Devotion to Dogs

An absolute game changer! Ben has magic touch with dogs...he evaluated the issue in a way that changes how owner and dog interact with one another. We went into the program expecting to see another exercise in all positive reinforcement training, but instead we came away with a better understanding of WHY our dogs did what they did and how to redirect and cut off a lot of the less desirable behavior before it even began. Not to mention that we came away from the experience having been privileged to gain and friend and mentor in Ben D. Highly recommend Devotion to Dogs! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Ben helped us to train two of our mastiff dogs... The best thing about his training is he continues to give you support long after your session is over. . he is very knowledgeable with all types of breeds. During our sessions he explains in depth why your dog is reacting, and how to fix the behavior. It's pretty amazing. I would recommend him paws down!! . More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Ben and his team are awesome at what they do.  Before we found and adopted our girl, Ben took her in and trained her to give her a shot to find a forever home.  Since then Ben has worked closely with us to continue her development process in training and behavior.  He never hesitates to help or answer any questions that might pop up.  He holds Q&As and walks and so many extra resources to aid you in your continued training after you work with him.  When you work with Ben, you are getting all the tools you need (and more) to have an incredible pup.  You just have to put in the work!  We're lucky to have found Ben and are looking forward to continue working with him. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Look no further for your training needs!!!The Devotions To Dogs team is absolutely incredible. We have used them with both our goldendoodles. Our oldest doodle had a hard time with reacting to other dogs and people when on walks. She was not afraid of anyone or anything and thought everyone wanted her. It was very hard to take her out in public before working with the Devotions to dogs team. We are now able to take her out for a walk and she is even able to go off leash! They have totally changed our lives and Minnies.This week we even were able to walk by a construction site off leash and both pups walked nicely and did amazing!Our youngest doodle did a board and train at just 4 months old. She went in not knowing much since she was so young. She came home and has been such an amazing pup! We take her in public and at just 5.5 months old people can not believe how well behaved she is. We can not speak enough great things about Ben and his team. They are our go to for everything our dogs need! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Just wanted to write this long overdue review. Ben and his amazing team helped me with my leash pulling Black lab Bella. Not only did she pull on leash but she would react and lunge at other dogs. After only two sessions we have control and she can now even be off leash and walk trails while we hike. We have so much control! He has monthly pack walks and group obedience as well as question and answers show to help us for life!!!!!!We love devotion to dogs! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I highly recommend Devotion to Dogs, Ben, and his awesome staff. My dog was leash reactive for years, and I had read books, watched training videos, and tried multiple methods with no success. A friend told us to call Ben and I am so glad we did. In our first session Ben explained what my dog was doing and why, and what I needed to do to keep him calm and paying attention. Within 5 minutes he knew exactly what my dog needed! We followed his instructions and now I can take my dog anywhere without worry. Training with Devotion to Dogs is seriously worth every penny! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Excellent trainer, Staff is great very helpful ! Balboa Park Pack Walk is educational, Fun, Beautiful Venue, for training your dogs. Anne ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reviewed on Facebook

D2D has been wonderful with our very large, very anxious German Shepard mix. Her time at their facility gave us the foundation we needed to have a safer, happier dog. They have been patient with questions, encouraged our continued training and growth and truly care about all the dogs. Could not be happier with our results and strongly recommend them! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

