We could not recommend PLD more! My husband and I rescued our American Bulldog/Boxer mix, Clancy, in January 2021. Clancy is a very excitable and strong 65lb pup who was not great in the car, and would not be able to sit with us on a plane. So when it came time for us to have to go away for a weekend, around 8 months after we got him, we knew we had to board him. We went to some commercial boarding facilities (Camp Bow Wow was one) and were HORRIFIED at the experience. We watched for 5 minutes on the pup cameras and had them pull Clancy out of there immediately - 20 dogs per 1 staff member, running around, no structure, no care, no individualized support in what looked like an airplane hanger of crates. Thankfully, my husband had been following Steve's IG for a while, as he also is passionate about dog training and behavior (his mom a veterinary nurse and they have had bull terriers, boxers, and bulldogs over their lives). We reached out and they offered boarding options, so we immediately jumped to go to the initial training/evaluation session with Steve. We were NOT disappointed. First off, it gave us a wake up call on how lenient we've been with Clancy in regards to training/discipline following the passing of our our previous pup - and that dogs actually crave that guidance and structure. Steve advised us that Clancy was a classic "excitement case" and his excitement actually quickly turned to anxiety and needed to be addressed. From that session, we immediately implemented the techniques and approach advised by Steve and started to see a major difference and were on the right path. We never had to board a dog before so naturally we were apprehensive about leaving him. When it came time to drop him off at The Maddie Ranch, my husband and I came to the same conclusion - he literally could not be in better hands, if anything were to happen or he got sick, he is in the best place possible - with people who are there for one reason only: the benefit of the dogs. During their stay the pups get daily pack walks, private training sessions, and some play time. You get constant updates with photos and videos. You can also message the folks via the app they use and they reply within less than 20 minutes, they'll give you updates on how their progress is, for Clancy, how he's been doing with his excitement, his demeanor, and so on. They also give explanations into their training methods while he's there which helps us upon returning - and we always notice a difference in his behavior! It is hard to be calm and not excite him upon picking him up though, but we're working on it. We've now boarded Clancy at The Maddie Ranch 3 times, for different intervals, and we plan to again in January. Board & Train is the best option for our dog and I imagine it would be for all dogs. They get care, love, and most important structure which they so crave. Could not recommend PLD more, all of the staff have been awesome - you will leave knowing your dog could not be in a safer, and not to mention beautiful place. Thank you to Steve, Dana, Christian, Cassandra, Jay and everyone else! Also a huge thank you to Devon who has been so accommodating and lovely when scheduling/planning all of Clancy's boarding sessions! read more

Our little yorkie Odin developed aggression towards new people and dogs, and was getting worse over time. We've gone through 6 trainers over the years and Steve was going to be our last resort. We signed up for 3 sessions, and within 5 mins of our first meeting, Steve was able to assess Odin and us as owners, and gave us clear and direct feedback. We quickly learned Steve had a completely different method than our past trainers, who were teaching us how to train the dog, when actually we needed to learn to fix ourselves. It was everything we needed to hear (especially me as Odin's mom). My biggest take away... if I change, Odin will change. We learned so much about ourselves, and Steve taught us what it really means to be a dog lover. Yes, he is pricey for the average people like us, but believe me, he made the biggest difference, and was the best investment we made in ourselves for Odin. Steve is like a dog psychologist, behavior expert, life coach, and therapist for humans all in one... and he's funny too! We love Steve, his super amazing assistant Kelly, and his entire team so much, we wish we could hang out with them everyday! We are so grateful to them for opening our eyes to a whole new world of dog psychology. We hope this was helpful, and that you reach out to them if your dog needs help. Tell them Odin says hi! read more

Steve and the team at Pack Leaders are amazing! While we have used many of their services, I wanted to highlight their Training and Psychology camp in particular. I adopted a rescue puppy who had some behavior issues, due to what we think happened to him early in his life. It got to the point where the puppy nipped a dog walker and they refused to walk him anymore. With our mounting concern, we reached out to Pack Leaders and enrolled him in their Training and Psychology Camp. It was a game-changer for us. Not only did Steve and team correct his behavior, they took the time to teach us why it was happening, how we should handle any outbreaks, and trained us to reinforce the great training they provided. Thank you Steve and Team - I don't know what we would have done without you! read more

