Man's Best Friend Inc

We love MBF, our dog was uncontrolled and hyper knocking people over and couldn't be walked. She tore things up and had to be kenneled the entire day while we were away at work and school. Our awesome Trainer Jerry transformed her into a wonderful, loving gentle dog that loves to go for walks or even jogs and is not destructive any longer. Thank you Man's Best Freind. Pros: Great People, Great Prices Great Results more

I thought about adopting a doberman that had been trained at this location. The owner told me that the dog was trained in protection at Man's Best Friend in Houston. I visited the dog, and it was outrageously aggressive. It attacked my dog even after it submitted and rolled over on its back for the doberman. The doberman also attacked all men that it met unless it had a muzzle on. Don't ever take your dog there for training. These trainers probably abuse dogs given the products they turn out. A person who knew what they were doing would not train a dog to do that. True protection dogs are still friendly to strangers and other dogs unless provoked or told to attack. If you are a dog lover, don't give this place your business. more

Nowadays I, like everyone, is very skeptical when spending my money. I saw the ads on TV about Man's Best Friend, so I brought my 3 1/2 month old German Shepherd puppy there. They sat with us explained everything and assigned a trainer (Cyndi) to our dog. We left him for 2 weeks for obedience training. Let me tell you this dog was the devil. He chewed everything in site, he never came when called, he more or less did whatever "HE" wanted to do. To be honest, at first before we picked our dog up we thought to ourselves that we wasted our money . . . but were we wrong! When we picked up our dog, they let us see him work (through one way glass) and how well he was trained before we got to actually see and be with him. They gave us an hour lesson on what to do and what not to do to further his training. (Very informative) When we really found out how well he was trained, was when we returned home with him. They taught him things that I never knew possible for only 2 weeks training. Example: When walking through a doorway he will wait until you go through first and then call him. All in all, yes it was expensive but well worth it! Cyndi is an excellent trainer! Pros: They do what they say and more! Cons: No complaints so far more

I have had two dogs trained at Man's Best Friend. My experience has always been excellent and with excellent results. Cyndi trained my current dog, Embi Grace, and then trained me. Embi and I have been going to group classes every Saturday morning, weather permitting, since January 2009 and she is now totally off lead and can go anywhere without being on a leash. Malcolm and Cyndi are both awesome trainers and Miss Brenda the front desk gals, are always willing to help in any way. Pros: Wonderful staff and trainers more

I've been doing business with Man's Best Friend for almost 30yrs and i would recommend this place to anyone who wants quality training for their dog. The staff is friendly and helpful and you can know your dog will be treated with the utmost respect and care. Pros: Excellent Trainers, friendly staff Cons: NONE more

I took my dog to this location in Houston. I have a golden retriever and I asked for a summer cut, but DO NOT SHAVE HIM! I clearly said do not shave him. I asked for the hair on his back to be thinned out and the longer hair on his tummy, neck & butt could be cut short. They said no problem and wrote down what I wanted. They wrote it as summer cut, but then included blending the tail etc... I left and didn't hear anything until 4.5 hours later when I got a call that he was ready to be picked up. After I have already paid, they brought my dog out... and much to my dismay, they SHAVED him... well everything, but his tail and face. I left but called them within a few minutes to ask why my dog had been shaved when I clearly said DO NOT SHAVE Him... I was told that a "summer cut is shaving, but since i said do not shave, they did not shave him all the way down." Well thanks for explaining that to me.... I figured I made it clear that I DID NOT want my dog shaved, so I did not expect to what I saw when I went to pick him up... So be warned that if you go here you must understand groomers terminally, because they won't explain anything to you and still do something you clearly ask them not to do. I am very unhappy and WILL NOT ever use there services again. I went here because they were voted the #1 dog groomer in Houston by the BBB. Well I disagree with that rating. Be warned if you choose to take your dog for grooming. They won't exlpain anything or choose to double check your requests. Did they really think shaving a Golden Retriever is ok??? Terrible, terrible... Cons: don't listen to your request... more

