We hired Emily to help us with our newly adopted puppy, Nala, an American Staffordshire Terrier…read moremix. As Nala approached 9 months old, she began showing signs of reactivity toward people and other dogs, especially on walks. We couldn't have anyone new come into our home without her barking, growling, and displaying dominant behavior. Walks became stressful--she would lunge at certain people wearing hats or sunglasses and at other dogs. We were starting to lose hope and knew we needed guidance to help Nala trust us and feel secure. We reached out to Emily, and from her very first consultation, we knew we had made the right choice. Emily arrived calm and relaxed, allowed Nala to approach her at her own pace, and immediately showed us how Nala should properly greet people. From that moment, I knew Emily was the perfect trainer for us. We've been working with Emily for 3 months, focusing on how Nala approaches people entering our home, and the progress has been incredible. Nala is now a very obedient dog, and we feel confident managing visitors. Walks were our next challenge, and Emily guided us through trying different collars, learning how to use our body language and tone of voice, and properly using the leash and collar. She emphasized praise, play, and rewarding Nala when she succeeded, which helped release her energy in a positive way. We have since enrolled in group sessions to work on properly introducing Nala to other dogs. Thanks to Emily's guidance, Nala has truly transformed into a completely different dog. Emily gave us the tools to feel confident, comfortable, and capable as dog owners. She doesn't waste time--she gets results while ensuring we understand what we're doing and why. We are so grateful for Emily and will absolutely continue working with her as we keep practicing and doing our homework. She is truly amazing, and we owe Nala's progress to her dedication and expertise.

After several awful experiences with other dog trainers--some so harsh that my dogs would literally…read morerun and hide at the sight of them--I was honestly hesitant to try again. But finding Emily of The Dog Listener has been one of the greatest blessings for me and my American Bully puppy. From the very first session, Emily brought a calm, confident energy that completely changed the way I relate to my dog. Through private lessons and her incredible monthly Pack Walks, she has helped my puppy grow into a balanced, well-behaved companion. Most importantly, she's helped me grow--into a more confident, peaceful, and capable handler. What truly sets Emily apart is her compassion. My dogs don't just tolerate her--they adore her. The excitement and joy they show when she arrives is real, and it speaks volumes about the kind of person and trainer she is. Her love for dogs is genuine, and they feel it. I get emotional thinking about where we started and how far we've come. Emily is a true godsend, and I can't recommend her enough to anyone looking for a kind, effective, and empowering trainer who truly understands dogs--and their people.

I almost didn't book with The Dog Guru because I saw a review calling him "verbally abusive," and…read moreafter working with him personally, I honestly could not disagree more. Pay ZERO attention to that review. As a psychologist, I pay very close attention to behavior, regulation, communication, and emotional energy, and at no point did I witness cruelty, aggression, intimidation, or abusive behavior toward me or my dog. What honestly amazed me most was that he never said one word to my dog. There was no yelling, chaos, or "training performance." It was all action, energy, body language, timing, and an understanding of canine psychology that I have never personally seen before. Before we started working together, Daisy was going after every dog she saw. Within two hours, we were calmly walking and standing next to dogs that were within a foot of her, even sniffing her, and she was completely relaxed. The transformation was honestly remarkable. I think some people may misunderstand firmness, honesty, or structure as being "mean," especially when dealing with difficult dog behaviors, but there is a huge difference between abuse and someone confidently leading both owner and dog. My experience felt safe, effective, loving, and honestly incredible. For the first time in a long time, I left feeling hopeful and relaxed instead of anxious. I am extremely grateful I trusted my own experience instead of one negative review.

Initial impression - First thought . There is only one…read moreCaesar Milan. Second thought. No doubt an excellent trainer for the military and if that's what you're looking for he may be just your speed ! His accolades can be found in so many of his advertisements which I'm sure are no doubt accurate. If you're going to pay a sum in advance to schedule a conversation, (as I did) , you may have to call him to remind him to call you on the last day that the call was promised . While, this truth may not sit well and I didn't actually hire him, no matter because your mileage may vary. He is a busy guy. All the best to you all.

