My Husband and I just attended a 6 week Dog training course with Alex Macias and Liz and we really enjoyed the positive training classes!! Our dogs ,Fella and Miya improved in their behavior which really made a difference in their walks and at the grooming place!! We are looking forward to taking more classes to further build our bonding with our dogs and increase the ability to be comfortable in a variety of situations,especially when we travel together on vacation!! Thank you Alex and Liz, we really appreciate you both and what you did for our fur babies!! read more

Alex Macias Dog Training - Our Huntington Beach class with Alex and Liz!! - Pet Training Near Me

First of all, I want to note that I took time before writing this review because I wanted to be fair to both my experience and the skills of Alex as I experienced them. I will Also provide photo evidence of what I detail because it's hard to discredit someone when there is very clear evidence. This review is not to bash Alex, but just to let others know what I encountered when choosing to work with her, because had I known before or looked at previous reviews, I would have never hired her. I hired Alex last year in June for my two Aussies to work on their walking and reactivity. At first, she was responsive until money was actually exchanged. She sent an email asking about my availability to which I replied to right away. I never received a response, and she gave me a schedule that was unreasonable due to my work schedule, as we had discussed during the initial consultation. When I brought up this concern she was rude and stated that she hadn't seen my email (I had replied to her email and refoxwarded it). The first session went great, she was on time, and prepared me with enough time on what to bring. I also want to note that I am not questioning her knowledge at all. The few tidbits she was Able to teach me helped, though we never got to finish the training. The very first session she wanted to cancel last minute and I told her I was already on my way due to a "family emergency". She ended up saying it was fine and ended up meeting me. She took from June 9 2023 until July 14 for her to finally give me a second session, after following up via email and text due to her. July 14th I had military duty and ended up asking to reschedule due to me not being able to leave as I had originally planned. This is the only time in our entire interaction that a session was missed on my end. We scheduled for July 22 based on her availability and once again 30 min before out meeting time she reported that there was traffic and she would not be able to make it on time, when I kept going back and forth, miraculously, all traffic cleared up and she made session on time. From there she attempted to reschedule the following appointment and it became a trend. I was really frustrated. Finally I still had not heard back from her about our 3rd session and texted her AGAIN August 25th and no response. Again on September 2nd and reported her September was pretty full until 9/22. I let her know that I was informed I would be shipped off to Texas 9/18-12/20 for Military duty. Due to her very busy schedule, we agreed to met in January when I came back. In November I reached out to her because my partner was struggling with my reactive dog and I did not know what to do. She agreed to work with him and set a schedule.....to which she completely forgot and when asked to reschedule never responded. Finally we managed to get an appointment with her for January 13th at 12:30. And I confirmed with her twice. I took the day off work to make the appointment. She confirmed the appointment January 6th via text. on the day of she did not respond to any texts and calls until well after our meeting time (mind you I called her over 5 times) and sounded confused that we had a meeting even asked "are you back in town" which as you can imagine was very frustrating. she reported she had be booked for 2:30 not 12:30 and I even sent her the screenshot if her confirming the appointment. Having had it at this point, I respectfully asked for a refund, which she denied and proceeded to become defensive. I asked her to schedule a next appointment then that she would stick to and I was left unresponded from January 13th until January 18th where he emailed me back and took absolutely 0 accountability. She finally gave me an appointment for 2/24 at 1:30. I confirmed the appointment with her Feb 17th and she confirmed with me via text. and can you guess what happened next? you got it right, the day of an hour before the appointment she reports that she has been sick and needs to cancel. at this point you might understand why I would be incredibly frustrated. I consulted with my friend who is a lawyer and helped me write an email to her letting her know that she had herself violated her own contract based on her actions and I would be expecting a full refund for the remaining sessions, otherwise take legal action. Unfortunately it took me filing a small claims court for her to be responsive and finally refund me. I found Alex from the centinella pet feed store and I went back to ask them why they recommended because I had trusted their referral. The manager there as soon as I said her name said "oh yeah, we no longer associate with her". I'm glad I got my refund but exhausted by the process and lengths I had to go through. read more