We've used Ben's training and constantly reinforced the training to help us with Doc. He's a runner and we never thought we would be able to have him off leash with us in the garage and driveway. He's a perfect gentleman and listens to our commands. He doesn't leave our side. Thanks so much Ben! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This review is really quite long overdue. I started working with Ben back in March for my (then) almost 1 year old mini Aussie/blue heeler mix, Toby, who started becoming aggressive. I stopped having anyone over and was always anxious that he was going to bite someone. I decided it was best to seek professional help because I wanted the best for Toby but also to make sure he wouldn't hurt anyone. I found Ben and it was the best thing for Toby and I. Now, let me just say this. YOU have to be willing to put in the work if you want to see changes. Ben trained me on what to do in certain situations and was straight forward in letting me know that I wasn't setting proper rules/boundaries. Its not something you want to hear but it was the truth and I am so thankful for Ben's honesty. I have now been tread-milling Toby 1-2x/day, taking him out and about for training and working with him in the house since March. I work with him as much as I can when I can and I have seen continued improvement. Don't get me wrong, he's still a little turd who is quite stubborn and likes to challenge me from time to time, but he doesn't do it for long and understands that I am now in charge. I fully believe with more work over time and with age, he will only get better. People are now able to come over and Toby is able to play around them and remain focused on me for direction. He used to hone in on the person coming in the house, aggressively barking and lunging at them, and I was a complete after thought to him so, this to me has been a huge improvement! We are slowly easing Toby in to meeting friends and family who are aware of his behavior and so far so good. Overall, I feel like Ben gave me so many valuable tools in just a few sessions. I would have loved to have continued working with him but unfortunately personal stuff came up that prevented me from being able to do so. Ben, my apologies for dropping off but please know I have continued working with Toby everyday and was serious about putting into practice everything you have shown me. Truly, thank you for all that you have given Toby and I. It's because of you that I now see a bright future full of potential for Toby!If you're reading this and considering working with Ben, just do it. You will not be disappointed. You might think you know how to fix the problem, but trust me, Ben can teach you so much more than you realize! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Ben Davidson has an amazing way with dogs. They just respond to him. He understands them and how to best communicate with each of them. He also is able to help the human to learn their dog's language so the learning can continue. I have a new found ability to get my dog to respond to my commands and to listen to me. He follows up and is available for questions and review. I wish there were 10 stars. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We had a great experience with Devotion to Dogs and Ben. Ben understands dog behavior and is able to communicate clearly with both dogs and humans. He broke everything down in a way that we could understand. He came to our home and even brought his dogs to help mine work on leash reactivity. Within a few minutes, Ben has a clear plan to help my dog understand what we were asking him to do. Within 10 minutes we had my dog walking by Ben's dogs without any issues! It was incredible. Then Ben invited us to his training center to work on my dogs leash reactivity with more dogs. By the end of the session, my dog was doing recall with 3 other dogs in the area and zero reaction to the other dogs! We are beyond satisfied with our experience and will be using Devotion to Dogs any time we need training in the future with our dog. I highly recommend Ben and the Devotion to Dogs team. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

What's not to love about Devotion to dogs? the team at devotion is top notch, Ben has done a wonderful job serving the community and putting out great work. Devotiontodogs is the place for your dog training and behavioral needs. 5 stars More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Ben really helped us with my 2 year old Westie mix. Having just recently graduated and moving out on my own, my dog Otis was also adapting to his new environment, and was struggling. He was showing some leash aggression towards other dogs, and it was particularly bad at the apartment but was now carrying over into our public outings. We were also struggling to leave him home alone as he would just cry (and scream!) constantly, obviously not okay for apartment living. You would think someone was ripping his little paws off in there! He didn't have separation anxiety like this when we lived at my parents, and we desperately needed help!After our first session with Ben, Otis was doing remarkably better. He wasn't as aggressive towards other dogs, and we now knew how to correct this behavior on our own. He gave us the tools to help Otis unlearn his bad behaviors. And even though I was skeptical of the e-collar at first, I came to find that it is a SAFE effective tool for my pup and is helping us provide clarity to him in our trainings. We are still working on the leaving him alone thing, but Ben did give us plenty of directions on how to fix and we are seeing results!Another thing I was SUPER thankful for: Ben noticed that Otis was having some abnormal throat sensitivity when we working with his collars. He recommended we reach out to the vet to get it checked out, so we are. Additional pluses: Once you are a member of Devotion to Dogs, you are a member forever! You get added to a private Facebook group for his clients and are privy to Ben and his knowledge! He does biweekly live Q&As and often answers questions directly in the group. There are a lot of opportunities to connect with him and other members and train your dogs together.One thing they could work on would probably be follow up. I had to do most of the follow up with DTD to get my invoice issued so I could pay. I also had to reach out to them the afternoon before my second appointment to get information about where it would be, what we would be doing, etc. I do know that DTD is growing FAST and they are working to implement some new software and programs/processes, so I understand things get missed. He does have a great, attentive staff who did help me get these things rather quickly, which was nice.Overall we are very pleased with Ben and his services and are glad to have found an effective trainer who not only knows what he is doing, but also shows the love and compassion he has for his dogs to yours as well. Thank you Ben and everyone at DTD! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Awesome place the owner is dedicated to his clients and providing a better quality of life for our babies.. Ben works from his heart & it shows.

