In response to Summer Q. review, I felt as a client of close to 5 years that a response is long overdue. Summer's dog Simba actually attacked my dog and Buddy defended himself, as dogs do. I do not condone that behavior, but dogs do engage solely with their mouths. I chose not to confront Summer Q, as I had faith the issues would be resolved. Unfortunately they were not. The staff at Hot Dog on a Leash always care for the safety of my dog and others in attendance and send daily updates with cute photos and videos. We love that they have a full size pool for swimming fun and we can log into cameras and watch the pups play. I can even let my kids log into the cameras so they can say hi to the dogs each morning. It is the highlight of their day! My dog starts barking and wagging his tail the moment we turn down the drive, and he comes home happy and relaxed. I would highly recommend this staff and spot for your dogs. I just ask you look at the long history of exceptional service they have provided over the years as not everything is as it seems in one review. read more

We are so delighted that Hot Dog On a Leash has reopened their Carlsbad location. Wahoo! Cooper is overjoyed to be back with his friends...his pet friends and his caretakers. It makes me smile to get a picture of Cooper playing during the day. I know that he is safe, loved and happy and he sleeps like a baby when he get home. Thank you Heather and company for keeping our dogs happy. We appreciate you all! read more

Hot Dog On a Leash - Pet Training Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

This place has gone downhill since 2020. It was great when Cliff was there, but they are extremely disorganized. They don't communicate well (simply sending a thumbs up for certain questions, etc.) and never refunded me for my boarding (+I still had outstanding pre-paid dog visits which I am now eating the cost - ~300) which they completely miscommunicated about and flaked (~$600) because they moved to a new location that is completely out of the way to their loyal patrons. Very disappointing considering how much I have spent for daycare through the years - esp considering I have two dogs. So they could make more money if their business acumen and communication was better. read more

I have been bringing my Belgian Malinois to Hot Dog on a Leash for a couple of years now - I have nothing but great things to say about them! They're fantastic at communicating, super caring towards my pup and they are very accommodating! I 100 percent recommend bringing your dog here for daycare! read more

Every word of my review is true. Almost everything in Heather's response is false. The only thing that is true is that I didn't trust my kids to watch Simba when I was out of town, and that's because they are 22 and 25, are full time students, have full time jobs, and have busy social lives. My dog has never been aggressive. I'd like to see one video of Simba being aggressive. He loves other dogs and sometimes likes to hug them on his hind legs, and they hug back, which I asked if that was OK. I am a behavioral therapist with a psychology degree from UCLA. I taught autistic kids for25 years. The training and rewards systems are very similar. I always followed the suggestions from Hot Dog and have always been consistent. I also worked 1-on-1 with Cliff, the last head trainer, for a month when Simba did not school because he got Giardia the first time I boarded with them, which I never complained about. Simba did require a staple for 2 weeks after the first bite. He got that at The Drake Center. Heather blamed Simba for getting his first bite by saying he was aggressive, which I don't believe for a second. Simba has never been aggressive. He is the most gentle loving soul. I used to rave about Hot Dog until the second bite. My sister and my neighbor joined per my recommendation, which I was never thanked for. I never received one free day of daycare. Simba went to Hot Dog until he graduated, which was on 1/26/24. After his graduation, we purchased daycare because I was going to board him when I went to Guadalajara for 6 days, and I thought it would be used then. Afterwards I was told that boarding includes daycare. We paid $475. We didn't use a single day. Heather refunded $375. We asked for the other $100. She claimed we used days. I assured her we didn't. She said his graduation day counts as daycare. I said usually graduation is the last day of your schooling. Even though we thought that was ridiculous, we said fine, pay us $80, as it was $20/day. She gave me $60. So she still owes me $40, unless she insists on charging for his graduation day. BTW Heather always wants $ upfront. I seriously doubt he would have been allowed to school on his graduation day if she hadn't been paid prior. We didn't purchase the daycare until after his graduation day. Simba never displayed separation anxiety until after the second bite. My dog was licking his bum because he had an enormous bite wound there that was not being treated. The vets said it would be extremely unlikely for it to be a cyst at 1 year old and there were 2 puncture wounds that were at least 3 days old, so it was either a bite or someone stabbed him with a stick. I asked Heather to be on a 3-way call with the vets she could hear it herself, but she wouldn't pick up the phone. She claimed that she was in a bank meeting, which I don't believe. But if she was, it would have been very easy to ask to take an important call for a few minutes. I flew home the next day and took him back to The Drake Center again for further clarification. I thought he would be seeing the same vet, but it was a different vet. She said it was a bite. She said there were 2 puncture wounds and no cystic fluid. I asked Heather to see film for both bites, and coincidently I was told neither were caught on camera, which I don't believe. I did suggest Heather get better cameras, which I have and aren't very expensive. I also suggested she get grass so the dogs didn't come home filthy dirty every day they are there. I have never been rude to any staff member on text or in person. Jenn took Simba to the vet and kept texting me that it was a cyst. I kept telling her that the vet said it was not a cyst. I don't don't blame Jenn. She was just trying to keep her job and follow her boss' orders. I never asked Heather to lie on any papers. Yes, it was disappointing to get the letter of emotional support, as we paid for and were told service dog, which is the only reason we ever took him to school to begin with. Again, I've never written a bad review in my life before this. If Simba would have been taken to the vet the same day as the bite, not after 3 days, and if I would have been contacted immediately with the truth, I would have been forgiving and not written anything. I also would have got on the next plane home to care for him. I never contacted County of San Diego Humane Society. More people have apparently been pissed off. read more

