Houston Dog Behavior and Training Spring, Texas

We have been working with Michael for close to a year now and couldn’t have asked for a better experience! We don’t live in Texas where he’s located, so we have been meeting with him virtually - we weren’t sure what virtual training sessions would be like, but with him they have been high quality and have truly exceeded all of our expectations. Not only do we have access to his knowledge and expertise during our training sessions, but he is available to answer questions and provide advice 24/7 through the “Slack” app. Our rescue dog tends to be very fearful and anxious, but since we began working with Michael, we have seen remarkable progress. Our dog is noticeably more relaxed in general, but especially around our child. The training Michael provides is something that we are able to implement daily as part of our routine. He has also provided supplement materials such as books, videos and websites that have been very helpful. Working with Michael has been educational, fruitful and empowering. If our dog could thank him, I’m sure he would, too!

I called Michael a little over a year ago in tears and at my wits end. Our puppy was aggressive and reactive and would viciously attack the our other dogs with very little or no warning. I didn’t want to re-home her but it felt hopeless. Michael calmed me and told me that he thought he could help. Progress was slow and sometimes painful but his methods worked. He set us up with the perfect team of trainer, vet and behaviorist. It wasn’t cheap and it wasn’t easy but we still have our little dog and it’s been quite a long while since we’ve had an incident. We now know what to look for to avoid issues and she is a better, more well behaved dog because of it. We continue to work with the entire team because the solutions don’t come overnight but I would highly recommend Michael to someone with major dog issues.

Response to owner comment that I’ve never used their services: yes I have. I had multiple training sessions with my dog & it just was not what I was looking for. Thanks

My husband and I have a male pointer who is about three years old we rescued him a few years ago and since then have had issues with worsening anxiety, aggression with males, and reactivity. His reactivity and aggression got so severe that we were unable to attend vet appointments, have visitors to our home, or even cut his nails. We’ve unfortunately had issues with him biting my husband. After working with several trainers here in our hometown in Nebraska we were advised to seek out Michael in Houston for help. Since our first session we can immediately tell that Michael has a different level of expertise that we had ever worked with. He gave us so much information on the science behind dog aggression and behavioralist as well as advised what we were doing wrong as owners that could be attributing to his issues. He is well-informed, does his research, and really wants to get to every detail of our relationship with our dog. We work with him via zoom which allows us to work in a stress free environment for both our dog and ourselves which has allowed us to learn new skills very quickly. He has helped us set very realistic goals and we can say we’ve noticed marked improvement in all of his issues since working with Mike. It was such a relief getting to know Mike and hearing from him that these issues such as aggression are manageable. He likes to use a collaborative multidisciplinary approach and even helped us find a vet behaviorist who is managing our dogs anxiety in conjunction with our own vet here in town. Thank you Mike for helping save our pup and for helping us see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Great customer service! I just wish that there were other great braiders in her shop as such as herself, because when people come in, everyone is requesting Felicia and she tries to accommodate everyone so she's moving from head to head, so you're there longer than you should be. Felicia is a very fast braided and good!!!

Michael is helping with some retraining of our medical service dog. He has a plethora of ideas for different issues

Michael was very professional, helpful, and patient. We have two very energetic mini Australian Shepherds, who really needed a lot of help. Michael helped us teach them to focus on us and be less reactive to other dogs. We were very happy with the training!

The online training is phenomenal. We are having great success with our dog! Michael is very patient and a fantadtic teacher! Highly recommended!! Update: we have been doing tbe virtual training sessions and they are really helping. Our dog was having aggression issues. We were concerned for the safety of our family. We were living in this delicate ballet of keeping kids in one area, dog in another. Swapping places in a crazy choreograph of maneuvers. We were sadly considering rehoming him and felt like we were running out of options. It was exhausting. Micheal was our hail mary. Our last chance. He did an incredible evaluation and knew exactly what we were experiencing. He listened to everything we had to say without judgement and with a kind understanding. He helped explain what our dog was experiencing. He quickly gave us some immediate steps we could take to improve all of our lives. The improvement we have seen is amazing. After just a couple of sessions and easy modifications the edge was taken off of our dog. He is more relaxed and is becoming a part of our family. We keep building on what we are learning and our dog has never been more happy. Micheal said our dog has been waiting for this his whole life. He is not the same dog as when we started. We are working on rebuilding our relationship with him and earning trust. All of our sessions have been virtual, but Micheal is right there coaching us and talking through what he sees in real time. The virtual sessions work really well. He is able to teach and give us corrections easily. We are so grateful for his help and we have learned so much! Highly recommend Houston Dog Behavior with Micheal!!!

