Rob has improved the quality of our daily lives with our two dogs more than we can perhaps communicate in words. After being hesitant about the investment for private lessons, we quickly realized what a tremendous value it was. We told everyone we knew after that first session that we would have paid the full fee if that first session was the only session. Our golden retriever, Huck, was quickly renamed by our friends and family as "good boy Huck" for his rapid transformation. We can now take him into just about any situation with a relaxed mindset and confidence that we have control over him on, or off the leash. Rob's no-nonsense approach put us at ease and simply worked. Our private lessons took place at our house, a couple of other locations "in the world" and ended with dog introductions at his house with some of the board and train dogs. Rob worked to deliver on every single thing we told him we were concerned about when we spoke with him before we started lessons, sometimes remembering concerns that we had long forgotten. We're now taking what we learned in our sessions with Huck to train our now 4-month-old puppy in the same way. We recommend Rob to everyone we possibly can, and will continue doing so every chance we get. Thanks, Rob! read more

Dogs Listen To Us - Huck's graduation photo. - Pet Training Near Me

Rob was phenomenal with my Milo! It's like I have a whole new dog. Rob was very flexible with my college schedule and always made training easy for me and Milo to learn and understand. I looked forward to going to training and now I look forward to having a dog that I know listens to me and is well trained. I would recommend Dogs Listen To Us to anyone who has a dog and is looking for training. I love showing off what Milo has learned and constantly hearing "that's such a well behaved and trained dog"! Thanks again Rob! read more

Dogs Listen To Us - The day Milo graduated from Dogs Listen to Us! - Pet Training Near Me

If you're at your wits end with your dog's bad behavior, you've come to the right place. I can't say enough good things about Rob and his Dogs Listen To Us training program. When I contacted him about our 7 month old beagle Bullet, I was at the end of my rope! He had numerous behavioral issues from the time we brought him home at 8 weeks old. He displayed resource aggression over objects, never listened to anything we said, wouldn't come when called, pulled terribly when walking on leash, constantly walked the floors, slept very little, howled loudly and continuously whenever we put him in his crate, etc. In short, he was completely wild, uncontrollable, and was making our lives miserable every day. By the time I contacted Rob, we had already tried having a trainer come to our house for weekly sessions and completed PetSmart's puppy and intermediate training classes with little to no success. When I spoke with Rob on the phone, it was the first time since the week we brought Bullet home that I truly had hope that he wasn't a lost cause. Rob explained his board and train program and the techniques he uses thoroughly, and I was immediately impressed and felt confident in his knowledge and abilities. Even more importantly, he told me that he definitely believed he could help. When we hung up, I actually began to believe that Bullet's bad behavior could change, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. During the training process, Rob brought Bullet home for weekly sessions with us so we could see what he had learned and participate in his training and learn along with him. Every session, Bullet's behavior got better and better, and we were always very pleased with the progress he had made. Those sessions were invaluable to us because of how much we learned about how to maintain his training after he came home. Rob even kept him for two extra weeks at no additional charge because he didn't feel Bullet was quite where he needed to be with his training and wanted more time to get it right. Bullet has been home almost two weeks now, and we are absolutely amazed at how different he is! He listens to and obeys commands, he comes whenever we call him, he heels very well on walks and doesn't pull on leash, he sleeps during the day like he should, sleeps in his crate all night and never whines or howls, and is just an all around good boy. He's so much more content, relaxed, and obedient than he was before Rob's program. Bullet is honestly like a totally different dog. Now we truly enjoy being with him instead of feeling constantly irritated and on edge all the time. Bullet has gone from being a source of constant frustration to being a source of constant joy and companionship. Rob, we can't thank you and Dogs Listen To Us enough for how much you've helped Bullet to become the good dog we sincerely hoped he could be. read more

Dogs Listen To Us - Pet Training Near Me

We contacted Rob for help with our pup after reading all of the rave reviews. Solomon is 2 1/2 years old and had aggression issues with some dogs and barked like crazy and lunged at people when they came to our house. Overall he had trust and boundary issues with any stranger, dog or human. After 6 sessions we can take him anywhere and can have people over without stressful encounters. Rob has given us the tools confidently walk our guy anywhere in any situation. Total life changer!!! Thank you Rob! read more