I'm the proud owner of Maggie a 2yr Pit Mix. I adopted her at 13 weeks old & I enrolled in training immediately to get what I hoped to be the best start. We completed 18 weeks of foundation & obedience w/ another trainer & then went on our way! As Maggie was getting older (& stronger) I realized the behaviors that I thought were maybe "puppy behaviors" were not actually going away. I messaged Bria Tiro, a balanced trainer in MA who also worked w/ Caesar Milan, asking if she knew someone trustworthy in the NY/NJ area. She recommended Pack Leader Dogs. Everyone you speak with at Pack Leaders dogs is so welcoming and knowledgeable. (Poor Jamie, Danielle and Cassie got so many emails with questions from me). When you get to the ranch you immediately wish that you could move in. It is so serene and the ultimate dog haven. When I met with Steve for our consultation he again was also very welcoming and very calming (this is a theme you will see across everyone here). We spoke about the struggles I was having with Maggie and he dropped so much knowledge it was mind blowing. We talked about having her stay at the ranch and the rest was history. I brought Maggie end of June 2022 and was greeted by Dave who is nothing short of an amazing person & trainer. Maggie immediately took to him (another common theme at the ranch) and I started to feel less guilty about leaving her for a month. When went over the questionnaire you're asked to fill out before you arrive which talks about struggles and goals etc. and then she was off! Before I even pulled into my driveway, I was already given an update with the below pictures. I think I actually had an audible sigh of relief. Maggie enjoyed her time at Maddie Ranch so much I actually wasn't sure if she'd want to come back haha. What more can you ask for? Having fun while learning and in an awesome state of mind. What are our struggles? Maggie has a hard time w/ her excitement levels, she was living at an 11 out of 10 most of the time. I struggled w/ not following through, not realizing what behaviors I was encouraging, & lack of knowledge around dog psychology. What is wrong with being excited about life, Grace? Doesn't that mean she's happy? NO. excitement doesn't = happiness. She was constantly over-aroused which made her easily reactive (not to be confused with aggression which is different). Ideally you want your dog in a default calm follower mindset. Excitement is easy to initiate, being calm for Maggie is not. Dave & Steve made several videos starring Maggie on this subject. Continuously living in the mindset can cause all sorts of problems not just for you but it can cause gut issues and even shorten their life. What you need to be prepared for: -Be open to learning *A lot of information is provided to you when you go to your sessions. Absorb as much as you can & come with questions. -Be willing to change your habits and the way you live with your dog if applicable *Ex. Don't be selfish and pet your dog at an inappropriate time because YOU want to pet them. -Be able to advocate to strangers, family, & friends on how they should be interacting with your dog. (they will teach you how!) *This is sometimes very hard for me...I've been laughed at, told I was too extreme for sending my dog to a retreat, told I need to let her be a dog. At the end of the day this is your dog and you need to do what is best for them. -Be patient w/ yourself. *On the day we picked Maggie up, Dave told us "whatever you do, even if you're unsure if it's perfectly correct, do it with confidence and follow through". It's just great life advice in general Overall, I would w/out hesitation recommend Pack Leader Dogs. Whether you are looking for a day camp, single training sessions, or help with behavior modification, this is the place. I have my follow up session w/ Dave in 2 weeks & will do monthly sessions at the ranch to dial in on various things & board her here if I travel. I'll also be sending Maggie to day camp 2x a week. Thank you for everything! read more

Pack Leader Dog Cares Services - Dog Walkers Near Me

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We couldn't be happier training and boarding Tate with the team at Pack Leader. They truly care about each of the dogs they work with and go the extra mile even when they don't need to. When we met with Steve as part of a Puppy Enrichment Package we were supposed to have (3) sessions totaling 4 hours. He ended up spending 6 hours in total with us and Tate. In regards to daycare and boarding services we haven't seen a more trustworthy team. read more

Pack Leader Dog Cares Services - Dog Walkers Near Me

My wife and I did a ton of research before ultimately picking pack leaders and bringing our husky mix puppy to them. What a great decision! Steve is the man you will love him from the second you meet him! Very positive energy and a very real guy doesn't bs you or your expectations. You can tell he lives for customer and will lose sleep over it if you don't feel satisfied. Very humble - We love pack leaders they have done a lot for our dog Zoe! We did the puppy enrichment program and she is great. We often take her back to Maddies ranch for training boarding etc. they are so great there is also a dog park and other activities coming soon! Bravo! Well done. Stop looking and reach out to them. PS: Dave is amazing Zoe absolutely loves him and he is a great trainer. Would recommend these guys to anyone. Our girl is a biker now thanks to pack leaders! read more

Pack Leader Dog Cares Services - Dog Walkers Near Me

I can't say enough about Pack Leader Dogs. Have you ever worked with a company where you immediately consider everyone that works there family?? B/c that's how we feel about this team. We initially contacted them last year about our pit bull who had become pretty dog aggressive, including one of the dogs in our own house. In getting between them in a fight one day, I also wound up in the hospital needing about 80 stitches--we didn't know what do to. We had met with another trainer/ "behaviorist" who said he didn't think he could help us. Felt our dog was too confident to be able to be trained to a point where he could live with us and our other dogs. He also didn't think he would get adopted--and actually suggested euthanizing him. I found Pack Leader online that night and they were basically our hail mary. We initially met with Steve for about 30 minutes. He suggested we enroll both of our dogs in his program--the pit and the puppy who was making him crazy, but Steve was cool. He didn't promise anything. Said he thought he could help but needed more than the 30 minutes to really determine if they could help us and gave us the heads up that they might call us in a week or 2 and tell us that they can't help and he would help us decide what was best for the dog--finding a new home etc. Fast forward about 14 weeks and our pit bull came home a new dog--they completely rehabilitated a 7 year old pit with no history (we adopted him after he was abandoned). He went from super anxious--anything could set off his anxiety to this super chill dog. Changed our entire lives. From the training, we now use them for all of our boarding needs. When we used to travel I would always worry about the dogs. When we would pick them up from a boarding place they would be so manic and you could tell they hated it the entire time--when I'd leave them with Wag/ Rover walkers I would worry about someone without experience watching them. When I leave them at Pack Leader?? I know they're better off there than they are with me! They're getting trained, properly socialized, properly exercised. When I go to pick them up they're usually freshly bathed and so happy and so exhausted. If PLD had a regular city operation, we would probably use them almost every single day. read more