Michael’s expertise, guidance, encouragement, and in-depth knowledge have been invaluable parts of training my puppy. My family adopted our very first dog at 9 weeks old and Michael has made the training process informative, educational, and a lot of fun. I was a complete training newbie and he made things so easy to understand and had me feeling motivated and positive instead of other programs I checked into that just left me confused and overwhelmed. One of my favorite parts of the program is that it’s based in behavior theory and positive reinforcement. I’m able to use the methods we discuss to think about other areas of my life (motherhood, my own exercise, etc.) that can use some redirection aside from puppy work. Learning more about behavior theory has improved our lives beyond having a well behaved puppy. Another piece I find extremely helpful is that Michael sends a lot of articles and videos in response to questions I have to cite his references and to allow for further research. This allows me to make sure the sources I’m looking into and learning from are vetted and reliable instead of picking random google links which may lead me down a different path. I appreciate Michael’s attention to responding promptly to questions and videos. In our initial phone call, he referred to himself as my puppy concierge and he certainly has not disappointed. My friends who have had dogs their whole lives are blown away by how polite, well-mannered, and obedient my now 14 week old puppy is. She doesn’t bark at guests or the doorbell, she knows several obedience commands, walks well on a leash, ignores barking dogs, impresses with her nose work, and her puppy mouthing is minimal. Having never owned or trained a dog before, it was imperative to my husband and me that we ensure our furry friend is a peaceful and enjoyable part of our family. When I learned more about Michael, heard his calming tone, and learned about his training techniques, I knew he was the perfect trainer to ease me into this journey while keeping us all safe. We want a dog who is a member of the family with whom we have a strong bond. Because of what we’ve learned with Michael’s help, Domino is already a wonderful part of our family.

I came to Michael after my 1.5 old golden retriever lashed out in resource guarding aggression to her fur brother and myself. Three incidents all within 3 days and I was in complete shambles and stressed out- I couldn't even sleep. I have been around dogs and training my whole life and never had a dog this way. I just kept thinking about the possibilities of what could happen if I didn't find someone to help Bindi and I. I volunteered at dog shelters when I was younger and knew what could happen! So, I sent an email to Michael on a Friday and within a couple hours he was calling me to answer my questions. I immediately hopped on board with the program, I was desperate to fix my "bad" dog. Now, we have been working for a month and a half and my dog is completely different. We are on the path to success, we are learning to communicate with one another and she has had no aggression outbursts since. I am an in person and online (simultaneously) teacher, and when I first started this program I was concerned that I would be too exhausted to put in the time in effort. However, it has been just as fun for me as it is for Bindi. I look forward to it, and its not a chore. I was also very apprehensive as this is on Zoom. I am already on zoom all day- but this has proved to be vital to our training. This method has allowed for Bindi and I to bond even more, and a trainer is not there to buffer or teach her-- it is ALL on you and your companion. It has for sure made us closer. I went ALL in with this program, reading the book, using the endless resources Michael provides for us. I also use Michael whenever I have a question- any time of the day and he is there to provide timely feedback and suggestions. This program has even impacted the way I teach my classroom- I know it sounds crazy! I do not have a bad dog- I had a bad and negative mindset--- and with proper training and learning to understand one another, I have a different dog. And she is pawsitively amazing. I cannot recommend Michael enough. Worth every dollar! Thank you Michael!!

Can’t say enough good things about Michael. We reached out to him to help us train both our dogs, one of which deals with anxiety. He helped provide us with multiple resources to help train our dogs (e.g training and educational videos, harnesses, and training toys). He made himself available for one on one classes, review of training videos, and for answers to questions we had. Michael was extremely helpful in identifying signs of stress for our anxious pup Scarlett. He provided us with tools and techniques for what to do when she begins to get uncomfortable. Over the course of her training we began to see positive signs of improvement. Before meeting Michael, Scarlett’s anxiety prevented her from going on walks and to venturing out to new places. The slightest noise or sight of something unfamiliar would causes her to get fearful and go into a downward spiral. She would pull on her leash, shake uncontrollably, and would just get completely overwhelmed with her walks. Now, she is able to walk calmly by our side and not get overwhelmed. When she does show signs of getting stressed, we are now able to pick up on them and help her calm herself.

I’ve been looking for a trainer for my Pomeranian/chow mix. I knew of Michael Curran because he came to the store I used to work at to buy dog food. Naturally, he was the first person I contacted. I didn’t manage to get ahold of him when I first called, but he called me back almost immediately. I explained my dog’s issues to him, and he then spent probably about 45 minutes explaining every detail of his intensive training regimen, which takes place over four months. He’s obviously quite knowledgeable on his own, but he also combines his expertise with that of some of the top animal behaviorists and veterinarians in the Houston area—and the US at large. The program sounded wonderful. Furthermore, many of my customers told me that they had enlisted him to help with their dogs’ behavioral problems, and each of them had nothing but good things to say about him. Unfortunately, I’ve just graduated from college, and have yet to find a job; as such, Mr. Curran’s services were out of my price range. Still, if I had the money, I’d spend it in a heartbeat. Mr. Curran is wonderfully polite, articulate, thorough, and informed. If you’re considering hiring him, check out his Google reviews. They speak for themselves!

