The Canine Center for Training & Behavior

We love the canine center! My dog Colby is afraid of strangers and other various things and responds aggressively as a result of that fear. He also has three legs and is very energetic. We’ve done a few private lessons with Jane and one with Jyl and they are amazing! They both are great at explaining training techniques and how they will benefit Colby long term. He’s also started going to tutoring which he loves! I can tell he’s been learning after he goes! I must say what I love most is that they treat Colby like he’s part of the family when he’s there even if he’s barking his head off at them! If you’ve got a four (or three) legged friend who is in need of some training this is the place to go!

I absolutely LOVE The Canine Center. Jyl has been amazing with my dog. We went to the Canine Center after having a bad experience with a previous dog training. My dog had become aggressive and we were always hesitant about having him around other dogs/​people. He immediately loved Jyl and was always excited to see her. I am beyond thankful for Jyl and The Canine Center for helping my dog and not giving up on him because it was definitely a slow process. My dog may never get back to the dog that he was when we first rescued him, but he has improved and continues to improve daily and for that I am extremely grateful.

TCCTB is top notch!
During the past year and a half, we have received the following services here and plan to come back for more: one-​on-​one behavior evaluations for our fearful/​anxious dog (in home and at the training center), a variety of group classes (agility, air scenting, field work, CGC, a couple of different one-​day workshops) and tutoring days.
At TCCTB they don’t just follow a «system» or «method.» They really observe every dog, listen to every client, and use a variety of gentle, positive techniques to address individual needs.
EVERYTHING HERE IS DONE IN SUCH A POSITIVE MANNER! It’s obvious they handle each dog with care and there is no force, no harsh corrections, no negative techniques used. I do not worry that my dog will be mishandled, frightened, confused or traumatized by his experiences here.
This is the kind of place where the humans get trained too. They teach the skills that empower you to build a better relationship with your dog, and those skills will last a lifetime. They provide clear, step-​by-​step instructions for the people to follow, with an emphasis on the technical aspects of dog handling when it is truly important.
From the get go, I was very impressed with the fact that they offer a behavior evaluation step for a very reasonable price before you enroll. This shows how focused they are on tailoring the training and services to your needs. In our case, this evaluation step was very important because when we started there, we had a 16-​week-​old puppy who already had mastered the obedience basics and finished an intro class at another training facility. However, he was beginning to exhibit unexplained fearful behavior and reactivity. There was no time to waste. We needed immediate intervention and that was easy to do here with the many times and class options available. Based on the evaluation visit, we got some great insights into our dog’s behavior and we were able to go straight into a more challenging, fun and confidence-​building class with our dog, rather than wasting time or money on an entry level class we did not need.
That rescue pup is now 20 months old and has come such a long way. He had a hard start to life, and I can’t even imagine what might have happened to him without all the training and support from TCCTB. Raising a fearful, special-​needs dog has been hard work, but rewarding because he’s gradually becoming more comfortable being in the world. He has learned so much, and so have we.
Every trainer at TCCTB has gone above and beyond in terms of answering our questions, providing us with individually tailored suggestions for working with our anxious, special-​needs dog.
Another plus here is that there are several trainers with slightly different approaches, styles, energy and personalities, so if you are new to dog ownership and/​or new to the Center take some time to ask questions or meet a few of them. You want to have good chemistry with your trainer. We’ve worked with almost all of them, and I feel confident that every owner/​dog pair can find a great trainer match here!
The only negative I can think of is I wish they had not moved farther away. They were 8 minutes from my house. Now it’s 20 minutes. We’ve had a hard time finding class times that work for us with added distance/​traffic, but we really hope to get back out there again SOON with our dog!

We had dogs when I was a kid, but I never had one as an adult — until 4 years ago when our family brought a wonderful little vizsla puppy into our lives. Well, suffice it to say, we were totally outmatched for «puppy-​ness»! So, we initially sought help at the Canine Center for «behavior management,» but quickly learned that’s not really the best way to think about it — because you are in a «relationship» with your dog — who is his own dog. Over the past 4 years each family member has built his/​her individual relationship with our dog and grown to understand/​enjoy/​laugh at his unique (sometimes wacky) personality — as we do with each other. This has all come about based on the Canine Center’s philosophy and — of course — training in that philosophy. I strongly encourage anyone who is considering a puppy to definitely start with their puppy class! Our relationship with our dog is so much richer than I had ever anticipated. Thanks to the Canine Center!

I truly cannot imagine our lives without our Vizsla, Rocco — OR without the team at TCCTB! We started our relationship with TCCTB back in 2011 when we brought our 10-​week old puppy home, and it is the best thing we’ve done for our pup — and for ourselves. Every interaction, every trainer (they are patient AND magical) we’ve had the pleasure to work with — has been phenomenal. We’ve learned about dog care, about building a relationship with our dog, nosework, air scenting, fieldwork, canicross/​jouring etc. — and have had so much fun along the way. They have ACTIVELY helped us navigate challenges, and offered guidance and support — so much so that I know there have been times that they’ve gone out of their way — putting their schedules or plans on hold — to get us the assistance we need. They are the real deal — an incredibly talented crew — and we are incredibly grateful that they’re part of our Rocco team!