Dogs Listen To Us - Pet Training Near Me

We've owned dogs in the past, and never had any significant issues until we got a Sheepadoodle puppy, Murphy, about 5 months ago. Although we had read great things about the breed, Murphy was an extremely challenging puppy. We're used to puppies getting into things, but Murphy did this non-stop. He would also bark incessantly if he was in his kennel, so we had to keep him on a leash next to us at all times. He also had very strong guarding behavior, and would also regularly jump and bite at us and our kids. After trying to train Murphy on our own, we received a recommendation to a popular local trainer whose approach was positive reinforcement using treats. Although that method works with some dogs, it did very little to change Murphy's behavior. After several expensive lessons and carrying treats around constantly for over a month, we decided we needed to try a different approach. We contacted several other well-known trainers in the area, but they also only used the treat method. Although we saw Rob was clearly one of the highest rated trainers across multiple sites (Yelp, Google, etc.), we hesitated at first. We weren't sure if we would be comfortable using a prong collar and e-collar, and Rob's training also required a decent financial commitment upfront. Rob spent over an hour over the phone two separate times to talk through our concerns. I was really surprised he was willing to take that much time without us committing, and even offered for us to walk away if we weren't satisfied after the first session. Needless to say, we were quickly impressed by Rob's approach and knowledge. By the second session, he had Murphy walking calmly next to us instead of constantly pulling on walks. By the third session, Murphy had learned to stay on his bed calmly as long as we needed him to. Rob has a very clear system to how he approaches different behavioral challenges, and he consistently delivered on the changes he said we could expect to see. He was very receptive to listening to our concerns, and the use of the prong or e-collar was always appropriate. We would highly recommend Rob, even if your dog doesn't have significant behavioral issues. I wish our prior dogs had listened to us as well as Murphy does now! read more

I worked with Rob on some training for my 5 year old golden retriever. My retriever's main issues were: could not listen in the face of distractions, too friendly and excited with other people, barked at other dogs when on leash, and overall had an over-excited and anxious energy. Before working with Rob, I believed my dog had an anxious personality type that was just genetic. Rob has really gone above and beyond to address all these issues. My dog is able to walk off leash, come when called, ignore other dogs, lie down and just relax when I bring him places. He is much less jittery/anxious, which confirms that the anxiety was likely due to lack of structure in our training. Rob really works with you as the owner to make sure you are successful with your dog! I really appreciate how much time he puts into training with you as well as your dog. read more

I found Rob while reading reviews for dog trainers in the Durham area, and his were quite encouraging -- he'd rehabilitated a number of dogs with serious issues. I did wonder if we needed something so intensive for our dog, as he was just four months old and we'd had him since two months. He's a lab, so he was displaying a lot of puppy behavior at a high and constant frequency -- nothing terribly destructive, but a lot of leash pulling, jumping, biting, chewing, etc. More than anything, it was constant work, and we needed a consistent method of training. We've just completed training with Rob and I would absolutely recommend it for all dogs -- even the ones like our pup who don't seem terrible, but who could use a little bit of work. We walk him every day off-leash on a remote collar, and he heels perfectly. We can send him to a variety of "place" locations throughout our house, and he has all of basic commands mastered. Most importantly, we have a system in place now that can address any type of behavior that we want to correct. Training made everyone's life better/easier -- my wife, myself, but most importantly, our dog. His walks are much more fun knowing that he can explore off-leash as much as he wants and immediately return to heel upon being called. He gets rewarded upon consistently displaying good behavior, to the point where after time, we rarely if ever need to use the remote collar to correct. I would highly, highly recommend investing in training with Rob at any stage, but especially with a puppy in establishing behaviors at a formative age. read more

I called up Rob, the highest rated trainer in my city, in desperation and despondency. I was enduring the worst year of my life. This meant I needed a dog to love me. But I was barely functional. This meant I was in no mental state to train my dog. My pup was five months old when I got him without any prior socialization or formal training whatsoever. He is a bird dog and that drive coupled with being a young teenager almost drove me to my limits. Sometimes I would go a couple days without walking him because it was such a stressful unpleasant experience of having him pulling on the lead with all his might going after every bird, human, dog and leaf that I couldn't handle it. I loved my dog but sometimes I kinda wanted to kill him. Enter Rob. Two board & trains later my dog is one of the best behaved dogs I've ever seen in my life. I can tell him to lay down off leash amongst a flock of Canadian geese and he won't move until I tell him to heel whereupon he'll run to my side and promptly sit, looking up at me for direction. Not only that but my pup is now my official Service Dog, trained to do specific tasks and always on point. I have zero qualms about taking him anywhere. He's done over 50 flights with me starting at eight months old. Rob took a relationship that was about to be doomed and turned it into peace and partnership. Pimm (@dog_in_love_with_a_donut) and I both are eternally grateful. ***Upon initially hearing or seeing some of Rob's methods, not everyone is going to be fully on board. But trust me - Trust him! Dogs Listen To Him. read more

Dogs Listen To Us - Pet Training Near Me

First of all, as other users have noted, Rob is an extremely honest and kind human being. He's spent hours fielding my questions and concerns, and only ever given me realistic answers. I have a dog with serious dog aggression and he's helped turn her around, but he was very realistic with the need for us to commit to the training as well. In regards to his technique: I've only previously done "positive reinforcement" training because loud voices in the dog training community shame anyone who trains with a method other than treats and clickers. DO NOT listen to that. Yes - other behavior modification methods can be dangerous to a dog, IF they are misused. Tools like e-collars get a bad reputation because of people using them without proper training. However, when used correctly, these training methods are extremely effective and DO NOT negatively impact the dog's attitude or personality. In fact, my dog who did a board and train with Rob for two months LOVES him (and I'm positive he didn't let her sleep under the covers like we do). Rob is excellent at his craft and has given us a hope we honestly never thought we could have. I am so impressed with Rob and with the results we've had! I'm fresh out of grad school, deep in student debt and STILL think the value greatly outweighs the cost. You won't regret it! read more