Michael has been our trainer for 3 dogs. We are have had a wonderful experience with him. We are currently doing virtual training and our dog has made tremendous progress. We learn so much during the session and then work independently to practice them but Michael is always there for help in between session and support.

I rescued a dog that was described as timid and shy but neither the foster nor I realized that she was much more than that. She was a shut down, terrified pup who was not eating, playing or allowing touch and she walked hunched over with her tail tucked against her belly and she really only related to me for protection. She was particularly afraid of men and dogs. My first call with Michael was reassuring as I quickly realized he was committed to a kind, positive training approach. I did not want to be "the alpha dog" and use training that was might over love. I had planned two trips and it was obvious my original care plan for her was not going to work. It was an emergency as I was unable to postpone this travel. I knew I was not equipped to manage this on my own and that is why I contacted Michael. I knew Shadow would not make it at my son's house with his two rambunctious dogs and I needed help getting her to work with my previous pet sitter. Michael has been incredibly responsive and answers all my questions quickly and completely. He has recommended many resources that complement his training. He was frank about the need to consider medication to help Shadow enjoy life a little more and put me in touch with Dr. Haug. Shadow is especially difficult because she is not food motivated at all. Typical "safe space" solutions make her more upset. We've had to be inventive with her and he has been with us along the way. He continues to remind me about patience and baby steps and he is right. He, Dr. Haug, Dr. Pulido, Amber the groomer and my dog sitter are very important members of Team Brave Shadow. This has not been easy and we have a long way to go but Shadow is a different girl. She can take some nice walks around the block, she is learning to play again, she is at her proper weight, she will take chicken from anyone who will give it to her and she seeks my attention for affection not just protection. I still count on Michael to help us move forward. Like many things in life, my vision of having a dog companion in retirement isn't quite what happened. But, like other things in life, it has been worth the work and I am grateful for the support.

I've been working along side Michael for the past 2 years through mutual clients and in my case patients. As an LVT, it makes me so happy to know he is a profesional and knowledgeable trainer that helps to guide humans and dogs through a rehabilitation process tailor to each individual/family. His communication skills are exceptional and the tools he provides will be very useful to everyone involve. Thanks for supporting Fear Free and Behavior Modification plans!

I am new to HDBT, but I have to say that I am so impressed with the seamless transition to online/remote training! I have now participated in both in person and remote training sessions and they were equally helpful and instructive! I really appreciate Michael's dedication to clients and willingness to continue sessions during this time! If you’re working from home right now this is a GREAT time to schedule some time with Michael and make the most out of your extra time with your pup! All sessions can now be done live online and the content is just as good!

Only a couple weeks in and my 14 week American Bulldog is loving training. Michael is great with virtual training and it is perfect with my schedule. I send videos for him to critique and I always get feedback from him. I can’t wait to see what is to come in the future with the training. He provides a great deal of resources in the form of videos that help you to understand your dog. So far I give 5 stars. You have to put in the work with your pup. Once you see the response of your puppy wanting to please you with positive reinforcement it will amaze you. Thank you Michael for your guidance in the journey of training of Ragnar. We both look forward to our learning experiences together. With you leading us to each next step I’m sure I will have a complete success story to share ????

I worked as a consultant with Michael on one of his cases yesterday, and can highly recommend him as a trainer. His clients already had a strong understanding of their dogs behavior and were able to be full participants. We had a beautiful successful session!

We sought out Michael to help us with training after our two dogs got into a fight in the backyard. Our seemingly perfect, sweet-natured dogs had never displayed this behavior before and we were determined to never see it again. Michael was recommended to us and with his guidance and training our dogs are now more well behaved and respectful of each other than before. Before the incident they acted like room-mates, but not they are truly friends! We've noticed them playing more and now only wanting to sleep when the other is near. Michael helped us identify underlying stressors in their lives and how to create a less stimulating environment. We've learned that spats were not indicative of hate or malicious behavior, but rather a reaction to over-stimulation and excess energy. The training the Michael showed us has helped focus our dogs and open up a new side to them that we had not seen before. Without Michael’s help I do not know what we would have done. We cannot recommend him highly enough, he really is amazing!

