Tommy helped us with our Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy when no one else would! He came to our 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! read more

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Tommy came for our first private session and it went better than I imagined. My husband and I learned 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. read more

We learned so much from Tommy! Prior to his beginning group class, our young corgi had already completed a beginners group class elsewhere, which was great for teaching basic commands. Wanting to keep myself and dog learning, we decided to try Tommy's group class. This class goes way beyond teaching commands. He teaches you WHY your dog is exhibiting certain behaviors. For us, we were still struggling with our dog pulling towards other dogs on walks. He taught us the psychology behind why dogs do this and ways to lead the dogs with confidence and finesse. With practice, we've seen a ton of progress. I appreciate the group class setting (held at his private dog park) because you learn from others in class. The first group class is free, but stick with it. It really pays off! You, the human, have to learn to train and lead the dog you want. You have to be patient and practice. Otherwise, your dog will train you. read more

Tommy Stark not only speaks dog but understands the complex owner relationship as well. HE CAN HELP YOU!! We have 2 Giant Schnauzer rescues-4 years old. Over the last few years, we been challenged with some behaviors we just couldn't overcome. Tommy did a free assessment & placed us in his beginner's class. He expertly refined us as owners. Not just our verbals and body signals but helping us tune in better to our Giants. The results are amazing after just 4 weeks. Now we're off to the Intermediate workshops! read more

I worked with Tommy in order to address a formerly well behaved dog who had been overcome with some neurotic behaviors (namely pacing and whining, eliminating in the house) after being diagnosed and treated for Cushing's. After entering my home for the session, I went to go get my dog, but Tommy wanted to just talk to me first, so he instructed me to leave her in her crate. We started talking about my dog's diet and routines and within 10 minutes of being in my home, without even having met her, he concluded that her behaviors are due to her being overly medicated with things like Trifexis, and that I should stop this monthly prevention medication for fleas, ticks and heartworms. He told me about a client whose dogs had seizures due to Trifexis. I made a mental note to do my own research. When they did meet, my dog immediately responded positively to Tommy's energy; he clearly knows his way around dogs. Tommy concluded with confidence that she was behaving nervously because she is "a dog without a job". In the absence of getting work assigned, my dog was assuming the alpha role. Tommy then goes to share pages from his book about hiding treats and making your dog search for them. He shared from his book several times during our meeting. It almost felt like an agenda. When he left, my two plans of action were to start hiding her food bowl and treats and playing search several times a day, and also researching whether Trifexis is safe for my dog. Were these going to change my dog? I had to try... I hid that food bowl all over the place, and did challenge my dog to find it over the next few weeks. I kept waiting for her behavior to change, but no amount of hiding treats got my dog to stop whining, pacing, and eliminating in the house for attention. A month later, still desperate for some peace, I was able to secure an appointment with a different dog behaviorist, who agreed with Tommy that my dog is playing the alpha role. But instead of asking me to hide her treat bowl and stop Trifexis, he taught me several tools to communicate with my dog and give corrections when she is exhibiting the unwanted behavior. Since then, my household has been much calmer. While she's not quite back to my perfect dog yet, she is well on her way and I've noticed a dramatic reduction in her neurotic behavior. Tommy is good with dogs, but I felt he has a one size fits all approach to advice (everything consistent with the book). Though he did seem to connect with my dog, his methods were not effective for me. read more

Tommy is a wonderful trainer! His knowledge and understanding of dogs and their behavior is incredible. I contacted him due to some food possessive behavior and newly aggressive behavior my 8 year old frenchie was displaying. He was very responsive, replied to my message in a timely manner, and hopped on a call with me later that day. We were able to schedule with him the next week, and he spent an hour working with us in our home. He taught us within one hour how to teach our dogs to respect boundaries and space, especially around food. I am so happy to report that things are still going so great! My 8 year old frenchie has shocked me with how well he's doing. He caught on so quick to our new commands and routine around food. My 11 month old puppy is doing better, but still learning, but definitely showing a vast improvement from before we worked with Tommy. I can't recommend him enough! read more

