ThankDog! Bootcamp

Great workout for my dog and I! He gets to practice his obedience commands and I get to burn calories… a definite win-​win. Its a great compliment to our usual walks and hikes and gives us both a new activity to enjoy. Even though its been a bit cold in the evening, the work out does a great job of getting me warmed up and its nice to be outside after a long day indoors. Bluemont is a great location for this and no fighting parking lot jams like I do at the gym. I would recommend this for anyone who’s looking for a way to bond with their dog and work on themselves.

I’ve tried other bootcamp style workouts, but always found it difficult to work into my daily routine. With this class I get a convenient location/​time, a great workout, and the added bonus of working on my dog’s training.
It took my dog a couple classes to get the hang of things, she’s doing great and the advice from both of the trainers have been a big help in ensuring we both get a good workout.
Highly recommend, its one thing for me to get home from work and not feel like working out, but my dog is always ready to head to class.

I really enjoyed this new take on fitness. Karen is in awesome trainer who pushes you to work hard but is able to work on everyone with all different fitness levels. She is intense but makes it so fun as well that it makes this hour fly by! I love being able to work out with my dog and being able to spend time with him. I have learned so many different training techniques to incorporate at home to help train my dog.
The 10 minutes training sessions really keep my dog focused and keeps me motivated and working hard instead of loosing interest in the same normal work out routine.
Highly recommend trying Thankdog! Bootcamp if you are looking for something do with your pet or something new and exciting! It’s a great class for you and your dog!

I’ve been doing the ThankDog bootcamp in Arlington VA for the past two weeks.
I’ve really enjoyed the dog training aspect. I have a one year old puppy, Toby, that I adopted about 3 months ago and although he’s relatively well trained, I was having a hard time running with him. He would always dart in front of me or veer off.
Karen and the other trainer have spent a lot of time giving me advice on how to train him to follow directions better and I’ve been applying those lessons outside of class too. I’ve seen a major improvement in his ability to heel and follow my commands.
The «human» part of the workout is useful, though for me personally, it still won’t replace time at the gym on my own. Karen does take time out to point out posture mistakes and other errors which I think will improve my other workouts.
It’s been very convenient for me as the class starts at 6:30, though I could see how this might be a problem for those with later work schedules (my boyfriend can’t make the class because he works out in DC). Karen has been discussing a possible weekend class, so that would be a nice way for him to attend class.
Overall, I like the idea of working out twice a week while also learning tips on how to train my dog. The fact that the dogs aren’t allowed to socialize during class also seems to help him become desensitized when he’s around other dogs, which is useful when I visit friends/​family. Toby is usually pretty exhausted after class, which makes it a nice addition to dog parks.