Dog Training With Eric

My wife and I were having issues with our stubborn (but amazing) bulldog. Our pup would pull and drag while on his leash, jump on guests constantly, would not respond and take to "stay" and "come" commands, etc. Our first session with Eric IMMEDIATELY corrected our dog's leash problems. I was blown away. From there, we worked on impulse control and stay/come commands, and more. Our pup is now excellent on his leash, does not jump on guests, stays calm around other dogs and people in public places, and obeys our commands. We could not be happier. Eric is incredibly friendly, professional and knowledgeable. I highly recommend him to anyone searching for a superior trainer.

I highly recommend Eric the Dog Trainer. My situation is a unique one. I have always LOVED dogs and dreamed of having one however I had an extreme phobia of dogs (since I was really young). It is very difficult living in Colorado (where it seems almost everyone has a dog) with a phobia of dogs; it really limits what you can do. After many many many MANY years of living in fear with my phobia, ..... years of making up stories of my allergy to dogs to not have to go through the shameful explanation of my fear of dogs, or why I couldn’t go to a friends house or a neighbors party, I finally had enough and was going to do whatever I had to do to face my fear. I considered hypnosis, then I tried working with a therapist, I tried visiting my friends homes to get comfortable around their dogs. Nothing seemed to work. The idea of being in a room with a dog was terrifying to me, I could not even go near dogs without my palms getting sweaty and my heart pounding uncontrollably. Anyway..... a friend gave me the idea of working with a dog trainer. .... after researching and reading many reviews, I found Eric. I called him and explained my situation and thankfully, he was willing to work with me. I was hopeful but also doubtful - I had lived with this fear for almost 30 years now. .... Let’s skip ahead ....... As infomercialish as this sounds, it is the only way I can describe my transformation; working with Eric changed my life. After my second session with him, I was able to sit next to his dog (sweet sweet Lola, the English bulldog) and at the third session, I was able to walk Lola. I was SHOCKED. I had to take photos to prove to my family what I (with Eric’s help) had achieved. They couldn’t even believe it. I worked with Eric for about 9 months (give or take). He first had me meet with mellow dogs and as I gained confidence he would have me meet with dogs with higher energy levels. Then I was tasked with visiting people/ friends who had dogs. I stuck to his training and worked hard at it. Last summer, we welcomed our sweet puppy Nala (a Rhodesian Ridgeback) to our family and right away, we started training her with Eric. She is the sweetest, most gentle dog I know. She is always around people and is especially good around kids. We are always asked to take her along with us when we visit friends and family. This is all a testament to Eric’s training ability. I could not have imagined being a dog owner but here I am. I can’t thank Eric enough.

It is true that you can teach old dogs new tricks. Although, life-long dog owners, Eric provided us with many new skills and insights into owning and living with a well-trained dog. We adopted Rylee, 9-yr old Dalmatian, during the COVID pandemic. It was clear after we got him that he had never had any training, had aggression issues and was for the first time living in a city. I appreciated Eric’s methods and approach of initially working with Rylee to teach him the skills he would later have us practice. It was also valuable when Rylee was able to work with Eric’s dogs to feel comfortable and part of the ‘pack’. We are grateful to Eric for his skill, knowledge and ability to teach us how to have a relaxed and controlled experience whether around other dogs or off leash on a hiking trail. He is worth every penny!

Eric is phenomenal. My spouse and I are both psychologists, and have a solid understanding of behaviorism and both classical and operant conditioning. We have previously had, and trained, other dogs as well, and in choosing a trainer for our year-old German Shepherd who was picked up off the streets, we were A.) not sure if someone would have much to teach us that we didn't already know based on our backgrounds, and B.) really wanting/needing someone who specialized in German Shepherds, given that they're higher difficulty at times. Klinger was having a ton of dog reactivity on leash, in spite of being super friendly and playful with other dogs off leash. We had tried a variety of things based on our foundations and suggestions from books, etc. It wasn't working. We had four sessions with Eric, and the amount of change across 8 weeks was phenomenal. He's not a miracle-worker, but better: he really understands why different behaviors arise, and how to shape dogs - and their humans. He is excellent with shepherds, as well - as shown in one photo, Klinger is now able to be a pet, while still having a job to do! Ideal. Klinger is a whole lot more confident on walks now. We're actually able to walk him in Wash Park (where the other photos were taken), which was impossible when we first adopted him. He would thrash and scream and leap if he saw other dogs. Eric gave us not just one, but multiple tools to help direct Klinger in a way that has made him (and us) much more comfortable. That has had the side benefit of also reducing Klinger's dog reactivity if he's in the car, which we never targeted directly. In addition, when he hears something outside the house and barks, I often just have to call him and he'll come and shelter/snuggle up beside me instead of feeling like he has to protect us. Eric is both firm and kind to his dog clients, and gives his human clients a lot of explanation and feedback, which is exactly what is needed. I would 100% recommend him. His prices also seem really reasonable for what he is able to offer, especially compared to some others in this area. Klinger is certainly not perfect at this point....yet. It's going to take us keeping up with his training, but that feels so POSSIBLE now, thanks to the guidance and help we got from Eric.

I called Eric looking for guidance with how to handle this new developed separation anxiety with my pup. Eric was super friendly, highly knowledgeable and offered insight into our situation without hesitation. He helped me put the pieces together in the right order and I feel confident and excited to implement his approach. After having just a brief conversation with Eric I could tell that he is very caring, patient and passionate. I will definitely be keeping him as a resource for any future canine challenges I may face. Thanks again Eric :)