Why Partners
Why Families Choose Partners Dog School
Family-owned since 1997. 70,000+ dogs trained. Two Arizona campuses. One mission: give every family the dog they hoped for, with honest guidance and real support after.
What makes Partners Dog School different from other trainers?
Partners Dog School is a family-owned Arizona school, founded by Leighton Oosthuisen in 1997, that pairs nearly three decades of scale, 70,000+ dogs trained, with a personalized, balanced training platform. The difference is verifiable: leadership is onsite and accessible, pricing is transparent, and the PD360 assessment recommends the right program first, even when that is a group class instead of a camp. We are tool-agnostic, choosing what serves each dog and family long-term rather than committing to a single philosophy. And the education does not stop at pickup, owner coaching, classes, DaySchool, and courses keep the results going.
SIX THINGS THAT SET US APART
Why Families Choose Partners Dog School
- 28 years of real experience. Founded in 1997, not a franchise, not a pivot from another industry. Just dogs, every day, for nearly three decades.
- Family-owned and operated. Leighton Oosthuisen (founder, Training Director) and Christopher Oosthuisen (COO) are both onsite and accessible. No corporate runaround, no regional manager you will never meet.
- 70,000+ dogs trained. Across every breed, age, temperament, and behavior issue Arizona produces. The depth of pattern recognition that only comes from real volume.
- Two full-service facilities. Scottsdale at 8642 E Shea Blvd and Cave Creek at 4640 E Forest Pleasant Pl. Both have boarding suites, training arenas, outdoor enrichment yards, and grooming under one roof.
- Transparent pricing. Every program price is public. No schedule-a-consultation-to-learn-the-price games. You know the number before you call. See pricing
- PD360 assessment first. Before we sell you anything, we evaluate your dog and recommend the right program, even when that means a group class instead of a $5,000 camp. The goal is your dog's outcome, not our top line. About the PD360
FAMILY-OWNED SINCE 1997
Two Generations, One Standard
Leighton Oosthuisen founded Partners Dog School in 1997 and still runs training as Training Director. His son Christopher Oosthuisen runs operations as COO. Both are onsite. Both are reachable. That is what family-owned means at Partners: not a brand line on a website, but two people whose names and reputations are tied to every dog that walks through the door.
We are not a franchise. We did not grow by licensing our name to operators in other cities. We grew by being better at the one thing we do, in Arizona, with the same team.
Family-owned since 1997. 70,000+ dogs trained. 4.8 stars across roughly 2,000 reviews. Two Arizona campuses, Scottsdale and Cave Creek.
See transparent pricing Read the reviews Take the PD360 assessment, no judgment
HONEST POSITIONING
What We Will Tell You Even When It Costs Us a Sale
- We do not train every dog. Some cases are beyond our scope: severe aggression, dogs in chronic medical pain, or situations that need a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. When that is true, we refer you out.
- We do not promise one-session fixes. Real behavior change takes weeks to months of consistent work from us and from you. Anyone promising a one-session cure for a serious behavior issue is selling something they cannot deliver.
- We are balanced and tool-agnostic. Treats, clickers, place training, slip leads, prong collars, e-collars, bark collars. We use whichever serves the dog and the family best. Tools do not cause harm. People do. Our trainers are the people who know how.
- We do not lead with the most expensive program. The PD360 assessment sometimes recommends a group class instead of a multi-week camp. If that is the right answer for your dog, that is what we will tell you.
BEFORE YOU COMMIT TO ANYTHING
An Honest Assessment, Not a Sales Pitch
Every dog starts with a PD360 Assessment, a real evaluation where we watch your dog, talk through what is actually going on at home, and tell you the truth about what will help. Sometimes that is a camp. Sometimes it is a few private lessons. Sometimes it is a conversation about expectations.
You will never get a hard upsell. You get a clear, honest recommendation built around your dog, with the cost laid out before you decide anything.
REAL PROOF
What 70,000+ Dogs and ~2,000 Reviews Add Up To
Depth. Nearly three decades of dogs means we have seen your dog's issue before, probably hundreds of times, across every breed, age group, history, and handler type Arizona produces. That is not a marketing claim. It is pattern recognition that only comes from volume.
