Dominant Dogs Training Santa Monica, California

Leonard absolutely changed our world this past August. We came to him after having sent our dog away to another boarding program and several in person training sessions. She had issues with children before going to the board and train …

My boyfriend and I adopted a puppy a couple of years ago, and while he is very sweet and well-mannered in our house, he was extremely difficult to handle on walks in the neighborhood. He was very protective of me and tended to “see red” whenever almost any other dog or human walked by, and I physically could not hold him back when he was in this state. For that reason, my boyfriend was the default dog-walker. One recent weekend, however, my boyfriend was out of town, so the walking responsibilities fell on me. During our morning walk we encountered another neighbor walking his dog, and immediately it was as if a switch had been flipped - my dog took off and began attacking this other dog, while I was left frozen in fear and unable to safely intervene. Long story short, the other dog’s injuries were relatively minor (thankfully) and the neighbor was very understanding; however, it honestly was one of the most traumatizing experiences of my life. I felt helpless and ashamed, and scared to even leave the house with my dog, and knew it was time to take drastic steps to correct this behavior. Fast forward a few days to our first appointment with Leonard. Right off the bat I could tell that his intuitions not only about our dog's behavior, but also about both me and my boyfriend, were spot on. From our body language alone, he was able to infer certain things about the way each of us interacted with and related to our dog. Importantly, he also pointed out that the level of obedience training we had instilled in our dog was actually detrimental to his behavior. We essentially had to unlearn everything we thought we knew about dog training and instead approach it from a wholly new and different angle. Leonard taught us that the way we were treating our dog at home and while on walks was only reinforcing the behavioral problems we were experiencing with him, and that the only way to overcome this would be to correct our own behavior. He showed us exactly what we were doing wrong and assigned us simple “homework” exercises to perform between sessions that I had never even heard of before. I truly appreciate the way Leonard pushed me out of my comfort zone, because our dog responded to these exercises exactly as he had predicted he would. Consistent practice of these exercises has dramatically improved the relationship I have with my dog, and in turn my dog’s problem behavior. I cannot express my gratitude enough for everything Leonard has taught us. He truly is an expert with dogs and has a wealth of wisdom and experience. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for help with their furry loved ones!!

I found Leonard and Dominant Dogs after my 2 y/o Lab/Shepherd mix attacked a neighborhood dog. My dog had shown aggression towards certain neighborhood dogs in the past, but on one particular day he was able to get free and attack our neighbor’s sweet dog while he and his owner were on a walk. Immediately after the adrenaline wore off from this traumatizing incident, I recognized I needed to seek professional help for this behavior. I spoke to Leonard a few days later and instantly felt like he would be the type of trainer that my dog and I both needed. During our training sessions, I learned that my dog’s aggression towards other dogs was rooted in fear, anxiety, confusion, and his urge to protect me (and himself, as he had been attacked twice while he was a puppy). Leonard was able to show me how to start building trust with my dog, and vice versa. There were a lot of behaviors that I was exhibiting at home and while on walks with my dog that were reinforcing the distrust and confusion, which Leonard lifted up to me and trained me to correct. Both my my dog and I are able to take walks in the neighborhood with more confidence and trust. Lastly, Leonard is always happy to chat over the phone with questions I have and is extremely quick to respond to my emails. Thank you for everything Leonard! You are amazing!

I honestly cannot say enough good things about Leonard. He has changed mine and Hope’s life! I have a 4(ish) year old dog that I adopted last year. She was VERY dog and food aggressive. If we walked by another dog, she would lunge or freak out. She had been to 2 other trainers and did a board and train with one of them. She learned some obedience and even though they said the dealt with aggression they did NOTHING to help with Hope’s issues. We have done 4 sessions with Leonard so far. After the first 30 minutes with Leonard, Hope was checking in with me while we were walking and we walked next to another dog!!!! Although he calls himself a dog trainer, he really is a people trainer. I had to adjust how I was handling Hope and the energy I was putting out in the world to get her to understand what I want from her, that I have her back and she can trust that I will take care of her. Over the past 4 weeks Hope and I have built such a stronger bond, she is so much more loving and snuggly but that is because she knows what the boundaries are and I actually stick to them too! I thought that Hope needed to go to Leonard’s board and train and was nervous that he thought that we could make the progress we needed to with just training sessions but of course, Leonard was right. After our session last week, I ate at a restaurant and Hope laid next to me and there were other dogs in the restaurant…she didn’t even care! I'm telling you, stop waiting and call Leonard now. I promise it is worth the time and money as long as you actually listen to him! I can’t tell you how grateful I am that Leonard came into our lives!

