I feel sad and ashamed having to write a review for a fellow trainer, colleague and friend because a referral of my own caused harm to their business. I have worked several cases with Deanna, been a guest to her clinics and many evaluations. She took me under her wing when I decided to start my journey as a full time trainer and equipped me with resources, guidance, knowledge and was by my side when I doubted myself, my skills and recently lost my trainer partner. Deanna has always been an advocate for care beyond training and seeing what needs to be addressed other than behavioral issues. Her knowledge of nutrition surpasses even mine as a vet tech and that goes for a lot more topics as well. My trust in her skills and self is unmeasurable. Setting clear boundaries and expectations in a business branch such as dog training is not only necessary for safety, but for the emotional and physical well being of owners, trainers and the animal itself. Sometimes, that means laying the option open of rehoming an animal to a more experienced handler, especially if the animal talked about has several bite cases on file already and the owners are not equipped anymore to handle their dog safely around people or animals. I can confidently say that I have never experienced Deanna or any other trainer of Hawaii Dog Training Services pressuring a client into this decision. On top of that, I find it more than understandable to question if the basic needs of animal care are being met. Leaving your dog unable to use a restroom for more than 10 hours every day will disqualify you from my services and raises many questions of concern beyond the behavioral issues. That being said, I can not think of many more trainers, especially on Island with this much experience, professionalism and Aloha and I will continue to recommend her for behavioral cases and clients that go beyond my knowledge or education level. Writing a review almost half a year after an evaluation without ever contacting Hawaii Dog Training Services again or me, the referring trainer is beyond disappointing. I truly, truly hope the training journey will be more rewarding and successful for the clients in the future while continuing to make better choices for their dog. Mahalo. read more

Any trainer and business owner that would video record a family at a park including a minor child without consent to shame that family and post that on her business social media page is not someone I would ever support. To publicly shame a family and zoom in on a young child and post on a public business page without thinking about the well being of a child says a lot of her character. We were at the dog park in Kailua where we frequent with known families with dogs. Our dog is being trained and is working on recall. The incident where he runs off to another dog where the owner not part of the group, she was recording and zoomed up on my 8 year old and posted this interaction on her business page to shame us and promote her services. The video also shows us immediately putting a leash on our dog once he ran off. Dogs cannot be perfect without having these trainings in public parks, and our dog has never shown any aggressive behavior to any person or dog. While recording in a public park is not illegal, it is concerning behavior to be hiding in her car recording a minor without consent, and posting it on a public business page to promote her business is not legal and also very shady. While she took down the video (which we saved a copy of) after my husband messaged her to remove our son in her video, she did not respond to his message or apologize for her very big lapse in judgement. Not only that, she reposted a photo of my dog saying the owner requested us to take the video down and her intent was not to cause embarrassment, but didn't mention the issue we raised which was to remove our son. The dog community is small especially here in Kailua, and we were sent that video by multiple friends and even a parent of a friend of my 8 year old son to warn us that he was in the video. It's very alarming and we do not take the safety of our children lightly. Disappointed that a professional dog trainer would do this and think it is ok to use public shaming as marketing for her business. Everyone makes mistakes and I hope she learns from this and doesn't exploit minors or record people to shame them, even going as far to say "don't be that guy" while playing circus music in her reel. And rather than apologizing she doubles downs and posts our dog without taking accountability that she took a video of our child without consent and posted it on her page. read more

This is a long time coming. Started with Deanna and Hawaii Dog Training a couple years ago in a group training class for our pomsky Marley. Then a year later we added Cleo (Border Collie) to our family. Everything you hear about Border Collies are true! So we finally decided to have her do the 2 week board and train with Deanna. That was the best decision we made. This was followed up with additional session and e-collar training. What a difference! It is an ongoing effort and the training never stops for both Marley and Cleo. But now we are better equipped to take them to the park, the beach, on hikes, have a dull house of family over and the dogs can enjoy all these events with us. Thank you so much to Deanna snd your team! read more

