I paid $2,800 for advanced off leash training, only to receive back a dog at the end of 2 months that still could not walk on a leash without pulling.   I was told by Woof Beach trainers to continue her training at home by keeping her in a pinch collar all hours of the day, giving her corrections.   I attempted to use the collar as instructed by trainers who I thought trustworthy. After 3 hours into my dog wearing this collar at home, she became lethargic, vomited, and had diarrhea the next morning.   This was not what I signed up for, and I in fact only enrolled in this program after a Woof Beach manager agreed with me at orientation my dog would not need to be trained in a pinch collar.   I was told by the district manager of all locations around the Chicagoland area that my dog becoming ill was normal. The extensive use of these collars was justified with lighthearted analogies, but the problem is these words don't align with best practices found anywhere.   After doing my own research, it is a quick google search on "the correct way to use a pinch collar", which trainers at Woof Beach call "Herm collars" after the manufacturing company, to learn that it is black and white how long dogs should be wearing these collars- which is no longer than a training session- between 15 minutes to an hour. Yet Woof Beach advises owners to keep dogs in these collars all day.   I have been reassured of my lifetime warranty and that my dog can be trained using other methods.   What this company doesn't seem to want to acknowledge is that I would NEVER have paid for this service if it weren't for being lied to by their employee from the start. I wouldn't knowingly give a penny to or associate with a dog training business that is so against best practices and cruel.   I was impressed at orientation seeing 20+ dogs sitting on beds without moving, thinking they must be working magic at this place. I was excited to train my dog with Woof Beach! I now know dogs at Woof Beach are being trained under endless hours of corrections and punishment, like circus animals.   These methods are beyond inappropriate. No other pet owners should be told their dog becoming sick is normal when it is these training methods that are not normal. And no pet should experience this unless with full transparency and understanding by owners. I was not given that opportunity as I was lied to from the start. And the solution of this company is that I continue training with them. No thank you. read more

A coworker of mine had her dog enrolled at woof beach for on leash training. Based on her glowing review, we decided to have our dog evaluated, due to her over aggressive behavior on leash with other dogs, and in the yard with our neighbor's dog. My coworker had told me how they have cots in the training area, and how the doggy students were very disciplined. She wasn't kidding! When we went in the very first time, we witnessed this. Not only were they full of doggy students, but they were all very well behaved and did not jump off their cots to greet their new friends. I sold right there. Off our dog goes for on leash training! Fast forward to after training - our dog Stella was very well behaved. Sara primarily worked with Stella during her 4 week boot camp, and worked with us during our sessions. Sara was awesome! We couldn't thank her enough! In addition, we opted to enroll Stella in their off leash boot camp, as she was still being a handful in the yard with our neighbor's dog. This time around, Ryan primarily worked with Stella. Fast forward another 4 weeks, and wow. For us, the transformation that Stella went through was life changing for us. She went from being almost uncatchable when she was being bad in the yard, to being absolutely obedient. Ryan worked with us during our post boot camp sessions, and he did an awesome job as well. It is clear the staff at woof beach are passionate and incredibly capable and competent at what they do. I honestly think that is the trifecta that is required for very effective training. It has been 3-4 months since boot camp, and our beloved Stella is the dog we had hoped she would be since having her as a puppy. The marked change from aggressive behavior, to being completely complicit has been a life changer for us. I would recommend woof beach to anyone, without hesitation. Sara and Ryan are the best! Your dog will most certainly be in very good hands, if you so choose Woof Beach! Thank you, Sara, Ryan, and Woof Beach! read more

