Dog School

One of my biggest concerns moving across the country was how my pup Oliver, would acclimate to the tough streets of Philly. With my new job and crazy hours I was super concerned with how he would do.
Thankfully one of my Philly friends recommended Dog School to me. From day one they have been nothing but lovely. I love seeing pictures of him on Instagram all day with their funny little quotes. They are super accommodating and have been nothing short of amazing to help me out in all ways. I think he’s more excited to see Meredith and Natalie every day than he is to see me :) their boarding service has also been a lovely addition!
So trust your fur babies in their experienced hands!

This place has been a life-​savior! For the same amount of money we pay our dog-​walking company for an hour visit, our 8-​month old puppy Gordon gets to play all day with other dogs and gets a midday-​walk (about $ 30). Instead of rushing home and having to spend an hour or more taking him out to tucker him out, he comes home exhausted and he wants to rest with us on the sofa. He is now on the same energy-​exertion cycle that we are on.
The people here seem to genuinely love the dogs, and on more than one occasion have I thought «maybe I should quit my career and come work here, it seems like so much fun to just play with dogs all day.» They also post on Instagram throughout the day, so I can keep up with all the fun and big smiles that my puppy is exhibiting.
In addition to loving dogs, they seem to really care a lot about getting it right for your dog, and any of their special needs, whether its fear of certain types of floors, or wanting a little personal space as long as they aren’t aggressive, to loving a certain kind of cuddling, etc. While our dog was pretty easy, and we’ve been socializing him since he was about 10 weeks old in puppy playgroups, and whatnot; it’s obvious both in the initial process and ongoing feedback that they care about dog’s individual needs. They ask you bring your dog in early on the first day so that your dog is the first dog there, and you go in with the dog, and then your dog gets to be the first-​greeter and get used to the routine of new dogs coming in and everyone sniffing the new dog. After that first day, they are really flexible and you can drop your dog off and pick them up anytime between their open hours, and after that first day, you never go inside (but, if you’re like me, you can hang outside for a moment just to enjoy watching your pup run in and start playing).
Gordon loves this place soooo much that he knows that if he’s getting in the car with just one of us shortly after we get up, that it means he’s going to the Dog School, and he starts crying, when he gets out of the car, he makes a bee-​line for the door, tail wagging so hard it shakes the rest of his body and it’s a struggle to keep him from jumping on the door, he’s so excited.
I’ve heard great things about the Groove Hound in Fishtown, which is closer to my work, but they have more strict hours in terms of when you can drop off/​pick up that didn’t work for our schedule (but they do have an outside space and a pool in the summer time, which is appealing), but the flexibility, and quick response made us try Dog School first, and given how much Gordon loves it and how easy it’s been for us, I have a feeling we’ll be using it pretty regularly (2 – 3 times a week) in his first year or two while he’s still an energy-​filled little doggie.
They also have multiple locations, and once your dog has been to one location, you can take them to any location, without signing them up in advance. I took Gordon to the South Street location one time, which is the only location open on Saturdays, which was great.

Dog School is an amazing company! Our puppy is really playful and energetic but is terrified of shiny floors. We let them know of his fears and they spent a lot of time with him trying to slowly get him acclimated and comfortable in his surroundings. They laid out some rugs and beds for him to stay on and brought in another friendly pitbull to help him out. Ultimately though, our dog was just too scared and wasn’t getting the most he could have out of day care (despite their efforts). When we let them know that it was too much for him emotionally, they offered a full refund and said that his happiness was more important than them accepting money for the days we spent there. We wished it would have worked out, but either way, Jaime, Meredith and Andrew went above and beyond to make it a great experience.
If our puppy ever gets over his fears, we’ll be at Dog School the next day!

Dog School is amazing. My dog Lila goes to all 3 locations but No Libs is her primary (until Fairmount opens, that is!) You can follow the dogs in action all day on Instagram, and the staff knows her and is so sweet to her when we arrive. She has never had any issues in group play, and Dog School is no different. They have a great method of introducing a new dog which involves an eval and then having your dog show up before the others on his or her first day. They also support local rescues through fundraising, sometimes even hosting rescue dogs during the day. 2 paws up for Dog School!

Dog school is absolutely amazing. Our dog, now almost two, has been going for a year. He just adores it. The staff is very friendly, especially Meredith. The dogs get a walk once a day, regardless of the season. When we pick up our pooch, they are always cleaning the place thoroughly. The hours are 7.30 am-​7 pm on weekdays. I only wish they opened at 7 and had some weekend hours. Our dog always comes home delightfully exhausted.

My dog (Finley) has been going to Dog School for a little over a year. Honestly, I have no idea what I would do without it. Finley is an extremely anxious dog and is basically afraid of everything, but he absolutely loves going to school. He gets so excited when we are pulling up, and it is the only situation when I can leave him and he doesn’t freak out. Since he started, we have seen so many positive changes in him. He is so much more confident, and now seems a lot more relaxed when he is approached by other dogs. On days he goes to school, he is always so calm and relaxed, which otherwise never happens. The staff is amazing and so attentive. They always let you know how the day went, and you can tell that they truly care about the dogs. They also have the best Instagram account. I drive with my crazy dog about 45 min to get there, and it is worth every minute with my crazy guy.

We found Philly dog school on 2^nd when our puppy was 5 months old looking for a way to get all of her golden retriever energy out. After day one we knew they would become a huge part of our lives, our pup goes every day and having her there has changed her (for the better) so much. I have 100% full confidence in the staff. They go out of their way for all the dogs there. Even celebrating bdays. They notice things about her that even I don’t and they care for her just like she was one of their own. They are attentive and eyes on all the dogs every single second of the day. Even employing two staff members on typical pick up and drop of times to make sure they have eyes on while staff members are in and out. She leaps out of the car every morning and we happily have an exhausted pup every night. Their Instagram account is extremely active so you’ll have full updates on all the puppy action. They even recently bought an indoor play structure for all of them to climb on. Couldn’t be happier.

I love dog school. The staff is very friendly and my dog comes home tired & happy. A walk is included in the cost and they offer package deals if you take your dog daily. Mostly medium and large dogs here, my 22 pound pup does just fine. They have a room off to the side if anyone needs a time out. The best part is knowing my dog is safe and happy while I am at work for long stretches. You can check up via phone or text any time and also check the instragram page for a glimpse into your pups life while you are away. As neurotic first time rescue dog owners, they have been more than patient with our check ins… at this point we feel so confident with the entire staff that we don’t even do it anymore.

Does this place tire my puppy out? Yes? Then I’m a fan. That plus they instagram photos of the playful pups throughout the day so I can get my fix. And the price is super reasonable. I just wish they were open weekends… but I guess everyone’s entitled to have a life. Tucker gives this place two enthusiastic paws up.