This review is extremely overdue. There are not enough wonderful things I could say about Amanda Gagnon and their trainers. I honestly think I would be lost without them. Weve taken puppy kindergarten, puppy day school, adolescent school and soon will be doing fun with agility. The trainers are professional, kind, personable, compassionate, caring and most importantly my 10 month old Poppy LOVES it there. She pulls me down the street when she knows where we are going. Which admittedly is not good leash behavior but she just loves it. The trainers take the time to answer your questions, give tips and tricks to help you through the every changing process that comes with training your pup. Their office staff is quick and responsive, always helpful. I recommend Amanda Gagnon to everyone I meet! Couldnt be happier that Poppy and I found them. Thank you!

This review is in regards to the operational side of the Drop-Off classes. I wish the process was more efficient, waiting 15 min to drop a pup for a class is not ideal. Also, there is an inconsistency per class some trainers give you feedback on what they seem or worked on and some do not give you any feedback at all. Some welcome discussions at the beginning of the class some do not. I have attended my fair share of classes with now 5 different trainers to be able to write this review and it really varies.I wish it will be a more cohesive structure and I wish the drop off process can improve to allow the classes to start on time and the dog parents not to be delayed. They have a strict pick-up policy, so definitely room to improve on drop-op system.Overall, the classes seem to be great! I only attended some in person to see the interaction of the dog., my dog loves playing with other puppies there. I highly recommend being mindful of the time, and if they encounter chatty dog-parents perhaps they can allow those conversations after the class is over and whoever wants to stay and chat can do so.

This review is so long overdue.I enrolled my 10 week old puppy Rory in virtual Kindergarten during the pandemic in June 2020 with Sam. The structure was so relaxed, all the questions everyone had were always answered, not to mention Rory picked everything up very easily.I took her to 11 or 12 sessions worth of Puppy Kindergarten, also mostly with Sam. She absolutely loved him. I loved the hour break and there was plenty of things for me to do close by during the hour without having to go home just to come back. The socialization and corrections she received from the other puppies was definitely pivotal in her development into a happy and healthy dog.Between the tips for loose leash walking, the vital touch command, encouragement to keep at it with frisbee, positive reinforcement training with tons of treats, and a solid foundation thanks to Sam, I can say by far and wide Rory is the most behaved dog I have ever had in my entire life so far.At the end of May on Memorial Day Weekend I ended up moving and it perfectly coincided with the adventure camp at Amandas home. I signed her up right away and got to spend the weekend moving and unpacking without having to worry about Rory being underfoot and confused. All of the videos and pictures posted on the Instagram stories looked like she was having the time of her life.The added bonus was upon drop off, Rory got to see Sam for the first time in almost 7 or 8 months and she recognized him and was all over him straight away.Ive never had to worry for a second about dropping her off here, shes always super happy and exhausted by the time I get her back. No better dog than a tired dog.

Staff is so knowledgeable and passionate. Always go above and beyond to answer my questions and tailor the training specifically for my dog whether it’s around separation anxiety, resource guarding, socialization and more! Ive bumped into some staff at the dog run on several occasions and they’ve always been so friendly, outgoing and willing to help even on their off time :) My dog and I love the staff and our experience so far!

My puppy, Sora, and I have been going to AGDT since he was about 11-12 weeks old and weve tried out all different classes theyve had, including Puppy Socials, Puppy Day School, Leash Training. He even learned to walk on leash indoors for the first time with AGDTs leash training class (with Gwen Moyer)! We love working with Gwen and Matt!!!And now that hes an adolescent (8 months old), we started doing their Adolescent Social and Adolescent Day School.The trainers and staff have been absolutely amazing and wonderful. They have been very patient and responsive to my puppy and me and are always very eager to help. Sora LOVES this place and is always so excited to go to class.We definitely recommend this place!

I have used AGDT for Puppy Kindergarten, Puppy/Adolescent Day School, and play class. I always know Buster will get the time, training, socialization, and attention he needs. AGDT is quality. The staff is so friendly and helpful. I always know Buster is in good hands with them.

Where to start? I got a new puppy three months ago and I could not have done it (or still be doing it) without the group of amazing and caring experts at Amanda Gagnon who clearly love, and care for, my puppy. I think I have tried every service they offer - virtual kindergarten, puppy playgroup, puppy day school, leash walking and now we are about to start adolescent day school and adolescent play group (I am signed up for every single class they offer through June). We did 1:1 virtual training with Gwen who is just terrific. Taylor couldnt love our dog more. Justine and Esther teach Sadie lots of great skills. Amanda is teaching our leash class and we have already improved. And the all around guru, Matt seems to keep the place churning (and my puppy is obsessed with him!). Honestly I couldnt recommend this place more and I hope they keep adding more services (e.g., teenage school, walking services, daycare). We will use them!

