Kathy Santo Dog Training

Judy Novacek

2024-03

My Dobe and I love Kathy Santo. We go often for daycare and to keep on top of training. It’s convenient to have training done while he’s at daycare. All the trainers and staff are very approachable and listen to your concerns and are eager to offer suggestions and tips. I trust them completely. My Dobe is my baby so it’s very important to know he’s in good and caring hands when I’m away.Besides the daycare & boarding they offer a multitude of classes and workshops as well as grooming. Kathy Santo is the complete package if you want a well-behaved, happy & friendly furry dog!

Dana Forsyth

2024-01

The BEST of the BEST. Kathy and I met over 10 years ago when she had the Ramsey location. My Old English Bulldog, Hank, was in desperate need of training (of ALL kinds) The word stubborn was an understatement and I was starting to be fearful that this dog was going to be the biggest problem child I ever had. He chewed holes in the walls of my condo, shredded countless pairs of Haviana sandals and at least 5 of his own beds. Between the 1:1's, play care, and group training, Hank became the poster child in our family. He was incredibly obedient, loving, playful and I never had to worry about him destroying household items again.Fast forward 2020, I got my 2nd baby, Eleanor Taylor, the pig. Hank needed a friend and pigs are lower maintenance and make great companions to dogs (not to mention very adaptable). 6 months in I realized we needed help; Eleanor needed more than what we were doing. I reached out to Kathy to learn she was now in Waldwick and welcomed the idea of training a pig! The school is much bigger than Ramsey and always exhibits cleanliness and organization. Kathy and her team are really a breath of fresh air and for the last 2.5 years, we have been going to Saturday class with Eleanor. She trains alongside some of the best dogs and kindest owners I have ever met and let me say; she leaves class EXHAUSTED and goes home to nap right away (WINNING!) It feels so family oriented when you're there and I couldn't imagine training with anyone else; she's literally top dog in the business :)

Courtney Breur

2024-05

Where do I start! I spent 8 months after getting my rescue trying to research the benefits and find an educated Service Dog trainer who would believe me and understand what I was asking of them. Being that Nala was already past 1 yrs old, a Pitbull, and before me an adoption fail; no one believed in me and my struggles. Along with that I don't have any proper "proof" of diagnosis due to my disabilities and experience with the medical field and KSDT's program doesn't require that like other programs do! Nala picked up on my disabilities naturally and I wanted to take it further. I spent 5 hours one night researching trainers in my area within an hour or two from where we lived after a local "Service Dog Trainer" made me cry which made me start the hunt all over again for a new trainer. Almost giving up, the last link to look into was KSDT's site and Service Dog Program. I filled out the registration form whilst crying for hope and Tori called me THE NEXT MORNING!!! From there we did a meet and greet with a temperament test and consultation the following week!!!! Now, 6 months later and just about to graduate, we are the perfect team. Tori (Service Dog Program Trainer and handler herself) and everyone at KSDT have blown me away. The facility is clean, organized, on top of EVERYTHING and ANYTHING you tell them, they care, they are all very educated, they never look unhappy and greet you with respect and smiles 100% of the time, everyone at KSDT absolutely LOVES their job, and they have sooooo many fun workshops and classes to take! Nala loves her besties and doesn't even look back when I drop her off. When I pick her up she's wiggling away and literally tells me about her day the entire ride home (yes! I commute an hour both ways twice a week for these amazing peeps!). One day I'll find out who her secret puppy boyfriend is! She has grown into a very young and mature Service Dog and my dreams of going to Disney world will be coming true soon. Not only did Nala spark my new career path but so has everyone at KSDT and I'm officially pursuing my career of becoming a dog trainer and in hopes of specifically focused on Service Dogs. Huge thank you to Tori for now being my overall, most understanding best friend and never being the trainer who made me cry! As well as the dog walkers, fast track trainers, and play care teams for keeping up with my craziness and most importantly my Nala Bean. Forever a KSDT student and supporter 💕 Highly recommended!!!!!*Photo credits go to Tori keeping Nala Bean stylish and safe from the 2024 Solar Eclipse*

Casey Ritzzo

2024-01

Hi my name is Casey Ritzzo. I just want to give KSDT a huge thanks for the amazing job they are doing with my two newly adopted rescue puppy mill dachshunds. They are a little over a year old and when I got them they were very scared and ferrel but are turning into such well behaved and lovable princes. It's actual quite magical! Thank you again to the entire KSDT staff for the tremendous love and support you have shown these pups! I highly recommend KSDT to anyone who needs training for their fur babies.

