James, Mark and the whole staff have helped us socialize and train our 4 year old and more importantly have taught us a lot about dog training! We have a better relationship with our dog because of them! Less

This day care center is a lifesaver! My dog gets the exercise and socialization they need while I'm at work. The staff is amazing and always goes the extra mile. Highly recommend! Less

This Great Falls, Virginia dog day care facility is a hit with my active dog! Tired yet joyful after all the playing with pals, they return home. The personnel is outstanding and provides me with updates all day long. Strongly advised! Less

We had a consultation on 5/4 with our 21mo. old GSD Bodhi. We talked about our concerns and interests with Jim. He spent time with us and answered any of our questions. Jim followed that up by taking us outside and showed us how to start working with Bodhi properly using a pinch collar. I have to say I was surprised by the immediate difference in Bodhi's behavior. I have always been against using a pinch collar, but I must say with the proper fit, training and use, I have become a believer. We signed up for a group class starting the following week. The six days between the consultation and first class session have been so positive. Bodhi walks along nicely with minimal corrections. I truly am impressed with how easy it is for him to offer up the correct behavior. The first class taught by Mark was great, and Jim adding anecdotes, with some examples with his 10mo. old Hector that we may expect putting in time and patience with our dog. We will be having fun practicing and looking forward to what we can learn together next week. Having had GSD's all my life, this is the best of many types of training that I have experienced. Less

The dog daycare in Great Falls, Virginia, is my dog's favorite place! They head back home, exhausted yet excited. Excellent team that keeps me updated. Less

This daycare is really beneficial! My dog receives the necessary Exercise and care while I'm at work. Friendly personnel, immaculate Facility, and lots of happy dogs. Less

Dog Day Care Center in Great Falls, Virginia is my dog's favorite place! They play with other dogs all day long and return home worn out but happy. Excellent service and spotless facilities—strongly suggested! Less

My pup LOVES Dog Day Care Center in Great Falls, Virginia! They play all day with other pups, come home happy & exhausted. Great staff & clean facilities - highly recommend! Less

Does your best friend need some obedience training? Or simply someone to be around while your away? Check this them out! They offer a variety of services to fit your needs. From 1 on 1 training to doggie daycare. Years of experience as well as years of training. Each training curriculum is tailored to your dogs needs. No two are the same. Let them help you today if your in the Vienna area! Less

Dog University helped me get my very unmanageable pup in control and listening to my every command without worries and hesitation. They also taught me how to communicate correctly with my dog as well as how to be a leader. I can now enjoy my walks with my pup like never before, thanks so much guys! Less

I brought my dog to Dog University, and was greeted by James, of which I knew within the first 5 minutes of our conversation, that it was going to be the best decision I made thus far. Within a week of meeting with James, I started noticing a drastic change in my fur baby's behavior and over all well being, I am beyond grateful for James and his phenomenal team at Dog University. And I have been bragging to all my friends that have dogs Less

So far I've only communication with the nice folks at Dog University through email and over the phone but let me say they have answered all my questions and concerns quickly and knowledgeable! I have a VERY STUBBON 9 month old boxer who has been a challenge for me to say the least. Smart knows all hus commands but thinks he owns me instead of other way around. Even as much of a handful as he is I can't just leave him in the hands of anyone. After talking with Dog University I look forward to meeting them in a couple weeks and have no worries leaving my baby in there trusted hands. Thank you Less

Dog university is top tier dog training, if you have a dog that’s misbehaving then going here will change your life and make things so much easier for you! 10/10 work and also everyone is so kind Less

Our dog doesn’t like strangers AT ALL, but she is very comfortable with the staff at Dog University. James and the team have a professional, structured environment where she thrives. They take great care of her, whether she’s staying for a few days or a few weeks. We know she’s in good hands when she’s at Dog U! Less

