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The Dog Dude

Leslieville

(20)
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5/5

20 customer reviews

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4 October 2020

The dog dude's website is misleading. He claims that he "will show you how to use energy, intention, body language, and tones (verbal language) to communicate clearly with your dog(s) and achieve the positive results" In fact the entire lesson was essentially justifying using a leash - that after reading about - I don't believe should be used on non-aggressive dogs. The dogs are not submitting because of calm energy - My energy was actually less calm using this leash than it usually is because I was so worried about my dog. My dog was submitting because if he moved his head it would cut off her air supply. There was no guidance about voice commands or techniques - only to use a leash that forces your dog into submission to make your dog listen to you.
I'm sure this is fine for many people but it wasn't for me - and I wish that the website had clearly stated that he used this type of dominance/ force submission technique. I might try this if I was worried my dog would bite someone - but not for more minor issues.
I also found the price misleading - he said 'individual sessions start as low as 200$ - but then charged 300$ without making this clear up front. I knew after less than 30 minutes that wasn't comfortable with the technique - but was not offered a choice in how long the lesson would be.
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18 August 2019

I recently adopted a rescue from Mexico who came from a really awful situation, he is a great dog but still had/has some issues that need work. A friend had mentioned Mark to me so I thought it was worth a try. I met with Mark and I would say after half an hour into our session Clyde's behaviour dramatically changed. There was no putting fear into the dog or being aggressive with my dog he was kind and very informative. He gave me all the tools I need to work with Clyde. On a side note I asked him when he thought I should bring Clyde back his response was I would be surprised if you need to come back but if you do give yourself at least 4 weeks, otherwise just call text if you need any advice or help. Very genuine and wants to see you and your pup succeed. I would highly recommend The Dog Dude to anyone who needs some help or guidance with their dogs. Great trainer and all around a very cool guy. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

15 July 2019

My partner and I adopted an 8-month rescue pup in April and were struggling with excessive jumpy/mouthy behaviour on walks and in the house. After a few months of trying different techniques (and various trainers) we found Mark who seemed to have a different approach. Everything he mentioned about establishing a leadership role made sense. Keeping our dog in a calm state has made a huge difference, and the jumping/mouthing has completely stopped. We wish we would have come to Mark sooner and definitely recommend his services for difficult behaviour that needs correction. It's so rewarding to see our dog's progression! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

14 July 2019

We are currently in the middle of a re-training program with our 2 year old goldendoodle. Mark has been incredibly helpful, not only with teaching us his method to re-establish the leadership role with our dog, but has also supported us "checking-in" with our progress to-date, encouraging us to contact him with questions and clarifications about how we're handling a particular issue. Our dog has struggles with separation anxiety, stranger danger, excessive barking, and reactivity on leash. In a few short weeks of implementing Mark's method, we have seen a huge change in our dog. Walks are enjoyable again, our dog is listening to our commands (rather than walking away and doing what he chooses instead!), we can enjoy our backyard again without having to worry about the dog barking at every little noise/perceived threat and we are able to employ techniques to reduce his anxiety before he reaches a highly anxious state. Friends and family have also remarked at how well our dog is responding to training. As I write this, a neighbour's dog is barking at something and our boy hasn't even lifted his head to react. This level of calm would have been hard to believe possible before meeting Mark. We would recommend Mark to anyone seeking help with their dog! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

Thank you so much !!! After consulting 5 different trainers and feeling completely hopeless Mark gave me the tools to successfully work my adopted anxious pup. I thought that there was nothing that could be done - my dog was untrainable. The other trainers gave me "tips" to work on, but these were all things I had tried and failed at. He genuinely has made the biggest difference in both mine and my dogs life. Thank you again! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

Mark is a natural with dogs and communicating clearly with the owners to make sure they understand what's going on with their dog, and how they can communicate more effectively with their dog. I have, and will continue to recommend him to dog owners struggling with their dog. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

Mark has been absolutely fantastic. Mark was able to put us in our comfort zone and taught us the techniques we needed to succeed with our pup. His advice and expertise was so helpful in getting us started with our puppy the right way. Mark went above and beyond to make himself available to help us as we needed. Highly recommended. We look forward to continue working with Mark in the future. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

If you are unsure of how to make positive gains with your dog, CALL MARK! My boyfriend and I are first-time dog owners of a rescue dog from Mexico, and before seeing Mark we were feeling overwhelmed and unsure. After one 2-hour session with Mark, we felt informed, educated and prepared to communicate with our dog to help him feel calmer and safer. Thank you Mark for your knowledge and skills - we are so grateful to have worked with you! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

We reached out to Mark after Leroy starting developing some issues on walks and in the playground. He was becoming aggressive in the park and reactionary on walks. We did a 90 minute intensive and could not be happier!!

Leroys first day was a bit rough as he had no idea why he was getting new signals all of a sudden. Poor dog.

Leroys second day was much better and he seemed to get that this was the way. And I think even appreciated it.

Day three...we encountered 11 dogs on our walk and he reacted to NONE!! WOW.

It's seriously only been 3 days and already Leroy is like a new doggo!! Is he completely changed forever....of course not (yet). He will be and this is because Mark taught us how to teach him.

The things Mark taught us in 90 minutes were unbelievable!! He was honest, professional, understanding and very very patient!

Let's face it...we called Mark to train us...not the dog.

Mark...Jimmy and I cannot thank you enough for your training. You have taught us so so much.

Look forward to seeing you and the pack on our walks.

Attached is a pic of the dog in question. Leroy the handsome and soon to be uber calm doggo!!

Thanks again Mark.

