Zoom Room Dog Training

I’ve been pleased with my experience with Zoom Room so far. I adopted my dog less than a year ago and was looking for a place that focuses on positive reinforcement techniques only. I tried a group obedience class for my dog Ridley and it was a little overwhelming for both of us to focus for a full hour, so I switched to private lessons with Leigh. We’ve done some agility in the lessons and I’ve also taken him to a private gym once since he doesn’t get much running-​around opportunities in south Philly. Leigh is very patient, attentive and encouraging. Ridley seemed to enjoy the private gym and playing with new toys, so I plan to take him back for that especially now that he can use the agility equipment.
I like their flexible schedule system and that you can see how many spots are left in a particular class. I think I would try more obedience classes if there were more «baby steps» you could take to ease your dog into getting used to sitting still with other dogs present, i.e. shorter classes, or classes with fewer dog students. But still, I’m glad this place is around and I’ve learned a lot from them!

I love coming here and so does my dog Raina. She was very hesitant and shy when I adopted her from a rescue group at 12 weeks old. I think coming to classes at Zoom Room have helped immensely in bringing my previously shy puppy out of her shell. Raina is now 18 weeks old and we’ve been to 5 classes here. Combined with the fact that I take her everywhere I am allowed, my previously shy puppy is now completely comfortable around strangers and even curious to the point where she approaches them on the streets. Some exercises done in Puppy Preschool and Puppy Obedience definitely help socializing young pups to other people and dogs, such as «pass the puppy» and leaving your puppy with a «stranger» (the instructor) and walking across the gym.
Zoom Room is excellent not only for teaching your dog obedience and for socialization, but it’s fun, too. I’m not a morning person by any means but I never mind rolling out of bed early on a weekend to attend a class full of puppies!
Coming to class also teaches owners how to train their dogs outside of class. At the end of every class they give out worksheets with «homework» and tips to practice at home. At Zoom Room I learned the importance of body language and was able to practice and gauge the effectiveness of my dog-​training techniques by watching the instructors here and the other class attendees. Because of the skills I learned at Zoom Room I’ve managed to teach Raina a few things we haven’t even touched upon yet in Puppy Obedience like «paw» and «stay» while I move a long distance away. She perfects commands she already knows here such as «sit» because she is surrounded by distraction and we are able to work on more difficult commands for her such as «leave it» with assistance from the trainer.
Classes here are great for teaching your dog surrounded by distraction how to focus on you. On your own you could try practicing commands with distraction at a dog park or on the city streets, but this is a safe, controlled environment to do so. It’s a little pricey but I think it’s worth it. Yes, you can train a dog on your own if you watch YouTube videos and read a book. You can also dye your hair on your own if you’re trying to save a buck, but won’t the end result be better if you go to a professional? Most likely! This is also more fun than doing it on your own.

Not all of us in Philly have a place as big as Matt C. We rely on the space offered by ZR to let our dog run free w/​o worry of being ran over. I’m glad you have a bigger space, Matt. We don’t, so ZR is a blessing for us.

This place is really nice, the employees all do everything they can to help each of the owners and care about how the dog learns, their packages for training are affordable and their facility is clean and well maintained.

My boyfriend and I love this place – and perhaps more importantly, so does our dog, Gordon. We adopted Gordon when he was still a puppy (only about 10 weeks old) and started taking him to puppy pre-​k, which was adorable.
This place is all about teaching you how to teach your dog, so I’ll admit that we probably didn’t/don’t practice enough with our dog, but we have learned so much about how to address undesirable dog behaviors, how to train desirable behaviors, and how that he’s almost 60 pounds, I’m so glad we did because he almost never jumps up on people (we’re still working on counters), he knows how to sit, down, watch me, leave it, and heel. (It also helped neutralize disagreements between my boyfriend and I, who are both admittedly pretty hard-​headed, so we could always defer to «What did Leigh say about this?» when dealing with puppy behavior, and what words to use, or how to train/​respond to our dog and make sure we were consistent.)
The other great thing in puppy pre-​k, is that dogs get a chance to play with each other off-​leash for about 10 – 15 minutes total every class, which is great socialization – they learn how to play with other dogs, and you learn what kind of play behavior is okay, and what kind of play-​behavior you should re-​direct or is not healthy play-​behavior, as they watch the dogs play and the trainers explain things they are seeing and have a Q&A after the play time – they do this during play groups, as well!
Compared to other training classes, you can also come whenever you want based on your schedule – you’re not committed to coming every week at the same time or anything like that – it’s really easy to be flexible, and you move on when your dog has mastered the skills, rather than when the class is over.
We have found that we also love the agility classes – at first we thought «nah, that seems a little too much, we just want a well-​behaved dog, we don’t need to do the crazy agility classes” – but it turns out that our dog LOVES it, and it actually really helps their balance, body-​awareness, and gives them a job to do – put Gordon in front of the A-​frame and jumps and all he wants to do is run on the equipment.
And whether it’s obedience or agility, Gordon always comes home and sleeps hard – the brain work tires him out more than playing fetch or taking him on an hour walk/​run would ever do!
Leigh, her mom, and the rest of the staff are the best. They know and love our dog, and us, and have been instrumental in us becoming good dog-​owners. Can’t recommend it enough.

