Puppy Manners

I really like how Becky handled my concerns. After reading my initial review, she contacted me and offered a full refund. It was completed unexpected and very professional. I never expected a response after the class. I would now consider possibly taking a private class with a different trainer if there was availability. Becky truly cares about dogs, owners and keeping clients satisfied.

If you want only the best for your dog, you can not go wrong with Puppy Manners.
The Bishops and the talented team of trainers at Puppy Manners can help any dog become happy, relaxed, and well-​adjusted. My Australian Shepherd puppy was well on his way to believing he was the Holy Roman Emperor before I got him to Puppy Manners and the Bishops showed him, and more importantly me, that he would be much happier just being the family dog. The training includes not just the «hows» but also the «whys» which makes it much easier to remember. It was a revelation to learn dog psychology and what some of those «adorable» behaviors really meant. So glad we stopped them in their tracks.
My dog, now over two years old, is the envy of the neighborhood and I can take him anywhere and count on a well-​behaved boy. I highly recommend Puppy Manners to dog owners whether inexperienced or veterans.
P. S. After reading a few of the reviews, I feel compelled to emphasize that Puppy Manners is focused on the best interest of the dog, not the sensitivity of the owner. I brought a friend to class once who insisted on carrying my puppy despite my request to put him down. When Becky saw her, she immediately told her not to carry the puppy, and why. My friend was furious but I told her to suck it up, the class was for my dog, not her.
If you have already determined how you want to train your dog, or have issues with receiving corrective instructions in public, Puppy Manners might not be right for you. But if you’re open to listening and learning, even in public, it’s the best!

Before we brought home our two Siberian Huskies we did a ton of research on the local dog training classes, there seemed to be quite a few to choose from. Based on reviews and personal friends referrals we decided to go with Puppy Manners. We have been attending classes now for almost a year and couldn’t be more happy with not only where our dogs are at but also how much we have learned about what being a responsible dog owner is.
Being first time puppy parents our learning curve was steep! Becky & Dave Bishop as well as Nate Benjamin have been amazing in helping us be the handlers our dogs deserve. While we are far from perfect and our dogs still have a LONG way to go we are so happy that we made the commitment to get them and us trained by the best. We routinely take our dogs to dog friendly establishments without worrying about whether they are going to listen or not.
Aside from the puppy classes we have also done a 2 week board and train which was a Godsend. Our pups who would always pull on walks came back walking loose leashed and by our sides (rare for huskies).
Not only are they wonderful with the dogs but they have always been available to us outside the classroom when we have had questions. I also appreciate the direct and clear manner in which all the instructors communicate with you on what you need to do differently. Thank you so much to Becky & Dave and the Puppy Manners crew! #puppymannersisthebest

I have now brought my Siberian Husky, Bauer, to 3 Puppy Manners training classes already and he is only 8 months old.
Working with Dave & Becky (owners) has been a huge blessing for our family! They are such amazing trainers and have ALWAYS been there for me whenever I need them for any additional questions or concerns.
I can tell that Dave, Becky, and their wonderful staff truly care about their customers and their dogs! I will continue to keep Bauer in Puppy Manners training classes for the foreseeable future.
Also, I took Bauer to a 2-​week with Puppy Manners when I went on vacation and I got him back happy, EXTREMELY well trained, and is the only Husky I’ve seen since that doesn’t pull. In the last few months I’ve dropped him off to day school for more socialization and fun with the Puppy Manners crew!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TAKING YOUR DOGS HERE! #besttrainersever
–
Master in the Art of Living!
Buddy Buck

I’ve heard many great things about Puppy Manners. My husband, pup and I are still pretty new to the area and had been looking for a great place to do a board and train with our 7 month old husky puppy. We read up about a lot of different places and after a lot of research we finally decided this one was the best. A few local groups had recommended these people because their pups did training there and were extremely satisfied. So I was very disappointed when they informed me they couldn’t take my pup because he was considered «older» and hadn’t been going there since he was younger and there were too many distractions at the ranch for him. My pup has been exposed to dogs of all sizes, cats and children. It seems like it goes against everything they do in a board and train. I was reading that they take the dogs to places that would require them to be in a place with a lot of distractions and put the skills they learned to the test. They did recommend another trainer that may take my dog.