Reviewed on Facebook

I was feeling hopeless and extremely sad. My one year old, female, rescue Greyhound/Dane mix and my 6 yr old female German Shepherd suddenly started fighting, bad fighting, going for the throat, multiple ER vet visits for wound cleaning, drains, staples, etc. Multiple vets told me that I needed to re-home one of the dogs. I knew for safety that was probably gonna have to happen. Then I found Ben Davidson from Devotion to Dogs, he changed our lives. With intensive board and train, e-collar training, obedience, and all his magic, we are all still together! I won't go into detail about all the behavior issues but I had a punk of a puppy and a 6 yr old neurotic, anxious dog. Things are not perfect but Ben trained around those issues and was able to create a training plan and with e-collar correction. I feel much more at ease knowing that I have the e-collar to stop a fight if it happens. It's been about 2-3 mos. now and no fights, but I also do not leave them alone together when I'm at work, they are separated. I don't want to overlook the exercise portion of the training program. The dogs were trained to use an exercise treadmill. I found a brand new DogPacer 3.1 on OfferUp for half the retail price. Exercising the dogs helped tremendously, it helped calm them down. Walking your dogs probably isn't enough to get out the excess energy and Ben will tell you that. Thank you Ben and team, God Bless you and your love of dogs and creating harmony at home. I love you guys!Call Devotion to Dogs right now if you have issues with your dogs, you will not regret it! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We reached out to Ben after getting our second dog, our oldest started lunging at her and showing aggression/irritation with our new puppy. Ben came to our house which was huge considering he only tries lunging at her at home, and instantly started helping us fix the mistakes we were making and things to change in order for both of our pups to be happy. We're still a work in progress but who isn't! It's nice knowing we can still reach out with any questions or concerns about the dogs, as well as the monthly walks that we are excited to start doing! Thanks again Ben! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Rusty is doing much better still in process.

Reviewed on Facebook

Ben was amazing to work with as he taught us skills to manage a 2 year old Great Pyrenees rescue. Bens tools and techniques had us managing our dog immediately and feeling more confident to welcome our new fur baby to his forever home.

Reviewed on Facebook

Ben was amazing to work with as he taught us skills to manage a 2 year old Great Pyrenees rescue. Bens tools and techniques had us managing our dog immediately and feeling more confident to welcome our new fur baby to his new home.

