Seattle Puppyworks

Used the ½h «free» drop in to see how they care for pets. The place is neat and in order. Dogs appear to enjoy being there and the staff is friendly. Asking them questions about how they work and seeing it in person is a food thing. Will use their services again soon.

vaccination records were not checked. the 1hr classes consist of 30−40min of play time. the trainer will use the best behaved puppy to demonstrate «how easy it is» to teach your puppy. very little to no one on one work. i left more frustrated every time that my puppy was not able to learn the proper behavior due to the many distractions and lack of trainer guidance. spend your money on a few books and watch some youtube videos. i will not be finishing the course even thought classes remain. if you want to socialize your dog, take them to an off leash park… its free

Love Seattle Puppyworks! We took our first husky there for puppy playtime and he made a lifelong friend. The staff was always very watchful and taught you a lot about appropriate puppy play and how to correct the bad. Our second husky puppy we took her to playtime but we also did their Sound Puppy class. That class was filled with great information and they taught us not just how to train our new puppy but taught us the needs of our puppy. I refer anybody to them that is seeking training for their new puppy.

Best place EVER! So glad we found it when we did. Our puppy practically ran down the hall each day to the entrance! The gals there truly love dogs and the puppy training phase. Our baby is a better dog because of them. Puppyworks rocks!!!

This place is awesome! The staff are super friendly and knowledgable and the trainers are excellent with the dogs! Our pup Allen loved going for an hour of playtime while we ran errands. Great way for your puppy to learn how to play in a safe environment. I’m sad that he is now too old to come in :(

I took my puppy Gertie here almost daily for the first month that I had her even though it was way out of the area I live in. We loved it. Gertie got safe socialization to other dogs and people during her critical socialization period and would be exhausted after just an hour of play time. Then my older dog got very ill and I didn’t have time to drive my pup down there every day any more. When my older dog passed away, Gertie was too old for the play times at that point so we couldn’t go back even though I would have loved to! Gertie is social, kind, gentle, and sweet with all people and dogs and I credit a lot of it to Seattle Puppyworks!

I really liked Seattle Puppyworks but I would like to find an affordable doggycare for my rescue. I’m on Capitol Hill and someone mentioned they knew of a place that charges $ 22 for 5 hrs but I don’t know what place that is. Can anyone give recommendations? Thx!

Seattle Puppyworks has done a fantastic job with our pup, Izzy. The staff are all incredibly well trained on positive reinforcement techniques and we see that our pup is calmer, more open to learning new things, and socializes really well with all dogs — both big and small, after spending time there. The staff will take the time to provide an overview of your dog’s participation and offer lots of advice and training options. We’ve done both drop-​in play groups and completed the sound puppy training classes and have signed up for the pro puppy training class. My husband and I were total novices when it came to raising a puppy, and Seattle Puppyworks has been a godsend to us and our puppy. I could not recommend their program emphatically enough!

Richard and his team at puppyworks are awesome! They say they use positive reinforcement techniques and really follow through. I have had bad experiences with other «positive trainers», and was reluctant to try puppyworks. It was recommended to me by someone I trust, so we signed up for puppy class, signed up for the next level up, and now I’m sad there’s nothing left to sign up for :(
They offer day care and drop in play. If you have completed their puppy classes you get to continue socializing your dog until 1 yr of age, which I think is really important.
What I like most about them (it’s hard because there’s a lot to like) is that they help you set your puppy up for success. They provide you with the theory and techniques to help you raise the pup you want, and these are things you can continue to use everyday.
Three things that stuck with me the most: set your training expectations (Rome was not built in 1 day), make training fun, and embrace your dog’s personality!

Awesome place!
Everything has been said, but they really go above and beyond. I have a fearful puppy and they take him to caffe vita to work on meeting new people and I’ve seen a big difference. I’ve also seen a big difference in his confidence level in general. He’s much more willing to explore new areas.
So, it’s a great place to take a puppy who needs extra attention from professional trainers.
Be warned, if your puppy if very fearful they’ll keep him for an hour but not the full daycare day so don’t necessarily count on this as a place to leave pup while you’re at work if you have a fearful puppy.
My puppy gets back VERY tired which actually makes him really naughty and irritable, moreso than calm, so I wish he would sleep a bit more there or they would help him sleep more

