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    Force-Free Dog Training

    4.4 (19 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 9:30 pm

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    Services - Force-Free Dog Training

    Private dog training

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    Recommended Reviews - Force-Free Dog Training

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    My husband, Vince, training Bisko during our walk. Thanks for the harness/vest recommendation, Jeff!
    Zelliee F.

    I inquired to a lot of places. I read Force-Free's every single review and went with my gut-feeling. It's 100% worth it. Let me share a little background: We adopted our adult mini poodle (5-7 years old ) 10 months ago. He's crate trained but NOT potty trained. We tried potty-training several times by watching educational videos online and it was just confusing and contradicting. As a result, we gave up and he wears diaper since he is an indoor dog. He started snapping and actually bit my husband as he was removing the diaper. Bisko doesn't like it when we take off his diaper. On top of this, he barks like crazy when there's a visitor. He can go on and on for hours. The aggressive barking and snapping was addressed and corrected right after the first session! We are now currently doing potty training the right way. As the name of training entails, no force ( no shock collars, prong collars, etc. were used ) It's a lot easier now as there are definitive instructions provided on how to continue training. Addressing the negative reviews on Yelp: As I mentioned, I read every single review before deciding to contact Jeff: 1. For the initial contact, a phone call inquiry is really required as he has several questions about your dog. This cannot be done via text as there will be a lot of back and forth. 2. The other negative review is quite irrelevant. The training was successful for years and the incident happened 3 years after. There are a lot of factors that can happen in between those times. CONCLUSION: It's our first time trying training with a dog behaviorist and seen huge & significant improvement right away. This business is recommended! Hope we can continue further leash training later on.

    Sitting/resting at a restaurant while we are able to eat. We never thought this would be possible.
    Madisen H.

    My husband and I bought an unsocialized 8 month dachshund about a year ago. His issues were primarily: pulling himself when he walked on leash to the point he would hurt my arm when walking, reactivity with dogs and people so much so, that he would continuously bark for up to 3 hours solid when a new guest was home. Lastly he would try and bolt out of the front door to a busy street. There were other behavioral issues but these were our main concerns. It is without exaggeration when I say that Jeff's force free dog draining saved my dog from living a life of fear and anxiety, to being a relaxed dog. It is not without your own consistent reinforcement of the training that leads to positive results. My husband and I are now able to have guests over, go on peaceful walks with our dog, and even have family vacations with busy Main Streets and crowds with other dogs present. I am forever grateful to Jeff's services and we will utilize him again when we get our second puppy. Thank you Jeff!

    Chico behaves nicely now! Thanks Jeff!
    Lisa K.

    I have used Jeff before with my other dogs and had fantastic results. So I knew who to call. I recently adopted a 10year old dog after the owner passed away. Jeff was wonderful teaching my Chico how to get along with his brother Dakota. He also solved Chicos aggressive behavior when anyone got near me he use to growl, now he is a well behaved dog. Thank you Jeff and Force-Free Dog Training.

    My Aussies that Jeff promised to always be there for!
    Kimber B.

    *** I CANNOT RECOMMED JEFF HOLMES, FORCE FREE DOG TRAINING. PLEASE READ WHY!!!!! We hired Jeff Holmes several times. We had aggression issues when we just had 2 dogs. Then, when we added 2 pups to the family. We paid him more than $5,000. In fact, we still have one more session on his books that we haven't used. His agreement with his clients is that he will always be available to us via text or phone for advice when a situation arises. Over this past 10 months, I have texted him 4 times for advice. He did not respond. The first 3 questions were benign, so I just tried to figure things out myself. However, my text to Jeff on July 15, 2024, was urgent and scary!! Three of our 4 dogs were in a horrific fight and one of my dogs was severely injured. He had to have emergency surgery. In fact, had to have a second surgery one week later. I texted, I called and I emailed Jeff with no response. I finally found a way to message him on Yelp asking, begging him for help. I finally received a message from him saying "Sorry, I'm booked for this time". I don't know why Jeff Holmes is being this way towards us and our dogs. We've paid him a lot of money. We felt comfortable referring him in the past but not anymore. Because he has turned his back on us, because he has turned into something other than a compassionate dog trainer we are faced with re-homing one of our dogs because we cannot afford to start training with a new trainer/behaviorist. Jeff Holmes already knows all 4 of my dogs. A new trainer would have to spend hours just to get to know their personalities and the dynamics of the pack. The dismissiveness that he has shown us is appalling and unprofessional. Just know that if you hire Jeff Holmes, you probably won't get what you paid for. You definitely won't get the lifetime support he promises. He sure doesn't mind using pictures of my Australian shepherds on this Yelp page. Please think twice before hiring him!!! He may leave a rebuttal comment below. However, that won't excuse him from taking our money and going against his word that he would always be there to help.

