They were able to accommodate my needs on very short notice. They handled my dog really well and taught us skills to keep progress going for long term success. read more

Training was wonderful & very thorough. The trainers even helped train us, the humans. Our 2 year old dog is very much a part of our family now. read more

Had my dog trained here and service was excellent. They provide all equipment that will help once dog comes home and if you really need you can always call them. read more

A little late to review, but we just had to give 5 starts to Leonard & Exceptional Obedience. We brought our dog Tahoe to him when he was a puppy for an immersion camp/ boarding while we were on vacation. When we got Tahoe back, we were shocked at how well behaved he was, and how well he listened! Leonard is very good with dogs. You can tell they love & respect him. The tools he provided such as the place bed & e-collar are still being used by us a year later. Leonard kept Tahoe for a few extra days after the expected pickup. He does let you know before you schedule that this is a possibility- Of course we were sad & missed our puppy, but we trusted his decision & it definitely paid off! We trust Leonard's work & have peace of mind when Tahoe is in his care. He is very trustworthy, straightforward, & you just know your dog is in good hands. Any future dogs we have, Leonard is first (and only) on our list. Mahalo Leonard for your work with Tahoe! We appreciate you & what you've taught us. Thanks for helping us shape Tahoe into the dog he is today! read more

We are so glad we found Leonard! Our 3 year old dog Drogo is the quintessential "Husky". Good natured and goofy, but insubordinate, stubborn, sneaky, and with some animal reactivity. He was a Covid puppy and was never properly socialized to different environments, and for this reason he could be a lot to handle. We knew we needed to get him some professional training. We searched Oahu to find a trainer who we thought could meet his needs - we talked to many people with no luck, but after one phone conversation with Leonard we knew that he was a great fit. We sent Drogo for a 10 day immersion camp in April, and our experience was overwhelmingly positive. Leonard is professional, relatable, and thorough. He always goes above and beyond to answer our questions, stayed late at our training sessions until he could tell we were comfortable, and was always clear and upfront with his expectations and rules for the camp. We felt extremely comfortable leaving the island for vacation with Drogo under Leonard's care. Since we returned, we have had three lessons with Leonard, and we know that if we ever have any trouble we can call him for help. Drogo absolutely loves Leonard, and is always so excited to see him. He also listen to him unlike we've ever seen him listen to a human before - it sort of uncanny how much of a relationship he was able to build with Leonard in less than two weeks. I would also like to note that the only negative reviews I see here have very little to do with Leonard as a trainer and much more to do with people having unrealistic expectations for their training experience. Firstly, no dog can be "cured" of any behavioral issue in two weeks. Leonard is clear from the start that while he can lay the building blocks and groundwork for a well behaved dog, it takes lots of dedication and hard work on the part of the owner to uphold the training when the dog returns home. There is no "quick fix" and Leonard understands and communicates that from the get go. Does drogo still choose not to listen? Of course he does! Does he still react to other dogs? Yes. But the difference we see in him from before Leonard's camp to after is significantly positive. Also - dogs are going to lose a few pounds and smell like the outdoors when they are being trained and exercised every single day. In my opinion, Leonard is a talented, trustworthy individual who you can 100% trust with your pup! I really can't express what a relief it is to have somebody who can help train and board Drogo on the island. Thank you, Leonard! read more

Exceptional Obedience Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

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I can say with "Exceptional Obedience" sincerity that Leonard Letoto is the purest most talented soul I've met in the industry. His greatest asset is that he truly loves the animals and his motives are pure. " Exceptional Obedience" Are the best in the business! Leonard Letoto went above and beyond my expectations and his personal involvement in my case with my four month old puppy half German shepherd dog half Malinois. Her drive is of a pure Malinois in my opinion. The results was perfect. I know this due to years of going to obedience classes with one AKC German Shepherd show dog, one AKC German Shepherd working class dog, and one Dutch shepherd working class. I couldn't be more satisfied with the results of this program and will forever be grateful to Leonard Leototo. In my opinion he is the best in the business and the to GO GUY. read more

