WOOFS! Dog Training Center

I am still a huge fan of Woofs! 4 stars instead of 5 because their class schedules leave something to be desired when you get out of puppy K. If you miss the sign up or have to delay, it’s a full 2 months normally before the next class rolls around. That’s frustrating.
After taking Puppy K and Puppy Basic with them, and recently looking into a variety of courses elsewhere, I am more a fan of their training techniques than ever for two reasons. On top of all the others (great teachers, awesome local business, positive training methods that work — I keep hearing how friendly and polite my Shiba is, and I owe a major part of that to Woofs! and their training program). Both of these reasons go back to one major thought though — they train for this area and for the city/​metro environment. This is key.
#1 reason: Some other trainers seem to all use a method that doesn’t allow you to ever hold the leash while training… and instead mandating a two handed approach that makes it impossible to do hand targeting without having to drop the leash on the ground… IDK about you, but as someone who lives in Shirlington with a flight-​risk Shiba, I don’t want to let go of my leash, I’d like to hold onto it so that they don’t run into traffic. Woofs! uses a leash handling technique that I’m going to admit was odd for the first month of using it… but 6 months in, I don’t know why I never held a leash like it before. It makes SO. MUCH. SENSE.
#2 reason: I don’t want my dog to come when I call their name. I just want them to look at me and wait for a command. This is what Woofs teaches, and I appreciate it. Say my dog gets out of the condo and goes on a sniffing spree, I find her, but on the opposite side of the road… I’d like to call her name to get her attention then tell her to stay. Other trainers want you to use their names for recall, which means if I call her name, there she comes barreling through the street, and again, would like my dog to not run into traffic and get hit by a car.
Those might seem silly, but if you’d going to pay $ 180 – 220 bucks for a trainer in this area, pick one like Woofs! that actually has experience training dogs for metro environments.

My dog just went to beginner adult training at Woofs. I was very pleased about the price and the quality of the training. We had training with about 7 other dogs in their upstairs classroom. Sure the classroom isn’t the prettiest place you’ve ever been, but its about what you’re getting out of it. Carrie was an excellent trainer. The first class, you come without your dog and you learn what you are expected to do to train your dog.
The one thing I really liked about Carrie and Zach (her helper) was that they knew how to keep attention in class. If there was a situation where a dog got excited or nervous, they immediately remedied it without taking time from the class.
I also liked the fact that you are being trained as a dog owner in addition to your dog getting trained. I believe it is just as important and I think that some people go in expecting to be presented with a well-​trained dog at the end. That’s not how this facility works. You and your dog are a team and Carrie does very well in emphasizing that and how you must practice at home.
It was great that in a group class, I felt like I received individual attention as well. My dog was very nervous and wasn’t the only one. There were high strung dogs in the class but each exercise we worked on was adapted for each dog’s needs. Carrie also made herself available after class and by email if more help was needed.
I plan on attending a second class with Woofs because I was very pleased with how much my dog progressed and the quality of the training. Sure you can get training at Petsmart for cheaper but it will not be the same quality. It is clear that Carrie and Zach are passionate about what they do and truly care for the dogs.

I live nearby this place and thought it would be a great way for my dog to socialize and play while I’m at work… aside the convenience of the location, this place gets a D grade at best.
The place is in a brick building behind a restaurant but the daycare is in a basement level area with no natural lighting at all. Several times when picking up my dog I have noticed feces standing somewhere on the ground. Their policy is to not feed the dogs while there in daycare which means they go half the day without food but will give them water. Since my dog doesn’t get to eat while there, she’ll drink as much as she can although I control how much/​often at home. Because of this, she has had problems peeing at Woofs but the trainer wanted to try and tell me she might have a some kind of medical problem… funny, that’s the only time she has problems with her pee. Maybe if they weren’t allowed to go hungry all day long it wouldn’t be as much of a problem?
My dog is very energetic, super-​friendly, and will always want to say hi and play with people or other animals when we go on our walks. She’s made friends with other neighborhood dogs, gets along great with kids, elderly, and handicapped people, I’ve taken her to parks almost every week and in every single instance, she’s extremely friendly despite not knowing how energetic she can be, constantly giving the play bow and trying to play. I understand some people and dogs may not be as energetic as her and not as playful, so they can get scared and/​or be annoyed with her especially when she jumps. She used to not be so well when told to stop but she has gotten better at walking away when situations are getting too scary for her. The trainers at Woof took this playfulness to be aggressive behavior and place her on time out, which I understand, it’s a business and they need to be mindful of all their clients. But one of the employees tried to go so far as to tell me that she may not be a good dog park dog… which is funny because she’s one of the friendliest ones at the park I go to frequently.
Looking at other reviews on this site, other owners and pet professionals have mentioned how trainers here can get snooty, rude, and play favorites aside from the poor building layout and policies… which makes me think may have been the case here as well. I don’t know the extent of experience some of the trainers have here or if they’re more easily prone to worry, but the only saving grace for this place is the convenience.

