The Human Dog Team

My dog Daisy is a 2 year old German Shepherd and—until now—was very reactive in cars and on leash. Enough so that, at times, I thought she was too much dog for me. Gonzalo changed all that. He did an amazing job educating me and giving me the tools to help Daisy get past that behavior. He breaks things down for you and your dog so that each lesson can be practiced at home. He takes his time—not ever rushing; answering all your questions and giving great training advice. He is funny and deeply cares. Daisy does not bark in the car anymore and she is not reactive on the leash any longer. I will always be grateful to Gonzalo. I can enjoy my dog and take my little grandson on a drive with the Big Girl (Daisy). 12 + wonderful years to come. Thank you Gonzalo!! - Sabine

Gonzalo genuinely changed and shaped the relationship between my dog and I. The first consultation with Gonzalo was about two months after I adopted my German Shepherd, cattle dog mix. She was reactive to dogs, was barking in my apartment when neighbors came home, and most of the time I had no idea what she would do next. I’ll fully admit: at first I wasn’t sure if Gonzalo could help us but he came so highly recommended from friends that I was willing to give it a try. My dog and I went through a 3-month program which included 1:1 sessions, group classes and WhatsApp check-ins. We went through an accelerated timeline ahead of a cross-country move. We quickly established the basics: how to know your dog is ready to listen, recognizing stress, and how to positively reinforce or correct. 6 months into having adopted my girl, our walks have been changed from unpredictable to relaxing and routine excursions. It’s been months since she’s blown up on a walk but even more importantly I’ve learned how to recognize the signs when she isn’t comfortable. Her in-house manners have improved drastically. She now confidently goes to her “place” when she previously would have gone wild barking at noises outside. The most surprising (and helpful) tool though is both her and I now know she likes to play! Gonzalo’s insistence that we find an outlet for her energy has given a new balance and stability. (Pictured attached - a previously unthinkable scenario of her relaxing near other dogs and her crate)

If you want to build a relationship with your dog, understand them, and make sure you are meeting their needs, my husband and I can't recommend Gonzalo enough. When we brought home our little Doberman puppy, Juni, we knew we wanted a trainer who understood working dogs. Gonzalo has helped us grow as dog owners and make sure we're meeting her physical and mental needs. Fast forward to today: our girl has off-leash freedom we never thought possible, thanks to the foundation of e-collar training he helped us build. She walks well on a leash and greets house guests politely. During a board and train while we were on vacation (where Juni was happy to be Blue's most annoying house guest for a few weeks) Gonzalo used the time to clean up the details, and she came home better than ever. He just gets dogs and is willing to explain how different approaches can get similar results, helping you find what actually fits your dog's temperament. One of the most valuable things we've learned is how critical mindset and thresholds are. When we were researching other trainers, it became clear that many focus on obedience alone (teaching sit, down, and stay in a controlled setting) without proofing those behaviors at higher levels of distraction or addressing the dog's mindset and thresholds. I'm glad Gonzalo pushed us to keep building in these areas because our girl is pretty dang reliable now.

When we first got our dog, Merlin, he was reactive and anxious. Walks felt stressful and we honestly felt a little lost trying to figure out how to help him. Gonzalo completely changed that. Through both 1-on-1 sessions and group classes, he took the time to really understand Merlin and used positive reinforcement to help us communicate with him in a way that built trust and confidence. The private sessions gave us really personalized guidance tailored to our dog’s specific behaviors, while the group classes helped with socialization, distractions, and real-world practice. Gonzalo takes the time to explain the why behind everything, which helped us feel confident continuing the training on our own. Not only did Merlin’s behavior improve so much, but our bond with him grew stronger too. Training started feeling empowering instead of overwhelming. Gonzalo is incredibly patient, calm, and truly dedicated to every dog he works with - you can tell he genuinely cares. We’re so grateful for everything he’s done for our family and would recommend him to anyone looking for an amazing trainer.

If you want to have the most meaningful relationship with your dog, Gonzalo is the trainer for you! Working with him has been a truly life-changing process for my fiance, me and our dog, Chef. Chef, our 3 year old lab, has had issues with leash reactivity and anxiety since he was a puppy. Before enlisting Gonzalo’s help, we had seen behaviorists, vets, and multiple dog trainers to try to understand his behavior and why we were unable to even walk around the block without an anxiety episode. After meeting with Gonzalo, he was able to understand our situation and tailor a training program. While this did require work on our end, the instruction we received from Gonzalo was clear and provided results quickly. Between one on one sessions, Gonzalo also provided group classes, group hikes, and prompt replies to questions and videos on WhatsApp. Gonzalo has proven to us time and time again that he has a deep understanding of dog behavior and emotions, as well as a passion to improve the bonds between dogs and their owners. Our experiences in the group classes has shown us that Gonzalo does not have a “one size fits all” approach, but rather tailors methods that work best for you and your dog with an emphasis on having clear communication. Whether you have a new puppy or an older dog with a particular issue, you will not be disappointed. It’s hard to put into words the bond that we now have with Chef. Interacting with him is more than just orders and obedience, it’s clear communication and understanding. He now enjoys walks to the park, fetch, coffee shops, off leash hikes, and much much more. Not only do we feel safer with him, but he seems to be living a much happier life. We truly did not think we would be here. Thank you Gonzalo!