Steve and the Pack Leader Team are amazing. We have nothing but great things to say about our experiences with them. This review focuses on their Training & Psychology Camp. We adopted a rescue who had some puppy behavior issues, and enrolled him in the Training & Psychology Camp. Not only did we notice a huge improvement, but they took the time to teach us how to better understand our puppy and how to correct his behavior when he acted out. And they taught him a bunch of cool tricks - he can even run on a bike leash with us while we go on bike rides! Thank you Steve & Team!!! read more

I rescued a puppy in July and the first time I had to leave him - it was for almost 2 weeks! Although my dog can't speak, I think he had the greatest time at Pack Leader Dogs. It was pouring rain when I picked him up, yet he still ran back to the two trainers who brought my dog to the car to them to give them kisses - to me that speaks volumes. Also when I have the sound on a video from the Maddie Ranch or from Steve on Instagram, Gus actually gets excited - we all kind of laugh about it. It's such a relief to leave your dog with such capable and caring people. Next time I will also add in some training - truly a wonderful group of people training us humans to be better pack leaders. Love the daily photos and videos too. It's 90 min from my home and I wouldn't trust anyone else with my dog. read more

Pack Leader Dog Cares Services - Gus with my daughter's dog and his new friends. - Dog Walkers Near Me

I am absolutely not exaggerating when I say we only trust the Pack Leader Dogs team with our dog, Moose (my many trips through the Lincoln Tunnel prove it!). We had worked with two trainers previously, and were still having issues with Moose's reactivity, resource guarding, and nervousness. We ended up signing up for their behavior modification program, and Moose stayed at the Ranch for six weeks. Instead of just saying "here you go!" and having us pick him up at the end of the program, we visited for a training session each week which we really appreciated given that we needed more training than Moose did. We've also run into a few challenging situations since completing the program, and the whole team is so responsive, helpful, and kind when we reach out with questions. It's clear that their priority is understanding their clients + dogs and making sure they're set up for success, rather than checking the session off the list and moving to the next one. We now send Moose for their Adventure Camp program as well as boarding, and based on the photo below, he loves it! read more

Pack Leader Dog Cares Services - Dog Walkers Near Me

I can't say enough about this incredible team. The minute we decided to foster fail, we started to look into trainers for our puppy Zoe so that she would have a solid foundation through puppyhood and eventually into adulthood. I started doing my research and came across Pack Leader Dogs. I reached out and Cassie quickly got in touch with me and answered my million emails and questions. We ended up sending Zoe to their Puppy Enrichment program at 4 months old. Initially for 2 weeks but then extended when we saw how great she was doing there. The way they do things here is SO different from the the typical "dog training" that most of us know. They first spend time with the dog and learn who they are, what triggers them, what their position is and focus on fulfilling the dog's needs !! Something most of us have no idea about. The result is a happy , fulfilled dog who loves and trusts you. We've learned so much since sending Zoe there and now she frequently visits for their dog boarding. We went from having a puppy who was just doing cartwheels around our house all day every day and made it impossible to get anything done to a balanced pup by learning how to fulfill her and understand what she needs. I can't thank Steve and his team enough for changing our life and literally helping to save dogs lives every single day! The team at Pack Leaders feels like a tight knit family - I could never send my dogs anywhere else knowing how great they care for them. Thank you Steve, Cassie, Dave, Jay, Bobby, Adam, Daniela, Christina and everyone else I missed who makes this place great! read more

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Pack Leader Dogs is amazing! We brought our dog to Pack Leader for their Board & Train program because we were having issues with him having serious fear aggression towards people. It started off that he would just startle very easily at random things and ultimately escalated into him nipping a few people who came over to our home. We have a baby on the way, and we knew that in order to keep our dog in our home, we needed professional help. He stayed with Pack Leader for 5 weeks and over that time became a much more confident and well behaved dog! It was incredible to watch the transformation and see how proud of himself he was when he conquered new situations! It is VERY important for anyone considering this program to know that it is not just about training the dog, but also training the human. We worked with Pack Leader throughout his stay, after the fact and maintain close communication still, to learn exactly how to deal with him and understand what he is going through. I can text Steve if I have a question or a problem and he responds almost immediately with advice on what to do. It is amazing to see how they continue to follow up on their pups to make sure everything is going great back at home! My husband and I truly became better dog owners and can lead our dog with the confidence he deserves! We already have a weekend to bring our dog back for boarding while we are away and will continue to use Pack Leader for their amazing services down the line. I highly recommend this program (and already have to many friends) for anyone needing a bit of extra help with their dog! Dog psychology is the way to go! read more

