Spot-On K9 Training

Before training with Stephen at Spot-On K9 Training, my German Shepherd was extremely reactive on leash towards other dogs. She would bark and lunge, making it impossible for us to enjoy walks or interact with other dogs. After just four classes with Stephen, my dog Toffee is completely different. She is much more calm and obedient on walks, and we can now approach other dogs without any issues. Learning "place" and how to put her in "work" mode has been a game-changer for me. My favorite part of the training was seeing Toffee's progress week after week. Stephen was patient and knowledgeable, and his training methods really worked for me. I would definitely recommend Spot-On K9 Training to anyone looking for help with their dog. Stephen is a great trainer and really knows his stuff. My experience was nothing but positive, and I'm so grateful for the lessons. I learned so much about handling Toffee, and I am now more confident in my abilities as a dog owner.

After 6 months of obedience class and another training program, we were still having a hard time with our year and a half old rescue pup. He was becoming increasingly reactive on the street, wanted to play with every other dog, but would quickly escalate to aggression, sometimes the aggression would then get misdirected to us and he'd end up attacking us while on walks. It got to the point where we just couldn't have him around other dogs. We couldn't take the elevator in our building when other dogs were in it, and he would lunge at the doormen every day. Multiple other dog owners had recommended that we look into e-collar training for him, saying that it was the only thing that solved their dog's behavior issues. We actually first checked with the dog rescue organization we adopted from to make sure they were okay with it and they were supportive, as long as we worked with a certified trainer. They require adopting owners to be open to balanced training methods -- some dogs, especially hard to place rescue dogs, just need a little more direction than others. We found Stephen and Spot On K9 Training just via google search and after the first class, we immediately saw a difference with the prong collar. It's so clear to us now that we're better able to communicate what we want to our dog. And with that information, our dog is more obedient than I ever thought possible. When Stephen told us that our dog would need to sit in "place" for half an hour straight, I think I laughed out loud -- impossible! Now, our dog will sit in place through a two hour dinner with guests over. Our neighbors have commented on how far he's come -- he can be in an elevator with three other dogs and is the most well-behaved of all of them, just sitting and looking up at me for guidance. We did have to invest a lot of time into training our dog, but it was over a relatively short period of time (just a couple of months). By far, the absolute best part of the training was e-collar training so our dog could go off leash in the Park. He loves being off leash, now plays happily with other dogs, and his recall is near perfect -- he comes racing back to me happily. And then snoozes the rest of the day at home. It sounds like an exaggeration but I'm more connected to my dog. The balanced training methods didn't do anything to "damage" his trust in me -- just the opposite. My dog is so much more obedient, but he's also so much more affectionate -- he never wants to leave my side and he looks to me for guidance (and treats). Maybe you have an easy dog that doesn't need a little extra guidance -- but if your dog has reactivity issues and needs a little extra help, I can't speak highly enough of Stephen, his training and methods.

We used Stephen to train our 2 year old lab/hound mix Bruce. Prior to training, Bruce had been unpredictably reactive- he would get visibly uncomfortable around some dogs during walks which would sometimes escalate to lunging/ barking. Our bigger concern, though, was how he would act around guests in our home. He would become uneasy and at times lunge towards them aggressively. Working with Stephen was great. He transformed how we walk with Bruce outside and showed us how to fully take control of him to prevent him from being able to react. The sessions in our home were meant to set Bruce up for success when guests are over and have done just that. We now have a system in place where Bruce mostly stays on his "place" (bed) and it lets him be social and grow more comfortable with guests over with structure that prevents him from becoming reactive. Overall, Stephen was a pleasure to work with and we would highly recommend him. We look forward to participating in his group classes coming up in the Spring!

We had a great experience with Stephen and Spot-On K9 Training and I can not thank him enough for setting us up for a successful future with our pup! Our dog Dakota was exhibiting signs of reactivity towards other dogs when out on walks. Stephen really taught us how to build a better relationship with her through structure and training that allowed us/ her to manage impulsive unwanted behavior. Our last session we were able to have her calmly walking alongside another dog that she has had a history of aggression/ reactivity towards. We went from lunging/ barking/ growling to a completely neutral and well mannered dog. We will continue to implement all the training methods Stephen taught us and look forward to continuing this exciting journey with a much happier dog!