Dog University has all your dog boarding needs. They are the friendliest dog boarders I've ever worked with. Not only do they board dogs but they also have excellent training for dogs that are young pups or just need to learn some obedience. I have utilized the boarding an dog training only because I'm always busy at work an haven't had a lot of time to work with my dog Aries. He definitely has enjoyed his training an has come back a different dog than before, I would say for the better an I'm going to continue using them an recommending them to all my friends for all their pups needs. Less

Absolutely amazing! James is the best. We brought our first puppy to him and she came home a much better behaved dog. When we got our second puppy who was way out of control we brought him to James. First night home and he is a well mannered young dog. He is a different dog but in the best way. Still has his personality but understands how to be a good dog. I would recommend dog U to anyone and everyone. Less

After the unexpected death of my beloved Pit Bull Cassius, I was looking to adopt a new dog. Typically I try to go after the amazing dog that's unwanted because of breed or age or both. Still in grief, I adopted an 8 month old puppy (I have never had a puppy before) based on cuteness and young age thinking that emotionally I can't go through this again in 6 months. I was ready to take him back to the shelter after the first night. After some arm twisting by a friend, I decided to give him a chance. Well after 2 weeks things were not going much better. I decided to reach out to Dog University. After an assessment by the owner, he recommended 2 weeks board and train. After two weeks I came back to pick up my pup. I literally believe he exchanged my dog for a new one. No more biting or nipping. No more bouncing off the walls and pulling toward other dogs. I put him in a down, he stayed there 20 minutes while I napped. To say they surpassed my expectations is an understatement. Thank you to the trainers and staff for bringing out Enzo's best self! Also of note, the owner takes the time to explain the why behind the training. He relates to dog behavior to human behavior which I found incredibly helpful. 1 last thing. I took my former dog to a competing trainer. He came back traumatized and in shell shock. Enzo came back obedient, but still himself :) Less

Great advice that didn't just try to push us into things we didn't need. We are sending our new(ish) rescue dog to daycare next week with absolute confidence. Less

Good help and great service; bring your dog here and you'll both learn a lot! I dealt with Joanna over the phone and email, and she was responsive, prompt, and friendly. In the office, I mostly spoke to James, the owner, and he was knowledgeable, honest, professional, and helpful. I have a senior dog, who is set in her ways, but they dealt well with her, dealt straight with me, and they gave us both practical and specific things to work on tailored to my situation and my dog. Like it says above, five stars. Less

i’ve known James for over 10 years. he has helped my wife and i with our former pit bull with her aggression issues. more recently he has also assisted us with our two dogo argentinos and chihuahua puppy. we always go to him for his expertise and calm demeanor in handling large breed dogs, as well as our little chihuahua. i trust james and his staff with our animals. Less

Two years ago I adopted a full-grown female Rottweiler, sight unseen. It only took a day to realize that I was in over my head. She was dog aggressive and would not hesitate to knock me down and drag me across the street to fight with another dog. She weighed more than I did and I simply couldn't control her. Determined not to give her up, I learned that there was a trainer at Dog University who had an unusual ability to rehabilitate troubled dogs. What a difference! My Rottweiler is now sweet, well-behaved, and loved by all. I recommend Dog University without hesitation. Less

I have personally utilized James Oliver dog training for 2 of my dogs. One was for a newly acquired GSD that was acting aggressive. James conducted a home visit and I followed up with a one week board/training session. Many family members and friends were blown aways by the difference in my dog. She never acted aggressive afterwards and was a truly loyal companion. Second dog- small and scared! James helped me help her become more confident. It has taken a long time but she now let's men pet her. I have referred many people to Dog University and have complete confidence in their professionalism. Less

Our little pup has a ton of energy hand Dog U, and especially James’s expert training has made a huge difference in the way that it is channeled. She is much better behaved~still a pup but now with manners! Less

Dog University is a wonderful place for daycare or boarding. They also do obedience training. James' advice was very valuable when we adopted our dog. Less