Hawaii Dog Training Services - Cleo & Marley - Pet Training Near Me

We are first time dog owners, and picked a somewhat difficult breed as our first pup, the Alaskan Klee Kai aka mini husky. So many of spitz breed characteristics in a smedium body. We knew we needed help so our girl has had a lot of training, I mean a LOT. On the mainland, we had her enrolled in puppy socialization classes (covid dog) from the get go, and board & train at 6 months for basic obedience. Her first trainer told us she was "feral." We went through the gamut of trainers from hard-nosed strict obedience-focused to purely positive reinforcement only trainers. They all worked to some degree but nothing really hit the sweet spot. Enter Deanna from HDTS- she really understands dogs and works with the natural tendencies of the animal, while still expecting (and getting!) obedience and manners. She might not be the trainer for every human, but she is 100% the trainer for every dog. You can just tell the dogs all love her, she is like magic to them. My dog never liked any of her trainers before, and she's a good judge of character! My girl made a huge leap in her development, and I can honestly say Deanna has changed our lives by working with Maple. I can trust Maple off-leash in some settings giving her the freedom to just be a dog, which she repays with love and never-ending kisses. I trust Deanna with my dog daughter implicitly, and would literally never board her anywhere else. Maple loves her too :) read more

Hawaii Dog Training Services - Pet Training Near Me

After using two trainers before finding deanna, I am eternally grateful for Hawai'i Dog training services. Deanna shifted the entire dynamic of my house. I'm someone who was willing to rescue and rehabilitate dogs at whatever cost, and Deanna saw and admired that in me, even if I am a "glutton for punishment" lol. She taught not only my three dogs, but me so much and offered more than I could've ever paid her for! I had a trainer tell me my dogs genetics were going to "haunt me for the rest of my life" and Deanna (who also has mutts) didn't care about the shape, size, or behavior. She took them for who they were and made them the best that they could be (which they're pretty dang awesome if you ask me). We owe deanna our entire life plus some. Nalo, Eva, and Remii gained an Auntie - and the Hensons gained a friend! read more

Hawaii Dog Training Services - Pet Training Near Me

Deanna was amazing with my dog Max and with me. I've never owned a pet before Max and she taught me that I also need to be as disciplined with my dog as I need him to be for me. On top of the excellent training she taught me how to be aware of other dogs and whether they are appropriate playmates. The sessions she sets up for dogs to walk and play on FB were perfect socialization moments. Deanna really goes above and beyond for her clients!!! I'm thankful for all of the training Max and I received. 10/10 recommend!!! read more

We were recommended to Deanna by a previous trainer. We had an initial phone call and set up an evaluation session. Deanna offered this evaluation for free. Which is very kind as typically this would come at a cost. We have had trouble finding the right person to assist us with our dog. He is extremely anxious and fearful with aggression. We have been searching for the right trainer and someone with experience in behavioral dogs. It seemed Deanna had this idea of my husband and I right off the bat. In our initial phone call she mentioned that it was not okay for him to be home all day w/o using the bathroom. We understand it is not ideal to have our dog alone all day, but we are not fortunate enough to have WFH jobs. It is not realistic to expect all clients to be able to let their dogs out or WFH. Given our dogs fear and aggression, we cannot safely allow a dog walker in our home. She was focused on this issue for most of the call. We got in contact with her for her knowledge and background in aggression and fear based dogs, not to be ridiculed for something we cannot really control and is not an apparent issue for us. We gave her the benefit of the doubt and went ahead with meeting in person in our home. We had our guards up but again, we wanted to hear what she had to say. Within 10 minutes of entering our home, she told us to get rid of our dog because he was not suited for our lifestyle and brought up some program she has or is a part of where she can place us with a dog that is "better suited for us." She did not offer anyone or an organization that would take our dog. I asked if she had recommendations or a list. She did not clearly reply to my question. If you are telling a client to rehome their fearful/aggressive dog, you better have a thorough list of vetted people willing to take on this challenge. The likelihood of someone taking a dog like this, at his age, is extremely low. He already had difficulty getting adopted. Of course he is way more challenging than we anticipated, however, we love him tremendously and would never give him up. We understand every dog trainer has their own way of doing things and their recommendations for materials to use in training. She criticized everything we had for our dog. The muzzle, his collar, his leash, his food, us petting our dog, barking at someone who passed our home. Some of the items we had were recommended by the other trainer, too. We have been struggling so much with finding the right fit in a trusting and knowledgeable trainer and have had a few instances thus far with people telling us they cannot confidently help us anymore. Our dog is a senior who had a traumatic life before he came to us. He was not what we expected, however, we have been doing our best to give him a loving home with proper structure. Coming into our home and telling us to rehome him was unprofessional and unnecessary. She had no right to come into our house and do what she did. She truly crushed our spirits and broke us. We were very confused after she left and did not understand why she was so cruel. We have worked so hard and have come so far with our dog. Thankfully, our family, friends, and other trainers reminded us we are great dog parents. They have seen the progress our dog has made, and that we need to keep searching for the right trainer to assist us. We have no doubt that Deanna can train dogs and modify their behavior. However, speaking to potential clients like this is absolutely wrong. Her communication towards humans is not ideal and she can stand to work on her compassion and empathy. We are glad others have had positive experiences with her. I would prepare yourself for the way she speaks to people and that you may be told you are an awful dog parent (that is what we interpreted at least). Again, she had this idea of us and it felt like she did not like us. We do not want to work with someone who does not believe in us as dog owners. Thankfully, we have found the right fit for us and our dog and are moving forward positively. I am sure some people will see this review and question it, or also believe we are bad dog parents. But, we believe in ourselves again and continue to work with our dog in his behavior and are okay with the modified life we have to live. We love him and are giving him a loving home in his final years. That is the most important thing and we are okay making sacrifices. I recommend treading lightly with Deanna. If you can handle someone with her communication style (towards humans), we truly hope you have a better experience than we did. I'd also like to add as dog parents working diligently to find the right dog trainer to not hold any trainer on a pedestal. It is our fault for putting so much expectation on trainers, even though they say they are knowledgeable and that may be true for many of them. However, at the end of the day what my husband and I remind ourselves of is that we are the dog parents. We know our dog, what he read more