This review relates to the adult obedience class. The instructor was really patient and insightful with my terrier, Stanley (who has fear issues); she had great advice and was so open to providing suggestions for Stanley. She was funny and so good with positive reinforcement. The rest of the staff was fantastic, too. They have obviously been trained on how to deal with and approach dogs that are less than well-​behaved or well-​adjusted. Really enjoyed the class and the experience. I plan on signing up for another class in the next few months.

Over the past 18 months we have used WOOFS! for their Saturday morning puppy party, Puppy Obedience, Intermediate Obedience focus on CGC, Agility 1, and Intermediate Obedience focus on heeling (twice). We are also semi-​regular day care customers and have used their boarding services. We are very happy customers. Our dog Samson loves it there. We believe that most people end up with the dog they deserve. We’ve worked hard with the staff at Woofs to earn a well behaved, confident, happy dog. We’ve spent a lot of time there and have met most, if not all, of the staff. The trainers are excellent and patient and all of their staff friendly and knowledgable. The class sizes are reasonably small. They take the time to get to know their customers and their dogs and tailor the instruction to meet your challenges. I have always found their facilities to be clean. Our vet originally referred us to Woofs. I recommend Woofs without hesitation.

We’ve been bringing our dogs to Woofs for many years. Laura and the rest of the team treat our dogs like their own. In fact one of our dogs was born at Woofs by a mom they were fostering. We used their puppy play times, training classes, day care and over night boarding many, many times. My dogs love going to Woofs and always come home tired and happy!

Be warned: if your puppy is a day older than 16 weeks they are NOT welcomed to puppy play time on Saturday morning at Woofs. Well unless you have been their prior cause apparently your puppy plays differently. Or if you know the owner. Puppies older and bigger than our puppy were let in when we were refused entry. This business just lost our business over age discrimination, rudeness, and unfairness.

The most wonderful facility to train your dog. My poodle loves it here. We do Nose Work, Agility, obedience and Rally. The trainers are über qualified and seem to find a work around for any roadblocks. Yeah Woofs. Yeah Wonderful Trainer of Stars.

I would not recommend this place. I recently went for a Saturday morning social. There is no cap on the number of dogs that can come and we were broken into three groups with the smallest dogs in a very small space where there was not enough staff to carefully watch all interactions between the dogs. The staff were condescending when we said our puppy was 8 weeks old, which is the age the website says you can bring them. Also, when a dog pee’d in the very small area where 15 dogs were playing, the staff said pee didn’t really matter and was in no hurry to clean it up. One of the parents searched for the mop and actually cleaned it up. I understand puppies pee and poop, but please clean it up. I would not consider this place sanitary and it seems the staff are not certified or trained to work in a dog training environment. Not impressed. I would definitely not bring my dog here for ANY type of training.

I wanted so much to like Woofs, but the truth is that the dog trainers are extremely condescending and rude. They clearly play favorites amongst the dogs and label dogs ‘bad’ when they are only 4 months old. I was so very disappointed by the training techniques and they don’t run the place professionally. They forgot to call people to tell them that class would be canceled and when they were asked about it, tried to kick our dog out of class. So disappointing. And their dogs aren’t even that well-​behaved. We will never come back. Take your dog to Petco or another place for training. Better run, better trainers and more affordable.