Reviewed on Yelp

What a wonderful dog we received back from Ben & his team from Devotion to dogs. Thanks so much for your caring about making such a big dog easy to handle. Bro is happy and so are we. We will continuing his training with the workouts you have suggested. We have a terrifically trained dog. Kudos to you & Devotion to Dogs and Donna P from Happy Hearts German Shepherd Rescue for bringing Bro into our lives. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I can't emphasize enough how good Ben and Devotion to Dogs are! We just adopted a rescue shepherd lab retriever mix and she had separation anxiety, resource guarding, chewing, etc issues. After ONE session with Ben, we saw immediate improvement. After only a couple weeks of training she is now nearly completely better and the most lovable sweetheart ever. We just had our follow up session and were able to work on more complex training. Don't look anywhere else, just go with Ben! Not only do you get two sessions (over 6hours of training!), but you also get access to a private Facebook group with tons of videos and commentary to help with any future training need you may have. Totally and completely worth it! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My lab Liliana has had resource guarding issues since she was a small puppy. We thought at first it was just puppy play biting. It started small and then built up to something that became unmanageable. She attacked me more times then I can even remember. I cried myself to sleep one night after she attacked me and made my hand swell twice it’s size. I knew if I didn’t bring in a professional I would have to give her up. We flew 5,000 miles from Japan to San Diego so she could be trained. I was at a loss for where I should take her and where I would actually get my money’s worth because MAN, dogs are expensive to train. In steps Devotion to Dogs. I had heard from many people that Ben was great and everyone loved the work he did. He recommended a board and train and worked with me on pricing and my crazy schedule. I got updates on her progress and loved seeing the videos with Lily in them. Three weeks later it was MY turn to be trained. Ben was very patient with me while I struggled on the right words to use and buttons to hit on the E collar. He talked me through everything and any questions I asked, he had an answer for. I’m happy to say I’m confident in my ability to see my dog through any tough situation. With that being said, if I ever do need help I know Ben and his awesome staff are an email or phone call away. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Becoming apart of the Devotion to Dogs community has been one of the BEST decisions I have ever made. My husky used to be reactive towards dogs and had no leash manners. I was always so stressed taking my dog out to places where I knew other dogs would be! One session with Ben was enough to fix many issues that I was having. He shows you exactly how to lead and correct your dog's behavior. It's been a little over a week since my initial appt, and there is so much progress. I am much more confident having my dog around other dogs now because I know how to control the situation. On top of all that, Ben is a very genuine person, and you can definitely tell he LOVES what he does. I can't thank him enough! 11/10 would recommend! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I can't even begin to say how amazing this company is. I went from having to walk my three dogs, one at a time, to walking all three at once. All three were pullers and are very strong so I couldn't control them. Definitely couldn't control them if another dog or person walked by. With just the initial visit from Ben, my dogs are so much more obedient! Not only did he train my dogs, he trained me! He taught me how to control my dogs. How to get them to actually listen to me. My puppy doesn't destroy things anymore. My dogs are worn out daily. I recommend this company to anyone and everyone needing even minimal training. Great company! They listen to what your concerns are and what you want to work on with your dogs. I can't wait to get one of my dogs off leash trained and even bite trained!!!!! What are you waiting for Hire them ASAP!!!!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This company is making this five star review very easy for us. We have a full grown 100lb Rottweiler that was at one point in danger of being put down. We called Ben at Devotion to Dogs as a last resort as we were running out of options. Although our dog was well trained, he lacked socialization, hence a serious liability. He would attack dogs, lunge at people, cars, and bicyclists. Ben came and evaluated him and set up a program that included bringing a therapy dog to help our dog understand there was another way for him. There was much more Ben did to heal our dog I won't go into, but please know that Ben Davidson is "The Dog Whisperer" here in San Diego and Nationally. Big Daddy and Lady Pick More...

Reviewed on Yelp

5 star as good as it gets! We were referred to DTD /Ben and talked to him about our Rhodesian Ridge Back. It's a large breed and when they are not trained properly can be a handful. First, we liked the fact that Ben came to our home and in the area, the dog lives he started the training. We enrolled Buster in a two-week board & train with Ben. We were appraised with calls photos and the text's on progress. We also met Ben & Buster at several training venues during this initial training and took part in the dog training/ "people" training. Ben gave us hands-on practical in-field training for us and the dog.We have attended his weekend group training as a follow-up. Very important to have the socialization with other dogs addressed. It's fun and enjoyable to have a calm and pleasant dog to dog meeting.The nice thing is it's "never over" training with Ben. If you need a habit addressed or some issue with your dog this guy is on it. He's responsive & will help A. understand what is going on with the dog B. How to train the dog to change the behavior.Bottom line if you want the best for your dog work with DTS & Ben, More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I am beyond thankful I decided to commit to training with Ben. I was skeptical about not having multiple sessions setup but after our initial session my dog is already night and day. I feel equipped to handle and continue improving the major problems  we were having. Ben was direct and incredibly effective as well as kind and you could tell he knew what he was talking about. We worked on non stop barking, things to calm his anxiety, leash training and interacting with other people as well as dogs. It sounds crazy all this could be so much better from one visit but I promise Ben is not all talk and he actually gave us life changing results. I was so overwhelmed and felt concerned every day because our big baby was so intense but now he's able to relax and so can we. I'm excited to see how much he continues to improve with all of these tools. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