Our family can't thank Deanna enough! Shortly after adopting our 2 year old "German Shepherd mix" (DNA test said she is also largely mixed with Malinois and Airedale Terriror), we reached out to Deanna for help with leash pulling, excessive barking, general anxiety/reactivity, and basic obedience/boundary setting. We ended up doing 5 private sessions with her. The first thing my husband and I loved about Deanna was her wealth of knowledge and the resources she continuously provided us. It really changed the way we view dog ownership. Now when I see posts on social media about dog owners that say "don't worry, my dog is friendly", I think "omg that used to be me!" Deanna took so much time to listen to us, learn about our daily schedule, and understand the goals we have for our dog and family. I've seen some older reviews complain about her first session being "mostly talking", but we felt like that was an invaluable part of the process that helped her provide us with the best guidance and set expectations so that we were all on the same page moving forward. As for the actual training, we saw improvements in our dog after the first session and continued improvement after each one. We typically focused on one or two behaviors at a time and built more skills (for both our dog and ourselves) with each session. I won't say our dog is now perfect, because of course we still have things to improve (always will). But we now take our dog for enjoyable walks, have guests over or go to the park without excessive barking, and our dog is able to self-soothe and settle down on her own. Importantly, we also learned how to have our 2 year old daughter and dog interact safely. I think the biggest factor in our success is that we now have the skills and confidence to teach our dog what we expect of her and also better understand what she is communicating to us. With the hectic holidays coming up, we are so thankful to have worked with Deanna and look forward to enjoying our Christmas with our two 2 year olds (human and doggo). I would highly recommend Deanna and wouldn't be surprised if we reached back out to her when we are ready to "up our skills" some more. Thank you Deanna! read more

Hawaii Dog Training Services - Our dog Farrah - Pet Training Near Me

Deanna came into our lives shortly after we adopted our boy Bubba. He started with puppy obedience and, with one week in between, then headed to her Board & Train. We enjoy our off-leash adventures every chance we get. We get to take our boy to all the pet-friendly places, and he's the goodest boy. And ADVOCATE for him. The confidence and education we have gained as owners is something we will hold near and dear to our hearts. Not only that, we gained an entire community of friends! 3 years later and we are great friends. She's always there at the drop of a hat whenever we have questions, concerns or sharing wins! It doesn't get better than that. On top of that, I grew a love for pet care and training. I now have my own business taking care of all the pups and kitties, and I would not have been able to if it wasn't for Denna! You will not regret it! read more

See all

Our chipoo Kobe, completed the 2 week board and train with Deanna. Before training, it was challenging to walk Kobe around the neighborhood since he wanted to stop and explore every step of the way. Now, we are able to take him on longer walks at an even shorter amount of time than it would've taken prior to training. Deanna is amazing and did a phenomenal job training both Kobe and us, on how we should handle him. She kept us updated along the way and sent us videos and pictures during Kobe's training. He is now able to focus, listen to commands, and is even more enjoyable. I'm so grateful I found HDTS! read more

