Edited to Add: Shortly after the business owner's response to my review, I received an email stating that Yelp had received a complaint about it, in an attempt to have it removed. *** PLEASE READ *** We met with Jake in Nov 2024 for an assessment for a pup we had just rescued in Oct 2024 that has severe anxiety from egregious physical trauma. When Jake modeled how to put our pup in the crate, he had her hanging w/her 2 front feet off the ground (choking), & he then proceeded to knee her into the crate. Yes, he knee'd her. When we brought out our existing dog, he actually hit him in the face! My family & I were totally stunned. I very sternly told him that we do not hit our animals in this house under any circumstances. He was extremely dismissive. This was my first experience with a private trainer & did not know what to expect, nor did I know much about the world of dog training. As the weeks went by I did reach out to Jake again because we felt desperate & the idea of what he was selling sounded like it would be good for our dogs' needs. However, I could not get past the first encounter, nor the pit in my stomach. I, personally, did not trust Jake to treat our animals with kindness & respect that they deserved. The other off-putting thing that Jake shared while he was at our home for the evaluation was that he once put his dog in down-stay & then forgot about her. He fell asleep & awoke the next morning to find her still in down-stay, but had soiled herself. He was very proud of the obedience she had shown. I just couldn't help but feel awful for her, and continually thought that this was not a story I, personally, would be bragging about. I saw how he treated my dogs on our very first meet, I absolutely could not move forward whatsoever. I feel ashamed that I did not stop him in the middle of the evaluation. I should have. I should have asked him to leave & I did not. That haunts me. Our rescue pup is doing AMAZINGLY well with an AMAZING facility called RFRD!!! She is SO happy, calm, & every day learning how to be a calm pup despite her traumatic beginning. Their custom, well-rounded program, with honest experts, has changed the life of our pup, as well as our own. Harnessing Potential was not for our family, nor for our pups. Jake did not treat our animals with kindness or respect in our presence. read more

Harnessing Potential Dog Training - Via RFRD (*not* Harnessing Potential) Our rescue pup holding place out in public (We do *not* recommend Harnessing Potential whatsoever!) - Pet Training Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

Jake is great! He is professional and really knows what he is doing. I trust himand do not hesitate to ask his advice even though our training is over. He may be young but he knows dogs! read more

I've seen Jake transform tons of dogs and owners lives over the years. His knowledge of different techniques and empathy towards animals that most people would give up on is truly inspiring to see. It's awesome to see someone doing what they are passionate about read more

I've had the opportunity to work with several trainers over the past year, and while each of them was kind and taught us a few things, none made as profound an impact on my German Shepherd Pitbull as Jake has. Jake is truly exceptional -- professional, knowledgeable, and dedicated. What sets him apart is his approach: he not only teaches you the skills your dog needs, but he also tests you to ensure you're practicing correctly. His commitment to effective training is evident, and it's clear he genuinely cares about both the dogs and their owners. Thanks to Jake, I feel confident handling my pup and see real progress every day. I trust him completely with my dog and would recommend him to anyone looking for a trainer who is truly invested and effective. You won't find anyone quite like him! read more

Jake is an awesome trainer and he really resolved my biggest pain point. My dog is a pandemic puppy and used to have severe separation anxiety. He would howal and scratch the door even I was only out for 3 mins. Jake helped me crate train him. Now I could leave for couple of hours and my dog just chill out in his crate. I highly recommend him to other dog owners read more

Harnessing Potential Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

Hi just want to share my experience with Jake n my dog(Kilo a Rottweiler) training experience! Jake was very patient and professional, and my dog learned so much in a short time. I noticed a big improvement in behavior and obedience. Highly recommend. I also love the fact that after training sessions he still takes his time to see us in a group n that helps Kilo and me. He didn't hesitate to answer any questions I couldn't chosen a better trainer. Thank you Jake. read more

Jake has been one of the best dog trainers for my dog. I had Taffy when she's only 9 weeks. She's extremely sweet but so OUT OF CONTROL. We had different trainers for her, but only Jake worked out so perfectly with Taffy. He loves dogs so much, and he's excellent at teaching pups in a loving way. Taffy respects Jake so much, but at the same time loves him like crazy ( you can clearly see it in the video, Jake came to our house for private training but he had to spend some time to play with her first only because Taffy was too happy to see him). Jake has been working so hard on helping my crazy pup not only to listen to the commend, but also be my little assistant for my therapy work. He patiently consulted with my needs and my difficulties, and came up with decent learning plan depending on how much he knew about Taffy. I completely trust Jake, also recommended him to many of my friends, and my friend has told me that he also helped her dog with separate anxiety so amazingly (her pup can now stay at home alone over one hour, and they just had few classes). As a dog mom, we can easily tell whether this teacher is good or bad by seeing dogs' reactions to the teachers. Taffy show the best respect and love to Jake, it made me so relived whenever I see her playing so happily with Jake. (Also a little jealous of how much Taffy listens to his commend lol). I really appreciate Jake's efforts on helping us adapting into the life with Taffy. We love Taffy so much, but it was really hard to raise her in the beginning (shes too energetic even broke my shoulders lol). I have witnessed Jake helped a really traumatized poor pup become a really happy dog after 6 months class, I was so touched when I saw that poor pup no longer shows anxiety with other dogs, even he was able to approach Taffy to play together. Really appreciate Jake's efforts on our pup, it's really hard to find a balance between being sweet and also setting clear boundaries with dogs, but he's doing an amazing job on it. Highly recommend !!!! read more