We adopted a dog from the pound who had some behavior problems. James took her from hellion to housepet in three weeks. Any time I've had a behavior issue since he's been happy to answer questions. The daycare and boarding are top-notch, and I feel comfortable having gotten to know the staff. Less

I love love this place for boarding and daycare. My dog loves the socialization and he’s supervised (sometimes at dog parks you can’t trust the other dogs or owners). Plus the bath they give when you pick your pup up from boarding is the best smelling shampoo ever. I felt like our dog was a walking air freshener. The staff is kind and professional and you feel like a friend when you take your dog there. I highly recommend this place, it makes having a dog that much easier. Less

I have been taking my dog to Dog U for about 18 months & he loves it! All I have to say is "school" and he is running for the door. When he gets there his tail is going a mile a minute and he sits right by the door that leads to the dog play area trying to be patient until he goes back. The staff is always friendly and efficient. It's great peace of mind knowing my dog has a home away from home. Less

James was our dog Blade's trainer several years ago. He showed us how to walk him to get him to not focus on the other dogs nearby. We also boarded Blade with DogU in 2017, and the staff took good care of our boy. Less

our dog always comes home happy and is eager to go to daycamp whenever he drive by. they are also really good at making sure all the dogs are up-to-date on their vaccinations. Less

My dog olive absolutely loved this place when we were living in Virginia… We just recently moved and are hoping that we can find a new Doggy Daycare that will complete this tall order. Staff is super friendly and they understand dogs… Owner is highly trained to manage behavioral issues with dogs. We actually did the traing/boarding and it was fantastic! Over the past 3 1/2 years we have never had any issues with doggy daycare or boarding overnight. Highly recommend! Less

We were recommended to Dog University when we rescued a very strong, untrained and scared Great Pyrenees mix. We are very grateful their boot camp, continued training, and well managed day care program. James has helped us immensely with our "fourth child":) Less

Highly Recommend Dog University ! Honey is a rescue dog who went from being aggressive to being very obedient !!! We are delighted!!! Thank you Dog University ! Less

I adopted my dog from a rescue. There was a very good chance that he was going to get returned because of some agression issues. The rescue asked me to get him evaluated at Dog U and I am so happy I did. He spent three weeks with them and then we did a bunch of training. He is a completely different dog. I love Dog U! Less

For many years my late wife had her Argentine Dogo (rescue) Iggy trained and boarded here. I must travel for work and still board Iggy there. The staff is amazing And James always makes time to accompany us to Vet appointments. Thank you all for being there. Less

We visited Dog University in November 2020 and within 15 minutes of speaking with James, we learned valuable training tools that our dog responded to immediately. We enrolled in a four week obedience training at Dog University with classes taught by James himself. Our relationship with our dog grew stronger every week and to this day we receive compliments on our dog's behavior. We would recommend Dog University for top notch training advice and classes. Thank you, James! Less

Everyone from Dog University - Where dogs and owners go to school is incredible! We recently had a baby and wanted to address some problem behaviors with our dog. Over the course of a few training sessions, they developed a plan for our dog and we have seen drastic improvement. I would highly recommend them to any dog owner who needs assistance in training! Less

Dog University has had such a positive impact on our German shepherd mix, Ruby. She received training at Dog U as a 1-year-old in foster care (she’s now 6), and we knew we wanted to continue taking her there because she loves it! James is an amazingly talented trainer, and it’s clear that everyone who works at Dog U has a genuine love for dogs. I would recommend this spot to anyone in search of doggie daycare, boarding, and/or training. Less

We used Dog U for a number of years with our crazy rescue Saylor. It was such a help to burn out Saylor's crazy energy level, and he seemed to really enjoy going. The staff was always great and helpful. Highly recommend. James also provided bootcamp training initially which as a tremendous kick-start to reigning his Saylor's wild behavior. (He was a stray). Less

