Stu is an excellent dog trainer. Passionate, strict and cares a lot about the progress of both the dog and its human. When we met Stu, our Ger. Shep is about 3.5 mos. Being a puppy, he's very unruly, and obviously, the boss of us. He wld pull us on walks, refused to get in & out of the car. He wld also nip & mouth us, esp when he's hungry. At that time it was becoming very hard for us to enjoy him inside & outside the house. The very 1st day of lesson w/ Stu, Zeus was a completely diff puppy. He wasn't pulling anymore, & he got in & out of the car by just a bit of coaching. That was absolutely a relief for us. Stu taught us the techniques on how to make him listen to commands. We now enjoy our afternoon walks in the park & through the commercial area by our residence. People who know him are impressed by the transformation. Zeus is now 4.5 mos, still a puppy, but a calmer one. He knows that people, esp children, must be greeted in a calm respectful manner. If he misses, tiny correction does the trick. This is in fact what's most important for us, for him to grow up to be a respectful member of the community. Inside the house, he's discipline. He stopped nipping everything & everyone. He is now a big adorable puppy. We are happy & proud of the progress we made w/ Zeus under Stu's guidance. We are looking forward to having a well-mannered, disciplined & sociable dog. If this is your goal for your dog, then Stu is your guy. He gave us the confidence to be pet parents to a very special kind of Ger. Shep. My husband said that Stu is our "miracle guy". We are amazed w/ the changes that we see in our dog. And, of course, I don't want to neglect commending Maura (Stu's adult Ger. Shep. companion) for being a good example to Zeus. We have Zeus stayed w/ Stu several times so he can have proper & safe exposure to an adult dog, who can teach him how to play respectfully with other dogs. If you have the chance to board your dog with Stu, I highly recommend it. I think it's healthy for young dogs to be with calm & disciplined adult dogs, to learn the ways. Carissa S. Glenview, IL read more

Working with Stu has been absolutely transformative for me and my dog, Benson. Benson is a five-year-old rescue, and without knowing his full background, I was completely taken off guard when his reactivity to other dogs and people surfaced. It made simple things, like taking a walk or having guests over, a source of constant worry and stress. We were struggling significantly with reactivity and anxiety. While I knew we needed training, I didn't realize how much I needed to change my own understanding of my dog and our relationship. Stu has a wonderful, no-nonsense approach to training. There's no fluff or confusing jargon, just clear, direct, and highly effective methods. But what truly sets him apart is his commitment to explaining the why behind everything we do. He didn't just give me commands; he helped me understand the psychology of my dog's reactions, which gave me the confidence to apply the training correctly and consistently. In particular, having his own dog, Maura, present for sessions was invaluable. Maura is a certified therapy dog, acting as a perfect, real-time example for Stu to demonstrate techniques. More importantly, she was a stable presence that allowed Benson to practice being calm around another dog in all environments. Seeing Maura and Stu's relationship in action was just as instructional as the hands-on training. He made it clear that a successful dog-handler relationship goes far beyond obedience commands. His instruction helped me see that a calm, trusting connection is the foundation for managing anxiety and reactivity. Thanks to his guidance, I'm not only seeing huge improvements in Benson's behavior, but I also feel like I have an excellent, supportive relationship with him. If you are looking for a trainer who is direct, knowledgeable, and genuinely focused on setting both you and your dog up for long-term success, look no further than Stu. I can't recommend him highly enough! read more

I highly recommend using Stu for not only training but any other services he offers as well too. He takes training very seriously with a high degree of effort. Stu is also very passionate and serious about the dog's progress, but the owner's progress as well. He checks in when we aren't training to see how our dog has been and what training we are practicing outside of our sessions. I have worked with multiple trainers in the past and none have ever been as attentive, practical, prompt and genuinely interested in progressing your dog to the next level. We have an almost three year old Golden Doodle named Stanley who has worked with two other trainers that was being reactive on leash towards other dogs, strangers and other sensory driving instances (bikes, etc). In just 4 weeks our dog is already changed his behavior immensely and it has been amazing to watch. Stanley walks uniformly, sits on command, can be directed up or down onto obstacles, is non-reactive, much more stimulated at home and we are already leveling up to more advanced scenarios such as walking off leash with a firm heel. Additionally we have trained in multiple public settings which provides new learning opportunities for the dog such as more populated/less populated settings, and different ground surfaces. read more

I wish there were more stars to give. Stu is THE best dog trainer, no questions asked. He just has a way about him that dogs respond to and respect. He changed our lives. My husband and I adopted Spike - 80% German Shepherd, 20% Border Collie, endless energy, very reactive to other dogs. We put Spike through every training session we could think of over the course of his first year of life. We received so much crazy feedback (e.g. don't let your dog look out the window, don't let your dog interact with other dogs, dogs aren't supposed to go on walks). Nothing was working. I hated going to training classes. I felt like I was failing him and was ready to give up. Then, thank goodness, we met Stu. Within one session Spike was a different dog. He stopped pulling on his leash, he responded to commands, his reactivity reduced... the transformation was unbelievable. I started loving training sessions. Before meeting Stu we couldn't walk our dog on the same side of the street as another dog. After a few sessions with Stu we had such control with Spike that we were able to register him as a service dog and take him into stores and restaurants with comfort and ease. Stu will connect with your dog and teach you how to do the same. I recommend him over any other trainer hands down. read more