I highly recommend Leonard - I had tried several different training methods and nothing really stuck. Leonard was able to teach me how to understand my dog and reduce his stress and anxiety. After coming home from bootcamp my neighbors are truly amazed with his new attitude and behavior. My dog is 11. You CAN teach and old dog new tricks!!

We've had our dog back from Leonard's boot camp for about a month now, and are so excited about where she is. She's a totally different dog. Leonard spent hours with us, explaining her stress, helping us reconnect and bond with her in a healthier way that would relax her and keep her from her aggressive behavior. He focuses a lot on body language, which I really appreciated. It helped me understand how to read her messages instead of just enforcing what I think she's supposed to be doing. It's now much more of a conversation, and I feel like I can actually respond to her concerns and show her that I'll take care of them! Her behavior is much better, and I feel more bonded to her and like we're building a relationship that is fun and trusting. It's very comforting that we got another check in with Leonard after two weeks to see how everything was going, so he could help correct any habits we fell back into, and make sure we were staying on track. I feel so lucky that we found him when we did-- now our dog can have a happier, easier, more playful life, which is all we want for her! UPDATE:Our dog did Leonard's three week bootcamp about 8 months ago. She's been hugely improved but we were seeing some regression to her attitude and aggressive behavior with dogs over the past month. We went back for a check up session and Leonard got us right back on track. We're so relieved that he was able to remind us of everything we had forgotten and give us encouragement about how far she's come. We were only supposed to meet for half an hour but he gave us 2 hours and we even had her hang around other dogs! Thanks Leonard.

I have had dogs my whole life, ranging from German and Australian Shepherds to small dogs. I had always heard wonderful things about Doberman's and always wanted to own one, so I decided to finally get one. Everyone that has ever owned a Doberman will tell you they are extremely stubborn, a little quirky, and too smart for their own good, which makes them difficult to train. How true that is! By the time my Doberman was nearing 2 years old, I decided I could not get her under control by myself because she was extremely smart in manipulating me. I searched for a trainer for several months before I found Leonard with Dominant Dogs, who came highly recommended to me. I had an initial interview with him and he determined that we were a good fit. Leonard does not take any dog; he interviews with you to determine you and your dog's mindset and then determines if all three of you will be a compatible fit. I was grateful that he took my dog and I can tell that on my initial interview, I knew my dog would be in good hands. I gave Leonard my dog for 3 weeks. Leonard stayed in constant communication with me, providing status updates on my dog while in his company. When I was ready to pick up my dog, I could not believe it was the same dog; she was so respectful and mindful. Now comes the hard part; that is transitioning my dog so that it obeys me like she did Leonard. This is where I was even more impressed with Leonard. He followed up with me periodically after I returned home. He saw me three times over the course of a couple of months to ensure that my dog was on the right path and spent several hours with me each time. I can tell you one thing, I have many friends who have sent their dogs to trainers but most of them do not follow up, and for those that did follow up, it certainly is not to the extent that you will find with Leonard. The "following-up" after training is probably one of the most important parts of training a dog. He made sure I was on track with my dog. In fact, I had many pillow talks with Leonard in the beginning and he was always there for me. He truly cares about your dog and is personally invested in your dog because he puts in so much time that he does not want all his training to go down the tube. He is direct and you know where you stand with him at all times. When you feel it's not going so well in the beginning when you first get your dog back and you are really putting in a concerted effort with your dog and listening to his instructions, Leonard will not abandon you...trust me, I was there. It has been 3 months now and my dog is transitioned fully. And Leonard was there every step of the way. Today, everywhere I go, people comment on what a well behaved dog I have. I attribute this 100% to Leonard and his tenacity to make sure you do not fail when transitioning your dog to listen to you. Leonard made every decision with my dog's best interest in mind and I have learned several things about myself during this process as well. One piece of advice I will dispense: no matter who you do business with, let the experts do their thing. Don't try to tell them how to do their job; they know best. Whether you go to a hair stylist, attorney, accountant, dog trainer, etc. you are paying that person for their expertise; they are the masters, not you. I am so thankful for Leonard and I am so glad I blindly put my trust in him. He definitely earned my respect and trust and that of my dog.