DTD is not just training dogs and owners, it is a great community that supports each other in our growth with our dogs. Many have different goals for their animal (stop leash aggression, hyperactivity, bitting, basic obedience, etc), but we all help out each other. Ben and his staff are very caring and always there to help. The weekly Q & As are also another source of great information and support. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

To start off I have a 5 pound miniature pinscher that hated everyone, and everything that moves, or breathes. It was getting so bad that we couldn't even leave the house or get up without her barking and attacking us, biting us leaving marks. She didn't know how to appropriately walk on a leash, or behave. She ran the place. She would try to attack and go crazy anytime she laid eyes on anyone. I had contacted some other trainers and they wanted an arm and a leg and some trainers told me "she has little dog syndrome that's just how she is, it's not fixable". I was so discouraged and felt completely hopeless, and getting rid of her wasn't an option so I thought we were going to have to suffer for the rest of our life's. I happen to come across someone else needing a dog trainer and saw many people refer Ben, so I went on his page and read all the reviews and contacted them immediately. I then received a call from Bens office and then another from Ben himself. He took the time to let me vent about my dogs bad behavior and give me tips and told me everything. I then decided to make the jump. Although I was skeptical because of other trainers opinions. Within 5 minutes of Ben being at our home I knew I made the right decision. She went from attacking him to sitting on his lap snuggling with him. We spent the next few hours working on us coming in and out of the house and leaving without her attacking us or visitors and learning how to correct her behavior. By the end of our session we were walking past people and entering/ leaving our home with amazing results. And she now walks on a leash. The next day we went on 5 different long walks because we were just so excited to be out with her. We walked past people and most of the time their was no correction needed but if there was we were now able to control it within the matter of seconds. We even walked her into petco without around other dogs and people and she was amazing. I am very satisfied with these results after one training session. I highly recommend! It's been almost a month and we've been able to take her beach camping, to the dog beach and everywhere and she doesn't try to eat everyone in sight even kids and motorcycles riding by she is such a good girl now! Thank you Ben! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We just completed our board and train program and are blown away by the results. Our dog Frankie is a 1.5 year old rescue that began showing signs of aggression and biting strangers, lunging at other dogs on walks at about the same time we had our second child, a few months ago. With two small children we could not take the smallest risk with him. Devastated, we attempted to surrender him to a shelter, he was there for two days when they called and asked us to sign a permission to euthanize because they were unable to handle him. We immediately went to get Frankie and walked him right out of there, never looking back. I called everyone I could - trainers, shelters, and finally our vets office, where we were referred to Ben. I explained our situation and she guaranteed me that Ben would CHANGE our dog. Working at a vets office and Knowing the stakes (that children were involved), I knew this had to be the place. Fast forward 1 month later - we have a different dog. It's absolutely amazing what ben did. It's not magic, (although it certainly seems that way), it's Ben and his team. At the sake of sounding cheesy, they are 100% without a doubt, actually DEVOTED to training and correcting dangerous behavior in dogs. He put in endless hours, effort and truly worked to make sure Frankie knows his place. What's more, he will put in however much time is necessary to teach US (the people) how to continue this new reality. This is not a 9-5 gig for these guys. We would receive texts of Frankie throughout the day, at the park or in a bank or store, being greeted by strangers.I've got a newborn and a 4 year old and a busy schedule - but it doesn't matter. Ben tailored a development plan specific to our life to ensure not only that Frankie can stay alive but that he can thrive and our family can achieve harmony with Frankie.Simply put, these guys are amazing. Don't hesitate for a minute to train and board your dog here. Thank you DTD!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Ben has worked wonders with Olive (German Shepherd) and Nanook (Husky) it was tough always keeping them in the back and not able to have them join us. But thanks to the training they are able to go everywhere with us. No more dog aggression and no more leash pulling. I’m so thankful for Ben and his crew. And we still keep up with their training. Thank you all so much!!! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Thank you devotiontodogs ben, shannon, nichole specially that i work with hand in hand and answer all my question with quick response, thank you for giving him the foundation to become the best husky! He is such a trouble maker before i found you guys hachiko is so behaved its like a new dog... now one more dog to go moe we miss you! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

