Sj Elite Dog Training

I'm 100% satisfied with the training Juan provided for my dog Calvin, a 4-year-old poodle — he went above and beyond my expectations. I originally thought I just needed help with Calvin's separation anxiety. Juan came out, did an in-person assessment, and built a full plan from there — not just for the anxiety, but all-around basic training: leash walking, heel, sit, down, sit-stay, down-stay, practiced in different scenarios (alone, at home, in a store, at a coffee shop, around other dogs). We even trained at a Home Depot, one-on-one with another Elite Dog Pack member and their dog, then with "The Pack" — about 10 dogs and owners, all trained by Juan — as a final assessment to certify Level 1. All in 10 lessons. That Home Depot session is where it really hit me how far we'd come. We walked through crowded aisles, past big equipment that would have startled Calvin before, with loud noises going off around us — and he handled it all with ease. So did I. That's when I knew the training had really locked in for both of us. Juan met me at my apartment for hour-long sessions, was always on time, and was easy to reach by text or call. He made sure I understood why we were training a certain way, demonstrated it himself, then taught me how to do it and corrected me until I had it right. I was especially impressed that none of it was treat-based — we trained entirely on praise. More than just training Calvin, Juan trained me: how to communicate better with my dog and build his confidence. Now Calvin has no anxiety when home alone or boarding, and we can confidently walk in crowds, stores, restaurants, and around other dogs. If you're looking for a dog trainer, Juan is your guy.

Juan is a truly gifted trainer. He transformed our 1-year-old Belgian Malinois/Pit Bull mix from nearly impossible to walk into a calm, disciplined companion. What stood out most was that his approach aligned perfectly with our philosophy: care, affection, structure, and positive reinforcement. There was absolutely no fear-based training, which was very important to us. Our dog learned to sit, stay, lie down, sit up, wait patiently for extended periods, and walk right beside us until released. Juan also taught us how to break bad habits at home and turn everyday family moments into training opportunities. The result has brought so much more tranquility and peace into our home. Juan worked with our whole family, including our three kids, who were able to participate in the training. That made the experience even more meaningful and fun. The program became progressively more challenging, eventually including real-world situations like walking through crowded downtown areas and meeting a pack of dogs for group drills. We could not recommend Juan and the Elite Dog Training experience highly enough.

I highly recommend SJ Elite Dog Training. Juan was incredible to work with. His explanations are very clear, detailed, and easy to understand. His training approach is gentle, calm, and effective, which has been perfect for my high-energy puppy. As a puppy mom, I was always worried that harsh training methods might hurt or scare my puppy. Juan’s gentle approach gave me peace of mind while still producing great results. I can truly see how much my puppy has grown after these lessons. She is now calmer, more focused, and more attentive to us. Juan is also very flexible, patient, and caring. My puppy had surgery, which meant we had to pause training for almost two months. Juan was incredibly understanding and even checked in with us by text to see how she was doing and make sure she had fully recovered before continuing training. Overall, I highly recommend Juan. He is not only a knowledgeable and skilled dog trainer, but also a warm and compassionate person who genuinely cares about dogs’ well-being. We are very grateful for all his help with our puppy girl! 🐶❤️

My partner and I cannot say enough nice things about Juan and his dog training program! Juan came recommended to us by a coworker who still actively works with Juan and his “pack”. We enrolled our puppy (4.5-5 months old) in Juan’s level 1 training/puppy package and it has changed all of our lives! We have learned everything from basic commands to the “perfect” leash walk to in-house training (i.e., potty training tips, excessive barking, counter surfing, etc.). We started training in home and worked towards venturing out front, to the neighborhood, to stores, restaurants, and busy downtown areas! Juan listens to not only your questions/needs, but to that of your dogs! He works well with our stubborn gal and has never left us feeling uneasy about the direction we were heading! We will be continuing our training to Juan’s level 2 training which focuses on off-leash life! We can’t wait and highly recommend Juan and his services!