Exceptional Obedience Dog Training - My puppy - Pet Training Near Me

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Update: Was waiting for your typical lying response, Leonard. Wrong, you kept pushing back Bolt's return date MULTIPLE times, which seems to be the norm for your "10-day training." I have the texts, why don't you go read them and "jog your memory." My kids' school event had nothing to do with you keeping Bolt for much longer than you told me you were going to. Maybe your home improvements were more important than actually training dogs? Your "policy" is to return the dog to the owner. And speaking of "jogging memory," who suggested having the return be AT A VET APPOINTMENT? You, when you came to pick Bolt up. YOU suggested I schedule the vet appointment at the time of return so you can "show me how I do what I do." Remember that? And you then told me NOT to take him to the vet after you messed him up. So glad I didn't listen to you! The parasites cleared up after getting him back, so clearly he didn't get them here. Own up, Leonard. You pretended to be terrified of Bolt when we came to pick him up, but when you walked him out to us, he cowered a couple times and once he saw me he didn't even bother to look at you. That's fear, not aggression. That's why I don't know whether to believe your claim that he bit you. He has NEVER tried to bite anyone, not even since coming home. Not even a snap. Bolt never was terrified of water until after being with you, Leonard. He didn't like baths, but he did enjoy being spritzed before whatever you did to him. Why don't you just tell the truth for once in your life. Again, an actual dog trainer showed me how real professionals deal with fearful dogs. They don't trigger them, walk up to them and get in their space, and terrorize them with bullying body language. They build trust, something you obviously understand nothing about. You aren't a dog trainer AT ALL. You are an animal abuser whose carelessness has resulted in dogs being malnourished, injured, terrorized, and killed. Shame on you! My dog, Bolt, developed reactivity towards strangers coming into his space after the Covid lockdowns, so I looked into getting help with him. I called Leonard Letoto in early 2023 and explained that I don't have friends who can help me train Bolt and give him positive experiences with strangers. Leonard said that his $3,000 immersion camp would be the best thing for Bolt and assured me he would give him positive experiences. Was supposed to be a 2 week training, but he kept my dog for almost a month because every time I was scheduled to get him, Leonard would text me "he's not ready." Leonard had to travel off island and literally couldn't keep Bolt any longer and the day I was supposed to get him back, he claimed my dog bit him. I have no idea if that's true or not because he had other dogs at the same time. But Leonard tried to tell me I needed to board my dog with a friend of his for $1000 until Leonard got back from his trip. Leonard had also told me NOT to take my dog to the vet a few days before, which I really thought was suspicious. I ended up going to his property to get my dog and if I had seen it beforehand I wouldn't have let my dog stay with him. The first thing I noticed was Bolt was TERRIFIED of water when I tried to give him a bath when we got home. He never really liked baths before but would deal with it without trouble and even knew to turn when I would say, "Other side." But after being with Leonard, he looked at me with a look I had never seen before and I thought he was going to snap, so I put the bubbly water in my hand and showed him what I was doing. Had to hand bathe him and reassure him the whole time, whereas before I could just pour water on him and scrub him down and he'd be fine with it. That makes me think Leonard used water as a punishment/torture on dogs. My dog was slender but not underweight when he left, and when I got him back I could see his spine, hips and ribs! Took my dog to the vet after getting him used to a muzzle in 2 days (shows how hard my dog is to train, right?) and he didn't even try to bite the vet techs but he was scared out of his mind. He had every internal parasite there is, which he never had before because he has been an indoor dog all his life, and he's been on trazadone ever since to help him be calm and focused. He is even more reactive to strangers than he was before the "training" (I want to call it torture) and won't even engage in redirection behavior anymore like sniffing the ground, and a behaviorist helped assess what was likely done to him. Per her assessment, Leonard did EVERYTHING opposite of what a good, responsible dog trainer should do, starting with stiff, threatening body language upon meeting a dog. Because Leonard has police officers on his side, my husband and I disputed the charge with the credit card company and got our money back that way. And now I'm finding out that dogs have died under his "care"?! Leonard Letoto needs to be banned from being anywhere NEAR an animal for the rest of his life! read more

Chris helped us tremendously with our high energy German Shepherd. He helped us with important issues such as walking, commands and bad behavior. We appreciate Chris and his training techniques. Thank you for training Brugge! Highly recommend! read more

We sent our young German Shepard for the immersion camp/boarding and when Leonard brought our dog back he was in terrible condition. He had lost a considerable amount of weight, was filthy and smelling strongly of urine and after being treated by our vet, we learned he was suffering from a Campylobacter infection. I would never have sent our dog there if I had known the condition he would be returned. Please do not risk sending your dog there. read more

Requested a consultation for my dog's behavior towards one another but never heard back.