I had very high hopes in getting my blue heeler's agression problem resolved. As others have stated, they convinced me to leave my dog the day of the evaluation by telling me they had a special going, and that it was the last day for it. I agreed to a 2 week training program at the cost of $1,400. I called every couple days, and was told my dog was doing fine, and eating well. When I picked her up, she was emaciated to the point that I could see all of her ribs. She'd lost 10 percent of her body weight in two weeks. When I viewed the trainer handling her through the window she looked terrified. After I got her home she coughed and coughed and coughed. I took her to the vet the very next morning, suspecting that she had kennel cough even though she'd been vaccinated a month earlier. The vet gave me antibiotics. After reading other reviews, I'm not certain it is kennel cough. It may well be from them yanking on her collar while training, which is the method used. I apparently did not do enough research before taking her to MBF. My vet said that he has had several clients bring their dogs in after being trained at MBF. The biggest problem was emaciation. Others complained about how their dogs were traumatized by the training. I am a huge dog lover, and consider my pets to be family. I am very disappointed in myself for putting my beloved dog through this ordeal. I would not recommend that you take your dogs here for training. Pros: None Cons: Methods, Kennel Conditions, Feeding more

I have been taking my dog to MBF for a long time now. Malcolm has been her trainer and she has become a much better dog since getting her trained here. All of the staff members are great and willing help with any needs. I use their grooming and have boarded my dog there too. Never any issues. Pros: great staff Cons: none more

Cyndi is awesome!!! She worked wonders with our dog. Our dog still has his same spirit, but actually has manners now. He follows commands and is so well-behaved. We tried other, longer training programs previously without success. After two weeks with Cyndi, we were amazed at the difference in our dog's behavior. We would recommend Cyndi and Man's Best Friend to any dog owner. Pros: Awesome training; very professional Cons: n/a more

I own a very large great dane puppy that started out very undisciplined and unruly and looked to man's best friend for training because he needed professionals working with him. After 2 weeks, you get a totally different dog back. They will work with you at that time to continue the training at home. The dog will know the commands and behavior, will be MUCH improved and this will get better as training is continued. This is a dog that had NO attention span. I would not own this dog without man's best friend. In the last year or so, we have taken him there for boarding and grooming-both of which are done well and at reasonable prices-and he has been shown off in classes as one of the trainer's greater successes. Today, he has a great disposition like a dog that wants to please its owner while still being protective as he should be. 100% recommended! Pros: Professional and very good at what they do Cons: na more

I BROUGHT MY SHIH TZU ONYX THAT'S 31/2 YRS. OLD IN FOR BEHAVORAL PROBLEMS MAINLY, ALL THE OHTER STUFF WAS EXTRA NEEDED THINGS HOWEVER I WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST PLEASED WITH THE BEHAVORAL PROBLEMS ALONE. I HAD NOT DID ANY RESEARCH AT ALL ON MBF I HAD ONLYSEEN THE COMMERICALS ON TV BUT IN SPITE OF THAT I I WAS VERY WELL PLEASED WITH MBF. MALCOLM WAS ONYX TRAINER AND HE DID A SUPER JOB.WE LEFT ONYX IN HOUSE FOR 2 WEEKS WHEN WE RETURNED AND WATCHED MALCOLM WITH ONYX I WAS TOTALLY SURPRISED. WHAT WE GOT IN THAT TIME WAS AMAZING. I THOUGHT FOR SURE WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK ON HIM MORE AND MORE FOR MONTHS BEFORE WE SAW IMPROVEMENTS.IMPROVEMENS CAME INSTANTLY AND WE WHERE TAUGHT HANDS ON HOW TO PROPERLY TRAIN HIM AT HOME. SO WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ONYX AT HOME AND WILL FOLLOW UP WHEN TRAINING ACCORDING TO OUR PLAN WE CHOSE. SOMETIMES ONYX TRY AND BUCK THE SYSTEM BUT WITH THE PROPER CORRECTION AND LOVE HE'S INSTANTLY REMINDED HE IS THE PET AND I'M THE OWNER. THE ONLY OTHER EMPLOYEE AT MBF WE CAME IN CONTACT WITH WAS THE FRONT DESK HELP AND SHE WAS TOTALLY RUDE!! Pros: GET WHT U PAY FOR Cons: FRONT DESK HELP more