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Alex was a game changer! We adopted a 3 year old Golden Retriever with a whole host of issues, separation/isolation distress, fear reactive, just general anxiousness of the world. There were moments we questioned if we had it in us to help her. Over the course of a year, Alex helped us address and fix all of her "issues", breaking it down one piece at a time. Everyone around us has said she's a "completely different dog" than when we got her. We've given her peace of mind so she can be the dog she always was at heart: lovable, snuggly, who can play off leash at the beach, go to doggy daycare and so much more. read more

Alex Macias Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Alex has provided practical training in a safe, non-judgmental manner. She has helped so much with managing troubling behaviors of my young and energetic labrador retriever. Things like grabbing items off of a table or countertop have been successfully addressed. And, Alex has made the training fun and engaging for both my dog and me. This training experience has been such a game changer! Alex is great to work with as far as communication, scheduling training and tailoring solutions to our particular needs. Highly recommend her service! read more

Alex Macias Dog Training - Relaxing after training. - Pet Training Near Me

Alex makes dog training look easy because she's such a professional knows exactly how to handle the dogs and their humans. We love her.

I want to thank Alex so so much for helping us with our rescue dog Hannibal when we first got him he was in the shelter for six months and he was only nine months old at the time of adoption. He was scared of everything and everyone he wanted nothing to do with my husband and I and we just really wanted to give this dog a good home, so I reached out to my brother who went through Alex had all positive things to say and I gave her a call. She came over and really helped Hannibal get out of his shell and now he is one of the best dogs I've ever had and I could not ask for a better dog And that is all due to Alex and helping us train him to be a better dog. She is the sweetest person if you have any questions anything like that she is willing to help out. I am so thankful she was able to help us, and I could never repay her back for all of the joy she has brought to our family I completely recommend Alex and, she will be my dog trainer for every single dog from here on out read more

Alex Macias Dog Training - Hannibal - Pet Training Near Me

I have read the recent reviews and realize that I am not alone in my most recent experience with Alex. She helped me train two of my dogs and things went well. So I hired her to help me train our newest dog. Our first two sessions went well. Then the constant rescheduling started. This went on for over 6 months. (child was sick, she was sick, mom was sick or couldn't watch her son, traffic)...I heard it all. Then she told me she was taking December off to be with family. I checked in with her after the holidays and she wouldn't respond. Still hasn't and I have tried multiple times. I finally gave up. I understand issues come up but the lack of communication is extremely unprofessional. When I called Centinnela Feed to see if I could reach her there, I was told she no longer works with them. She requires pre-payment (of four session to the tune of $500) and then will refuse to give you a refund even when the scheduling challenges are on her (again, completely unprofessional). I would NEVER use her again especially knowing I am not the only one. read more

I absolutely love Alex. She clearly has a love in her heart for all dogs, even dogs who sometimes bite. We have had most of our trainers quit on us, or make our issues worse. Alex is the first trainer who actually seemed to care about the outcome of our dog and family. She is our 4th dog trainer and the only one who has effectively changed behavior. I've read some reviews that mention scheduling issues but from day one, we've never had any scheduling problems. Actually, it was Alex who kept me on track with training. Truthfully, I didn't ever tell her, but out of all the trainers we've had, she's also the most reasonable. She is as knowledgeable as a veterinarian and honest about things that may be affecting behavior. If you have an aggressive dog, and you need help, trust me, I've done the leg work....Alex is the best. read more

Alex Macias Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

We came to Alex for our reactive pup. Our initial visit was great and seemed like a great fit. Unfortunately, after a few visits we realized our pup was not progressing and getting any better, despite doing our homework and taking what Alex said to do. We reached out to her to ask to cancel our package and to get back some money. She referred to us back to the contract which said no refunds- so we understood and asked to continue with the remainder of the classes. ITS ALOT OF MONEY TO LOOSE. Alex ended up ghosting us- not answering calls/texts/emails for weeks. Finally got back to us and gave us a ridiculous "availability" being random days and late times 6+ weeks away. So, what did we do? We booked it! Sure enough not long after- she cancelled and took awhile to respond back on a new day. Finally did and guess what! She did it yet again. Extremely unprofessional, petty and disrespectful. She knew what she was doing- she was stringing us along so we would back out. It's unfortunate she took advantage of us and our $$. Please do not waste your time or money, would not recommend. I wish she treated us with respect. read more

