the back where the barking was coming from and saw through a glass window the area where they keep the dogs. Kennels pilled up on top of each other and no one around. I went back to the reception area and hear a loud continuous bark coming from one of the rooms. I walked towards the bark and found a dog inside a kennel with no water and bedding unattended. I returned to the waiting area and sat down for another 5 minutes listening to the distressed barking that at this time had been going on for at least 15'. This place received good reviews in the past and bad reviews recently. Perhaps they changed owners? If you are considering boarding your dog here I recommend you visit them during the non-open hours. read more

I've only used Taurus once so far, but I'm a fan. A month or two ago, I made a boarding reservation for my dog Mindy for an upcoming trip. However, before they'll accept your dog as a boarder, they require him or her to come here for a "play date" (basically a day of doggie day care) so they can evaluate his/her personality to ensure that it's compatible with the way they handle the dogs. I like this philosophy, because it makes me feel confident that I'm not boarding my dog with somebody else's mean/aggressive dog (this is important because they allow the dogs to play together outside). So I took Mindy for a play date. The staff was suuuuuuper nice and very sweet to Mindy. I asked for a tour of the kennel when I dropped her off, and they jumped right up to show me around. This building is older and used to be a vet clinic, so it's nothing to write home about. However, it appeared clean, very organized, and the kennels are plenty large (actually, large enough for two dogs - and you can choose when you leave your dog here whether you'd prefer for your dog to be kenneled alone or with another dog of compatible personality). They have two largeish play areas outside that are very well-fenced and which allow them to separate intact males from intact females. The dogs are rotated outside in groups for supervised 45 minute intervals of play time, 4-6 times a day. AND they have a person who lives on-site, so that if there's a problem with the dogs during the night, somebody is right there to take care of it immediately. I was very impressed by this, and I know Camp4Paws (which is the other place I've boarded Mindy) does not have anyone living on-site. So I left Mindy in the morning, and they actually called me over the lunch hour to just let me know that she was doing great. How nice is that? Then, when I picked her up, they gave me a freakin' "doggie report card" that told me how she did, who her favorite four-legged and two-legged playmates were, what time she napped, etc. Admittedly totally over the top, but when you don't have any human kids, you tend to channel all that mother-hen energy into your dog, and you appreciate that kind of nonsense. Did I really just admit that I was excited to get a report card about my dog? Uh...moving right along... Pick up and drop off hours are pretty liberal - drop off runs from 7-10 a.m. and pick up from 4:30-8 p.m. And best of all, Mindy was literally busting with happy/excited energy when I picked her up. She was all smiles, rolling on her back so that one of the Taurus employees could scratch her belly, and panting and wagging as if she'd just had the time of her life. After being boarded at Camp4Paws, she moped around for a couple of days, so that alone was well worth going a little out of my way to board her at Taurus. Mindy and I will be back, for sure. One day of doggie day care at Taurus: $23 One night of boarding at Taurus: $34 Coming back to a happy dog: priceless. read more

I used both the Lamar and Metric location from 2002-2012. It was always easy to make last minute reservations, and they were great with my dog (though the "training" and "socialization" were worthless "benefits"). The facilities weren't great, but they were affordable and easy. I tried them again with a new (to me) dog this week, and I am so disappointed in how much has changed since then. They are now by far the most expensive boarder in town (50% more than even vets in Westlake!), and they have the most difficult and asinine process to start. Taurus' first time process - Fill out a multi page application, send in vaccination history and then (only then) they'll schedule a day for them to evaluate your dog. You have to drop your dog off for an all day "evaluation" which costs $35. They told me "I don't know that we've ever turned a dog down, but we have to do it". In other words, it's a way for them to fill up slow days and to cross-sell training. Then, and only then, can you schedule boarding. So that basically means first time customers can't actually schedule boarding until two weeks after you first call Taurus. Every one else's first time process - Schedule boarding. Drop your dog off with vaccination records and complete 2 minutes of paperwork. No fee. No bs evaluation. No $35 evaluation charge. When I asked them why they had so dramatically changed their process, it sounded as though they want to "evaluate" your dog so they can recommend a training program. Anyway, I found two better, easier, cheaper alternatives and won't be using them again - even though they have a picture of my previous dog still in their waiting area :( read more

I'm a vet, and this is one of the only places I will leave my dog "Rockstar". The staff have a great education in behavior, So my well trained (but also runaway fence climbing squirrel chasing cabinet opening dumpster diving) dog comes back to me retaining her training. Training is a series of patterns and habits.... and I am so thankful I have a place I can board my dog that understands this. I have no problem with my dog being in a crate, in fact I prefer this (as it keeps her safe when she isn't supervised). My last trip away, my dogs who were NOT boarded at Taurus lost weight, got injured, and hadn't had the exercise I was promised. I am so grateful for Taurus. Side note: I decided to come here after seeing Taurus bring pets into en emergency vet clinic- the staff caught things early and did everything correct. read more