Reviews

"It's difficult to express just how thankful my wife and I for getting Jonathan's help with our new pup!! If you're unsure about how to read your dog's behavior, how to be a responsible owner, or how to make adjustments in your own life to do right by your pup, Jonathan is 100% your guy.

When we adopted an 18m old australian shepherd (Moose) that struggled with anxiety and didn't know how to interact with other dogs, we constantly worried about doing the wrong thing. There's almost too much information online, and we weren't sure whether the advice we were given by our friends/family was necessarily right. Jonathan offered us a strong framework/mental model for understanding Moose's behavior AND a concrete plan for training the right way.

As others have said, Jonathan is thorough, intentional, and incredibly structured in his approach. Beyond that though, Jonathan is a wonderful listener and acknowledges the nuances that make dog ownership a tricky affair. Some examples:
- How should we interpret our dog's whining when we crate him?
- How do we react when our dog lunges/barks at another dog on the street?
- Can we let our dog off leash? If not, how do we train our dog so that we can?
- What situations should we avoid to ensure our dog is safe?
- How do you reinforce training? How often? What situations tell you you're on the right/wrong track?

Jonathan gives it to you straight when you need it, and puts your concerns to rest when you don't need to worry. If you're on the fence, I hope this testimonial helps in a small way because i'd gladly recommend him without hesitation based on the progress we've seen." 

My partner and I were going back and forth on hiring a dog trainer for Floki, our doberman, and after many google/yelp searches, we decided Jonathan seemed like a good fit because he has a lot of experience with working dogs.

After the first session, Floki's leash walking already improved tremendously on the prong collar and we have even started walking Floki through certain areas just on a flat collar. Another big thing that I wanted to work on was being more comfortable using the e-collar. Jonathan showed us how to find the correct setting and most importantly showed us the timing in saying the command and pressing/releasing the e-collar stimulation. He also taught us how to eventually phase Floki off of the e-collar.

With 5 sessions, Floki's attentiveness to our commands has improved tremendously and we're able to mentally stimulate Floki through training so he's much calmer throughout the day. Lastly, it also taught my partner and I effective ways of training that Floki is responsive to!

I highly recommend Jonathan, if you're looking for a dog trainer! He was attentive, easy to schedule sessions with, and fun to work with!"

"This is a long over due review for Jonathan and Pack Leader Dog Training.

I adopted my malamute, Mush, in early February thinking this would be an easy fit. Boy was I wrong. Mush has every single behavioral problem you can list: resource guarding, separation anxiety, hyperactive, super alpha to family members and overall lacks obedience training. He actually bit me on the 3rd day because I was trying to take away a plastic bag he got from the garbage can.

This is where Jonathan came in. After the initial consultation, we were seeing improvements. Jonathan gave us the proper tools and technique to correct Mush and his behavioral problems. By the end of the 5th training session, all of Mush's problems were gone!

Please note that Jonathan will give you the tools and techniques to train your dog and correct their behavior issue. YOU, the dog owner, have to put in the effort to follow Jonathan's teaching."

"My dog is a pandemic puppy which originally WFH put me in a great position to train him during his prime developmental stage. With the transition back to in-person responsibilities, consistency with training was lessened and behavioral issues started to develop. 

Our major concern was Pax's reactivity to other dogs when we were in public. He'd lunge, get tunnel vision and bark, pull on the leash (basically taking me for a walk), and overall didn't know how to act. I became desperate for help considering that he was transitioning into a young adult and thought I sabotaged nurturing a well behaved dog. I was wrong. 

Since the initial 1-hr assessment with Jonathan, my family and I learned that we were the main ones that needed to be trained and I had to be a solid presence of leadership in my dog's life. 

Week by week, we worked on basic obedience and being intentional with our training outside of the sessions, with Jonathan's guidance. Throughout it all, Jonathan has been such a meaningful trainer that cares about the growth of both pet and parent! He's very thoughtful, patient, and knowledgeable. 

We appreciate the major behavior changes we've already seen in our dog since starting this program and will continue to instill these positive qualities in our pup! Even after this program, I have the assurance that the connection of my dog to Jonathan won't be disposed of as he will remain to be apart of our support system, in times of need."