I called John for help with my dog reactive/aggressive Great Dane. We had used other private trainers and group classes and were hitting a wall. John's philosophy got us headed in the right direction. The training wasn't easy, but our dog had amazing obedience skills when we were finished with John. John was gentle, and explained why he does what he does. Unlike some dog people, John has people skills. The private trainer we used before him communication skills weren't top notch so John was like a breath of fresh air. He did use choke collar and corrections, but told us that our dog was so sensitive we would maybe use a 3 on a scale of 10. Ultimately we turned to positive reinforcement, but our lives were better for having worked with John. read more

I like to look around at other dog trainers on Yelp and came across the guy who trained me! I must say...I am VERY surprised he doesn't have 5 stars! I was trained by him in 2002 and have one of the most successful dog training companies in Los Angeles. The great thing that I can do that most can't (or are not willing to) is offering all techniques/methods. One method is never going to work with all dogs...period. I learned them ALL from John. In my early days of training, he flew down to help me with a German Shephard. People could not go near him without being straight up mauled. The only person the dog trusted was the my client's boyfriend (the actual owner) who had just passed away. She "inherited" the pup. After just a few days (after the dog attacked a runner and also wouldn't allow anyone in the house) she realized she either had the option of putting him down, or taking a stab at getting the dog to atleast be controlled. I had to teach the woman through a screen door because the dog went after me several times (I tried to take the leash several times, but he wouldn't allow it). 3 weeks went by and I still couldn't touch him so I called John. He came down and within 30 minutes, i was petting him. The owner was so overjoyed that she cried like a baby. When he touches a leash, it's like magic...I know it sounds cheesy, but its like he was born with one attached to him. Anyway...because of my education from John, I was able to open up my dream dog training company and have now been on the Today Show, Good Morning America, The Early Show, MSN, Yahoo, Cesar Millan's magazine, his new dog training book...and better yet...the people who write for his show takes my class every morning. With that said...He is an awesome trainer, the best...I owe all of my success to him. Jill Bowers Thank Dog! Bootcamp Thank Dog! Training read more

We found John's website online by searching for trainers specializing in aggressive behavior. His bio, describing work with military dogs, seemed to indicate his knowledge and comfort level with working breeds. When we contacted John, we were informed that his consultation was $250. That seemed high, but he assured the cost would be credited towards his entire fee for training if he felt he could help us. When I wrote an unfavorable review on Yelp because our training was never completed, I was contacted by John directly. He was very clear that his reputation, and our satisfaction were a high priority. We have come to a mutual agreement. Although his training style was not suited to our needs, in the end, he is very conscientious about providing good customer service. read more

I have to second Rob's review since I can't write a comment in addition to it. We seriously thought we would be dodging dogs and keeping him away from people forever. We sometimes took one step back to get 2 steps forward but we followed through with the training techniques that John taught us and the rewards are unexplainable. We have learned that training is something that does not just stop, we will be continually training ourselves and our dog and he will continue to get better and better. This will lead to a long happy life for our entire family. We look forward to learning the next steps of a solid recall with John and seeing continual progress in all the hard work we put in. Every dog is different and its needs are different, and John has a big toolbox to work from. John also has a lifetime support guarantee, so we can always call him up if something is starting to go astray and he can lead us in the right direction. It was a big initial investment and the return has been incredible. We have not regretted for one minute our decision to choose John. Even in times when I was convinced our dog would never get better, John stayed positive and assured us that with patience and dedication, it would happen. And it did. We 100% recommend John. read more

I am a professional dog trainer who has known John, since I finished a dog training course at Animal Behavior College. I reached out to John when I was struggling to get my business off the ground, and he was extremely generous with his time and advise. He helped fill in the sizable gaps in my training education, helping me properly structure my training, price my services, and develop a winning marketing strategy. With his help, I have become the most successful dog trainer in my city. After a few years, I wanted to round out my education and begin working with extremely challenging behavior cases - Dogs at risk for surrender or worse because of behavior issues. I reached out to John once again, and took an extensive continuing education course which allowed me to take the cases that most dog trainers label as hopeless. Because of John's help, I have the ability to save hundreds of dogs a year, and provide an unmatched service to my clients. John is extremely honest and loyal, and is always there with advise or encouragement when I need it. He has had several opportunities to offer training in my market himself, through his company, and while he isn't contractually obligated not to do so, he hasn't because he values our working relationship. read more

I am a dog trainer who has worked closely with John for quite some time. I have met and worked with many other dog trainers, and I can confidently say that there is no one in this business that is more knowledgable, personable, and well-rounded. His knowledge of dog behavior and training is extensive, and his ability to put it all together in an efficient and realistic way is unrivaled. As a mentor, you could not ask for more. He is patient and supportive, never patronizing or harsh. He follows through with everything he says he'll do, and will bend over backwards to help you. He knows the business of dog training just as well as he knows the skills of dog training. Best of all, John is absolutely committed to conducting business with the highest level of integrity. If you're thinking about working with John either as a dog training client, or as a fellow dog trainer, I would encourage you to do it! You will not find a better dog trainer, or a better mentor. read more