Hot Dog On a Leash - The bite wound - Pet Training Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

After a bad experience at a previous daycare I was pretty convinced that i wouldn't be able to find a doggy daycare that I felt my dog would be safe and well taken care of. I decided to contact Heather to give daycare one more try and I'm so happy I did. We also just completed the week long bootcamp/training with cliff which was so worth it. Daycare: my dog is always timid meeting new people and never looked excited to go to daycare until we started coming here! She knows exactly where she's going when we turn down the street and is so excited to see the staff walking down the drive way to get her. I love that they have cameras to check in on my dog. I really love that there are not too many dogs at one time and the staff is very attentive throughout the day keeping them safe. It's also really fun to see the cute videos of the dogs playing on instagram throughout the week! Training: Cliff is amazing! We've done puppy training and individual training at other places in the past but still had a tough time with our dog on a leash. I started giving up hope that we would ever be able to take our dog out in public and dreaded going on walks because of how difficult it was. We instantly noticed the biggest change in our dog after the first day of training. She is doing so amazing and has gained so much confidence on a leash after only 5 days. It was so fun to get videos of her at the end of each day to see what she worked on. Thanks Hot Dog On A Leash for taking care of our Winnie girl! read more

Hot Dog On a Leash - Pet Training Near Me - Carlsbad, California

My dog LOVES the puppy camp!! She jumps out of the car so excited every time we pull up. She plays hard and is exhausted when we pick her up, it's so nice. We highly recommend for energetic puppies who want to gain social skills and training. read more

Hot Dog On a Leash - My puppy when I say "puppy camp" !! - Pet Training Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I brought my mini-dachshund to the Puppy Bootcamp so he could learn to be more confident WITHOUT me around. He has been struggling with major separation anxiety. He was nervous when he first started going and would pull to come back to me. By the second week there, he was pulling toward the gate to go IN!!! That says a lot...he is obviously happy there and having a blast. Cliff is so good with training all the dogs and I love how they send videos and pics so you can see how your doggo is doing. Heather, Jen, and Jairo are all amazing and helpful, too. I can't say enough good things about Hot Dog on a Leash. You will love it! ...and so will your pooch :) read more

I've been bringing my dog here for about 4 years & he LOVES it a lot, the staff are very friendly we've never had a problem with them. He comes home really tired from playing & it helps us a lot!! I feel very content bringing my dog here & recommend it to everyone looking for a doggy daycare !!" read more

Randy was a great...straight to the point. He explained what the dogs are thinking and how to become the alpha. The property for their day care is amazing! I am looking forward to taking Harley there someday. read more