I'm guessing this business is not taking new clients. Called several times, left a detailed…read morevoicemail once and days later, received a text that said "hi, I received your message". Nothing further, even after my response to the text. Very poor communication...found someone else that does communicate.

Ela has been incredibly helpful with our new rescue dog, Brodie. Her training works! She is firm…read morebut loving with him and he eagerly responds. Now she's teaching me to handle him in that same way. I'm so happy we found Ela! She is professional, intuitive, calm and highly effective.

When others show love for your Dog (who you love and consider your family member), it means a LOT…read more The dog walkers that work at OC Pup Scouts really love their dog clients, and their people! I'm unable to walk my standard poodle, and I love it when he is so happy to greet Katrina, or Shaylene, and grinning when they send photos during the walk, and most of all...my big energetic goofy dog comes home Happy, tongue out and tired!!! Worth every penny!! Highly recommend.

Unfortunately, I had to edit my drafted five star review down to a four star review because I feel…read morelike I was bait and switched. We are relatively new to OC Pup Scouts starting in Dec 2025, and have gone through the temperament assessment and puppy training, but now that we've "graduated" to the pack walks, they've changed their prices and increased them 10%. Seemingly nominal, but this should have been disclosed or at least acknowledged upfront when asking about the program and pricing. The walkers and admin have been great, and my pup seems to really enjoy the walks. It's just feels a little icky that they probably knew about the price increase and conveniently left it out when vetting the business. Maybe I just had unlucky timing with it, because they did say this price increase was the "first in years". I get it, cost of living goes up. I just wish they had been honest and upfront about it (or at least honor their quoted pricing for another quarter or two), hence the removal of a star. I was looking for a service where my pup could safely interact and socialize with other dogs, not necessarily for the walk itself, so I found what I thought would be a good pick in OC Pup Scouts. The pack walk services are great. The handlers all seem friendly and genuinely nice people. They will pick up your pup from your chosen location and drive them in a van to a park where they embark on an hour long walk at a time. I especially love that they provide you an update/pictures of their walks. The pups all seem to enjoy their time together. There have been a few last minute schedule changes that range from a few minutes to an hour delay, but they've been pretty consistent about communicating these. This is also to be expected when your clients are... well dogs, but I only mention it to warn others to be flexible. Overall, I'm satisfied with the services rendered. I am happy I found OC Pup Scouts, and would be happy to recommend them for their pack walks. Hoping that the prices remain stable for the foreseeable future, and they don't pull a Spotify and jack them up every year.

We have been bringing our 90lb Mastiff/Lab mix to OC Dog Ranch for the last few years every time…read moreour family travels 4+ days. I am so happy I found this place - was recommended by someone through word of mouth. It is wide open space for our dog to run, and I love that because it is SO much better than her being boarded in a room with 50 other dogs. Staff will send you updates - and we always get a picture of our happy dog with other happy dogs. Staff also sends a report card. Always respond asap when I reach out and ask how she's doing.

We love OC Dog Ranch... our dogs love it even more!!! We have boarded all 3 of our dogs (2 labs and…read more1 golden retriever) at the Ranch and one of ours has also stayed and been trained (1 lab). All of the Dog Ranch staff are amazing and truly care for all of the dogs. The property is a dog dream come true. The multiple acres are filled with play yards that include a swimming pool, play structures, etc. Every time I bring a dog to be boarded at the Dog Ranch something has been added or changed to improve the property. I love the new fence heights that were installed most recently (I have one jumper ). I give the OC Dog Ranch the biggest tail wags you've ever seen.

