After searching the world for over eight months to find a well-trained, healthy, and great-looking show-line German Shepherd, we finally found the right one. The journey wasn't easy--figuring out who to trust felt nearly impossible. That's when we found John Riboni, right here in California. He knows exactly where and how to identify truly exceptional dogs. A retired sheriff and Schutzhund trainer, John brings integrity, deep knowledge, and a genuine passion for the breed. We found him to be honest, trustworthy, and incredibly knowledgeable--truly one of the most reliable people you'll meet in this space. If you're searching for a top-quality German Shepherd, call John Riboni. He's the real deal. read more

Lauren had our dog for Board and train for a month. Our dog is now very well behaved and we can take her anywhere. This training was a great investment and highly recommended! Picture 1 is my dog in a "down" position waiting to enter the groomer while the dog next to us was barking uncontrollably and skiing on the tile. Picture 2 is Koa in her "place" on a picnic table in the park while kids and dogs ran free. She had many distractions, but she held her "place" with no problems! This is life changing and we are so grateful. read more

German Shepard Watchdogs - Pet Training Near Me

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We recently got a two year old male (Max) that John found for us in Germany and have had him home with us for almost two weeks. I took him to a local German Shepherd breeder/trainer so that I could learn to communicate with him and as they went thru a few drills to see what he knew they kept saying Wow! He impressed the trainers with how well he had been trained and how he instantly responded when asked to sit, stay, heel, he has beautiful form as he marches along totally focusing on the task at hand. Then the guy asks me if it's ok if he sees if he has had any bite training. John had told me that he thought that he'd had some. I said go right ahead, I got another wow out of the guy. He pulled out a bite toy and Max went for it...when he was told he could, and released when told. John told me that temperament is very important to him and he hit the mark with Max. I would recommend German Shepherd Watchdogs to anybody that wants an outstanding dog. You get what you pay for and I could not be happier with my dealings with John Riboni and German Shepherd Watchdogs. read more

German Shepard Watchdogs - Massimo (Max) - Pet Training Near Me

No one is more transparent than John when it comes to German Shepherd dogs. I first got on the phone with him to explain what I was looking for and he was patient to listen and take notes of my family situation. We gave him our budget, the people in the house, a light description of the trained dog we were interested in and so on. I then found out that my father has a friend who he has been using for years and we need to only go through him. I informed John about this and he was nice enough to give us his consultation about what to look for and what to ask for. Although I have yet to purchase a dog from John I will be referring and using him in the future. His return policy is the best in the business. Unfortunately the decision was not in my hands but rather my fathers but I still would suggest John. Transparency is the most important aspect when buying a dog "unseen". read more

I searched everywhere looking for the perfect trainer for our male German Shepard. I spoke to a few, and none came close in making me feel comfortable in their ability to train our dog. I found the website for "German Shepard Watchdogs" and after hearing what Ron Kester said about the breed, the amount of time they invest in their dogs, and how they go through vigorous training and background checks to make sure the dog is perfect for your family; we feel that this training facility is the only way to go. I learned a few things about the breed that we were unaware of, and it made us more confident that GSD's are the perfect family/guard dog, IF YOU HAVE THE TIME TO BE WITH THEM. Thank you Ron for all your info.! read more

We currently own a 7 year old female GSD and owned a male Dutch Shepherd previously. John found us a 3 1/2 year old male Schutzhund / IPO 3 in Germany and after a stay at his Loomis facility drove Terro down to Las Vegas. John put us in contact with a longtime GSD trainer, competitor and regional Schutzhund official in our local area for "our" training in obedience and protection. Terro is very stable happy dog and a great addition to our family. He bonded quickly and it has been interesting seeing his distinct personality develop within our family. John chose the right one for us. read more

Our family has received two dogs from John at GSW so far. Both have been outstanding in quality, training and temperament. I have come to appreciate just how passionate GSW is about finding only the very best for their customers. Our first was Cessi vom Haus Detoga, a 3 1/2 yr old Sch 1 female of remarkable pedigree and training and our second is Greco od Jurecka, a 2 yr old Sch 3 with tremendous temperament, intelligence and strength. Both of our dogs are beyond our greatest expectations, and we had very high expectations! We couldn't be happier to have great dogs like these as a family member and to watch over us at home and away. They both possess a kind and friendly temperament around people and other dogs but also display an attitude for protection when appropriate. I certainly would not want to be one on the business end of either one of our dogs! I would highly recommend that if you would like the very best, without having to worry about what you might be getting, then John and German Shepard Watchdogs are your only choice for your investment! John's attention to detail and his insistence that his dogs are only placed into the best homes with the best people impressed us a lot! GSW is passionate about their dogs and their customers! I could never imagine having anything else but our GSW family members! read more

I don't normally post reviews, but had to say something about German Shepard Watchdogs - specifically Lauren Riboni. I have a 10 mo old GSD I got from a local Breeder and have been doing some training with her, but good local trainers are very hard to find especially those who are good with GSDs. I knew about Lauren's dad, John Riboni from the Breeder and also observing him during some Schutzhund trading he does. The trainer I had been working with ( who is way too busy himself) was trained by John and he recommended that I get in touch with Lauren who was also trained by John (her Dad). I reached out to John and he got me in touch with Lauren in no time. Lauren was very responsive getting back to me and getting things set up for the initial observation visit. She was excellent with Sandy (our dog) as well as myself. Lauren gave me a number of good tips to work on for next time and we discussed what we might do with Sandy over time. As I mentioned, she is great with Sandy and me as well - I have a lot of questions and she was very patient with me ( I had picked up some bad habits with the training I was doing) - she is a great people trainer as well! I'm looking forward to getting Sandy much further along with Lauren starting with the Canine Good Citizen and then eventually into the Schutzund/IPO work - but one step at a time. The facility was very nice, clean and well maintained - a great place for the training and beautiful setting! I would highly recommend Lauren for anyone who has training needs. She understands animal behavior very well and connects quickly with them. She also works very well with the owners so that way there is a complete training that is effective and long lasting. Finally she was trained by the best - her Dad, John! read more

