Spot-On K9 Training

Stephen was a fantastic, patient, super helpful guide and teacher. Through Stephen's training, Seymour has become much calmer and learned how to immediately respond to important recall commands. Stephen's training has transformed our park life - Seymour enjoys running off leash with other dogs, and I no longer have anxiety that Seymour will be unpredictable or run off. I highly recommend Stephen and Spot-On K9 Training for dog training.

Stephen Baum of Spot On K-9 Training is a fantastic trainer. We adopted our dog Floyd 3 years ago when he was still a puppy. He is now a full-grown 70 lb. hound dog. He was reactive to certain dogs in our building and around our neighborhood. It got to the point where I was afraid to walk him as I did not know if he would lunge for another dog and drag me down with him. I feel so fortunate that we found Stephen. After the first lesson I immediately felt more confident handling Floyd. He taught us how to correct him and how to de-escalate when we see him starting to react. Floyd now waits when the elevator door opens instead of running out ahead of us. He knows how to stay in place which allows us to take him with us when we dine at restaurants with outdoor seating. People comment on his good behavior. Additionally, we now know how to handle Floyd off-leash so he and we can enjoy off-leash hours in Central Park. This is something we never thought we would be able to do. Stephen’s training has truly changed our lives and our relationship with our dog. We highly recommend!

In Sept of last year I lasted 5 whole days fostering a one year old golden retriever mix before signing the adoption papers. He was a dreamboat from day one but his biggest hurdle was the leash... I don't think Benny's previous owners ever used one, and his puppy energy, sheer size and the fact that he is *fiercely independent* made walking him a nightmare. He would pull me down the street, dart off after anything that got his attention, try to eat everything in sight. I was embarrassed taking him out because he was so good otherwise. But taking him out less meant he got out less energy so it quickly became a bad cycle, and one that needed to change. I tried every tip I could find but ultimately decided it was worth investing in a personal trainer. I can't tell you how glad I am that we found Stephen! In a few short months I went from not wanting to leave the house with Benny to trusting him completely off-leash in the middle of Central Park. It still blows my mind! My original goal was just to be able to walk Benny through the streets of NYC without having my shoulder pulled out of socket, so we started by booking four 1:1 sessions each 2 weeks apart. Stephen sent over AMPLE reading material and homework that was massively helpful before we ever even met. Quickly after the first session we decided to explore off-leash training. It wasn't something I had considered before but when I found out we'd be moving to LA for work (loads more outdoor space) it made sense. Now I can't shut up about it! Throughout training Stephen kept sending resources and tips and was readily available for any questions I had. He was also flexible and accommodating when I had to reschedule our sessions. He was kind and compassionate throughout the entire process but didn't let me off easy - this I especially appreciated. He held me accountable to working with Benny and doing "reps" outside of our time together and would call me out if he could tell we hadn't been practicing enough. I truly think this was one of the biggest benefits to Stephen's training method. Leash training, especially off-leash for a high-energy/reactive puppy, isn't a quick fix or something you can just check off a box for one hour every other week. My entire relationship with Benny and the way we live life together has changed. Stephen made sure I understood this was about building a foundational relationship with my dog, one where he knows I'm there to love and protect him but that at the end of the day I still call the shots. I feel like I "get" Benny more now - I know his triggers and what to look out for as well as how to correct behaviors before they even start. Over a few short months he completely changed the way Benny and I interact with one another and I can't thank him enough for working with us!

We reached out Spot on K9 training due to our puppy’s early signs of resource guarding — we were looking to anticipate, intercept and better manage his possessive aggression. He would have trouble guarding when eating his food or with other items he found to be of high value. Stephen offered a range tools to help — we found this to be super effective during our training sessions, but most importantly, while in the thick of a stressful moment. Ultimately, our puppy tends to resource guard much less — he’s learned the meaning of “No”, which is a great first step in avoiding an undesirable behavior. It’s important to note, change doesn’t happen over night. The positive outcome we’re seeing is due to consistent training beyond just our sessions with Stephen. Overall, we’re happy with our decision to train with SOK9T — the reduced stress in our household and the ability to communicate effectively with our pup has been rewarding. Stephen is always great with follow ups and in general, a great resource when we have any questions — always responsive and always well informed. We plan to continue with group trainings for more of the fun things to come!

Stephen was such a great resource for us and we really couldn't have asked for a more serious, attentive trainer. Stephen is clearly a master at his trade, and the reviews really speak for themselves: he'll put 110% into training your dog. He was really great at tailoring exercises for my dog, and you could really see the difference in my dog's behavior by the end of the course. Would absolutely recommend him without a doubt!