Youngblood was on time, very friendly and my dog even liked him right off. He gave us great…read moreinstructions on what we were doing wrong and what we should be doing. It is not easy for me to change my ways but my little dog is doing better than I am. Youngblood was very patient with us. I highly recommend him to anyone.

We adopted Hunter after his being in 3 foster homes. As a one and a half year old golden, being…read moretossed around his whole life, he naturally had several "issues". Our friends recommended Youngblood, and we are so grateful they did. After just one lesson, Hunter seemed more at ease, and not as scared. We just finished our 5th lesson, and Hunter is a new dog. Calm, manners, not afraid. Can't thank you enough Youngblood and have already recommended you to a friend. Wish there was a higher Yelp rating to give you. Paul, Pam & Hunter

I have three little dogs and when I moved to Portland, my littles needed some extra training…read more Having had some issues from before I got them, then moving from the country to a city was a lot of change. I checked out some other trainers and none of them had the experience, patience or knowledge that Rick has. He has been great at training me to better train and understand my dogs. He has been patient with my energetic little dog, tips and ideas based on his behavior and communication style teaching me how he will help teach my other littles. Rick is always available for questions and if something isn't working, he helps me understand why and how to overcome it so we can keep moving forward with the training. While I have a great connection and love my pups, this is helping me to give them a better life so we can have better adventures. More sessions with Rick coming up and they cannot wait for their "friend" to come over.

I'm only a few sessions into training with Rick at BonesPDX, but the progress has been notable - I…read morecouldn't wait to share! His approach to dog training is backed by his deep expertise in animal behavior, including his experience as a former lead trainer at the Oregon Zoo. This unique combination makes him an exceptional choice for anyone looking to improve their dog's responsiveness, learn obedience, or master advanced skills. My high-energy Goldendoodle is already showing notable improvements. Best of all, I'm able to communicate with my dog more effectively. One of the biggest surprises? My dog who used to inhale his food at mealtime, actually asked to do training exercises and eat his dinner as the reward! That shift shows how engaged and eager he has become through Rick's positive approach and the changes I've made by learning what to do. Rick is not only a highly skilled professional dog trainer but also incredibly patient - with both my dog and me. He picks up on the tiniest cues helping me better understand my dog and is always eager to answer questions. His follow-up is outstanding, ensuring we stay on track. I highly recommend Rick. His knowledge, patience, and ability to connect with both dogs and their owners make him a stand-out in the field!

Paul is an excellent dog trainer! I impulsively adopted a male Rottweiler-mix puppy. It might not…read morehave been the best plan, and I wasn't prepared for how out of control things got with him. Thankfully, I knew who to call, because Paul has trained dogs for our family before: a Malamute and a German Shepherd puppy. Well, I'm glad I called! Once again, things have drastically improved with my puppy.

We adopted our Signey- shepsky (more shep then sky) from a shelter in SCAL. Unfortunately, even…read moreafter much due diligence in asking for personality and ability to live with other dogs from the shelter and rescue- we were given false information. What arrived at our doors was a thin, traumatized 15 month old dog that was very reactive to all dogs. Thankfully she was good with people. We tried everything to get her to integrate with the current "pack" and sought (and paid) for several dog trainers, with no success. After two months we were exhausted and thinking of returning her. Then we found Paul- with his advice and assistance we were able to turn this scared (large) dog into a love bug. She now gets along with the pack, is quite the snuggler and listens to her commands. We have also realized that she will never be "a dog park" dog, but she is doing well on leash and is continually improving her leash reactivity with dogs She meets and greets people calmly. Would highly recommend Paul. He's not fancy and is very direct, but it works and that's what counted for me. We continue to visit Paul weekly for doggy daycare or if we needed boarding for a trip and she always comes home tired and relaxed. Highly recommend.

My Belgian Malinois--German Shepherd dog and I worked with Poppy for about 6 months. I cannot…read morerecommend Poppy and Instinct enough! My pup has been dealing with reactivity towards strangers and dogs since I rescued her. Since our time spent with Poppy, I have had family and friends tell me she is a completely different dog. Poppy was incredibly patient with us and very attentive (plus my pup absolutely loved her). She aimed to understand our goals, ensured they were realistic for us and and helped us make great strides towards them. I also very much appreciated how empathetic and kind Poppy was when offering feedback. I learned a lot of effective strategies and tactics to help redirect my dog and give her alternative behaviors to choose. Poppy was right there with us celebrating every little milestone along the way. :) We are both now significantly more relaxed when we go out into the world. Poppy truly had an impact on our day-to-day life.

Poppy watched the dog for a bit and based her training on their actions. The dogs responded so well…read moreshe was excited on their progress. I loved the way she treated the dogs and taught me things to improve their barking.

Wow, where do I start? Our pup was deathly afraid of everything, and had so much anxiety! Walking…read morehim was no fun because of his fear of people, cars, other dogs, bikes, etc.. We reached out to Maritza in hopes of her training help, and we are so happy we did! She is such a nice, down to earth, and very professional trainer who really knows her stuff! We learned so much about reducing our dogs triggers in order to teach him how to be more confident and have less anxiety. Her method for training is also really cool and very kind toward the dog. We learned that training requires patience but also persistence. The fee she charges is well worth it and we would for sure do it again! We are all going to miss her! Our pup is a much more confident and happy boy!