UPDATE: I’ve never left a review ever but since he requires it, I’m compelled to revise to be truthful. He was very open and available ensuring i positively reviewed him, and thanking me for doing so after, then the tone changed. I cannot speak to his training skills- I hope any dog and family in need gets help. But I can only speak to the less than professional experience I had that’s left my household more tense than before. Everything below is more or less accurate- We were given tips right off the bat and told to follow through for at least the next 1-2 weeks with these tasks including leashing or crating the dogs at all times. This was effortful, but let’s do it if it means closing the book on our dogs aggression. So, after approving my review of his service, Leonard suggested six weeks of courses with him. By the time I inquired about price (of course) and the timeline (is this once a week, etc) he emailed back saying “he’s not offering this service due to covid.” Well... you suggested it so why do so if you aren’t offering it? But ok, of course health and safety come first! It took me over a week to get in touch with him again to basically twist his arm to do virtual/phone sessions of any kind- all the while my dogs have been crated, no praise, no toys, no affection- what else could i do? He said going back to “normal” prematurely would make the aggression worse! So long enough story short, after having three or four call times offered and revoked by him in a series of erratic emails, we settled on a time to call, he sent a PayPal request that went to my spam, and that morning he said I didn’t pay in time, training is canceled, and it’s over now. He’s over it. Maybe I wasn’t an ideal client for him. I didn’t just open my wallet and shut my mouth. But, hey, he prides himself on being the trainer you go to after you’ve seen everyone else so why wouldn’t we have questions and concerns- we’ve been through a lot with ineffective trainers. He went from concerns about my pregnancy and talking about all the extra time he’s spending with me because he cares, to one sentence emails blowing me off. His advice is to find someone else yet he also states he’s the best and forget the rest. For what he charges he won’t care about actually helping you if there’s easier money to be made from other clients- that’s the vibe i have now. While blowing me off he’s also posting on Instagram so I know he’s working, and good for him. I would have preferred to not be led on and now stranded in limbo with my dogs more confused than I am.

We signed our dog up for the doggy boot camp after our dog had showed some aggression towards other dogs. At the 2 week meeting our dog had completely changed. Our dog no longer lunged at other dogs, no longer chased squirrels, our dogs focus had completely changed and was now more attentive to our body language and what we wanted. Our dog would follow me and stay by my side while on a long leash. Leonard was great with our dog and did an amazing job helping us to understand what our dog wanted and needed from us. Leonard showed us how to incorporate more structure in our dog’s life and was very responsive to any questions we had.

Nothing short of amazing! Next level. If you really want to experience a shift in your dog, deeper than all the trainings that we have tried in the past. It has been a total shift. Our French Bulldog, Yoshi is different. Honestly it feels like miracles everyday since He has come home from Bootcamp. Just last night, coming home, and seeing Yoshi sitting calmly waiting for me instead of jumping and freaking out at the gate, barely able to contain himself. Amazing!!!! The other breakthrough was being able to actually have a conversation with a neighbor and his dog. Yoshi sat calmly at my side. In the past he would have been so triggered and ready to go after the other dog. Stopping for a chat to a friendly person with a dog was always off the table!! Leonard and his training is a game changer!

