Dognify

We’ve been working with Jonathan at Dognify for the past four months to help our dog Baylor, who struggles with generalized anxiety, fearfulness, and separation anxiety. The progress we’ve seen has been truly encouraging. Jonathan is incredibly patient, not only with Baylor but also with us, guiding us through the training process with clear and supportive advice. While Baylor’s journey takes time, we can see him improving day by day thanks to Jonathan’s expertise and dedication. We’re very happy with the training process and grateful for the care and professionalism Jonathan brings to Baylor’s education.

Jonathan at Dognify has been such a gift for me and my rescue dog, Pepper. I first reached out for help with her leash reactivity and basic skills, and the progress since then has completely changed our day-to-day. Our walks are calmer, easier, and genuinely enjoyable, and the training has strengthened our bond in ways I didn’t expect. Pepper literally bounces around when we practice things we’ve learned with him. I really appreciate how adaptable and thoughtful Jonathan is. Whenever Pepper's needs have shifted, he adjusts our training without hesitation and always finds ways to keep her engaged and confident. He's met my many many many questions as a first time dog owner with so much patience, knowledge, and kindness. He’s also helped me understand more about Pepper, like what kinds of activities she actually enjoys, what motivates her, and how to work with her personality specifically. Working with him has given me confidence, given Pepper structure she genuinely loves, and made our life together so much easier and happier. I’m truly grateful for everything he’s done for us.

Meet Cashew, the 10th Doberman I’ve had in my life. The breed is challenging due to their intelligence and need for mental and physical exercise. I purchased Cashew (the nut) when he was 14 months old from a highly reputable breeder, who should be commended for the quality of her dogs and their amazing temperament. Cashew (aka Cash) was born in February 2020, and turns out he is a true covid puppy. He spent his formative years sprinting in and out of a doggie door in a fenced-in yard, with little socialization and rarely on a leash. For rational reasons, his first owner returned him when he was 14 months old, and I jumped at a chance to have a dog from this breeder, not really thinking about the huge change in lifestyle it would be for him to move to Center City Philly and have to be on a leash. We needed to work through many issues with Cashew: walking on a leash, housebreaking because he never had a schedule, reactivity and EXTREME excitement upon seeing other dogs, cats, and squirrels. Everyone in the neighborhood knew him because of his dramatic screaming, sounds of which I'd never heard before. I’ve trained all my Dobermans before him, but Cashew’s anxiety only exacerbated my own whenever I had to open the front door to all the things that triggered him outside. I felt unqualified to take on his needs, but would never give him up as he became mama’s boy. Then one day I saw Jonathan standing on the corner near my house with a pack of 5 large dogs and learned he was an urban dog trainer. Wow, this is just what we needed. And I was even more thrilled to learn that he uses positive reinforcement and works on behavior and not just obedience and didn't expect me to continue to try to train him considering my anxiety. Jonathan is extremely knowledgeable about dog behavior and body language and brings the patience and calmness needed to the end of the leash. We can now walk Cashew on a loose leash. He doesn’t scream when he sees other dogs (although his noisy reputation may always stick with neighbors), and I no longer have to fear he will drag me down the street when he sees a squirrel. This was accomplished through obedience training, and with mostly understanding a dog’s needs and working on calming his behavior. Jonathan has filled a need that we could not, due to our age and lifestyle. We now have Cashew in a Dognify program where he gets picked up several days a week for morning jogs, pack walks through the city, and/or socializing at the dog park. Jonathan knows Cashew’s personality and behaviors and is fulfilling his needs in a way we could not do ourselves. Would I recommend Dognify? Absolutely!

I had three virtual sessions with Jonathan, and they were such a game-changer! He took the time to really get to know my dog, asking tons of thoughtful questions about his breed, habits, and quirks, before explaining what was going on. It turned out my pup was dealing with separation anxiety, and he broke it all down in a way that actually made sense. Even though the sessions were virtual, they felt super personal. He gave me practical tips I could start using right away, and I’ve already noticed positive changes. If you want someone who truly cares and makes you feel supported while helping your dog, I can’t recommend Dognify enough!