5 Stars to Puppy Manners without a doubt! I have a 10 month old boxer who’s finishing up her 4^th set of classes and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Would recommend to any dog owners hands down!!!
From their Puppachino classes for the little pups, to Starbarks and now Seattle’s best dogs each session teaches you numerous ways to have the dream life with your canine companion. Their play times during classes also allow for the dogs learn great socialization skills from the get go.
Through their passion and love of dogs Becky, Dave, Heather and Nate have broken down the walls of communications and taught ME how to communicate with my boxer on what I expect and want from her.
At just 10 months I’m able to take my boxer pretty much anywhere I go… from parks and walking trails, to coffee time at Starbucks, to shopping at Redmond Town Center and even Marymoor outdoor movie nights during this past summer she’s there with me. Everywhere we go complete strangers and even her Vet have told me she’s one of best behaved boxers they’ve ever seen… they’re even more shocked when I tell them her age. (For those who don’t know boxers are well known for being hyper little puppies for at least the first couple years of their life). To that my first response is always…“I can thank Puppy Manners for that!!!”

I absolutely love Puppy Manners trainer Katie Morrell.
She gave me the tools to get my dog back after a cross country move left my 3 year lab with some behavioral issues. My dog had become reactive on lead after having to move into a temporary housing situation.
Reactive = barking and being generally insane in some situations, while being perfectly calm in others. She had become (heartbreakingly) unpredictable. We had become sick of well meaning –yet uninvited– advice from locals trying to tell us what we should and shouldn’t be doing and had issues getting on the same page with training our dog.
One meeting with Katie changed us forever. The methods she used to help our dog worked instantly and we were educated on how to get the results we needed from our dog. It was like magic and utterly amazing. With practice and persistence we have the dog we’ve always wanted. Sure there are good days and bad days, but the important thing is we’re able to handle our dog and help her become better than we ever dreamed she could be.
I know that Katie is on my side and I am so thrilled that I have had the good fortune to have her help.
Worth.
every.
penny.

Becky and Dave walk you through all the commands you will need to have a obedient puppy. The class started with about 10 but the number of puppies and people, but each week the number was a little lower (better in my opinion).
Lucy, our puppy, is one smart little cookie. Like every puppy, she tries to push her boundaries. Becky and Dave gave us great tips on how to to deal with this outbursts. Very creative ideas. They focus on building a relationship with your puppy to have them fit into your life perfectly.
They clearly love dogs and animals in general. I would love to be able to afford the board and train, but I also love working with Lucy. We plan on doing more group training with Puppy Manners. And ultimately we want to have Lucy participate in the Reading with Rover program.

You’d be hard pressed to find better trainers than Becky and Dave Bishop, as well as a training approach that works – no, I mean REALLY works! They helped turn our alligator-​like, strong-​willed 3 m.o. goldendoodle into a well mannered pup. Their facilities are fabulous, the puppy gatherings great for supervised socialization, and their day school both a good value and great for your dog. Their waiting list for classes speaks for itself. Plus Becky is the organizer/​founder of Reading with Rover and helps train service dogs. Becky also coordinates Doodle Meetups and takes in rescue dogs, trains them, and rehomes them. Training dogs for them is not a pastime, it’s a lifestyle!
I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

These guys really know dogs. My dog was pulling, jumping, barking and overall just a wild dog. After 2 weeks of board and train he now is the perfect dog. He doesn’t pull, just walks right next to me. His barking is rare and jumping is gone. They are well worth the money. I love how they changed my dog.

Puppy Manners is great! When we first got Apu we did not know how to properly take care of a puppy. Becky and her staff were such life savers the first several months by providing a potty schedule to help with housebreaking and offering advice to deal with negative behaviors that they notice.
We regularly take him to daycare and occassionally board him. We know he enjoys his time there because he is always excited when he arrives and hesitant to go home at the end of the day.
Puppy Manners is located in an 1+ acre ranch with a lot of room for dogs to roam and play. Areas are segrated to allow dogs of different temperment and ages to interact and they are open earlier and close later than other doggie daycares we have researched.

