Very Good Dog Training

Very Good Dog Training is an incredible experience for both the dog and the owner! We tried training at some of the major pet store chains but they don't understand dogs the way Very Good Dog Training does. Stephen (the owner) takes a very hands on approach and curates the perfect training program for your pet. I appreciated how Stephen adjusted the plan as he got to know our dog better. This gave us a plan that was custom made for us and our dog. We have a Labrador Retriever who was always over zealous and anxious when people came to our home. This led to her jumping uncontrollably on our guests. Also, our pet whined continuously when she wanted to play, even if we had just played with her for an hour. These and other troubling behaviors magically disappeared using the Very Good Dog Training simple method. I say "simple" because there are only a handful of commands which makes the program very accessible for any pet owner. Your pet will understand exactly what you are expecting from them and get this, they will happily comply. Both dog and owner will be happier, enjoy each other much more and understand each other perfectly after going through Stephen's Very Good Dog Training!!! #VeryGoodPet

Chris was an absolute pleasure to work with. He explains everything thoroughly every time and never minds repeating himself. Our dog Maxine is a 1 year old puppy. She had typical puppy tendencies, nipping, jumping, reactive, everyone told us it takes time for that to go away. We learned that it doesnt have to be that way! Chris gave us the tools to properly communicate with Maxine. I went from dreading being home with her to enjoying every second. The training did not just train Maxine but us too. It increased our confidence and provided so much knowledge. I am so happy with the training program (we did ecollar so 2 months). Chris was flexible and easy to communicate with on a weekly basis inbetween sessions. Sending videos for feedback and sharing his own videos to help fine tune everything.

I rescued Snow one year ago and she was a “good” dog, she liked people & other dogs. She wasn’t good on her leash and she would lunge at school buses and loud cars but she wasn’t “bad”….fast-forward 10 months, snow started getting aggressive & growling at other dogs, her leash walking was no better and her prey drive was high. She was getting worse and it had to be something I was doing or not doing. I needed help and ASAP. January 9th our lives changed for the better, Chris came for our in home 🏠 consultation, from the moment Chris arrived he let snow do her thing (barking, not listening, jumping, etc.) and explained to me what she was doing and why she was doing it, by the end of the consultation snow was laying by Chris’ feet, I knew then & there he was the right trainer for us, she was never this calm. From the first training session snow “got it” she loved training, this was exactly the structure she needed & wanted. Chris came every Monday for 8 weeks, every week was something new and snow was getting better week by week. In between our weekly training Chris would text to check in on our progress, send training sample videos, answering every text & all my questions. Throughout these 8 weeks Chris was our biggest cheerleader & fan. Because of Chris, Snow is now a happy, behaved, calm, confident dog, who btw walks like a dream on her leash. I can’t say enough great things about Chris & I highly recommend him if you need help with your pup.

We just completed our 2 months of training with Chris and are so thrilled with the results. We had reached out to VGDT at the end of 2022 because we started noticing reactive behavior in our Pit/Cur mix, Barry. He was always a scared/cautious dog but this was new behavior and we weren't sure how to manage it. We spoke with both Stephen and Chris to ensure that we were a good fit for each (which I really appreciated) and ultimately decided to move forward. Look - VGDT's services aren't the cheapest that you'll find in the area, BUT it is worth every single penny. We've worked with cheaper trainers in the past when Barry was a puppy and saw some results but it still didn't feel like we were able to communicate and fully understand our dog. With VGDT, this is what you'll get - the opportunity to work with people who absolutely love dogs and have decades of experience working with them. A trainer that you can text at any time (including after your lessons are over) that will respond and even send over videos showing you how to properly work with your dog. Access to a weekly pack walk (forever) where you'll get to continue work with your dog around other like-minded owners. Barry is a completely new dog after these 8 weeks and it's not an exaggeration to say that it's been a life changing opportunity for both of us. Barry literally went from lunging at Chris' face during our first lesson to wagging his tail and eating treats out of his hand in just a few weeks. I cannot recommend VGDT enough but just know that this isn't going to be someone coming into your house for an hour and then disappearing, but rather a teaching session that'll show you (the owner) how to continue building up your dog. Be ready to put in the work!