We started working with Steve of Pack Leader Dogs about a year and a half ago. We had brought home a German Shepherd puppy who was very high energy from the beginning and we were looking for the proper way to train her so she could be a well balanced dog. From the beginning Steve and his staff were truly amazing. Steve is great at what he does he doesn't just "train" a dog, he understands their psychology and helps us understand as well so that we know why our dog was behaving that way and what we were doing wrong. Although we still have a lot of work to do we have come a long way. Luna has learned so much but we have definitely learned more and we look forward to continuing working with Steve and his staff. Thank you! -Yanela and Javier read more

I cannot begin to say enough wonderful things about Pack Leader Dogs. We have been working with them since our yellow lab Jax was a puppy and he will be 5 this summer. We have utilized all the services they have to offer and have been so happy. We did one on one training sessions with Steve and the puppy training program where we left him with them. Steve was amazing with Jax and worked wonders. He helped him to be properly leash trained and how to walk in a city environment. He helped with discipline, teaching us how to meet his needs, overcome fears and minor behavioral issues, as well as preparing for our newborn to come home. He instilled all these changes in Jax and taught us how to be confident leaders to succeed. We have had several others in the company walk Jax on a daily basis for several years pre covid. Each walker was dependable, reliable, and took amazing care of Jax. Finally we boarded with them on multiple occasions in Hoboken and at the Maddie ranch. When boarding I know Jax is getting the exercise he needs, being safely socialized and is an ideal environment. To put it into perspective we have moved and would rather drive over an hour to board him before trusting another facility that just leaves the dogs unsupervised. Steve and his team are passionate and genuinely care about each dog and family that joins the pack. I highly recommend them for all of the services they have to offer. read more

We have been working with Pack Leader Dogs for about two years ago. We initially reached out to Steve for help with our then 18 month old rescue. He was struggling with separation, walking on the leash and reactivity to other dogs. In the initial visit, Steve educated us on dog psychology, the importance of exercise in order to help achieve balance and what we needed do to be seen as the leader of our pack. We learned a lot during the initial 2 hour visit, as did Theo! Steve and the team followed up and are always available for any questions we have had about our training. Theo has had the privilege of boarding at The Maddie Ranch, we chose to drive an hour each way to have him there because we know he receives the best care out there. We are so grateful to the Pack Leader Dog team! read more

we've always been Caesar Milan's fans. So when we adopted a new dog recently and found Pack Leader Dog, we were absolutely excited to call them to make sure we are training our dogs to be the balanced beings they could be. I excitedly called and left a voicemail. i then followed up the voicemail with a form email on their site. a few days passed, and i heard nothing. not via email, not via voice mail, nothing. so just to make sure, i called them again, and left another voicemail. that was about about 5 days ago. so they could be a great service, doing amazing work with pups. but unfortunately i wouldn't know since they can't seem to reply to their potential clients. makes me wonder a bit about the 5 star reviews that are all here... read more

My dog Marley and I had our first session with Steve this week. I only wish I had met him 2 years ago! I have had ongoing struggles with walking my dog, riding the elevator, introducing him to strangers...the list goes on. I have tried and failed obedience classes, dog walkers and trainers in the past. This has been extremely stressful and I worry all the time about his behavior. Right away I could tell this training session was going to be different. He was experienced, direct and calm. He was able to instruct me on what I need to do to make things better. I saw my dog behave in a way with Steve that I did not think was possible. Instead of lunging at other dogs he was able to sit calmly around them. I was amazed. For the 1st time ever he was able to go on a walk without an explosion of some sort. It was easy and effortless to arrange an appointment with Tamara's help. Overall, I had an excellent experience. For once I feel encouraged that Marley can be a happy, well behaved dog. Would highly recommend. read more

As somebody who relies heavily on Yelp reviews, I'll try to give my best insight into Pack Leader Dogs, Steve, Tamara, and the rest of the staff. I could go on for hours, but I'll try and hit the most important parts. A quick background on us: my husband and I have an 8 1/2 month old puppy who (naturally) gets away with a lot because he's cute. We decided to bring him to Steve at around 4 months old because I admittedly got a little crazy and thought my dog was a nightmare. He had some minor leash pulling issues along with thinking he was the boss of the house. Not happening! Well, Steve helped us out tremendously and I couldn't be more appreciative. Our initial consultation with Steve blew my mind. Within two hours, we were given the tools necessary to structure our dog and become true pack leaders. We learned an incredible amount from Steve about dog behavior and how we needed to do a better job as owners by being calm and assertive. However, the most important takeaway from the consultation is that WE WERE STEVE'S ONLY CONSULTATION FOR THE DAY. He is so committed to his job and to the animals he works with that he will not schedule back-to-back consultations because he wants to dedicate his energy solely on you and your animal. After our consultation, we looked to bring another dog into the house and called on Steve once again to work his magic. In the end we decided to remain a single-dog household, but Tamara helped us the entire way in making sure we had everything we needed up until the final decision was made. She is so kind and genuinely pleasant to work with. We frequently use Pack Leader Dogs for walking services. Their online booking system is efficient and makes our lives a lot easier. When I mess up (which happens more often than it should), Tamara always comes to the rescue and sets me straight. My puppy LOVES his walker, and she sends me pictures and texts on occasion. I always know he's in good hands. Steve trains his walkers so that the things we learned during our consultation are carried over throughout. For example, our puppy had an issue with inhaling his food. Our walker knew exactly what to do with him and reinforces the behaviors even when we're not home. Final verdict: these are people you will use for WHATEVER your dog needs. We even participated in a pack walk of about 25-30 dogs where we got to interact with one another and see Steve and the walkers. Pack Leader Dogs is basically one-stop shopping with the added bonus that Steve is a genius and very good at what he does. read more