If there was an option for ZERO stars, that's what this company deserves. On December 26th I scheduled an appointment via the website link in Yelp. The online appt form does not require a phone number but it does require you to enter an address (see photo). The initial email confirmation states: "NOTE: Please be sure to have your phone turned on at least 1 hour prior to your scheduled appointment and be prepared for a call from your Trainer. You may be contacted for various reasons (e.g. unable to locate and/or access your residence.) If the Trainer cannot get a hold of you, your appointment may be canceled." On January 22nd I received a 2nd email confirmation which confirmed the date and time for January 24th. The email SPECIFICALLY says "If for any reason you CANNOT keep this appointment, do NOT reply to this email. Please call us at (808) 778-5866 to inform us of your DESIRE TO CANCEL." After receiving the email confirmation I assumed that my appointment was confirmed. I got off early from my busy work day to make it in time. At 4:17 I called the number and left a message inquiring about the tardiness thinking maybe he was lost. I didn't hear back so I continued to wait. At 4:33 I called back and Mr. Letoto answered. His response to me was that he left me a message the day prior because my address was not complete on the profile form and since I didn't respond, he cancelled the appt. The address was missing a number but if you enter the address in GPS, it brings you to desired location. My street is small and less than one block. I didn't receive his call and I questioned why he didn't email me for specifics and he said he's too busy to do that. I then went on to say if he wanted confirmation then his email should say "call to confirm" instead of what it actually says " inform us of your desire to cancel". More than anything, his UNPROFESSIONALISM, his smugness and his lack of respect for a potential client's time is why I am writing this review. If he had just been a little professional in his response, you wouldn't be reading this but his utter lack of concern for my inconvenienced day was infuriating. I want to support local small business but when one encounters customer service so lacking of customer service such as I did today with Exceptional Obedience, it is no wonder why people turn to companies like PETCO or PETSMART. If this is how he treats potential clients, I'd hate to see how he'd train my unruly dog. I realized that I didn't want to discuss it further and I said thank you and informed him my experience would be reflected in my review, he said "have a nice day" and HUNG UP ON ME. I recorded the conversation as well as have photos of the email confirmation to corroborate my review. If this company wants constructive criticism he should (1) change the automatic email message reminder to confirm appt. (2) If he is too busy to use email, then he SHOULD NOT have an electronic service to make appts, he should just have people call to schedule appointments. (3) They need to edit their forms to reflect their cancellation actions. And last but not least, if all else fails, remember -- the customer is always right. Mr. Letoto is a trainer that needs more training himself. read more

Exceptional Obedience Dog Training - On line form not requiring phone number but requires email - Pet Training Near Me

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My first review didn't allow me to tell the rest of the story due to too many words... Leonard I see you responded and yes you were given the opportunity to still work with him you didn't want to take it because you feel me asking that we don't use the tool that was making him worse "dictates" Your methods. Although you stated that you can do it without the collar but yet you choose not to even though my dog was reacting with the collar??? Why not?? Bottom line ball was back in your court and you didn't want it. At the end of the day my dog was not a leaky roof he was a dog that needed training , after receiving him back, he was a mess. I'm a very open minded person to the possibilities of why he was acting the way he was acting but on your part there was no more care for it.. I got the messages and also the video of him coming out scared. Whatever reason he was being the way he was you didn't help, given the 3 weeks and all to show for it was selfies . I waited till the smoke in my emotion settled to write the review because i didn't want my honest review to come from the emotion..that week put me through a lot of stress. as far as business you got paid for something you did not deliver. And honestly Your responses all did not show that my dogs best interest was at heart. read more

Just got my dog Kona back from Chris who had him for 10 days. Let me just say this, what a transformation! Kona went from barking, jumping on everyone and everything, biting, urinating everywhere in the house to doing none of that. Went for tea walk and he stayed by my side the entire time we walked without pulling. He did his business and we went back home. He's also no getting all crazy when he sees new people. Before he gets all excited and the excitement would cause him to urinate. Now he's a lot calmer. Excited for the future visits from Chris in helping us to continue Kona's training! Note: Chris sent me texts constantly updating me with Kona's progress. read more

I would actually give a 0 if possible. Said they wouldn't train my dog, tried to bully me. Go somewhere else!

