The Dog Den

"I have been taking my labrador Maggie here for more than a year now and have never had a negative incident! The staff always remembers her name just by looking at her and is super friendly."

"All our dogs have been part of the dog den family. They love going there the trainers are exceptional. I feel confident my companions are safe and well cared for in my absence."

"I don't do social postings much and if I do it's only when I think recognition is deserved. I have been taking my German Shepherd pup to The Dog Den starting with when she was only 3 months at The Puppy Den to continue socialization and training when I brought her home. She graduated from Puppy Den and joined the adult daycare at The Dog Den. She's wicked smart, but extremely stubborn! The staff at The Dog Den are like family to us. They are very patient and understand the various personalities of dogs. Just like people, not all dog are the same. They are all unique in their own ways and mature at different stages. My shepherd not only plays at The Dog Den, but she learns good behavior...how to be a good canine citizen. They pay attention to what's going on and don't just let dogs be dogs. Their training classes are all about positive reinforcement with a lot of patience (for the dog but also the pup parent). They teach not only the dog, but shows what the parent also needs to do to help their pup grow in confidence and have good manners. I am so grateful to The Dog Den and to the loving staff who knows dogs...dogs of all kinds and what their needs are. I am learning a lot as well so that I can be a better parent. Thank you being a top notch dog care and training team!"

"I have nothing but good things to say about the Dog Den. The staff are welcoming, knowledgeable, and very good with all the dogs. My puppy is on the shy side and they have been wonderful in helping her build confidence and proper play habits while at daycare. She wags her tail when we get there in the morning and collapses in her crate when I take her home at the end of the day. The puppy play groups on Saturdays are also wonderful opportunities for pup parents to practice recognizing proper play behaviors and facilitating play breaks. Play groups are also a great time to practice recalls and attention with lots of distractions!"

"The staff here are far more experienced and attentive than those from many other Madison-area programs. We have only taken our dog, who has some anxiety issues after being bitten by another dog months ago (this happened at a baseball field- nothing to do with the Dog Den!), to the puppy playgroups so far, but we plan to enroll him in day care and training classes soon as well. While another program in the area basically suggested that we take our dog out of a puppy class because he was anxious and barking, the Dog Den staff has modeled techniques for us to help him become less scared, and they have encouraged us to allow him to get more exposure to dogs and people, which is the healthy thing to do! They know him well already, even though we only pay a few dollars a week for the playgroup ($3 on Saturdays!), and that kind of dedication is amazing to see. They don't do anything out of obligation - They clearly care about the dogs as individuals and they consistently promote positive training techniques, whether you've never been there before or they've had your dog in day care for months. I wouldn't feel safe leaving our little guy with anyone else after the traumatic experience he (and we!) had when he was bitten, but we feel confident that the staff here know exactly what they're doing and are great at encouraging positive behavior from the dogs. The ONLY negative about this place is the indoor facility, simply because the flooring isn't carpeted or anything (it's a very smooth, solid floor) and the dogs often slip around as they're running, which worries me a bit when the dogs play with and jump on each other, as they need better footing to be able to play safely. Aside from this, everything about this program is excellent! Highly recommend this program. Trust the trainers - they know what they are doing and they love doing it."