When we got our 8 week Rottweiler male puppy, I thought I'd be able to train him just as I did with my male Pomeranian (yeah- I got he smallest and biggest dogs I could find) treats and simple commands. As soon as we got Benji, we knew this wasn't going to be as easy. He was very dominant even from a young age: he would bite, hump, and ignore us if the action wasn't to his favor. He would also eat EVERYTHING off the ground, being a puppy is hard, and can be dangerous. He would not walk beside us, but would pull and stop in the middle of the street if he didn't feel like walking anymore, as well as go crazy if he saw another dog in his path. Not aggression, but over excitement and would cry if we didn't let him sniff the other dog. He was only about 30 pounds or so when we figured out we needed help, he'd be growing to about 120 pounds like his father, and we would not be able to stop him then. Robert was very polite and easy going, he scheduled an appointment the following week and told us everything straight up-which I can appreciate. His first visit to our home, the consultation, was enough to see how he'd help Benji. We were talking about the classes and schedule when Benji decided something caught his attention at the coffee table, and was going to stand on the table and grab it. Robert corrected this behavior immediately and Benji recognized and respected him from then on. We did a total of 8 lessons, and Benji is not only following basic commands (like not ripping up our grass or eating stuff off the ground), but walks beside us off-leash and mostly ignores other people and dogs (he's 6 months, still a curious puppy). This guy is honest, we didn't need all 10 lessons, and he's not the type of person to bullshit a session for profit. We now have the tools and knowledge to perfect his obedience, so once he does reach his father's size, we will not have to worry about his behavior. On our house final session with Robert, we walked Benji off-leash at a park 15 minutes from home (Robert had no issue taking the sessions where we thought Beni would need help/learn best from). We had people amazed at this big, tough, stereotyped dog. He was off-leash, heeling, and listening to our commands. It's great to not only know Benji will be great with kids, people, and other dogs, but also knowing we can prove people wrong about the breed. read more

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Dog trainer review Holy cow! What a wonderful experience we had with My Dog Listens! Our trainer was Jonathan and our dog, who was one year old, went for a three week training and came back a brand new woman lol. She was a completely different dog in all the best ways. She was still her goofy, fun, and energetic self but a lot smarter and disciplined. We cannot recommend My Dog Listens and Jonathan enough. If we ever get any more dogs, we will 100% put them through this training again. I love how they communicated with us by sending us pictures, posting videos or images on Instagram, and providing us with updates on how our dog was improving. The other great thing was that Jonathan had kids and cats which is similar to our household so our dog was able to get training related to how she's going to be living for every day life. I definitely think that this training is worth the money. If you don't have that much time to dedicate to train your pup or if you're just simply having a hard time doing it yourself then please consider this training. You will not regret it! We recently went on a trip and left our pup for a weekend with them after the training and they provided a refresher training while they were dog sitting which was a huge help! Thank you again Jonathan and the My Dog Listens team! read more

There have been two very distinct phases in my relationship with my Aussie pup Forest: Before Rob and After Rob. It's difficult to adequately explain just how much better and less stressful our lives are as a result of the Dogs Listen to Us training program, but here's what I can say - Forest is far happier knowing what the rules are and I'm far happier being able to trust him. Knowing that he's going to come to me when I call means that I can let him run free at the beach, his absolute favorite thing in the world. Knowing that he will get into his kennel and sit quietly when I tell him to means that I feel more comfortable having guests over. We have more fun playing and do it more often because now he actually drops the frisbee when I tell him to. We're able to go on hikes off leash because I trust that if he strays too far from me he'll come back to me as soon as I call him. Even just simple leashed walks around the neighborhood, which used to be a nightmare because of his pulling, are now this immensely enjoyable thing we do together everyday. Basically, both of our lives have improved in pretty significant ways. It might sound kind of counterintuitive that stricter rules and consequences would result in more free, joyful moments and an overall happier and active lifestyle, but it's absolutely true. When Forest is under a command he knows exactly what is expected of him and happily behaves accordingly, and when he's on 'free' mode I get to laugh at him zooming around being his wild wacky energetic affectionate self and acting like the lovable weirdo that he is. What made Lodge & Learn perfect for us was that Rob was able to really work with Forest one on one to establish a new set of basic rules for him and then reinforce them on a daily basis until they were consistently understood and followed. It's like Rob poured the foundation and built the first story for me, and then taught me how to maintain the structure and build on top of it. That was exactly what I needed. Of course the training was not over when I picked up Forest from Lodge & Learn, there was and will continue to be work to be done on my part to sustain this good behavior. But with that foundation already solidly in place, that maintenance has been easy to manage. Rob's training was truly life changing for us and I am SO glad we did it. read more