My beagle puppy was extremely shy and nervous around new people and other dogs. My puppys confidence grew so much by taking her to AGDTs puppy socialization and puppy kindergarten classes! The trainers helped encourage my puppy to play with new dogs and were very kind to her. My dog is now comfortable meeting new people, and she enjoys sniffing and interacting with new dogs too.I also took my puppy to the leash training workshop and pushy dog workshop to work on behavioral problems with Gwen Moyer. Gwen has been a wonderful trainer and is very understanding. I appreciated her judgment-free advice and practical tips to help train my dog. My dog is now less fearful of the world around her, and our bond has grown immensely from all of the training we do together. I highly recommend taking your dogs here!

I brought my puppy to one of their puppy socials and he had a blast! He was all tuckered out when we brought him home. The staff was very attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly, and trained professionals engage the dogs instead of just letting them run around or curl up in a corner. Felt in good hands. Would highly recommend as a gem in the neighborhood.

Cannot express enough how much we love AGDT. We enrolled our puppy in Puppy Socials, Puppy Kindergarten, Puppy Day School and now we have graduated into Adolescent Day School. Not only has our puppy received wonderful training from the team but we have learned how to train our puppy as well. As first time dog owners, we were very nervous about our ability to train a puppy but the team at AGDT taught us so much and has helped us feel confident with our puppy. Our puppy really looks forward to his time at AGDT - he cannot get into the building fast enough and never wants to leave! Thank you AGDT!

My vet recommended AGDT to me when I got a new puppy in March, and I could not be happier I listened to the doctors orders! The puppy training is top notch, the staff and trainers are professional, helpful, kind and super responsive. I have participated in the Puppy Training classes and virtual private training, and have learned so much. But for me, the young puppy drop-off socials and Puppy Day School were truly essential. Unvaccinated puppies in the city have little opportunity to play with other dogs or people not in their household (and this was even worse during COVID), but this is exactly when they need to be learning critical social skills! The puppy play classes offered by AGDT are rare - if not unique -socialization opportunities for unvaccinated puppies in a safe and hygienic setting. This is not day care; these classes are structured group activities led by professional trainers that teach and reinforce positive behaviors and build on the skills taught in the puppy training classes. I credit these classes, especially the Puppy Day School, for helping my pup become the fun-loving, friendly, and relaxed adolescent he is now. He is calm and confident around new people, dogs, children, sights and sounds. He doesnt lunge or bark when walking around the VERY stimulating city streets and parks. He is a joy for our family and gets positive reactions to his good behavior everywhere we go, and I always give the credit to AGDT! I cannot recommend the puppy offerings highly enough. We are now moving into the Adolescent Day School, and will report back with a new review in a few months.

We have absolutely loved the team at AGDT! They have loved on our Yorkie puppy from day 1 and treat him as if he’s their own. He adores everyone there and practically runs to the door with excitement! He’s done both puppy socials and puppy day school and loves them both. He was so hesitant at his first social but the trainers were patient with him. By his 2nd visit, he was eased in with another hesitant pup and from then on, it’s been party time! They are so patient and kind and are wonderful trainers. A real gem in the neighborhood for dog owners. Can’t say enough great things about them!

We love AGDT! We rescued a 10-week old puppy from Muddy Paws Rescue in February 2021. AGDT came highly recommended, offered a discount for Muddy Paws Rescue alums, AND was conveniently located just 2.5 blocks away from us in the UWS -- what a win! As new puppy parents, we were eager to socialize him in a safe way before he had received all of his puppy vaccinations, and the drop-off puppy socials were PERFECT. These socials allowed our pup to socialize, play, and learn for an hour at a time and we gained valuable feedback from the trainers about how he did, what we can work on, etc.Our pup attended drop-off puppy socials 1-2 times per week until he was about 4.5 months old; even after he had received all of his puppy shots, we continued to drop him off at the puppy socials to continue with socialization and learning in an ideal environment. With feedback from the trainers (he was rapidly growing and ready for play with older pups), we switched him to adolescent socials and its been a great fit! He knows when were headed to the 85 St facility and he is SO EXCITED to go in every time.In addition to the drop-off socials, we enrolled our pup in the Adolescent Dog Training (outdoors in Central Park!). The 5-week course was a great way to learn the basics and set a good foundation for us to build on.We are so grateful for the AGDT team and would highly recommend the classes and socials to anyone looking for quality training in the UWS area!

Awesome puppy socials :-) every dog in New York should go but be prepared to actively engage and helicopter parent your dog during the sessions for the best results.