Hot Dog On a Leash - Pet Training Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We took our 8-month-old lab, Charlie, there this past week. We picked the 24/7 puppy boot camp and it was worth every penny! It is well organized. The trainer's Cliff and Randy were great. Cliff had our dog 24/7, we were heartbroken to leave him for the week as we never had. They encouraged us to come anytime and visit, or train with them. Our previous experience had been to leave our pups for 30 days without being able to see them. Well, to our surprise our dog loved Cliff! If fact our visit was 2 days later and he did not even care when we left. That was not our pup...LOL! In 7 days our dog had really matured, calmed down, and learned all basic commands. They were great at sending us videos of his training. Truthfully, the rest is up to us and we are staying up with the training. We live in Oregon and we will drive back to their Carlsbad facility for further training. That's how much we appreciate and respect their training. FYI, our son and his wife have since put their 13-week old puppy in and are so grateful for the changes in him. Charlie learned in 7 days what previous pups learned in 30... read more

I couldn't be happier with the care and attention my 7 month old husky puppy is getting with her training. We started Rogue at 5 months old in Basic Obedience and have since moved up to Advance Obedience training. I have always had prompt replies with all the staff and flexibility with scheduling. I feel a tremendous amount of pride when my friends tell me I have such a awesome dog. It's Hot Dog On A Leash's understanding and enthusiasm that makes them such great trainers. Our daily routine has gone from a disconnected disaster to flawless joy! 5 STARS. Keep up the awesome work! read more

See all

i know first hand that the Hot Dog on a Leash team is AWESOME. As an client of Heather and Randy's, I applaud their dedication to protect a dog they're pet sitting. I feel extremely comfortable allowing them to come into my home and take my puppy to play for awhile!! our dogs ALWAYS HAVE FUN and are alwsys return safe and very tired :) When I have the occasion to bring my own dog, he plays with the dogs brought to the park by Heather/Randy and LOVES LOVES LOVES the attention he gets from them as well! An OUTSTANDING team of PROFESSIONALS all around!!! read more

Hot Dog On a Leash - Czar after the team at Hot Dog on a Leash provided him with a FANTASTIC Easter egg hunt/party & lots of yummy high-end treats! - Pet Training Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I took my six month old shepherd mix, Trix, to Hot Dog on a Leash about a week and a half ago for the 7 day Boot Camp. Trix needed help socializing and building confidence. She has had an awesome transformation! After the 7 days, she is enjoying meeting and playing with other puppies, is doing great on leash, and has learned most basic commands. It's great that she is gaining confidence and our homework has been going really well! Thank you to the outstanding staff and trainers at Hot Dog on a Leash! read more

Hot Dog On a Leash - Pet Training Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I have a 10 year old daughter that fell in love with German Shepherds when she was 6. We made an agreement that the only way we could get one was if she had some skin ($$) in the game, handled walks, feeding and picking up all the poop. Well getting Pepsi was the easy part. We learned very quickly how hard it is to train a puppy to behave. He was super cute and very good natured but he was nipping and biting a lot, hated the leash and on our first walk went berserk because he wanted to play with the golden retriever walking by and practically choked himself to death. He was only 29 pounds and I was very concerned about the possibility of dealing with an out of control 100lb German Shepherd. A very good friend of mine referred us to Randy at Hot Dog on a Leash. I called right away and spoke to Heather. She was super nice and listened to my concerns and recommended the 7 day boot camp. It has been one of the most significant transformations that I have been a part of for myself, my daughter and our now 50lb German Shepherd. Yes....Pepsi has practically doubled in size in 5 weeks. Randy has a love and passion for dogs and teaching. He has a direct, no nonsense, yet thoughtful style of instruction. Like a great coach that you can tell truly loves his players. He was very clear that he would and he did do everything he could to make sure that if we did our part we would be successful in developing basic obedience skills with our dog. He was very mindful to adjust the curriculum and intensity to an appropriate level for my little girl. He didn't let up on holding us accountable for practicing what he taught us and I am incredibly thankful for that. My daughter was instructed to be the handler from the start. By our 5th training session my daughter looked like a mini dog whisperer. I proudly showed the videos to all my friends of her working with her dog and it looks so easy a 10 year old could do it. The truth is Randy worked incredibly hard with Pepsi for 7 days and probably harder working with us for 5 days. In the end my daughter has her dog responding to commands I have never in my life been able to do with any dogs I have ever had. We walk confidently with Pepsi with no pulling or issues when other people with dogs walk by (many of them struggling to manage their pets). I receive compliments that my dog is so well behaved and does so well listening to me. I feel guilty taking any credit because without Randy and Heather at Hot Dog On A Leash the type of symbiotic relationship we have with our Pepsi would not be possible. The unexpected gift is that my daughter has grown beyond measure in the process and is not the same kid she was when we started and frankly I'm not the same either. We are all better for it. read more