To say Deanna changed our lives through training our dog (Karl - Golden Retriever) is an absolute understatement. There have been maybe a handful of times in my life that I've been absolutely blown away by the quality of work someone provided, and Deanna is easily the top of that list.  For me personally, I was, without a doubt, a skeptic when it came to dog training in general. I was constantly saying, "We can do this on our own. It can't be that hard. It's not worth the money" towards everything that we looked at. It wasn't until my wife found Deanna that we decided to take a chance...and I honestly couldn't imagine what our life would like if we hadn't.  To cut to the point, in about three weeks, Karl went from an absolute velociraptor, jumping on everyone, biting everything, to a well behaved young pup sitting at a dinner table with the family like he'd been doing it his whole life.  What is more remarkable is Deanna's understanding of who Karl is at a level that allowed the training to occur, but in a way that was uniquely "Karl." Case in point, Karl would return when called but instead of sitting facing you like most dogs, he would sit between your legs facing out and then look up/backwards at you, tongue out, just happy to be there.  Deanna takes the training a step further and also taught us how to communicate with Karl in a way that he understood. In these sessions, we learned that a lot of preconceived notions we had towards dog training weren't entirely accurate, and the effectiveness of changing the communication methods were astounding.  All this to say, when you work with Deanna, you are meeting a friend for life. Unfortunately, we had to leave Hawaii a few years ago, but she has kept in contact with us ever since, and quite frankly, I'd fly back just to have my dog trained by Deanna. read more

Hawaii Dog Training Services - Pet Training Near Me

We have three dogs and have stumbled into a wonderful series of experiences with Hawaii Dog Training Services (HDTS). The trainers are knowledgeable and focus on practical methods that deliver results. Our first encounter was roughly two years ago during a multi-week series focused on leash training. We discovered a set of skills we needed and were able to practice with Miss Marley (Pomsky/Dog #1). During this series we met the business owner Deanna. Deanna's direct approach focused on what truly works gave us the confidence to reach out to her last year for a two-week board and train session for our newest dog Miss Cleo (Border Collie/Dog #2). The value and success of Deanna's board and train cannot be overstated. Miss Cleo's resulting obedience met every expectation and positioned us well to meet her capabilities in a follow-up series of human training one-on-ones. We estimate that our dog handling skills improved the most with time, repetition, and Deanna's coaching. The last experience with HDTS was earlier this year when I expressed to Deanna that we'd enjoy occasional pack walks which led to the beginning of e-collar training for Miss Cleo. While this is still an evolution in progress, Miss Cleo, Miss Marley, and Miss Pebbles (Italian Greyhound, Chihuahua mix/Dog #3) seem to enjoy pack walks. If you're looking for a dog training company that cuts through the fluff and gets straight to effective training. HDTS is highly recommended! read more

Hawaii Dog Training Services - Miss Cleo, Miss Pebbles, and Miss Marley - Pet Training Near Me

My wife and I recently traveled to Japan for 3 weeks and needed a safe and responsible option to board our Kody-Bear. We found Hawaii Dog Training Services and owner Deanna Nieves. We could not have made a better choice as we returned home to a much more confident and well behaved dog! Deanna sent us videos of the training progress and lessons for us to perpetuate his training after we return home. Deanna was very professional and we will not hesitate to choose HDTS again for our next boarding and training experience. Mahalo Deanna for taking excellent care of Kody-Bear! read more

Deanna changed our lives! I finally feel like I have the right tools and strategies to live the life I've always dreamed of living with my dog. Before the 2 week board and train program with Deanna, I struggled to walk our young, reactive Boxer. She would pull on the leash, ignore commands, and only seem obedient when there was nothing competing for her attention. I didn't feel like I had any real control or balance. Now we have a stronger bond, go walking/shopping in public, and enjoy exercising outside together. We are thriving! I highly recommend Deanna's services to anyone who wants to live their best life with their best furry friend! read more