Dogs Listen To Us - Pet Training Near Me

We have a 9-month-old pug named Donut who is as stubborn as he is cute, and he's pretty damn cute. He refused to go down stairs, pulled on the leash, jumped on people, and generally ignored all of our attempts at basic obedience training. We sought out a trainer who could help us with these things, especially the stairs as hauling a 15-pound pug loaf who sheds down the steps gets old really fast. Rob was our guy and worth every penny. All it took was a prong collar and some leash pressure and Donut was going down steps like a PRO in the first 5 minutes with Rob. Throughout our 5 training sessions, Donut became an excellent walker who no longer pulls, he heals, and listens to down, sit, place, and no. These basic commands are so useful for being in control of your pup around other dogs and people, in the car, when guests are in your home, or the doorbell rings. The most valuable part of training with Rob in my opinion is that he trains the owners in addition to the dogs. Rob worked with me on how to give Donut clear commands and give corrections when necessary. Trust in Rob's training methods, do the homework with your pup, and you'll be happy with the results. read more

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Our 2 mini Aussies were so out of control! We could not have them around kids or other dogs. They are calm and listen now. Best money we've ever spent. read more

From our initial consultation, I felt completely comfortable and confident in the Dogs Listen to Us training methodology. Rob explains everything clearly, answers questions, and makes himself available throughout training. When Jimmy and I started working with him, we'd tried several different trainers and really just gotten nowhere...he was wild and jumpy and didn't acknowledge commands unless there was food in the picture. As we worked with Jimmy, I saw consistent progress every week and real changes in his overall behavior. He's still the same happy, goofy pup, but follows commands consistently and is simply calmer and more reliable around people. My friends comment on it all the time. I'm not overstating it when I say that working with Rob completely changed how I relate to my dog and improved Jimmy's quality of life (and mine!) considerably. read more

After getting my dog Ole back from a board and train - I cannot recommend "Dogs listen to me" enough. I adopted a wonderful dog from a shelter, who unfortunately had some bad habits. After a few weeks with him I was feeling overwhelmed- he was barking and lunging at other dogs on the street - to the point I'd have to be constantly on the lookout. He failed two daycare evaluations, and I was told by another trainer that he may be untrainable. Taking him to the dog park was also impossible due him playing too aggressively not responding to his name. Feeling discouraged, I did some research on trainers in the area. After comparing a long (and confusing) list of various trainers - I found "Dogs listen to me". The reviews seemed fantastic- and the offer of a free initial eval (compared to the ~$60 charged by other services) lead me to giving Rob a call. Rob's methods are different from many others in the area as he doesn't use just "reward based training". I was initially apprehensive about his methods - but after meeting with him I was confident that he really knew what he was doing. His methods truly work - and last. I opted for the board & train due to my own time constraints, and my desire to get the best training possible. Rob and I worked out a schedule, and he would bring Ole home for training once a week. At each visit - the improvements were phenomenal. At the end, Rob even kept Ole abit longer, at no extra cost - to sharpen up the training to a point of perfection. Now when I take Ole out on walks I get comments about how well trained he is. I can take him to the dog park without a worry. He can interact with other dogs with ease. He continues to be the happy pup I initially adopted- but he is also much calmer (which is immensely helpful). I couldn't be happier. I highly recommend any of the training through "Dogs listen to me" - but can especially speak to the board & train. While it is a high cost and time commitment - it's absolutely worth it in the long run. read more

We were initially hesitant to consider formal dog training, because our dog wasn't terrible. He didn't bark much, he was (mostly) house trained, and, in general, well behaved. But he wasn't great in public spaces, pulled on the leash, and had no recall ability off-leash. So when we needed to board him for a few weeks, we decided to give Rob's team a shot at helping us out. And boy are we happy we did! It's amazing how far our dog was able to improve. Off-leash ability, heel, and stay in place commands have become invaluable to our family. But beyond the specific commands he now knows (which have shown no signs of fatiguing 3 months removed from training), our dog is simply more attentive to our voice and body language than ever before. The overall improvement in communication has made both our lives and our dog's life so much more fun together! Finally, I have to say that Rob & his team are absolute professionals. Rob was flexible with tailoring his program to our needs, came to our house for training sessions and picking up/dropping off our dog, and kept us updated throughout the process. I will continue recommending Rob's crew for my family and friends looking for top notch dog training experience and outcomes. read more