I could not recommend Puppy Manners enough. I was a reluctant dog owner. My husband was the one who wanted a dog and I said I didn’t want to get a dog unless we signed up for training.
I had heard amazing things about Becky & Dave Bishop and Puppy Manners. I probably would not still have a dog if we had not gone to training at Puppy Manners. Thanks goodness for Becky, Dave and the entire crew.
In our very first class we learned important commands that made the first week of puppy parenthood so much easier. Plus, the pups get a chance to socialize too.
We went through Java Jumpstart, Puppaccino and Star-​Barks 101 and found the investment well worth it! They have structured the classes in a way that they build nicely on each other. Just when you think you have a command down, they build on it to make the behavior of your dog (and you!) even better.
Plus, they have a talented friendly staff. You won’t meet any other group of people who care about dogs and helping dogs be a part of your family as much as the Puppy Manners crew does.
Our training with Puppy Manners gave us the confidence to foster dogs from Homeward Pet. So not only did we feel good about how we interact with our dog, we felt well-​equipped to take in other dogs until they could find their forever homes. We have fostered 5 dogs and ended up adopting one of them. I am now a happy owner of 2 wonderful pups!
You’ll find that Becky, Dave and the rest of the crew are very informative, they can point you to lots of resources and have all sorts of ideas of how to help get through any behavioral problems.
Don’t hesitate. Don’t look anywhere else. Go to
right now and enroll! You won’t be sorry!

Puppy Manners is awesome! Over the last year, I’ve taken my pup to 2 different 6 week training classes, puppaccino and star-​barks 101. The classes are all about practice and lots of suggestions for improvement. Puppaccino was a perfect start for my puppy and star-​barks continued to reinforce what we learned in the previous class.
Becky and Dave are very good at teaching and presenting alternative methods for skills, behavior remedies, full of other training tips, and very supportive. Another bonus is that if you didn’t get a question answered in class or thought of something else, they would support you between classes.
My pup is better trained then we could have ever done on our own (and we’re active pup parents)! Although I’ve never used them for boarding, I would trust my dog here 100% after getting to know Becky and Dave!

Our dog is now 10 years young and I will totally give it up to Becky and Dave who convinced me to adopt our dog from the animal shelter over 9 years ago. Our dog Rudy was at the shelter due to his chronic escapes. Becky convinced me that it was due to his lack of exercise and smarts! She was right. Thanks to Becky, Dave and her puppy wranglers our dog lives a balanced life and we would not have a better dog. Becky and Dave do a great job at making us feel good about how we were raising our dog. It’s like being judged as a parent, great to know we got it right with our dog Rudy!
One look at their beautiful doggie ranch any dog and it’s human would not hesitate to want to just move in. Down side: They only accept furry guest and the furry guest had to have been a student of theirs. But really that is one reason I know my dog is safe, all guest basically have a backround check! They must be nice sociable dogs. We want our dog to «hang» with good dogs and he’s a better dog for sure for the time spent on the ranch. Now that he is, and hate to say this, a «senior» dog he gets to hang out in Becky’s office as well as play. He never goes wanting for love or attention.
Now that we have a little human pack member I have an all new appreciation for the Bishop’s and Puppy Manners. Never have we felt so welcome. Some classes do not allow kids at all but Becky and Dave welcome the kids! After all, we are all a «pack» and need to be on the same page. Becky has a very special way with young children and her connection with dogs and kids is amazing. We drive all the way to Woodinville from Ballard and it’s well worth the triip. Our dog Rudy can smell the ranch about a mile away and he gets so excited.
Makes our hearts feel so good that our ol’ guy has a great place to romp while we are gone and he always comes home so happy and tired. Don’t try to check in your kids though, I asked and Becky told me it’s double for human kids!
Dog friendly, people friendly, KID friedly and there is nothing not to like about Puppy Mannners! I look forward to raising a new puppy down the road with the help of Becky, Dave and their dog loving crew of puppy wranglers!

Thanks to Becky we have a well behaved 8 year old lab! We took Millie to Puppy Manners about 7 years ago (yes, I am just writing this now because Unilocal didn’t exist that long ago).
Becky does a great job of teaching real world dog obedience — she’s amazing, even to this day we ask ourselves «what would Becky do» Becky is a patient teacher and teaches the person not just the puppy.
After we rescued Penny (our second lab) we were worried about aggression and took her to Becky, no problems — she put us at ease.
If you want the best for your best friend, look no further than Puppy Manners!