Hot Dog On a Leash - Madi and Pepsi Basic Obedience Bootcamp Graduation - Pet Training Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We adopted our pup Cooper as a rambunctious 9 month old and quickly found out that he had quite the loud reaction when seeing other dogs on walks. We took him to a different training center and had a very good experience there. He learned a lot of basic obedience...but....the barking on leash continued and they never got him close enough to a dog to really see what the issue was. A friend told us about Hot Dog on a Leash and I called Heather to get more info on the bootcamp program. She was very quick with her response and just in speaking with me identified that a big issue was our dog's confidence. We did the 7 day boot camp and Randy and his team were amazing! I loved that Cooper didn't have to stay overnight to participate in an intensive program (such a unique and amazing program set up!). Within 2 days they had him out with the other dogs and he did awesome! No barking, no signs of aggression, just our playful and happy pup. After bootcamp, we worked one on one with Randy on leash skills and the difference is night and day. The other amazing thing about their program is that there is somewhere to transition your dog after bootcamp. Cooper still goes to doggy daycare and loves it there. I love that the environment is not a sterile, closed in facility, but rather a large backyard. Thank you for everything! We are so grateful to have found you guys! read more

Hot Dog On a Leash - Cooper with his human brother, who is super gentle with! - Pet Training Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Perhaps the most unprofessional people I have ever dealt with. In brief: They missed our first appointment, for valid reasons. That was not a problem for us. Then proceeded to ignore all follow up calls and messages. At one point we called from a different number and they literally hung up on us. Attempted to get any response and was ignored Sadly the owner of this company needs some obedience training themselves. read more

I have worked with Hot Dog on a Leash for over 2 years now, they trained my 3-year-old German Shepherd from basic through to advanced obedience training. He gets to exert his energy at doggie day camp by swimming and chasing other dogs around in the agility park. This has helped solve a lot of his joint ailments as he was a rescue stuck in a cage in his early years. It's a little piece of paradise for dogs in Carlsbad - very highly recommended. They accommodate all dogs and put a package together that's affordable so that my dog gets all the benefits. read more

Randy and his crew are amazing! We put both our dogs through the boot camp program and we cannot believe the improvement. One of our dogs is older (8 y/o) and had some social difficulties: difficult to take on walks, couldn't be near other dogs without trying to pick a fight... But after the boot camp program he now is not only a delight to take for walks, but he LOVES going to Hot Dog on a Leash's day camps to play with others. Our other dog is a puppy so needed general training to learn the ropes, especially around his grumpier older brother. He's now sitting, staying, laying down, and behaving on walks. Thanks, Randy and team! read more

We have been using this company for both our dogs. We were happy with the training we received for our 8 week old puppy, so we decided to use them for our 2 year old dog who was having jealousy and aggression issues. We would give the training 4 stars. Over the last month, Randy has been late a few times, met us at the wrong locations, mixed up our training times, and the final straw was when he forgot to walk our dogs on a day that we had confirmed and had already paid for. Knowing that my dogs had been kenneled all day was the final straw. I spoke with the owner and explained the problems we had experienced and explained that we no longer wanted to use them and their services. Long story short, we have not received the money we prepaid for training or the dog walking ($365), even though they say 100% satisfaction gaurantee. Update 10/8/13 Response to owner Heather- you said you are willing to give me the money for the dog walk, which I have still not received. You should also take off your 100% satisfaction guaranteed, since you are not willing to live up to your own standards. Update 10/11/13 I have been contacted by the owner who said she has attempted to give me a refund for the dog walk, which I have not yet received. She also said she contacted yelp about my "false" review, and that they have been in contact with their lawyer about the issue. I am confused on why such action is needed for customers explaining their experience, the good and the bad, and trying to contact yelp to get my review removed. Unbelievably unprofessional. A good business owner would be willing to take criticism and learn from the situation. read more