Although my pups still got things to learn cause there's always something to learn! Lol -- none of it could have been possible with out Leonard! I have liter mate siblings so it definitely makes it 2x as hard to train them together but I am so happy with the results so far! From better walks for all involved to fun times at the park, and mostly off leash! - everything's been great! Thanks Leonard! read more

I got my baby tuffy when she was 3 months old and sent her to Chris right After I got her. When I first called Chris set up and appointment, came over to the house & went over all of the details in person with me (recommendations, price range, warranty etc.) Upon arrival he was very professional and on time. I ended up sending tuffy to puppy boot camp and she stayed with Chris for 2 weeks. When she was with him he sent me pics and videos of her progress as he worked with her. Tuffy came back a completely different dog (obedience wise). I am so grateful I found Chris. I have no behavior problem with tuffy and I send her to Chris when I need boarding. The best part is that i know she is safe and it's like a refresher class for her. I just got another puppy and he is already scheduled to go with Chris for puppy boot camp. Wouldn't recommend anyone else! read more

Exceptional Obedience Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

Chris (Exceptional Obedience) was awesome! When my wife's rottie passed away a few years ago I was set on having another rottie in our family. With our 2small kids and active lifestyle we wanted to make sure we were responsible owners especially with a large breed and head strong demeanor. Prior to Chris, our 8mos male Cruz was pulling me all over. After only a couple classes and some daily homework our walks became a lot more enjoyable and effective. I felt a lot more confident and was able to anticipate and control him a lot better. After a few more weeks with Chris I was able to walk him off leash. Though I generally walk him on leash, I'm very confident with him off leash. Time very well spent with Chris! read more

Meant to post this review awhile back however life gets in the way. Leonard is the dog whisperer! We trust him with the care of Simba more than anyone else including family. Don't hesitate to receive dog training/rehabilitation services from him as he is the real deal!! If your dog could speak he would thank you read more

We had an unfortunate incident when our beloved Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Gigi, broke free from me when walking in response to a small terrier barking at her, she approached the dog to sniff and when the terrier spun at her she grabbed it by the scruff of it's neck and began to shake and thrash the terrier with vigor. We were able to break the two dogs free and of course we provided all necessary medical attention and services through our vet, and the terrier did recover from the incident. Our vet asked what happened and when we told her even she was shocked that Gigi would do such a thing. Our concern was that we did not want to have a 115 lb aggressive dog that we could not control and immediately asked our vet for a referral, they recommended Chris. Chris came to the house to do an assessment and took Gigi with him to better assess the issue. He informed us that Gigi was not aggressive, she was reactive, which makes sense as her breed is a guardian animal. He explained to us that she could sense aggression in other dogs and when this occurred she would respond with aggression as a protective measure for her people. We spent 12 sessions with Chris and he taught us signs to watch for in Gigi's behavior that indicated she was becoming reactive and how to break her from this mode as well as how to avoid people that had dogs that were displaying aggression passively and overtly and how to also avoid the confrontation with them. He also watched Gigi and provides training updates when we travel. We have not had an incident since and Chris's family and Gigi have become good buddies. Chris knows dogs, Gigi was well trained and behaves well and determining and correcting her behavior required someone with Chris's level of expertise and experience. read more

I had two dogs that I needed help with and it was very obvious right from the start that Leonard Letoto was trusted by them - something which had never happened before with any of the trainers we'd met. It was also very apparent how well he handled them (and us). We bombarded him with questions and he answered everything without hesitation. He demonstrated on our oldest dog who didn't like to be handled and Leonard handled him like a dream. My dog never took his eyes off of him and followed every direction he gave. This was a dog who it took me and my husband months to gain his trust. Our first meeting ended on a positive note. My husband and I were completely sold on Leonard's recommendations. However, it did take us a few months to solidly decide we wanted to do it - this was more to do with finances than our impressions of Leonard and Chris. However, we decided to book with Leonard for more lessons. Leonard went above and beyond his trainer duties during our lessons/board. He sent me pictures of our oldest during his stay with Leonard so I could see how he was doing. He was very flexible with our lessons and I felt that he answered everything I asked and gave me a solid foundation to continue training my dogs to the way I wanted them to behave. Our lessons were dynamic and he never stopped teaching me (and my dog). He didn't mind if I called him with problems I encountered during my day to day training, which I felt was exactly what I needed. I encountered a few situations which I just didn't know how to handle with my youngest and he stepped me through it. No question was ever too small. I learnt so much from Leonard about how to read behaviors and handle problems when they occurred. My dogs are happier and so am I. I highly recommend Leonard and Chris to everyone I can. His experience and his professionalism is by far the best I have ever encountered. read more

