Get a Second Opinion. In 2008 my husband and I adopted a 8 week old rescue mix. We had never owned a dog before and Paws4Training was recommended as a place to start with our vet. We had a home visit (which cost $90) for 1 hour and were told our puppy was wonderful - she was being a puppy and she should be great when she starts puppy class.

So, we spent another $150 for 6 week puppy kindergarten and 10 play sessions ($100). From the day we started class the instructor was negative about our dog, telling us we need to watch her and she is showing aggressive tendencies when she plays and we should give her back to the rescue. As new dog owners this was horrible to hear - anytime we tried to speak with the owner she was negative and told us our dog was aggressive in nature and we should pay her more $$ but she could not help the dog? She gave us article upon article about aggressive tendencies, dominance, anything that would scare a new owner - she gave to us. The last straw was when she pinned our puppy on the ground infront of the class because she was acting up - totally against what her course teach. After that incident, we stopped attending her course.

We ended up going somewhere else and you know what, the owner of Paws4Training was very wrong about our dog. The first thing the other facility told us is that your dog is smart and gets bored easily and that if we put in the time and effort together to train our puppy and teach her basic behavior and there was no need to give her back to the rescue. We worked with this facilty and withing 1 week we say a huge difference.

Our dog is now 17 months and is is wonderful. The training facility and trainer we work with has been so positive it has been wonderful that we cannot thank them enough. The trainer we work with has become a good friend not only to our dog, but our family.

A word of warning, if you have a puppy or dog that is not up to Paws4training standards, dont let them tell you you to return your dog - get a second opinion.…

Wonderful puppy/dog training courses. PAWS 4 Training offers a fantastic array of courses in terms of puppy obedience training and socialization. As a first time puppy owner, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience; as I entered into something that could have been challenging and frustrating, I was pleasantly surprised to find this experience not only educational, but also enjoyable!



Susan, the teacher and founder of Paws 4 Training, is incredibly well versed in dog care and dog training. She has a natural ability with animals and her techniques and tips have been incredibly useful when preparing to train my puppy. One of the best parts of the introductory course (puppy kindergarten) is the fact that it’s a wonderful way to ease your puppy into socializing with other dogs. The beginning course is also a rolling admission, which makes it extraordinarily convenient for newcomers. Susan’s courses are well structured, easing puppy parents, new and old, into training so that you can reap the benefit of a well behaved adult dog. Susan has gone above and beyond for my puppy, researching some of my puppy’s bad behavior on her own time and then presenting the information she’s found to us in class.

Paws 4 Training is also extremely reasonably priced, which makes it that much better in my opinion. I would highly recommend Paws 4 Training to anyone who would like to implement positive behavior in their puppy or dog.…

Your puppy will thank you!. So little Myra was a bit of a surprise. She was a rescue puppy that somehow found her way into our lives without sufficient planning on our parts. But it was love at first sight and we knew she had found her forever home with us. With two other (very large) dogs, we knew that we had a lot of work to do. After reading numerous books and working with Myra a little on my own (after all, I had trained dogs in 4-H as a kid!), I came to realize that Myra was desperate for some socialization. Susan's puppy kindergarten was just the ticket. She began her transformation at the very first class: Stepping cautiously into the room with her tail between her legs, I was a little worried about her warming up to the other dogs. Before I knew it, only minutes later and with some very good guidance from Susan, Myra was fully engaged and playing with a puppy 4 times her size! Then a smaller puppy got into the mix, and she walked away exhausted and satisfied. Since then, we have taken her to many other sessions of the kindergarten and we are about to finish basic obedience. Susan REALLY knows her stuff. She teaches us how to train our dogs by example and with excellent instruction. It's simple, but it takes practice: be consistent, say the command once clearly, and reinforce good behavior. Myra LOVES Susan and she has learned so much from taking these classes. I think the thing I love the most about Paws 4 Training is the positive interaction that our puppy has had with other doggies and people of all breeds and manners. There is no doubt in my mind, after all my research and the power of observation, that the BEST thing you can do for your new puppy is to make sure they are well socialized when they are young. And I highly recommend you start with Paws 4 Training. You'll be pleased with Susan's expertise, her talent for teaching both humans and dogs, and the convenience of these classes. I imagine Paws 4 Training is more personal and satisfying than other classes.…

Rescued our Rescue. When my wife and I got our Golden Retriever Zoe she was already 6 months old and lived in someone's backyard in the country her whole life. When we picked her up and brought her to our small home in Ballard, we almost went crazy... until we found Susan. She helped us with Zoe through Basic and Intermediate training. We even scheduled some private sessions with Susan at Greenlake to help us socialize Zoe with other dogs and people. When we started class, she couldn't even play friendly enough with the other dogs to be taken off the leash. Susan's willingness to answer questions and help you work through problem behaviors is why her class will always be the best one in Seattle. Thanks to Susan training US we were able to train Zoe. She is now a loving member of our family that we love to take for coffee or to the farmer market on the weekend. Now Zoe is great with other dogs and people. We highly recommend this class to all dog owners; however, it is a must if you want a friendly and polite City dog.…

Amazing Puppy Training!. Our Puggle, Barkley, was a little terror until we found Susan. After just one class, Barkley was already learning how to behave and more importantly, teaching us to communicate with our dog. I encourage anyone with a new puppy or a dog needing more training to talk to Susan Oshie! She is amazing, and the class was a ton of fun!…

Great Puppy Training and Socialization. I have taken two of the classes with my dog Ellie. Ellie learned so much. It is fun to have a dog that is so well trained. I learned so many techniques that traning has become fun and easy. Ellie also had the time of her life playing with all the other puppies. Susan is really great and thourough. She explains why certain commands are important for the health and safety of the dog, as well as personal sanity! Her techniques paved the way for me to have a wonderful, healthy relationship with my dog for the rest of her life. Susan is a great teacher. I would highly recommend taking one of her classes.…

If you are going to own a dog in the city, you must enroll in Susan's classes!. We (myself, my husband, and our french mastiff, Huck) went through puppy kindergarten, basic, intermediate, and private training through Paws4training and we plan to do good citizenship. We like Susan because her training focuses on positive reinforcement, consistency, and follow through and her technique is hugely successful. Susan is very effective with dogs (and they love her, Huck included) and she does a great job educating the owners on how to get that same respect. You also learn how dogs should properly socialize with eachother as well as addressing any specific needs/concerns. Puppy kindergarten was a highlight of our Saturdays!…

Dogs (and people) love Susan!. Edith the Corgi and I attended Paws 4 Training's Puppy Kindergarten, Basic Obedience, and Intermediate Obedience classes with great success. Both people and dogs receive positive coaching in all of the basics plus have training tailored to specific needs. Did I mention that dogs love Susan? It's nuts. Edith's eyes light up and her butt (no tail) wags as soon as she sees her, and she immediately falls into line. Better yet, Susan teaches you the skills to get that attention focused on you and have your dog follow your lead.

I highly recommend her services, whether it be a class or one on one training.…