Hot Dog On a Leash is awesome! They know what they are doing and we got exactly what we paid for- well trained and obedient dogs. I have 2 young labradors who were unruly yet sweet when we started with Hot Dog On a Leash. I admit the training was hard and required a ton of work at home but it works...seriously it works. Hopefully, our dogs will be with us for 10+ years and now our time together will be much more enjoyable. The investment in good training can be life changing for both the owner and the dog and I personally would recommend this company to anyone. read more

Hot Dog On a Leash - Lily & Daisy - Pet Training Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I highly recommend this place!! They're great trainers very professional. Not to mention the owner was very sweet. My dogs love working with them. I'm so thankful to have these trainers! The Best trainers in town! read more

We had scheduled a personality assessment for our puppy at Hot Dog on a Leash for doggie daycare and was told to come in the morning and when I confirmed and asked "and by morning you mean...", was told around 8:00 am. When we arrived, we were greeted by an extremely intimidating gentleman that turned us away saying our appointment was at 10 AM. At no point in my conversations with anyone did I hear a time of 10 AM. When we were speaking, my dog was sniffing on the grass and he said "can you keep the dog off the grass". I was shocked by his manner but also that they don't allow dogs to sniff on the grass at doggy daycare?! We cancelled our 10 AM "appointment" and will never return. read more

Heather and Randy are amazing! Randy really knows what he's going when it comes to training. My husband and I laugh because our three day a week training is more like we are getting trained on how to work and handle our dog :) Randy's taken on the task of training our 5 month old Standard Schnoodle after being told to get rid of him by another local trainer because after her assessment he was "aggressive" and would require too much time and effort with no guarantee that he would ever be "normal" socialized dog. After the first training and visit at Doggy Day Care Heather was shocked at how social and happy our pup was. He was not only great with all the other dogs but friendly with people & kids! We are so happy we got another opinion and we are thrilled with the results. Our Holden has not shown one sign of aggression and to think we nearly got rid of him because of someone's opinion. Holden is still a puppy so we know all this training will pay off! I highly recommend Hot Dog on a Leash. The Day Care is a great option for people looking to socialize their dog in a safe fun environment! read more

See all

This place has the absolute worst customer service. I was looking for a daycare for my dog. I called minimum once a day (sometimes twice) with messages. They finally text me saying sorry we missed your call and said they would call later that evening. Of course they didn't call. I texted the number back a few days later (of course many phone calls and messages left ) and Heather replied she would call at 3pm. Of course around 3pm I get a text message saying they can't call and will call at 6pm. You think I got a phone call at 6pm?! Absolutely not. Worst customer service ever. And after reading other reviews , I'm not surprised. How does this place do any business ?? You think I'm going to trust this business to leave my dog here during the day when I can't get a simple phone call after five business days with multiple attempts and messages left each day. I don't know how this place gets any business when they can't even call a customer back. read more

I tried to call this place about 6x and I spoke to a man twice about getting some swim classes for my dog. He said he would get back to me and he never contacted us back. It's been over a month and we still haven't heard back. I really wanted to take my dog here since they have a heated pool and my dogs joints would benefit from it. Only reason for the two stars is because of the lack of communication. read more

Five stars all the way. The Trainer Randy is amazing with our dog, Sierra. She loved the doggy day care as well and I felt so comfortable dropping her off with Ryley. We are so happy to have been referred to Hot Dog on a Leash. read more

We are taking scenting classes and loving every minute of it! Heather breaks the steps down so my pup is having fun & being successful. Okay you caught me.., and I'm having fun too. My pup also goes to day camp. I can't say enough about how much he loves getting to stretch his legs in their large, beautiful camp area. It's clean, has interactive equipment, and quite frankly has a better view than my house! The staff is friendly, provides constant supervision, and can I mention clean up enough? No yucky paws when I take him home! read more