Absolutely terrible. I’ve been working with and training my dogs for several years now. I recently moved to the area and wanted to continue the work. I took this class because it was highly rated on here. Big mistake.
I called beforehand and spoke to someone to explain my situation — that I had an experienced dog, and a very, very, very timid and shy rescue dog. I was mostly going for the socialization as our skills are fairly polished. I explained that I did not want treat based training, that I preferred praise based, and asked if they did that. I was assured that all training was praise based and treats only given at the end of class for jobs well done. I also explained my equipment and asked if that fit in with the class. I was told to bring whatever we had used previously and that would be fine.
My mother was in town and we went to the class together. The first 10 seconds I was livid. The place was crowded and my shy dog was not responding because we had been backed into a corner with about five other people and their loud, rowdy dogs. Becky grabbed the leash roughly out of my hand and dragged my dog through the mess, bumping her head on the counter as she rounded the corner. I retrieved my leash from Becky and asked her please not to do that again and explained that we had spoken on the phone and that I was an experienced trainer. She responded snottily with «Oh, so you know everything then?» And threw my leash at me. At this point I was ready to walk out, but my mother convinced me to stay and give the class a chance.
The class started with some supervised playtime, which was the whole reason I wanted to go — socialization for my dogs. My shy dog immediately followed me around and when I ignored her, she beelined for my mother. My mother, not as experienced with dogs, gave my dog a pat on the head, even though she was supposed to be ignoring her. Then in front of the entire class Becky yells at my mother «You just praised that dog for a bad behavior!» and raises a squirt bottle as if to squirt my 60-​year-​old-​mother.
The rest of the class was roughly mundane. Until the treat bag came out and I was told to give my dogs treats. I specifically stated that I did not do treat based training and that was something we had discussed previously. I was told that if I wanted a well behaved dog — I would have to reward with treats. I looked at both my dogs sitting calmly on the floor — rarely rewarded with treats and then I looked at the rest of the dogs barking and rough housing while their owners tried to distract them with treats. Ludicrous.
They have their knowledge down pat, but their delivery is sorely lacking. I should have walked out when that woman ripped the leash out of my hand and dragged my dog away from me.
If you want a better class — I suggest Canine Behavior Center. Their classes are less active, but the people are certainly more professional and willing to listen and work directly with their clients.

Getting the right education as a youth is the key to being a well adjusted young adult. I know this first hand as my mother let me run loose as a child and thus you get the pants dropping
, dumb face making
, cliché repeating fool you see before you.
So when Amelie the dog came into my life I knew that she needed the right training and socialization to prevent her from being the social misfit that I am. But finding the right trainer is tough. With so many methods and training programs there was plenty of Unilocal reviews, websites and threads to search through.
I talked to a few dog trainers and by far the most recommended, enthusiastic and detailed person I talked to was Becky at Puppy Manners. There they had a 10 day Jump Start Puppy Training board and train. The program would consist of teaching basic commands and a good deal of dog socializing. What also set them apart was that the puppies would be boarded inside a home where they would learn how to behave in a family environment versus being locked in a kennel.
After a few messages from other Unilocalers to take Amelie to Puppy Start I was sure this was the best program for Amelie. I was able to take her within a week and the 10 day program is $ 875. It was one of the more costlier programs out there but when you break down the training sessions and the amount of attention the puppies there are getting and the quality of the program it was an easy decision to make.
At Amelie’s first day at school I met Becky I was very impressed with her knowledge of dogs. She showed me where Amelie would be sleeping and the Puppy Manners ranch that has dogs, cats and other animals that help puppies socialize. So I dropped off Amelie and like my mother, I expected a call within 10 days to pick my child up from school because she was being «bad». *sorry mom*
But that never happened. When I returned for the Take Home Lesson with their trainer Nate I saw the transformation. With the distractions of seeing me again after a long week and the bad weather Amelie was still able to go though her basic commands outside. I had leashed trained 4 other dogs but could never get Amelie to go. Well Puppy Manners went beyond the program and Amelie was heeling on a leash. Her demeanor improved as she was no longer scared when being outdoors or interacting with other dogs.
I highly recommend Puppy Manners for anyone who wants to get their puppy on the right path to success. They are very dedicated and do extra training that you won’t see with other trainers. For instance Becky takes out a few dogs to go shopping with her and Amelie got a few field trips during her stay. I also took home some training supplies that they didn’t charge me for. Lastly they really worked with me when I couldn’t pick up Amelie on the 10^th day (I had a work project at McNeil Island Prison*). There training method is positive and they really worked with me on various issues Amelie had and I am looking forward to getting further training with Puppy Manners.
Amelie has become a well adjusted young puppy that my moms always wanted. If you ever see a little Maltese with a pink bow in her hair
and an immature owner holding a leash you can always give the adorable and well behaved dog a hug, and then beat the dumb owner over the head.
*I was at McNeil Island as part of my regular duties at my place of employment, and no I am not a felon or on a work release program. My moms didn’t raise that kind of fool!

