I Speak Dog - Behaviorist & Trainer - DogTrainerOC.com
Laguna Niguel, CA
(23)
Laguna Niguel, CA
(23)
Please view website for contacting me. DogTrainerOC.com
Dog Training Group Classes, Private in-home lessons, Private Dog Park, Community Pack Walks (150+ dogs)
More information such as pricing and curriculums on my website DogTrainerOC.com
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23 customer reviews
Merilee Schantz ..
I must RAVE about Tommy, and what he has accomplished in only one weeks time at his boarding/ training location for our 5 month old Golden Retriever! Our biggest issue ( and urgent) was our puppy beginning to constantly jump up on us and start shredding our clothes. Even with the two well known dog training books that I faithfully followed, nothing was working with him. He quickly decided he had no boundaries with us. I was extremely hesitant to send my puppy away with a stranger, but after a hour consultation with Tommy he made me feel more comfortable with the idea. Tommy " worked miracles" with our puppy!! He is a TOTALLY different dog! We were so thrilled with his results that we are immediately continuing on with private lessons! Thank you Tommy....you are indeed a dog speaker!!! Merilee S. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Aimee P.
I worked with Tommy in order to address a formerly well behaved dog who had been overcome with some neurotic behaviors (namely pacing and whining, eliminating in the house) after being diagnosed and treated for Cushing's. After entering my home for the session, I went to go get my dog, but Tommy wanted to just talk to me first, so he instructed me to leave her in her crate. We started talking about my dog's diet and routines and within 10 minutes of being in my home, without even having met her, he concluded that her behaviors are due to her being overly medicated with things like Trifexis, and that I should stop this monthly prevention medication for fleas, ticks and heartworms. He told me about a client whose dogs had seizures due to Trifexis. I made a mental note to do my own research. When they did meet, my dog immediately responded positively to Tommy's energy; he clearly knows his way around dogs. Tommy concluded with confidence that she was behaving nervously because she is "a dog without a job". In the absence of getting work assigned, my dog was assuming the alpha role. Tommy then goes to share pages from his book about hiding treats and making your dog search for them. He shared from his book several times during our meeting. It almost felt like an agenda. When he left, my two plans of action were to start hiding her food bowl and treats and playing search several times a day, and also researching whether Trifexis is safe for my dog. Were these going to change my dog? I had to try... I hid that food bowl all over the place, and did challenge my dog to find it over the next few weeks. I kept waiting for her behavior to change, but no amount of hiding treats got my dog to stop whining, pacing, and eliminating in the house for attention. A month later, still desperate for some peace, I was able to secure an appointment with a different dog behaviorist, who agreed with Tommy that my dog is playing the alpha role. But instead of asking me to hide her treat bowl and stop Trifexis, he taught me several tools to communicate with my dog and give corrections when she is exhibiting the unwanted behavior. Since then, my household has been much calmer. While she's not quite back to my perfect dog yet, she is well on her way and I've noticed a dramatic reduction in her neurotic behavior. Tommy is good with dogs, but I felt he has a one size fits all approach to advice (everything consistent with the book). Though he did seem to connect with my dog, his methods were not effective for me. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Sandra A.
Tommy is absolutely amazing with dogs!!! We had tried a dog trainer and another dog behaviorist before and were feeling really hopeless because we still had the same issues. I contacted Tommy and he was super helpful and I immediately knew he was the right one and could help us. We have two little 8lb. balls of love that needed some direction and discipline and yet we didn't want them to be trained by a drill sargent. Tommy's approach is brilliant, he is truly magical with dogs. I'm learning so much from him and about how my energy was not helpful in many situations. He definitely speaks dog and figured out almost immediately the different problems, He is very patient and very committed to helping you learn how to respond, react and be a good leader for your dog. I highly recommend Tommy and am grateful to have his help and expertise. It's always sad when our seesion is over because he brings so much positive energy into our home. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Wendi K.
I learned that OC Pup Scouts offered dog training because I have a seven year old that has been doing pack walks for over a year - which we both love. When we brought home a puppy this summer, I reached out for training, and met Evan. Evan has been a wonderful teacher and has taught my 6 month old puppy so many commands in just 4 sessions. Evan has a great style and wonderful follow up. I highly recommend! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Caryn M.
Tommy is a wonderful trainer! His knowledge and understanding of dogs and their behavior is incredible. I contacted him due to some food possessive behavior and newly aggressive behavior my 8 year old frenchie was displaying. He was very responsive, replied to my message in a timely manner, and hopped on a call with me later that day. We were able to schedule with him the next week, and he spent an hour working with us in our home. He taught us within one hour how to teach our dogs to respect boundaries and space, especially around food. I am so happy to report that things are still going so great! My 8 year old frenchie has shocked me with how well he's doing. He caught on so quick to our new commands and routine around food. My 11 month old puppy is doing better, but still learning, but definitely showing a vast improvement from before we worked with Tommy. I can't recommend him enough! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Patty K.