Verdict still stands, Rob is an amazing instructor! I just finished my training a few weeks ago with Rob, Jarvis and, Chivo. Daria, my dog, is doing great! She has honestly never been more happy, calm, and well trained. Throughout the training we worked on technique, discipline, and trust. For Daria and I trust was the biggest factor. I always assumed she trusted me, and in a sense she did but not enough to follow me as a leader. It wasn't until we trained with Rob that I realized the difference in her trusting me and and her loving me. A little bit about my Chocolate Lab mix Daria; she went into this training extremely leash aggressive towards other dogs. She had quite a bit of training from me over the years with basic commands and behaved relatively well in dog parks with other dogs. However, on walks she would lash out, snarl, and lunge at dogs passing by putting other owners and their dogs on guard. Our main goal was to correct this problem, or so I thought. I learned that there was much more to training a dog than just her learning to behave. She had to learn to respect and look up to me as a pack leader. She needed to trust that I had control of the situation and before I met Rob, I didn't. The techniques were very easy for Daria to pick up on and learn quickly, she was eager to please and wanted to do everything correctly, what solidified this communication between her and I was the trust training. Once she began to realize I had control of every situation her demeanor began to change for the better. I always thought she was a happy dog before but I was astonished to see how much happier she was that the weight of leadership was off her shoulders. As a side effect she also corrected a lot of other issues on her own. She doesn't bark as often, she doesn't jump on strangers, and she is much more attentive and quick to react to my commands. I went into this thinking there was one problem to fix, and came out realizing I was not only focused on the wrong issue, but that multiple other problems that I had learned to live with were now fixed as a result. I recommend this training to everyone with a dog, big or small. Your dog will be happier as a result and so will you. It does take a lot of time and effort on your part and a lot of your good results depend on you practicing with your dog when Rob gives you assignments. If you stick to his training and follow his instruction you will have a happier well behaved canine. read more

Dogs Listen To Us - Pet Training Near Me

Before Rob, we were going crazy. Our little pit mix, Ronco, walked horribly on leash, was pretty reactive and rarely listened to us. After reaching out to Rob, we started to feel some glimmer of hope. He listened to our concerns and reassured us. Fast forward to now, Rob has helped us build the foundation for a good pup who listens, has a good recall, and walks very well on leash. We are so grateful to Rob and highly recommend him! read more

Dogs Listen To Us - Pet Training Near Me

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5 stars. Would give 50 if I could. We have a one-year-old female bully breed who started as a fearful runt, then began exhibiting a range of troubling behaviors as she started maturing. Snarling in a terrifying way at anybody walking on the property. Serious toy aggression toward other dogs, and a refusal to drop the frisbee. Digging. Extreme fear of the car, i.e. not even wanting to go close to it, desperately trying to climb into the driver's lap while in motion. Bad recall. Didn't like kids with gear, like bikes, wiffle ball bats, etc. We were honestly concerned that she was going to life a frustrating and restricted life at best, or become a liability to herself and others at worst. 7 sessions with Rob and she is a completely changed dog. We have fixed every problem we were concerned about. We have tools to keep refining what we've learned. She can now enjoy being off-leash in beautiful locations and get plenty of exercise without driving my anxiety through the roof. Our dog is also much happier. She has much clearer feedback on what she needs to focus on, and as a result is much less paranoid about what's happening around her. Her life is less stressful and despite a few protests when she was relinquishing control, she's become much more affectionate and really enjoys learning new things. A note on "positive reinforcement" training for anxious working breeds - sounds nice, but in practice is a serious liability. I was skeptical of prong collars and e-collars at first, but when Rob trained us to use the tools properly, with a focus on research-driven classical conditioning, they result in nothing but a happy and focused dog. Far from being traumatized, our dog is much happier and Rob is one of her favorite people, despite some tough love (with an emphasis on the love part). I will use the balanced training approach with every dog I get for the rest of my life. When you consider the peace of mind, the love for your animal, and the time/money/emotional costs of dealing with a crisis arising from a poorly trained and politically stigmatized breed category, Rob's rates feel practically free. Go talk to him if you have any concerns about your dog. We're looking forward to boarding her with him next month. read more

Rob was incredible! He gave me the tools and understanding required to completely and quickly reform my dogs behavior. The process was smooth and he is a great teacher. I could not be happier with the results. If you want your dog to become perfectly behaved in just a few weeks, go with Dogs Listen To Us. read more

Dogs Listen To Us - Zion - Pet Training Near Me

Spring 2020, like half of America we got a pandemic puppy, Jeff. About 4 weeks into our new life as dog owners, I was thinking it was probably the dumbest thing I had ever done. For anyone who knows me knows that that is saying a lot, but it seriously was. The dog was ruling our lives and we were miserable. Then, midsummer we contacted Rob. We were headed out of town for a few weeks, and Rob said if we get a few sessions in before the trip, you'll have a much better time on vacation. It was the first of many wise suggestions we received from Rob. After our first hour of working with Rob, our lives as dog owners and Jeff's life as a dog were forever changed. We quickly learned how to lead our dog and create situations for positive behaviors. Jeff was noticeably happier with our new approach. Each session was as much for training us as it was for Jeff. Rob did all the hardest work with the dog then mentored us on how to practice the skills and cement the training. Rob really trained our whole family. He showed an abundance of patience with us as we all learned to be dog owners together. We are now the happy dog owners of a happy dog. I highly recommend Rob. read more