My dog has been fearful and anxious for the past 2 years which coincidentally started when my personal anxiety flared up. Leonard showed me how in sync my dog's emotions are with my own. Due to my anxiety, I lost control of my dog, he felt that he had to manage and take care of me, which is why he became very over protective of me. About 6 months ago he bit a person, luckily this person didn't press charges and didn't require any medical help. This was the first wake-up call and when I realized I needed help. Leonard taught me in those first 2 hours that my dog and I have a relationship issue. I did everything to allow my dog to be in control and catered to his every need, I let him eat whenever he wanted, sleep in my bed, bark at people and dogs, etc. I allowed my dog to do everything on his own terms and never on mine. I isolated my dog from other people and dogs because I was terrified he would hurt a person or their dog. Within an hour of our first consultation, Leonard had my dog being walked by my sister and my brother-in law which other than myself, my mom and my friend who my dog has known since he was a puppy I never thought this would be possible. Previous to this my dog would have been tugging at the leash or barking nonstop and in control of the walk. By the end of the consultation Leonard was able to have my brother in-law walk my dog alongside one of the other dog's Leonard was rehabilitating. And although I never thought this would be possible especially within hours of just meeting Leonard, there is still a lot of work to be done with my dog and with my own issues. I will be having a follow up in a week with Leonard to see how my dog is doing with the changes Leonard help me understand were necessary. We are so thankful of the extra time Leonard took to explain to us the dog psyche and how our own psyche affects our relationship with him. He helped us understand that our dog is not a bad dog, he is just a confused dog who has been given mixed up information. Leonard even took the extra effort to make sure we were all comfortable. It was a very windy and cold day and he offered his jacket to my sister and my brother-in law to make sure they were warm and in a good place to take in all the information. He was very personable, straight forward and no nonsense type of person. On top of that he even took the time to show us the tools we needed to continue the training at home such as which types of collars we needed, kennels and muzzle to ensure our dog was safe but that others were around him were safe in the process of his training. He followed up with us after the training via e-mail to ensure we had the right tools and to give us a plan of action and to follow up with him in a few days to see our progress. We are so excited to see him a again this upcoming weekend and learn more from him. I feel secure in knowing we are in the right hands and that Leonard is not only good at what he does but he cares about the well-being of our dog and our family dynamic. Leonard truly goes above and beyond. Well worth the money & time- Leonard has given us a glimpse of what is possible and hope that after our dog has been properly trained we will have the ability to incorporate my dog back into our family dynamic in a way that is safe for everyone. I highly recommend Leonard to anyone whose dog is showing signs of aggression, anxiety and who simply are not in control of their dog.

I met with Leonard because my 9.5 year old Treeing Walker Coonhound has developed a severe reactivity issue with scooters and skateboards. I really wasn’t sure there was anyone who could possibly help because Mason is a pretty big dog with a very serious issue, which I felt to a large part might be inherent to his breed. Leonard was amazing. He is so intuitive and perceptive. Right away he was able to tell me things about my dog’s behavior and attitude that never even occurred to me. He also gave me incredibly helpful and insightful guidance as to what I can be doing to improve as my dog’s leader, in order to set him (and us both) up for success. Before meeting Leonard I felt hopeless and helpless and unsure as to where to go from here. But Leonard’s guidance and training has already helped so drastically, and I can see the possibility of some light at the end of the tunnel which I never thought possible. I am sure Leonard could resolve Mason’s issue all together if I were to enroll him in his boot camp, but unfortunately I can’t afford to do that right now. But regardless Leonard has given me hope, and some actionable advice/info that I can use on my own to further improve the status quo. This has been an extremely challenging and quite frankly really sad experience that me and my dog have been enduring, and after searching all of Yelp and google for someone who might be help I am so grateful to have found Leonard. He is incredibly gifted in what he does and so genuinely cares about his work and the animals (and people) that he works with. Thank you Leonard for your guidance and the hope that you’ve instilled in me and Mason as we continue on this difficult journey. I am immensely grateful for the dedication and compassion that you have shown us both.

My dog was having issues with leash aggression after being attacked by a dog. I was concerned that one day he would get free and bite another dog or person so I looked around at available options and decided to go with Leonard, Dominant Dogs, because he seems to really understand the dog-human interactions, spends the most one-on-one time with the dog, and isn’t interested in turning the dog into an obedient robot. After just 2 weeks of my dog being with him, we could walk him on a 26ft leash and not only would he not run after things but he stayed by my side and was very happy. He was still my joyful dog, but he was more confident in himself and me to lead him. Leonard is amazing and really works with the owners too and I can tell he really wants the dog and owner to succeed and be happy.