There are many dog trainers out there, with many different approaches and styles. In our view, Stu's approach works (we are on dog number three). He brings a passion and committment to what he does which sets him apart. He loves our dog and cares for her as if she were one of his own. We started working with him in November when our puppy was four months old and worked with him until quarantine. We always looked forward to our weekly training and to see the growth in our dog. Instead of meeting in our home, we often met in public places. He also brought one of his dogs with to our training sessions. This approach helped our dog with socialization and how to pay attention to us and deal with distractions. She is now incredibly social and loving with both people and other animals. Stu also boards dogs and can train during their stay. We boarded our puppy with him several times, and she always comes home happy, healthy and exhausted. We cannot recommend Stu enough and it is always a pleasure to both see and learn more about what our dog is capable of achieving. read more

We brought our one-year-old English Springer Spaniel, Daisy, to Stu, and he is truly THE expert when it comes to training and obedience. Even after just one session, Daisy was a completely different and more confident dog. It's truly magical. Our main goals were to improve her walking, reduce pulling, work on socialization, handle loud noises, and improve her recall. Amazingly, after just that first session, Daisy went from walking me to me walking her. She stands right next to me during every walk now, even with distractions. After only a couple of sessions, my family and I have seen an incredible transformation in Daisy. With Stu's guidance, she is more confident, happier, and listens to direction so much better. He demonstrates how to handle Daisy with his beautiful German shepherd assistant, Maura. We would trust Stu with any dog, of any breed, because his expertise is unmatched. There's no one like him in the Northshore area! - Alex, Deerfield, Illinois read more

We had an outstanding experience with Stu at Bonding with Buddies! Our 1.5-year-old Doberman was a handful when it came to leash pulling and following commands, but Stu worked wonders. After just one session, our dog was walking calmly on a leash, and by the first few sessions, he was reliably obeying commands like sit, down, stand, stay, and come. Stu's training style is professional, patient, and highly effective. He focuses on building a bond between you and your dog, which makes the process not only rewarding but enjoyable. What sets Stu apart is his ability to tailor his training to the specific needs of each dog and owner. Other clients rave about his calm and consistent approach, his attention to detail, and his ability to turn even the most challenging dogs into well-mannered companions. We couldn't agree more! If you're serious about training your dog and creating a positive, lasting connection, we can't recommend Stu and Bonding with Buddies enough!" read more

Stu Unger owner of "Bonding with Buddies" is the best choice you can make for either boarding or training. Stu bonds with any dog he comes in contact with and he has a deep desire to make sure your dog is properly trained so your life together will be the best it can be not only for your family but for your beloved pet. In todays environment with every one getting dogs and so many people claiming to be "dog trainers" it is hard to know where to go. Trust me Stu is the BEST. Everywhere I go with my pup people always comment on how well behaved and calm he is. I am lucky to have my dog trained by Stu and even luckier that it came from his breeding. Happy to take any calls regarding "Bonding with Buddies" Lynn 847-345-8852 read more

I couldn't be happier with the results of Stu's dog training! Before working with Stu, I had tried group lessons at PetSmart, but I didn't see much improvement in my German shepherd, Rex's behavior. Stu was a game-changer! His personalized training approach not only helped Rex become more obedient and well-behaved but also gave me valuable insights and skills that I hadn't picked up before. Stu was patient, knowledgeable, and truly invested in Rex's progress. Thanks to his guidance, Rex is now calmer, more focused, and an absolute joy to be around. I highly recommend Stu to anyone looking for a dog trainer who genuinely cares and gets real results! read more

I strongly recommend Stu for anyone looking for highly effective, well-rounded dog training. What truly sets Stu apart is his focus on training the owner and dog together, which leads to rapid, lasting results. Through Stu's guidance, I gained a much better understanding of how to communicate with my dog and saw a noticeable increase in my dog's confidence and responsiveness. The combination of dedicated one-on-one sessions and structured group classes was incredibly valuable, especially for socialization with other dogs. The training was practical, supportive, empowering, and reasonably priced. read more

Stu is a real PRO. He's has an affinity for all animals his entire life and he even used to own a Horse in Deerfield. He brought over 40 years of experience to the table and helped me to train my dog Jacky. The overall experience was a pleasure. He was patient, kind, compassionate, and driven to help Jacky learn to behave in Highland Park. If I ever need anything, he is always accessible and I'm extremely pleased with how much he has improved our black labs' behavior. read more

We really appreciated Stu's assistance with our young pup. She was scared and skittish, and after each session with Stu, she had more confidence and more peaceful energy. He genuinely cares about the dogs he trains and was good showing us useful techniques to get better behavior out of our rescue. read more

Stu is hands down the best trainer you'll find and the best investment you can make for you and your dog. He's practical and extremely efficient. He goes above and beyond and truly cares about seeing progress not only with the dog but with the owner/handler. I will forever sing his praises! read more

Stu is the best!!! Our dog is now walking with us without pulling or biting the leash, coming to us when we call him, and not jumping on our friends when they come over. All because of Stu 's amazing training and teaching. Highly recommend him and bonding with buddies! read more

Stu loves dogs, he is an excellent trainer. We have a GS and without Stu we would not be able to enjoy our "GS family dog" as much. I highly recommend Stu. read more