I am SO thankful for Deanna. I can't even begin to explain all of the things I learned (and am continuing to learn) as a dog owner. Deanna is so knowledgeable and does not gatekeep any information. I truly feel like she only wants the best for her clients! We did about 6 private sessions with Deanna, followed by a 3-week board and train. I feel like Deanna wants her clients to know that in addition to dogs learning, their owners have to be willing to be uncomfortable and also learn new things. Instead of assuming Deanna was going to "fix" all of our problems, she gave us a TON of information on how to change our mindset as dog owners, and also taught us how to reinforce what Archie learned in his 3-week board and train. During Archie's board and train, we received multiple videos per day and knew Archie was being cared for and taught very well. Archie got to go to the beach, on long walks, to run errands, and make doggy & human friends. Reading all these negative reviews was really disheartening. No one has cared so much about us and our dog, except Deanna. She always responds to our texts, even months/years after our boarding sessions. She is the reason my dog is able to enjoy freedom off-leash is because Deanna taught US, as dog owners, so well. People have to realize that Deanna can train your dog all you want, but, if you, as dog parents, aren't willing to train YOURSELVES, you won't get anywhere. Also, if you're closed off to prong collars, e-collars, or whatever else she uses as certain tools, open your mind! Allow her some time to explain how and why she uses these tools! I built such an amazing relationship with my dog by changing my own thinking and expectations, and putting in the effort day in and day out. All in all, we love Deanna! Archie loves going back to his Aunty Deanna for boarding. I recommend HDTS to everyone I know! read more

See all

I hired Deanna when I was worried that my new puppy named Gigi (8 months old) was going to bite my neighbors toddlers. It was the first time I've ever had an aggressive dog. All my previous dogs were so chill. Never crated. Never had to discipline. I worked with Deanna for 10 weeks doing in person sessions. I learned so much including realizing that Gigi was looking for me to lead, but I didn't know how to. I coddled her instead of giving firm correction when necessary and positive reinforcement for good behavior. My go to response was "it's ok Gigi. Don't worry." I babied her as I did my previous dogs. But that is exactly what this dog did not need. Gigi is a radically different dog now from then. My neighbors all have seen a huge improvement and asked what I did. Hiring Deanna was the best investment I made for my family and for Gigi. Gigi now sits, stays, walks on heel, and with techniques Deanna taught me, my walks with Gigi and her interaction with others and their dogs is now an enjoyable and stress free! I highly recommend Deanna for a no nonsense approach that creates long term worthwhile results. read more

Hawaii Dog Training Services - Gigi is on the left. After our dog training, Gigi can now go on doggy play dates with our neighbor doggy Moki (on right) - Pet Training Near Me

We love Deanna and she helped us with both our dogs! We have two dogs with very different needs and personalities. The first one mostly needed to learn how to be a dog (basic obedience) while our second one is a high energy herding dog that had more specific behaviors needs. Deanna is very direct and down to the point, and she's there to help you and your dogs. She taught us on how to teach our dogs which we love since we know she can't be with us 24/7, even if we wish she could. Can't recommend her enough, it's money well invested! read more

From the moment we brought her home, our dog, Mocha, was quite a handful. On the mainland, we took her to puppy training classes. They helped, but she was still very reactive to other animals and dogs. We moved to Oahu just after she turned one and started working with Deanna to address reactivity and solidify obedience. Mocha made so much progress after months of 1-on-1 sessions, group walks, and a couple of weeks of board-and-train with Deanna. We learned how to use many tools to help keep her focused during walks, including a prong collar and e-collar. At home, Deanna introduced Mocha to her "place" cot, a game changer. Mocha's recall improved so much that she even learned how to behave off-leash. Though Mocha's behavior is still challenging in public and when guests visit our home, she is much more manageable. Working with Deanna lifted a huge weight of our shoulders. That said, the training never stops! read more

Deanna and her staff is amazing. I first reached out to Hawaii Dog Training Services because our young Boxer pup was in need of training. During the 3 week board and train, she relearned some basic obedience and also curbed her reactiveness on walks. Throughout the boarding, Deanna sent updates with texts, pictures, and videos. Our dog went to the beach, the coffee house, hiking, romped and ran with other boarders. I like Deanna's no-nonsense approach, she tells it like it is and for owners sometimes, many times we are 99% the problem. It can be a hard pill to swallow for some but her priority is our dog and giving us the tools to have a better relationship with our fur babies. Since then we have used Hawaii Dog Training several other times while going on trips. There is tremendous peace of mind knowing that our dog is safe and we wouldn't board her anywhere else other than Hawaii Dog Training Services! read more

