First time pup owner here. And honestly, I was more than…read moreterrified of getting my pup; like having my first child. I wanted him to be properly mannered and perfect in every way. (I understand no dog is and they all make mistakes, but I have somewhat high expectations for my dood). Needless to say, I was not disappointed with the training Dexter received in the basic obedience program. He's been awesome! Thanks to Nicki and PupScouts Dog Training, Dexter has been better than I could ever imagine. With training, he's exceeded every bit of my expectations and has been the best for myself and for my family (which has a great range of ages that he does amazing with, from children to the elderly). Dexter is the pup of my dreams, and I can't wait for him to learn more with his introduction to socialization and public training!

So glad I connected with Nicole! My mini goldendoodle, Franklin, is full of crazy puppy energy and…read moreexcitement (he's 6 months old), and she was so patient, knowing exactly how to calm him down so that we could get the most out of each training session. She tailored our sessions specifically to what we were looking to work on with Franklin, such as down stays, recall, and staying at the front door instead of racing outside and pulling on his leash. During training, she always explained everything very thoroughly so that my whole family could understand, and answered any and every question we had. She's truly gifted with dogs and her training has proven to be very effective with our pup. I will definitely continue using the techniques I learned from her with Franklin and would recommend her to anyone. Thank you!!!

We brought home a six-month-old German Shepherd who didn't have any socialization. She was very…read morereactive towards other dogs. When we signed up for the group lesson with Mike, I was worried about what would happen with all the other dogs! But he assured me to be there without rejecting her, knowing she'd act crazy! When we showed up, she was barking, lunging, and going crazy since we got off the car, and we couldn't go near at all!! This continued for maybe four sessions in. Then Mike grabbed her leash and corrected her. That's all it took! He showed us how to fix the situation and stay consistent at it. Look at the picture! This is her in STAY command, just relaxing on the trail. We can walk by other dogs without a hassle. It's a working progress, but this wouldn't have happened without his training. Mike is full of knowledge and experience. He taught us very simple yet valuable skills, and it's been going very well since our sessions ended.

My dogs and I had a great experience with Michael during training. He understands what makes dogs…read moretick and how we can communicate effectively with our furry loved ones. Most importantly you must go in knowing that you as an owner need to put in the work to get results and trust me, you will get results if you do. It's all patience, communication and consistency. Get those wins! I have three dogs so it wasn't an easy training process because of different ages, sizes and behaviors hence why we needed help. But the training techniques he taught apply and work with all of them and had made it easier. With a few more wins under our belt day by day! Michael was communicative and flexible while scheduling our weekly classes. There was never any force or aggressive training involved at any time, no need for shock collars only training collars (very different). Price wise I think he is the most reasonable and he has group classes you can attend. We look forward to taking those classes! Thank you Mike!

I feel very safe having my dog in Elaine's hands. This is the first time we've had hope for our…read more"problem child." We've had many dogs and never had need for a trainer. We didn't know how lucky we were. Him being a covid pup didn't help matters. She is very thorough and professional, extremely knowledgable, and respected throughout the community. The person that recommended her to us in the community is so respected by us, so we knew we were on the right road, but now after working with her, we are sure of it. And her contacts throughout the canine community are helping us as well. She is very respectful and kind, despite our shortcomings and mistakes we've made with him before being fortunate enough to have her help come into our life, and we're grateful for that too. Thank you, Elaine, for what you do and how much you care about the pups.

I encourage you to look at the other 1 star reviews on Yelp, there is a recurring pattern of…read moreunprofessionalism. This is even seen in the replies by the owner, she can clearly "never be wrong." I just want to start by saying this is easily the worst experience I have ever had from any business in my whole life (40 yrs) living in LA, NYC and Las Vegas. Congrats for taking that crown @Confident Canines. Took my puppy here and the owner said on the first class out loud, in a dramatic fashion to everyone, that he bit her when she was feeding him a treat but it was just a passionate grab of the treat, not a bite... her hand was fine and he has never bit anyone, even to this day. He is a kind, albeit excited dog. But not an aggressive one. Instead of doing her job (helping and training dogs), the owner continued her unprofessional behavior by saying we were kicked out of the program and wouldn't receive a refund. Kind of ironic since she runs a dog "confidence" class right? Imagine us, trying to quell our puppy's excitement through the guise of Confident Canines, and then on the first day, the owner kicks you and takes your money. Not a good feeling. The owner should feel ashamed. We have since been to other classes and they have all been fantastic. The same thing happened to other trainers (passionate grab of the treat) and they were mature enough to realize that it was nothing. Everything continued smoothly. Word of advice: if you want to help dogs, then help all dogs EDIT: replying to the owner, we definitely went to your business because I recognize you based on your picture and our credit card charge shows Confident Canines LLC. We also have emails with you. Sad you don't remember - but it makes sense honestly.

I adopted a 6 month old malinoi from the shelter. She was chewing up the house and would go to the…read morebathroom whenever I left the house. She was completely wild. I called Mark Gibson. He turned her in to a service dog. Mark worked with her and then taught me how to handle her. Snickers is now a 100% perfect dog when we walk. Mark doesn't hurry through a lesson. He made sure Snickers knew the commands and that I was absolutely sure of what I was doing with Snickers. She's noise proof except for my commands. If you're thinking you picked the wrong dog, call Mark and you'll see how easy it is to have a great dog. ​

Mr. Gibson was a brilliant instructor! We did a series of at-home lessons with our boxer-chihuahua…read moremix. His kindness and patience was invaluable and has definitely made Rocco a well-behaved pup.

