About Stephanie Bennett’s Believe in Dog

Force-free training in the Heights

Stephanie Bennett's Believe in Dog is a Houston training center at 1029 W 26th St in the Heights, focused exclusively on training and enrichment. Its facility has two classrooms, a private training room and four fenced yards with wading pools and agility equipment. Training is science-backed and force-free, with prong collars, shock tools and fear-based tactics ruled out.

The team

Founder Stephanie Bennett, CPDT-KSA, has spent over 20 years working with dogs and opened Believe in Dog in 2017 after co-founding one of Houston's first training facilities. Training manager Megan Gerfen holds the CPDT-KA and CDBC, and several trainers hold the CPDT-KA.

Programs

Puppy Day School is an all-day drop-off program for puppies 8 weeks to 8 months, Monday to Friday, at five puppies per trainer, with packages starting at $580 for a private starter lesson and three days. Group classes cover puppies, adolescent and adult dogs, and leash-reactive dogs in the Reactive Rover group. Private lessons with Stephanie start at $330 for an initial two-hour session, and other trainers' rates start lower; virtual lessons are available, and in-home sessions are limited by trainer and distance.

What owners say

One client wrote that her rescue Moxie "can now meet new people confidently as well as go out and be in public".