It's a tale as old as time....an adorable puppy is advertised through a rescue as "well-socialized" and "great with kids and animals" and they turn out to be a different animal once they come home. In my case, my pup was fearful of anyone besides me, cars, dogs, signs, the wind blowing, you name it. And when I say fearful, I mean cowering, tale tucked between her legs, and submissive urination. Yikes! I made some progress on my own during our first month but couldn't get her to go potty with anyone else besides me, stop avoiding other family members, and stop being hyper-vigilant on our walks. This was not a workable situation. Enter Ben. In one session, he gave us simple, yet effective tools to take better control over the situation.Things were immediately more manageable, and over a month's time, my girl is a different dog. She still has a way to go in some respects but she now loves my son, has fun on walks, and will go potty with the people she knows. I particularly appreciate that Ben is pragmatic.  He devised a plan to fit our family's lifestyle, was very clear in his instructions, took all the time we needed, and has conscientiously followed up with us. With difficult dogs there is no magic wand.  You need to put in the work. But with Ben's expert guidance, at least you can invest the energy in a results-driven way. Thank you Ben, we owe you! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Our dog Rusty was so aggressive to any other dog when we walked him. All the neighbors would avoid us. After one session with Ben and learning what type collar and tools we needed to use our dog is so good. No more aggression and walking him is a pleasure rather than a chore. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

To start off I have a 5 pound miniature pinscher that hated everyone, and everything that moves, or breathes. It was getting so bad that we couldn’t even leave the house or get up without her barking and attacking us, biting us leaving marks. She didn’t know how to appropriately walk on a leash, or behave. She ran the place. She would try to attack and go crazy anytime she laid eyes on anyone. I had contacted some other trainers and they wanted an arm and a leg and some trainers told me “she has little dog syndrome that’s just how she is, it’s not fixable”. I was so discouraged and felt completely hopeless, and getting rid of her wasn’t an option so I thought we were going to have to suffer for the rest of our life’s. I happen to come across someone else needing a dog trainer and saw many people refer Ben, so I went on his page and read all the reviews and contacted them immediately. I then received a call from Bens office and then another from Ben himself. He took the time to let me vent about my dogs bad behavior and give me tips and told me everything. I then decided to make the jump. Although I was skeptical because of other trainers opinions. Within 5 minutes of Ben being at our home I knew I made the right decision. She went from attacking him to sitting on his lap snuggling with him. We spent the next few hours working on us coming in and out of the house and leaving without her attacking us or visitors and learning how to correct her behavior. By the end of our session we were walking past people and entering/ leaving our home with amazing results. And she now walks on a leash. The next day we went on 5 different long walks because we were just so excited to be out with her. We walked past people and most of the time their was no correction needed but if there was we were now able to control it within the matter of seconds. We even walked her into petco without around other dogs and people and she was amazing. I am very satisfied with these results after one training session. I highly recommend! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Ben is amazing! After our first lesson, I noticed a complete change in my girl, she is now a completely different dog on leash and off. I still can't believe the change in her. I have and will continue to recommend Devotion to Dogs to everyone I meet. Thank you Ben for everything you do!!!! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