We participated in the 3-week boot camp with our nine-year-old Weimaraner. Our dog had severe separation anxiety as well as other behavioral issues. We had tried other training and antidepressants to fix the problem and got nowhere near the results that we received through Leonard's training. Leonard suggested that we ween our dog of the antidepressant drugs which we talked to our Vet and did. Leonard then mentioned that it would usually take six weeks to correct our dog's behavior, but that he could do it in three weeks because he spends so much individual time with the dog. Leonard's training focuses on changes in both the dog and the owner focusing on fostering a trusting relationship between both. In order to change bad habits you need someone who is finely attuned to behavioral signs like Leonard. He picked up on things that we would have never been able to figure out ourselves and was able to give us concrete advice and training on how to fix the problems. If you are looking for a one stop shop to help with your dog's behavior problems and how your behavior as an owner is affecting those problems Leonard is your man. He's extremely reachable by both phone and email and and will help you each step of the way. We are currently over two weeks out of boot camp and are seeing behaviors in our dog that we never dreamed were possible. Thanks Leonard!

It'd be hard to overstate the impact that Leonard had on our 6-year old lab mix, but suffice it to say that he has both an incredible gift and an approach that is one part animal trainer, another part people trainer. Not only did our pup's behavior shift within ~20 minutes of starting the session, but Leanord's perceptiveness and ability to coach my wife and I with clear, accessible notes, has allowed our pup's behavior to continue largely as he had shifted in those first 20 minutes. While we opted for a single session (and with how quick a change Leonard made with our dog, I'm not sure how he stays in business!), I imagine the live-in rehabilitation to be equally effective.

I lost track of how many trainers we tried for our GSD Elliott before Leonard. We had even tried a different sleepover boot camp. Nothing worked. On our first meeting, we could see how much Leonard "got" Elliott. He knew that our dog's biggest issue was fear and that was articulating itself in aggression, particularly when around other dogs on the leash. Elliott spent 3 weeks with Leonard and we met up with him during and after that time to review skills. Now Elliott can easily walk by other dogs on a leash without reacting. He is also much better behaved at home because we have better routines with him. One thing that I found most surprising is that Elliott really LOVES Leonard. Elliott gets so happy when he sees Leonard and he looks so happy and proud when working with Leonard. Our dog was craving the structure and confidence that Leonard gave him. I would recommend him for any dog.

Leonard has made our dog so much happier, more confident, and well-behaved! Our two-year old boxer/pitbull rescue pup just finished the 3-week boot camp and he is a changed dog. Flash back to a few weeks ago, our dog was leash-aggressive …

II brought my 9-yr old, lab-mix rescue to Leonard for consultation prior to boot camp. Within the first 15 min of the visit, I could already see my dog transforming into a dog that I had not previously experienced. My dog had been showing fearful/anxious signs around other dogs and people and I was skeptical that Leonard would be able to change his behavior. During the visit, Leonard was able to build trust and relax my dog quickly. He was also able to point out some of my behaviors that needed to changed in order to allow for a happy, healthier dog. In just an hour of training, I could see a sizable difference in my dog's behavior. After the initial consultation, I booked the 3-week bootcamp. Leonard was extremely responsive and consistently gave us updates throughout the entire process. We met together w/ him and the dog at the end of week 2, week 3 and again after the program for one-on-one training. During the stay, Leonard was able to reset my dog's balance; overcoming years of unstable anxious behavior... as well as reset the relationship between me and the dog. When I got my dog back, he was much calmer, responsive, and relaxed. I'm glad I took the next steps in the training process w/ Leonard. Well worth the investment.