I took my five month old cockapoo to Man's Best Friend to learn basic obedience, stop eating poo, stop being too rough with my cat, and to get potty trained. I opted for the private lessons because I was not comfortable leaving him there for two weeks partly because of bad reviews, partly because I needed to be trained on training, and partly because many of the good reviews and letters of gratitude inside Man's Best Friend seem to be from parents of pets with serious behavioral problems. My puppy did not have behavioral problems and seemed like he'd probably be very trainable so I thought private lessons would work best for us. However, I had problems with consistency and using the correction collar, so I asked if he could come in during the day and get trained, and I could pick him up and take him home when he was finished. He trained with Cyndi. Now he knows basic obedience, is better socialized, potty trained, does not eat poop, is not rough with the kitty and hops right into his bed at night without crying. Rico loved going to Man's Best Friend, loved his trainer and the other employees and seemed to be having fun whenever I came at various times to pick him up. He learned everything we wanted him to learn, and the trainer made sure we knew how to work him at home before we took him home. He looked so happy demonstrating what he'd learned and I loved it. I am very grateful to Man's Best Friend for actually delivering the services they promised, and for working with me through all of my apprehension to find a program that worked. Pros: Flexible Cons: None that I can think of more

Never trust any dog trainer that will not allow you to watch them do training sessions with your dog. If they have something to hide, be afraid, be very afraid. Also, these trainers use methods that provide for quick fixes. They jerk, kick, yell,shake, roll to 'make' the dog perform the behavior that they want. It only makes the dog afraid to do anything 'but' do the behavior that is being asked for. There is no respect in fear. Think about it, did people really respect Hitler? . True respect is built on trust and trust can only evolve by building a relationship. Training in a more positive way,setting the dog up for success, may take a little longer, but, it will also have a much longer lasting effect Dogs that are trained like this, with intimidation and fear based methods, more often than not, eventually have problems with aggression Trainers such as this are so caught up in catching the dog doing something wrong so that they can punish it , that they forget all about even trying to notice what the dog is doing right, and then rewarding and praising them for it. Dogs do what we want to see all the time. But it goes unnoticed. Dog's don't come knowing what we want. It is just as much a trainer's job and the guardian's job to show the dog what we like as it is to show them what we do not like If you like when your dog is lying down, being calm, and that is something you would like to see more often, you should praise and reward your dog for doing this. A behavior that is rewarded during or immediately following when it occurs, likely to occur more often. This is not just my opinion, it is not an idea, or a feeling. This is science. It is proven to be fact. Just as methods such as those used by places such as MBF have been proven to cause behavioral problems. You don't have to look very far to find these facts. Research the dominance theory and the learning theory and you will see for yourself. I would encourage anyone looking for a dog trainer to look for a person who belongs is a CPDT. (Certified Pet Dog Trainer) This association is a very large organization of dog trainers which only allows for non aversive training methods to be used by it's members. A minimum of 300 hours of hands on, classroom dog training experience is required to be a member. Also, an exam, which trainers who use fear, intimidation or painful methods, would not even be able to pass, must be passed before membership is allowed. Full understanding of learning theory is a must. The exam must be taken every two years to make sure that trainers are staying up to date with training news and research, in order to remain a member. It costs $200.00 to take the exam. Anyone who is reported and/or discovered to be using any form of aversive training methods is removed from the association without any chance for re-instatement. So, most of the people who slap the tag "Dog Trainer" on themselves, and steal money from people while ruining and often times, doing damage to people's dogs, are not willing and even unable to do all it takes to become a member of this very prestigious group of outstanding group of people. Unfortunately, it does not take a college degree, or any form of formal education for someone to claim to be a "dog trainer". If you wish to ask someone for their education background, look for a background in psychology and behavioral sciences, and ask for creditionals. Anyone can say they have a degree too. There are quite a few credible dog training schools taught by well known, top trainers who have written award winning books and put out dvds, and given tours and seminars on certain dog training topics. Research, Research, Research! Don't just assume that because a person calls themselves a dog trainer, uses the terminology and acts like they know what they are talking about, that they do. You are putting your dog in their hands. Take the time to make sure they are good ones. Pros: no, they are not Cons: they call themselves trainers more

