Lee Mannix Center For Canine Behavior

I trained with Lee for a very short time and was saddened by his death. I was so happy when I found out that his team planned to continue his work by opening up a new training facility in the same location.
The Canine Center was created by Jane Del Re and Shari Elkins and you will find most of the trainers that worked with Lee — Jane, Shari, Paul, Jyl, Jess F., Jessica J. They are offering many of the same classes and several new classes. Olive and I have taken fieldwork several times and we love it!

LMCCB is the crown jewel of dog training services ANYWHERE, not just Austin. They have a wonderful spread of land off of ⁷¹⁄₂₉₀ in Oak Hill where their classes are conducted. They offer classes in everything from adult and puppy basics classes to agility, Canine Good Citizen, air-scenting…you name it, they offer it. They offer behavioral evaluations, full-​day tutorials which are hands-​on with your dog, and tons of other services too numerous to mention.
As some of you may know, LMCCB’s founder, Lee Mannix, passed away tragically and unexpectedly in early May. That being said, the majority of the services I’ve received at LMCCB has been from other trainers/​behaviorists. I was lucky enough to have had Lee Mannix evaluate and prescribe corrective behavior for issues we had with two of our babies, King and Dutchie. While he can certainly never be replaced, the Center will no doubt carry on with his methods and magic that no other place can provide.
The two trainers I worked with besides Lee – Jane Del Re and Debbie Vogel – were top-​notch professionals. I took adult basics with them with our three babies. I would not hesitate to take future classes with them and likely will enroll my three babies in Canine Good Citizen training in the near future.

RIP Lee Mannix
God Bless Lee– to young to pass away

The only dog trainer you’ll ever need!
I’m in the dog biz and have met and studied with several dog trainers and Lee and his staff of trainers are the best! They really know their shit and will set you and your pup on the right path.
I sat in on a session with Lee and one of my client’s dogs and the man is a dog genius! My client has 2 working breed dogs and litter mates to boot so they really need to have strong leadership and a handler that can keep things interesting for them. Lee taught us how to carry ourselves and how to reward proper behavior. He gave us common sense to problems that were easily fixable and since working with these pups on Lee’s lessons I have seen a great improvement with these girls. They are truly some of my favorite dogs to visit now!
I have also taken classes with Jane and Shari and they are kick-​ass! I started with a class specifically designed for pet sitters and it made a huge difference in my business– I can go into a home now with a scared or nervous dog and help bring them around to trust me and believe that I am there to give them the best time possible.
I’ve had private lessons with Jane with my own dogs and saw a dramatic improvement with them within about a week. She has a great understanding of pack behavior and understands the best way for us to work with our own dogs even if we are dead tired after our long days of walking our dog clients. I’ve taken a few of her single class sessions– training in the park, loose leash skills and off-​leash training.
I took Shari’s running class along Lady Bird Lake and it was awesome. I’m not really a runner but it helped me learn more about leash control and how to pace with a dog.
LMCCB is the ONLY place I recommend to my clients and the only place you should go to for your crazy mutts!

We took our 3 year old American Bulldog to the Lee Max Center after a recommendation from our Vet. This is after paying hundreds of dollars at other schools with no progress.
We started with a short ½ hour session to assess our dog, and then signed up for group classes.
The group classes covered everything we needed to know about how to get our dog to behave better. The focus isn’t on being mean and shouting, but using timeout and other tricks to get your dog to listen to you. I like this approach a lot better than other places, because I wanted something that would work and didn’t involve being «mean».
The class was great. Our training specialized in bullie breeds, so she understood our dogs needs and her behavior. There is still more work we need to do on our own, but I feel like now we have a dog that is so much better behaved! It’s great.
The only thing to note: All classes are outside. Bring sturdy shoes, warm clothing (in the winter) and towels etc. if it’s muddy. This will ensure you have an enjoyable class, and don’t get too muddy.

I took my 2 yr old yorkie to Lee Manix for Puppy Basic Lite class after reading the raving reviews and recommendation in the forum (THANKS UnilocalERS!).
The Basic Lite is designed for those who couldn’t find time to do 6 sessions or have budget limitation. We had two 1.5-hours class in 2 weekends with instructor Paul and the tuition ($ 70) was well worth it! Even though it was a short class, Paul encouraged us to contact him if we have questions or concerns after the class. The class is small (there are 4 owners with 4 dogs) and we get the attention we needed from Paul when we had questions, which is wonderful. I learned useful information from nutritional info, to basic commands and new attitudes towards my dog. With the handouts provided in the class, I also practice the techniques at home, which makes it ok to have a short class. I’m really glad I took the class there. We might be signing up for the Canine Good Citizen or Distance Training in the spring.