Hawaii Dog Training Services - Pet Training Near Me

I was looking for a dog trainer, did the basic training at Petco and it didn't work well at all. I have a Frenchie who has always been very reactive and was bullied as a puppy. Gave Deanna my story and she said she would assess Kali. She loved her energy and agreed to work with us. Reminding us that it's just as much if not more about training the human as well, and need to do our homework. We worked with her at our house and then at parks depending what Kali needed. Deanna is very straight forward and appreciate that about her. Sent us videos of training for follow up after every session. She really cares about dogs and I can always call her after our training to help with any issues or questions. Even a couple years later. Recently she's been helping me find a rescue dog for my younger sister so that it will be a great match for the both of them. Super thankful. She goes above and beyond. You can tell she truly cares about the dogs she helps. Would always recommend her! read more

To say Deanna changed my life is not an exaggeration. As a solo dog parent to a young GSD, Deanna helped revamp the relationship I have with Koa and motivated me to put in the work. She was patient with me and taught me so much about behavior and boundaries. Deanna is very educated and does a great job explaining things to me (her analogies are my favorite). Koa has never trusted me or respected me more, all thanks to HDTS. By far the best trainer I have ever had! My dog loves Auntie D so much. read more

See all

HDTS trained both of my labs when we lived in Hawaii and...let me tell you...WE WERE IMPRESSED!!! From the initial meeting when Ms. Deanna came to meet our two rambucious pups we knew we had made the right choice. It did not take long before we loved and respected everything about HDTS' approach to training. Years later, we still seek Deanna out for help with our boys and trust her COMPLETELY. 10/10 recommend! read more

Deanna was amazing from the first time I reached out to her after adopted our puppy, Ikaika. She was very thorough in her explanations about each command we worked on and the reasons for it. She was very patient with us and with our dog, as we adapted to having a dog again after five years. I loved having videos sent to us and a follow up email after every lesson to refer to as we continued to work with our dog. We plan to set up more lessons to improve his confidence even more and to work on off leash training. I highly recommend her and know that you will not be disappointed! read more

Deanna was absolutely incredible. We took on a deaf and reactive dog that needed a lot of training. We had worked with other animals, but never dogs. Deanna took Zero in for a board and train and it was an absolute game changer for life with our sweet boy. I learned so much from her that we have used not only with Zero, but with dogs we've fostered and foster failed since then. She is always available for help troubleshooting issues if needed, and I couldn't ask for a better trainer. My only regret is moving too far away for her to help train my other dogs! read more

Our family/dog absolutely loves Deanna! We first sought out to reach Deanna because we have a German Shepard Husky Mix and I was expecting to have our first baby girl. Our dog already was very well mannered but there was some things I still would have liked to work on (Leash pulling, reactivity, being around a new born baby, and walking with a stroller) he is a very large dog and while being pregnant and having the baby around there was no room for any of that behavior. We decided to do a 3 week board and train with Deanna and even though it was a little bit pricy it was definitely worth every bit of money!! Our daughter is now 2 years old and because of this training and all the hard work we've done throughout the years we are able to go out and do many things with our dog and our baby. She helped us achieve the goals we had for our dog. Not only did she help us during the board and train but when it was time for us to PCS she gladly accepted to help us move our baby from Hawaii to San Diego. She made sure he was safe and he had everything he needed before he boarded that flight. Once you're in the HDTS you are family for life. We 10/10 recommend Deanna for training our babies! read more

Hawaii Dog Training Services - Pet Training Near Me

See all

Deanna is this best! I boarded my dog Koda while I was on a trip to work on his reactivity and the difference when I picked him up was night and day, she also coached me on my relationship with my dog and how to lead him and I can say it's made such a difference in my day to day life and it's all thanks to Deanna!! read more

Deanna helped us train both of our dogs and we could not be happier. For our first we did 5 at home sessions followed by a 2 week board and train with her while we were on a trip and we came back to an extremely obedient dog. I have never been comfortable having a dog off leash due to a loss of a dog when I was a kid but after her training I know she will always stay close by and listen to what we say immediately. When we got our second dog we reached back out and did 6 at home visits to implement all of the skills that we had learned with the first and got our second (much smarter) dog up to speed very quickly. Our dogs LOVE Deanna and would get so excited when she would come by for the sessions especially since she was really training us and the dogs just had to do what they were told and eat treats. We have since moved off island and she has even continued to answer questions and make suggestions when we've reached out. I would recommend HDTS to anyone who is looking to improve their connection and communication with their dog! read more

Hawaii Dog Training Services - Our dogs love having the freedom to explore with us and we love that they stay close by while still having that independence - Pet Training Near Me

