Trail Dog Etiquette LLC

TL;DR: 10/10 and three cheers for Sam When I first met Sam, my rescue struggled with severe anxiety and reactivity. He pulled on the leash like he was trying to win the Iditarod, had ZERO recall, and would bark and lunge at other dogs, making our walks challenging and overwhelming. Working with Sam has truly transformed both my dog’s and my life. From day one, Sam provided the guidance and support I needed to address my dog’s reactivity and excitability. His coaching style is excellent—patient, encouraging, and tailored to our specific needs. Thanks to Sam’s expertise, my dog and I can now visit places with other dogs, something I never thought possible. We’re even making great progress with off-leash training! I genuinely cannot recommend Sam enough. He has made a remarkable difference in our lives!

Sam is a kind and passionate trainer. His overall training philosophy is giving both the dog and owner confidence in their ability to enjoy life together. He works building trust between clients and their dogs by teaching techniques designed for understanding by both. He obviously loves dogs and it shows. He demonstrates techniques and then ensures you can perform them accurately. I highly recommend Sam for any dog/puppy training needs.

Sam helped us immensely. We did 7 lessons with him and our dog. Like many comments already posted, we saw an immediate improvement. It's very likely that Sam trained us more than our dog, but that's exactly what we needed . At first I wasn't totally sure about Sam's style, because the last trainer we went to was basically 100% positive reinforcement and treats. That didn't end up working, Sam's techniques did. Within 5 minutes I was pretty sold. After one lesson, our dog was walking next to us with a loose leash. After two or three lessons, you were able to have a massive improvement in recall. We did end up using Sam's suggestion of an e-coller. While visually it's hard to get used to, it has made the difference. I feel much more comfortable letting my dog walk off leash without having fear of it chasing a coyote. Sam was prompt and very communicative. I have a feeling he could help the vast majority of pet owners within a few lessons. I'd highly recommend Sam. His lessons are not the cheapest, but you pay for what you get.