We highly recommend Alex. We already had a senior husky mix and when our incredible Kodi (who we also got from the shelter died from stomach cancer in December 2022) we were looking for a dog that would keep Zuri found and happy since he/we were so depressed. We got a new dog from Long Beach animal shelter who was resource protective and Chris at the shelter recommended trainer/behaviorist Alex so we called immediately. From the very first session, our new dog, Petra, began to understand boundaries and started to realize that she would get all of the food and treats that Zuri would. We followed her directions, did our homework and things got so much better very quickly. All of the training tips and homework from Alex set Petra up for success. She went from shy and skittish then slightly aggressive and then when Alex entered the picture Petra become confident and loving. You have to do the homework and follow up to ensure what she tells you in the 60 minutes shes with you during the training sessions sinks in for the next sessions. Her training for 1 hour a week won't be successful if you don't reinforce/practice it during the week. I was shocked to see a few reviews either blaming her or scoring her lowly but you can't expect miracles if you don't follow up, reinforce and do the homework she proscribes. As far as the post about scheduling, there once was a time when her own dog actually caught COVID which is extremely contagious in dogs so she wasn't training for about a month until her vet approved so that took her a bit of time to get caught up. My experience is that she responds quickly and even provide tips on off days. She owns her own business and also has 2 small children at home so we've also been accepting and understanding. Recently we were interested in adopting a third dog from the shelter and she kindly provided input and recommendations as well as showed up to the shelter to observe and determine if all 3 would get along. She's was great! If you're looking for success/progress with any dog issues you may have, I highly recommend Alex! read more

It is with a very heavy heart that I write this review. I really wanted to be able to write a positive review, but I'm afraid I can't and I feel I need to tell others to "buyers beware." I hired Alex in January to help me train my rescue dog who is dog reactive. The training was very good and Alex was helpful. However, within a month, our weekly sessions started to turn into bi-monthly sessions even though she told me when I hired her that we could train weekly. Then Covid-19 hit and everything shut down and Alex couldn't work in person for a while. When she resumed during the summer, that was when things started to deteriorate. At first, she said she couldn't schedule our training sessions any more frequently because of Covid and I was patient with that. Then, she started canceling our lessons at the last minute. Once was due to the heat, but my dog is fine with the heat and our previous lesson was on a very hot day. Another cancellation was due to another client's dog needing medical attention during a lesson. What bothered me is that each time Alex cancelled, I had to contact her to reschedule and then it was two weeks until she was available. After reading many reviews here on Yelp, I learned I am not the only client who has dealt with cancellations and scheduling difficulties. I should have read the Yelp reviews because many go back a few years. When I asked Alex about the scheduling difficulties and voiced my concern that my dog was not making much progress with lessons spaced 6 weeks apart, she ghosted me until I asked for a refund. Then she said she didn't respond because she was waiting to find out if another client could trade a time with me without telling me about the possible switch and asking me if the new date was even a possibility for us. In short, Alex seems like a good trainer and a lovely person. However, she needs to work on her business skills. I asked her if she doesn't have time to work with us, but she just said she would like to continue to work with us and didn't address my concern. Honestly, she just feels overcommitted and it affects her work. I know she has a two-year-old son and I understand how challenging it can be to work with a young child to tend to. I just wish she had told me that she was too busy to work with us and we would have parted ways on better terms. So, buyer beware! Alex is difficult to schedule and has trouble maintaining a regular training schedule. I'm so very sorry I couldn't write a better review. I really wanted to. read more

