Pup Scouts

A follow-​up to my earlier review: After many unanswered telephone calls, emails, and letters to Pup Scouts and Holly Ferguson, I took my complaint to the Better Business Bureau. Once the case was in the hands of the BBB, Pup Scouts had 21 days to respond and make restitution. Did they? No, they did not. Now the only recourse available to clients who pre-​paid for their services is Small Claims Court.
Do not waste your time or money at this so-​called «business.» As evidenced by the reviews here, they care little for their clients.

Do not even waste your time here! We’re in the same situation as Sarah G. (and a bunch of other pet owners I’m sure).
We signed up for their STAR puppy class and went to a couple classes before Easter weekend. No class on Easter weekend was understandable but the following week when we arrived there was no one there. All the other people from our class showed up as well — no one knew that class would be cancelled, no one could get ahold of anyone from Pup-​scouts. We figured maybe there was an emergency and decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. The following weekend, same thing. We all showed up and waited but no one from Pup-​Scouts showed up.
We’ve called and emailed them and have heard nothing back. I’m starting to think that they went out of business and just left all of their customers (who have already pre-​paid) with nothing to show for their money. We’ve asked for our money back but I doubt that will happen.
We’ll be taking our puppy to a more reputable training business that values it’s customers time and money (and preferably doesn’t take our money and then no show)!

This was a complete waste of money. There was absolutely no communication about what our expectations were or our goals for our dog. When I asked what we should be working on at home I was told that we didn’t need to work on anything because thats why we were having our dog trained. Our puppy actually got worse with housebreaking during her time at pup scouts. once she was no longer allowed to urinate inside on a daily basis she was quickly house broken. Overall a VERY UNSATISFIED customer. I would never recommend this place to anyone for training.

I took my 10 week old puppy here for the puppy class. I loved it! They use positive reinforcement and never punish or physically «correct» the dogs. At the end my puppy earned her AKC S.T.A.R. puppy award. The trainer was very knowledgeable and covered very important skills that puppies need to learn besides just the basics like sit and down. They learn how to be handled and walk on a loose leash and to let you brush them with out wiggling! All important skills. They let the puppies play off leash for 10 minutes and the instructors will make sure all puppies are safe and having fun. Great socialization! I haven’t been to any other classes here but I’m sure they would be just as good.

I took my 5 month old puppy here and she was desperate when I picked her up. I believe she was crated the entire time she was there. She also never pees in her crate, but when I picked her up she had peed and had to be cleaned. The staff was not very nice, they had a hard time knowing which one was my dog. At pick-​up there were so many dogs barking desperately. I will never take my puppy back to pup scouts. The new day care we found is so much better and I get a tired puppy unlike here.

1) There is no organization to the class and it is obvious the instructor does not prepare for the class. Instead of doing a cycle of different lessons, she is stuck on the same ones since she forgets what she covered last week
2) Sometimes classes start 20 – 30 minutes late and then the dogs play for an 15 min so you only have about 15 – 25 minutes of actual lessons.
3) They don’t keep record of how many classes you have attended vs what you have paid for
4) THEY BRIBE PEOPLE TO POST GOOD REVIEWS — you get a bag of treats for your dog if you print it out, so look out for good reviews
5) the facility is awful, there are small electrical holes in the floor where your dog can slip into, the rooms where they board dogs are kept in disgusting conditions (I have a picture) and there are dead plants that dogs nibble on
In response to Holly’s commentary using the points listed above: (please see managers response below for the complete picture)
1 — this point was not addressed and is probably the focal point of my review. The class was unorganized with no focus on alternating material in a consistent and planned way
2 — yes I understand the play time is part of the puppy class, but again the focal point of this argument was ignored. The main argument here is that sometimes classes started 20 – 30 min late but did not run an extra 20 – 30 min meaning you lose time you paid for
3 — not addressed! Just lack of business structure
4 — not addressed
5 — being in a transition period is no excuse to board dogs in that condition. The facilities should have been completed prior to boarding dogs.
In summation, I wanted to share my opinion of pup scouts because I was pretty mad with the way the business was run. If anything, please take the main message of my review and try to better your business.

It’s very tough to describe how we felt about Pup Scout’s training classes.
We enrolled in the beginner obedience class and learned a lot. What you will learn here is how to give a command with physical movements that make it highly likely that the dog will carry out the command. Class size is small and pretty flexible.
The problem with the classes:
1. after the first 5 classes, not much new material is taught so the classes are just repeat exercises;
2. the trainer forbids dogs from socializing with each other. It would’ve been nice to teach us how to deal with reactive dogs in a social setting, instead of getting very negative and critical when dogs pull to try to get to another dog.
3. trainer is very blunt. I mean really blunt (she will tell you if your dog is not smart, she’s also very critical of all owners — always observing and expressing her disappointment in how we are not handling the dog properly). I guess that may be what it takes to get people to pay attention, but it’s hard to stomach on a Saturday morning when you’ve paid lots of money and made the commitment to go to a class out of your love for your dog. Maybe I’m just a wimp but a pat on the back would be nice: P
I don’t think you’ll regret taking the classes though, it’s tough work but having a stronger bond with your dog is pretty priceless in my book. Supporting small local businesses is also a great thing.

My puppy has been going to Pup Scouts for the past couple of weeks for day care and every time we go there, his tail wags like crazy. I love that he gets to play with other dogs the whole day and by the time I pick him up from work he’s exhausted, which is good because I am too! The lady was really nice and so were the employees. I will be taking him here as much as I can but I just wish day care was cheaper than $ 25 =/

Don’t even think about leaving your animal with these people!
We recently moved to Houston and were looking for a place to take our german shepherd for doggy daycare. We had a great place in Austin that we loved. He was always so excited to go and had such a great time. So we were hoping Pup Scouts would be that kind of place too. It wasn’t! We were told our dog needed to go through a tempermental evaluation before he could go in w/​the other dogs. OK, we were sure he’d pass with flying colors, as per usual. He got along fine with the girls that we dropped him off with in the morning. They kenneled him for 4 hours, and when the owner came to check him out, she approached with a loud voice and waving her arms. She claimed that he was «reactive» and barking and wouldn’t let her get near him. What kind of «owner/​trainer/​animal care professional» can’t handle a friendly, albeit a little nervous due to the new surroundings, happy dog. She told us we weren’t to come back, because they couldn’t handle him. Kind of glad we won’t be taking him back there. Dogs are good judges of character after all.
We ended up at Petsmart. They didn’t seem to have any trouble — we asked.

Pup Scouts is THE BEST training facility in Houston! They can truly train ANY dog! I’ve had three go through their program (I foster) and although each had their own issues, the training worked in each of their cases.
First, they never use force, clickers or any noise making/​startling methods. No chokers, shock collars, pushing or tugging. The first pet I brought to them was an 8lb maniac, so that was really important!
Secondly, they really focus on teaching the owner to read and understand their dog. I learned how to tell what my dog was about to do, considering doing and how to interrupt and redirect it.
Most of all, I love that their trainers train, handle, compete, do obedience and all the other stuff too. They don’t just teach the methods, they use them everyday. One of the trainers took a shelter dog and turned her into a champion in both obedience and rally! Now THAT’S impressive!
I’ve been a dog lover all my life and have worked in pet stores and vet clinics all through college. The training methods at Pup Scouts are the best Ive encountered in Houston.
The are my go to source for day-​care, boarding and training needs.