    Jeff is exactly the person I was looking for to help my new fur baby learn how to behave properly and FAST. I had recently taken my little girl to petsmart for a foo-foo private lesson and everything the trainer had told me to do only made the behavior worse and caused more stress for us both. I had reached out to countless people for training advice and got so much information that turned out to be totally useless and baseless. I've read hundreds of articles and watched SO MANY YouTube videos, trying to find a way to work with my new little companion. Still, we weren't getting very far. She needed something so much more than what I could do for her on my own and the hard days were quickly turning into weeks. My adorable little girl was turning into a bratty land shark and my limbs were slowly being eaten away. Without exaggeration, I feared for my future self. So, I called force free dog training. She's still small, which is the best time to jump on glaring behavioral issues. Professional help is an investment that will last for her lifetime, you truly CAN NOT put a price on peace of mind. I don't just want to have a dog, I want to peacefully coexist with my intelligent and loyal beast for as long as possible. Jeff doesn't mess around and he won't bs you out of your dollars to sell you snake oil. He clearly knows what he's doing, he made it a fun day for my girl and is deeply knowledgeable and personable. In two very short hours, I can literally say that my baby has transformed. I'm ecstatic. I learned so much and after immediately implementing our lessons, I have to say that tonight has been THE MOST pleasant evening I've spent with my puppy so far. We were both calm and relaxed and got to enjoy time together outside in our environment. I wish I had found force free training with my previous kids, I'll recommend this business to anyone and everyone that will listen, proper training saves lives. I can only imagine how much more we will learn in the future with Jeff. This business is a real gem

    Jacqui M.

    Jeff and his approach to dog training is a blessing to us and our latest dog companion. Casey is the fifth dog we've brought into our family over 35 years. We were sure we could handle training ourselves, but this big guy turned out nothing like our others. We struggled, tried everything, and finally called Jeff and Force-Free Dog Training. His approach was respectful, kind but firm, and effective. It was as though he could talk to the dog, figure out what his squeaks and yips meant. He taught us a lot about helping our puppy feel like a valued part of our family. We signed up for 4-5 sessions, once a week, and looked forward to all of them. Our puppy isn't perfect (what puppy is) yet, but we now have the tools for helping him adjust to this new life and his new pack. Thank you, Jeff, for making that happen.

    8 week old Husky puppy & 10 year old chihuahua poodle

    We highly recommend Jeff and Force-Free Dog Training! He is very informative, patient and funny. We have a few dogs of different ages/breeds and Jeff was very helpful in helping us recognize how to properly handle situations while respecting each dog's own unique personality and boundaries. We were very nervous about having new Husky pups with our senior dogs (one being a 10 year chihuahua with spine disease) but even after one training session we are feeling confident in keeping our senior dogs happy while raising our Husky pups to be well behaved. We're looking forward to more training sessions soon and highly suggest Jeff!

    Jeff was amazing due to some unforeseen circumstances we didn't continue the training but he is not joking when he says he can make a huge change in dogs behavior in one session!

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    Ask the Community - Force-Free Dog Training

    Review Highlights - Force-Free Dog Training

    I chose Jeff over other Trainers because of his loving nature towards Ginger, who was a member of our family!

