The Canine Coach customizes with Greatmats Dog Training Flooring

By Brett Hart Created: December, 2018 - Modified: August, 2021

Well known in Minnesota's Twin Cities as one of the top dog training facilities for the past 14 years, , owned by head trainer Maureen Haggerty, is also the largest dog training school in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area with 5 locations, including indoor and and outdoor training areas and more than 20 professional trainers.

The Canine Coach offers group classes, in-home training, daytime bootcamps, exercise programs and dog camps for kids. It hosts competitions and sport classes at its outdoor sport park as well as host of indoor winter activities at its building locations.

Foam Dog Training Floors

In 2009, Haggerty decided to equip her St. Paul facility with approximately 5,100 square feet Greatmats 3/8-inch thick Sport Plus Designer Foam Tile flooring - and her St. Louis Park facility with more than 3,600 square feet 3/4 inch thick Dog Agility Mats Interlocking Tiles.

The Canine Coach started gaining significant recognition in 2011 when it was named the Best of the Cities by Minnesota Monthly. The following year, City Pages also named it Best of the Twin Cities. In 2013, The Canine Coach received the Angie’s List Service Award and a year later was recognized by CBS Minnesota on its ''Best Of'' list. The booming dog training facilities have also received Twin Cities Dog Magazine's Reader’s Choice Awards - and that's just for starters.

Rubber Dog Training Floors

It's thinner Sports Plus foam tiles lasted for seven years until Haggerty replaced them with firmer and more durable 3/8 inch thick Rubberlock tiles from Greatmats. That same year, she added approximately 2,000 square feet of the Rubberlock tiles to her South Minneapolis facility.

Rubber/Foam Combo Dog Training Flooring

Looking for the cushion of foam and durability of rubber, in 2018, Haggerty equipped her North East Minneapolis facility with Greatmats' specialty dog agility combo flooring system that consists of a 1/2 inch foam tile layer topped by 8 mm rolled rubber for use with with its FIT Dogs program.

Business Operations Manager and 7-year professional dog trainer Jess Kittredge said, ''We do everything from group play, to body awareness exercises, to doga (dog yoga), agility, fetch, flirt pole, training and shaping games, tricks, puzzle toys, and scent work. ... We needed mats that provided a nice cushion for the dogs (for jumping, etc), a grippy surface for traction (quick turns, etc), and would hold up against daily use by 12 dogs. Foam mats and rolled rubber fit the bill!''

''They really do provide the cushion and durability we wanted,'' she added. ''I have a very sensitive dog that will not jump on the thicker all rubber mats because of the hard landing, but she runs and jumps without issue on the foam and rolled rubber.''
Maureen Haggerty
The Canine Coach
Minneapolis MN 55421