Pack Leader

There are simply no adequate words for how amazing Steve is. I flew to CA to rescue a 2y/o female GSDxHusky from a terrible situation. I've had and trained lots of my own dogs over the years... but I quickly realized I was in over my head with this girl. Decent obedience but very stubborn and some reactivity that gave me pause. By chance, we found Steve. We took her to him for a 2 week board and train and, I'll be honest, I didn't get my hopes up. We figured she had a long road ahead. Within 30 minutes of our arrival, Steve had her voluntarily enter a crate and totally calm. We got daily updates from him and videos. He has such a calm, easy presence about him and he's so good with dogs and owners. Plus he had some training for us to orient and adopt his style of training (let's be honest, a lot of issues are owner/operator error). Since we picked her up, she has surpassed my every expectation! She has perfect obedience and no reactivity, perfect recall, is confident and curious and HAPPY. From a stressful outdoor run at a shelter to being able to fly on a plane, ride in the car, go to dog parks, do off leash recall at the lake, meet new people and even horses... she managed a busy airport with other dogs walking nearby, a kid that jumped and screamed at her while waving a bag at her, the tram ride, walked right past a treat someone left on the ground with just a calm "leave it" from me. She and my husband got charged by a stray dog while he was walking her... he said "leave it" and changed their route and she just did it. She didn't think twice about the other dog. She's a totally different dog now. That was only a few weeks ago start to finish. I tear up thinking about how far she's come. We got a very detailed training protocol for home and step by step instructions for her daily routine. She is THRIVING. I shared her protocol with some professional dog trainer friends, our veterinarian and another behaviorist I've used on the east coast. Every single one said "he's an amazing trainer/behaviorist..." It's pretty tough in the dog training world to get unanimous agreement on methods and techniques! If you are considering Steve for working with your dog, do not hesitate. The price is absolutely worth it. He won't sugar coat the hard truths, if there are any, and he'll give it all he's got. He totally rewrote our girl's future in 2 weeks. Of course, there's follow up on our end, and you should expect that... you have to put in the work to set them up for success at home. He's been there for support via text every step of the way since we got home. But this was a tough case. One that could've had a very different ending. We'll never be able to express our gratitude for Steve adequately. Just know, you and your dog are in great hands with him. ❤️🥰 🐾 PS: She did so well on her flight home, the flight attendant gave her some wings... he said she earned them! She stayed on place in a down/stay on takeoff and landing and most of the flight. Ignored passing food, strangers, and distractions aplenty. We are just taking a day at a time for now, but we are considering access and task training her to be a service dog. An actual service dog, not an emotional support dog. One that meets or exceeds legal standards. We shall see what the next chapter brings us. ❤️🎉🥰🐾

We couldn’t be happier with the training our dog received from Steven! From the very beginning, he came to our home to get to know our dog in her own environment. He took the time to observe how she interacted with us, our other dog, and her surroundings, which gave us confidence that he was creating a training plan tailored specifically to her needs. When we dropped her off at his home, we immediately felt comfortable. Steven thoroughly explained the training process and what we could expect throughout the week. His facility was exceptionally clean, and the area where the dogs stayed was warm, welcoming, and felt more like a home than a kennel. During her stay, Steven kept us updated with pictures and videos of her progress. His communication was outstanding, and it was reassuring to see how well she was doing each day. When it was time to pick her up, the experience didn’t end there. Steven spent time training us so we could continue reinforcing everything she had learned. He even took us on a public outing to demonstrate how to work with her in real-world situations, which was incredibly valuable. We were truly amazed by our dog’s transformation and how well-trained she had become in such a short time. Steven is knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely cares about both the dogs and their owners. We highly recommend him to anyone looking for a professional, caring, and effective dog trainer. Thank you, Steven, for giving us the tools and confidence to help our dog succeed

Steve came out for an initial training session with my puppy, Sophie, in November. I then sent her to his week-long training camp and I’m utterly amazed by his work and her progress. He is a miracle worker: she’s a bigger dog and very reactive and I was concerned about our future together. Steve was so comprehensive and thoughtful in his approach and demystified her behavior for me. She absolutely loved her time with him and came home transformed. Steve then took the time to train me with her, and I left literally crying happy tears. He is our canine savior and I’m forever grateful.