Teresa Fetherman

2024-03

I just wanted to share what an absolutely amazing experience I have had at Kathy Santos and specifically with Stacey but also all the staff! When I brought my 2 year old rescue dog Chewy - not only could no one come over to my house because of his aggression but I was fearful we would not be able to keep him because I have younger children. They were amazing with working with Chewy and also me to learn what I needed to do at home to have a dog that others wanted to be around! Stacey responds to all my texts and provided me with directions to help with whatever was going on! All of the staff has been so great with him and he loves going to playcare and Fast Track. The classes are extremely instructional and helpful and give me things to practice at home with him. Their resources online for at training at home is also great! They have provided me with the tools for chewy to succeed as long as I am willing to put in the follow up work at home. Here we a year later and not only can people come over and be in my house but now I can even have foster dogs here! This would not ever have been a possibility without the trainers at this facility!!! Will forever be grateful!!!!!

Amanda Carina

2023-12

In the spirit of Christmas, I wanted to gift Kathy another review. Tonight I sat with my current trainer (part of an amazing, highly respected organization that actually uses cognitive and behavioral science, along with only CERTIFIED TRAINERS in their methods) we chatted about this facility, Kathy herself, and the horrific lasting effects that they imprinted on not only my mental health, but more importantly, my dogs. We sent our two labs there for what had to be two years almost daily. Full days of playcare, and hour long one on one training sessions.. typically both five days a week. I started to realize that Blue (who had been in training here for a very long time and had some known resource guarding issues) would act differently when he came home. He could barely make it out of the car without peeing for over a minute, and the smell would be so strong as if he’d been completely dehydrated and holding it for hours and hours. once inside he’d immediately run to the fridge and press the buttons to get the water dispenser to turn on because he was so thirsty. I raised these concerns with Kathy’s team. They said blue was drinking and peeing as normal and they weren’t aware of any issues at the facility. Weeks later we hear from a former employee of Kathy’s who had just resigned. This employee tells me that they were too afraid to say anything while working at the facility, but I was right to be concerned because while we were sending blue for playcare, he was being kept in a crate all day long with no water because he was “too aggressive” for playcare and “too aggressive” to have water in his crate. Now keep in mind that Kathy’s team had trained blue for over a year at this point. They know he is not dog aggressive. He is a resource guarder, which we are the first to admit, but he has never attacked or bit another dog. Do you think we would have gotten a second dog if his aggression was so bad? But also, at no point did Kathy or anyone else tell us that blue would not be able to attend playcare. She let us continue paying her thousands of dollars monthly, only to have our dog sit in a crate for 9 hours a day. The only reason we sent them there was so that they could socialize during the day while we worked and not be bored at home on the couch. If blue was too high of a risk to attend playcare in their eyes, we would have happily accepted that and understood and kept him home. But again, it was never communicated to us. Furthermore, when I talked to Kathy about this directly, she said the employee was lying because he was angry and that blue goes to playcare all the time. “Okay,” I said, if that’s the case, “send me video footage of blue in playcare.” Her response? “We don’t have cameras in the facility.” Which.. anyone with a brain would find a little crazy.. how could you not have cameras in a facility with so many dogs? months later a trainer very close to us and blue reached out to me to apologize for what Kathy made the staff do with blue. And apologized for all of the lies that Kathy told, but also for not telling us about them sooner. So please also realize, not only could we no longer trust Kathy, but also not the “trainers” that will hide the truth on her behalf to put their job over the wellbeing of your dog. So here we are Kathy. Years later and this is still one of the most traumatic memories of my life. I will never forgive myself for failing Blue by trusting him in your hands. It brings me to tears thinking about how much damage was inflicted to his behavioral issues by crating him all day rather than him being home and cared for with me. And if posting a review like this every so often protects one more dog and family from a situation like this, I’m happy to do it for the rest of my life. You will never convince me that you care about dogs. And I strongly believe you do not deserve the unwavering love and forgiveness that they give. Merry Christmas.

Melissa Teger

2023-05

I can't tell you enough how wonderful this establishment is. The people are caring and very well trained. I initially went there to look for boarding and Doggie Daycare. I am now a believer and would shout from the rooftops to encourage my friends with puppies and dogs to experience Kathy's training. I used an at-home trainer, and my dog learned how to sit, lie down, and give paw. After a few weeks, he was back to pulling on the leash and basically stop responding to commands. After 1 day of play care with fast track, my dog responded to all commands.At 1st, I thought Kathy's program was a bit of overkill, but she is the best trainer we have had, and we are on dog number 8.Love this place, I would leave my son there if they could train him as well! We love their special events as well.