We were incredibly lucky to welcome our goldendoodle, Fozzie, into our family at just 4 months old…read more As he grew (and grew!), his energy and strength became a challenge -- especially with him jumping on guests and pulling on the leash when our kids walked him. More than just obedience, we were looking for a lifestyle change. I didn't want to keep taking Fozzie out while constantly worrying about his behavior instead of enjoying the moment. Several coworkers recommended Nick's dog training company, and after seeing the results firsthand, we decided to reach out. From our very first consultation, we knew we were in good hands. Nick immediately connected with our family and with Fozzie, and he created a training plan tailored specifically to our needs. Within just the first two sessions, the biggest concerns -- leash pulling, jumping -- had already improved dramatically. The remaining sessions helped us build a whole new rhythm with Fozzie. He now responds to commands like come, off, place, heel, stay, and lay down, and he even walks off-leash with confidence and control. It's important to say this: Nick gives you the tools and structure, but it's the consistency at home that brings lasting change. That balance is what makes his approach so effective -- it's not just about training the dog, but about equipping the whole family. A few more things we loved: 1. Nick worked with our sons as well, showing them the same patience and guidance he gave Fozzie. 2. Even after the 5 private sessions, he offers Saturday group classes to continue building skills and socialization. 3. He's reliable and flexible -- scheduling was always smooth, and he never canceled or no-showed, which means a lot to a busy family of five. 4. He makes it all feel doable. His calm, patient approach builds confidence in both people and pups. We truly couldn't recommend Nick more. If you're looking not just for training, but for a real lifestyle shift with your dog, don't hesitate to reach out to him.

The staff is thorough and patient. Rocket, my I'll tempered Pomeranian usually starts his visit to…read morea new place by finding the nicest piece of furniture to mark. He likes to follow that feat up with biting or barking at the first new face in the room. The staff at Elite Southwest calmly observed his naughty behavior during assessment and quickly came up with a training plan. Rocket started as a flunky in the course but now easily has a passing grade! I don't feel that he has to be in his puppy stroller everywhere we go. He is getting more exercise and now I feel comfortable out and about. Great service!

Pam is an amazing trainer, she has been working with our 1 year old lab (and her humans) through…read morethe puppy stage and now moving on to more advanced training. She not only trains the dogs, she trains the humans. She truly is the dog whisperer. Her passion and love for animals is seen through every interaction, she is truly is one of a kind.

We took in our dog, Griffin, who had spent his first five months in two different shelters and…read moresuffered abuse from a previous owner. He was scared, reactive, and only allowed a few people near him without showing signs of aggression. After just one class, we noticed a difference, and by the end of all the classes, it felt like we had a completely new dog. Griffin is now the happy, confident dog he was always meant to be. What made Pam so incredible was her approach to training both Griffin and us. Dog training isn't effective if the trainer only focuses on the dog--it's just as important to teach the owners. Pam showed us how to work with Griffin every day to reinforce his progress. She was always available to answer texts and provide advice between classes. Her dedication and expertise made all the difference, and the results exceeded my expectations! I highly recommend Pam! Every dog has the potential to be transformed with the right training, and Pam truly delivers that.

Derrick is amazing! He focuses on building a strong bond with your dog using treats, toys, and…read morepositive reinforcement instead of e-collars or harsh methods. He's incredibly professional and very knowledgeable about working breeds, which has been a big help. He's been training my dog for a couple of months now, and I can already see a great improvement. He tailors each session to my needs and gives me specific things to work on during the week so I can keep building on the progress. You can tell he genuinely cares about animals, and his gentle approach really works. If you're looking for a caring, professional trainer who gets results, he's the one to call.

I did it! I graduated and my mommy and daddy are so proud! Thank you Derrick @banme4what &…read more@lvk9training for making me a smart girl!!!! This is the greatest place to take your dog, very professional exclamation he not only teaches your dog but he teaches you how to make your dog a better person! He sets you and your dog up to succeed, and that is such a wonderful feeling! Thank you Derrick!

We dropped our cane corso - Kiki off for a month of obedience board and training. Also we wanted to…read moresee if she was fit for protection work. We went to Alex because we heard wonderful reviews from Maximos Kennel and we could not be happier. We are extremely impressed with Kiki's growth in obedience and protection. Also with Alex's psychology on how to train the dogs and really about the relationship between you and your dog. What KiKi has walked away and the knowledge we received picking her up will last a lifetime and now it is up to us to continue. Thank you to Alex and 5 Star Dog academy!!!

I would highly recommend 5 Star Academy to anyone who wants to discipline their dog. Before…read moredeciding if this program would be good for us. Alex the owner took the time to explain to us in detail what the program consisted of. We were convinced that this is exactly what Clyde (our dog) needed. It was difficult for us knowing that he would be in the training Program for a month but Alex made sure to keep us well informed at least twice a week with an update and a picture of him. When Clyde returned home, we can tell how different he was from when he left us before the training. We were very pleased with the Clyde's results. Alex is very professional and passionate about what he does and we feel that anyone who acquires his services will be very happy as well. Thanks Alex for your services, we will be calling on you when we get our next dog! Sincerely, Delgado Family