Puppy Manners is fantastic. Without puppy manners my family’s life would have been total chaos. Neither my wife nor I had ever had a puppy before. We had no idea how to communicate with this new puppy. I knew someone who had gone through this class before and their dog was always well behaved. I really liked the fact that they had been doing this for the past 15yrs and was having great success. So I signed up for the puppacino class and had such great success that we also did the starbarks 101 class.
Becky and Dave are wonderful instructors. I really liked the fact that they will call you out in class for doing something incorrect. When they do they are very sincere about it and show you the correct way. If you ever have any questions during the week you can always check your special tips page they give you or you can email them. They are very passionate about teaching you how to have a great relationship with your dog. My wife and I get compliments all of the time about how well behaved our puppy is when he is out in public. These people who give us compliments say they leave their dog at home because they are afraid of the way their dog might behave. I tell them to go to
and sign up write away. It will be the best thing you could ever do for you and your dog.
Thanks to Puppy Manners our family now lives in harmony and not chaos.

My husband and I recently added a new puppy to our lives and although we were both raised with dogs and work with them on a daily basis, we recognized immediately that we needed training as we were very overwhelmed! Puppies need so much more in their foundation from us that requires a level of communication we had never considered. Thankfully we were able to get in on the Puppaccino classes in time and benefitted greatly from them! Everywhere we go, we get compliments on how well behaved our puppy is! We have since attended Starbarks and have moved onto their special Pupprentice program for Therapy dog training. The Bishop’s are also the founders of Reading with Rover which is an awesome literacy campaign involving dogs.
Group classes can be difficult as you do have to share your time, and let’s face it, other people can be demanding and puppies are easily distracted. However Becky and Dave keep it personal and supportive for both owners and their puppies. They will take the extra time if needed to help each puppy parent individually and will go out of their way to cater to each of their challenges. They pay close attention to every one of their attendees and sometimes you feel like you’re being called out or made an example of, well you are, but their true intention is to help. They even make themselves available via email should you have any questions or concerns after the fact. These little things all add up to as close to personal training as you can get in a group setting. They also have puppy play events to encourage their socialization skills.
It is evident that they really care about and are committed to the end results and want to ensure each owner has the means and training to build a positive relationship with their puppy so it can truly be part of their family. This training program is the best thing we have done for both us and our puppy. The results have been invaluable and although we continue to have more work to do, we can not thank the Bishop’s enough for the foundation and skills they have provided us thus far. We want our dog to be included in every aspect of our lives and feel that Puppy Manners has helped us make that a reality when at the beginning we wondered if that would ever be the case considering Dalmatians are a very challenging breed.

My pup and I attended Puppy Manner’s «Starbarks 101» class. The class is intended as a follow-​up class to «Puppacchino» which is the puppy training class (although my dog didn’t take that and already knows her basic commands).
The class has about 12 dogs in it, and is held at Cascade Kennels in Woodinville. A husband and wife team lead the class, and they are obviously animal lovers, and both have a gift for interacting with animals. The class is an hour long and you get some great tips for teaching your animal worthwhile skills. They class does require you to practice a fair amount on your own, or you’ll get nothing out of it. It was very obvious who wasn’t practicing and who was.
I know the class is short to keep the dogs paying attention, but with 12 people in the class we rarely got one-​on-​one attention. Unfortunately there was one very rowdy dog, with a very needy owner in our class who basically monopolized one of the instructors for the whole class, nearly every class. My feeling is those types of people should pay for a private class to get that type of individualized attention. All 12 of us were paying $ 155 bucks to be there, so we all deserve the same level of attention.
The best part of the class came when I stayed after one day to chat with Becky about my dog’s leash pulling. Only then did I get the attention I was hoping for, and she set my dog up with a collar that has really helped with her pulling. Although the class was great, and my dog got a great brush up on her skills, I’d opt for a private class if I were to do it again, because I think both me and my dog would get more out of it.