My easy going golden LOVES going to what we call “dog party!” Drop in day care is always available, and my guy comes home happy and tired. The staff truly love dogs—you can tell when dogs arrive, they know they’re in for great care. We’ve been going for years and have never had a problem! Less

Dog University is amazing! My dogs love going there. I have 3 large dogs and they come home exhausted from so much fun! I have used Dog University to board my dogs many times and no issues at all. My dogs have always been safe and taken care of! Less

We rescued our 5 year old dog Bella last year. Bella was never socialized and was fearful of other dogs. She went to training for two weeks at Dog University and came back a new dog. James is a wonderful trainer and is so passionate about what he does. I highly recommend Dog University. Thank you James and staff for all you did to make Bella a calmer, happier dog. Less

My Brittany Spaniel mix did a 2 week behavioral training with James. He is great with all the dogs and importantly, their owners as well. He offers complementary classes after his training sessions to help strengthen the skills with their owners. His German Shepherd, Fiona, is beautiful and impressive. He has her trained to poop on command, true story! My dog has also boarded with Dog University and she was treated very well while in their care. She always gets super excited whenever I mention "Principal James". The biggest tail wags you've ever seen! Dog University is worth the time and effort, in my opinion. 🐾 Less

James Oliver, Owner of Dog University has worked with my German Shepherds for almost 10 years.He has saved several of my foster dogs from being difficult for most to handle to being great pets. I know my dogs are safe with James and are treated with kindness and respect while learning that they can not be the head of the pack over their owners. For German shepherds and other large dogs, I would recommend Dog University for training and boarding . Less

My vet recommended Dog University for my dog's aggression issues. James Oliver trained our dog, greatly improving his behavior, and then taught us how to maintain that good behavior. I wholeheartedly recommend James Oliver & Dog University! Less

We love Dog U! They took great care of our Sr. dog and trained our newest dog. It’s a wonderful place for our dogs. We’ve always had kind, thoughtful service & good communication from the staff. Less

Great, small dog training, boarding and daycare. We've used the daycare and boarding. We used them to help desensitize our young dog to other dogs. The dogs are not barking the whole time like at some daycares/boarders. They are together, but supervised the whole time. There is indoor and outdoor space for the dogs. The employees are all nice and seem knowledgable about dog training. Less

Renny, a 20 lb American Eskimo, was 5 months old when we brought him home from a large working farm in Indiana with horses, sheep, and chickens and where he had the run of the property with his dog family. We thought he would be confident but instead he was afraid of absolutely everything from our back yard to squirrels to cars and worst of all to just about any other dog. Walking on our neighborhood street and seeing any other dog, he would bark, growl, and mostly run away to the end of his leash in fear. He threw up in the car and taking him anywhere seemed to upset him including local basic manners groups. The term "reactive dog" probably was appropriate for him, sadly. We did not get a puppy to leave it at home. We take our dogs everywhere including vacations. We were guided to Dog University and James and Renny started doggie daycare there mid December 2021 going there 2 or 3 or 4 half-days a weeks and over time we have stabilized to 2x/week. I see him thru the fence there and he is running about with very large and other small dogs with comfort. He also spent 2 weeks boarding at Dog University with James working with him daily taking him to public places and working with him to feel more comfortable. Over these past 9 months, his comfort with and behavior toward other dogs is completely different. With most pups, he no longer barks/growls/runs away and while he may not want to sniff and make friends with everybody, he is content to stand by quietly and allow us to talk with other dog people. He is no longer throwing up in the car and we take him everywhere. Overall, he seems a happier and more secure pup. We intend to continue at Dog University for the foreseeable future. He sled dogs to get to the door and obviously loves it there. I gave James and Dog U 5 stars and I wish I could give them 100 stars !!! Less

James is amazing for teaching me how to communicate with my dog and for jump-starting the training. It’s not that my dog is now a “different dog,” but it’s like his inner good boy is (almost) always on the outside now. It does take time and consistency, and James is very open about that, so there are no false expectations. I was given great strategies for continuing at home, plus the continuous obedience sessions for life. Less