Tommy helped us with our Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy when no one else would! He came to…read moreour house when she was 11 weeks old (other trainers wanted to wait until she had all her puppy shots) and immediately got us off on the right foot for behavior training. He trained my husband and me as well as our puppy! So grateful. Tommy has a gift for knowing how dogs think and he shares that knowledge as part of the session. We never felt rushed to finish a lesson when he came to the house, he just dealt with our issues and reminded us to keep practicing with our dog until next time. We even decided to enroll in his weekly puppy class so that our puppy would learn to behave around other dogs. His private dog park is a god-send as we live in a condo and don't have a yard for our puppy to play in. She loved going there and we'll be back! We highly recommend Tommy. He showed us how to anticipate what our puppy was going to do before she did it and correct her misdeeds before they take place. Five stars!

Tommy came for our first private session and it went better than I imagined. My husband and I…read morelearned a lot from Tommy. He is very relatable and has a unique way of teaching that is very enjoyable and actually entertaining, all at the same time! Now that is talent! Tommy was made for this job and well worth his price. You get what you pay for. He definitely does not watch the clock and gives you more than 1 hr and does not leave until he has answered all your questions. My dog is already doing better on our walks. Tommy teaches but you have to do what he says or you have wasted your money. I signed up for 5 lessons and looking forward to the rest. I will update when we are finished.

I have 2 dogs, a chaotic puppy and a fear reactive German shepherd. Before working with Josh, I…read morefelt like I was always managing my dogs but still couldn't fully trust them in real life. Now they're calm, confident, and make way better decisions on their own. I can take them pretty much anywhere, which wasn't the case before. He also helped my German Shepherd become a lot more comfortable around people and other dogs. Biggest shift honestly was me. I'm way more confident, less stressed, and actually know how to communicate and teach my dogs without relying on tools. If you want a dog you can actually live life with, I'd 100% recommend Josh!

USE JOSH - This guy is amazing!…read more My dog Nuggets, is a 6 year old 15 pound, timid, terrier mix, sweetheart, but when she is on leash she displays some pretty nasty aggressive tendencies and her demons come out. As a first time dog dad, I haven't sharpened my tools around understanding my dogs emotional state and how threatened she feels and how to react or treat such aggression. So its harder for me to empathize and as such know how to handle it. I ran into Josh while walking my dog. I always see him walking his dogs, and they are so well behaved and so focused on him. So, I inquired about their training and he and i scheduled a session. Josh shared tools to improve these behaviors first from a actual tools piece like replacing a harness with a collar and a firm leash rather than a flex leash. Next, he helped me understand the psychological state of my dog and why she does what she does, it was enlightening and helped me better understand Nuggets. Finally, Josh taught me exercises to employ to redirect Nuggets focus to me. I couldn't be more grateful for the service Josh provided. You can tell Josh loves what he does and it shows by how good he is at it. That being said, I struggle to understand how anyone could complain about Bark Busters, my experience was one in which Josh , an incredible professional, was trying to help me be a better dog parent, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Guys an absolute joke. Scheduled my afternoon around his oh so busy schedule. Just for him to…read morecancel and block my number when I'm already on the road to drive 45 mins I wouldn't do business with this inconsiderate prick even for a pack of gum. Disrespectful, rude and definitely deserves the same level of respect.

What would we do without Coach Canine! He has taken the BEST care of our two pit bulls. He's helped…read moreus train, exercise, and socialize them during these first two years of their life. They're growing up to be wonderful family dogs that are well mannered and obedient, thanks to Coach!

Bruce is great and very reliable. Highly recommend . My dogs are always happy to see him.read more

Amazing and patient. Provided training tips and was so great with our high energy puppy! Would…read moredefinitely recommend Bruce for dog training.

Can only but recommend! Our dog always comes home more…read moresocialised and better behaved every time she goes for daycare, pack walks and boarding. Alecia has been a fantastic help in teaching us to be better dog-parents. Walking our dog now after one session is a completely different experience and my anxiety of walking her has got a lot better, all thanks to Alecia! Boarding is like a home away from home for our pup; she loves it! Raya will be back soon :)

So lucky to have this gem here in San Clemente. Alicia and Fiona have gone above and beyond to take…read morethe best care, and provide the best advice for my rescue pup! My dog loves the pack walks and gets so excited as soon as we hit the parking lot. Thank you, It's A Dogs Life! PS great boarding too