I've had dogs my whole life and loved them. The type of love where I can't pass other dogs walking by without my voice rising an octave and magnetically being compelled to walk over and say "hey there what a beautiful puppy" no matter what manner of mutt they have. Training my dogs has always been another matter. They slept in my bed, ate my food, crapped on expensive furniture, carpets etc. and did not obey me in general. I just enjoyed getting the love. These two new puppies, I realized, are going to be over 70 pounds each large standard goldendoodles, and I am no longer the spring chicken of yore. It was critical this time to train ME and my husband, and I knew sending them away doesn't work ( my daughter spent $2000 on her Doodle, he was perfect when he came back and she let him do whatever after that and LITERALLY, 2 grand pissed away all over her house.). Tommy Stark came in, gave us a private lesson, told us all the things we specifically were doing wrong, gave us a list of what to buy ( exercise crates, another pen, etc.) and we are starting group class Saturday for socialization. Our pups were magically listening to him but honestly it's been much harder since he left. He definitely knows what he is doing however and I look forward to class! read more

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Tommy is an absolute Genius. He changed our dogs entire demeanor in minutes, and the adjustment has stuck. I had no clue it could be this easy, but Tommy was able to immediately identify the issue, and turned our Oliver into the dog we knew he could be. . read more

My male Rottweiler mix, who I will refer to as 'Rottie' (for privacy), is now 3 years old. It was clear he was abused and neglected in the past. Even the perfect forever home, couldn't address all his behavioral issues. For example, Rottie had night terrors. And no, I do not mean nightmares, I mean night 'terrors', cause if you have ever heard a dog screaming like their life depended on it, you would know. It is a sound you can never forget. My intuition was telling me something wasn't quite right... During his episodes, it seriously looked like Rottie needed an exorcism! The Vet said it was nothing, Google said it was cancer (but Google always says its cancer) I was so desperate at this point I was going to call a priest. But we called Tommy and he knew, immediately!! Mini seizures were co-occurring with the nightmares. So, it wasn't religion that Rottie needed. With a little CBD, it was the last night Rottie experienced a demonic possession. We try to carefully watch Rottie's diet, because he gets mistaken for being pregnant all the time. He's a boy... I still get butthurt when Tommy affectionately calls him a little "tootsie roll". So, instead of scouring through the internet comparing ingredients in different dog food brands, just ask Tommy about nutrition!! The man seriously knows his stuff!! Long story short, we fell in love with Rottie, soooo ... we got another Baby Rottie! It is not an understatement to say that their first meeting was a, shit show. We panicked!! I literally texted Tommy "S.O.S.!!!, ASAP!!!, Por favor!!!" He came within 24 hours. This was them literally, after 10 mins with Tommy on Monday. Rottie and Baby Rottie were best friends by Thursday. Seriously, no joke. Disclaimer: I have been known to, (and in my defense) in the past, have said to other dog owners who walk their dogs, off leash, with no recall, sprinting towards us, and tell them that if they do not get their dog under control in 3 seconds, I WILL punch it in the face!!! (All you dog lovers out there know what I am talking about.) I am not claiming to be an expert, I can only share my experience. With that experience, all I can say is, leave it to the experts. That means someone who has seen and personally worked with, handled, and breed hundreds if not thousands of dogs from all walks of life, all over the world. They can see and read behavior, that you can't. I hate to say this and I hate hearing it too, but your dog might not be the problem ... it might be YOU. So, Tommy, essentially has two jobs. 1) Work with your dog. 2) Work with you so you don't screw it up. But rest assured. Tommy does both extremely well. And this is coming from the woman who has yelled at other dog owners, that I will punch their dog in the face, so yeah. Experts like Tommy work in this field because they are passionate about what they do and feel just as proud when they get to witness your dog grow. I would know cause Rottie tried to bite Tommy his first day!! Tommy + 80lb Rottweiler Bite = FEARLESS. Because of Tommy, I get to actually enjoy my dogs now, instead of Googling at 2am "How to give your dog an exorcism at home." Thank you, Tommy!! We are forever grateful to you. read more

iSpeakDog! - Pet Training Near Me

I must RAVE about Tommy, and what he has accomplished in only one weeks time at his boarding/ training location for our 5 month old Golden Retriever! Our biggest issue ( and urgent) was our puppy beginning to constantly jump up on us and start shredding our clothes. Even with the two well known dog training books that I faithfully followed, nothing was working with him. He quickly decided he had no boundaries with us. I was extremely hesitant to send my puppy away with a stranger, but after a hour consultation with Tommy he made me feel more comfortable with the idea. Tommy " worked miracles" with our puppy!! He is a TOTALLY different dog! We were so thrilled with his results that we are immediately continuing on with private lessons! Thank you Tommy....you are indeed a dog speaker!!! Merilee S. read more