I took my chihuahua to get potty trained here as well as to learn basic commands. They assured me that for $900 they could do this for me in 2 weeks time. This did not happen. When I picked her up, the man attempted to demonstrate what she had learned by pulling her around and yelling at her in the room that I was viewing them through glass. Then when I was supposed to fill out my survey on how well I feel like she did, the man stayed right next to me to make sure I did not write anything bad. When I asked why she was coughing so much, they told me she was doing that before I brought her in-NOT TRUE! I later learned that the cause of her coughing was due to them pulling her around by her leash too hard and causing damage to her trachea. Additionally, she was not trained at all. When I called back to ask about it, they told me that they can not potty train dogs. So what is boils down to is that they will say anything to get your money and then they neglect your dog once they get it. Maybe they have improved since the time this happened, which about 3 years ago. I am writing a review now, because I am reminded every time my poor little dog coughs when she runs, that I am the one who took her to the place that did it to her. It makes me feel guilty for taking her there and it infuriates me that they are still in business probably doing the same thing to other dogs. Pros: none that I can see Cons: injured my chihuahua, bad trainer more

We purchased the lifetime training sessions with Man's Best Friend, and we feel it was a great value. Our 115 lb great dane puppy is now under control thanks to Malcolm! During his intitial two week stay the care givers were very attentive to the specific needs of our pet. We have the highest respect for the hours of dedication that Malcolm and the Man's the Best Friend staff members took to train and love our dog. We recommend Man's Best Friend to anyone who has not yet trained their dog. Pros: Professional, Caring, and Dedicated Cons: None more

We needed some help with our Cattle Dog. She was out of control but after MBF, we now have a well behaved dog. More importantly, we are better trained on how to handle our dog thanks to the great training we received. Malcolm was our trainer and explained in detail how to continue the training at home. We have had nothing but great results. Thanks to MBF and to Malcolm. Pros: great improvement with dog, excellent follow up Cons: none more

I currently have my second dog in training with Man’s Best Friend (MBF). All of the staff at the Houston location has been very kind and helpful! Our trainer has especially been great! He is loving but firm which is exactly what my puppy needs! MBF is pricy; but you get what you pay for. An untrained dog is frustrating for a pet owner. The ‘puppy stage’ is crucial because that is when you must gain your dog’s respect in order to shape their temperament and correct their bad behavior. I personally did not have the time my individual puppy needed to reach her learning potential. Going into training my little troublemaker had no manners; after just 2 weeks staying with MBF, she came back well beyond behaved and quickly worked her way into her position as a member of the family! Several of my friends purchased puppies from the same litter as mine and I can honestly say that my dog has by far made the most progress compared to her siblings. I owe that to MBF who I would definitely recommend. Furthermore, I owe it to our awesome trainer, thanks Malcolm!!! Cons: pricy more

I have never boarded animals with them, but I have gone on a tour of the place. First of all, the employee was not that informative and didn't ask about me or my pets that I wanted to bring in. They only allowed me to peek through the door and I was so sad. The space your dog is boarded in is so small and it's very crowded and noisy. The tour lasted 3 minutes, and that included me standing between two employees who discussed a customer, who they obviously weren’t happy about. I left right away and will not be taking my dogs there. I had high hopes for Man's Best Friend, too. more

I have not used MBF but I spoke with them for about an hour when making the decission. I was not impressed. They told me that they use pinch collers... the told me this after I explained to them the breed (min pin) and her size (9 pounds) This made me nervous. I really felt like they would try but that they were more concerned about the outcome of their training than finding what works for each dog. My Min Pin can be crazy on a leash and will often throw what I call tantrums- a pinch collar would have done damage. After much reseach my vet directed me to a dog training in your home program... I am very pleased. I think what is best is that the do is learning in it's own environment. It does require the owner to practice 30 minutes a day, but if you think about how kids learn they need guided practice for atleast that long each day as well! Pros: They answered all of my questions Cons: Did not seem to individualize more

I took Murphy after a broken engagement and didn't have the time to work with him between work and school. He often walked me instead of me walking him. After his two week stay and working with our trainer, much has changed! We can go on a nice walk together and he sits when I stop! Thank you for helping me with Murphy ....Kristin C. more