I have never had such a poor experience with anyone before I met Alex. My husband and I got a referral from our vet after our dog started having aggression issues. This was a very difficult stressful time for us and we wanted to get started right away. From the beginning Alex was difficult to deal schedule but eventually we had two sessions. After those two sessions, she could not figure out exactly what was setting off our dog so we referred us to a vet behaviorist and we put the sessions on hold until we could get more answers. After waiting 3 months for the specialist and then 2 more months for Alex to return from maternity leave we finally had our first real session scheduled. My husband confirmed with Alex a few days before since it was scheduled months ago. He also took off work specifically to work with Alex's limited schedule. About 30 min before the session Alex text him to make sure we were still on. He was unable to answer because he was driving. When he text her less than 15 min after her initial text that we were all ready for her she responded, "Shoot. I'm already on my way to another client. How's next Saturday at 4:30pm." Does that make sense to anyone? If you do not believe this absurdity please see attached photo for proof. How could you be on your way somewhere else when you are supposed to be at my house in 10 minutes and it was confirmed a few days ago? My husband tried to call a few times and she ignored all the calls and offered to reschedule another week out. OBVIOUSLY SHE WAS NEVER PLANNING ON COMING. Unfortunately, our dog had to suffer through months of stress when people came over due to Alex's lack of professionalism and integrity. I can honestly say I have never felt more anger and disappointment towards anyone then I felt towards Alex that day. It was a terrible feeling. Thankfully we never paid for those initial sessions because we were waiting to see what package would be most appropriate. I would advise NOONE waste their time and money on Alex. Thankfully, we have found another wonderful trainer in long beach who is available and knowledgeable and our pup is doing much better. read more

My family and I would like to thank Alex for helping us out with Dugo's behavioral issues. Dugo has completed his 5 week training and now is a proud graduate, we could not be more grateful to have found Alex. Thank you, Alex!!! read more

Alex Macias Dog Training - Dugo - Pet Training Near Me

Updating my review, because I still use the management techniques Alex taught us. Gave us a great start to training, despite some of the scheduling issues the training was very helpful. read more

Alex, you are a lifesaver! Meet Oliver, we just rescued this little pup and he has an aggressive approach against other people and dogs. We love him, but walking him around other people or inviting friends over would become such a problem because of his excessive barking and growling. I knew that he was just trying to protect me as did my friends and neighbors, but I wanted so badly for him to not be scared of everyone and everything. This is where Alex magically shows up and helps us show Oliver that not everything is out to hurt him. We took in-home training sessions with her, and she was always on time and kept in contact through text. We did about 8 solo sessions and a group class as well because we just loved Alex so much and all the work she has done to help our little guy! Oliver is a completely different dog now from where we started. In the first few sessions he would bark and bark and bark and... well you get it. BARK. With time, he started building trust to others with Alex's help. Walking him now was a breeze, he even sits before a stranger approaches! Alex is an amazing dog trainer, and even better, she loves what she does. Nothing is better than seeing your dog be trained by someone who actually wants to be there. Thank you so much for everything Alex, you honestly have helped us so much and Oliver is now wagging his tail like crazy when he runs into other dogs and people on his walks now. read more

Unfortunately my experience was not so great with Alex. She is definitely great with dogs but canceled many times on us for various emergencies and ailments. I don't know if the common aspect for all of the clients that she cancels on is that they live far and she overcommits or what, but it's completely rude to her clients to do this over and over again. And then the worst part was begging for the refund. It took months of asking and lost checks. And this wasn't just my experience but my bosses as well, I recommended her after my first appointment with her! That was a mistake! She flaked on my boss and was a pain to refund, and that made ME look bad. Not happy. read more

We had (almost) given up on our newly adopted dog, Roger. We'd never had a dog like him--barky + aggressive toward other dogs and people. Ugh. Walks were exhausting and frustrating. Enter Alex. I love Alex's approach to both humans and dogs. She's calm, firm and very positive. We took private lessons that were invaluable. Within the first two of the series, my husband and I were able to walk Roger without incident, it was heaven. In later lessons we addressed house guests and his anxiety. He still has his moments, but the beauty of the lessons are that we now have tools to use to correct Roger's behavior--such in improvement for all! I highly recommend Alex, she's a top notch professional that gets results--and stands by her work. She was accessible by email, phone + text and was always happy to help. When we adopt a new dog next year, you can bet we'll be working with Alex again. read more

We first took Biscuit, our Staffy puppy, to train with Alex and we stayed with Alex ever since! I am so glad that we took Biscuit and Alex nurtured her to be the best dog in the world. We are also doing a one on one with our dog aggressive dog, Winter. Winter had turned from 0 to 100 in 3 months. read more