I would like to update. I took my puppy to another play date and this time I was really annoyed. There are way too many dogs in each section and I think the chaotic environment is too much for my puppy so he tries to hide behind people or things when too many dogs are trying to jump on him. He was getting snappy because he was scared and the attendant insisted on putting him with a group of larger dogs because he was being «too aggressive» for the dogs his size. BAD IDEA. My poor pup was scared the whole time, trying to run to the door and get out of the area where dogs easily twice his size and weight were being way too rough with him. I pointed this out to the woman in charge and she snapped at me, saying that my dog doesn’t play in the smaller dog group, either, so I could put him where ever I want. I don’t see any point in taking my dog back there because I brought him here in an attempt to socialize him and tire him out, neither of which is happening. I live in a very dog friendly neighborhood and my puppy plays with all my neighbors’ dogs just fine on and off leash.
Also, there were several instances where dogs went poop on the floor and the employees did a very minimal clean up. I could still see poop on the floor. That’s disgusting and I don’t want my puppy tracking that inside my car or my house.
Finally, the woman in charge (I believe her name is Laura, but I’m not sure) was giving someone advice on adopting a rescue dog. A person asked about housetraining a six month old rescue and the employee VERY LOUDLY and rudely told us all that you should never rescue a dog that is six months old and not potty trained. She said you will have problems forever. I do not agree with this, and I find it disturbing that she would discourage anyone from rescuing a dog, especially on the basis of potty training alone. There are plenty of rescue dogs that have had worse issues and have been just fine with a little training and affection.
I strongly recommend you go elsewhere. A free puppy play time sounds enticing but it’s not worth the headache or annoyance you will likely get from some of the loud-​mouthed, rude, and unprofessional employees here.

About the same experince of talking to an enthusiastic stranger at dog park (adult basic). Having had classes with certified trainers many years ago, we were a bit put off when the first night the trainer talked about «real lives» and how she’s an attorney, yada yada. The difference showed — for example, didn’t know how to handle the aggressive dog that kept trying to attack ours, the pace of the class was terrible, instructions were unclear, and there was very little personal attention. The last straw came when the attorney said we needed personal training (theirs, of course) because our dog is «dog reactive.» I called a few private trainers, and they all told me that I was using the wrong term. It wasn’t even worth completing the class — we switched to another company that is led by certified trainers. Much better experience.
On a positive note, the second trainer was very nice and seemed like she would be good to work with. Just know that your’re getting people who dabble in dog training.

I’m evaluating Woofs from the view of a perspective of dog training client.
I tend to take all reviews with a grain of salt, but when I was looking into Woofs for training there was something that stuck out — there is absolutely NO information about their trainers on Woofs’ website. The trainers are not listed by name, nor is there any information about their certifications, experience, etc. That right there is probably enough for someone to stay away.
My experience with the Woof’s staff was during one of their free puppy socials, and there were a lot of additional warning bells that went off during the session. First, none of the staff introduced themselves when we came in. Their only concern was making sure we presented our pup’s shot records (which is definitely important). However, after that it was a free-​for-​all. The staff did not give any direction to the owners about what type of behavior was appropriate, nor did they try and get the owners to interact with dogs during the session. Pretty much all of the owners stood around the edges while the dogs played, and the trainers just stepped in every now and then to make sure the puppies weren’t playing too rough.
To me this was a very poor example of dog training and proper socialization. Part of the reason for a puppy social is to have the dogs interact with different people, not just other dogs. It’s also extremely important for the trainers to 1) identify themselves to the group and 2) give at least some basic guidelines as to what is expected from the owners and their puppies.
I highly suggest that you consider a different trainer.

I am a veterinary professional and had the displeasure of picking up a friend’s dog from this daycare. This place is HORRIBLE. It reeked of urine, was dead silent, and full of miserable looking dogs. There was a large concrete space and zero toys. The staff was all huddled in a small space fenced off from the dogs — zero interactions occurring. This was in the middle of the day on a Friday. I am sure they make it look like a fun place when it’s after the work day and everyone comes to pick up. There are WAY better places in Arlington. Don’t waste your money and your dog’s comfort.