When we first got our puppy, we were completely in over our heads. We didnt know how to train him, and were especially frustrated with not being able to take him outside before his vaccines.We met multiple people who directed us to Amanda Gagnons puppy socials, and started taking our pup 1-2x/week. The change in him was quite noticeable, and he is so social now! He loves all other dogs and humans too. We loved AGT so much that we continued on with their Puppy Kindergarten and Puppy II classes. Additionally, we took him to their puppy day school where they take them for 3 hours to teach them all sorts of fun things. My puppy absolutely worships one of the trainers in particular (Gwen) and I am convinced that she could call his name from a mile away and he would run to her. I cant recommend Amanda Gagnon Dog Training enough!

Update: Our puppy developed symptoms of kennel cough 4 days after we went to the puppy social. The vet treated her for upper respiratory infection (confirmation of kennel cough required a lab test that we opted out of). She had not been around other puppies other than at AGDT, so we have strong suspicion that she acquired it there. I see that other reviewers also experienced the same. A $40 puppy social turned into $240. Pup owners beware!!!We took our puppy here for a puppy social. No one greeted us when we walked or asked us to check in or even verify what class we were there for. When the trainer came out to pick her up, she didn’t even ask for our names or introduce herself, which I thought was odd. She asked if this was our first puppy social and we said yes. Due to Covid social distancing we couldn’t go in the back with her, which we totally understood.When we came at pick up, the trainer didn’t have anything much to say other than “she did well.” She also didn’t take any pictures or videos. This was very disappointing since this is was not just our first time at AGDT, but first social ever! Come on!We walked out of there feeling bewildered. We just dropped off our puppy with complete strangers, we have no idea what the place looked like, or even what she did there. We literally have no idea what we just spent $40 on!!Based on the rave reviews, we trusted that this was a reputable place that had trustworthy trainers. I don’t want to assume the worst unless I have evidence to do so. But unfortunately, we will not be coming back.Also they have a very strict late policy - Locked doors after 5 min late for drop off and $25 fee for EVERY additional 5 min you are late at pickup. This is completely unrealistic. This made us very stressed trying to get a squirming puppy across town in rush hour.Side note: Most dog training facilities require that owners get a note from a vet with record of first vaccines before any puppy social. AGDT does not require this. We felt less worried because our pup has all her vaccines. But other owners with younger puppies might want to be cautious about this place.

Last year we rescued a dog who was slightly anxious, with a lot of anxiety around being left. Our trainer Sam was wonderful. He was honest about the scope of the help Hunter needed (not a lot!) and provided all of the resources we needed a in few sessions with a couple of as needed check ins. It made me feel super confident in putting my trust and resources into Amanda and her team, it was obvious that there real priority wasnt the money but actually helping Hunter feel safe and secure and teaching us how to best help him learn to self sooth and adjust to novel situations. I highly recommend working with Amandas team!

This review isn’t about the amazing trainer we use (Sam). He’s excellent. I dropped my 4 month old puppy off at the puppy social, and when I picked him up, he was panting/overheated and I asked if he had any water within the hour and didn’t receive a clear answer. The next day he was feeling off. I took him to the vet and they said he had kennel cough. If you have a puppy, I would be careful about the puppy socials.

Amanda and her staff have transformed my puppy in the last five months.From the kindergarten socialization class, to leash training and various other fundamentals, as well as a few individual hours, I have been truly impressed by the difference in my dog. Their dedication to their profession and their love of dogs is evident every step of the way. You can feel that they sincerely care about your dog and the results are also amazing.

Cassidy was great! She worked really well with our yellow lab (and us). I would definitely recommend her!

Simply the best! Our Bernese Mountain Dog started classes with Amanda at six months old. She offers an array of classes to continue training and teaching your pup (and the owners too hah) we just kept coming back. Shes also just a warm, friendly and amazing person. She and her staff really embrace the Upper West Side community and with their new permanent space are able to do more fun events. Recently we went to a holiday paint and sip party where everyone was painting their pups. It was great to hang out with fellow UWS dog owners and their pups. Even after our dog has graduated out of most of the classes its still nice to be part of the alumni community, and if she sees us in the neighborhood shell always ask how our dog is doing. Anytime we meet a new puppy in the UWS we immediately tell them to call Amanda, and most of the time they say youre not the first to tell us about her. If you need a dog trainer I cant recommend her enough!

Can’t recommend Meghan enough- she patiently worked with me and my gigantic puppy (and all of her quirks!!)

Puppy social and puppy kindergarten are great, engaging instructors and convenient locations

Good people, that genuinely care, making great dogs!

Very good