The team at Pack Leader in Hoboken is as good as it gets - nothing but positive experiences the past 5 months. My fiance and I brought home an adorable 9 week old puppy (Louie) in July 2015. After about a month of alternating staying home with Louie, we both had to go back to work. We decided to look into dog walkers to come a few times a day -- allowing Louie to work on crate training and walking on a leash. We reached out to Steve and the Pack Leader team and started Louie with two walks a day. Leaving Louie during the day was very hard, especially at first! Louie's walker would text me to let me know how he's doing, which really put me at ease. Within a few weeks we started to see some great improvements in Louie's walks -- the puppy who would run all over, lunge towards people and other dogs, zig zag and pull, was soon able to focus and walk more calmly. He's still young (7months now) and this is an ongoing process and something that will continue to be worked on, but it's great to see him improving -- no more zig zags, not reacting or pulling when we walk by other people. One of the biggest improvements we've seen in Louie is how he walks up/down stairs. There were a few occasions when he would charge up or down the stairs, I have literally been pulled to the ground by his charging. His dog walker, Juan, noticed this issue and started to work with him on this. I was regularly avoiding the stairs with Louie and would take the elevator just because I was nervous he would charge down. When Juan mentioned he was working on this and Louie was improving, I gave the stairs another change. Louie at 6 months was walking calmly down the stairs -- stopping at each landing until I gave him the command to proceed. It was extremely impressive the change in a few weeks (and also adorable as he would stop and look at me to give him the command to keep going). I highly recommend Steve and his team to all dog owners, whether it's for training, walks, or boarding. The Pack Leader team is extremely patient and accommodating. Pack Leader provides far more than just walks -- I can vouch for that based on my experience with Louie. If anyone has any questions about my experience, please feel free to reach out. read more

Not all dog training facilities are created equal! After numerous highly valued recommendations, we decided to give Pack Leader Dogs a try to modify our two dogs' behavior, and we are thrilled that we did. They have a notably unique approach to training, the basis of which is understanding dog psychology in its most primitive form. This allows them to understand each dog as an individual and therefore customize their approach accordingly. While our two dogs' breeds aren't typically known for behavioral issues, they each still have temperaments which need to be tamed. Pack Leader Dogs recognizes them both individually and works with them together and separately to get the best results in training. Consistency is key as with anything, which is why their weekly sessions are so important. Highly recommend!! read more

Admittedly, my sweet yellow lab is the boss of me. He walks me. After getting dragged around town by this overly excited 90 lb lab for months, we called in Steve to help. We started the two hour session in our apt. Steve was on time and listened to all of our concerns. We walked around town, learning what to do, and more importantly, what not to do before returning to our apt with our exhausted, perfect leash walking dog! Steve addressed all of our dogs pulling/ excitement issues within the first few minutes. Throughout the session we walked to all of our dogs 'problem areas,' tackling each location with rounds of practice. After one session, the roles started to reverse. We highly recommend Steve and will be using his services again! read more

Steve's pack walks have had a great effect on our dog. read more

Pack Leader Dog Cares Services - Pack walk photo - Dog Walkers Near Me

I highly recommend Pack Leader Dog Services. We have used the company for dog training, dog walking, and for boarding services. Steve is excellent with dogs and a great person as well. He has accommodated us on last minute requests for both dog boarding and dog walking. They are timely with walking services and also leave a note about how our dog did on his walk (did he do his business, how far they went, etc). When using the boarding service, they are always on time for the pick up, and our dog greatly enjoys his time at "sleep away camp"! From time to time, Pack Leader offers a "Pack Walk" where a group of dogs and dog owners go for a nice long walk! It is a great way to meet other people and of course their pets. The company is highly reputable and we have only positive experiences with Steve and the staff at Pack Leader! read more