Ginger and Jimmy. And of course Leroy who's so happy his Humans finally learned to train him.
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Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

We recently met with Mark for a 90 minute session to address a number of issues with our 6 month old puppy. Nothing was getting out of hand but we thought, with three young kids, better to get ahead of the ball. We had taken our dog to puppy obedience classes but found that we couldn’t effectively address any of the unwanted behaviour like jumping, nipping, and pulling on the leash. Mark is exactly as described, he’s super kind and fair, and his effect on the dog is immediate. Nothing seems to phase Mark, he is up for any challenge and has an answer you can trust for everything. He’s very generous with his time and makes himself available to answer any follow up concerns or questions that we had. We also asked Mark subsequently to pet sit for several days and our puppy was in the best hands. Mark was very responsive to messages and kept us to date on anything that came up, and treated our dog like one of his own. There is no one better, highly recommend him!! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

The Dog Dude was a game changer for us. After power struggling with our Alpha golden retriever of 6 years named Sammy, we finally made a move and called Mark for some help. It didn't take long for him to hone in on the problems and even less time for him to remedy the situation . In a matter of an hour he helped us gain control of walking and obedience and even playing with a ball by teaching us techniques that we could have never learned from a book. Thanks to the Dog Dude, we can now enjoy Sammy a lot more. Only wish we would have done this year's ago. Mark is a dog whisperer and a true professional. I would highly recommend his services to anyone who is looking to train their dog. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

Not only is The Dog Dude a seriously smart dog-behavior expert, he's also a super nice guy who's very easy to talk to and learn from. In a single very casual "lesson" (we just went around the block a few times) he trained me, my partner and our two dogs how to go for a walk perfectly without constant pulling. He answered every question, gave tons of advice and it doesn't hurt that his rates are super reasonable and it didn't take all day! - Excellent experience, highly recommended. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

We've had our rescue for 2yrs and she's amazing, but not if you're under the age of 16. Mark worked with us to build confidence with our pup on a leash that later led into building confidence and respect around little humans :) after a single session our dog was calm and collected around kids. It was incredible. Now we just need to work on re-enforcing the skills we learned. I'd highly recommend Mark as a trainer. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

Mark has been working with my dog and I for over a year now. Before Mark, we tried several trainers for my dog's aggression towards humans and dogs, but we weren't getting enough results to justify me feeling safe keeping the dog. As a last resort, I called Mark, thinking he wasn't going to be able to help us either. After 2 hours with him, my dog was 75% improved, and I could walk him with almost no more lunging and attacking. Since then, it's been an uphill climb , and Mark has been a constant support and source of guidance for us. I recommend Mark to every dog owner I know, and have yet to have anyone tell me they were anything less than thrilled with their results. Mark is the real deal - a compassionate expert who gets results, and I would have re-homed my dog without him. Dog Bless the dog dude! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

Raising a boxer isn't always easy - sometimes thinking to myself what is going on and what have I done. Mark visited our home two weeks ago, and taught my husband and myself techniques to walk our young dog effectively. What Mark showed us really worked – our dog responded positively and immediately. For a week everything was great. Then I started to slip. I was too comfortable, feeling and thinking that this process was was so easy. Well it is and it isn't. My husband continued to have enjoyable brisk, walks; while I struggled with our dog once again jumping on me and worse. I was upset and I called Mark with my concerns. Over the phone he coached me back to being clear on my expectations of my dog, and to having consistency. Mark not only provided me with direct candor and the tools to connect with my dog, but also the confidence and belief in myself. Thank you. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

Training with Mark (The Dog dude) has been an incredibly positive experience. The tools, information, and techniques he taught me in one session have all contribute towards my rescue pup being more calm, and confident on walks and in the home. We went from not being able to walk past another dog on the side walk, to being able to stroll right past with my dog calm, focused and confident that i have his back and am in control of the situation, so that he doesn't have to be. The bond I have built with my dog through calm and enjoyable walks have been instrumental in all other aspects of our life. He is more easy going around other dogs and has a number of doggie friends, his food aggression has greatly subsided, I can easily take care of things I couldn't before, like nail trims and ear cleaning, and we get so much enjoyment out of having Tulo in our life! I also want to add that although we only needed to do one session with Mark (because he is *that* good), on a number of occassions Mark has generously agreed to have phone consults with me when situations have come up with Tulo. I am so grateful for his ongoing guidance and support, and 100% recommend reaching out to Mark for help with your dog! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

I wish I could give The Dog Dude more than five stars! I was really struggling to get my pug to walk anywhere because she is so stubborn. As soon as she knew we were leaving the park would refuse to move, even when lured with treats - resulting in me having to carry her home every morning or fight her step-by-step to move. I tried everything I could think of to combat this behavior but it got to the point where I didn't even want to walk her because it was so stressful. Mark came over and fixed every issue I was having with her in about twenty minutes flat. I was beyond impressed. His guidance has changed my relationship with my dog and now we love going on long walks together. I cannot recommend Mark highly enough. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

Mark is a dog-boss. His in-depth knowledge and intuition on canine-human interaction and energy are unbelievable. The Dog Dude's approach and philosophy have given me the confidence to step in to the leadership position with my pup and establish a relationship that supports us both. I can't recommend working with Mark enough! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

After just one session my husband is walking our German Shepherd with confidence and actually looks forward to taking her out for her evening walk! We are so grateful for Mark. He was understanding, non judgmental, and made the lesson easy to comprehend and totally enjoyable. I absolutely recommend The Dog Dude. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

6 February 2019

Mark is a beyond amazing dog trainer. I have a dog walking company in Toronto and through that, have witnessed Mark (The Dog Dude) work his magic on a few extremely difficult cases. I have watched dogs completely transform through working with him. He has a deep understanding of canine behaviour and a proven ability to correct any issue; producing a well balanced and happy dog every time. Anyone who has a dog who needs help would be very lucky to have the opportunity to work with him. More...

Reviewed on Facebook