My EPIC Dog - Human and Dog Training

Judith was an excellent trainer for our dog Goose! Our dog was struggling with a recent move to the DFW area. She was pulling on walks, disengaged, and couldn’t be left alone for more than a minute or two without whining. Working with Judith, we worked on her self control, and now she is very good on walks, staying at my side and not pulling for distractions. She’s able to stay at home alone for hours without any signs of anxiety. On top of that Goose seems much happier and confident in herself. The training really helped us when we didn’t know how to help Goose. Judith was always responsive to texts and would give feedback on training videos we sent between sessions. We have worked with other dog trainers in the past, but no one has been as effective. Highly recommend for all your dog training needs!

Why Judith? Our spirited 9-week-old puppy was certainly outsmarting us and we urgently needed help! Judith is like the dog-training superhero who swoops into your home to save the day! She certainly has done this for us! She doesn't just teach your pup; she equips you, the owner, with the skills to tackle those one-of-a-kind challenges every dog and human duo faces. She's a pack master, customizing each training session to fit you and your fur baby’s needs! One real-life situation @ 20-weeks: we're in the middle of a training session, taking a morning walk through the neighborhood on garbage day. This isn’t just a walk; it’s a real-world, action-packed adventure! From garage doors springing open to cars zooming by, joggers doing their thing, and the monstrous garbage truck roaring past—Judith was there, guiding us through each encounter, coaching us to observe our pup’s behaviors, explaining their meanings, and demonstrating how to instill confidence and calm in each moment. We have previously trained our pups in classroom sessions; we didn’t know what we didn’t know. Without a doubt we are now firm believers that real-world training is invaluable and cannot be confined or replicated in classroom style training. It’s been a gamechanger to say the least! We wholeheartedly recommend Judith; her professionalism and expertise are truly top-notch! Thank you, Judith, for equipping us with the knowledge to nurture our sweet pup and helping her to become a respectful, fun-loving member of the big, wide world we live in!

The Body Guard Everybody has a thing that centers them in their lives. Some people have religion. Some people have hot yoga. Some people have fantasy football. For me, it was my German Shepherd, Ben. When he passed away in July 2024, I was utterly heartbroken. I got a GSD puppy a month later, thinking it would ease the pain. (It didn’t.) I got Francisco, AKA “Frankie,” an 8-week-old black GSD. I started Frankie at basic obedience classes as soon as he had all his shots. We attended every week for four months. He was easily one of the smartest dogs in the class. But by the time he was 8 mos old, Frankie weighed 85 lbs and I had a serious problem. My Ben had been a gentle giant. Frankie was the bodyguard from hell. It was a nightmare. Frankie was too powerful for me to walk him. If he saw someone down the street, or another dog, even a squirrel, he’d go wild—barking, lunging, and scaring everyone. I was afraid he’d knock me down, or worse, break loose and go charging at somebody. My son’s friends had to stay on the other side of the house, behind the baby gate if they visited. The neighbors were terrified of him. Any time my extended family got together, Frankie had to stay home because I didn’t trust him with my nieces and nephews. At the vet, they’d have to do his whole checkup without me going inside the building. If I wasn’t there, he’d be docile. If I was in the room, he’d stand in front of me, ready for a showdown. I tried one-on-one training with the basic obedience instructor, but she was afraid of Frankie. We just didn’t get anywhere. Meanwhile, Frankie was now 18 mos and 100 lbs. I contacted My Epic Dog, run by Judith Bauer Johnson. Without exaggeration, Judith changed my life. She changed Frankie’s life. She changed our relationship, and how I think about our relationship, forever. In the first place, Judith is an observer. She wanted videos of his behavior, descriptions and contexts, even before the initial meeting. She collects data and figures out a game plan. She’s passionate about helping dogs (and their people), and has a lot of wisdom and experience. She accurately noted that it was a case of Frankie’s insecurity and my soft approach. He loved me, but he didn’t respect my authority. Judith gave me simple, foundational training tactics designed to build Frankie’s trust in me. These were fun games, played with treats or toys, whatever sparked his enthusiasm, for me to build my relationship with him. The key was making sure he had fun and he was making choices that affirmed me as his leader. Judith trains dogs, but she trains people too. She arrives with a plan for your dog, but you have to do the work. My job was to practice the weekly homework. This is where the transformation happened. I’d send her updates and she’d always respond with encouragement and advice. She’s always rooting for you and for the dog. We have been working with Judith since January, and it’s now August. Frankie has made massive progress. He was a reactive, insecure dog who felt like he needed to protect me all the time. Now, he’s a guy likes to mingle at the dog park; walks around Half Price Books and Hollywood Feed and cheerfully allows people to pet him. He can be in the vet office with me and the vet staff, and he’s relaxed and chilling. I am happy to report that he had his first “interview” for doggy daycare just today. He was friendly with the other pet parents and staff, as well as with the dogs in his group. He passed the interview and is going to daycare next week. Frankie and I love Judith!! She will change your life and your pup’s life!! Call her today!!

We had such a good training experience. Judith is an excellent trainer, and she provided us the guidance we needed to get our dog, Gambit, trained well. We needed to put in the work too, and Judith is great at holding you accountable and providing assistance outside of scheduled trainings. We’ve had Gambit for less than a year, and the training transformed his behavior in just a few months. We are extremely happy with the progress we made together, and we feel confident that he will only keep getting better.

Hi there! I cannot say enough great things about my experience with My EPIC Dog – Human and Dog Training. Every training session my pup and I had with Judith was an incredible experience. Judith was patient, kind, and understanding with both Mr. Chino and I throughout every challenge we faced. It’s clear how much time, care, and dedication she has poured into her business and into helping every dog and owner succeed. Before working with Judith, my rescue dog was reactive toward other dogs, would freeze and shut down on walks, had little to no leash manners, and struggled with such severe separation anxiety that I had to bring him to work with me every day. Since completing our training, I feel like I understand and can read my dog’s behavior so much better. Judith didn’t just train my dog—she taught me how to communicate with him and set him up for success. From our very first meeting through our final session, Judith was passionate, encouraging, and incredibly knowledgeable. She took the time to answer every question I had and always made sure I fully understood each new exercise before leaving. I never felt rushed, and I always felt supported. The progress Mr. Chino has made has been amazing. I’ve even had strangers at the park stop to tell me how well-behaved he is, and I truly have Judith to thank for that. I am so grateful for everything she has done for us and would recommend My EPIC Dog – Human and Dog Training to anyone looking for a trainer who genuinely cares about both dogs and their humans. Thank you for everything, Judith!