    Mentioned in 18 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Zoom Room Dog Training

    Zoom Room Dog Training

    4.5
    (187 reviews)

    We purchased 20 classes for $750 when Zoom Room HB was having their Black Friday sale last…read moreNovember. As of May 2, we had attended 7 classes. On May 21, I received an email that their location had closed THE DAY BEFORE and that Long Beach and Lakewood would honor up to 5 class credits. Wtf. I went back to all my previous emails from Zoom Room HB and there was not a single announcement that they will be closing down. We immediately emailed the business requesting a refund for the unused credits and it has been over a week and we kept being told by Vince to be patient. My partner asked for a timeline, and in which Vince had requested another 5 days. I had filed a dispute for a portion of refund with my credit card company before they completely disappear. As someone in property management, the business owner would have at least known 60 days in advance (maybe even earlier depending on their lease contract) that they will not be renewing. They decided to wait until the day after closure to announce they are permanently closed to not deal with in person questions from their customers.

    How cool!!! Small…read morepersonable classes ranging from obedience, tricks, agility and more. I randomly tried a package of classes when I stopped by - hoping to get my dog to stop nipping me when he is excited. Classes teach the owner how to train their dog. Go home and keep practicing! The instructors and owner totally care, giving tips to nip behaviors in the bud and to UNDERSTAND your dog. I've only started my pup here, he's 8 - but it's just been fun to interact with him and try something different. Here he's in tricks class!

    The Dog Guru Whisperer & Ex K9 Officer Training

    The Dog Guru Whisperer & Ex K9 Officer Training

    4.9
    (658 reviews)

    I genuinely can't recommend Brad highly enough. By the time…read moreI reached out, I had already spent months trying to fix Sunny's leash pulling and reactivity. I'd worked with two trainers, including a 3 week board-and-train program ($5,000 investment), followed every instruction, and practiced daily, yet I didn't see changes. I was managing the behavior without ever understanding what was causing it. That changed within the first two hours with Brad. He didn't start with commands or tools. Instead, he focused on the psychology behind Sunny's reactions: what was driving them, what was reinforcing them, and what I was unknowingly communicating. No one had ever explained it that clearly. That was the turning point. For the first time, I wasn't guessing or correcting blindly. I could see what Sunny was experiencing in real time and understand how my timing, energy, and responses were shaping his behavior. That clarity changed everything. Walks feel completely different now. Sunny is no longer pulls since my training with Brad, the reactive outbursts are gone, and the experience itself is calm. I'm no longer bracing for problems because I know how to prevent them. I am SO appreciative!

    Great experience! We have an 8-year-old rescue Golden…read moreRetriever who developed some habits we wanted to correct and weren't able to do on our own with traditional training. A couple of these weren't terribly serious, but we felt we weren't "in charge" anymore, that our dog wasn't getting the message from whatever we were doing, and that if we didn't do something different, it could really get out of control. Brad really helped us with this, where traditional "training" wasn't working. We have two or three things we're working on with our girl, but here is the most dramatic change we had with one issue. She is very food motivated, and would beg from us at the table whenever we sat down to eat, and would be underfoot in the kitchen during prep. She got overly excited and would not settle and lie down. Brad explained we weren't communicating well with her on a dog level, so to get that communication kicked in to gear, he actually started our session not with this problem, but with making sure she would not dash out the front door when it was opened. This was to establish that we were in charge and what was expected of her. What he showed us how to do worked like you wouldn't believe. It was like a light bulb went off for our girl. What we did affected everything after that. It wasn't about dashing out the door, it wasn't about begging for food, it was about knowing what was acceptable in our pack and to look to us for direction. That night, at dinner, she went to her "spot" with a simple direction and was relaxed during our entire meal. She can now be directed to her spot and will stay quietly any time we need her to. Best of all, she seems truly relieved that she doesn't have to be in charge and that WE are. She is much more relaxed around so many other things. It gave us so much more confidence! I didn't think that what Brad taught us would work. It's quite counterintuitive. But trust me, it worked like magic. This is not dog training - it's communication with your dog. Brad answers all your questions, doesn't waste your time, shows you clearly and directly what will work. We're so thankful we found him!