A few months ago, we adopted a puppy from a local rescue. Although he was raised around lots of other dogs and people, he was still a little anxious ball of energy around anything that moved or made noise. We couldn’t take him anywhere without him freaking the-​f-​out and doing the flopping fish on the end of a line routine at the mere sight of another person or animal.
Enter Seattle Puppy Works.
We had taken him to another puppy socialization class in the area with pretty negative results. I found Seattle Puppy Works through Unilocal and brought him in for a trial session.
The best thing about this place is the staff. They seem very well qualified, know what they’re doing, and want to share their knowledge with you. They started him off slow, with 1 other smaller dog and progressed him to bigger and more energetic dog with more time.
The space is huge, and there are usually quite a few dogs here to play with, although it can be a hit or miss. The ability to just drop in whenever without an appointment was very convenient, and I was able to drop him off, run a few errands and pick him up after an hour. Just enough time to tire him out a little bit and get some good socialization going.
The only negative thing I have to say about the place is it is expensive. $ 10 for a half hour and $ 20 for the full hour is pretty pricey. Its worth it, but on a tight budget, you cant afford this type of expense multiple times a week. The place we take him now is $ 22 for a half day (5 hrs) which is much more reasonable.
Also, they don’t do drop in on the weekend when they do actual classes.
Our dog has really blossomed and now, we have just the opposite problem where he wants to greet every dog and person that crosses his path. I think the socialization he received here at Seattle Puppy Works played a big role in that. This is a great daycare to start at, but it is only for puppies so you will need to move on eventually.

We took our Boston Terrier (Pudgey) here for puppy playtime since she was eight weeks old and it was great. When she was really little they put her in a seperate space for smaller shy dogs and there is constantly someone watching them to make sure the play doesn’t get too rough. The rubber floors are great for the pups too and safe for when they take the occasional tumble. As our girl got older they had plenty of space for her and the older puppies to run. The constant supervision and positive interaction is what i credit for how great she interacts with other dogs now. We took her there until she was too old for puppy playtime and everytime we went she would literally jump out of the car and race for the door, she loved it! I would definitely recommend it for anyone with a new puppy and I’m sad that it’s so far from where we live now or we would take our new pup too!

My wife & I both sent emails inquiring about puppy training weeks ago. We never received a response. Now our puppy is too old for the classes.
Very poor customer service experience = no click, no treat.

I take my puppy to the puppy play class every week. It’s a great class to get your dog socialized to other dogs. The staff here are pretty friendly and attentive. They seem to know what they are doing when watching your dogs and my dog loves playing here.
Sometimes your dog will have a lot of other dogs to play with and sometimes just one or two, it can be hit or miss.

Puppies are hard work. We knew that when we decided to bring Monkey, a three-​month old wheaten terrier/​standard poodle mix, into our family, but we weren’t prepared for the host of behavior issues she’d have when we got her!
Monkey began life in the middle of nowhere somewhere out in eastern Washington. She’d been to the vet a couple of times, but other than that, she’d only been exposed to one or two people. Moving to Seattle was a huge shock for her, especially because of her shy, reserved personality. She was terrified of other dogs, cars, people, and everything in between! In particular, she was incredibly scared of people. She’d cower in fear, hide behind one of her ‘people’, and refuse to walk any further. It was really disheartening for us and we were at a loss for what to do.
Enter Seattle Dogworks. It was recommended to us by our *amazing* veterinarian, Brittany Bealle of PetSit. During the first couple of classes, Monkey hid beneath our chairs and refused to play with the other dogs or interact with Richard, the trainer. We weren’t sure if she’d ever come out of her shell, and were really worried about what would happen if we couldn’t socialize her to her new city life. We loved her and certainly didn’t want to find her a new home, but her level of fear would’ve make it impossible for her to lead a happy life.
Following Richard’s advice, we stuck it out. And after the third session (combined with 2−3x weekly trips to the included puppy play classes), she left her hiding place under the chairs! She started to chase and wrestle with the other pups, only occasionally needing to take a break to hide behind us. By the end of the training series, she was a total class clown, romping and rolling with other pups as long as we’d let her. It was like she was a different dog!
Richard did a wonderful job at teaching us the basics of training (sit, lay down, stay, leave it, leash walking, etc.), but the advice and instruction he provided us around socializing a painfully shy puppy was more valuable than we ever could’ve imagined. He answered all of our questions, tailored the class exercises to her personality, and ultimately is the reason that Monkey is the dog she is today. She still doesn’t *love* people, but she’s more than happy to head to daycare at Citydog or boarding at Unleashed without needing her people by her side. On the flip side, she is CRAZY for other dogs and is often the first one that her boarding/​daycare facilities choose to initiate meet and greets with new pups!
After two series of training classes and 20 – 30 (maybe more) trips to puppy playtime, I honestly cannot say enough good things about Richard and Seattle Dogworks. Monkey is now a wonderful dog and I truly don’t think she’d have been able to attain her level of adjustment without his help. The few months we spent with him during her first year undoubtedly set her up for a lifetime of happiness. I cannot recommend him more highly, or say thank you enough.

