Why Choose Us?
Values, Culture, & Vision
At Believe in Dog, every activity we offer serves to strengthen the relationship between people and dogs. Teaching guardians to enrich, fulfill, train, and play with their dogs is our one and only priority. It’s our mission and our purpose. It’s what we do. We aim to make the world a better place, one dog at a time.
Believe in Dog focuses exclusively on creating the ultimate dog training experience.
In Houston’s vibrant dog community, we’re proud to be one of the few centers focused solely on training and enrichment. In fact, Believe in Dog is the only dogtraining center offering a full range of positive, personalized services and group classes for everyone. While many pet businesses attempt to offer every service; boarding, grooming, daycare, etc., we’ve chosen to dedicate ourselves entirely to training—so you and your dog get expert support from people who truly live and breathe it.
Training Philosophy
Training dogs is completely unregulated, which means anyone can say anything, regardless of education, experience or qualifications. (Read our Blog) We think that’s crazy and dangerous! At Believe in Dog, we practice positive, science-based methods that emphasize communication, mutual respect, consistency, and real-life training. Modern, positive reinforcement-based training approaches are widely recognized as the most effective and ethical way to train dogs.
Training methods and beliefs that focus on "alpha" and dominance in dogs have been largely debunked within the scientific and professional dog training communities. These methods, which often involve force, punishment, or dominance tactics, have been found to be ineffective and even harmful to dogs. We never utilize techniques or tools that cause pain, intimidation, or fear, and we don’t allow the use of e-collars, prong collars, choke chains, or slip leads in any of our programs or classes.
Our philosophy is based on redirecting and teaching dogs to do what we want them to do instead of concentrating on what we don’t want them to do. We emphasize fun and celebrate every dog’s individual idiosyncrasies. We don’t fight natural doggie behaviors and hobbies. Instead, we create ways to use these behaviors as motivation and reinforcement to keep them interested in the dog training game. With our dog and people friendly approach, we help create an optimum bond, while also keeping dogs enriched, fulfilled, and happy throughout their lives.
We provide an exceptional personal customer experience
We take pride in treating every dog client like they were our own. Each and every dog that either walks through our doors or contacts us for an inquiry becomes our family and our priority. Our entire staff goes through hours of required training and education, is highly skilled, and known for going above and beyond. We will never sacrifice quality for quantity.
“The minute I stepped into Believe in Dog, I knew this is where I wanted to send my puppy. This place is clean, the people that work there are friendly, knowledgeable and genuinely care about the pets and the owners that walk in.”
-Nicole Schlegl (Google Review)
We believe dogs deserve to be trained by the very best trainers
We are proud of our extensive education, experience, qualifications, and certifications. (Read about our Team) We believe that dog training is a science, and we work to stay up to date with the latest advances and techniques. Every trainer employed by Believe in Dog must be certified or working towards a certification with the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) or the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultant (IAABC). In addition to the required hours of in-house instruction and coaching, our trainers must obtain yearly Continuing Education Units by attending seminars, workshops, and conventions.
We work as a team
Our trainers are not only experienced and vetted, but also professional, personable, and passionate about both you and your dog. Additionally, we operate as a cohesive team. When you book a session with any of our trainers, you benefit from the collective expertise of our entire team. We collaborate by comparing notes, discussing training plans, and researching the latest techniques together, ensuring that you receive the highest quality training available.
What’s in a name?
The idea that DOG is GOD spelled backwards has always seemed apropos. The two words go hand in hand inasmuch as they both represent unconditional love. The logo of a happy dog sitting in the middle of a lotus flower came to Stephanie while she was traveling in India and Bali, attending retreats meant to help balance mind, body and spirit. Having had very peaceful, enlightening, and rejuvenating experiences, somewhere along the way, it occurred to her that there should be a space for dogs with the same holistic intent. Also, dogs and lotus flowers are everywhere in India and Bali. The lotus flower, which symbolizes patience, purity, and love and compassion for all things, is a perfect representation of our training methods. The combining of the name and logo epitomizes our ultimate purpose: to use positive and kind training methods to balance your dog’s mind, body, and spirit.
Our Training and Enrichment Center
Our beautiful Zen-like center spreads across one-half acre in the Houston Heights, with plenty of room to run, play, and learn. Our state-of-the-art building and outdoor areas were specifically designed to create the safest and most effective dog training experience.
Our indoor, climate-controlled space includes two spacious classrooms, a special room for private training, and our beautiful retail boutique that specializes in all sorts of unique products for dogs that you won’t find in big box stores.
Additionally, we have four fully fenced outdoor yards to play and train. We have several wading pools for water play, doggie playground and agility equipment for mental and physical enrichment, and two obstacle courses made from tree stumps for Pawkour!
Believe in Dog is recommended by veterinarians across Houston and is established as clean, safe, and reliable. We follow established rigorous cleaning and sanitizing procedures, as well as everyday safety protocols. The entire property is lovingly designed and maintained for puppies and dogs of all sizes, shapes, and breeds.