Many dog trainers are complete rip offs! Does that surprise you? Be careful out there before you get talked into handing over 4 figures upfront for "send away training" . Nikki and her team at OC Service Dogs brings credibility back to Dog Training. You can't appreciate how good this trainer is untill you experience bad ones. Hopefully I can save you from having to do that Its easy to make your dog look like its trained and appear like the trainer spent a ton of time with it. A little food in one hand as the dog looks so good heeling, as you have your wallet in the other as you are impressed with the smoke and mirrors. (she can show you how to make your dog look like this in 5 minutes as can I BTW) Nikki is the real deal. I have known her for about 15 years. She has trained protection, Schutzhund obedience with me for high level competitions. She has mentored my son when he was younger as a decoy. She has been a decoy and now she is helping me train a new dog. The takeaway is that she is very experienced at all the roles and levels so so understands what its like being a trainer, trainee, competitor, club member, etc. You want someone that has had all these viewpoints and experiences. She is an awesome parent and she often does things through dog training that helps kids. For example, getting girls accustomed to saying "no" to a dog so saying "no" in the future is easier. We can only hope our girls grow up to be like Nikki. I probably averaged 15K each in training my other dogs (Sch III, IPO III dog). Her group training is a STEAL. She has awesome staff members at the group training so you are not just left alone, lost, and confused. You almost always get private training in the group training and this is worth double the price she charges . It's hard to appreciate this until you spend thousands of dollars on training in the past and realize that her training is just as good if not better for a fraction of the cost. Go to other group trainings where you are lost and just in a herd of people with no attention given to you and you will see what I mean. Her group sessions incorporate discussions too. Last session she spoke of nutrition and the new grain free controversy. Not only is this something unique, it is very strategic as she knows that you can't train dogs for excessive lengths of time and this allows her to break up the group training to keep the dogs motivated while educating you and dog issues well beyond training. Aside from being a great parent, she does a lot for the community and church. You can trust this person to not take your dog in and do nothing. She will work your dogs constantly. But I encourage you to start with the group lessons first as its such a steal and you get private lessons that Nikki probably just feels are "part of the group experience" (she could easily charge more for it or try to talk you into more like other trainers do). From there discuss private training or other send off training once you experience her training in the group Her expertise is amazing. We were about on the same level 10 years ago and training competition dogs together. I recently attended her group class and she was showing me all of the new positive techniques and I felt like I have never trained a dog before. Training has never been this positive toward the dogs like she does it now. Her love for all dogs is so incredibly evident and her desire to make everyone better through dogs is something you probably will not see in other trainers. Her group classes are a great way for families to do something good together and to have a positive activity as your dog becomes more and more a great part of your family because of her. read more

OC Service Dogs - Nikki training a protection dog and Mentoring My Son - Pet Training Near Me

Do you want your pet dog to act like a trained service dog? do you need a trained service dog for yourself or family member? vision, hearing, autism, dementia, diabetes, and other needs... family owned and run group classes or private classes at home or board in training available for every need and every breed.. wonderful caring people read more