I purchased a 4 pack private lesson deal and I’m so glad I did!!! I feel like I finally have an experienced trainer for my anxious dog. The trainers have great solutions for every problem/​challenge my dog presents.

My 11 year old Jack Russell is having a blast at Agility class and my 11 year old Mutt is working his way towards Therapy Dog status. The time I spend at Zoom Room is the highlight of my week. The staff is attentive and professional at all times.

My dog and I love it here. The class completion is merit based, so once the beast got bored in one level we were able to graduate to a more challenging obedience level before the other students. We are now prepping for the canine good citizen test… So glad I started training here, otherwise our family would have kept thinking my star student is a dope. Now my pup can prove he’s got good looks AND brains!
Also, on line scheduling, free parking, small classes, and a super clean and smell free environment are all pluses. Leigh is great and answers all my silly questions without making me feel like a crazy dog mom.

I started going here because I found a groupon for an evaluation and two group classes. I have a rescued pointer/​pitbull mix who is very happy to see people but she is anxious and frightened by other animals. Since I started coming to the obedience 1 classes with Leigh I have slowly seen my dog become more comfortable around other dogs and her attention span has been getting better. Leigh is the best she knows how to work with my dog and I, she doesn’t just kick us out when my dog starts barking out of fear, she comes up with great solutions so My dog and I can partake in the classes and become a better team, I would recommend this to everyone, which I have been doing already!

Absolutely love this place! When my boyfriend and I rescued a 1 year old Pekingese we thought she was quiet and passive — little did we know she would turn into a little barking machine at the sight of another dog! Plus she was stubborn, making any sort of behavior training we tried ourselves like talking to a brick wall. We looked at all sorts of dog training classes in the area but with my boyfriend and mine schedules being all over the place we couldn’t commit to an every class at the same time every week sort of thing. Add in that you pay per class (so your dog moves at its own pace — perfect!) and the great Unilocal reviews and we were sold.
We started with a consultation with Leigh (who is amazing!) and then began with Obedience 1 classes. Even with our dog barking through the whole 1^st class Leigh remained calm and professional, giving us advice and suggestions on what to do when our pup gets rowdy. As first time doggy parents we had no clue what to do when she acted that way and now we have the tools to correct and modify her behavior. The staff are so super friendly and are all very understanding, even when our dog is acting a fool. In 4 classes our little dog has changed completely! She’s not perfect, but the difference is totally substantial. After Obedience 1 she knows commands like sit, stay, down, watch me, heel, touch and leave it and can perform them even when excited. We are looking forward to many more classes at the Zoom Room, for obedience and for fun, and I would recommend the Zoom Room to anyone!

My small yorkie has grown into being a wonderfully obedient dog from attending zoom room class. The staff is helpful and attentive to our pup plus our needs. People say it’s hard to train small breed dogs but I have been able to accomplish this and so much more. I also think it’s important to support our local businesses. They have an array of toys, bones etc available at the store as well.

I love zoom room! I started taking my dog there about a year ago, and I have been recommending it to all of my dog owning friends ever since! The staff is super friendly, and knowledgable. The facilities are modern and clean. Every dog that takes a class has to go through an initial evaluation, so everyone know they are up to date on the shots etc.
Most of all, I noticed that my dog is happier whenever we go to zoom room! He calms down at home, and seems less anxious. Just seeing how happy he gets during each class makes my day, and even my week!
So, if you have a dog, go to zoom room!

I recently rescued a very nervous chihuahua/​beagle mix and was looking to build his confidence. My friend who recently just got a boxer puppy told me about the Zoom Room and how awesome they are. Well I noticed a huge improvement in her dogs behavior so I decided to give it a try.
I had a private consultation with Leigh who is absolutely wonderful. She evaluated my Louie and helped me pick the classes that would suit him best so I wouldn’t waste my money. Let me just tell you, after 2 classes he is a completely different dog. His confidence is through the roof and he is mastering basic obedience already. I cannot say enough about Leigh and her staff. Run don’t walk here. It’s amazing!