I cannot say enough good things about everyone at Woofbeach. Between the super friendly staff, knowledgeable trainers, and experienced groomers Woofbeach is a one stop shop. We have learned SO MUCH from our dogs primary trainer, Jesus, throughout our experience at Woofbeach. We went through the basic on leash obedience program, graduated to the off-leash obedience program, and are now able to focus on any issue that arises with my pup and also learn some fun tricks along the way. One thing I enjoy most about the trainers at Woofbeach is that they are 100% open to communication. If I notice a problem arise with my dog and I'm unsure how to fix it I know I can ask Jesus for some tips and extra training in that skill when my pup is at school. We have also used Jesus to board our dog while we were on vacation and again, I cannot say enough good things. Not only did Jesus keep me reassured that my pup was alive and well, but I also had comfort in the fact that my dog was with his trainer, getting the necessary training and exposure to other dogs and cats. In the end my absolute favorite thing about Woofbeach is the relationship my husband, myself, and my dog have formed with Jesus and the entire staff. We were able to work so closely and with flexibilty to have Jesus be our dog handler during our wedding ceremony. With some training and reinforcement on our end, and a whole lot of help from Jesus, our sweet pup was able to walk down the aisle and stand at our side while we chose forever. The extent that this staff will go to to ensure the happiness of yourself and your pet is beyond comparison. RECOMMEND. read more

We have a labrador retriever that we love to pieces! We got him when he was 8 weeks old and he is 15 months old now. He was as crazy as a puppy can be and we needed to find a place where dogs are treated like family while being trained and loved at the same time. We found Woofbeach! We signed up Jimmy for training when he was almost 4 months old. Zach was a lifesaver! He worked with Jimmy and he trained him while not changing his personality, just his behavior. We could see progress in his behavior fast. At the end of the training program, we signed up Jimmy for Agility Training. That is also a great program that keeps your dog engaged and happy at all times. We even bought an agility training kit to use at home when we want to keep Jimmy busy and entertained! One of the best investments we made since we brought Jimmy home was to sign him up for training at Woofbeach. Everybody at here is amazing and you can see they love dogs and they enjoy working with dogs! Thank you for helping us have a well behaved dog, not only a sweet one :) read more

WoofBeach is awesome. We have 2 GSDs, littermates, and they're polar opposites. Both have been through multiple training programs. Our female, Ginger, always passes with flying colors. Our male, Fred, is our "special needs" child. He has flunked them all. He is hyper-anxious and highly reactive, borderline aggressive with the outside world. Before WoofBeach, trainers had labeled him from "quirky" to "untrainable". And then we brought him to WoofBeach. We started at the Batavia store. Soon it was clear that Fred had a special bond with his trainer, Jesus. Jesus moved to the South Elgin store, and so did Fred. Fred started working with Olivia as well. Both have been very kind and patient with Fred and us. When most trainers would have given up, Jesus and Olivia continue to work with Fred, trying different techniques, always keeping the end game in mind. Although we haven't reached our goal yet, we've made great strides with Fred and it's all because of the love and patience of Jesus, Olivia and the staff at WoofBeach! read more

I took my 2 1/2 year old amstaff here for an evaluation..I was skeptical at first but knew that my dog Milo and I needed something more than just the basic puppy obedience class (which I had already done with him when he was 4 months old). He knew the basic commands but only listened when he wanted to and at that time he was becoming protective of me/aggressive anytime someone new came into the house. So after getting a recommendation from someone I decided to make an appointment. Zach is the trainer that evaluated Milo and I decided to go ahead and sign him up. Honestly the cost seemed high at the time BUT it was so worth every penny. I wish I had done it sooner. The best part is that the training is guaranteed for life so at any point if I'm having trouble with milo I can bring him in for help. Life is so much easier now with a completely trained dog. If you're thinking about doing some training with your dog I highly recommend seeing Zach at woof beach..you won't regret it! read more