Julie Tafuri

2024-01

They say it takes a village to raise a child and it’s the same for our fur babies. At Kathy Santos Dog training, our two Bernese Mountain dogs, first Theo and now Oliver have experienced that and so much more.Training at KSDT is exceptional! Over the last 5 years, their FastTrack program as well as many other training programs, have transformed our two very energetic puppies into well behaved dogs. Group classes have also helped their clueless parents become more knowledgeable and confident in their training abilities. The Playcare options are great, lots of fun but sneaky too; the dogs don’t realize they are also getting trained!We are thrilled with the new Service Dog Program. Trainers Tori and Noah are working with Oliver for service dog training and we are so proud of his progress. He was great on his recent trip to Vermont!Customer service is great—24/7 text/email is available for all questions and concerns (we’ve had plenty!) Front desk is amazing. Transportation is a great option for those who may not be able to drop their dog every day. Oliver waits “patiently” on the front porch for Martyne’s van to come down the street—he loves it!Boarding is the best. Leaving Theo and now Oliver is worry free! I get constant updates via pictures; videos and they always look so happy. It’s peace of mind.We unexpectedly lost Theo last November and the compassion and support we received from Kathy and the entire team was beyond. They truly helped us through this heartbreaking time and we are forever grateful.I could speak until I’m blue in the face about my great experience with KSDT, but watching the sheer excitement on my dog’s face when pulling into the parking lot is priceless. He can’t get out of the car fast enough…we’re working on that in training.Highly recommend!!

Leigh Creamer

2024-01

It’s that time of the year when we find ourselves thankful for our blessings. For me, I’d like to openly share how thankful I am to the KSDT facility.I’ve had dogs for over 50 yrs ranging from Working Class to Hounds, from competitive level to companion. Each had their own challenges in training and unfortunately most trainers resorted to harsh measures due to lack of knowledge of tge breed. Then I met Kathy Santo!! There is no one more tuned in and experienced and with a natural feel for animals. Be it Behavioral, Obedience, Competition, this school can handle every need and aspect of training! Her staff are well qualified and knowledgeable as well. They do it with love and respect no matter what the Breed or no matter the area of need.That’s most important to me. They give their personal undivided attention and they do it with love!So, anyone reading this that has a new puppy coming for Christmas, adopting, rescuing please do yourself and your dog (young or old) a huge favor! Check this school out! You won’t be sorry!Happy Holidays everyone… Leigh Creamer

Gina goswick

2020-05

Dog trainers Stacy is absolutely a mazing. We take our 9 year old German shepherd to the adoptive rehabilitation classes. She she taught him how to behave in front of other dogs.SheInstructs you on how to use an E collar properly.She teaches us a lot about how to read our dog to know when he is going to react. I wish I knew about this training center when my dog was a puppy.. I wholeheartedly recommend this training center

Tracey Burrows

2023-05

I can’t thank Kathy Santo and her team enough for giving Winston and I all the tools to help him the absolute best dog on the planet! Everyone in my neighborhood can’t believe he’s the same dog. Calmer, under control, reserved but still very playful and mischievous. He means everything to me, now completely comfortable with taking him anywhere with me. Longer walks, more time outside, playing and relaxing. We are continuing with agility and obedience. I would love to compete with Winston in agility! I truly have not been this excited about the prospects for him and me!Fast forward to almost 2 years later, Winston is doing amazing! I couldn’t have done it without Kathy and her fantastic team! I can't say enough about KSDT, Winston and I love going to classes, he loves Playcare. The entire staff is great, they all love Winston, which makes me extremely comfortable leaving him in their care.

Ria Kebabjian

2023-05

Love this place! I worked at the Ramsey location before this one opened up and man oh man is it a beautiful facility! When I got a dog there is no one else I trusted but Kathy and her team! We have been coming for almost a year and I see mountains of improvement in my dog. I gladly commute 30-45 minutes each way to know my dog is in the best hands. She just started doing playcare and is already making friends. Love this place.

Jewellee

2024-03

It was not a good experience at all. Petrified my dog with negative reinforcement methods that were borderline cruel. Way too harsh and mean. Not in line AT ALL with how a supposed professional organization should train. Their methods are antiquated and militant. I left there with my dog shaking in fear. Stay away.Edited in response: no need to gaslight or be “confused”. I do not have you mixed up with anyone else; I assure you.My dog was, indeed, a former student. I am entitled to my opinion and that doesn’t make me “wrong” bc it doesn’t agree with yours.My dog was absolutely petrified after two classes and cried when we pulled up to the building and wouldn’t get out of the car. I already discussed my concerns with your staff who couldnt possibly accept their methods are not right for every dog.Edit #2:It speaks volumes about you that you go “after” people here in a condescending manner, that leave reviews reflecting their negative experiences.Flipping the problem onto someone else or denying them their reality is indeed gaslighting.You have undermined the credibility and character every of poster that expressed they did not have a good experience with your facility.Guess what- you can’t control others narratives.They’re lying, opening a competing business, you don’t know who they are so they must not exist, they live in Spain, the poster didn’t know who they took their dog to and must have confused you with someone else.It’s not an attractive “look”Honest business owners can taken criticism- listen to feedback - positive and NEGATIVE- and learn from it- in order to improve, instead of undermining the integrity and character of former customers.

