About Dream Dogs Training Center

Dream Dogs Training Center occupies 51 Industrial Drive in Saugerties, three miles off exit 20 of the New York State Thruway, and at 17,000 square feet it is the largest indoor dog training space in Ulster County by a wide margin. The site lists what that buys: an open 80-by-120-foot agility ring on GrassTex turf inside an 80-by-150-foot arena building, a separate 60-by-60-foot room for small classes and crating, climate control for year-round use, state-of-the-art agility equipment, and twelve RV spaces with shore power for competitors staying over for multi-day events.

Why it exists

The owner, Andi Turco-Levin, tells the story plainly. She got a puppy called Kirby in 2011, took a beginner agility class, and was hooked; by 2018 the pair were finalists at the Westminster Masters Agility Championship and Kirby was the top AKC agility Westie three years running. What followed was years of driving to Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Georgia for trials because there was nowhere local to train: "After several years of traveling 2+ hours for class each week, and spending many nights in hotels away from home I wanted a place to train and compete locally." Kirby died of cancer in 2020, before the building opened.

What is on offer

The class list is broader than the sport origins suggest: "We offer classes in agility, obedience, puppy training, scent work, breed handling and so much more." Puppy classes start with socialization and basic manners. Obedience and Rally run from a basic sit and stay up to competition level. Scent Work and Nose Work classes teach dogs to find hidden odors – birch and clove are named – and the site points out these suit older dogs well. Workshops bring in outside instructors, and the building hosts trials as well as teaching. It is open seven days a week from 7am to 9pm depending on the schedule, and the rings can be rented.

Who it suits

This is the place in the county for anyone whose interest runs past household manners into sport, and equally for a first-time owner who wants a real floor and a heated building in February. The mission statement is explicit that beginners are the point: "Most importantly, we wish to create a welcoming and friendly environment for everyone, especially beginners." Best for: agility, scent work, competition obedience, and puppy and obedience classes with room to move.