I have a very smart dog and have been able to train him to do a lot of basic commands and tricks on my own, but I finally came to the realization that I needed help from a professional trainer. After just a few weeks, my dog went from having very low self esteem and scared of everything- constriction cones, people, you name it, to a much more confident and happy pup! After such a short time he's even walked up to neighbors we've seen every day for months, and actually let them pet him! He would bark at my roommate who has lived with me for over five months, and act like he never met her when I wasn't home but now he greets her with a wiggle butt and listens to her when I'm away at work! Heather and Randy are extremely professional and knowledgeable, and they blew me away with how spot on they were about what my dogs needs are, even with having very little information about him! They addressed all of my concerns about their method of training (you always hear the horror stories about dog trainers) without me having to explain my life story. I wish I would have started training sooner. If you're on the fence about whether or not you should do the training, trust me when I saw your quality of life willl be so much better when you do! l don't recommend anyone but Hot dog on a leash. They are genuine dog lovers and experts at what they do! read more

Hot Dog On a Leash - Obedience training! - Pet Training Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Confusing on her pricing. Mostly offer high frequency weekly visits for high $. I wanted to use her too. I'm frustrated with communication.

These people are the WORST dog trainers I've come across! (And I've worked with at least a dozen different dog trainers over the years.) They are completely disorganized flakes that are HORRIBLE at providing any type of structured teaching! At our first appointment we met at the park in Bressi Ranch behind Trader Joes. We were greeted by a group of homeowners who were threatening to call the police because they said Hot Dog on a Leash was operating illegally in the park. Randy, the owner, assured me they were authorized to give lessons there. The next week we received a text message that they are now training out of a park 15 minutes away. Hmm... If they were authorized to use the first park, why did they have to move to a different park? Anyway, on the first meeting we were supposed to meet Randy. But when we got there Randy's wife, who is not really a dog trainer, was there instead. She told us she was doing the lesson because Randy's hand was injured from a dog bite. But then Randy got there and was doing a lesson with another dog. So apparently he was unable to work with our dog, but he was fine working with this other dog. Then another dog trainer named Heather shows up and takes over for Randy's wife. So in the course of 45 minutes we were switched off to different trainers three times. But that wasn't even the worst part. What they were telling us to do with our 16 week old puppy was a joke. ALL trainers and training books start training puppies with teaching them to sit on command and expand from there. Randy and company started our 16 week old puppy with learning how to heal on leash! Our puppy didn't heal once during either of two lessons! Starting puppy training with the much more difficult task of healing is ridiculous. So the following week Randy and company were on vacation so we were told we would receive a text for when and where to meet that next week. That was a month ago and we still haven't heard anything despite having to pre-pay for 6 lessons. But that's okay. I wouldn't let them anywhere near my dog again! We found infinitely better dog trainers at Kindred Spirits Dog Training. If you are considering Hot Dog on a Leash, do yourself and your dog a favor and go watch a class with Randy and then watch a class at Kindred Spirits. The difference with trainers that are good at what they do is really quite remarkable. read more

I can't say enough about how happy I've been with the team at Hot Dog On a Leash. I'm in the process of having my second dog trained with them to become a therapy dog and they are all amazing. Randy has done such a great job working with Ramsey, he is 5 months now and is so mellow and obedient at home. The dogs all get so much love and attention and play while at camp during the day. Ramsey gets so excited every morning when I drop him off. I feel great about leaving him with people who I know care just as much about him as I do. Heather has been so helpful in answering my questions and directing me. I can't recommend them enough and will definitely be using them again! read more

Unfortunately the appointment I booked with my dog (in our home) was overlooked and no one showed. Nor did anyone answer the phone or return my call after expressing concern 15 minutes after my appointment time of 10am. Heather did respond via text saying "sorry" but missing an appointment in my opinion warrants a call to the customer. My husband and I are both active duty and he travels a lot. Our time together is precious and any time at home is limited. Very frustrated and disappointed in this business wasting our time. read more

My dog Kannon was anxious, and jumpy towards others, within days he no longer needed his muzzle. Randy took the time to get to know my dog and in no time he was comfortable at doggy daycare. We completed our training and my dog is transformed. He is obedient and I can walk my dog safely anywhere. I'm so grateful for finding hot dog on a leash. Now I look forward to all of the fun I can have with my dog in the future. Thank you. See you at doggy daycare. read more