Jake has a deep knowledge of dog training! He got my puppy and I of to such a good start, now she's waking on the leash and improving in her recall every day. He helped me gain the confidence to take on raising a puppy. Thank you Jake! read more

I can't believe I haven't reviewed Jake yet because he has been one of the greatest recent gifts to our family. We adopted our third and only larger dog, Enzo, from a local rescue. We initially contacted Jake because we wanted Enz to be a superstar at recall, leash manners, and basic obedience. However, shortly after meeting Jake, Enzo started snapping at our two young daughters. This was terrifying to us, but Jake made time immediately and came right over to work with us in our home over this issue. Jake possesses a tremendous amount of skill. He also has the softest, kindest heart when it comes to animals and children. We have worked with older, highly recommended trainers in our town with our other dogs, and they pale in comparison to Jake. He really is THE BEST. If you want the best trainer who offers the most fun, awesome group classes AND the most informative and truly helpful private training lessons, you can stop searching because have found your guy. We love you, Jake! read more

I took my dog Macie to get her first haircut and Haley did amazing! Price is reasonable and service is amazing! Couldn't be happier!

We found Jake @ Harnessing potential dog training by an internet search after feeling helpless and stressed by our 15 month old dogs resource guarding misbehavior! we needed someone to teach us correctly how to deal with this issue. As we had also just adopted a 4 month old puppy, we wanted to have better harmony in our home with the dogs. we scheduled a few private sessions and within the first couple of sessions we had better control with our dogs, and understood what to do and what not to do and why. Jake uses a training method that makes sense, is easy to understand and follow. He works one on one and also offers group classes for better socialization and help with group settings. He has great feedback and gives you the opportunity to ask questions about your dog, and issues that come up along the way. He never is rushed and never pressures anyone to commit to X # of sessions or classes. If you're done after 1 class great! If you need to go every week that's Ok! Also pricing is reasonable! Can't say enough good stuff about Jake and his work with dogs He has a passion for dogs that is evident! read more

Harnessing Potential Dog Training - Max (mininpoodle) and zero (border collie mix) best friends - Pet Training Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

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Jake dog trained my pit bull who was very out of control, we never thought she would even listen to someone , when Jake started to grab a hold of our dog she gave some pull back and then he knew how to get her in a way that she responded to him and we were shocked, she listened to all his commands me and my husband were shocked. We had about 8sessions with Jake and one thing we fell off was being constant in taking out our dog so that she can get the continuous train that you learn which you need to apply it in your home when taking dog for walks etc. Jake is a great trainer and I recommend him. I am going to have him train our next dog who is a bully and who needs a lot of training. I can't seem to use same commands as my pit bull . We will let the expert handle him. read more

never returned my call called them eight different times didn't answer. All I want is to train my dog.

Jake is absolutely worth every penny! He has given me the skills needed to confidently walk and socialize my giant schnauzer, Chief, in my community. He's also helped Chief learn to manage his anxiety and reactivity to other dogs and small, fast-moving children. Chief is learning to be the dog we always knew he could be and I am learning to be a responsible and confident large-dog owner. We waited until Chief was 6 years old to seek training, and that was six years too long. Imagine how different our lives would be if we would have found Jake a few years ago? I'm excited for Chief to confidently explore his world, meet new doggy pals, and for humans to see him for the amazing pup that he is. Thank you Jake! You truly are amazing! read more

Harnessing Potential Dog Training - Chief - Pet Training Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

Jake is awesome he taught me how to walk my dog I recommend him 100% to help you with your dog

WORTH EVERY PENNY! Training with Jake has changed my relationship with my dog in the best way! My dog and I had developed, I would call it a "trauma bond", after he needed an emergency surgery. It left both of us full of anxiety together, as well as, separation anxiety. He became very protective over me, reactive toward other dogs, and recently had started to react with people. Since starting training with Jake, we are much calmer together. We are back on walks again. (He was so reactive I stopped taking him on walks because it stressed me out.) We even joined one of Jake's group sessions recently! He's happy to meet people again. We can enjoy each other again. I've done training in the past, but we always plateaued because of being in a controlled environment in a training facility. With Jake coming to our home he was able to help me train him in our world. We were constantly encountered with real life situations. It helped me understand how to handle the situation and take control. It's given Kodi peace and he's built trust that I can lead our "pack." I honestly never thought we would get here, because prior training has failed. I'm so grateful for Jake and all of his help and patience! read more