I first called Alex nearly on the brink of tears. I had recently adopted my Pitbull Luna and although adorable and extremely lovable had gotten off to a bit of a rough start. I'd had her for a couple months and was extremely overwhelmed and sure that Luna had serious separation anxiety. I called Alex, she heard me out, and quickly scheduled a sit down in my home shortly thereafter. She helped me understand Luna and gave me tips immediately which helped tremendously. After about 15 minutes of chatting with her I knew that Luna and I would be taking her "basics" course. Luna graduated the basics course this past weekend and looking back 6 weeks, I am so happy with the progress we've made. Alex provided me with the tools to work with Luna, train her, and understand her so that our relationship could grow. Thank you Alex, see you in the intermediate course! Best, Jeaninne & Luna read more

Prepaid for 2 sessions, and within 4 months only was able to get her to come once. Unavailable schedule, she would give us dates 5 weeks out then cancel day of, multiple times. Do not give her money, she will not fulfill her commitments, and cannot be trusted. Run (don't walk) away! read more

I really hoped that this would be a positive review and gave Alex the benefit of the doubt regarding the negative reviews on here and Google. When we spoke on the phone, she sounded knowledgeable and caring. She gave me a price quote based on her statement, "I don't charge per dog." She also said she usually meets for eight weeks. We made an appointment for a consultation a couple of weeks away. She then texted to confirm that appointment three days prior. The day of, she asked to reschedule and doubled the price, stating that it's per dog (I have two). Sadly, this confirms what other reviewers have shared and seems like a last-minute upsell. I like to work with people who are upfront, so we can have an honest conversation from the get-go, especially when so much money and time are involved. In response to the business owner's comment: What turned me away more than anything was receiving incorrect information about the pricing. Be upfront about what you charge. You distinctly said during our phone call that you do not charge per dog, yet the day of the consultation you stated just the opposite. I made plans according to the information you gave me weeks ago. Your reschedule request due to a previous client's cancellation is understandable; clearer communication would have helped, especially given other reviews on here. That said, sending me messages accusing me of not remembering correctly and demanding that I delete my review only digs a deeper hole. read more

We met Alex at Centinela 7 months ago when we were taking our dog for a bath. At two and a half years old, his aggression had been getting progressively worse and were always on high alert whenever we took him in public. After speaking with Alex briefly, she gave us a glimmer of hope that we could live a more normal life with our reactive dog. We meet for our free consult and after evaluating our dog, she gave us homework to do before our next meeting. Over the span of several months, we noticed a significant improvement in his behavior. During each session, Alex was highly professional and ensured we understood what she was doing and why, as well as what and why we needed to do our part. I cannot recommend Alex enough for anyone struggling with serious behavior issues with their dog. As long as you have realistic expectations and are willing to do your part, you will see results. Two thumbs up! read more

Money driven. When Alex doesn't know what she is doing she will recommend private lessons. Alex also cancels classes without communication. I gave her a chance only because it was the first group class that that I saw available since covid. Thankfully I was given a full refund because she was unable to help with my pup. read more

I don't take the time out to write that many reviews. But, in this case, I felt compelled to do so because every time I look at my dog I think of how much Alex Macias Dog Training improved and enriched her life (and mine!). Chica started to go to Alex when she was three months old. Alex's patience and excellent training skills helped Chica pass her beginner's class with flying colors! We had such a good time and were so happy with the results that we joined Alex's intermediate class. And then we kept right on going through to the third level, the advanced class! Although I do have to give some of the credit to my dog, who is very smart, I have to say that Alex's training style made it super easy for me to train my dog. And as an extra bonus, she has the credentials that helped me make my dog a certified therapy dog! And my dog is part Chihuahua, so some would say a breed that is quite a challenge to train, ha ha! I have recommended everyone I know who has a dog to use Alex Macias Dog Training. The proof is in the pudding folks! And I now have a fully trained, obedient and disciplined, happy and healthy therapy dog! read more

Alex Macias Dog Training - This is Chica graduating from her therapy dog certification class! Hooray for Alex Macias Dog Training! - Pet Training Near Me

I have worked with Alex with two of my dogs. I have never met anyone who understands the way to train dogs the way Alex does. I cannot recommend her enough. Whether you take her classes or work with her one on one, she can't be beat. read more