My girlfriend and I called on Rob to help us with our puppy Pug. We have a pug who was very stubborn and thought there was one way of doing things and that was his way. Rob was fast to rescue and taught us the tools we needed to correct the stubborn behavior and prepare us for whatever might happen next. We were seeking a trainer to help train our puppy but also get us in the correct mindset to train a puppy. Rob was perfect for this, he would walk us through the reasoning and logic of why something works this way and why another concept might not be the best strategy for something else. The prong collar was incredibly effective and efficient despite what some people think of them. Our Pug does not pull or misbehave when previously he would have been a wild banshee. There are no more walking protests and we now have the only Pug that I have seen heel..... Overall we were very satisfied with the training because Rob provided the tools we needed to continue to train our puppy as he grows. Rob was great with our puppy and it was pretty impressive how fast our dog responded to him. Within three sessions of leash training our Pug was trained and within five sessions Rob had my girlfriend and myself trained. Highly recommend Rob as Dogs truly do listen to him. read more

We never actually got a chance to use Rob's training services because our dog we given back to the rescue where we got him because he was a threat to have in our household because we have children. I am writing this review because of how honest Rob was with us during a very trying time in our lives with a dog we loved very much. We adopted a Rotty with some serious aggression that resulted in several bites to humans (including a young child) We were on the verge of putting him down and sent Rob (and many other trainers) an email asking for help. Every trainer that got back to us wanted to charge 3k for board and train programs but assured us that there was no guarantee our dog would not be aggressive again and he would never be trusted around kids again. Rob was the only trainer that offered to come to our home and meet the dog in person (free of charge) to make an assessment and see if he could actually help before making any recommendations. In addition to that, he talked to me for over an hour on the phone and was honest about training outcomes and offered a much more affordable and sensible training option. Instead of a month long board and train he recommended 4-5 one on one sessions in which he could then determine whether our dog was "trainable" or had some issues that could be beyond training a dog like ours. He saved us a lot of time and money and it's obvious his agenda is not all about money. He cares about what he does and will give you his honest option. We learned alot from him and look forward to working with him with the next dog we adopt. Of all the people we talked to he seemed the most trustworthy. read more

(I would give more than 5 stars if I could!) We loved Rob & the result of his training so much that we decided to come back for off-leash training. Because of the difficulties we had with Emma in the beginning, we were always hesitant to take her off leash. After going through the on leash training with Rob, we decided he was more than worth the money and jumped at the chance to do off leash training with him. And once again, it has changed our dog-parent-lives as we know them! It was amazing being able to walk and run Emma on her leash, but now we can play with her at the park and in our front yard and know without a doubt that she will come to us when called. We can also walk around the neighborhood and/or hike with her at our side. Having the security has been a great anxiety relief for us, and it has given Emma so much more freedom to be able to run and play like a dog should. I also feel like the training has bonded us even more as we have learned to trust her more and she has learned to always be aware of where we are and stay close. Our last session was exciting as we watched Emma walk around Rob's neighborhood off leash. We were nervous, but Emma stayed in heel the whole time and wasn't phased by Rob's dog trying to distract her. It was bittersweet though knowing that we won't be working with Rob anymore. We feel like we gained a friend and someone we trust wholeheartedly with our pup. We can't thank or praise him enough! read more

I called Rob about 4 weeks after I brought my first puppy home. My goal was to have a well behaved dog that would not jump on people when they came into my home, not tear my house apart, and overall just be a good dog. Rob would not start formally working with my dog until she was 4 months old but gave me tons of tips even prior to formally working with us as I was working through potty training, nipping, and crate training. After our first lesson, I was assured that hiring Rob was the best decision I could have ever made. Throughout our private lessons, he was ALWAYS available for questions in between sessions. He was always on time and very accommodating to my schedule. Rob was very patient with me as I was learning for the first time too. I highly recommend Rob and his private lesson program! read more

Dogs Listen To Us - Pet Training Near Me

It's hard to know where to start because there seems to be an endless supply of amazing things to say about Rob and his training techniques. We have two dogs (Goose and Wilder), one of whom was very leash reactive and would consistently pull on the leash and lunge and bark at other dogs, squirrels, skateboards, you name it. It got to the point to where we dreaded walking him and every outing with Wilder had the potential of being scary, embarrassing, and overall just a negative experience. We scoured the web for a trainer who was experienced with reactive dogs and stumbled across Dogs Listen To Me. We identified with his training style immediately (he's ok with using prong and E collars - yes they can and are used humanely). We had a free consultation with him where he pinpointed reasons for Wilders behaviors and explained how he would correct them if we chose to go with his service. His clarifications on our dogs behavior just made so much sense and we knew we would be in good hands. We did a 5 session package with Rob and he also equipped us with the very top of the line prong and E collars - spend the money, it is so worth it! Within our first session Wilder was no longer pulling on the leash and had become much more focused and attentive to us. Honestly, we never thought this dog would stop pulling! Before Rob we had tried a regular collar, a backpack, a gentle leader, a cheap prong collar - no results until Rob showed up! Each following session produced even more drastic results. Wilder now has an insanely dependable recall, he listens and focuses on us more than anything else, and he no longer perceives walks as an opportunity to bark and be distracted by every moving object. Our last lesson Rob let us test Wilder around his and his girlfriends dogs and we were just blown away at the results. Our dog can now walk calmly among other dogs - we never in a million years thought our dog could coexist with unfamiliar dogs! We are so grateful for Rob and his knowledge and guidance through this process. He always answered all of our questions clearly and made sure we were comfortable and confident after each new lesson. Wilder now makes our other dog, Goose, look like a chump! Our standards for our dogs behavior is higher than we ever thought possible, and we plan to apply our training with Wilder to Goose. Walks with Wilder are now a breeze, and something we look forward to. We can now approach what used to be "challenges" as opportunities for learning and continuing to grow with our dogs. We celebrated Wilder's 'graduation' by going to 1,000 acre dog park. We walked by other owners and their dogs without a single problem. We are ecstatic by the results and feel that this is the best money we have possibly ever spent! Our quality of life with our dogs has improved ten fold. We are so sad that Rob might be leaving Portland within the next few months, but we know he is only a phone call away if we ever need his advice! read more