We moved to Hoboken from Manhattan about a year ago and were concerned when we had to move away from our fantastic dog walker. We tried a few other walkers locally, who were not great until we came across Steve and Pack Leader Dogs. You don't know what a great dog walker/dog care service is until you've worked with Steve. I would give our old dog walker three stars (who we thought we couldn't get any better) when compared with Steve and his team - they're that good. We originally worked with Steve on some behavior training. He clearly knows his stuff and believes in his methods which get true results with hard work from everyone involved. The training was going quite well but the real benefits came when Steve took over our daily dog walks that then turned into pack walks (sometimes with 10+ dogs - you have to see it to believe the control he has with them!). Family and friends who have since seen our 2yr old Shiba Inu have all said how calm and friendly he has become. We have used Steve many times for boarding when we are away for a few days and can't take our dog with us. He has a great set up where we know our dog is safe and calm. The regular pictures or short videos Steve sends also give us piece of mind our dog is having a great time in our absence. I can't recommend Steve and his team enough whether you're just looking for a daily walk, occasional boarding right through to behavior training, Steve is as good as it gets. Ignore the 1 star review its clearly fake. read more

I will post an update when we finish our training, but had to write a review about how great it has already been working with Steve and Pack Leaders! We enrolled in the Puppy Package for our 3 month old puppy. Our first session with Steve was super informative, helpful, and reassuring. The psychology behind what he does is real and we've already seen a change in our puppy's behavior. Looking forward to our future sessions as well as joining the Walking Program. read more

I met Steve in January 2014 when he came to assist Cesar Millan at Country Inn Pet Resort during Cesar 5 days fundamental I. I own Country Inn Pet Resort/Cesar Florida Dog Psychology Center and I really respect and admire Steve's work. I had the pleasure to visit him in New York and participated in his Sunday pack walk. What a great experience! I loved it! Recently, he worked one dog aggressive retired working dog that we adopted at Country Inn and he had great results only in two days. He is definitely a excellent dog trainer and as well as a wonderful person. read more

We absolutely love the Pack Leader's and so does our pup, Penny! We brought her home when she was only 8 weeks and contacted the Pack Leader's after seeing their unique technique in our neighborhood and couldn't be more thankful that we did! From the initial training session with Tommy we knew we would be in good hands. He taught us calmness, and the right direction to take with Penny and the team has continued to train her during each walk. We have seen the improvements with her behavior and obedience both on and off the leash (they even do some agility training with her). The team is so kind, reliable and talented and it is wonderful to see how excited Penny gets when she sees them! My husband and I are so happy to have found them! read more

Stephen is a mad genius! I hired him to help out with my Cavalier's separation anxiety, within 20mins (no joke) he had already fixed the problem! He is very professional, easy to get ahold of, and truly knows his stuff. I would recommend his services to anyone and will continue using him for walks. I already notice a dramatic difference in my dog's demeanor and confidence just from one session with Stephen. I repeat, mad genius and highly recommendable! In addition, I did approach Stephen about the questionable review I read on yelp and found out that it is indeed a fake review written to try and sabotage Pack Leader Dogs services. Don't be fooled, Stephen is a high quality individual and you will be happy you reached out to him, as will your doggie! read more

I have known Steve for 2 years now and i can honestly say he is my 'go to' dog walker/trainer in hoboken. He is extremely personable and understanding to each client/canines needs. Steve is a true professional and is extremely passionate about what he does. What makes him different from other people in his trade is that he is constantly taking advanced education on training/behavioral needs. He also works/trains with the cesar milan.Pack Leader dog care services doesn't stuff your pup in a van with 10 others like most dog walking companies do. If your looking for someone to take care of your pup, see Steve. read more

Just over a month ago we dropped Monty off for boarding and training with Pack Leader for 2 weeks. Monty is an energetic, large dog and it was getting to the point where taking him for walks was both strenuous and stressful because of his strong pulling and reactivity to other dogs and pretty much any other stimulus. Steve visited us at our home to observe us with Monty before boarding to get a sense of what we were experiencing, which helped us feel confident that he knew what we were concerned about. He recognized immediately that Monty was an easily excitable dog, not a bad dog! Before picking Monty up after the 2 weeks were over, we both visited Steve to get some training on how to interact differently with our dog. Steve had trained Monty so well so at this point it was really up to us to adjust our own behavior to support the training. The most exciting moment for us was taking Monty home and the first thing we did was buy a new leash that didn't have knots for us to brace our holding. Monty walks beside us now with a loose leash. When we run together I can casually attach the leash around my waist and am confident he won't pull me after another dog or a squirrel. Most of the time he barely acknowledges other dogs as we walk right by them down the busy streets of Hoboken. We know how to help him be calmer in our apartment too. Things are not perfect- we are still learning how to manage his excitement in different situations, but our quality of life with Monty has greatly improved. He's the same great dog and now we can enjoy life with him even more. Pack Leader is responsive with follow-up as well and I know I can reach out to ask a question or get advice. We've also used Pack Leader Boarding when going away and they make it so easy- they are flexible with pick up and drop off times and we know that when Monty is there his training is being reinforced and he's getting so much attention. He comes home exhausted. Thank you to Steve and the Pack Leader Team! read more