OC Service Dogs - Pet Training Near Me

After MANY calls and visits to various dog training companies and groups, we finally found the one that works for us. I found Nikki through Yelp and I'm so glad we started attending her Saturday puppy group classes for our 4 month old corgi. Before the first class, I gave her a call to ask about her training methods and how much experience she has working with corgi's. She reassured me that she's worked with corgi's before and has decades worth of experience training dogs. She works on building a relationship with your dog, and being clear about what you want him/her to do vs. what you don't. She mentioned that her classes aren't just to train our dog, but to also train us to be better trainers. The pups also don't socialize/play during class. We were a little concerned about this, but it's actually helped to lessen his reactivity. By the end of class, he's mild and even laying down in the midst of other dogs - which we have never experienced before attending her classes. We've gone through 3 of her classes so far, and my husband and I have learned SO much and our guy is doing better around other dogs and loose leash walking. We'll even get compliments when we're outdoors of how mild and well-tempered he is! That's kudos to Nikki. I remember the first class we went to, our little guy threw a puppy tantrum, continued to bark at other dogs, and we couldn't get him under control. He was the craziest one of the bunch! Since her training, he hasn't thrown a tantrum since, and although he still tries to lunge sometimes in the presence of other dogs, we can get him under control much quicker and the barking has lessened. When he's acting up in class, she'll take him to the front and her corrections are brief pops to the leash. Although we haven't fully mastered these "leash pops" yet, she shows us each class how to do it and it works wonderfully to correct and get him to focus. Nothing but a simple leash and collar - no choke/prong/e-collars. Her methods are simple, effective, and very positive, and she's straightforward with us on how to be better trainers for our dogs. She's passionate about dogs and passionate about helping dog owners to be better trainers, and it shows when she gives thoughtful responses to group questions and works individually with the dogs and owners during class. Training our first puppy together has been challenging, but we feel so encouraged during and after each class. He's had so much progress in the last month, and we feel more confident as dog parents and trainers. I can't thank and recommend Nikki enough. read more

Nikki is the best! Her approach is all about the dogs & their humans working together, while having fun in the process. Whether you are looking for basic obedience, therapy dog certification, a service dog & training, or even board & train- you will get the best from OC Service Dogs! read more

OC Service Dogs - Nikki with Piper (2 yo Rottie) & Cru (7 mo lab) - Pet Training Near Me

Based on reviews I was excited to try this company out. I was interested in signing my puppy up for training and initially sent an email because I had a question about pricing. I received a response to my email right away to answer my question and was provided a phone number to call/text with further questions. When I initially text I was advised to create an account online. I did this but did not see the classes I wished to register for. I followed up and it took about 2 weeks for me to get a response. I replied right away and a few days later followed up after not receiving an answer. At that point the claim was that a text was sent to me but I must not have gotten it but my puppy was registered for training the second week of April (this was in late March). It is now the third week of April and I've heard nothing. I logged into my online account and did not see I was registered for any classes and also never received any follow up communication from the company. Not sure if they are unorganized or not interested. But if I am going to spend thousands of dollars and leave my puppy to train, its a red flag to me if you are not responsive and can't keep up with reservations. read more

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This training service is so helpful for my dog and I. I feel like every time I leave I have learned so much about dog training as well as how to cultivate a better relationship between me and my dog Archer. We have been actively training since September and Archer has come so far. Don't expect to attend one class and have a perfect dog, it takes a long time! I am super thankful that there are usually 3 trainers per group class so there are more perspectives on how to work with your dog. While all of the trainers usually work off the same learning theories, they have little tidbits of advice that are different and it helps so much. read more

OC Service Dogs - Archer. Pitbull/Boxer - Pet Training Near Me

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We have been to two lessons with OC Service Dogs so far and we have learned so much to take home and work on with our puppy. It's amazing how much she has learned also now that we have learned how to easily train her. Highly recommend it and wish we went with our other dog when she was a puppy also!! read more

OC Service Dogs is run by Nikki Esser, a highly-experienced, professional, and compassionate dog trainer who specializes in training all kinds of working dogs, particularly service dogs and therapy dogs, but also offers obedience classes that are open to all dogs. I first interacted with Nikki over the phone when she responded to my inquiry about how to go about obtaining and training a Service Dog to help mitigate the everyday challenges I face due to my disabling chronic illnesses. Nikki has supported me through the whole process, from obtaining a dog (she recommended a fantastic breeder who connected us with an excellent Service Dog Candidate), to potty training and getting through the first hard months of obedience training, to task training, to phone conversations about questions and issues, and beyond. We are still in the training phase, but I have no doubts that she will support us through to certification. I highly recommend the group obedience classes (she offers these three times per week) for dogs of all ages. They really helped my Service Dog in Training get used to other dogs and focusing on me despite being surrounded by distractions. Private Lessons are another great option for folks who need individual attention to work on specific tasks or have difficulty training in a group atmosphere. Nikki also offers combination boarding and training, which has been very helpful for keeping up my Service Dog's training when I am feeling under the weather, training tasks, or working through complicated issues that I cannot solve on my own. You will not find a more empathetic, kind, or thorough dog trainer than Nikki Esser. Contact OC Service Dogs, you will not be disappointed! read more