We have a 7 year old Blue Heeler, Guss, who exhibited aggression towards other dogs. He had not been walked for years, and could not be left unattended, even while leashed, in our backyard for fear that he would be triggered and attack one of our other dogs. We didn't know what to do. It had been an issue for several years. We brought him to Woofbeach where Zach worked with us and Guss for several weeks. Each day I walked in to bring Guss home I was amazed that he was not only behaving, but was among 10-15 other dogs, OFF LEASH! Since we opted for both the on-leash and off-leash programs (HIGHLY recommend, even if you won't take them off-leash in public), it was a short 8 weeks and we had a brand new dog. It was incredible. He is now the best behaved of the 3 dogs we have. Zach even followed up with us to be sure we kept the confidence to maintain Guss's new skills. We still use Woofbeach's excellent grooming services. I highly recommend Woofbeach and Zach. read more

Jesus is the reason for the season and he and his team have a perfect "place" for you and your furever K9 family with their 5-star review (year-round)! Woof Beach Sands hits all its marks on location, atmosphere, behavior development, grooming, professionalism, nutrition, apparel and treats! You and your dog will want to 'stay". Currently, there is a K9 massage grooming special with sugar plum raspberry!!! And we all know that when we look and feel good, we are on our best behavior: a shout-out for praise over corrections Jocelyn will go above and beyond to meet your needs with tons of experience and Dylan is tried and true providing 'Best In Show' grooming for evaluations, special occasions, shows, competitions, photo-shoots, and holiday delights! Get your smile muscles moving and 'speak' with your pup, as It's Always A Pleasure at Woof Beach!!! Delighted clients of Woof Beach Service Dog Training and Grooming read more

I am so grateful to Jesus and Taylor here at Woofbeach Sands. I rescued a Puppy about 4 months old that had spent the beginning of his life roaming with his brother the streets of Arkansas. I was worried because he had no social skills and was very stubborn. I could not alone do the job to train him, and I needed to find a place to work with him and correct some of his bad habits. Thanks to Jesus and his staff Beau is the most loving well mannered dog the change in him is like night and day and I owe this to the team of trainers there. I joined in 2018 and even when I need to go back for anything that I feel needs to be reviewed with Beau, I am able to talk with the staff and bring him in. They truly care and love what they do. I so appreciate all they do and continue to do for all the dogs there. Thank you Jesus,Taylor and the rest of the staff Gratefully Lori read more

Woofbeach is amazing! The staff is gracious, reassuring, friendly and AMAZING with the four-legged clients and the dog parents. I started with them in Batavia and am now going off-leash training in S. Elgin. They never give up on the dog and, in my case ME! Jesus has done home visits to educate and demonstrate in the home. He is patient with me, kind, knowledgable and maintains a great sense of humour- especially when I want to cry! Without Jesus and his staff I would have given up on my crazy problematic beautiful Aussie! Olivia is wonderful with my dog and very professional. I trust Jennifer with both my dogs grooming! Pictures to follow! Dave is also wonderful with training the dogs! He is friendly and professional. Thank you, Jesus, and your staff for helping this family! Mary Waters read more

We had a dog that was a pretty big challenge. She was adopted from a shelter 4 years ago. She was dog aggressive. We had taken her to many trainers and made progress but were not able to train the aggression out of her. We decided we would give it one more chance. Needless to say I was not very hopeful she could be "fixed". We took her to Zach and he said he could "fix" her. We were still skeptical. Much to our surprise she learned a lot and so did we! Thanks to Zach's help we are much more aware of her triggers and can correct the unwanted behavior before it becomes out of control. Zach is patient and knowledgable about dog behavior. She absolutely loves Zach and the tail never stops when he is in the room. It was worth every penny spent! read more

I believe in having multiple trainers for our Alaskan Malamute Titan. Each trainer brings to the table their gift of knowledge - Zack & Sara didn't disappoint. My goal is to raise Titan to be confident, relaxed and respectful on as well as off the leash. Zack's training program helped achieve that. I started Titan when he was 16 weeks of age with Woofbeach and 8 weeks later he understood that his new found manners and confidence meant more praises and freedom. Thanks Zack for doing your part as good as you said you would in hellping me raise the perfect dog...Let me add, the training DIDN'T STOP their. Zack asks to continue to work with Titan as a refresher and reminder that their is always something that Titan can work on or perfect! Thanks again! read more