Brisket and I had our first obedience class here at The Canine Center and it was an a weakening.
Right from the start, the two ladies who got us registered were phenomenal. Needless to say I got hooked; payed up for the class, and we got ready for Jyl– The puppy guru-​a Redheaded energized instructor.
Brisket found out that for the first six months of his immature lifetime, he had done me wrong, and solemnly and joyfully promised that he will amend his ways.
This Jyl is full of tips and know-​hows to over come every little deviance these little badtards throw at you.
Thanks to the couple that referred these guys. Brisket, my wife, my son and I are very excited and looking forward to have and obedient and well adjusted mascot in our BBQ joint.
Let’s face it your pets are putting you together. So leave your ego at home and come and visit them. These guys are the real thing.

We took our two dogs, Pepper and Blue Bell, to the old location many times and were thrilled with the results. Our dogs are very well behaved now and were great with our new baby when we introduced them.

I haven’t taken a class here but my roommate and I took our dogs to their annual Canine Camp. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was AWESOME. It was VERY well organized and is a great way for you and your BFF (insert dog’s name) to bond. There are a good number of different types of classes offered so that you can explore and see what your dog really enjoys or does not enjoy. The trainers really do know what they’re doing and are able to give valuable insight for any questions or problems your dog may have. I’ll be looking to sign BOBO up for classes once they open their San Antonio location.

The Canine Center for Training and Behavior has absolutely the best trainers and facilities I have found. Everyone is professional, positive, and incredibly knowledgable. They all love dogs and want to see them succeed. I would never dream of taking one of my dogs to any other trainers. I have tried several in the past and was frustrated and unhappy with the results, and then I found The Canine Center! I can’t emphasize what a wonderful experience I’ve had there and the joy it has brought to me and my dogs.

Let’s face it, who wants to pay for dog training? We all hope that the dog we get will be perfect, polite and be able to read our minds. Reality is quite the opposite.
If you are like me, you LOVE your dog (s). They are family, not just pets. It is important to me that they are treated with RESPECT and also that the training is SUCCESSFUL and LONG LASTING.
The Canine Center is a wonderful resource for you and your dog. They have EXPERTS in such an interesting array of needs: aggression, confidence issues, puppy development, agility, real-​world scenarios like hiking trails and interactions with kids, and the best part is the HUMAN TRAINING.
The Canine Center taught me how to SPEAK CANINE. They taught me how to think about, react to and work with my dogs in ways that get the results I am looking for. I’ll never forget when my puppy was chewing up everything in the house and they taught us to praise and treat her. I thought they were crazy. Wouldn’t screaming no and disciplining be more effective — uh no way! To this day, she does not chew and she happily brings us items, untouched, rather than taking them out back for destruction in private. That is just one of many daily behaviors they impacted.
The Canine Center donates training and resources to local rescue organizations. They know all breeds need training and their CANINE GOOD CITIZEN classes are a great way for you to spend time with your dog while enabling your dog to put their best paw forward in public.
I cannot recommend them enough! If you have questions, send me a message, I would be happy to share more of our positive experiences with them.
—Kristin Elliott (lifetime customer and dog rescue volunteer)

I took my two dogs to the Canine Center for training and we love the positive training and the overall environment. We also attended Canine Camp which far exceeded my expectations. The trainers are positive & encouraging. One of my dogs is very active while one dog is scared of the world. I signed the scared dog up for a Confidence Building class which taught me some tools to help him out. We love the Canine Center!

They really love animals! I took my 9 year old dog to the basic 101 class and then the Canine Good Citizen class. She loved it and never too old to be retrained. Good interaction with staff and meeting new friends. Some of the training may seem basic but they make your dog think and they are exhausted on the way home!

The Canine Center trainers are highly skilled and effective in dog behaviors as well as basic training for your four legged fur baby. I first interacted with Jane in 2013 who evaluated my dog for issues he was having with meeting new people and chasing my cats. Once the evaluation was done, she made recommendations for focused training sessions. Our trainer, Curtis, gave me the necessary steps and tools to teach my dog to remain calm around my cats and steps for introducing my dog to new people safely. We had an in home training session with Jessica who helped me practice these steps and in 21 days, Duke was trained to stay calm around calm cats. In the Spring of 2014, my dog and I enrolled in the confidence building class for dogs led by Shari, which taught me skills to use while leash walking, signs of my dog’s anxieties and calming mechanisms. Later in 2014, we went camping with Shari and other staff for a week long trip in the mountains of Colorado. It was one of my favorite vacations to go hiking and exploring with my dog while also practicing skills taught by a professional. I will take this trip again in the future. Recently, I brought my new dog along with my other fur baby for snake avoidance training from Curtis. I feel confident that both of my dogs will avoid snakes after this training experience. All of the staff are knowledgeable, courteous, tactful, and helpful. You will be pleased with the level of expertise and positive training environment.

My dog and I love the Canine Center. We saw an agility demo at a show and that’s the class we started with. My blue heeler, Ellie Mae has taken most of the sport classes, agility, fieldwork, air scenting, dog powered sports and nose work, she loves them all. We’ve been on 2 of the ski trips to Colorado and many of their camping trips both here and in Colorado. All of their trainers are knowledgeable and I trust them completely with my dog. They also have classes for the senior dogs that need to stay active but need lower impact activities. Took my senior boxer for fungility and he loved it! They work with all dog types and ages.
It’s a great place and a great team of trainers!