Tommy is a master of his craft. He knows how to handle even difficult and reactive dogs and all that through body language and positive reinforcement only. He makes everything easy to understand and follow. Not only are my two puppies more confident after his training, I am, too. He gives you all the tools to succeed in training your dog. If you put in the time and effort to follow his lead and advice, you'll have a well behaved dog. I truly enjoyed the beginner classes and was looking forward to going every week, because I could see how well his training methods worked. It also helped that he created a very relaxed environment that was judgement free. We will definitely be back for the intermediate course! read more

Hiring Tommy to train our puppy is one of the best decisions we have made. He is so knowledgeable about dogs and has taught us so much on how to train her. We hired him for private and group lessons and there has not been one thing that he has not been able to accomplish and he always seems to have a solution or answer for any issues we have. On our first lesson he helped us to get her to stay in her play pen without crying or barking. I had really struggled with this and he helped us accomplish this in less than 15 minutes. He is always on time to the lessons and very quick to respond to texts or phone calls. He is so passionate about dogs and training. I cannot recommend him enough. Do not hesitate to hire him or get training for your dog...the results are so worth it!! read more

iSpeakDog! - Pet Training Near Me

Tommy is an incredible trainer, knowledgable and helped me solve an ongoing problem I've been having with my pup in literally minutes. Thank you so much Tommy, I am so grateful for your stellar dog expertise and care!! I highly recommend booking with him, he is amazing! read more

Drop everything, stop the search, and book Tommy NOW!! Extremely impressed and pleased with Tommy. Our dog, Oliver, had a bad interaction at the dog park. After the bite scare, I got online and reached out everywhere. Tommy was the first to respond (even on a Friday night!) and I committed right away. He even told us "this can be fixed in one session." Which was a huge selling point, vs sending our dogs away for weeks and $$$ to be trained. Tommy came to us - and added bonus- and without fail, our pup barked his head off and was a total turd. Within a minute, Tommy was able to assess his behavior. He started giving us tips and tricks to work with our pup. Not even 5 minutes later, we were looking at a different dog. He worked with us for an hour and showed us how to control our dog. He answered all of our questions. I seriously cannot recommend him enough. Thank you, Tommy, for turning my ferocious beast into a little cream puff. read more

I have known Tommy for over ten years and I have watched him work with owners and dogs at all levels of experience and efficacy. I love Tommy's gentle approach with both humans and creatures as he teaches people how to be assertively "in charge " of their dogs. His techniques make sense, are easy to apply to your own training sessions with your dog, and are very effective. read more

iSpeakDog! - Idgie thinking about having a walk. - Pet Training Near Me

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Absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much for helping us with Biscuit, we learned so much as new puppy owners and HIGHLY RECOMMEND anyone with dogs to talk to Tommy and his team!! They will not only solve the problem, but coach you on how to fix it. Complete Night and Day difference Bye bye Tasmanian Devil situations!! Thank you so much !! read more

Tommy is excellent. His command is instant. He showed us in less than an hour how to fix food aggression and excessive barking. Glad we met with him while the pupperoni was still young. Don't waste time thinking you can do this on your own. Spend the time and money with a skilled behavioralist. read more

Tommy is absolutely amazing with dogs!!! We had tried a dog trainer and another dog behaviorist before and were feeling really hopeless because we still had the same issues. I contacted Tommy and he was super helpful and I immediately knew he was the right one and could help us. We have two little 8lb. balls of love that needed some direction and discipline and yet we didn't want them to be trained by a drill sargent. Tommy's approach is brilliant, he is truly magical with dogs. I'm learning so much from him and about how my energy was not helpful in many situations. He definitely speaks dog and figured out almost immediately the different problems, He is very patient and very committed to helping you learn how to respond, react and be a good leader for your dog. I highly recommend Tommy and am grateful to have his help and expertise. It's always sad when our seesion is over because he brings so much positive energy into our home. read more