I took my dog, Ari, when he was about nine months old. My main priority for training was that I didn't want him to jump on people when they came in the door. I had Ryan for a trainer. He was wonderful! He really took the time to get to know Ari by talking to me, and especially, by spending time with Ari. I was amazed how quickly Ari was waiting for Ryan's command to do something, such as to be released from his "cot" when I picked him up. Ryan took time and was patient with me to go over what he was working on with Ari so I was able to carry it over at home. Ryan went on to work with Ari on some nose work, recognizing that it was the kind of work Ari could be great at. Ryan was fantastic and I would recommend his expertise to any dog owner. read more

We were ready to give up on our 9 month old black lab puppy when we heard about Woofbeach's training program from my cousin. They had a well mannered, obedient dog and ours was anything but! Zach guaranteed us that Sadie (aka Satan) was a typical lab and was trainable. We did the on-leash program and were SO amazed with the results! We finally had a dog that could walk without dragging us behind. We then decided to do the off-leash program and now we can actually go to the dog park! Zach has been AWESOME! We've gone back for a few refresher sessions and had him out to the house to train us on how to have Sadie politely greet guests. I thought it would take a miracle to train our wild animal. Turns out all we needed was Zach :o) read more

I have year and half years old Great Pyrenees "Yuka".This breed is known for being disobedient. We were at the point that we were questioning if we could keep our dog or not. We did on leash program with Zack. He is great! He kept on patiently working with us until Yuka and us got the training completely.They have great program ,it really worked! (Sounded unbelievable from the beginning )And Yuka is always tail waging happy when we goes there, which tells you that your dog is treated well. We also use Woofbeach grooming service! these guys do excellent job with grooming and they love dogs! Their price is not different from bigger companies that we used to use before. I highly recommend them!Worth of every penny spent! read more

Absolutely amazing! Jesus has such a gift, and you can absolutely tell that he loves what he does! Our dog gets so excited when he gets to go to Woofbeach. The staff is so patient and understanding and they are just so great with our dog. We could see major differences in our dog once he started going through the on leash training. We liked Woofbeach so much that we went through them to do the off leash training too! It feels very reassuring to be able to take your dog somewhere where you know they truly are passionate about what they do. People are always so impressed with how well our dog behaves, and we always tell them that is was Woofbeach. Highly recommended! read more

Cannot speak highly enough about the great trainers and groomers at Woof Beach South Elgin. We started our puppy (Portuguese water dog) training there last year and she is such a wonderful, well trained, obedient dog. You can see that the staff really cares about each dog and goes above and beyond for their fur babies. We do doggie day care when we work and have her groomed there every few weeks. It's super convenient and we know our girl is loved. Jesus is an amazing trainer and Jennifer is the best groomer I've met. Jesus watches our girl when we go on vacation and we always know she's in good hands. She loves her friends at woof beach! read more

We brought our puppy as early as they would take him. They spend a great deal of time with the dog and then train the owners after the dog is trained. Fabulous one on one time and Zach who runs it all is great with training, answering questions and making sure you are comfortable with all the training. Would recommend them to anyone with a dog- small to large- When we came back for training- of the adults in the house- our puppy was happy to go in and you could tell truly liked being there and interacting with the staff! We did both on and off leash training. Feel like it helped our small dog be a great pet for our family! read more

Cooper, our nine month old Golden Retriever has been attending training at Woof Beach Sands in South Elgin. He is a spirited, self-assured dog who benefited greatly by trainers Zach and Sarah with both on and off leash training.The past couple months we both have been working with Ryan. Ryan has taken the time to allow me to develop the verbal and physical skills necessary so that Cooper understands expectations at all times. I most appreciate Ryan's willingness to work with me as a dog owner to practice these valuable skills. He is patient, honest, persistent, and clearly loves what he does read more