Stephen is amazing!! He was patient with Georgie who was a rescue with high anxiety and transition issues. We both learned how a dogs mind works. Visual training and expert advice worked for read more

Working with Steven for our dog Darcy's reactive barking & fear of strangers was worth every penny. We saw an immediate beneficial change in her behavior and with continued practice, we've seen her confidence grow. His teaching style is fun and his passion for positive training is so appreciated. If needed, we would not hesitate to work with Steven again. read more

I met Steven after he was referred by the veterinary behaviorist I work with on my anxious and easily agitated dog Eddy. Steven did a very thorough assessment of the current situation with my dog and then met with us in person several times. He was incredibly helpful and gave me lots of homework that I continue to use to this day. I've recommended him to several people and he's on my preferred dog trainer list that I provide to all my pet sitting clients. read more

Venture Dog Training - Eddy is very happy with the ongoing homework from Steven! - Pet Training Near Me

Steven and his team are amazing! They are quick to get you in for a FREE telephone consult and respond to messages with speed. I went with the fitness and nutrition package shortly after my dog was diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. My dog is fearful of new people, especially men, but Steven was able to develop a plan to help with her stance, gait, and rear end muscle building, and coach us entirely virtually! I have seen a massive decrease in her pain since working with him!! His nutritionist, Amanda, was also able to develop a diet to help with her IBD. She is extremely knowledgeable on all things dog nutrition! I'd recommend Steven and team to anyone who is looking for expert coaching and a trainer who cares so deeply for the animals in their care. read more

Steven has taught me so much as a first time dog owner. If your dog has issues with fear or anxiety, Steven is the trainer you want. He is a true professional and is extremely knowledgeable of dog psychology (yes that is a thing!) and behavior analysis. In our first session he was able to pick up on my dog Charlie's issues and create a plan to address them. Steven taught me how to help Charlie build his confidence as well as how important it is for dogs to be able to de-stress, decompress, and "just be a dog". These are things that no amount of Googling can teach! I love Steven's approach to dog training. He will never force anything on the dog and will always go at their pace. I now have a dog who is no longer fearful of going on walks and loves to explore his surroundings. I am a more confident dog owner, both in myself and in my dog's ability to handle new situations. I feel that I can now truly just enjoy being with my dog, instead of stressing. In turn, Charlie is a happier boy because I now know what he needs from me. Steven was always available for feedback throughout the process and offered thoughtful, detailed advice for any concerns or questions I had. This process has helped me form a stronger bond with my dog and for that I am incredibly grateful. Thank you Steven!!!! read more

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We have been working with Steven during the last two months. He has been invaluable in helping us with our high drive / rowdy Aussie puppy. Iggy loves and looks forward to his training sessions with Steven. We have succeeded with basic puppy training and undesirable behavior modifications. At the moment we are making progress on loose leash walking. We were impressed from the initial phone call consultation, through the completion of the puppy training with Venture Dog Training. Will be looking forward to more advance training and obedience. read more

Steven is working miracles with Aubie! We're amazed to see him walk calmly on his leash, lie down, and leave it. He's still entirely treat-motivated but we hope consistent practice on our end will translate into consistent behavior. Steven did a great job of meeting the challenge of training a year-old labradoodle to walk with my 90-year-old dad with a walker. read more

Steven came to work with Winston when he was just 9 weeks old. Steven helped Winston learn a few good behaviors as a puppy, but most importantly, he taught us how to engage with this bundle of rambunctious cuteness to get him accustomed to learning. It was amazing to witness Steven teach Winston while he was just playing with him! Steven was always available by text or phone and even after our 6 week program, Steven checked in. When Winston is a little older, we're going to pick back up with Steven. We strongly recommend Steven if you're considering a trainer. read more

Venture Dog Training - Winston, 10 weeks old in this picture, learning to be curious about textures and objects. - Pet Training Near Me

We lost our beautiful 15 year dog Pebbles in August of 2020. I was 100% against getting a new dog. i didnt want to deal with the potty training, or all of the responsibilities of being a responsible pet owner again. Well, my wife talked me into getting one. Steven from Venture Dog Training is AMAZING!!!! after just a few sessions our new Cavapoo Mollie Marie was doing everything I could ask her to do. Steven has amazing patience, structure, and a training plan that worked amazing for us. She is the most well behaved dog at the age of 6 months I could have ever asked for. ZERO chance our relationship would be as good as it is if it was not for Venture Dog Training. Mollie and my relationship works because of Steven and Venture Dog Training. read more

Steven is the best trainer ever! And just expanded to the Austin area! His training is only POSITIVE; we never use the command, "no", and our dog, Walter, responds very well after we give him a different command! Steven trained not only Walter but also his puppy parents. We adopted Walter in the summer of 2020, and being a terrier, he posed some challenges. As a high energy breed, it was difficult to train Walter even to "sit". Because of Steven's patience, Walter knows and obeys his commands, both verbal and visual, and passed his AKA Good Citizen test with flying colors. We highly recommend VENTURE DOG TRAINING, both the new AUSTIN chapter, as well as the established HOUSTON chapter! read more

Venture Dog Training - Team Walter - Pet Training Near Me

Mr. Steven (that's what I assume my dog calls him) is an amazing dog trainer!! On top of all the basic commands, he taught my dog to have the best manners and how to properly socialize. Wonderful person who truly cares about the dogs. Great communication throughout the process and the personal training sessions taught me so much! My dog loved training with Steven and I loved seeing him so happy and transform into the perfect little gentleman. read more