Abby was a stray dog so there were many behavior issues. Training with Alex was the best decision for me. Abby progressed rapidly with Alex's guidance. She is now able to go on daily walks without distress when we come across other dogs. We recently had a successful play date and Abby interacted with the other dogs with no sign of anxiety. Alex is very accommodating with scheduling sessions. She is attentive and professional. I definitely recommend her to anyone who needs assistance with their pups. read more

Alex is simply WONDERFUL!! She has an incredible gift with dogs. As first time puppy adopters, I called Alex to help train my then 4 month old puppy and I could not be happier. Not only does Alex have a gift for working with dogs, she is passionate, fun, professional, and dedicated. She makes herself available to me any time (thru email) if I have questions and now that I have completed my private training with her, I continued into her puppy classes. We have now completed beginning and intermediate classes with Alex. Watching Alex work with each dog individually is amazing. She checks in with each owner to make sure all is going well. When things are not going well, she makes recommendations specific to that dog. My puppy is now 8 months old and his training is going so well we are continuing to work with Alex. She feels like part of our extended family now. I highly recommend Alex Macias Dog Training. read more

We've been around dogs and dog trainers for over three decades in the life of our family -- four kids all grown. We lost our good old friend Kato a year ago and waited a year before starting again with an energetic puppy. Thank you God for Alex Macias! She is so competent, so smart -- an absolutely fantastic trainer . . . and she's a behaviorist. She's taught us so much about this breed and this dog. And she's given us tools to handle every eventuality, plus she's really positive and encouraging. We have done private training with her in our home and look forward to being in her group class next month. I've recommended her to several friends already and will continue to do so, with pleasure. This woman has the GIFT -- we're thankful to have found her. read more

One year ago today, we brought home a German Shepherd from our local pound. Previously we had the sweetest, smartest, loving Collie, who passed away after 14 years. Our new dog was easily spooked, underweight, untrusting, not affectionste, and recovering from several minor health issues consistent with a dog who had been a stray for years. She chewed up an expensive library book and my tv remote control her first night here. It got worse. She became aggressive and territorial, and went after our cat every chance she could. She nipped my daughter and my wife, and actually bit my finger. Our friends wouldnt come over much, because shed bark, snarl, show her fangs and snap. We are all dog lovers, but we wanted a family dog, not Cujo. After a month, we had very sadly decided she would have to be returned to the pound. A friend of n ours told us about Alex, and the great work she had done with their rambunctious puppy. We decides to give it a go, and am I glad we did. Alex is an amazing trainer/behavioral specialist. As our training progressed, our dog displayed new and challenging issues even as we corrected the existing problems. Alex had a solution for each and every one, every single time. Alex is much more than just a trainer, she understands the psychology of dogs, why they do what they do, and how to deal with them accordingly. Today, that same scary Shepherd that would bark and snap every time I came home from work is a sweet girl who wants belly rubs, loves to ride in the car and even plays with the cat. I am grateful for Alex and her skill and understanding of our dog. If our hound could speak, she'd be grateful too, Alex possibly saved her life, and definitely set her big puppy paws on the path to being a happy family member. read more

Alex Macias Dog Training - Guarding the tree on Christmas day. Good girl!! - Pet Training Near Me

My husband and I contacted Alex a few months after we rescued an older dachshund/retriever/something mix named Jesse. Although he has a very sweet nature towards us, his listening skills were non-existent, he barked at the front door of our business and scared our clients, he bolted out any open door, and he was incredibly dog-aggressive. We couldn't stop any of his bad behavior and were at a total loss. We almost gave up on Jesse, but then we found Alex! She has helped transform Jesse! Seriously, transform him! He doesn't bark at the door, he listens and he tolerates other dogs! Incredible! I never thought he'd get there! We're so proud of Jesse. He keeps getting better and better. Alex's methods work! read more