I may run out of superlatives to describe the effect Leonard had on my puppy and the peace of mind it afforded me. I started noticing some new behaviors in my doodle puppy around 8m of age especially around other dogs and my neighbors. I tried some techniques suggested by a trainer and online videos but it just kept getting worse with incessant barking at friends and guests he has seen before, dogs he met before, terrible leash pulling and sheer stubbornness. These behaviors just kept increasing in frequency as he grew older. I was worried it will lead to a bad incident either with a human or another dog and immediately looked for a behavioral trainer and found Leonard's website online. I contacted him online for the bootcamp option and spoke the same day. We met the next weekend for an evaluation and Leonard immediately pointed out how my own behaviors were enabling my dog's attitude. He walked me through what the boot camp experience would be like for my dog and patiently answered all my questions. He is very no-nonsense and frank with his opinions (which i was prepared for based on the other reviews). He evaluates you as well as your dog during the first meeting and after a good couple hours of conversation, I handed my puppy over to him with a schedule to meet again in 2 weeks. He kept me updated with photos and emails. I already started noticing changes in my dog when i met him in 2 weeks, but that meeting was more about him working on me to ensure that the dog's training is sustained. He pointed out subtle body language exhibited by me that was turning my dog back towards the older behaviors, and he corrected me instead of just giving me verbal instructions, e.g. he corrected my gait while walking my dog. We met again after week 3 and worked for more than 2 hours and he provided me with tools and exact instructions to follow. I have had my puppy for 2 weeks now and he is just as playful but more obedient and attuned to me. We still have some ways to go but i am blown away by the change in my puppy's behavior at home and on walks. I am due to meet Leonard soon for a 2 week post training evaluation to get his stamp of approval regarding the sustainability of behaviors for both my puppy and me when we interact. The main takeaway is that Leonard puts in a LOT of work into the dog but for a wholesome change the human has to adapt as well and he provides step by step instructions to ensure that the training sticks long term. Update: The best experience out of this training with Leonard was how the training sticks with me and my puppy! After the boot camp, I met Leonard for 2 follow up meetings for him to observe us interact and give us the 'green light'. He went above and beyond in ensuring that I felt confident with his instructions. He intuitively understands a puppy's needs and subsequent behaviors and really took the time to explain nuances. I have been following his schedule recommendations and instructions and I couldn't be happier with the change in how my puppy walks on the leash and his general behavior around other dogs and humans. The boot camp is absolutely worth it! I have a playful yet obedient puppy as a result of it. He is very responsive to even the most basic questions I have. I Highly and whole heartedly recommend!

July, 2019: I have a five year old frenchie and a 9.5 year old English bulldog. The frenchie shows signs of stress, dominance and is aggressive with English bulldog. In the last few months he has been starting fights with the older dog and …

My rescue dog, Andy, had gotten very timid and fearful toward other dogs. He would lunge and bark at other dogs when out for a walk. I only weigh 90 lbs., and it had gotten to the point where I just couldn't handle him anymore. It broke my …

Leonard was beyond helpful on our initial phone call. He was very honest and to the point about the best way to help my dog, and gave me the advise I need to get started with my dogs training. I’m excited to put his advise into action, and I’m looking forward to working with him more in the future.

We had the privilege, and honestly luck to have found a professional who delivers what he offers...change. If you are not prepared to acknowledge the role you play in your dogs “bad/problematic/dangerous” behavior, Leonard and his expertise …

Leonard is the best trainer! This is our second dog we sent to him because of the success we had with our first dog. Both our dogs are very different, so it is a true indicator that Leonard is equip to train all types of dogs. Leonard trained our 7 y/o yorkie to follow commands, walk on a leash, as well as helped with ease his anxiety. Our dog had eye problems and would constantly lick his feet. We had to put socks on our dogs feet to keep him from licking. The vet put our dog on a daily allergy medication. It was expensive and had residual side effects. Through the training, all the health problems went away and he is no longer on the allergy medication. Our dog returned from his 3 week training with Leonard a much happier, well-trained, and relaxed dog.

I was so excited to see my dog for the first time after she had been with Leonard for 2 weeks. I found a completely transformed dog. She walked on a loose leash with no pulling. She didn't react to other dogs, or people we passed. She was calm and patient! I found it amazing how Leonard communicates with dogs with just body language. She was so responsive and "dialed in" to him. He truly is a dog whisperer. When I got the chance to work with her, she followed my non verbal cues too. This was such a great experience, and it was so nice to be in control, and not have to repeat commands over and over. During the 3 week doggy boot camp Leonard spent a lot of time with me too. He explained how my attitude, emotions, and posture have an effect on my dog's behavior. The problems that I had experienced with my dog, will be solved when I take a leadership role and set proper boundaries and limitations. There is still work for me to do now that she's home, but she is such a different dog and I now have the tools I need to keep her balanced and retain her great manners. Leonard's program is so complete and thorough and comes with lifetime training. I can truly say that this has been money well spent. I don't think there is another trainer out there that puts so much heart and soul into what he does!