Deanna is amazing. We did a board and train with one of our dogs who is very anxious. We struggled to walk her, bring our out into the community and have friends over because she was so afraid. Deanna taught us so many tools to help her build her confidence. We received many video lessons from Deanna throughout the board and train and did a couple check in visits that helped us learn how to best support Kona when it was time for her to come back home. Going on 4 years since our initial training sessions and with continued use of the skills and tools we learned from HDTS, Kona is able to walk on a loose leash, enjoy off-leash time, calm herself on "place" when needed, and has gained so much confidence around meeting new people - we can have friends over and she warms up to them immediately. Deanna is kind, caring, patient and creative with her training approaches and we would recommend her to anyone looking to enhance their relationship with their pup! read more

Hawaii Dog Training Services - Pet Training Near Me

See all

If I could give more than 5 stars I would to Deanna and HDTS. When I moved to Hawaii with my dog she was fearful and reactive (she was a Covid puppy and was not well socialized). I did not have the tools to help her overcome her fear and live a good life with us. We did a lesson with Deanna and realized our dog needed more training which ended with us doing a six-week board and train. Not only has our dog become confident and able to come on adventures with us but we are now informed owners and have gained a wonderful friend in Deanna and continue a lifelong relationship. Can't recommend her enough!! read more

I wish there was a way to rate OVER 5 stars! Deanna with Hawaii Dog Training Services changed my families life forever. I was hesitant to hire a trainer since I've had dogs my whole life and due to the cost, but it was worth every penny, and I would pay more now. Our 1.5 year old Golden Retriever (Karl with a K) went to Deanna for her 4 week boarding program hyper, unable to walk on a leash, had extreme separation anxiety and had to be watched 24/7 to keep out of trouble. He came back a changed dog. Happy, calm, loose leash walking, off-leash trained, excited to work and engage, and even recommend as a therapy dog for his demeanor. I had no idea the things I was doing to "help" him was causing his behavior issues. Deanna was extremely professional, clear, and able to teach my husband and I how to communicate and LEAD Karl so he felt safe and could be his best self. It was harder to teach us and break our habits than train Karl, but Deanna never gave up on us, gave all the support, education, and time needed for us to learn. Most importantly, Deanna never trained Karl's goofy personality out of him...she embraced him as he was, and adjusts training as needed to ensure she doesn't squash out their personality and light. Now, Karl is almost 5 years old we have lived a full life of adventure with him. With additional guidance and training/testing from Deanna, Karl became a therapy dog. He then (recommended by Deanna to a contact) acted as a therapy dog on a Disney+, was such good boy he got two follow on jobs modeling with Victoria Secret and a pharmaceutical commercial. Besides Karl's "career", we got to enjoy our short time in Hawaii to the fullest going on hikes and to beaches where could be safely off leash on his e-collar. We are military, and when we had to move, Deanna boarded Karl and kept him in a stable environment while our home was packed. She dropped him at the airport for us (I would have been a stressed mess and worried Karl!) and Karl had a FANTASTIC flight to the mainland. We drove Karl cross-country from Washington State to Virginia for our move. Again, enjoying each stop to the fullest with his trusted and well practiced training at that point. Across the country and every move since, Karl is complimented on how well behaved he is...we always say it was not without hundreds of hours of work and daily up-keep! It's so worth the fun and peace our home has thanks to Deanna's training (of us more than Karl!!). Over the years, Deanna continued to be our friend and expert on major life transitions: ease Karl's anxiety moving from Hawaii to a city, a new baby, loss of our other pet, and another move to a place with the 'scary' woods in the back yard. At every big life event, Deanna has mentored and supported our family. You are paying for so much more than a "dog trainer". This is the best money you could ever invest in your family! We are forever grateful. read more

My husband and I adopted Nala in 2019 from the OSPCA. They told us that she doesn't like other dogs but her main handler gave us Deanna's contact info for training. When we actually got home and realized how bad her aggression towards other dogs actually was, we called HDTS as soon as possible. Nala is the first dog my husband and I have had together- she's my baby and I wanted the best for her. Deanna explained the reasoning and methods behind the prong collar and Nala does absolutely wonderful with it. Nala attended a 4 week board and train with HDTS and completely changed our lives. Although Nala will never be 100% fixed, she knows how to mind her own business. As you can see from these pictures, she can be around other dogs. We received videos every day of what training methods were used so we could continue them at home. Knowing that I can call Deanna at any time for anything is really amazing. She has been there to board Nala while we've been off island and not once did she hesitate to take Nala when I was giving birth and help guide us for the homecoming of our newborn. Deanna is the best of the best on the island. There is no grey area, she gives you the information in black and white. She will always be apart of our ohana we're thankful every day for HDTS! read more

