Spot-On K9 Training

My puppy, Laika, tries to play with every single dog he encounters. Although he comes when called in private, if there is another dog around he would not even acknowledge my calls. And I've had several dog walkers quit because his pulling on the leash whenever he sees another dog makes them nervous. The change after Spot-On is unbelievable. He is a joy to walk now and the recall is so much better he spent the entire 5th session off leash in Central Park (pics attached). I have never seen Laika as happy as he was running free in the park. I cannot recommend Stephen enough.

I can't recommend this trainer enough!! I would recommend his work to anyone with any breed, any behavioral issue hands down. For context, I adopted a shepherd mix (Olivia) in October 2024, a couple months after my heart dog passed. Olivia reminded me so much of my previous dog, who would have likely ended up in a shelter with behavioral issues if I hadn't adopted her as a puppy. She was also reactive so I've had 12 years of experience handling reactivity, resource guarding, loads and loads of training (worked with two trainers in California). But when I adopted Olivia, she came heavily medicated from the shelter (800mg of gabapentin and 300mg trazodone daily). Even with that, her leash reactivity was off the charts. She went from a sweet little golden to an insane Cujo and I wish I were exaggerating. It was scary, I seriously thought she was going to bite a dog and was starting to feel incredibly overwhelmed and fully in over my head. This felt more like aggression rather than just reactivity. I called at least 10 trainers, many quoting me various prices/promises and nothing sounded right. When I called Stephen, he spent over 30 minutes with me getting a full understanding on what was going. She'd been found roaming the streets after an altercation with another dog, so that made things a little more complicated. But leaving the call I felt like this was different. He was kind, validating, and overall so supportive and humble. We scheduled a behavior modification course and started classes in January 2025. When I say I saw differences after the FIRST class, I am 1000% serious. He gave us the tools to communicate and work on her basic obedience and teach her what behaviors were acceptable and what was not. After the first class she went from reacting at every single dog she saw (lunging, growling, barking, snapping), even ones across the street, to maybe only ones that triggered her, or had startled her. At least an 80% decrease after just one hour. She learned to make better choices as I learned her body language to prevent her from loading. By the end of the 4th class Stephen said we were ready for group class, which honestly really sets him apart from every trainer I contacted. It was a safe and welcoming environment for dogs that were also reactive and helped expose them in a controlled setting. I was convinced it was going to be a disaster because she's never been around so many dogs at once. And she did phenomenally. I was utterly mindblown. After our 5th class and 2nd group class, Stephen said we were ready for the off leash final. My anxiety was through the roof but she was able to be a dog again. She encountered and played with at least 20 dogs of all sizes, breeds, energy levels, with zero reactivity. Stephen gave us our life back. I no longer walk the streets in utter fear, I am able to take her to the park and meet her needs in confidence. She went from what I was convinced was an aggressive dog I would have to move to the country for, to a sweetheart neutral pup that loves to play and make new friends. I am beyond grateful for the work Stephen put in, the tools/communication he gave us, and the genuinely safe and kind environment he created for us. 15/10 recommend to everyone. Oh and Olivia LOVES him. She whined every time we we ended classes and walked away, and she still looks for him at the park. We will be continuing group classes every month without question.

It was an absolute pleasure working with Stephen. Our dog Niko, struggled with dog reactivity and re-call so we signed him up for the off leash e-collar training. I can confidently say that without a doubt, Niko's behavior has vastly improved as well as our relationship with our dog. We now have full confidence in Niko's off-leash recall with the e-collar and are thrilled to give him the freedom he deserves. Could not recommend this trainer enough!

I had the opportunity to work with Stephen for one of the smartest dogs I've ever had, Stryker, a 3 year-old Dutch Shepherd. Stryker's biggest issues were reactivity towards other dogs, especially on leash. Through 5 sessions, Stryker was not only able to put into place all of his obedience training, but was able to work around any 4 legged distraction, be it dogs, squirrels, horses, etc. Our graduation session was Stryker being able to happily interact with dogs throughout Central Park. The training is a game changer for Stryker and we want to thank Stephen for his training.

I had the pleasure of working with Stephen to train my dog for off-leash recall, and I couldn’t be more impressed with the results! Stephen was incredibly knowledgeable and tailored the training to my dog’s specific needs, which made all the difference. He took the time to understand her behavior and adjusted the approach accordingly. My dog's recall has improved drastically, and it’s clear that Stephen is passionate about what he does. Highly recommend him to anyone looking for a professional, effective dog trainer who truly understands dogs! Thank you, Stephen!