Consistency. One shared grade-level curriculum runs across Group Classes, DaySchool, and DayCamp, so a dog who trains with us in any program is working the same progression. There is no handoff, no reset, no starting over.
Reputation you can verify. Roughly 2,000 five-star reviews from Arizona families, live on Google, Yelp, and Facebook. Read the unfiltered feed, not a curated sample, on our reviews page. Read the reviews
COMMON COMPARISONS
Questions Families Ask When They Are Evaluating Us
How is Partners different from a franchise? We are family-owned and operated, not licensed out. Every trainer is a Partners employee trained inside our system, not an independent operator using a brand name. One ownership team is accountable for every outcome.
Are you force-free or balanced? Balanced and tool-agnostic. After 28 years and 70,000+ dogs, we have learned that limiting yourself by equipment limits the outcome. We use treats, markers, leash pressure, place training, prong collars, e-collars, and bark collars, whichever serves the dog and the household long-term. Skill, timing, and conditioning are what make a tool safe. The trainer is the variable, not the gear.
Do you work with shelter and rescue dogs? Yes. A meaningful share of our DaySchool and Behavior Camp dogs are rescues. We understand the patience and protocol they often need. If you adopted a dog with a hard history, we want to hear about them.
Do trainers stay with the same dog throughout a program? Yes. Your dog is assigned a primary trainer who runs daily sessions and tracks progress. Others may handle play groups or transports, but your primary trainer owns the plan and is the one you talk to during owner coaching.
COMPARING OUR PROGRAMS TO EACH OTHER?
That Is a Different Question, and We Have a Page for It
- Foundation Camp Residential board-and-train for obedience and manners, the most common starting point for families who want lasting results fast.
- Behavior Camp Residential program for moderate behavior issues, reactivity, resource guarding, anxiety, fear, that need more than manners work.
- Transform Camp For severe aggression, bite history, and cases other trainers decline. Honest assessment and a candid prognosis first.
- DaySchool Day training and socialization for social dogs who want daily engagement without a residential stay.
- Group Classes Open-enrollment, grade-level Pet Parenting classes in Scottsdale and Cave Creek.
- Private Lessons One-on-one coaching around your household, your schedule, your goals.
- Decision Center Side-by-side program comparison so you can see which one fits your dog and your life.
OUR COMMITMENT
What We Guarantee and What We Do Not
What we guarantee: Consistent effort and a clear methodology applied with skill and care from start to finish. We communicate honestly about your dog's pace, adjust the plan when something is not working, and tell you early if a different path, sometimes a veterinary behaviorist, is what your dog truly needs.
What no honest trainer can guarantee: A specific behavioral outcome on a fixed timeline. Some dogs need more time, and some cases need a different specialist. Anyone who promises otherwise is selling something they cannot deliver.
Our promise in plain language: We will be straight with you about what your dog needs and what it will take. Full program terms are on our terms and service page. See terms
See If We Are the Right Fit
Take the PD360 assessment for an in-person read on your dog, or schedule a 20-minute call with a trainer, not a salesperson, to talk through your situation. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Partners Dog School force-free or balanced?
Balanced and tool-agnostic. We use whatever serves the dog, the family, and the relationship long-term: markers and treats, leash pressure, place training, and at times prong or e-collars. Tools do not cause harm; skill, timing, and conditioning are what make any tool safe and effective.
Do you guarantee results?
We guarantee effort and methodology, not a specific behavioral outcome. We will work with you toward meaningful progress and tell you honestly if a different path, sometimes a veterinary behaviorist, is what your dog truly needs.
How long has Partners Dog School been in business?
Since 1997, 28+ years, family-owned and operated, with two full-service campuses in Scottsdale and Cave Creek.
How is Partners Dog School different from a franchise?
We are independently owned, not franchised. Every trainer is a Partners employee trained inside our system, not an operator paying to use a brand name. One ownership team is accountable for every outcome, at both campuses.
Can I tour a facility before enrolling?
Absolutely. We encourage it. Walking the floors, meeting trainers, and seeing where your dog will sleep and train is the best way to know if we are the right fit. Schedule a call at /schedule-call and we will set it up.