Dog Training Reviews

There aren’t enough stars to rate this amazing dog and dog owner trainer!!!

Horus is a very dominant/alpha dog and highly intelligent. But he is also very scared and lacking in confidence. A dog like this was not something I was equipped to handle. I needed help. Luckily, my friend referred me to Ralf. The first day we met Ralf, Horus took to him right away. A good sign. I felt very comfortable and at ease around Ralf.

During all our training sessions, Ralf made sure to physically guide me through everything I needed to do, the rationale and science behind it, and prompted me to look over the website tutorials as well. The trifecta of training instilled the lessons that I needed to teach my dog and how I was going to do that. Not to mention, training was always fun because Ralf was easy to talk to and not just about dog training!

Training Outcomes

Months later, and after 15 sessions with Ralf, Horus can go out in public and be around people, which wasn’t something we could do before. He is now very patient with my niece and even licks and cuddles with her. When she is rambunctious, he either lays there as she plays around him, or he moves into another room when it becomes too much. I have had family and friends comment on how much better Horus has become, and they are shocked that he has progressed this much!

After training with Ralf, I have learned Horus’ physical markers that indicate when he is scared or stressed and proactively work with him to prevent a negative response. The use of “ah-ah” and the cheese rain of distracting food still do the trick. The list of things that scare him is becoming much smaller since we started training with Ralf! Horus and I have continued to train, even after the end of our 15 sessions with Ralf. All the videos and blogs on the website have been immensely helpful for this. Horus is a new dog, I’m a better dog owner, and we couldn’t be happier!

Thank you, Ralf, for helping polish this diamond in the rough!

Training Highlights

During one of the first training days, a stray dog attempted to mount Horus (which he didn’t like), so Horus went after the dog. Unfortunately, he slipped out of his collar and ran after this dog onto a very busy main street. Immediately, Ralf stepped in front of the oncoming traffic to ensure that Horus returned safely into our yard. At this moment, I knew without a doubt that Ralf was a fantastic trainer that would do anything for animals. He jumped in front of traffic for a dog that wasn’t his. Also, we promptly switched to the Leather Agitation Collar (2 inches) from Leerburg to avoid this situation from happening again (big neck, small head).

In the next lesson, I learned that my stressed reactions only worsened Horus. At one point, Ralf had me stand back and observe. When I was not in the picture, Horus was calm and didn’t even respond to the situation like he previously had. The dog owner also got a bit of training.

— Amanda D.

I absolutely love my animals and didn’t think much of Charlie not going upstairs after a fire in my home. I just didn’t want him stressed out and if he didn’t want to go upstairs, well okay. When he was bitten by a rattlesnake, I realized that in case of an emergency or when Charlie needs additional care, being scared of going upstairs (anywhere) was a huge problem! Ralf was kind, firm, and understanding. In a very short period of time, Charlie was going upstairs, and now, he’s having fun upstairs once again. Learning about Charlie’s personality and how his mind works did wonders for our owner/dog relationship, now we go for walks and runs (he runs and I try to keep up LOL) and he returns to me when I call him. We play a lot. Now when he wants something from me, Charlie comes and gets me then goes and shows me what he wants. We have built a great relationship! Thank you, Ralf!

Your score is 5 stars!!!!! Charlie and I would give you 500 if it was possible.

— Marene J

I received a rare opportunity to shadow Ralf Weber for 2+ months this summer. Ralf’s shadow program offers a vast amount of knowledge. But, he specializes in the modification of canine fearful behavior. As a student of dog behavior, I was able to observe the changes in the canine clients he worked with. I saw their confidence increase with each session. The knowledge I received and applied to my dogs during my program has made a noticeable difference. Primarily in regards to their confidence.

Ralf uses a solid, well-researched combination of science and modern dog training techniques to help the dogs and owners achieve their goals. The program itself is well-rounded and in-depth. I had access to select daytime sessions. Both at the facility and in the clients’ homes. On specific evenings, Ralf conducts social club nights. We worked on fear and other undesirable behaviors in the presence of other dogs.

Ralf made me feel comfortable and relaxed during the sessions. He offered information on growing a business, website design, branding, and even a little sword fighting and magic tricks on the side! I observed his day-to-day training routine with clients, worked with “board and trains,” and worked with my dogs under his supervision. He was able to explain his methods clearly and answered any questions I had.

I appreciate my time with Ralf and will use the skills I learned from him daily. I recommend his program without reservation.

— Sara W

When Willow was a few months old, I knew she was a smart girl. But she needed more training than I was able to provide. I began to seek out trainers that would provide a one-on-one training environment. I was looking for help targeted towards Willow’s insecure barking and reactivity towards people and dogs … this search landed us in the hands of Ralf Weber from Happy Dog Training.

I’m amazed at the progress both Willow and I made during our 15 sessions. She went from reacting and checking out to either no reaction or reacting and then checking in for further direction. Oh, the magic of the ‘ah-ah’!

Ralf’s methods are simple and clear, focusing on timing and direction using verbal markers. This speaks to me as a horse person who trains horses using natural horsemanship methods. If natural dogmanship is a thing, Ralf has it!

Willow and I still have work to do, but I feel fully equipped with the knowledge and tools to continue her progress.

— Angela A.