When I first adopted my Border Collie mix I knew WE were going to need some training. It took me awhile to find Tommy as I don't believe in shock collars. It is hard to find a great trainer like Tommy that believes in positive reinforcement not the lazy way out with a shock collar. My "little" Border Collie mix grew in to an 85 pound beautiful dog. If he had not had our training with Tommy I know that I would not have been able to handle him. Thank you Tommy, forever grateful for having you in Zen's and my life. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Tommy Stark
Check yelp reviews!!! Also website
Reviewed on Facebook
Lindy D.
I've had dogs my whole life and loved them. The type of love where I can't pass other dogs walking by without my voice rising an octave and magnetically being compelled to walk over and say "hey there what a beautiful puppy" no matter what manner of mutt they have. Training my dogs has always been another matter. They slept in my bed, ate my food, crapped on expensive furniture, carpets etc. and did not obey me in general. I just enjoyed getting the love. These two new puppies, I realized, are going to be over 70 pounds each large standard goldendoodles, and I am no longer the spring chicken of yore. It was critical this time to train ME and my husband, and I knew sending them away doesn't work ( my daughter spent $2000 on her Doodle, he was perfect when he came back and she let him do whatever after that and LITERALLY, 2 grand pissed away all over her house.). Tommy Stark came in, gave us a private lesson, told us all the things we specifically were doing wrong, gave us a list of what to buy ( exercise crates, another pen, etc.) and we are starting group class Saturday for socialization. Our pups were magically listening to him but honestly it's been much harder since he left. He definitely knows what he is doing however and I look forward to class! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Beth E.
I have known Tommy for over ten years and I have watched him work with owners and dogs at all levels of experience and efficacy. I love Tommy's gentle approach with both humans and creatures as he teaches people how to be assertively "in charge " of their dogs. His techniques make sense, are easy to apply to your own training sessions with your dog, and are very effective. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Melissa E.
Tommy is an incredible trainer, knowledgable and helped me solve an ongoing problem I've been having with my pup in literally minutes. Thank you so much Tommy, I am so grateful for your stellar dog expertise and care!! I highly recommend booking with him, he is amazing! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Jessy Durazo
I highly recommend using Tommy as a trainer. He makes everything easy to understand and execute. It’s easy to tell that he has been doing this successfully for a long time. He not only helps the dogs, but the owners to be confident in what they are doing. I also highly appreciate that he gets things done through positive reinforcement and building the dog‘s confidence. Nothing is used that could potentially scare the dogs and make them listen to you only, because they’re scared of the consequences. He’s also amazing with reactive dogs and breeds that are often deemed as aggressive. Can‘t wait to continue our journey with him for the intermediate training. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
D H.
Tommy is a master of his craft. He knows how to handle even difficult and reactive dogs and all that through body language and positive reinforcement only. He makes everything easy to understand and follow. Not only are my two puppies more confident after his training, I am, too. He gives you all the tools to succeed in training your dog. If you put in the time and effort to follow his lead and advice, you'll have a well behaved dog. I truly enjoyed the beginner classes and was looking forward to going every week, because I could see how well his training methods worked. It also helped that he created a very relaxed environment that was judgement free. We will definitely be back for the intermediate course! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Debbie S.
My daughter decided to get her dog trained for pulling etc. We soon got a rescue dog and assumed that it would be friendly with my daughters dog. We watch her dog about five days a week while she's working and a lot of times overnight and on weekends. Thinking they would be best buddies they got into a dog fight the first time they met which scared me, I thought about returning my dog to the rescue. We pretty quickly decided to get into the training and we had Tommy come to our house in hopes that these dogs would be friends. I did not believe it would happen because of the dog fight, when will I ever let them be together again. Following Tommy's training and guidance each week it did happen. My daughter's dog and my rescue dog are getting along great. It took time, it took persistence with following his training, and it worked. We are involved in all of his training for both of our dogs and they are becoming different dogs they are becoming better dogs, and we are becoming better dog owners. He is just amazing as a dog trainer. Can't wait to learn more. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Victoria
Dog Training
Tommy is straight forward with his training techniques. Also has an impressive background as a behavioral instructor and trainer. Just one session , I'm confident for a favorable outcome with Sheperds training! More...
Sarah Gomez-Newberry
Dog Training
We had one session with Tommy, where he provided us with effective leadership tools and education, and are already feeling more confident about our walks with our American Bulldog. We had issues with our dog displaying very territorial behavior, which Tommy educated us on how to correct, and he also gave us tools to help our dog with his fireworks anxiety. More...
Debbie B.
The way that Tommy was able to come in and evaluate my 3 dysfunctional dogs was amazing. Once he started explaining the pack order and how they were bread to act for millions of years, it all made sense! I am implementing the suggestions and seeing results already! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Sahar P.