The amazing part of the consultation/training session was how quickly Leonard was able to read my two dogs’ body language and diagnose exactly what was going on. What was super cool was he then, was able to read my body language very intuitively. This cut through a lot of preliminary dog training information that other places had given us. Leonard seemed like he already knew what the issue was, what my part of it was, and how to fix it. I was very surprised how quickly he picked up on my anxiety. He was able to calm me down and calm my dogs down. I didn’t realize how much my anxiety was affecting my dogs and their behavior. What he really took off my plate, was feeling responsible for my dogs’ actions. He showed me how to be with my dog, in a calm, assertive manner and how to communicate with my dog without using words. That’s because our dogs are animal, animals in the pack don’t talk, and they use body language and energy to control the pack. One of the things I loved the most about the training session was how he taught me was how to communicate with both my dogs, without using words. One of my dogs is a French bulldog that gets very aggressive in the car and won’t stay in the car. And my other dog is a Pit bull mix, but more passive than the bulldog. The interesting part in this whole training session is that I had sent Leonard pictures of both dogs. My original concern was about the French bulldog. I had no concerns about the Pittbull’s behavior. Leonard was able to tell me about the Pitbull’s fear and insecurity, and the problems we were experiencing with the two dogs just from the picture I sent. The dogs were getting in fights and I was worried the Pit bull would hurt the bulldog. But the truth is, the French bulldog is more aggressive and trying to hurt the Pit. At home, the dogs bark non-stop, and get aggressive with each other over food and treats. It had escalated to the point we couldn’t stand it anymore. Now we have two dogs, after our training session that are calmer and aren’t fighting. The French bulldog was even calm in the car! But we have decided to send both dogs to boot camp so that this calm behavior continues and my husband and me get properly trained. If this skilled dog behaviorist was able to accomplish so much in the 2-hour consultation, we just knew, it would definitely be worth it to send our dogs to bootcamp. After all, he was able to do it and show us how to do it. But he makes it look really easy, and it’s not easy. He looked like he owned the dogs in five minutes, and had them completely under control. I would have to say, it was so subtle and hard to see how the dogs trusted him immediately and bonded up with him. Keep in mind, these dogs haven’t seen Leonard before, or ever been around him. The training/consultation session was money well spent. Boot camp is going to be the best money we ever spent! We had started to give up hope of ever having a peaceful home life with these two dogs. Leonard gave us hope. We look forward to bootcamp and his extensive time and training that he will put into us too. What my husband and me experienced, is exactly what other owners said on Yelp that was so truthful and right. We concur with his wonderful reviews. This man is a master trainer and highly intuitive with both the owner and the dog. The great part is, he doesn’t focus on controlling the dog with basic dog training like “sit” “down” “stay”. Our dogs already had that and we still found out that we did not have good control over our dogs and they didn’t respect us, or listen to us. I wish we had found Leonard at Dominant Dogs sooner before going to 3 different trainers and wasting time and money. Thank you Leonard. You are a good man, and an outstanding dog trainer.

This guy really surprised me. I was expecting something completely different. My two French bulldogs are out-of-hand. I’m the type of person, that doesn’t like a chaotic household. It causes me anxiety and stress when the dogs are fighting, …

I have a 2-year-old rescue dog (a black lab mix) named Koda with aggressive behavioral issues towards people and other dogs. I’ve been to three different trainers in the year that I’ve had her, and none had made any impact on her …

After our dog got loose and was injured chasing a motorcycle, we knew we needed to seek the help of a professional to modify her strong desire to chase. After interviewing several trainers, we decided to do a private consultation with …

I can't begin to say enough good things about Dominant Dogs and Leonard. This man truly loves what he does and let me tell you he doesn't do it for the money. I brought my out of control dog to him for a three week bootcamp. Best decision …