James is an incredible trainer and will train both your dog and you (we need it!) so you get the absolute best relationship possible between you and your dog. He is a joy to work with and the best of the best. I could not recommend him more highly. Less

We had a 6 month old Goldendoodle surrendered to us in an "open" adoption due to extreme fear aggression and resource guarding - conditions we have had a significant amount of experience with. The product of a puppy mill (unbeknownst to his original owners), he had already been through four trainers and been placed on multiple drugs before he was six months old. It had been the opinion of the last trainer that he could not be rehabilitated - and thus should be euthanized - but our veterinarian (and his original owners) wanted to give him every opportunity to live a happy life. We felt he deserved a chance, but Teddy proved to be a significant challenge even for us. So, after a decompression period, we sent him to "sleep-away" camp with James. With Fiona's help, James was able to reach him and began to lay the foundation for appropriate reactions and behavior while giving us insight into and the tools needed for more effective handling of his aggressive outbursts. While he will never be a "normal" dog, he is working on becoming the best dog he can be. Both his original owners and ourselves are so grateful to Dog University for giving Teddy a chance. I can't recommend them highly enough! Less

Best place for boarding, training and daycare. My “junkyard dog rescue” Max would not be here today if not for Jame’s insight and benefits of regular attendance at DogU. Less

The owner, James Oliver, understands dogs and, more importantly, he understands people. Great place for day care, and a really great place for dog training. Less

I am a big fan of Dog University but, more importantly, my 6 year old GSD is a big fan. He has participated in many of the formal and informal training programs at Dog U of everything from Canine Good Citizen to Advanced Obedience. He is also a participant in the day care program. He comes out happy and tired - the true definition of a good Dog U day! James and crew do a great job with physical and mental training of both dog and owner. Less

As new dog owners we quickly realized how much we needed to be trained as much as our new pup did! James and the Dog University team offered everything we needed to live in harmony with our pup and better understand her needs. Our pup, Opal, gets so excited when we drop her off and I can tell she enjoys her time with the staff! Would highly recommend Dog University for all your dog training and boarding needs! Less

James has been an amazing asset to my training a highly fear reactive dog. I felt completely lost and out of my depth with Roxy as her reactivity developed. James helped me find ways to manage and improve Roxy's reactivity using positive reinforcement and force free training, which is very important to me. I now have the confidence and tools to give my dog the fullest life possible and I have James from Dog University to thank for that! I could not recommend his services more! Less

James has an incredible insight into dog behaviors and the different breeds' innate characteristics. I brought my male bulldog into Dog University with my boyfriend's male lab because they were viciously attacking each other every time they were together. They got along with other dogs so their behavior together was a mystery to us. After two weeks at Dog U, James educated us on the problem (bulldog aggressive by nature and jealous/defensive of me and lab was bothered by my bulldog's incessant picking at him.) James provided us with devices (bitter apple spray, prong collar, electric collar) and steps to train them to be together peacefully again. It was a real God send. The techniques we learned we have also successfully applied to other poor behaviors (attacking mail when it comes through the door, jumping up on people, to name a few). We as well as our dogs are so much happier thanks to Dog University. I would highly recommend it. Less

I have been working off and on with my dogs over the past 10 years with James. For the first time with a puppy who was terrified of EVERYTHING and eventually came to live a mostly normal life! Most recently with a timid rescue pup who needed some socialization and a confidence boost. And that’s exactly what he got with some training and daycare at Dog University with James. I won’t take my dogs anywhere else and will happily make the 30 min drive out there. Love Dog University!! I can’t say enough good things. Less

Our dog Cooper hadn’t been socialized so he was sometimes aggressive with strangers and other dogs. After 2 weeks with Dig University Cooper came back very much improved. Now, when we need to board Cooper we board him with Dog University. Less

I really like Dog U. The staff is very friendly. My dog loves going there. James, the trainer , is very knowledgeable. I wish I had him at my house every day to keep my dog on his toes lol. Less