    Sit Means Sit Dog Training Orange County

    Sit Means Sit Dog Training Orange County

    4.8
    (254 reviews)

    Had our dog board for eight days and what a difference! We've been working with Jason a lot and…read morehe's been a tremendous help. He takes the time to teach us the commands but also explains the logic behind it so we can understand it better. Highly recommend working with Jason!

    Ryan is absolutely amazing, and my pup Maximus and I are so grateful to have him as our trainer (we…read moreboth need him ) I have a very tough, sassy and stubborn husky mix who was never socialized and he just turned 1. Ryan has been so great with us - patient, kind, accommodating and always goes above and beyond when I have questions or need some extra guidance. He's taken extra time and care to understand Max's personality and needs so he can guide me too, since all dogs are different, and I've learned so much about my own body language and energy and how it contributes to the training process. Ryan ALWAYS follows up, checks in and makes sure to ask if I have any more questions. Max has a really strong bond with him as well, which makes me very happy to see and feel more comfortable if I need to leave him to board and train for any more work he might need. Super grateful for Ryan - and I highly, highly recommend him!! Cindy is also absolutely fabulous - she helped me so much when we realized that Max just needed a little bit of extra work and attention. They've both really made all the difference in my experience with training a newly adopted, reactive and high energy pup!

    Canine Learning Academy

    Canine Learning Academy

    4.8
    (55 reviews)

    First off incredible!!! Canine academy right away treated me and my wife as family. We had no idea…read morewhat we were getting into when getting our dog Ludo. So we searched and searched for help everywhere. Yo and her team were a blessing to find. Yo sat down with us for an hour and went over everything. We are so incredibly grateful that Canine Academy is here for us and we are always in good hands. If you are thinking of having them train your dog please please just do it. You will have the best trained dog ever! We also receive pictures and video of Ludo everyday! We picked the train and board for a week, we had a new dog! We also picked the 6 month puppy school after that, now we have a perfect dog!

    I have been going to canine learning academy since October of 2023 with my mini goldendoodle…read moreTimber. We are a strong advocate of positive reinforcement training. Your puppy or dog will grow and learn so many skills and be well mannered. With all the guidance and training I have the dream dog that I can take anywhere with me. Timber has learned so much through the puppy program, all day school, grad prep school, puppy and manner classes, canine good citizen, agility and so much more. This community is one of a kind. My dog and I have made so many strong friendships and have created so many memories that I hold close to my heart. I have been going to canine learning academy since October of 2022 with my mini goldendoodle Timber. We are a strong advocate of positive reinforcement training. Your puppy or dog will grow and learn so many skills and be well mannered. With all the guidance and training I have the dream dog that I can take anywhere with me. Timber has learned so much through the puppy program, all day school, grad prep school, puppy and manner classes, canine good citizen, agility and so much more. This community is one of a kind. My dog and I have made so many strong friendships and have created so many memories that I hold close to my heart.

    TACT K9 Handling, LLC

    TACT K9 Handling, LLC

    5.0
    (7 reviews)

    Working with head trainer Martina and her partner and fellow trainer, Russ, at Tact K9 Handling…read morehas been the best experience. We feel very fortunate for all the amazing skills they have taught us and instilled in our dog Phil Collins. We contribute Phil's good manners both on and off leash to the training with Tact K9. We have been working with Tact K9 since our dog was 16 weeks old. We initially sought out training with Tact K9 for Therapy certification and through their program our dog was certified at a service working level since he took to their method of positive reinforcement so well. He became my psychological service dog aiding me through anxiety. They are incredibly knowledgeable, patient, gentle but also firm when it matters. They have a gift a forming an incredible bond with their clients and treat them with such care and respect as if they are one of their own dogs. This not a board and train because Tact K9 believes that it's about teaching both the human and the dog together which was very important to us since we wanted our dog to do therapy work. He also received his AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate. Their park sessions are informative and fun and they also love bringing their community together with fun themed walks :) We also love that they are giving back to the community through their Blue Spec K9 Foundation where they are specifically training service dogs. We have volunteered with their nonprofit by aiding in socializing the dogs in the program. It was so rewarding and also fun! We are honored to be a part of the Tact K9 crew!