I've had the privilege of working first hand with Leonard and Chris as trainers. My dog, Thor, is now 2 years old. I initially met Chris when Thor was 12 weeks old. Chris essentially educated me on how to train Thor on basic puppy obedience that will last Thor and I a lifetime. He established the groundwork that I needed to establish with my dog and it absolutely worked... almost like magic. There is something incredibly special about owning, caring for and training a dog. The bond that you build almost can't be described in words... at least for me I feel that way. I then met Leonard two years later when Chris was on vacation and Leonard picked up right where we left off and gave me some great tips for helping me better communicate with Thor while on the walk. I must say it made a great difference. I would absolutely recommend these two gentlemen as Exceptional Obedience Dog Trainers. read more

We contacted Exceptional Obedience when we had no idea what to do with our dog aggressive, anxiety ridden, scaredy-cat pitbull. She was not winning fans in the neighborhood and we needed to remedy that immediately. In comes Chris and with a week in their immersion training camp, she had progressed leaps and bounds from the nervous dog she was prior. With the program comes follow-up training sessions to keep both pet and owners in check with their newly found good habits, which are extremely worthwhile! We learned not only confidence in her, but ourselves in handling her. I can't say enough wonderful things about how her training has really changed our lives for the better. Another incredible service they offer is boarding. It makes us so at ease knowing that she can stay with someone that doesn't only know her personality, but has the knowledge to reinforce her training again. Even when we leave, she feels right at home since Chris really makes her a part of his pack. Thank you so much Chris and Exceptional Obedience! read more

We recently moved here (during COVID) and had a very hectic move. At one point I needed to kennel my dog, but due to him being 2 years, I felt he needed some guidance. He can be a bit of a handful and high energy (lacking focus) - very sweet. I found Exceptional Obedience and contacted them. Luckily, the time I needed him to be kenneled and the concerns I discussed with Leonard, he was a candidate where the Immersion course would be helpful. Since he has been home, I can gain his attention more rapidly then before and understand how to redirect him. He is still a work in progress, but it is also nice to know if I have questions, there is a resource I can call. read more

We contacted Leonard after we started have issues with Pudding, my Jack Russell Terrier. A friend had recommended Exceptional Obedience and I'm glad I took her recommendation. Leonard came over and assessed that Pudding would need about 7 days, I was beyond sad but agreed. A couple of days before she was scheduled to come home Leonard informed me that he want to work with her on a few things and asked to keep her longer. I was devastated, but agreed. When she came back home she was not completely changed (that's impossible) but she was a better version of herself. She was improved and she gets better and better the more we work together. She listens and comes when called, she doesn't yank and tug on the leash when we walk, these are huge improvements on her part. I understand that it is constant work on my part as well as on Pudding's part and Leonard has helped us both. Would I recommend them to others? Absolutely. Am I happy with the training they provided to both my dog as well as myself? Absolutely. I hope that I don't have to call Leonard for additional help and training but I'm glad that I have the option to. Thank you Leonard and Exceptional Obedience form the bottom of my heart. If it wasn't for you I would probably be shipping my Pudding off to live with someone else. read more

Exceptional Obedience Dog Training - Pet Training Near Me

We had the opportunity to work with Chris for our dog training sessions. He was very professional and knowledgeable. He was very easy to talk to and made us feel very comfortable as dog owners in introducing us to the e-collar. It was easy to see his love for dogs and his ease of handling our not-so-friendly/anxious dog. read more

We contacted Leonard to help with our dog Bob. The first consultation is FREE!!!! He went over our options and met Bob, and recommended 4 private lessons. What I think is awesome, is that he didnt try to up sale us. Leonard recommended what he thought was best for our family. We went with the 4 lessons and ended up only needing 3 because Leonard is so frickin' good at was he does. I was worried about the last lesson but he said we could contact him and make an appointment any time in the furture for the rest of Bob life!!! I have recommended Leonard to everyone at our dog park. read more