We adopted Cookie 7 weeks ago and were not able to take him out for a walk due to his fear of wheels, loud noises, strollers , shopping carts - you name it and he was scared of it. Today, after his first session with Steve, Cookie walked for 40 minutes on the same streets that he dreaded and walked pretty well. We saw dramatic changes in Cookie after the very first session with Steve. I have gone from worrying everyday wondering if Cookie will ever get over his fear to feeling confident that I can help him be a happy, balanced dog. I can't thank Steve enough for his guidance. This would not have been possible without him. Thank you Pack Leader Dogs for everything that you do. read more

Steve had a fantastic intuition for what our nervous dog, Marlo, needed to become the well-behaved dog he is today. We had private training with Steve, and have gone on his pack walks with Marlo (super fun event along the water), and we are boarding the pup with him this week. I can't recommend enough Steve and the great team at Pack Leader Dogs. read more

We were very particular when finding a trainer and dog walker for our new puppy. We previously had a 9 year old rescue dog that no trainer or dog walker would touch (sad, but true story - it's too bad we lived where PackLeaders didn't exist). We wanted to avoid any training "mistakes" and chose PackLeaders. We have zero regrets going with PackLeaders. Cristina and PackLeaders really helped our new, nervous, stubborn, country bumpkin puppy tackle city life. He's now over a year old, runs, bikes (had Cristina not patiently taught him, we would have never dared!), hikes with us, has fantastic recall, is calm in the tub and when grooming and is overall a great companion because PackLeaders showed us how. He was even calm during this past week when fireworks were going off! He barely batted an eye! Thank you PackLeaders! We're a busy family who travels (pre-Covid19) and have no family to entrust our boy to when we leave, but Pack Leaders has been like our family. I truly believe they love our pup as much as we do. I am always impressed with the level of care, high quality customer service and knowledge that Steve and PackLeaders give to our pup. We have put in the work, as Steve would say, but whenever someone says, "Your dog is so well behaved!" I really do say, "PackLeaders!" read more

Absolutely do not hire Pack Leader Dogs. I have had multiple problems with the owner including lying, not walking the dogs, and stealing from my apartment more than once ( to which he actually admitted to). Definitely not a trustworthy service and not someone you would want to let into your home or around your dog. read more

I called Steve to help me with my one year old XL American Bully & the results have been nothing short of AMAZING. My first concern was that I couldn't have any visitors over my house without Diogi running up to them & jumping all over them, all the while not listening to me. Having him on a leash, trying to confine him to another room, & even bribing with treats did nothing to lower his level of excitement or to get his attention. I even went as far as not hosting Christmas Day at our house because I didn't want anyone getting hurt with our 100lb pup, and I really didn't want to deal with the aggravation that would come with each persons' arrival. My second concern was our walks. My neighbors would often say "who's walking who?" He was always full of energy, always smelling and looking to pee on everything, and always pulling me and leading me instead of the other way around. It wasn't until I took a hard fall on one of our walks that my husband finally agreed to call Steve and set up a session. Getting professional help for Diogi had become a real point of contention for us; he didn't think anyone but us should be training our dog and he was just skeptical about the whole 'dog psychology' thing. Nevertheless we set it up and before I knew it Steve was finally in our home. As soon as he walked in he acknowledged the state of over excitement Diogi was in & went on to explain the psychology behind it as well as explaining that when a dog is fulfilled through exercise, obedience, & affection (in that order!) it just makes for a happier, healthier & easy to manage dog. He basically covered EVERYTHING with me during our session: how to get him to stay calm when guests arrive, how to properly walk him where I am leading him, AND he was even able to get Diogi on our treadmill for the first time ever so that we can use that as a way to give him the exercise he so needs. It was incredible how much was accomplished in our two hour session!!!! And I'm happy to say that since that day I've continued to apply EVERYTHING Steve taught me and Diogi has been a completely different dog, FOR THE BETTER!!! He's no longer jumping on anyone that comes over to visit, he hasn't pulled me on any of our walks, and I've put him on our treadmill everyday which has been great with the amount of snow & frigid temperatures we've had in NY these past few days. -I went into this with an open mind AND heart, believing that Steve's approach would work, and I'm happy to say I was right. My husband, the skeptic, is beyond shocked but even more so pleased with the results. We are truly beyond grateful for Steve & Pack Leader Dogs!!!! read more

After adopting a 10-week old puppy in January 2016 we cycled through several training and walking options before settling on Pack Leader. Pack Leader's mandatory training before use ensures that owners understand the philosophy and how their dogs will be walked - which we loved! The whole "removing excitement" philosophy really made sense as we are dealing with a rapidly growing puppy. We love that the walkers all handle our dog in the same fashion, and that they are reinforcing the trainings in an identical way to how we are doing it at home. We also love the Pack Walks and the community that Pack Leader is building. Also - Tamara, the communications/operations director for Pack Leader is a gem - she is exceptionally responsive and always provides information in a quick and professional fashion that lets us react quickly! While there are an abundance of options in Hoboken, we'll definitely stay with Pack Leader because of its ecosystem of support, and because the training methods and philosophies are absolutely right for managing a very excited/high energy 50 lb puppy. Also - I just thought I'd add .. I've met people with pretty strong opinions of Pack Leader due to watching the Dog Whisperer show. We've never watched the show, so can't comment on how similar/dissimilar our experience is to what's on TV, but never have we felt that our dog was fearful, or that he was negatively disciplined, or that any of the training tips were questionable or outside what we would consider helpful for having a well-mannered, loving, and social pet. read more