Alex Macias Dog Training - Jesse with 3 other dogs! - Pet Training Near Me

Alex is an amazing trainer! She is so passionate, patient and and really knows how to effectively train dogs. Her knowledge of dog behavior is beyond anything we expected. Overwhelmed with having our first puppy Alex really helped us learn why our seven month old terrier did the things he did. She taught us the proper way to walk our dogs and taught our dogs how to sit, stay, leave it and come properly which is so helpful! I can't get enough of Alex's training. I definitely will be learning from her for a very long time. I recommend everyone to take their dogs to Alex. Truly the BEST TRAINER IN LOS ANGLES. read more

Update to Alex: nowhere in here did I say you kept our money. You did provide us back the full deposit. I never paid the sessions in full. I waited awhile debating on providing a review. After reading the recent reviews, I decided to submit mine. This is based on my personal experience and I did not get the chance to take my daughter's dog to the class offered at Centinela Pet Store in Pasadena. Please see my review under Centinela Pet store Pasadena. I found Alex on Centinela Pet Store's website. I was trying to figure out what class to sign up my daughter's dog due to aggression issues. The cashier gave me her email address and I sent Alex an email asking about the classes. She answered back and stated that due to his aggression issues, we couldn't take him to the group class at Centinela Pet Store and offered a free in home visit/consultation. We met with her, signed up for the sessions and gave a deposit. We verbally discussed the first session to take place on Sunday, July 9th. When July 9th came around she didn't show up and I contacted her. She answered and advised me she had us down for Sunday July 16th. Since she nor I wrote the date on the contract, I accepted beginning on July 16th. I decided to look her up on yelp and found the Yelp reviews regarding cancellations. I was hoping the reviews were wrong so we waited for the 16th to come around. On Sat. July 15th at about 11pm, she sent an email stating she had a sinus infection and had to cancel our session scheduled for Sunday. I didn't see the email until Sunday morning and I sent her a message asking if she could please come out later in the day because I didn't want the sessions to extend out longer. She answered back, apologized and said no she couldn't because she was sick. I had an uneasy feeling and decided to check the schedule of classes and noticed she was scheduled for 5 classes that day (2 in Pasadena and 3 in Burbank). My husband and I took a drive out to the Pasadena store and guess who was there?!! Yes, Alex was assisting a customer with some items. I made sure she saw me and I sent her a message. She answered stating she really was sick and told me she doesn't believe she's the right trainer for me and that she would send us our refund. Soooo, she was took sick to show up for our 8:30 session but not too sick to make it to her 10am session plus the additional 4 classes. I didn't allow it to get past this one cancellation. If she was really sick and not made it to the classes I would have been more understanding. The reason for the 3 stars: I do believe Alex is gifted in working with the dogs. She provided us with information on the day of her visit that impressed me, which is why we signed the contract. In her contract, if the Customer cancels we lose half our deposit. If she cancels, she gets to reschedule. I knew this when I signed the contract but didn't expect her to lie. These are my thoughts and my opinion only: she continuously cancels to frustrate the customers so they'll cancel and she'll keep your deposit. She's not doing it to the customers taking the classes at Centinela Pet Store. Only to the ones that have never taken the classes at the pet store. Be sure you read the contract carefully before you sign and make sure to have her write the dates & scheduled time on the contract. Alex you're good at what you do. Stop trying to make the quick buck the wrong way!! read more

We were referred to Alex by another trainer at Zoom Room Culver City when our pup, Teddy, did not respond well to the usual training techniques and needed some specific, one-on-one behavior training. We've had a number of sessions with Alex, who is always patient and very encouraging (with all of us: Teddy, my husband, and me!). She provides clear instruction, and gives us baby steps to work on; we have seen marked improvement from her guidance, and have been able to understand Teddy a bit more :) She is extremely fair with her billing, and we love that her approach puts the pup first, offering to provide additional sessions free of charge when Teddy's behavior didn't improve as we had hoped during her maternity leave. She also asks for updates on Teddy between sessions if we can't see each other every week so that she can stay updated on his progress and give us more advice based on our feedback. She does have a busy schedule (high in demand!), but always manages to find time for us, and is always open to rescheduling if we need to as well. While we still have work to do with Teddy, Alex has been a great resource for us! read more

Alex is fantastic with my beagles. They respond to her and she has given me so many great insights into their behavior and needs. I now have the most loving dogs possible and they actually listen to my commands. Alex is very dependable and giving of her expertise and time. She is so knowledgeable and caring. The dogs absolutely love her. read more