My puppy, Lola, took obedience and agility classes at the Zoom Room (before we moved out of state). Lola’s the first dog I’ve ever owned, and there were many days that I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. Leigh and the Zoom Room team were always there to help.
Obedience classes were great, because Lola learned to listen and I learned how to encourage good behavior and deal with not-​so-​good behavior. She learned sit, down, leave it, stay, touch, and watch me. She also learned how to walk on a loose leash and heel.
The agility classes, though, were BY FAR my favorite. They taught Lola to pay attention to me even when she was excited. They were great mental and physical exercise (for both of us), and they were really fun. I loved that they weren’t competitive but were just there for learning and fun. Lola was a great puppy, and I credit that largely to agility classes at the Zoom Room. They helped us build a tight bond and they kept her well-​exercised and happy.
We did private gym rentals a few times. Though a little spendy, they were great when the weather was crappy and I needed to tire her out.

I took my new little rescue here for an evaluation with Leigh. She helped me address some of his fear/​anxiety issues and answered my questions. The gym is clean, expansive and a lot of fun for the dogs. It’s a great alternative to dog parks especially when the weather gets cold.
When I have this little guy a bit longer, I plan on taking him to the Zoom Room for obedience classes. I also like how the classes are offered on a rolling basis so you don’t have to commit to six weeks in a row. That’s difficult to do with my work schedule.

A fun way to spend quality time with your dog. My dog was so mentally exhausted after his class he collapsed as soon as we made it home. It was great.
These classes are better than doggie day care because not only will your dog be tired after class, they will be a better behaved dog in the long run.
The classes are about $ 30 each but you only need one class a week. Its money well spent, since the classes enrich you and your dog, and your relationship together.
The staff are all nice, knowledgeable and true professionals.
I found a groupon that let me sign up for half off. Its a great way to try them out.
The classes fill up quickly and they’re adding more. The orientation is free and last about 20 mins while they show you around and explain their classes. It also gives you a chance to observe a class.
I you’re on the fence, sign up for an orientation. It’s free and you don’t have to make a commitment. Also there is loads of on-​sight free parking.

Great spot, lots of fun classes & enthusiastic trainers. Positive training methods only, too — nice!
A little pricey, but worth it for such an awesome indoor space with plenty of room to train, exercise & socialize. Plenty of free parking.
Don’t like how you have to buy classes in packages, and these packages expire in six months if you don’t use them, which seems kinda sketchy to me, frankly.
We found their Obedience classes were a little «loosey goosey» for us, but they may work for you. We wanted a regular «school» situation, where there’s the first class and then homework for the next week, and then the class that follows builds on those skills etc. until some kinda «graduation» where the dogs are evaluated for the next level, right?
With Zoom Room, classes don’t «build» upon each other, but more like the same lessons rotate and you just kinda attend as many classes you feel you need and then when you think you’ve got a handle on the lessons presented, you request an evaluation to sign up for the next level. No homework, no handouts.
Like I said, a little too chill for us as far as Basic Obedience goes but on the other hand, with a class like Puppy Agility, that’s the perfect approach for learning & practicing obstacles. After attending two Obedience classes, we quickly switched to Agility for the remainder of our package.
Hoping to attend one of their dog/​owner mixers soon…

Leigh is The Best. I say from experience, just because you have a Zoom Room, it doesn’t mean you’ll be in great hands. I’ll vent here bc if I write a negative stars review for the one I’m thinking about, they’d know it was me (I have a feeling the poor souls who have to go to that place bc there’s nothing else don’t know they’re being utterly hoodwinked).
However, we totally lucked out and got Leigh. She is a natural teacher, with a way of guiding and correcting both pet and person so that you never feel ignored or silly. She also knows the quirks of, and pays attention to, each of the dogs, and it’s just so reassuring to know your pup is in competent hands (you know what I’m talking about, dog moms/​dads). As for our pooch, it’s a *great* respite from the chaos at the Philly dog parks. Rook loves it because she’s a complete ham and gets lots of attention and treats for prancing around. She’s exhausted for the rest of the day.
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My dog is almost four, well trained and well socialized so she is not the obvious target for Zoom Room. However she has taken to the agility classes, loves being there and it’s an hour well spent. It keeps her sharp, focused and strengthens the bonds with us, her people. She is a happy girl going in and a happy girl leaving. If we can teach our dog new tricks, then it should be a boon for new owners and young pups.

So happy Zoom Room opened in Northern Liberties. Leigh & the team are the best! We have completed two agility classes so far and will definitely be back for more. You can even book private gym time for 30 minutes on days you don’t want to be outside. Hope this plays sticks around!