I sent my dog to boarding school when she was 4 months old and it was the best thing I ever did. James and his team are great and I highly recommend them if you're looking for a trainer! Less

Can't say enough good things about Dog University! When I adopted my dog from a local shelter she was 3 years old with no background information and a lot of reactive behavior. I brought her to Dog University through a friend's recommendation based on successes they had with their own dogs. The behavioral assessment with James was relaxed and informative. He's obviously very knowledgeable of animals and an expert in his field. Just through a casual discussion of my experiences and concerns, while watching my dog's actions/reactions during the assessment, he was able to recommend the two-week boarded training. My dog's behavior before and after the boarded training was night and day! That was 3 years ago and I do and will continue to bring my dog to Dog University for doggy day care and boarding. I'm always confident in knowing my dog is in good hands with Dog University's friendly and professional staff! Less

James and team transformed my traumatized rescue dog from a potential threat into a family companion. The bootcamp was a real saving grace. Mia is still wary of most dogs, but adores playing with the pack at day care and sees boarding as a vacation. The staff is always kind and knowledgeable. Less

My dog loves coming to Dog University! The dogs are well cared for and well supervised from the moment they get there until they come home. The dogs get to socialize in an outdoor space with an indoor backup area for inclement weather. I have done boarding, doggy day care, and training here and cannot recommend them enough! Less

We could not recommend Dog university enough. We have had a journey in training our dogs. We originally owned one australian shepherd/border collie mix who pulled extremely hard during walks and has energy for days. We took her to two separate places who failed us before we ended up at dog university. One of the places we had gone to convinced us to rescue an additional dog in hopes to help our first dog with energy levels and training need. Needless to say it did not help and we ended up with two pulling, powerful, and aggressive dogs and wasted more money on training. We went to Dog University and opted for the board and train option because we had felt like there was no way we’d ever be able to handle our two girls. After the two weeks of training James has spent additional time with us to help ensure there is continued training and care for our girls. He is always there to answer our questions and guide us in making sure we are giving our fur babies the best life possible. We now have two well mannered dogs who are always excited to train and walk. We are constantly working towards improvement but the confidence we have gained from James and his training is huge. We saw a few comments towards the disappointment in pronged collars and we’d like to offer this advice: our first dog we used every kind of harness under the sun. She would run away and hide from all of them. However, now every time we are about to go for a walk and wear the pronged collars she runs to the door in excitement and sits and waits for us to put them on. Used properly and trained by professionals like the people at Dog University we have found tremendous value in using them to help train our dogs to understand what we are expecting of them. We also take our girls there for day care and have wonderful things to say about this as well! Our newest rescue is slow to trust and prefers us (her “parents”) to handle her. However, when she is at Dog University to be dropped off she pins her ears back and wags her tail in excitement to see all the trainers and handlers in there. She barely does this with our roommate who she sees everyday. It goes to show how well the dogs are treated and cared for when they’re dropped off. So many good things to say about this place! Highly highly recommend!! Less

My wife & I were referred to DogU through our dog walking company & we couldn't be more grateful for these amazing people. We adopted a 10 mo old dog (Alfie) in Dec 2018 and a few weeks later discovered he had serious aggression issues. We loved Alfie and were terrified of him. He bit us on several occasions and was on the fast track to be euthanized it wasn't for James (owner & trainer), Matt (trainer), and all the staff stepping in. James put so much work and heart into not just rehabilitating our guy, but teaching us as well. Initially I was wary of his training methods- it seemed so strict! But I quickly saw that it was just a different language and one both Alfie and our other dog understood. I've struggled to master some of the techniques James uses, but he has been nothing but patient and professional as he's worked with me and time again. This time last year I couldn't have imagined spending a day relaxing or even going for walks with my dogs & wife, but now that's how we spend almost every weekend. And that's all because of Dog U. Less