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Rob is a miracle worker. If the numerous 5-Star reviews don't convince you, you'll just have to give it a shot. I'm not usually one to write Yelp reviews, but the results from Rob's sessions with my sweet Dixie have been the best investment in my pet to date. Dixie is a Terrier/Berger Picard mix and is almost four years old. I adopted her two years ago and attempted a couple of training classes/trainers which did not produce results. These trainers and classes used methods that were all treat and rewards-based. The progress was slow, inconsistent, and left me feeling more and more like I was unprepared to have the dog I had. Rob's methods are concise, direct, and effective. We began our first sessions with a pinch collar before moving off-leash with the e-collar. While his methods gave me concern at first, I quickly saw that Dixie enjoyed our sessions because they felt like a game to her. I never once saw Dixie cry, pout, or look anything other than excited to participate. Rob came in with energy and confidence that he could get Dixie to do whatever I needed: walking right by my side, staying in one place, refraining from barking at passing dogs, and other simple commands. After eight short sessions, Dixie is now almost entirely an off-leash dog. Our communication is better than it's ever been today - we've built trust that I didn't think I could ever get with her. I wish there were 1,000 Robs so that every dog owner could get time with him. Couldn't recommend him enough!! read more

I can't thank Rob enough for the time and effort he put into my dog to make him a better listener. I've had Jamie since he was a puppy and didn't see a need for further training until I moved into an apartment with my boyfriend and we noticed how difficult it was to walk Jamie on a leash, especially around other dogs. Rob came in and after our first leash training session changed our walking experience completely. Rob also taught us the importance for other commands we never knew we needed in our lives. The "place" and "down" command have been important additions to our household. Rob's training sessions have truly helped the relationship my boyfriend and I have with our dog. Now we feel more confident in not only our abilities to train our dog but in Jamie's abilities to listen. Thanks Rob! read more

We contacted Rob to help us with our spirited dog. Prior to her training with Rob, she would pull us on leash walks, jump on friends as they would arrive to our home and just wasn't generally well mannered. After her training with Rob, we have been complimented on how well behaved she is and couldn't be happier with the results. He truly is amazing! read more

Best 3k ever spent and I'm not exaggerating. I have a year and a half old English Mastiff named Eggsy. Eggsy was the perfect dog until he was attacked at doggy day care, then our lives flipped. Eggsy, almost 200lbs, became aggressive towards people and dogs. Me being gone 10 month out of the year knew we needed to act quick as my wife and daughter have to stay in constant control of our beloved family member. I searched the web and called around and finally found Rob. Rob is a god send, he transformed our big boy for an aggressive lion, to an obedient lamb. I am in total awe and very braggadocios about my baby boy. Rob, thank you and we are eternally grateful for the job you've done with Eggsy. Now quit reading this and call Rob. . read more

Dogs Listen To Us - Pet Training Near Me

We had Rob train our 8 month puppy through his lodge and learn program and had great results. He worked with our schedules and trained us on how to train our puppy. Our puppy listens to us now even though we don't have treats and doesn't choke herself pulling on the leash on our walks anymore. We highly recommend him. read more

Rob is simply an outstanding dog trainer. Our puppy was very undisciplined when we met Rob, but he worked with us in a dedicated and detailed manner to turn things around. The best thing about working with Rob is his ability to teach you how to be a good trainer yourself. He is also very reliable and a good fun. If you want the best dog trainer in this part of North Carolina, there surely is no reason to go elsewhere. read more

I sent my rescue St Bernard Moose to Robs board & train program. Moose was horrific on walks... lunging at dogs snd pulling me off my feet... dangerous and unpleasant. After Rob worked with him he is obedient and a joy to walk. Rob dropped by the other, and Moose was so happy to see him... further illumination that dogs not only listen to Rob, they love him too. read more

Dogs Listen To Us - Pet Training Near Me

"Miracle worker" comes to mind when I think about Rob and the impact his training had on my grand-pup Leo. My husband and I are constant visitors to my daughter's home and, before his time at Dogs Listen to Us, the behavior of her rescue dog Leo really concerned us. He led with his teeth when playing and we often acquired cuts and bruises from his rough play. Since his time with Rob, he behaves beautifully and is a wonderful, happy dog. It has totally changed my daughter's life that Leo is now well socialized. We could not recommend Dogs Listen to Us more highly. read more