We’ve been going here since our dog was 8 weeks old. I highly recommend the free puppy parties on Saturday morning to get your new puppy socialised and used to the space. She loves it here and the people who work there love her. She’s always excited to go to Woofs and returns to us a happy puppy. We day care her here about once a week so she can play with other dogs. They also offer free transfer to the Shirlington location if you want to board your dog.
The only incident we had was when our puppy played a little too rough with another dog in day care and got hurt. They called up immediately and let us know about it.
We are very happy with the *Ballston* Woofs. Note, this review is completely separate from the *Shirlington* location, which has yet to impress us. I really wish the Ballston location had boarding…

I liked this place for a long time but decided to go elsewhere. I found another dog care business nearby that I far prefer.
First the positives: the staff is very friendly and I think they really love dogs.
Now the negatives: be sure to ask the staff if your dog will be upstairs or downstairs. If they say the latter, ask if you can go down and take a look. I went downstairs accidentally once and they got pretty upset with me — and I can see why. Whereas the upstairs is nice and has lots of light, the basement seems like somebody’s scary basement, dank and dark.
I also see that when a dog needs a «timeout,» they hook them on a rope or leash to the wall. I think that is a cruel thing to do to a dog. At the place I go now they separate the dogs that need a little break rather than leashing them to the wall.
Not bad… just not great, either. If you entrust your dog to them I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, but you can probably do better.

I came to Woofs to buy bully sticks for my dog (they carry K9 Kravings brand!) and I asked some general questions about their obedience training. Needless to say, I left laughing because of the brainwashed answers I got:
Me: So, what type of collars can be used during sessions?
Staff: quick release or buckle.
Me: Hmm. What about metal choke or prong?
Staff: Nooo. We believe in positive reinforcement only.
Me: Well, as pups, a bitch bites her pups around the neck if they are naughty & that’s mother nature’s version of a those collars. It just simulates it.
Staff: We believe in more positive experiences than that.
Me: More positive than what mother nature intended? You’re kidding me right?
No thanks.

Don’t be turned off by the location (behind a Mexican restaurant in what appears to be a warehouse) or the puppy playdates (way too crowded!). Come to the training classes — especially if you are a first time dog owner. Our pup was pretty well trained so he got bumped up into intermediate classes, which were much better for him. Not enough people realize that it is just as important for your dog to get training outside the home as it is inside the home. Your dog needs to understand that he/​she is expected to behave elsewhere as well. It is also important for dogs to learn to pay attention to you, even with other dogs around (as this is normal for the outside world). So I kind of laugh when people complain that there were other dogs in the class keeping their dog from paying attention. that’s the point. Your dog needs to learn how to behave with distractions around. Any dog can behave in a perfect circumstance, it’s the challenging ones that make a dog really well behaved.
Now that I’ve said my piece, my only major issue here is that classes only start up about once a month and if you miss a class or the start date, it is very difficult to make it up. You really have to make a commitment to schedule around the classes and not miss any. A+ boarding/​daycare facilities, C for location, B+ for classes

I called them to ask about private lessons. The conversations went something like this:
Me: Hi. I’m interested in private lessons for my dog, Duke.
WDTC: Sorry, we don’t have any trainers available for some period of time. Would you like to sign up for a group lesson?
Me: No.
WDTC: Ok then. Thanks for calling.
Um… ok.

We started bringing our puppy here as soon as she was able to attend puppy party on Saturday morning. It was an amazing socializing situation to expose our dog to others at a young age. I think that her experiences at Woof really helped her at the dog park once she got older. Definitely don’t miss out on this if you are getting a new puppy, especially because its free!
We did try the puppy basics training class and found it not to be so helpful. Our dog was super distracted because all the dog would be allowed to play with each other for a few minutes and then they would need to pay attention. Then they would be allowed to play again. It was very hard for us to capture our dogs attention once play time was over. There were also quite a few dogs in the class so we hardly ever got one on one time with the instructor.
I also did not care for the rubber flooring in the room. Our had learned to not pee inside, however, every time she was there, she would just let loose. They claimed that spraying cleaner on the floor would take away the smell, however, our dog certainly could still smell it. I also didn’t care for one of the owners dogs who would constantly mark his territory without any repercussions.