Just got off the phone with a rep. His tonality almost made me feel like I was inconveniencing him by asking basic question IE: how much would a session cost, how long are the session etc. His response back in a I don't care tone " it depends on your dog " I get that it depends on my dog but you can ball park so I know at least what I'm looking at price wise? A little strange. So I decided to end the conversation. Building a rapport without seeing the other person on the line can be challenging but at least attempt to. read more

Leonard from Exceptional Obedience is an outstanding dog trainer. He is extremely professional and knowledgeable on animal psychology and behaviors. Leonard trained our stubborn senior aged dog to listen and obey commands. Most importantly, Leonard gave us the tools to make sure our dog continued obeying long after our sessions were over. He revisited 2 years later to help prepare our dog for a new baby without any questions. I highly recommend to anyone in need of a dog trainer!! read more

Exceptional obedience Dog Trainer Leonard was a lifesaver because our dog Miso had so much energy and we couldn't control her. Miso went to Immersion camp and returned with positive results. Leonard is very knowledgeable in his training techniques and has lots of patience with us and the dog. Leonard also during consultations makes sure that we were aware of the tools that we need to continue to train our dog. Leonard's love for animals is very obvious and Miso was very comfortable with him from the start. Watching our dog Miso interact with dog trainer Leonard made us feel very comfortable sending her to Immersion Camp. Miso returned calm and confident. Thank you Uncle Leonard and Pono . read more

Leonard was nothing short of AMAZING when it came to training our super active German Shepherd Maya. We had gone with a different company before him that gave us a horrible experience. I was very reluctant to try and find another trainer after our first experience, but knew we needed a trainer to curb some behavior issues since we had a child. He was very professional each and every time we met with him and always went above and beyond to meet our goals with our training, scheduling pick up and drop off etc. He sent constant updates throughout training with pictures so we could see Maya. Our shepherd loved seeing him and going with him. She would be practically out the door when it was time for her to go with him which made me super comfortable and a happy dog mom. Always honest, excellent communication and is hands down the best trainer! read more

We worked with Leonard and we have nothing bad to say at all. Our dog came back a completely different dog and Leonard has met with us on two occasions after the initial training to address a few concerns we had with our dog. He was friendly, professional, and he seemed to really care about us and our dog. read more

We have ran 4 of our dogs thru exceptional obedience and Leonard, he has done a fantastic job with each one, we have 3 "newfies" a yellow lab and now a baby German Shepard, Leonard set a base for me to be able to continue their training like I wanted,2 of my newfies are now therapy trained dogs, in response to louie g, Leonard had to keep our boys longer as well and did so to make sure he had them trained to his best judgment and that they would be ready for us especially our Labrador and our Shepard both breeds known to be very rumbustious I know you missed them and was concerned but Leonard has always been very professional in his communications with us and in the training our boys received and I find it hard to believe he responded in the manner you state..... I have recommended over a dozen friends to him and they have said it was the best choice they've ever made....... read more

Leonard was an absolutely amazing trainer and he worked with us every step of the way even amid issues with the company he was with at the time, into starting his own. He had very good communication with us and he did a home visit and listened to all of our concerns about our dog Mika. He gave us great training advice and gave us homework to work on before the next meet up. Our dog to this day is a completely different dog because of the excellent service and training provided and I recommend him to everyone that I know all the time. read more

We absolutely LOVE Leonard and are extremely grateful TO him and FOR him! He has transformed our Saint Bernard, Bella, and she is absolutely IN LOVE with her 'Uncle'! Mahalo, Leonard! read more

I wanted to add an update to our review, because two years after training with Exceptional Obedience, we decided to move. The stress was a cause of great concern because our dog was hurting herself to break out of a kennel she needed to temporarily live in during the day. I got in touch with Leonard, and he gave wonderful advice. We used it, and after a couple days of transition and patience on our part, our pup was back to her old self, and handling her transition. Exceptional Obedience really cares, and we are thankful for them. read more