We absolutely LOVE Pack Leader Dogs!! Steve, Tamara, Nese and the rest of the "pack" are all amazing! If you're looking for a dog walker/ trainer in the Hoboken area - don't look any further! Over the years we have spent thousands of dollars with other trainers and walkers, all who don't even compare to Steve and his staff. Weeks of training with other companies didn't make even a fraction of an impact that Steve had on our dog (Finn) during the few hours of our initial consultation. Over the past two years we've seen an enormous improvement in Finn's behavior and overall demeanor. Before working with Steve and Nese, Finn was dog aggressive to the point that it was difficult to walk down the street with him. Finn would snap, growl, bark, and lunge at passing dogs, even ones that ignored him. Fast-forward to joining Pack Leader Dogs, and Finn now accompanies several dogs of varying sizes on group walks around town! And we can now walk around town with a dog that doesn't even react to other dog-aggressive dogs. We weren't sure Finn would ever get to this point, but Pack Leader Dogs made it happen over such a short period of time. He was almost a completely new (and balanced!) dog after only a few weeks, and has continuously improved since then. Steve's method of training just makes sense, and he also really takes the time to explain the psychology behind his actions. If you're looking for a dog walker/trainer in the Hoboken area - don't look any further! Steve is by far the best trainer in Hoboken, if not entire NYC area. I trust him and his staff completely with my dog and with my home. They have a great online system for scheduling dog walks, and Tamara (scheduling coordinator) is so easy to get a hold if there are any issues! They've always been so prompt with our emails and phone calls, and very accommodating. Over the past two years they've gone above and beyond on numerous occasions. On one memorable occasion our apartment had about 8 inches to a foot of standing water outside the front door. We called to let them know that they probably wouldn't be able to get into the apartment that day, and they offered to check it out anyways. Our walker that day went home and got his rain boots, and trekked across to grab Finn. I'm so disappointed we have to find a new dog trainer after relocating to Colorado, but we're just so happy with the improvement we've seen working with Steve and his crew. Thanks for everything and we fully recommend Pack Leader Dogs to everyone! read more

Steve and team at Pack Leader dogs are the best! We have a 4 year old rescue dog who never had any major issues, expect she's never been great on walks. She would pull a lot on her harness, but since she's small it wasn't too big of a deal. Now with a baby coming, we realized that trying to walk her WHILE pushing a stroller down the street would be a disaster. Steve brought his recommended training lead, and spent about 15 minutes with our dog working one-on-one before bringing her back to show us what she had learned. He then watched as we followed his walking guidelines and gave us suggestions and tips as we went. That was literally all it took, and she is a completely different dog on walks! We are no longer 'following her' on walks: she is attentive, engaged, and understands who the leader is. I never would have expected a complete change in behavior after just one session. Highly recommend Steve, Tamara and the Pack Leader team. read more

I was a client of Packleader for about a year. Steve was a talented dog trainer who really helped us with one of our foster dogs (who had some dog aggression issues). We continued to use Packleader to walk and often board our dogs for months. We were very happy and trusted Steve completely. Unfortunately, I came home early one day around 3pm and found that the dogs had not yet been walked. One of my dogs is a 6 month old puppy who really needs a break no later than 1pm. The following week I checked building security cameras and found that two days in a row, Steve took my dogs outside for approximately one to two minutes (both days) instead of the 30 minute walk we agreed upon. My older dog never even had the chance to relieve herself. We were so very disappointed to have found this out, but worse, felt terrible that my poor dogs were put in this situation. I feel obligated to post this to alert other dog owners. Steve was very nice and is a good trainer, but unfortunately he betrayed our trust. read more

We initially started using Pack Leader Dog Care for walks, as my boyfriend works long hours, and he wanted to make sure his pitbull, Nala, was getting adequate exercise. He noticed an immediate change in the way she was walking when he got home- no more pulling, walking with a loose leash, much more focused on him. Eventually when I was getting ready to move to Hoboken with my 1 year old German Shepherd, we set up a training session with Steve. Archimedes was very reactive with other dogs on walks, and it was getting progressively worse. All it took was 10 minutes with Steve to get a completely different response from him walking all around the busy streets of Hoboken. We spent most of the last hour of the training session walking up and down Washington Street with Arc almost completely ignoring other dogs that he walked by, even one who had lunged out at him, something that never would have happened before. Arc joined in with Nala in the walking program until we moved away from Hoboken. We still see Steve and Tamara and the rest of the pack for the weekend pack walks when we can, and if we ever go anywhere that Arc and Nala can't come, the only place we will leave them is with Steve. All in all, I can't say enough good things about Pack Leader Dogs. The staff is knowledgeable, trustworthy, and for Chase and I myself, completely on the same page as us with how we've been raising and training our dogs. 5 stars just isn't enough here, but it'll have to do. read more