Maritza has been a great help working with my dog on his separation anxiety and lease reactivity…read more She provided great insight on the reasons for my dog's behavior and offered great advice on addressing these issues. I appreciated her ability to adjust the training specifically to my dog after seeing the results of each session. I feel encouraged after each session and excited about doing the homework that she assigns. It is also very clear that Maritza loves dogs and wants the best for them and their owners. Thank you Maritza, for your help!

Charles is the best!! We have tried many training programs with our German Shepherd Cooper and…read morehaven't had much luck addressing his issues but one week with Charles and there was a huge difference shown. If you want someone who is passionate, competent and actually cares,he is your guy!! Thank you for all your help Charles!!!

I met Charles 3 years ago when I was fostering a GSD/Shepherd rescue and I learned SO MUCH about…read morehow to really connect with dogs. Since that time, he has worked with me with other fosters and now my 6-month old puppy. I have had dogs my whole life but after one afternoon working with Charles, I learned a new (and better) way to interact with them which has relieved some of the anxiety and stress that comes from owning a reactive dog. Charles calm demeanor and empathetic style of teaching is exactly what most dogs (and owners) need. I especially recommend enlisting Charles help if you have attended those pet store training classes that award you certificates but you still have a dog that doesn't listen, has poor recall, or is reactive on walks. Best of all, Charles has classes outdoors in real world environments where we actually exist with our dogs.

Amazing and good! We had a special situation with a rescue dog and she was very helpful. We are…read moreglad we called her!

Paws Down and Julie stepped in when another local training facility refused to tailor a program to…read moreget my dog, Kemper, and I where we needed to go before a last minute move overseas. I am a disabled combat veteran, but do not qualify for a 'service animal' from non-profits because I do not have the 'correct' diagnosis, even though I suffer from the same exact symptoms as those with PTSD. My wife's mother, who lives in Europe, recently had a stroke and my wife has been by her side since early August. If I hope to see my wife at all over the next several years, because of her and my commitment to ensure that her mother gets the care and attention she deserves, we needed to be much closer than the Pacific NW, hence our uprooting. In order to have Kemper fly with me in the cabin on a grueling 10-hour trans-Atlantic flight, he needed some several skills which he was lacking when we adopted him from the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society after six years of being abandoned and abused, for no reason, by one owner after another. Even with his unjust and unconscionable treatment early in life, he is one of the sweetest and dogs I have ever known. Julie and Kemper quickly developed a strong bond and she was willing to work with me one-on-one, tailoring a training plan for both of us to get us where we need to be with just two months before boarding the plane. Having a Master's in Psychology, I am an expert in operant and classical conditioning, but lacked the understanding of how dogs think, so Julie was training both of us along the way. Kemper picked-up on things quickly and me, not so much, but we were compelled to get the job done and succeed in our mission, no room for error. Paws Down is not exactly cheap when it comes to private training, but Julie did not charge for travel time to our home and routinely stayed after the allotted one-hour appointment times. Yesterday, less than two months after starting with Julie, Kemper passed his AKC Canine Good Citizen test and his certificate is on the way, arriving well before we need it for travel to our new home. Thank you Paws Down and Julie for helping me ensure that my support animal and I make it safely to Europe, reuniting our family after moths apart. CombatCritic Gives Paws Down Dog Training 10 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My 'WALL OF FAME' ... More Bombs Are Better ... HOOAH!

Mark was so great at guiding both me and my pup through my 3 year old golden doodle's dog…read morereactivity. We spent time discussing my own relationship with my dog and the importance of my own role throughout the training process; this included things I was doing well and things I needed to improve on which left me feeling confident and calm! I was given the chance to practice certain skills with Mark's own dogs and was given homework to work on over the next couple weeks. There was no BS - just corrections and praise which is my kind of dog training. Mark was a wonderful teacher and listener and made me feel so good about the training process. I am already looking forward to our next session!

LOTP was the best decision I could have ever made for my dog. My pup was reactive, and I wasn't…read moresure if we'd ever be able to have the life we wanted being out in public (especially in such a dog friendly town), and after going through the training his reactivity is almost completely gone and we're able to go to the dog park, go on walks, and do all the things without the fear we had before. I was afraid this wouldn't be possible without fear based training, but LOTP was able to train him in a loving, non-fear based environment. As testament, when I picked my pup up after training was done and his initial excitement to see me had passed, he was back to playing with the owner/trainer like they were best friends. I strongly recommend taking advantage of the packages they offer, as my pup was SO excited to spend a weekend with them for follow up training. As soon as we arrived at the house my dog could hardly wait to get out of the car and be back with the owner. I highly, highly recommend LOTP. I love my pup more than anything and made the right choice in sending him there. If traditional classes didn't work for you, you're scared about leaving your dog in the hands of someone else, and you're nervous they're going to change the good in your dog's personality to make him behave, don't be. It is worth every penny, and can give you a life with your pup that you didn't think possible, without the use of fear or trauma or pain like you see in other training/militant facilities. LOTP changed my family's life for the better and can do the same for yours, too. Perks: They set your dog up with a personalized page for you to visit complete with updates, videos, and pictures, so you can track your dog's progress. Pictures below were taken at actual training and uploaded to his page. We learned he LOVES the jolly ball so we got him one and he plays with it all the time. The trainer sits with you when you drop your pup off to give you the full rundown so you're aligned on expectations and everything. You can tell right off the bat he knows what he's talking about and will love and take care of your pup. And when you pick your pup up you have another session where they set you up for ongoing success. Thank you Mark and team for everything!!!