I adopted my dog from the Humane Society at 9 mos old and he clearly had had no training. 55 lbs of crazy-puppy energy, no manners at all, impossible to take on a walk. He went to immersion training with Leonard and came back the same happy, spirited dog but one that now listens and obeys commands! Leonard does a fantastic job with getting the dog to trust him, and is great in the following sessions with the owner. Nothing complicated or hard to follow. So thankful for him, now I have a wonderful, well behaved companion! Highly recommend! read more

****BAD EXPERIENCE**** -This review is not meant to discredit the Exceptional Obedience business, it's employees, animals, client's (present, future & past). But rather to spread awareness of our experience with one of their trainers Leonard Letoto, my 5 month Labrador, and their 10 day immersion training camp. Also please keep in mind our dog is a very typical curious, energetic, playful, non-aggressive, loving 5 month old Labrador from a credible breeder on the Big Island. Our goal from this camp was to help our puppy as well as my wife and I work together to make each other happy. My wife and I wanted to get our dog professionaly trained, like many of you we used Yelp to help with choosing a obedience school, and decided with Exceptional Obedience because of the reviews and the research we had done. We scheduled a free consultaion which involved Leonard coming to our home accessing our dog and explaining what options he offers for the goals we had for training our puppy. We ended up going with the 10 Day Immersion camp with 3 at home lessons after he returns from camp. We scheduled for our puppy to be picked up on 6 Sept 2017 and to be returned on 15 Sept 2017. On the evening of 14 Sept 2017 we received a phone call from Leonard saying that he needed a few more days with our dog before he was ready to come home, which I agreed to. With his return date now moved to 20 Sept 2017. But again the night before he was scheduled to return I recieved another phone call from Leonard with the same message of him not feeling ready for our dog's return home and needed an extra few days of training, moving his return home date to 24 Sept 2017. Needless to say my wife and I grew a little concerned, but was happy to know that Leonard was positive he would be returned on the 24th. But once more I got a phone call from Leonard the night before explaining that he had family commitments that he forgot about and would not be able to return him on the scheduled date. Now moving his return date to 27 Sept 2017 a total of 21 days with Leonard. On 25 Sept 2017 my wife and I reviewed our contract and saw that there was nothing stating that he could keep our dog any longer than the chosen package, so we decided to call Leonard and ask him to return our dog which he refused to because he would not be able to give us the first at home lesson upon our dogs return home, and that he would only be available on 27 Sept 2017 to return our dog and administer the lesson. We then offered to pick him up, which he refused as well. After him refusing to return our dog we gave him the choice of doing what we asked or us getting the police involved. He told us "go ahead, and good luck with that". After we called the Honolulu Police Department and informed them of our situation, a police officer had to escort us to Leonard's property and assist us to get our dog back. All in all this review and whole situation could have been avoided if Leonard could have just returned our dog when we asked, we made it clear that we did not care if he could not provide the at home lesson. I really don't know what could possess a dog trainer to refuse returning someone else's dog, regardless if they think the dog is not ready or the trainer isn't ready. In the end having to get the police involved just to get your dog back was very extreme and all that matters is we have our dog back who is fine and healthy. read more

An amazing experience with dog training. Always brought the full potential with our dog. Exceeded expectations. Was able to teach us things that he didn't have to. We noticed immediate results in our dogs behavior that we never thought would happen that fast. Chris provided an unbelievable amount of knowledge that helped out more than I could have imagined. Would definitely like to get some follow on training and possibly refine some of the things we learned. read more

Chris and Exceptional Obediance truly gave my wife and I the tools that we needed to succeed in training our 100 pound puppy. My wife (100 pounds soaking wet) is now able to walk our, what some call a little horse, effortlessly. Chris' hands on approach gave us the peace of mind to trust in our ability to be pack leaders for our dog. We now have the control to let our 100 pound dog play with our new born. Chris and Exceptional Obediance will forever be part of our family. Mahalo again! read more

It has been a month since we brought our princess back from a one week 'boot camp' with Leonard, co-owner of Exceptional Obedience. She still has issues that couldn't be rectified in only 7 days, however, there is an Exceptional positive in her Obedience when we give her a command. She is far more attentive, interacts much better with other dogs, and is more in tuned to pleasing us as her masters. We want her at 'boot camp' a few more times since so much has been accomplished in just a week. People notice how much more outgoing our dog is in a way which is admirable. Leonard with dogs is a combination of: magic, miracles, and mystery. read more