Patricia Payne-Marsky

2020-05

Kathy is top notch-- extremely experienced with a great sense of humor and compassion for working with dog owners at all stages of the training process. Her staff is equally caring and committed to helping owners learn how manage and improve all manner of behaviors and strengthen dog-owner bond with their pets. Highly recommend working with this group!

Cheryl Bylinski

2022-05

I can honestly say that I don’t know what I would do without this school. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. I have a 90 pound dog (whom I love!) but that can be a little… crazy sometimes. The first trainer I ever took him to left me feeling discouraged and defeated. Once I found this school (I travel about 30 mins one way), I never looked back. His trainer (Stacey) is amazing to work with. She teaches both my dog AND myself what to do (and not do!) to have a dog that listens when I speak, keeps all 4 paws on the ground, and can keep it together when the doorbell rings. We are not there just yet, but we are SO much further than I ever thought we’d be. The other trainers and staff are also wonderful during Playcare and FastTrack. If you are trying to decide whether or not to make the call, I recommend them 1000%.

Michelle H

2023-08

IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR DOG DO NOT BRING THEM HERE. I will say the training classes are good, however the boarding and the daycare programs are complete scams. I have come to find out that our dogs are in cages the entire day lacking the care and attention this establishment promises. My friends and I have brought our dogs here in the past and every time they come home they are dehydrated, starving, and extremely hyper. Our dog’s behavior continues to be the same after every visit to Kathy Santos. She manipulates every negative comment and review by saying she doesn’t have you in the system, yet there are multiple reviews agreeing with me as well as other terrible experiences. Sadly it took me months to realize what was truly happening behind the scenes. If you need your dog to be taken care of throughout the day please consider taking them to another day care, in all honesty your dog would be better off alone at home than the way they are treated in this establishment. If I could give this place zero stars I would, have. a blessed day.

Rosemary Shannon

2023-05

I have been going to Kathy Santos dog training and playcare for over a year. They are on top of everything and have been wonderful with the journey we have undertaken with our new fur babies. I sometimes marvel at how little I knew about having pets. Thank you KSDT for all you are and do.

Judy Kessler

2023-08

I've been wanting to try out Kathy Santo Dog Training for the longest time. We were so motivated by out first "Beginner" group class. Kathy and her team explained the first steps of training and communicating with my dog. Timing of commands/being clear with your dog/when to give a treat/ what type of treat (based upon the difficulty of the command) are all details that are so important. Also, it's very important to follow through at home with the skills taught in class. My dog actually insisted on continuing the exercises when we got home! We are very excited to "be a part of the KSDT family" and really understand how to communicate effectively with our dog.

Marc Moscowitz

2018-05

Amazing experience.TrainingKathy is a great trainer. She is available to answer problems or questions I have with my puppy either in class or outside. To kathy, it's not about teaching your dogs tricks, it's about training your dog to be well behaved and listen to your commands.For example: at 8 months, our puppy has been taught commands so that he won't pick up food that drops on the floor or commands to stay away from broken glass on the floor. Our Wilson has been taught so much more in a short time. Still working on not jumping to great people but we are so close! Thanks Kathy for all your guidance!DaycareHelpful option for the days I am not home.My puppy is able to play with other dogs which helps with his socialization skills.

Brian Brunsch

2021-05

We have a Plott Hound mix rescue. He is EXTREMELY energetic When he was 5 months old, another service controlled his energy by kicking him.A second local doggy care labelled him as aggressive, dangerous, banned him from the facility because he likes to jump 6 feet in the air. They said he was aggressively attacking the staff and biting them.When we came to Kathy Santos, Burl was interviewed. Turns out that his breed is naturally a 110% energy breed. They helped us understand him so much better and training for us to be better plott hound mix parents. I simply can't say enough thanks to the individual specific training and care provided here.