See all

Deanna is the dog whisperer! I have a HUGE mastiff that I had almost given up on. He was rude, didn't listen, I was terrified to walk him because of his dog aggression, HDTS was our last option before we had to make hard decisions. We did board and train with HDTS. I was super nervous and had little faith that anyone could help my dog. Deanna did it!!! She taught us so much and helped us understand our dog and look for cues on when he was overwhelmed and ready to have reactions to his environment. I realized that the humans in our house needed training almost as much as our dog. It takes hard work but HDTS is in it with you every step of the way. My huge mastiff is not perfect but he is AMAZING compared to what he used to be. AND he loves Deanna. When she shows up at our house he's so excited to go on whatever adventure she has planned. I recommend HDTS to everyone. She's not only a trainer, she becomes your family and loves your dog as much as you do. read more

Deanna is the best! She is so knowledgable about training and I've learned so much from her over the years - she's trained both my dogs! One was fearful after fireworks and would no longer go out for walks - Deanna helped me build her confidence back and help me gain more trust with her. My second dog was a problem child and I was at my wit's end and ready to rehome him. Deanna helped me out when I was in a very low place and had nowhere else to turn. She is the perfect mix of stern, caring, and smart! Unfortunately when going through training, it is a bit hard to hear about the things you are doing wrong as an owner, and bad habits you've created, but you just have to be open to feedback and willing to learn, grow, and change along with your dog! My problem child dog and I now have the BEST relationship, and I am so soooo grateful for Deanna and Hawaii Dog Training Services!!! Always recommend her to anyone I know. read more

Sadly had the same experience as the other reviews. Trainer was very hostile and condescending. Told me to use prong collars on my dogs. When I expressed my concerns she followed with "do you even care about what's best for your dogs?" She would also keep dogs she was boarding / training in her car during our sessions and would periodically shock the dog with an e collar when it would whine. I use e collars on my dogs and that seemed excessive. Very unprofessional. No aloha read more

Deanna the owner was very rude to me. Treated me like I was wasting her time, for as much money as it is you shouldn't be treated poorly just go somewhere else. read more

I wish I had looked at the reviews first. I had the same experience as everyone else. I think if I had known upfront that the first session was just talking for $190, then at least I would've been more prepared. But the whole experience overall was disheartening. A big red flag was that she brought a dog with her that she was boarding, and she left it in her car for the whole hour!! I couldn't believe a dog trainer would be so negligent and I really feel for that dog and its owner. Too many other negatives to mention. I hope that others who entrust their dog to her will have a better experience, and that those dogs will be safe. read more

Very condescending trainer. Not a good experience. If you're reading this, I highly recommend island dog obedience!!

Honestly, I don't like to write bad reviews but I know that it can help others out. I received one session, it was suppose to be 6 sessions but there was no follow up after the first one because "Deana" the trainer said my puppy is fine and was pretty judgemental on my concerns on why I'm seeking a DOG TRAINER to TRAIN my dog lol. The training session wasn't even training, it was just talking which I heard on YouTube for free lol, there was no 1-1 training with my dog, it was just talking in my parking lot for an hour.. while my dog just laid on the ground. There was also a dude she brought along who just stood there. She immediately said I have to use a prong collar. Yes, I realize as taboo as it is, its a training tool. However I was still hesistant and wanted to hear why she wanted to use it because I'm open to suggestions but I want to know WHY but when I said I wasn't sure she got defensive and was judgemental on me questioning it.. Smh. I also inquired about service dog training and she couldve ended it with her saying she doesnt provide that service but she just kept condescendingly making remarks that I probably don't need one and I don't have any reason to have one lol, oh and the dude that stood there also commented his wife has one because she has some disability but okay? lol, it was all very odd. Anyways it was a waste of $90 and I got better training at petco from a non judgemental trainer for $25 and also youtube LOL read more

E-collar training without resolving an underlying issue for a pet can be hazardous. Ms. Nieves went right to the e-collar as the solution for our dog's problem rather than evaluate the issue prior, causing more fear than calm behavior. Fear training was the worst solution for our family dog. read more