we were at our wits end with our-boxer Bruce's behavior problems.. lunging at other dogs on walks, throwing himself at the car window when driving pass dogs, running away to the farm next door any chance he saw and starting fights with the other animals. .we literally physically couldn't control him-he would bodyslam us if we tried to correct him. All day he would bark and throw a fit if anyone went by our house. It got so stressful we couldn't live that way anymore! We met with the vet- his health checked out fine, we tried doggie prozac- nothing worked. He was a great dog for 5 years.. something happened last year.. he was confronted by 3 loose dogs on a hike, he was in a scuffle at dog beach a few times, and at boarding places I think he had some bad experiences..he became very fearful of dogs and acted out via this aggression. I saw a random FB post via a friend where I learned about Devotion to Dogs.. we put Bruce into the program and it literally saved him!! We could not be happier with the results of Ben's program with Bruce. We can walk him now, he has not run away a single time since he came home.. he is calm, happy, the stress is gone. We have a new routine from Ben that we follow faithfully every day and its worth the time because it is what Bruce needs to be a good dog! Very grateful for having found Ben and the Bruce back that we know and love! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Two months ago I adopted my 1 year old, black German Shepherd Luna from the humane society. She had been a stray and was such an untrained, hyper, dog and car reactive dog that I could only take her to walk in the middle of the night. I hired a trainer who could not control her. Luna was like a fish out of water and opened her spay incision more than once by jumping around. Our Vet referred us to Ben at Devotion to Dogs. Luna stayed with Ben for two weeks. Before and after she came home we had a few training sessions so I could learn how to continue her training. WOW - what a miracle!!! Luna is an awesome, well trained , happy dog. She loves people and dogs. We now can go to crowded farmers markets, dog parks and anywhere. She has become my dream dog. She even quietly stays in her place during dinner. She loves Ben and the skilled, loving staff at Devotion to Dogs. We will continue our training there for Luna's whole life. Thank you Ben and Nicole !!!Dr. Lori Gritz More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My opinion still runs true with Ben and Devotion to Dogs! The best I've ever come across. Still to this day Ben and his team are still around when I need help with my dog. They truly care about dogs and want their best interest in making them better dogs. He's taken dogs that people have abandoned and turned them around. I've had my dog for exactly a year and every time we see Ben or his team my dog gets beyond excited. I think she likes them more than me. Haha. Ben has taught me so much about my dog and her behavior. She is no longer that crazy reactive dog thanks to his knowledge and skills. Any dog I ever get in the future will be going to Devotion to Dogs for whatever training they need. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Life changing! This is the only way to describe our experience with Ben and Devotion to Dogs. We have 3 Yorkies, two are 10 years, and one is 11 years, who we have had since they were very young. They have always been barkers, and got worse over the years. It was a nightmare having people ring the door bell and exhausting having guests over, since they wouldn’t let anyone standup without barking at and chasing them. We tried so many things and nothing seemed to stick. We tried online advice from training articles, used three different trainers, tried ignoring their bad behavior, and yelled at them to “stop barking,” too many times to count. One of my best friends, who lives in Chicago, was telling me about the trainer she flew out to train her two boys before her baby arrived. She said he was from La Mesa, so I looked him up. I was super nervous about training methods. My babies are scared of a lot of things and I didn’t want to do anything that might make them shut down or be scared of me. I contacted Devotion to Dogs via their webpage and received a call from Ben shortly after. I shared my concerns, he acknowledged them and explained different methods he might use for our situation. He made me feel at ease and hopeful that he would be a good fit for my babies….and I was right! When Ben and Krystle got to the house, the dogs went crazy, barking, jumping…chaos as usual. Within 2 minutes, they were all quiet. Within 5 minutes, Ben and Krystle could walk around without them making a sound. The first walk we went on after training was awesome! No pulling and no barking at other dogs walking! A man driving by even complimented us on how well behaved our babies were!!!! WHAT?!?!?! That made my heart explode with joy! A huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders. We have a part of our lives back and we are so excited!!! We continue to work with our fur-babies daily and they are doing amazing! Thank you Devotion to Dogs!!!! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Ben did a fantastic job with our dog, Violet. He also gave us clear instructions on how to work with her moving forward. He clearly understands dogs. He is also great at communicating that understanding so that we can work through problem behaviors. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