OC Service Dogs - Nikki and Gizmo working on "hold." This command will help him to carry things (e.g., bags) and deliver them to his disabled handler. - Pet Training Near Me

Nikki is truly a class act. She and her team are extremely knowledgable but on top of that they are KIND, RESPECTFUL and PATIENT! I can't stress that enough after our previous trainer with a different company was a total nightmare. After the first 5 minutes with Nikki our puppy Lucy was starting to follow the commands given to her. If you have physical challenges, Nikki will work with you to adapt the training. She has been doing this for years!!! She isn't some wannabe hack who just decided to put "dog trainer" on her resume. Nikki truly knows the ins and outs of what she is doing and we wouldn't leave our baby with just anyone. Thank you Nikki and team for all you do!!! read more

OC Service Dogs - Lucy at her first day of training with Nikki. She 's Nikki and her team. - Pet Training Near Me

The most wonderful place for any dog to go. Nikki is such an amazing person and knows dog's personality and behaviors beautifully. Your dog is always in great hands with OC Service Dogs. read more

I highly recommend OC Service Dogs for all training! Nikki trains with positive reinforcement, which makes it fun for not only the dog but also the handler. Nikki's knowledge of dog training surpasses most trainers. She offers not only basic obedience training but also therapy dog certification and service dogs. read more

Great trainer and easy to work with. We have two very different dogs, and she adapts and gives them each what they need and they are improving rapidly. I would 100% recommend Nikki and plan to continue to work with her to make one of our pups a service dog. read more

The trainers know exactly what they're doing. They work with each special needs owner with their individual needs. There were people in class using walkers, wheelchairs, canes. Each instructor spent time with the owner/dog dyads and focused on what the owner needed their dog to learn what to do. Very practical training and good communicators. read more

Nikki with OC Service Dogs is outstanding! I am training my labradoodle as my service dog with her and objectively she does a great job of training us individually within our group. She is interesting and training is fun for both of us. I am particularly impressed with how she keeps track of each dog's progress and in each exercise has their trainer/owner do something different that adapts to their particular training need. We have everything from "I just want my dog to walk, sit, etc" to training therapy dogs and service dogs. As I am often not well, I appreciate that I always feel I can go nearby and sit down and it's not a big deal. All training is dependent upon the effort we put into it but it helps to have an excellent instructor at a reasonable price for four-week sessions. I heartily recommend OC Service Dogs! read more

The first time I heard about Nikki and her training classes were before I even had my Golden. A couple of women from Guide Dogs were having lunch in South Coast Plaza with their Guide Dogs in Training! Needless to say I was totally impressed. The second reference to Nikki and OC Service Dogs was 3 months later at Stone Creek Animal Hospital. By that time I did have a Golden Retriever puppy and was looking for a good trainer! Nikki has definitely proven to be exactly what I was looking for! She is strict yet very compassionate. She expects her dogs to be learning, she expects us to work with them but she never shows impatience or anger. Nikki demonstrates and reviews all skills then adding new ones. She always asks if there are any other concerns we have about training and practicing with our dogs. I always learn something by going to the training classes. It is a bonus that we have training classes in Irvine Park. Talk about distractions. read more

I have worked with OC Service Dogs for over 7 years with both my labradoodles and I wouldn't think of going anywhere else. Nikki and her trainers are fantastic!! read more

Nikki and OC Service Dogs has trained several of my dogs and worked them into to their therapy and service dog program. One of my dog's puppies is now a therapy dog at Orange Lutheran. Such a great addition to the school. read more

Such a great program! Nikki truly cares about our pup and has taught him far beyond what was asked. We've recommended oc service dogs to all of our friends. read more