My coworker recommended Seattle Puppyworks’ «puppy playtime» for my new labradoodle puppy. After researching, I saw that we could sign him up for the full SoundPuppy class and get five free play sessions. I LOVE both the classes and the play, and so does Biscuit! Playtime has helped him be more confident around other dogs. In his first play session he laid under my chair and hid — and Richard never made me feel embarrassed about what a shy kid he was being. Over the course of more play and seeing the same dogs in class, he has totally blossomed. Classes are really different than what I expected — not a «sit, okay we learned sit» type process. More talking, seeing examples of what appropriate walking on a leash should look like and working through issues, etc. Biscuit and I highly recommend Seattle Puppyworks!

Seattle puppy works is the BEST. Started taking my puggle when he was 9 weeks old to sound puppy class and puppy plays and he absolutely LOVES it. Not only did my puppy learn new correct behaviors and socialization, I as well learned an abundance of information regarding dogs I had no idea about!
It is also very clear to see how important safety is to the instructors. They are extremely proactive in maintaining a safe environment for the dogs and making sure that everyone is playing nicely :)
I HIGHLY recommend Seattle Puppyworks to anyone looking to get their dog trained!

This place is so great. I’ve been taking my dog here since he was 11 weeks old — now he’s almost a year. We did both the puppy class and the puppy «pro» class. I often get compliments on how calm, well-​behaved and well-​socialized he is, and while I’d love to take credit, it’s really due to Richard, Pam, and the rest of the amazing trainers/​instructors here.
I love that they include so many sessions of puppy play in the cost of the puppy class — it shows that they really care about dogs and want them to be happy and well-​socialized. And once your puppy has gone through the first class and «graduated» from puppy play, they have an adolescent play group too, which is a great supplement to dogpark visits.
These classes are especially great for first-​time owners, because they teach you so much and help you see what’s normal for puppies. The first puppy class is mostly about teaching basic commands like «sit» and «down» and giving the puppies lots of time to play/​socialize. The puppy pro class goes into more complex training like loose leash walking and getting your dog to go someplace and stay there (a very valuable tool!).
I think the best testament to this place is the fact that most of the dogs at my local dog park went here — and they are all really well-​behaved and responsive.
My only quibble is the location — if you’re not within walking distance, you’ll want to leave plenty of time to find parking, especially with all the construction happening at Pike-​Pine.
All in all, this is a great place, and I’m constantly recommending it to other dog owners.

Yay for Seattle Dogworks! I started taking my puppy there for play sessions when I got him at 5 months, and I’m sad to have to stop now that he’s a year old. He (the pup) had such a great time while learning good manners with other dogs, and I learned A TON about dog-​dog interactions, which has been helpful in many, many contexts. Richard is basically a really friendly, walking encyclopedia of dog behavior, and is always happy to answer questions about problem behaviors or make suggestions for training methods.
After such a good experience with play sessions (and after a rather useless experience with a different training class), I signed up for the ProPuppy class. The class size was really small so everyone got a lot of attention. I also appreciated that their methods utilize clicker training without relying on them. I’m a much better dog trainer having taken that class, and that’s really what it’s about.
I get complimented frequently on how well my dog is trained and socialized (even though he’s a huge, energetic, 1-​year-​old pup). I would go to Seattle Dogworks forever if they’d let me.

I love animals, of all kinds. As in, I sometimes daydream at work what my animals are doing at home. Well, maybe only the furred ones; the reptiles and tortoises are pretty predictable most days.
So when my sweetie and I decided to adopt a dog from the shelter, we gladly took their suggestion by taking our sweet Zero to Seattle Dogworks. At 7 months, she was the perfect age for the Puppy I course, and we jumped on the 6-​week Saturday, 10am class offered.
Did you know that people needed dog training too? We had never owned a dog before (family dogs aside, and we weren’t fully responsible for them) and we were a sight to behold when we walked in. I was pulling on Z’s leash, and he was pushing her inside from behind. We made a great first impression, I’m sure.
The beginner classes focus on using a clicker to associate visual and voice commands. One of the most useful things we learned besides sitting, waiting, etc. had to be the emergency call word. Because dogs hear their names so often, sometimes, they can become… immune to it. The call word is used ONLY for emergency situations that require 100% compliance to the call word. At the dog park, for instance, she can be a ½ mile away from me, but when I yell, «Beetlejuice!!!» she stops WHATEVER she is doing and books it towards me. I don’t say it 3x because you know what happens then…
Please folks, take your dogs here! Zero’s manners were grown and cultivated here! For her final «test» with the rest of the class, we got to show off the commands she learned, and she won the ‘Dog Star’ award! It is still taped to our fridge.
Oh. I should confess something: As we were all saying our goodbyes on that last day, the instructor pulled us aside after everybody else left. She said that she didn’t want to give us a second award in front of the class… that’s when she handed us the award for «Most Improved Owners.» Um, yay?