This place absolutely changed the relationship I had with my dog for the better.
I had gotten a lab puppy, my first dog as a «grown up.» I had labs growing up, so I knew what I was getting into, but Boudreaux really took the cake. He was not a sweet and friendly puppy… he was aggressive and mouthy and obnoxious, and I had scars all up and down my arms to prove it. NOTHING I did seemed to calm him down or get him to stop. And believe me, I tried EVERYTHING. I read books, watched videos, talked to friends who had well-​trained dogs, used squirt bottles, shook a can of rocks, invoked the power of the Dog Whisperer… all to no avail.
It took a trip to the doctor and 8 stitches in my finger for me to finally reach a breaking point and call LMCCB.
In the first 10 minutes of my evaluation, Boudreaux walked right up to the couch, looked directly at me, and took a big bite. In one fell swoop, Lee had scooped him up, said, «TOO BAD!», and shut him in the bathroom.
When Lee told me that I couldn’t let Boudreaux out until he was quiet for 20 minutes, I thought that I would live the rest of my life with my dog locked in the bathroom. But, today, I am proud to say that not only does my dog not live in the bathroom, but that (most of the time) all I have to say is «toooooooo baaaaaaaaad» and the bad behavior stops. Immediately.
After my initial evaluation/​lesson with Lee, I went through adult basics with Jane, and CGC with Kimberly. I have also done workshops with Shari and Paul. I was so impressed with the dedication, helpfulness, and availability of these trainers. They all have their own unique style, but still manage to be very cohesive and consistent in their methods.
I learned a LOT. As most people say, dog training is really about owner training. I realized that there were very subtle ways that I was coming off as the submissive one to Boudreaux, and I had had no idea.
I am also very grateful for the nutritional advice they provided. When they suggested that switching to a higher quality dog food without certain ingredients (wheat, corn, soy) would help Boudreaux’s behavior, I was VERY skeptical. But the before and after was like night and day. I am a true believer in good dog nutrition for good behavior!
The location is great. Lots of land and different areas for different types of training. They offer a really nice variety of classes, so not only can you learn basic obedience, but you can also build on those skills through classes like Agility, Luring, and Air Scenting (Bou and I did an air scenting workshop and had a BLAST!).
I can’t say enough good things about LMCCB. Boudreaux has gone from being an obnoxious, wild, out of control puppy to a reasonably well-​behaved (he is a lab, after all), sweet dog. No one can believe that the dog they see today is the same one who put the big scar on my finger.
I highly recommend this place.

So, Wilson just completed his Canine Good Citizen class with Shari, and it was so helpful. Paul conducted his test, and he passed with flying colors (thanks to Shari’s help!). Now, he can test to join a therapy dog group, YAY!

Lee Mannix is an AWESOME dog trainer! I have worked with Lee for many years, and I think that you and your dog would highly benefit from a session with him.

Our canine clan has been through 3 classes here and I can honestly say Lee and his staff know what they’re talking about. We’ve taken our Vizsla to a number of other trainers in town and the difference is night and day– our dogs pay better attention to us, aren’t just ‘looking for treats’, and actually enjoy the environment.
Go tour the grounds, talk to Lee, and see where things go. They do classes in behavior, tracking, agility, distance and tricks — even lure coursing!
And if you’re interested in therapy training and the ‘divine canine’ program, Lee’s on the board and can put you on the right track —

I have not actually used Lee Mannix for dog training; so, I cannot comment on their training skills. But, from the few people I have dealed with here I give them all full 5 stars. I organized for a group of me and my dog loving friends who want to continue with Pet Therapy to take the Canine Good Citizen Test here. Every single email was promptly returned even at odd hours. I called on very short notice to ask if we could meet up an hour before our group was scheduled so that we could practice and they said no problem.
Paul was our test guy and he was absolutely awesome with our dogs and us. He explained everything so clearly and even let me take the test out of order when my dog was clearly too distracted by a squirrel for the «loose leash walk» test. He also kept saying how beautiful my dog is which always gets bonus points form the proud Mommy I am.
The test is only 10.00 and you get a certificate proving how well behaved your dog is!

Gilbert T. Hounddog and I just graduated from beginning tracking class today! The class was a nice small size, we learned a lot and it was fun, even though 7:00 a.m. is not Gilbert ‘s mama’s time, fer sure. Early mornings are the best time for tracking though and its all about whats best for training the dog here, which is the way it should be.
Lee Mannix and his trainers are all about being kind and effective. They have no issues with, and rather specialize in, management of aggression issues so there is no breed discrimination practiced here. Four paws up!

Lee and his staff are remarkable. I am a dog trainer in the Dallas area and I’ve only become a better trainer due to Lee and his staff.
I recommend him to anyone with a canine of any age, breed or issue! Do not even try someone else!

We’ve taken our dog to Lee Mannix for the «Adult Basics» course. Lee’s methods have been very effective in getting our dog to sit, stay and walk properly on a leash. He makes the training fun for the dogs as well as their people (we played musical chairs and had a «wine-​tasting» dog walk). Lee is a great guy who has a ton of experience, a lot of great stories and absolutely loves what he’s doing.
As far as his training goes, there is no pain involved (ie– shock collars, etc). We’ve had many in our class who haven’t been able to get their dogs to train from others (ie– Petsmart training), but have responded beautifully to Lee’s methods. His methods are positive-​feedback based (which means giving treats and praise) and «punishment» usually involves giving the dog a time-​out or ignoring the dog.
I think the best thing I liked about Lee’s training is that he recognizes dogs as emotional beings and utilizes that in his training. The bond between my dog and I has definitely strengthened as a result of this class. I’d highly recommend Lee’s classes to anyone looking for training and we’re currently enrolling in two more «advanced» classes so we can continue having fun with our dog!

I call him the Dog Whisperer of Austin. My dog calls him boss.
The Lee Mannix Center for Canine Behavior is filled with great trainers, beginning with Lee and continuing down to the interns.
Lee has many years of experience, lots of patience with dogs, and a good sense of humor (which makes his classes lots of fun to attend). His training is based on pack behavior and he is particularly good with aggressive dogs.
I highly recommend the Lee Mannix Center!