Spot-On K9 Training

I highly recommend Spot-On K9 Training! Stephen is a very professional and caring person. This came out as he engaged with my 5lb Toy Poodle. Ginger is generally a good dog but very playful and a very social puppy who liked to greet everyone. As a result she would would pull back, pull forward or stop many times as we walked. Her constant tugging was difficult to manage on the city streets. I wanted her retain her personality and still learn a more disciplined walking skill without cruelty. On our first private session went very well. Stephen patiently walked Ginger back and further with this new leash and a few treats until she understood what he wanted. I could see the change in her body language as she learned to trust him and started to heel. Amazing! After we left our session today Ginger and I walked across Central Park together for the first time without any issues. Ginger and I learned a lot. I highly recommend Stephen. He is a wonderful trainer. Ginger and I will be walking together for many years Thank you Stephen.

Ares, my 80lb German Shepherd, is perhaps best described as a burst of pure energy. He's spirited, goofy, and wants nothing more than to run around and play with people and other dogs. Unfortunately, the combination of moving to a different environment, neutering him, and having been bit by another dog only a few months prior left him very leash reactive. Whereas he historically became excited yet stay at my side, he started out this year barking and lunging towards other dogs while on walks. Having invested a tremendous amount of energy in self training him at a young age, I found myself emotionally drained. I lost confidence in my ability to manage my dog and I dreaded passing other dogs on our walks. I needed a change and I consider myself very lucky to come across Stephen and Spot-On K9 Training. Speaking to the training program, Stephen suggested a 6 course training regimen to correct leash reactivity, stop Ares' habit of jumping on people, reinforce his recall and place obedience, and ultimately train Ares for off leash fun. Stephen also provided me guidance for handling a mild resource guarding issue. In my experience, Stephen's training program is a combination of showing the dog proper behavior and, more importantly, instructing the handler to achieve the desired outcome. Stephen expanded my perspective on Ares' behavior, revealed many tips and tricks, and taught me proper techniques for both rewarding Ares and holding him accountable. On our first day of training, Stephen found me standing next to a large dog that had about lost his mind amidst a sea of stimuli. Ares could hardly stay still and was vocalizing frantically. Within that hour, Stephen demonstrated techniques to settle Ares down and brought him back into obedience. Stephen's ability to simultaneously correct poor behavior while earning Ares' trust and respect through praise and reward set the tone for the entire program. Ares absolutely loved greeting Stephen at the beginning of every class. Know that Stephen is an advocate for your dog and he is outcome oriented. During each class, he demonstrates technique, shapes practice, and provides immediate feedback. He shares resources and educational materials to reinforce lessons taught during each class. I may have paid for the lessons, but Ares was the true customer and I was the student. I respect that Stephen holds handlers accountable to "put in the reps" between classes. Behavior isn't corrected in just six sessions, it's shaped through the many hours outside of training spent during the week and on the weekends. Within ~2 months, Ares can maintain a proper heel position at my side. He no longer throws tantrums or has mental breakdowns when we're outside. He is able to stay in place, even as other dogs walk by several yards away. Though Ares still builds up with excitement close to other dogs, it has noticeably toned down and it continues to improve with practice. Ares has stopped jumping on friends and family and I have a new command to ensure I am able to safely take away anything I give him. The first 5 minutes of our final off leash session was fairly stressful for me. I almost didn't want to let Ares run off. It ended up being one of the most amazing hours I've ever had with Ares, watching him play and enjoy complete freedom in the park. The proof was there – when we applied Stephen's technique to recall Ares, he came. I am extremely pleased with Stephen's training program. He gifted me the confidence and the training I needed to manage Ares while expanding the boundaries for Ares to enjoy himself in ways he hadn't before. My relationship with my dog improved throughout this experience, which is priceless. I highly recommend Stephen and Spot-On K9 Training if you're looking to become a stronger handler and shape your pup to be their best self. To Stephen – thank you for your instruction, advocacy for Ares, flexibility with scheduling, and your responsiveness in our communication!

We reached out to Spot-On K9 Training for our new dog Nori to improve his leash-walking manner. As first-time pet owners, we greatly appreciated Stephen's ability to quickly identify subtle mistakes we were making while walking Nori and educate us on how dogs learn from our body language. Following one 90min session, Nori has made tremendous progress on his leash walking manner. As an added benefit, we noticed a significant improvement in his focus and attention to us, even in the distracting environment of NYC. To our surprise, Nori also mastered the "place" command during this short session. Overall, we are thrilled with the results and grateful for the personalized attention and expertise provided by Stephen!