    Highly recommend TACT K9 Handling! We brought our 4-month-old Australian Shepherd, Donut, in for…read moretraining and saw progress during the very first session. He started out barking and reacting to everything around him, but by the end of class he was calmer, more focused, and successfully participated in a pack walk. Russ, Martina, and Brandon were patient, knowledgeable, and took the time to explain what they were doing and why. We left with a better understanding of our puppy and tools we can continue using at home. Training is a process, but we're excited to keep working with them and watch Donut grow. Looking forward to future sessions!

    SoCal Dog Training

    SoCal Dog Training

    4.9
    (460 reviews)

    Watching Instagram and YouTube videos won't give you a well-behaved dog. Working with Vladae will!…read more We've been working with Vladae for about four months with our now six-and-a-half-month-old Golden Retriever, Coach, and it has been one of the best investments we've made. What sets Vladae apart is that he doesn't just train dogs, he teaches owners how to build a lifelong relationship with them. Every lesson leaves us with practical tools, clear direction, and the confidence to continue the training every single day. Because of that, the progress doesn't stop when the session ends. Vladae has an incredible ability to understand dogs. Watching him read a dog's behavior, body language, and mindset is genuinely fascinating. He knows exactly how to communicate with each dog in a way they understand, and it's clear this comes from years of experience and a deep understanding of canine psychology. He's also one of the most invested professionals we've ever worked with. Throughout the week, he encourages us to send videos, provides thoughtful feedback almost immediately, and is always available to answer questions or jump on a call if we need guidance. You never feel like you're figuring things out on your own. He truly cares about both the dogs and the people raising them, and he always follows through. Every recommendation Vladae has made, whether it's training tools, techniques, or daily routines, has become an essential part of Coach's development. We trusted the process from day one, and the results truly speak for themselves. (See the videos! Coach is only 6.5 months old in them.) Our puppy is happy, confident, well-mannered, and genuinely loves learning. We receive compliments on his behavior everywhere we go, and we owe so much of that to the foundation Vladae helped us build. We also had the opportunity to work with Erica, who trains alongside Vladae, and she was absolutely wonderful. One session with Erica is included in the program, and it was incredibly helpful. It's clear she shares the same passion, knowledge, and dedication that make this training program so special. Vladae brings unmatched energy, professionalism, and passion to every session. He genuinely wants every dog and every owner to succeed, and that level of commitment is incredibly rare to find. If you're looking for a trainer who truly understands dogs and is committed to setting both you and your dog up for long-term success, I can't recommend Vladae highly enough. Coach has become an incredible puppy, and we're excited to continue into adult school because of the foundation he's helped us build. We're so grateful we found him!

    I wanted to address your recent claims regarding my review of your services. I assure you that I…read morewas a legitimate customer who genuinely shared my honest experience, which I believe is critical for other potential clients. While it's understandable to feel upset when receiving negative feedback, it's important to reflect on the reasons behind my review. I noticed that during our initial interaction, you made a comment about my background that many found to be a stereotypical and racist remark. In fact, I saw that you previously posted video footage of our encounter on your Instagram, but you removed it after receiving backlash for those comments. This indicates that others found your remarks concerning as well. I want to emphasize that my intention was never to harm your business; rather, it was to share my experience. Thankfully, I have since found another trainer who practices positive reinforcement, which aligns much better with my values and my dog's needs.

    Force-Free Dog Training - pet_training - Updated August 2026

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