Harnessing Potential Dog Training - Kodi. 4.5yr pitbull - Pet Training Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

Jake helped me and my dog reach our training goals in one session! Not only that he is patient but he also understand my dog's body language very well. read more

We have spent 6+ weeks training with Jake now and my dog has completely transformed! Before he would pull on leash, be stubborn towards commands, and bark at other dogs while walking. He now stays right at my side and responds almost instantly to commands. He still has a long way to go but I am so relieved. Jake has so much knowledge and knows how to work with the dogs in a way that we can understand as well. I love how he explains and walks us through everything. I couldn't be happier! read more

Harnessing Potential Dog Training - Mav staying in place - Pet Training Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

My 2 year old dachshund just returned home after 4 weeks boarding training at Jake's facility which had followed 7 individual training sessions at my house. I am very happy with the results ! I came to Jake because my dog, Buddy was extremely aggressive and would try to attack any visitor to my house. Buddy would be behind my security fence and be chewing on the steel bars, barking and trying to jump over. Buddy is totally different now and was sitting right next to a visitor, taking treats from her and quiet. I was amazed, dachshunds in general are a breed that are difficult to train. During the individual training sessions at home, Jake has taught me how to lead and control my dog which he emphasizes correctly as being critical to success. He has trained me how to address all the serious behavior issues which Buddy had to include barking and attacking visitors and not staying put in his designated location. In summary I would recommend Jake if you have issues with your dog's behavior, he will train you and your dog together to have a happy life together. It's worth it --- I expect another about 13 years together with Buddy in our family. read more

Harnessing Potential Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

Jake is amazing! We took our pup to another trainer and got some results but were struggling with things in the home. He came over for some sessions and was able to work on specific things going on. We then also went out on walks and parks to work on leash manners and impulse control. We also go to his group classes on Sundays which is great for socializing our pup. We have become better leaders and dog owners. I feel so much more in control of my 75 pound fur baby and feel very confident out in the public with him. Jake uses regular everyday concepts of training which doesn't make you feel like you have to have the "perfect" dog or be the perfect dog owner. It's such a relaxed environment for learning. You have to give Jake a try! read more

I adopted a rescue who had issues....I'm a long-time dog owner, and thought I had training nailed, until I met Trevor, a weiner-dog with attitude. I reached out on "Bark" and got a prompt response from Jake. He has made a world of difference in my approach to Trevor, and taught me quite a bit about dog psychology. He's young, but very knowledgeable. Highly recommended. PS - I'm old, and I appreciate a work ethic: Jake always shows up exactly when he says he will, stays the whole hour, and communicates via message to confirm times, etc. read more

Jake is incredible! We are learning so much from our private training sessions and our dog speaks the same language as him. My family and I are just learning to tune into that language. We look forward to this training every week and marveling how quickly our dog responds. Can't wait to try his group classes. If you are looking for a trainer, look no further! Jake is the best there is hands down. read more

Jake the owner at Harnessing Potential has been such a great teacher and partner in helping us get our hyper and skittish puppy trained to take on the world. Jake takes pride in the work he's doing with the pets he's working with and has genuine affection and love for his four legged clients. And he also trained us to be better dog parents as well. He taught us to be patient and consistent in handling our dogs and the payoff has been tremendous read more

Jake provides dedicated one on one training for both the dog and the owner. He was very willing to listen to our concerns and experiences on a weekly basis and tailored the lessons to fit our requirements. Our German Shepherd made great strides thanks to Jake and I would recommend him to anyone who wants to improve communication with their pet. read more

we had our 5th dog training lesson today with Jake and he is amAzing. Jake knows so much about dogs. he gave us great suggestions with our home training. Jake is patient and understanding with both dog and humans. we have definitely seen a different in our dogs behavior since we started training with Jake. Thank you so much! I will definitely recommend! read more

Jake is doing a terrific job training me, oh, and our dog, Chubs. Chubs was a 6 year old rescue who had not a single bit of training, having lived in a 10 x 15 cage all his life with no love. He tried to obey and learn but had aggression problems with other male dogs. After three months trying to train him on our own, we met with Jake and started working with him. Because of our summer schedule we had to take a several month break but will return to Jake next month. Chubs is continuing to do better and better all the time. He has a way to go still but he is a definite keeper and we can't imagine life without this cute little fur baby. Thanks to Jake. Thank you Jake! See you soon! read more