I learned about Tommy from a friend and I feel so grateful to have him as our trainer. This was my first puppy, and boy oh boy was I overwhelmed, and not prepared. Tommy has been such a gift, he really understands dogs and their behaviors, and has really helped me to better understand my baby Golden Retriever, Sadie. We did privates and group classes with Tommy and he has always been there for me via tex with basic questions or the occasional meltdown. His observations on how you're interacting with your puppy is really helpful, as it's important for you to understand how to work with your puppy since Tommy can't be everywhere 24/7, lol. I highly recommend working with Tommy to help train your puppy or dog - you'll be glad you did! read more

iSpeakDog! - Sadie - Pet Training Near Me

I cannot say enough good words about Tommy Stark. I met him at the car wash and I had my 4 month old golden retriever puppy with me. I called him that evening before I had even contracted any of his training sessions and he was so kind with his time helping me navigate through some issues. Since then I have been in his group classes and have private sessions every week. He is very knowledgeable about nutrition, training, and behavior issues. It is obvious he loves animals and he trains in a very loving, calm, patient manner. He calms me down all the time!! I love how he treats my puppy with kindness and patience. I am now able to walk Teddy by my side without pulling (70 lb puppy 7 months old) , put him in a down /stay and have him come on command. All of this ....thanks to Tommy Stark. Gratefully, Karen Crosson read more

Omg! After one session I feel like I have two new dogs. I have a 10 year old corgi and 1 year old Aussie. Both were 90% trained and well behaved but had issues. Within 5 min Tommy had my Aussie walking into leash like a show dog. After one session of "ah ha!" moments my husband and I feel so much more empowered. The dogs are visibly happier and calmer. And so are me and my husband! I highly recommend Tommy. We are having two more sessions kias a check up but honesty he fixed our problems in one session. Having Tommy work with your dog is like watching a professional race car driver drive your car. "I didn't know it could even do that!" read more

iSpeakDog! - Pet Training Near Me

Tommy was amazing. He is knowledgeable, prompt, and has a great rapport with owners and dogs. I highly recommend him. He is well worth what you spend. I learned a lot about my puppy, her breed and her thought process. I did private sessions, his group class and his pack walks. I am extremely happy with my puppie's progress! read more

I learned that OC Pup Scouts offered dog training because I have a seven year old that has been doing pack walks for over a year - which we both love. When we brought home a puppy this summer, I reached out for training, and met Evan. Evan has been a wonderful teacher and has taught my 6 month old puppy so many commands in just 4 sessions. Evan has a great style and wonderful follow up. I highly recommend! read more

Just thrilled to have found Tommy Stark to train our two standard poodles! One pack walk and one training session gave us a wealth of great information to immediately solve some of the more urgent issues. We plan to continue both individual and class training with our dogs to get them Canine Good Citizen certified. I highly recommend Tommy. Very responsive to inquiries, set up our first session in less than a week. a lot. Easy to pay with Venmo and several other options. He is practical and has a great demeanor and is totally effective and efficient without need of shock collars and other negative training techniques I have been hearing from other trainers. He is an AKC evaluator and has trained and shown Rottweilers and watched him train small to very large dogs. So grateful to find such a talented trainer right in our area! read more

So happy we found Tommy! We felt helpless after we had another trainer who basically told us our dog was a lost cause with his aggression issues. Desperately we reached out to other trainers to find some guidance and see if there was anything we could do, we love our dog and did not want to give up hope. Tommy was so helpful and responsive from the moment we contacted him. From the second he arrived we felt so confident is his abilities. He really has a way with dogs and was able to show us how to effectively communicate with our Bodie. His tips were extremely helpful and we are already beginning to see improvement in just a couple days. We hope to continue to see changes and come back to Tommy when we are ready to help socialize our pup with other dogs. Highly recommend! read more

iSpeakDog! - Pet Training Near Me

The way that Tommy was able to come in and evaluate my 3 dysfunctional dogs was amazing. Once he started explaining the pack order and how they were bread to act for millions of years, it all made sense! I am implementing the suggestions and seeing results already! read more

When I first adopted my Border Collie mix I knew WE were going to need some training. It took me awhile to find Tommy as I don't believe in shock collars. It is hard to find a great trainer like Tommy that believes in positive reinforcement not the lazy way out with a shock collar. My "little" Border Collie mix grew in to an 85 pound beautiful dog. If he had not had our training with Tommy I know that I would not have been able to handle him. Thank you Tommy, forever grateful for having you in Zen's and my life. read more

My daughter decided to get her dog trained for pulling etc. We soon got a rescue dog and assumed that it would be friendly with my daughters dog. We watch her dog about five days a week while she's working and a lot of times overnight and on weekends. Thinking they would be best buddies they got into a dog fight the first time they met which scared me, I thought about returning my dog to the rescue. We pretty quickly decided to get into the training and we had Tommy come to our house in hopes that these dogs would be friends. I did not believe it would happen because of the dog fight, when will I ever let them be together again. Following Tommy's training and guidance each week it did happen. My daughter's dog and my rescue dog are getting along great. It took time, it took persistence with following his training, and it worked. We are involved in all of his training for both of our dogs and they are becoming different dogs they are becoming better dogs, and we are becoming better dog owners. He is just amazing as a dog trainer. Can't wait to learn more. read more