Rob is spectacular!! I came to him for help with my two year pitbull-rottweiler-doberman pup who is full energy and was not responding to any other training methods. Within the first hour of our first lesson Rob had my dog walking right next to me on a leash; and just a few weeks later she was walking right beside me off leash, not reacting to other dogs, and her recall was excellent! I would recommend Rob to anyone and everyone! read more

Our dog came back from Rob a completely different dog. When we reached out to Rob, our dog had already been through a one-month board and still rarely listened to us. He had been kicked out of daycare. However, our dog is now very well behaved! He listens to us and now how to control his extreme energy. We can now have people out to our house or he can join us at restaurants without worry. I highly recommend him! read more

I contacted Dogs Listen to Me after moving to KC from STL, where I adopted a very rowdy pit mix, Bella Mae. Bella Mae had completed some training in STL but we were working on aggression issues and hyperactivity. I had been searching for a trainer in KC but had no luck. After contacting Dogs by Debin, I was referred to Rob Masters from Dogs Listen to Me. I'll give an overview of things I really enjoyed and things I didn't like as much. Overall, I think Rob did a great job with Bella Mae but there were some things that I think could have improved her training sessions. After meeting with Rob, I signed up for 4 classes plus the consultation. There was no paperwork i.e. contract etc. which I thought was kind of odd, but I didn't have any reservations because of that. That may be something I'd incorporate if I were Rob, just to mitigate any possible problems in the future. Also, price wise, his training sessions were more expensive than the training sessions I had received in STL and other trainers I had priced in KC. However, the trainers I contacted in KC did not follow up with me or seem willing to work with me for whatever reason. I summed that up to the fact that I had an aggressive pit mix. Also, Robs training services included coming to my home every week versus Bella Mae and I traveling for training, which was convenient. Anyway, after meeting with Rob and discussing things I immediately signed up for training. Our first session was a consultation and I discussed everything that I thought needed to be worked on with Bella Mae. He listened attentively and then observed Bella Mae and our interaction. He noted some things that I could immediately change (my behavior) which was very helpful. He customized his training for me, as I have done tons of research on training and dog behavior- especially pit mixes as I know the harsh stigma associated with them. Obviously I'm not an expert, which is why I contacted Rob, but he did take into account what I did know and went from there instead of attempting to reteach & waste our training time. Typical sessions went something like this: Rob arrived and discussed what we would work on. He then showed me and incorporated me into the training. He then instructed me to practice this until our next session. Each session lasted from 1-1/2 hours. Some of the highlights of our training was the utilization of Robs' dogs. Bella Mae is leash reactive/aggressive which lead me to thinking that she was aggressive overall. While I work with her daily, I don't have access to other dogs to help with her socialization etc. Rob quickly showed me that while she did have issues with being on a leash and meeting another dog, that she wasn't dog aggressive or inherently mean. This did wonders for Bella Mae and I simply because I witnessed her working with Robs' dogs without being aggressive and it restored my faith and determination to work with her, which was wonderful. Overall, I think Rob is a great trainer and is willing to work with any level of dog issues. Bella Mae wasn't always the easiest to deal with but Rob always reassured me that she was a dog and that certain things were in her nature and that didn't mean she was a lost cause. He never said anything negative about her or her difficulties, which I greatly appreciated. I know with committed effort from myself, that Bella Mae and I can overcome many things and she can become a well balanced and mannered dog. Some things I would suggest working on though would include more business aspects than training. I would include paperwork, contracts etc. so that pet owners know exactly what they're receiving and what is expected of them. Also including handouts regarding "homework" in between sessions would be useful. Lastly, being more stringent on appointment times would be beneficial. There were plenty of times that both Rob or I had to push back/delay appointments for whatever reason and while he was easy to work with, looking back, I wish that there had been a higher expectation from both of us to stick with scheduled appointment times. The consistency is best for both training and professional aspects. If you're in need of a dog trainer for issues large or small, give Dogs Listen to Me a try. I look forward to seeing how they progress business wise and what other services they incorporate. I hope it includes some type of socialization classes, as I would jump on that in a heartbeat! read more

Rob and his team have kept my two pit mixes for board and train twice, and we have used their walk package as well. Each session, my dogs have improved. Rob returns communications promptly and keeps in touch with us about our next sessions and any "homework" we should be doing. Our nervous girl is much calmer now, and our leash reactive guy is much more relaxed on walks. In short, we are pleased with the services we've received. Dogs Listen is well worth the money. read more

I thought Louie was doomed until I met Rob. Taking Louie to Rob was the best decision I ever made. I noticed a huge improvement in Louie's behavior just after our first session. Every time I had a question about something I was given a totally honest and educated answer. Rob was amazing at immediately recognizing my dogs personality and using that knowledge to show me the best techniques to use when training my dog. When we were at training I felt completely comfortable, I didn't feel awkward or stupid if I did something wrong. Rob showed me the best ways to get the best out of my puppy and I couldn't be more happy with the results. read more