I seldom write reviews, but have had such great experiences with John and Lauren and I need to pass my thoughts and feelings along. As a GSD breeder of nearly 20 years I want the very best breeding dogs and my puppies to go to the best possible homes. One of the requirements of eligible puppy buyers is that they are willing to go to training. I have referred many of my clients to Lauren. She has trained people and their dogs for service, family pet, and solved behavioral issues. I am always very please with the happy results I see and hear about, even from first time inexperienced owners. THANK YOU Lauren! John's training of protection sport dogs is a blast to watch! His expertise in training protection dogs is invaluable. He has helped to train two imported dogs I bought from him and they're both awesome! I couldn't be happier. The dogs are everything I want in my breeding program. One of the things I admire about John is how well he understands dogs, he is selective in placing these incredible GSD's in the perfect homes for dogs and owners. THANK YOU John! What an awesome father and daughter team!! read more

Lauren Riboni did a terrific job training my very high drive German Shepherd puppy. She worked with my family on getting our beautiful shepherd to be a integral part of our family. I have a 6 year old daughter that now feels comfortable interacting and training our dog. Lauren was patient working with my wife and children. All of the information Lauren and her father John has given us has been spot on. They know what they are doing and are great to work with. You cannot go wrong working with German Shepherd Watchdogs. read more

GSWD was recommended to me for my 6 month old GS puppy. I had some basic training done such as Sit, Down, Leave it and some basic leash training. What my Puppy needed was "boot camp" she was jumping, nipping, still having some potty accidents, pulling on the leash and really hyper. Her breeder highly recommended Lauren, who was a Fairly new trainer. My first call to Lauren went very well, she was pleasant and after asking me what I wanted she outlined a plan for Staussi and myself. She scheduled her in pretty quickly and before you know it we were dropping her off. We felt safe leaving Staussi with Lauren, because she went out of the way to make us comfortable with her ability to train and make her a part of her family while she is with her, taking her everywhere she goes including the store. I started getting anxious in the last week, not knowing if there will be a big difference in her behavior after 4 weeks. She was very patient and answered my calls and involved me asking what I want her to concentrate on and after talking to her, I trusted that she had this covered. I didn't recognize my pup when she came home it was like night and day! I would recommend her for training any breed, she's great! Looking forward to using her service or her Dad's if I plan on further training. Deanna Sellers Antelope, CA read more

German Shepherd Watchdogs LLC is the best in the business for training and placing German Shepherds with families. The dogs are expensive, but honestly, we talked to all of the companies in this business and GSW offers competitive pricing on their dogs. They also provide the most value for your money with their hands-on training and expertise. Our family highly recommends German Shepherd Watchdogs if you are looking to purchase a fully trained dog for your family's security/safety and companionship. You won't regret it!! read more

We have always had German Shepherds and know how important their training is in order to be physically and mentally healthy, happy dogs. Recently, we added a German Shepherd working-line puppy to our Shepherd family and approached John Riboni in Loomis for his training. We have participated in his Schutzhund club on and off for 13 years and are familiar with his outstanding training activities and skills. To our surprise and delight, he referred us to his daughter Lauren, who following in her father's foot steps, is a certified dog trainer with her own programs at their Loomis facility. We met with Lauren and decided on her full day "day care program which includes training, socialization with some of their own dogs, plenty of play time and work." Our Shepherds spend two days per week with her and their enthusiasm of being there is evident! The property consists of beautifully maintained pastures where they play and run freely under Lauren's supervision and in between they rest in their large, clean kennels. Lauren is a joy to work with and watch her interact with the dogs. She is a truly caring person and trainer, she displays confidence in her training methods, is firm but loving with them and it is easy to see that she loves her work! I would like to say that I have never left my dogs with anyone for boarding or daycare, yet I feel completely at ease with Lauren and trust her implicitly with the training and care of our Shepherds. Our new Shepherd is well behaved, obedient, and a very happy dog; he has made great progress over a short period of time and will qualify for his BH very shortly! There are many trainers to choose from, for us, Lauren and John Riboni are always our first choice. read more

We bought our German Shepherd from John approximately four years ago. John had several dogs at the time but picked out two dogs that he thought would be a good fit for our family. We were impressed with both dogs but made a connection with Valko. John personally brought Valko to our house and spent the day working with us. We have also taken Valko back to mainly tune up our handling skills. Valko does not forget any of his training. Now, four years later, he is an integral part of our family and travels with us everywhere. We are comfortable with Valko around the people that come to our home or that we meet on walks. He shows no aggression toward people and their dogs and is very patient with the small, barking dogs that live in our neighborhood. This said, I also know that he stays very aware of our surroundings and would be quick to protect us if need be. My wife likes to walk him alone at night and I never worry. I like to think that the money I paid for Valko is a greatly appreciated investment in my life. I just can't say enough about how much we care about our shepherd and the dedication John shows with these amazing dogs. I would highly recommend getting in contact with John if you are looking for a protection dog that will also be a good fit with your family. read more