Olde Towne School For Dogs

We consider ourselves lucky to to have gotten Saúl as our trainer for our newest rescue pup, a Shepherd / Blackmouth Curr mix. We started with the basic training course when she was around 9 months old, working with Saul once a week, where he worked directly with her, as well as teaching us how to train her. After our pup graduated from that, we scheduled an off-site training at our house / in our neighborhood, to assist with certain behaviors. We then continued on with Saúl for the Off-Leash training course. Throughout the entire experience, Saúl was very professional, both with our dog, with myself, as well as with our two girls (age 10 and 5). He taught us all how to manage and train our young pup, working with her to ensure that she would not go after our other old, small girl dog, help us manage her on walks, help us learn how to use the off-leash system to help her understand that she needed to pay attention to us all the time (which meant that she no longer races around the neighborhood anytime she can sneak out the door, or bark at the pitbull on the other side of the fence), and help us keep her calm when we have people over at the house, etc. Saúl also was very good with the girls, teaching them modified training and leash techniques that they could use to manage our pup on walks and in the house. All this was well worth it. Our pup graduated both training programs, and we continue to work with her to keep the training fresh and functional. It’s so nice to be able to relax and enjoy the companionship of our young dog while knowing that she’s able to pay attention and respond to any one of us so that she can stay safe and happy! We highly recommend Saúl and OTSFD training program! Too bad there aren’t more advanced training courses because we’d sign our pup up for another one! Thanks!

Saúl saved my relationship with my dog. Just before coming to Olde Towne, I had enrolled my Mini American Shepherd with an another program that was e-collar based. Unfortunately, that training program was not a fit for my dog, and we had a very unpleasant experience that left my dog fearful, and quite literally shaking every time we pulled into a place that even remotely resembled that particular training facility. I dealt with a lot of guilt over our prior experience, and felt like I had failed her. We weren't communicating well as a team, and simple commands that were once easy for us became a struggle. She was increasingly reactive, and dragged me around on our walks to the point where they were no longer not only enjoyable, but I came to dread them. I was completely in over my head, and I had no idea how to begin to help her to recover from those bad experiences and get us back on track. Saúl turned all that around for us - he taught me how to effectively communicate with her, build back her confidence, and taught her critical skills so that we now have the best relationship possible. Saúl also instantly recognized my dog's needs during our consultation - she went from shaking during our first couple of lessons to licking him in the face by the time our training came to an end. Every time we visit, she looks for him, and it's certainly a testament to Saúl's knowledge and awareness as a trainer that he was able to help her to feel safe and comfortable. With all that said, I cannot recommend Saúl enough. I have referred him to neighbors and friends and will continue to do so because he's a gem of a trainer, and I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from him.