Venture Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Steven is an expert dog trainer. I'm so happy that he was able to help shortly after I adopted Scooby. Before, Scooby couldn't even sit -- now, he's the most perfect dog in the world (although he already was in my heart). As a first time dog-owner, I was nervous I wouldn't do a good job. Thanks to Steven, I learned about positive dog training psychology, and when to reward good behaviours -- as well as to stop unintentionally rewarding bad ones. I think he's the best dog trainer in Houston, and I would recommend him to anyone! read more

Venture Dog Training - Steven and Scooby training session! - Pet Training Near Me

We love Steven! He has taught us so much and helped us adjust and thrive with our first dog. He is extremely knowledgable and professional. We saw such a difference after a few sessions and plan on working with him long term just to keep learning. Steven is very communicative and easy to schedule with. We would recommend him to anyone in the Houston area! read more

I cannot say enough great things about Venture Dog Training. Our dog, Kaido, has always been a handful and taking walks was stressful. He was reactive and hard to control. We never knew how to help him feel less anxious. After working with Steven, Kaido's behavior has improved considerably. Steven is patient and very knowledgeable. He also pet sit for us. He kept us well informed on how the dogs were doing and even sent us pictures throughout our time away. Knowing our fur babies were in good hands made our trip relaxing and enjoyable. read more

I highly recommend working with Steven. Steven always brought a calm presence to our house. I felt 100% confident that he would help me train and understand my dog. Steven has a kind, loving, gentle approach. He heard my concerns and addressed them at each session. I learned what my dog is capable of - and my relationship with my dog has improved greatly. I learned: drop it, leave it, find it, place, stay, wait, crate and much more. read more

I am so thankful Penny had the opportunity to train with Steven! He was able to positively reinforce the basic commands she had a base knowledge on, but she also learned new commands which have been helpful in our everyday life. Over the training course, we saw great improvement in her temperament and socialization with other dogs. Steven is very patient and works hard to tailor the course to your needs and obedience goals. The private sessions were invaluable to help me learn how to improve the way I work with Penny. He gave the tools needed to make training fun for both Penny and me which has been easy to incorporate into our daily routine. read more

Venture Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

We've known Steven since he was in high school, and we knew he was destined for great things. His heart is so large, and we are so happy he is using that heart for animals. We first used Steven as a dog trainer with our anxious dog Abby. He played games with her to increase her confidence. Next came stopping Jackson from running off when he wasn't allowed. Then we had puppy training for our Great Dane Cooper. Steven had Cooper walking beautifully on a leash within four sessions. If you've ever had a large dog, you know how important it is to have them under control on walks. Sit/stay training for Baron and confidence training for Cooper continues so that we may have healthy balanced dogs. We wouldn't trust anyone but Steven with our fur babies. He's our go-to every time. read more

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Thank you Steven! So professional, reliable, helpful and flexible when I needed to reschedule. Learned so much and the training was so helpful!! read more

Steven was a wonderful trainer. He was very patient and understanding and most importantly compassionate. He worked with us to determine the best methods for training our golden doodle puppy. I highly recommend Steven, his program is great and will benefit any of his future students. Thanks so much, Steven! read more

I used Steven to both house sit and train my 2 year old Standard Poodle Stella. Over a year ago, Stella had an intensive 45 day training course but I did a poor job of follow through and she was very much a puppy then. I can highly recommend Steven for training and house sitting. I felt it advantageous to have the training in an environment Stella felt comfortable with. I suggest you give this some thought. Jim read more

I would highly recommend training with Steven. I have a 2 year old border collie mix who is extremely anxious and fearful, and this makes every day activities like walking, meeting dogs, and every day activities a big stress. His fear can cause reactivity when meeting other dogs. I searched for months looking for the perfect training fit, as I wanted to find someone who focused on positive training methods and really building a healthy relationship with your dog, rather than fear based trainings that seemed to dominate the market. While other trainers would have put Ollie in a aggression rehab class, Steven recognized that Ollie's reactivity stemmed from fear, not aggression. Steven had a very well thought out plan for Ollie and and aptly quickly to changes in Ollie's progress and behavior. We built a solid foundation to help Ollie on the road to becoming a happier and more confident dog. We learned valuable tools such as parkour, nose work, and agility to build up Ollie's confidence in the home, and worked our way up to walking on a 20 ft lead and learning how to master disengaging when on walks when he spots triggers. Training an anxious and reactive dog is not easy, but we are so lucky we found Venture training and feel like we have a toolbox full of resources to continue to teach and build Ollie up. Highly recommend Steven's trainings, especially if you have a nervous or anxious pup. read more

If I could give Venture Dog Training more than 5 stars, I would! When I adopted Bailey, she was scared of nearly everything, and was terrified to go on walks. Because of Steven, she is now much more confident, and has learned valuable commands that we can continue to build on throughout her lifetime. Steven was very attentive during our 5 week plan, sending me detailed emails each week reviewing what we had discussed during our session, and even checking in on Bailey and I before Hurricane Laura was supposed to hit Houston. Steven is great at what he does, and clearly cares deeply about every dog's wellbeing. He was not only great at training, but also a joy to meet with every week. He thoroughly explained why we were doing each step, making me better-equipped to implement our training plan during the week between sessions. Bailey and I can't say enough good things about Venture, and would highly recommend Steven to anyone looking for an excellent dog trainer. read more