Karolina Izabella

2023-06

Honestly, we don’t know where we would be with out this team. Thank you ALL, from the bottom of our hearts for everything you do to make sure Kaira is happy and safe during day care and training. We love you KSDT! 💛

Ariana Perlman

2023-05

My experience with Kathy Santo Dog Training has been amazing. This school and the trainers especially Stacey have been amazing with my goldendoodle puppy Luna thus far, she is being trained into the dog that everyone and dogs love. At 4 months old Luna already knows how to sit, do downs and more. Every time I have bought her to Play Care she wags her tail and looks like she had the best time ever when I pick her up. I credit Stacey for answering my texts when ever I have a question about what to do for training and she is incredibly responsive and receptive to my needs even at off hours. I cant thank Stacey and the staff at Kathy Santo Dog Training enough and Luna just loves it here

Eileen Daly

2020-05

Amazing training, Playcare (Daycare) and boarding.These experts helped me create a transition plan for my rescue pup and the results were amazing. So grateful!Extremely friendly and professional team, facilities that are clean and spacious.They provide detailed updates on training, lesson plans, video clips and Skype discussions.My dog LOVES Playcare and training.Highly recommend!

Manuel Pacheco

2022-05

When my wife and I was looking for a place to take my dog for some puppy classes, everything recommendation we received said Kathy Santos. The recommendations did not disappoint. Kathy and her staff are very knowledgeable and polite. Any questions we have, they have the answers. The group classes are great. They also have play care, which is a awesome convenience along with Fast Track. Glock, my dog loves coming here for play care, whenever we arrive here to drop him for play care, he becomes super excited because he knows where he is. When we pick him up, he is happy and exhausted. This tells me he is well taken care off.

shari miller

2024-01

KSDT is a full service training facility that has changed my life and my relationship with my dog. The trainers are knowledgeable, warm and on hand 24/7 regardless of the nature of the question. I started with my pup hoping to master the basics and have long since earned AKC CGC and CGCA titles as well as other accomplishments. I can't imagine not being part of the KSDT family. It's definitely our happy place! There is always more to learn and they are always excited to help no matter if it's a training issue, a health issue or any type of emergency. The KTSD family always has our backs.

Diane Brazel

2022-05

I am the proud Mom of an amazing 26-year-old Autistic son (and of a wonderful daughter who graduated medical school and started her career as a doctor during the Pandemic). When COVID19 hit and my son lost all his services, we struggled to identify a way to fill the gap in his life. Getting a dog and training her to be a service dog for him seemed like a good idea. We knew that it could help fill his life with independence, happiness, and bring joy to entire family. The challenge was that we never had a dog before and had no idea how to get one trained.We met with Kathy Santo to see if she could help us make our dream come true. We had the hope of training our puppy as a Service Dog and then getting our entire family to Disney World which is my son’s favorite place on earth. We knew in the very first meeting with Kathy that if anyone could help get it done for us, she could.We just returned from our first trip to Disney World with our puppy trained as a Service Dog. It is only with Kathy’s help, and that of her well-trained team, that after 10 months of intensive training, we had the best trip of our lives to Disney World. Also, given how well behaved our puppy was, she was as big of an attraction as Mickey Mouse while we were there.I cannot recommend Kathy’s Dog Training School enough for any family who either has some challenges to overcome or certain goals they would like to achieve with their dogs & for their entire family. The guidance, recommendations, education we got as a family, as well as the training our puppy received has set us up for a life filled with more joy and happiness than we could have ever imagined. We are forever grateful for what Kathy and her team have done for our entire family!

Randi Morein

2023-07

I have been training boarding and grooming my dogs with Kathy Santos for over 25 years. Her commitment to excellence, the dogs and their people is outstanding. I could not imagine training my dogs with anyone else!

Dan Fried

2024-02

Fantastic place with fantastic help!! Cathy ? You are the best. We have had great experiences with all of our dogs because of YOU!!!❤️❤️

Charlotte Hagan

2022-05

I was nervous trying to find a place to bring my dog, Olaf, to for a few hours a week-- After finding Kathy Santo's, whenever I drop him off I know he is in great hands and always having fun. The trainers are amazing and my 6 lb Yorkie is always exhausted (in the best way possible) when he comes home from play care. Great prices and I love the option to add on private training-- Every session also includes a detailed "report card" about the training and sometimes videos! Thanks for taking such great care of the pups!

Jennifer Bendzak

2022-05

When we rescued Toby a year ago, we knew we wanted to do some type of training with him and I have never had my own dog before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. We did some research on trainers in the area and decided to try Kathy Santos. We never looked back. The group classes are great and I love that when you send your pup to playcare, you have the option to get additional training as well. All the staff have been awesome and so helpful as well!