I got a new puppy and decided to do in home training until he was old enough to be around groups of dogs. The experience we had with Tommy was short of miraculous. There wasn't anything I could ask him to teach my puppy that he wasn't able to do. Somehow he is able to get dogs to do anything he wants. Being such a young puppy I wasn't expecting him to learn much, but everything that was introduced to him he has mastered... all because of the way Tommy trains the puppy and the parent. We're now ready to move into group classes and I can't wait to see how much more my little Buzby is going to learn. If you're considering training for your dog for any reason, I HIGHLY recommend Tommy and his crew. read more

I have my own pet service industry! I highly suggest when it comes to educating dogs/owners I only trust and have strong faith in Tommy's training. read more

Tommy is truly one of a kind. He treats my pup like his own, and he is knowledgeable about not only dog training, but the nature, history, and instincts behind it. He is always a phone call or text away when I need him, and he truly cares about and loves animals. If you get a dog in Orange County, or want to train a dog that you already have, you will be in the best of hands when working with Tommy. 5/5, highly recommend. read more

My dog Mick and I had a wonderful experience with Tommy. He is a total professional and very easy to work with. His explanations of behavior and how to redirect and address was clear and concise. I highly recommend him. read more

My dogs and I have been working with Tommy now for 7+ years. There is absolutely nobody else I trust when it comes to my dogs. Tommy is so much more than a dog trainer. He doesn't just train your dog, he also spends just as much time with the owners helping them understand the background of the dog's behavior and the reasons they behave the way they do. He explains how his training methods will work and he is quick and precise and he ALWAYS delivers results. You can tell Tommy is passionate about what he does and his knowledge of dogs goes well beyond just training and behavior. He is my go-to for any dog nutrition questions and often times has very good homeopathic treatment options to offer as alternatives to always rushing your dog to the vet for costly medications. Tommy is like a walking encyclopedia of dog knowledge. Call Tommy, you won't be disappointed and you and your (well trained!) dog will have a friend for life. read more

iSpeakDog! - The pack - Pet Training Near Me

Thomas gave us excellent advise and showed us how to best work with our Miniature Schnauzer to reduce barking and prevent biting. He was very informative as to reasons why dogs behave as they do and was helpful in every way...a great personality for dog training and we are so grateful for his help! read more

I thought I was ready to train my new puppy. I had read 5 books, watched countless training shows, and cleared my schedule for the first two months he was home. After a month and a half of trying my best to train my dog, I was discouraged, hopeless, and thought we had chosen the wrong dog for our family. Then enter Tommy Stark! After one session with Tommy, my husband and I were hopeful and empowered to handle the issues we were struggling with in training. He was a different dog after just the first session! Four sessions later our dog is a delight and a blessing to our whole family. Don't try and figure it out alone. Tommy has seen it all and trained thousands of dogs. He always has a wonderful solution to any issue you are facing with your dog. So worth the money we spent!! read more

We had Tommy come over on our first day with our puppy and thank goodness we did because he has taught us so much and has helped make our first time as puppy parents virtually stress free. It is nice to know that you're teaching your puppy the right way. Tommy is extremely knowledgeable and has an answer for everything! I would highly recommend I Speak Dog Training, I don't imagine that there is a dog he can't train. read more

Tommy was recommended by another dog owner that we see on our walks! He made a tremendous impact in just one hour and since our session, our dog has been a changed boy! read more

Helped our dog tremendously in one session, and helped us! 10/10 book him. You won't regret it.

Tommy is everything you're reading about and more. He shows up on time and gave me great advice on what our dogs were needing and how to best resolve our issues. He is a very good listener to first figure out what was going on and then worked with our dogs. I learned a lot! Don't hesitate to call him. He was professional, kind, gave great ideas and I will call him again if any issues aren't resolved. read more

Excellent Trainer. Very friendly, very knowledgeable, and very good with our Blue Heelers (cattle dogs)! We had some barking behaviors that he helped us with and walking behaviors. So impressed with his methods and skills. His price was also very reasonable for a 60+ minute session. read more