I am incredibly grateful to Alex for her help with my golden retriever! When I rescued him, he had so many behavioral issues that I was starting to wonder if we were a long-term match. He was dog aggressive, resource aggressive, and so moody and temperamental that I wasn't sure how to steady him. Before we even had a chance to meet, she had a couple of long phone calls with me asking me questions and then talking me through what to do with him to deal with his issues until we had a chance to meet. And, frankly, she was talking me off the "bring him back" ledge, which I'd never considered doing until I encountered his issues. He went from throwing himself around on the leash and lunging at dogs to going to the dog park today off-leash and having a wonderful time running around with the dogs...and he's a golden retriever, so there was lots of happy running up to people, too. It's only been a few months and he's a whole new dog. We still have issues to work on, but we're not done training and I'm sure he'll get there because the improvements are amazing. The one time there was a schedule snafu with Alex, she gave me a substantial discount on the second payment for the sessions. She's also been great about knowing when my dog has had enough, and if he can't do a full one-hour session, she only considers it a half-session. With the heat this summer, he's had some times where he couldn't last long and that was fine by her even though she had to drive somewhere to meet us. Better to her that he have a good experience than force the hour just because that's what we'd scheduled. She's been more of a "behaviorist" than just a dog trainer to me. It isn't just about "sit", "come", etc. It's really been about figuring out what his issues are and working to undo them so that he and I feel safe. I highly recommend her! read more

Alex is the best! We have taken her group classes at the local pet store and it's incredible how far our pup, Monster, has come! I now have a dog who appreciates the common language we have formed in training class. I'm also so grateful to have a trainer who will listen to our questions and understand the dog psychology behind the behavior and come up with a solution. I recommend her to all my friends who have dogs. read more

I should have listened to the Yelp reviews. I booked a consultation and took the day off to meet with her because her other proposed time was weeks out and I wanted to get started ASAP. Two hours before the appointment she texts saying that she had a family emergency and needed to reschedule. Considering many of the reviews in here state this is normal behavior for her, I told her I would be finding another trainer. read more

Alex has helped us with many foster pups at Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue - several of which were unsocialized and reactive on leash with other dogs. I find her assessments dead-on and her positive techniques very effective and easy for our foster families to follow. read more

We had a bad experience with Alex. As per her recommendation, we agreed to 10 lessons for our dogs. We paid for 5 up front. Of those 5 she no showed on 3 with some late excuses. She then rescheduled those 3 and no showed. No text or call to let us know. At this point, we asked for our money back and we got shorted on the amount. I have contacted her a few times to make good on the payment with no contact. I would not recommend her for dog training. Her communication skills are non-existent. read more

Alex is AMAZING! Having previously gone through a PetSmart training course with my other dog, my girlfriend and I opted to train our little corgi, Allie, on our own. When Allie turned 1, her training was fine, but her progression was starting to slow down and she had a pretty bad separation anxiety issue. Fortunately, we walked into Centinela Feed in Pasadena one day and Alex was hosting a Q&A for dog owners! We asked her questions regarding Allie's separation anxiety and Alex's solutions worked! It just so happened that the Basic course was going to start in a few weeks, so my girlfriend and I decided to enroll Allie. Best. Decision. Ever. Allie has gradated from her Basic and Intermediate courses and is currently enrolled in Alex's Canine Good Citizenship course! Not only was I surprised with how much Allie has learned over the past few months, but how much my girlfriend and I learned as well. Alex is very attentive and tries to figure out each individual dog; what makes them snap, what excites them, how to calm them, etc. She effortlessly connects with dogs AND humans and she really makes you feel like family. Her continuously upbeat energy is contagious...and extraordinarily impressive for a Sunday 10:00AM class! Alex makes herself available to help you and your dog, even when it's off-hours (she encourages emails throughout the week!); she's super passionate about seeing her little furry friends become great, obedient dogs. If you decide to invest your time with your dog, Alex "The Dog Whisperer" Macias is the way to go! The outcome is far more than rewarding and Alex is the epitome of everything you'd want in a dog trainer. read more