The Dog Behavior Institute

I highly recommend The Dog Behavior Institute. I completed their "Nailed It" course with my older dog, first. I initially signed up to audit it because I wasn't totally convinced a virtual class would be as effective as in-person training. As soon as the first class ended, I switched to being an active student. Ran is so good at adjusting their instructions to make you and your dog successful at learning the new skills. It was remarkable how observant Ran could be from a video call. When my younger dog's behavior began getting challenging, I returned to DBI for support. We completed a Behavior Assessment and subsequently 1:1 training tailored to what Ran observed of my dog during the assessment. The training plan was designed to both address my dog's needs and work within my hectic schedule. I have been to other dog trainers that were judgmental of how much "homework" was completed in between training sessions. In stark contrast, Ran just recommended meeting more than once per week, thinking of our sessions as doing the homework together, and if I practiced anything in between, it was considered "bonus." This simple mindset shift was meaningful and helped keep me motivated. I highly recommend DBI for their expertise, professionalism, and the empathy they extend towards their dog clients as well as the humans on the other end of the leash.

I recently took the Growing Families class to help prepare my dog for the arrival of our baby, and I’m so glad I did. There are so many things to consider when it comes to introducing a pet to a new family member, and this class helped me focus on what really matters. The structure was great: each week introduced a new topic, and the progression felt natural and manageable. I especially appreciated the interactive group activities and the simple yet actionable homework assignments. They made the experience more engaging. Overall, the class was incredibly helpful. I now feel much more confident about how to support my dog through the upcoming changes in our home and family life.

As a puppy, Archie suffered from terrible separation anxiety, even if we just left the room. Working with Stephanie we were able to build his confidence so much so that we can now leave him for an hour and continue to make progress on our own. We have a happy, well adjusted dog. We are so impressed with Stephanie's tailored training program and her weekly assessment of Archie's progress. This was done all remote, with the use of Zoom. It was like Stephanie was there with us. We and Archie are grateful that she was there for us.

I took 2 rounds of Ran's muzzle puzzle class for my little chihuahua mix Jinya and did a few 1:1 sessions with them and it was such an incredible experience! The approach Ran takes to teaching is just wonderful. Everything is so thoughtful, collaborative, and they always ensure that you and your dog are feeling good during the process. I always felt safe to express concerns, ask questions, and request extra explanations when things didn't make sense to me. And thanks to Ran, Jinya will now happily opt into putting her muzzle on and can wear it for her vet appointments which was our entire goal! I highly highly HIGHLY recommend Ran (and Stephanie) at The Dog Behavior Institute!