Michael is an excellent asset to the dog training and behavior community. I frequently refer aggression cases to him and trust his knowledge and skills to help dogs and their owners. He is especially skilled with technology, and can work with efficiently and effectively with clients from anywhere around the world!

I hired Michael after my dog was exhibiting aggressive behavior toward my geriatric dog. The breaking point was him biting me. Rusty was young and had been sick (on his death bed kinda sick), which exasperated his behavior. Michael taught us how to look for signs of stress and how those signs if not acted on would result in aggression. His tools and techniques helped us to help our dog be less fearful, more obedient, and eliminated all aggression. In fact he became a protector for our elder dog that was blind and almost deaf. He would alert us when my elder dog needed something. I am beyond grateful for his tools, teachings, and for helping us to have a deeper understanding and love for our baby boy! Michael was very responsive to questions or needed support while we were working with him. He has stayed in contact with us and doesn’t hesitate to give further help even though we have completed our training. This training method might not be what you may be used to but in my opinion it is the best method and has created an amazing bond between us and our baby! We love you Michael!!

We have been working with Michael for a little over a year with our Pyrenees Mix who has exhibited a host of problems related to fear aggression. After terrible experiences with 3 other trainers in the Houston area, Michael has been a key …

Michael was wonderful and very responsive. He helped our dog with his aggression. Before, my dog would be aggressive and lunge towards other dogs instantly. Now, he checks in with me and we can manage the situation. We did our entire sessions/trainings online.

We were at a point of desperation when we contacted Michael about our 14 week old Border Collie. I wasn’t sure there was anything that could help her when she was removed from a puppy class for aggression and attacking our other family dogs. We were stressed and heartbroken. But Michael confidently assured us that there was still hope and he was so right. Michael patiently worked with us to understand her fear and anxiety and build a relationship with Charley that was based on trust. Virtual training sessions proved to be better than in-person because Charley was in the comfort of our home and didn’t have to be stressed with new people/places. The biggest factor that helped us was the accountability aspect of his homework for us and the constant feedback between sessions. When we conquered one task, he’d move us to another. I didn’t think it was possible but Charley started to change. It was as if we peeled back the layers of scared puppy and were able to meet the kind, gentle and loving girl inside. For that, we will forever be grateful. At Michael’s recommendation, we’re ready to move on to working with her on agility and enjoying our dog for who she is.

Michael was prompt, courteous, instructive, and positive at every single session. He also provided us with all of the necessary information and tools to be able to keep up with our training outside of sessions including a message board that he responded to daily. He made himself available and was committed. We highly recommend him. Thanks Michael.

When I first emailed Michael my 5 month old GSD would bark excessively at other dogs and strangers while on leash and in confined areas (vet room for example). It made going on a simple walk challenging. With his guidance and training, I started to realize the incredible importance of listening to my dogs behaviors before his barking initiated, being prepared (positive reinforcement-wise with lots of treats and clicking!), and being aware of my environment in any given situation. Michael has helped guide my timing with rewarding behavior, helped me reach a place where I have a pup that gives me a whole bunch of eye contact on walks, and helped us grow incredibly over the last month. We have even recently received a few compliments on how his barking is improving and how he is behaving. Both Blue and I appreciate everything we have learned!! Update 12/31: Blue is now 80lbs at about 10months (I am only 5”4 and he is strong!!) and I can thankfully say that we are able to take public park walks and watch other dogs on leash with their owners from a far distance comfortably. More importantly, Blue is doing “down in the park in this photo! Months ago he was too fearful to do a down command in a new place. It was so important to learn the indicators of Blue’s anxiety and be able to watch for them. I didn’t think I’d ever get to this point, even when he was only 40lbs! Blue uses a front clip harness and the front clip is SO important as Michael taught us. He is also making new improvements in his grooming and vet visits. We are looking forward to making even more progress!

We’re about half way through the training sessions now, and I can already see the progress. If you’re patient and committed to training with your dog you will see the results. …

We initially came to Houston Dog Behavior and Training to help us introduce our dogs with two kittens we had rescued, but ended up gaining a wealth of knowledge and a change in perspective that will stick with us for the rest of our lives. …

I have a 6 year old, anxiety ridden and moderately aggressive corgi who would pick fights and attack my older corgi unprovoked. After many years of this, I found Michael and with his professional and extremely knowledgeable business, he has …

Our English Bulldog has had issues with pain and aggression. Michael was able to work with us to pinpoint what was going on and come up with an actionable strategy to mitigate his aggression issues. His recommended exercises and training videos were great tools to get us started and build a training platform for our dog. Michael was also able to educate us on the safety steps and percussions we had to take in order to keep our baby safe in the house. I would recommend Michael to anyone having behavioral issues or just needing training for their dog.