First Off,Thank you, Ben! I cannot believe how much my American Bully boy Loso has changed since you came over and helped us out with our issues with his erotic behavior. Anyone who is looking for a trainer this is your guy! Within the FIRST session its like we have our self a new dog that is understanding and obedient! After some of Ben's techniques and tools that he taught us we are now able to communicate and bring around our family and friends instead of dealing with constant problems that (at the beginning 4-5 months old) we thought he would just grow out of, but lasted months (now 13 months) and were never going to change!Long Story,My boy Loso is an American Bully (Oro/LouisV/Dax Blood) weighs about 75 lbs now and was 13 months at the time of training. My wife and I have a son that is 2 yrs old and are expecting another baby boy any day now. Loso would constantly pull on the leash, jump on strangers when he first met them, and our biggest problem started when Loso was 6 months he started having a weird obsession with CHASING HIS TAIL. He would go after his tail for hours and random parts of the night, barking at it, and chasing it to the point of exhaustion. So I looked it up online and read numerous articles to see if it was normal behavior for his age and if he would grow out of it and what we could do to stop it. I tried everything, giving him toys to redirect his attention, taking him on longer walks to different places, bringing him around other dogs to play, anti-itch and healing ointments, anything that would excite his mind and try to fulfill his needs. He wouldn't chase his tail anywhere we went but would always chase it at home. I was reluctant to get a trainer because I thought I could figure it out myself or it was just a phase with him being a puppy.A few months pass and were still having problems with him and randomly one night we hear him chasing his tail in his kennel but this time he was crying and barking, I didn't think anything of it but the next morning I see THE LAST INCH OF HIS TAIL WAS BLOODY AND CHEWED. Took him to the vet and hit us with a $1000 vet bill and I had to get half his tail amputated. THIS STILL DID NOT STOP HIM! After this, I was getting desperate and I didn't know what to do anymore and felt bad for him because his behavior was so erratic it was affecting his life, losing weight, not eating, we always had to leave him outside because he wouldn't stop chasing his tail inside the house. My wife was 8 months pregnant and I would be leaving soon for a while for work and I was starting to get worried if we could keep him because of all the problems and my wife not going to be able to handle him with the newborn about to be here. So I started looking for trainers on Yelp, called almost everyone on here letting them know my story and my problems. I needed someone experienced and confident that they could help me regardless of the price. A few trainers told me that they "think" they could help, a few recommended I get 10 sessions with them and put him on doggy Prozac to "calm him down" (which I was completely against) and they "think" the problem could be fixed but it will take some time which I didn't have. When I talked to Ben immediately I felt he understood my problems and kept it real with me telling me it was an ERRATIC BEHAVIOR and I wasn't meeting his needs. The biggest thing was that he told me he could help me out and it was no problem, not that he thinks he could. He's always busy so I had to wait two weeks for our first training lesson so beforehand he recommended I got a treadmill so I bought one for $60 off offer up. When he came over he showed me how to put Loso on the treadmill, showed me and my wife a different way of walking him on the leash and within the first 5 minutes it was like I was walking a new dog! He taught me a different technique of using our E-Collar and what to do the next few weeks whenever he chases his tail and what to do when he jumps on people. The following weeks I executed Ben's plan and EVERYTHING WORKED! Stopped chasing his tail, doesn't pull on the leash, sits on command, he's able to free roam around my house now, and biggest thing my wife and family can now play with him and communicate with him without being scared!My only regret is not finding him sooner! I would recommend anyone with a puppy or fully grown dog to use Ben with whatever issues you're having or for basic obedience training to extreme cases as I had. THANK YOU BEN! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Another shout out to Ben.  His training of my dog Rylee (and myself) was life changing!  We are both so happy thanks to Ben and his staff at Devotion to dogs!

Reviewed on Yelp

Ben is helping Hank become the wonderful dog I know he can be! I miss you Hank but you are in the best possible place! Thanks so much Ben!

Reviewed on Facebook