This was the best decision I have made in the care of my dog. They worked with my schedule. After the first session I saw a change in my dog. By the end we were going to dog parks and enjoying ourselves. Thank you Hot Dog on a Leash. read more

I would definitely recommend Randy for training. I have found Hot Dog to be professional from initial contact to on time appointments. Positive, professional, encouraging, firm and clear commands with voice reinforcement for both dog and owner to learn and practice. As an owner I feel a lot more confident with my dogs and I attribute this to working with Randy and building confidence in myself and my dogs. read more

Heather communicated quickly and followed up on some concerns expeditiously and is working with us to help ensure that our challenges are addressed. The initial training went well and Heather's professional follow-up on their guarantee is greatly appreciated. read more

This is the WORST dog training organization ever! Don't let them near your dog unless you want your dogs neck yanked repeatedly with a prong collar and their face shoved into the ground! I initially called to find out what methods they used and ask whether they used prong collars. Heather said they used positive training methods and only used prong collars on dogs that really needed one. I showed up to first lesson and I was made to purchase two prong collars(two dogs) for 50.00. The first lesson I was expecting to work on basic commands but it went right to heeling. The method? Yank on the dogs neck , making them cry. I just rescued my shepherd from a high kill shelter. He terrified her. Then randy proceeded to rough house with her, grabbing her nose to make her agitated and when she got agitated he pushed her head into the ground. He said that you need to teach them not to bite when they are agitated. Um, I just want basic command training! The next lesson he wanted her to auto sit when he stopped walking. We NEVER worked on this. My dog was so confused! He proceeded to yank harder and harder each time to get her to sit. She yelped every time. She was TERRIFIED! Then he proceeded to YELL at me saying this was all my fault and how bad this looks for his business because he has to yank on her neck so much at a public park!!!! I emailed heather and let her know that I'm keeping my dog away from Randy and clearly their training style was not my style. I paid for 12 lessons and took 3 lessons... never heard back from them... they took my money and ran. KEEP your dogs AWAY !!!!! read more

I am so grateful to have found Hot Dog On a Leash. I adopted a 6 mos old pup that was very fearful of dogs and would be uncontrollably aggressive when he saw another dog. It was a nightmare to take him anywhere. I started off with puppy training at Petsmart, the instructor had to ask us to leave on day 2 because my pup would bark and growl at the other pups. She said, "this is NOT going to work." I asked the Petsmart trainer how I should go about socializing my pup, she basically didn't respond to my question and I felt she thought he was a loss cause. I immediately contacted Heather and she right away started a 1:1 board and train with Randy. I am NOT exaggerating: on day 2, I had a different puppy. I too thought he was a loss cause of changing, but Randy's expertise of understanding the psychology of the dogs and his dedication to train them is phenomenal. On day 2 of training, Randy had my 6lb, 6 mos old pup sitting next to a formerly aggressive 50lb German Shepherd. The owner of the German Shepherd and I were silently very nervous and in awe because we could not believe this was ever possible. I am forever grateful to Hot Dog On a Leash. My pup is now happier and enjoys his walks seeing and socializing with other dogs. I honestly didn't think this was possible especially in such a short time frame and with the disappointment of the Petsmart trainer, I did feel I made a terrible mistake adopting this sweet pup. I love love my new forever puppy and I'm very grateful for the tools Randy has taught me to continue to have an obedient, socialized and sweet dog. read more

Hot Dog on a Leash is like having the Dog Whisperer work with your dog. For us, Randy gave me clear instructions on how to train my puppy. The puppy respected him immediately. She learned a lot faster than I did. Verbal instructions, hand signals, leash corrections -- all wonderful tools to get your dog to do what you want. He started with treats/toys but moved away from these so that the dog does not expect something every time you ask it to do something (which is great). They are easy to work with on scheduling, and are prompt and on time. He does expect the humans to fulfill their end of training and put the time in to train (YOUR!) dog -- and that eventually pays off. I found it hard to remember everything initially but am grateful with the patience in explaining and example training for me. Randy has experience with the more aggressive breeds and a good knowledge base - is a "natural" and the dogs know it. His animal skills are #1. I would not hesitate to call him with any kind of dog behavior issue. read more