We should have written this review months ago. John is awesome and if you have any issues with your dog you should call John! We adopted a 2 year old scottish terrier mix a year ago and he had what we thought were dog aggression issues. We would walk on the other side of the street if we saw another dog coming, get up extra early to avoid dogs at the park,were giving him treats every time he saw another dog (advice given by our trainers before John, which is bad advice)etc. We had worked with 2 trainers before John and it felt like his behavior had gotten worse and as we lived in an apartment building with 2 other dogs, were at our wits end...turns out our dog had leash frustration which John quickly assessed and after 2 sessions our dog was able to be slowly integrated into play groups and we were better able to handle him. Terriers are smart, so the training also helped his other bad behaviors like jumping, recall,etc. It was difficult at first to change our mindset and understand that our beloved pooch was indeed a dog who needed some rules, structure and guidance but as we quickly saw a calmness come to our dog, we really believed in John and his training. Someone also said that John is good with people and this is very true as I think I gave John a hard time on one session and he was very good at dealing with me too as I worked through my change in mindset. We have continued his socialization and our dog is a much happier dog and we are much calmer dog parents as a result and can really enjoy our Smokey. read more

John is an amazing trainer and we have recommended him on many occasions. He trained our two dogs and really helped them with their issues. Shelly, our American Staffie was a whiner and a barker and now she is a mellower, cooler mutt. Kaido was prone to running off at every opportunity, but now he does great. We have happier dogs who behave properly because of the outstanding work John did for us. He is patient and has a connection with dogs and is 100% dedicated. Part of the process is training the dog owners. Once we were on board with John's techniques, it was easy. read more

I am an East Bay Dog Trainer and was trained by John Van Olden. I read the review by Tracy M. and have to come to John's defense. I doubt that things happened in exactly the way these owners portray. John has an incredible reputation and has trained 1000's of dogs successfully and trained over 100 trainers across the country. This review really misrepresents John's work as a professional. I would really hate to see this effect one's perception of his ability and expertise. John did not ask me to write this. I just needed to say something about a person I truly believe in and feel has been unjustly maligned. Steve Bettcher The Dog Squad read more

We came to John after trying a few other dog trainers for our 2 dogs. Our dogs had aggression issues with each other and occasionally towards us. He helped us with these issues as well as the typical, sit, come, stay, go to your bed, etc. Having one deaf dog also added to the complexity of our situation, but that didn't phase John. The majority of dog training is really training the owners, so be prepared to put in your time but the end result is worth it. We found John to be reliable, dependable, and always available which wasn't always the case with other trainers we tried. read more

I found John here on Yelp looking for help with my aggressive english pointer mix, who had been getting worse with attacking other dogs. After working with a couple other trainers in the bay area, I found John's methods to seem right on. As others here have mentioned, he used a combination of correction and structure/reinforcement. Unfortunately, I didn't see any improvement after almost a year of work, but John was great in honoring his commitment and working with me to make other arrangements when it didn't work out. read more

Its been several months since we started working with John and time for an update! John's training methods work!!! This was just what my Golden needed and she responded really well to John's plan. Now we can take her to Crissy Field without any anxiety/stress(for her and us!). She plays with other dogs and even has a few doggie friends she sees every week. Our dog walkers (who are fantastic) actually have her riding in the car with another dog. I never imagined that Sasha would overcome her fears so quickly, all she needed was the right training and thank you John for helping us get to this point! PS: This is an update to my original review, which Yelp removed for some reason. read more

I trained with John to become a dog trainer about 4 years ago. Although I had been to two dog trainer schools prior to enrolling in John's intensive program, I didn't feel that I had the "hands on training" skills needed to work with dogs with severe behavior issues, the dogs with which I wanted to work. John's program is a balance of academic coursework and hands-on training with dogs. Even more importantly, the program teaches you how to start, grow and maintain a successful dog training business, which is the key difference between being a dog training "hobbyist" and a dog training "professional". I now have a thriving business that would have never been possible without John's knowledge of both dogs and the dog training business. What is truly amazing is the continued support I receive. John is still always available to me for support: he continues to mentor me on both business and dog training issues and is always looking for a "better" way to do things, which he then shares with all current and past students. Working with John was the best financial investment I ever made. read more

John is a great trainer. A great people trainer. And boy, we really needed training. The dogs (both chihuahua-terriers) learned much faster than we did. He teaches you a skill you can use handling dogs for the rest of your life. Our little guys were pretty good, but some things we had a hard time with were barking, crate fear and going balistic at skateboarders and bicycles. He helped us through all those issues and taught us stuff we didn't know we needed - these are little dogs, easy to control on a leash, but John's techniques get the dogs in tune with you so they are anticipating what you want rather than having to be corrected. Walks are such a pleasure. read more