Dog Training Reviews

Ralf brings a wealth of expertise and experience to his training sessions. His methodology is effective, engaging, and compassionate. As an educator of both Kip and myself, he adapts to our needs, explains tasks clearly, and corrects promptly. Working with Ralf is a pleasure and the results are gratifying.

— Catherine N.

That’s the dog training that really helps to solve the issues while making the dog and human happier and more confident.

When we found Happy Dog Training, when our dog Malinois had unclear leg pain. I had to limit his daily ball fetching and walks.

I was already after 2 different dog trainings and I knew for example how to play with dog based on his sniffing and finding things. That was very helpful for injured dog but something clearly was missing.

The dog became more anxious, alert, very reactive on leash, and despite of his leg pain, he had lots of not used energy.

I didn’t know how to stop it. I’m an anxious person by myself, which is not easy for me to change it. I started wondering if working on my own behavior is the only thing I can do? Thankfully not.

After dog training with Ralf, our dog is clearly happier, and much calmer.

I don’t want to jinx it, but the situation with his leash reactivity is going much better. I think every anxious dog owner knows how big deal it is to reach finally a breaking through moment when your dog starts to really understand that you don’t want him to go for other dogs or people.

I know now how to make my dog feel fulfilled, enjoy his life, and not make him injured at the same time.

Ralf is very knowledgeable in dog behavioral but also in dog’s health care. He shares his advice freely. I’m strongly recommending this dog trainer as well as his book that I’m reading.

Regarding boarding. We went for a travel for about 15 days. It was a big relief to could leve the dog with someone trustworthy whom our dog likes.

— Maja K.

We sent our 5-year-old standard poodle to Ralf’s 8-week board and train program, and it was one of the best decisions we’ve made for our family.

We were extremely nervous about sending him — he’s an older dog, very attached to us, and would get anxious even if left briefly in the car on dog mode. At home, he’s always physically touching someone, sleeps in our bed at night, and is generally our shadow. With a new baby, his lack of obedience made it hard (and unsafe) to walk him while pushing a stroller, and we worried about him accidentally hurting the baby because of his size (~60 lbs) and energy.

I cried when we signed the contract and was even more concerned when I dropped him off, knowing he’d spend a lot of time (and be sleeping at night) in a heavy-duty crate. Weekly training videos helped, but it was still hard not being able to visit for the first 3–4 weeks. When I finally visited, I immediately saw he was in good hands — Ralf really understands dogs, took the time to get to know ours, and while he didn’t spoil him the same way we do at home, he was clearly very loving and caring towards him.

Ralf was upfront about what he could and couldn’t work on during the program — for example, our dog’s extreme food obsession would have to be addressed at home afterward. He listened carefully to what we wanted to focus on, communicated clearly, was easy to reach, and provided weekly video updates plus extra photos and notes when I was feeling especially anxious. When our dog developed an ear infection, Ralf communicated with us as soon as he noticed an issue, promptly took him to the vet, and gave him his treatments, keep us updated throughout the process.

Now, about a month and a half after coming home, the transformation is incredible. We can take walks as a family — dog, baby, and stroller — without stress. He’s much more obedient, calmer, and easier to manage, but still the same affectionate, silly, and needy dog we love. Ralf also gave us great tips on caring for him, from cleaning his ears to switching to a healthier dog food.

We had been hesitant about the cost, unsure of results we could expect for an older dog, and worried the process might be traumatic for our sweet boy — but this experience exceeded our expectations. Our lives are so much better, and knowing we can continue to reach out to Ralf for guidance is priceless.

If you’re on the fence, trust Ralf. He’s a true expert who invests the time and effort to create an individualized plan for your dog. We’re so grateful for his skill, honesty, and care. Thank you, Ralf!

— Kripa G.

Ralf has trained both of my dogs. My last dog Ozzie needed rehabilitation for some small issues that were fixable. Ozzie was never aggressive or a mean dog. Ozzie developed bad habits due to an illness. Ralf taught us how to probably walk on the leash with Ozzie. Ozzie used to walked me. What a difference the 6 weeks boarding training that Ozzie experienced. This was in 2015.

Ozzie was a different dog. He continued being a sweet gentle giant and walked well on the leash and his fears and issues were corrected. I miss Ozzie. You must keep up the training at home for it to make a difference in your dog. I recently boarded my second dog due to the Eaton fire. We both experienced a great loss of our home. My dog Otis develop anxiety do to the trauma he experienced during our evacuation of the fire. He board with Ralf for 8 weeks. Otis worked on his anxiety and learned new techniques. It’s been 3 months since his training with Ralf. Otis got back his happy spirit. He listen more and he has less anxiety. We are still continuing the training at home.

If you have a dog that needs behavioral training Ralf is your trainer. I would definitely have my next dog train with Ralf. I trust Ralf with my dogs.

Thank you Ralf for helping me and my dogs.

— Arlene A.