Mid-Atlantic Dog Training

When we adopted our dog Frankenstein we realized very early that we had our hands full. Frankie was high-energy and extremely reactive to people and other dogs. We were equal parts exasperated, stressed, and worried. Thanks to the training program from Mid-Atlantic Dog Training, expertly taught by Tom, I’m not exaggerating when I say that we feel like we have a completely different dog. This program goes so much deeper than just getting your dog to memorize a series of commands. You will come to understand your dog in greater depth, allowing you to create a structure and environment that allows your dog to live a happy and peaceful life free of stress and fear. Tom provides instruction and resources that allowed us to become much more informed about not just our dog, but other dogs, dog training, and what the true relationship between a dog and their owner should and can be. You will leave this program with resources that are both tangible and intangible; we honestly felt like we got just as much training as Frankie. We are confident that we can continue to apply the lessons we’ve been taught and Frankie will continue to thrive and grow in positive ways. If you are willing to commit to putting in the work you will be amazed by the transformation you will see in your dog. Tom is a patient teacher, demonstrates exactly what you should be doing with your dog, and provides a series of resources so you can continue training in between sessions. Tom is generous with his time and genuinely wants to see your dog succeed. If you are at all stressed, anxious, or worried about your dogs behavior just know that it is absolutely possible to correct your dogs behavior (and correct your own) and have a great relationship with the pet that you love. You’ve found the right place. Thanks, Tom.

TL;DR. If you’ve adopted a dog, you want to have a lifelong meaningful relationship with this dog, you want to feel calm and relaxed with your dog when in public, you want your dog to feel calm and relaxed in any environment, and – this is crucial – you’re willing to invest the work and effort to build your dog up to this amazing human-dog relationship – if you said YES to all – then just pick up the phone and call Tom. Tom is a professional, he is deeply passionate about what he does, and he’ll get you there – albeit won’t be easy. You’ll see, he’s to the point, he is not a gimmick, he deeply cares about the welfare of dogs, and this isn’t just a job for him: he is the real deal. The slightly longer story: we adopted Hurricane at two years old. See pictures, she’s super cute and a rockstar! Basically everyone who meets Hurricane thinks she’s awesome. But on day one it wasn’t so smooth. Hurricane, having survived some rough living on the streets, didn’t really know how to walk on a leash, how to be nice to other dogs, and generally wasn’t ready for dense inner-city living. So we turned to Tom for help. I won’t go into the details of the process, but in a nutshell it’s a combination of practice, practice, practice; educate yourself; and learn to understand your dog. But more importantly Tom hasn’t merely taught our dog to SIT, DOWN, COME, etc. – and those are very important, but more broadly taught us, and Hurricane, how to communicate with and trust each other, and even how to continue learning new skills moving forward. Because learning is a lifelong process, for dogs too. Fast forward a year, Hurricane is doing great! She loves her life, enjoys her walks, and is cool as a cucumber wherever we go and whatever is happening around her. We have solid communication with her, and we confidently know that we can take her with us everywhere – restaurants, stores, hiking, the park, whatever. She’s good, she’s calm, she’s having fun. And that’s it. That’s the story of Hurricane. And so yes, I very much recommend Tom.

Thank goodness we found Tom when we adopted Bear. I have had many dogs but a rescue at 3-years old he came with challenges I did not know how to handle - very reactive to other dogs and unresponsive to commands. Tom worked with us to understand how to help him gain confidence and for us to be consistent in our handling of him. That was five years ago and today he is still the perfect neighborhood dog. Walks calmly and confidently and knows his commands and a perfect gentleman in the house. I am so proud of him!! I appreciate that throughout the years Tom has always been available for "tune ups" and I love the pack walks which are great reminders for both of us.

We worked with Tom in 2016 to prepare our rescue dog for the birth of our first child. Tom did an amazing job getting to know us and our dog to ensure a custom training program. Tom was consistent and professional but also made the training fun and engaging for us so it didn't feel like a chore. His firm but personable nature is the perfect fit for supporting a training program for humans and dogs. After 5 years and 2 kids we can consistently use the techniques we learned in training and our dog is a loveable and essential member of our family!