If you're looking for an over-the-top phenomenal dog trainer, then you've gotta read this review. I bumped into Tommy (literally bumped into him) while heading home from an appointment simply by looking out of my car window and seeing his magnetic sign on his car. I was in need of a dog trainer for my new cotton de tulear puppy and Tommy was sitting in the car next to me. Long story short, he ended up being the BEST, most responsive, most available, most hands-on dog trainer we had ever met. I've been through a number of dog trainers over the year and have never experienced a dog trainer who responds to text messages and answers phone calls in light-speed. Not to mention the fact that after each session, he was even more generous with his time and offered step-by-step assessments of how our post-session follow through was. It was like having a 24/7 accessible dog trainer in our home. Lastly, his individual sessions were made so easy. Oftentimes it's easy to get overwhelmed; I was definitely overwhelmed with our other dogs during training w/ other trainers, but Tommy's stern (yet NON aggressive) approach was anything shy of intimidating. He's made this entire experience fun and has introduced a level of "common sense dog training" into our lives which has made being a dog-mom a stress-free experience. So thankful for Tommy and his incredible skill set!! He's worth every penny because of his post-session generosity and virtual training practice. BEST DOG TRAINER in Orange County! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Meredith B.
I thought I was ready to train my new puppy. I had read 5 books, watched countless training shows, and cleared my schedule for the first two months he was home. After a month and a half of trying my best to train my dog, I was discouraged, hopeless, and thought we had chosen the wrong dog for our family. Then enter Tommy Stark! After one session with Tommy, my husband and I were hopeful and empowered to handle the issues we were struggling with in training. He was a different dog after just the first session! Four sessions later our dog is a delight and a blessing to our whole family. Don't try and figure it out alone. Tommy has seen it all and trained thousands of dogs. He always has a wonderful solution to any issue you are facing with your dog. So worth the money we spent!! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Shirley Spencer
Tommy Stark not only trained my dog - but he also trained me . I was not aware that my nervousness vibrated down the leash. I had to learn to relax- now 5 yrs later Galan behaves well on the leash and goes to his cage when asked. Thank you Tommy !!!! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Nyra A.
Tommy is an amazing trainer. He's been able to accomplish more in 5 sessions than I thought was possible from what other trainers have told me. Based on what other trainers have said it would take more than two weeks to accomplish half of what he's done. I highly highly recommend going with him as your trainer, he's professional, patient and incredibly flexible. I suggest contacting him as soon as possible before he takes off, because with his talent he's not going to be a hidden gem for long. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Erin Butler Hirschhorn
Tommy not only trained my first neopolitan mastiff,he helped in finding and purchasing my second one. He has a unique connection with dogs,and does a great job training them,and their owners!
Reviewed on Facebook
Kelli Cargal
I cannot say enough good things about Tommy. Hands down, THE BEST trainer I've ever worked with! His methods are gentle, fair, and very effective.
He's helped me tremendously with my little MinPin.
Abby is 7 years old and weighs all of about 6 pounds, but walking her has always been source of frustration (she's a Mighty dog in a tiny package!). She would pull on the leash constantly, always 'on alert' for something to chase, and she was very dog aggressive. I thought I would never get her to walk in public on a LOOSE leash, much less OFF leash!
Well, guess what...after just 5 short weeks in Tommy's class, Abby is already working semi off-leash (leash attached for safety, but dragging on the ground), doing sit stays, down stays, recalls at a distance, and walking by my side...and all of this in an open public park. My little rock star, lol! The best part? I feel completely confident having her semi off-leash at this point, which I never thought possible before.
Thank you Tommy, for teaching me how to better teach my dog! Abby and I are proof old dogs CAN learn new tricks. I can't wait to start the intermediate class!!
More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Beth H. Evans
Tommy Stark is a dog whisperer — and he wants you to be one, too! He insists there’s no magic, then proceeds to teach dog owners how to be alpha pack leaders so that the dogs can take their rightful place, trusting their humans to lead the way. Tommy is awesome, and he can make you an awesome pack leader, too. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
What do you love most about your job?
Training puppies to become well mannered, obedient, and social dogs. Working troubled dogs through fear and aggressive tendencies. Keeping dogs from being put down or surrendered to rescue.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I love fixing dogs and teaching owners how to train their own dogs.
Why should our clients choose you?
Nobody regrets hiring me as their trainer. I give the best value and best results in the shortest amount of time. I have years of experience showing dogs, training my own kennel of Rottweilers, and starting and building a luxury dog day care facility in the east coast averaging 40-60 dogs everyday. I have tons of experience in all aspects of dogs!
Please view!
dogtraineroc.com - All of my services are listed there with descriptions.
Private in-home Training
Group Classes
TrioTrain - Mini group handling class
Community Pack Walks - ocpackwalks.com
Private Membership Only Dog Park - ocdogpark.com
