Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

I took my GSD to Don for Basic Training. Don was thorough and the training was impeccable. This GSD is training for SAR and the foundation training he received from Don is priceless. If I could give more than 5 stars I would! More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Hey Amanda, I sure appreciate the kind words here… And it was a real joy to work with your fine Dog , and yourselves. Thanks again, and I’m looking forward to connecting with you in the future as we have discussed, bye for now..

Dion is an amazing dog trainer
The change in my dog is nothing short of miraculous
He is a dog whisperer I swear he knows how they think
Took only a few lessons to turn my dog around
I highly recommend him More...

I can't recommend Don enough as a dog trainer! When I first started working with him, my energetic vizsla, Benicio, was a handful on walks. He would constantly pull on the leash, making our outings quite unpleasant. Thanks to Don’s expertise and guidance, I’m now genuinely enjoying our walks together!

Don’s training methods are effective and easy to understand. He really took the time to tailor the lessons to Benicio's needs, helping us build a better bond while addressing his behavior. The improvement has been remarkable.

Additionally, I had the pleasure of working with Don while fostering Akira, a female pit bull mix. His compassion for dogs shines through in his work, and he provided invaluable support in helping her adjust and learn good manners.

Overall, Don is not only a skilled trainer but also someone who truly cares about dogs and their well-being. If you're looking for a trainer who can deliver great results, look no further than Don! More...

Don is friendly and very professional. He worked with my very energetic border collie puppy (and me) to help him with basic commands and to remain focused. I was impressed with his gentle training techniques that made my puppy comfortable with his training. I would recommend Don to anyone seeking a professional and compassionate trainer! More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thanks Dan, Your dog Ozzy did real well, real quick - and you guys were a pleasue to work with. Best to you guys… You can see Ozzy on my Instagram, donwalker244

It was excellent to work with Don. I have a reactive dog, whom I’ve been having a hard time training. I hired Don to give me pointers to practice with my dog. To my surprise, Don, In only 2 sessions was able to give me some amazing pointers! As well as a few new training commands to work on with my dog. I was really nervous about how my dog would respond to Don, but he took it very well. I’m thankful Don was willing to work with my dog and I. More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thank you Aubri— I really enjoyed meeting you and Bruno. We did a lot in a short time. You did a fine job, and Bruno is a fine dog…tough and strong, but he’s smart and is learning to really listen to you now:) Best wishes to you and Bruno. You can and see Bruno at my Instagram: Donwalker244

Great trainer! He is very knowledgeable and flexible with scheduling.

After I adopted my 2yr old Rescued Lab mix, a local Alpine pet store referred me to Don, so glad they did because I needed to be trained more than my dog needed to be trained. Don came to my home many times to train Sophie and she picked up everything right off the bat, it was amazing how fast she progressed and myself. Now I have a great bond with my Lab, she knows what commands I give her and follows through without hesitation because of Don's training.
If your looking for a solid, professional, awesome personality! dog trainer, then Don Walker is your guy to work the magic with your pets. More...

Don connects with the dog And the owner. My dog Blue is suspicious of any stranger but Don put him at ease right away. He, Don teaches owners to know their dogs in order to judge how they’re responding to instruction and I would definitely recommend him.

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Hey, thank you Don… I appreciate the kind words, training with you and Blue was a pleasure indeed. Blue was a fast learner, and you did a fine job yourself :) Fast transformation and growth with Blue. I look forward to seeing you and Blue, down at fiesta Island soon .

Professional, patient & personable (my dog likes him too!!). Wide range of services available + reasonable rates!

I would like to tell you about my dog Ashley. This beautiful German Shepherd came to me as a six month old and weighing at about 50 pound's, bundle of energy, with no social graces what so ever and a definite disdain for authority. Recently I broke my hip and use a cane. After a few weeks of near disasters I came to the conclusion that if I were to keep Ashley she would need some professional training. Several local dog owner's recommended Donald Walker, a professional dog trainer. After meeting Ashley he agreed to take her home for a couple of weeks of training. Every couple of days Donald would send me videos of Ashley in training, as well as often calling me about her progress. I was very surprised and delighted with her progress. After two weeks Ashley returned home a calm, obedient dog. On command she would sit, stay, come and acknowledge what the word "no" meant. Beyond my expectations, Donald had also trained Ashley to avoid my cane and to heal along my side of my walker. Ashley and I are both delighted with her training and sincerely thank Donald for saving our relationship. I highly recommend Donald Walker as an expert profession dog trainer. I would be pleased to speak with anyone about Donald Walker's dog training program. (619)613-0661 More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thanks Bob, your Ashley girl really grew into a fine dog durring our time together. What a great dog she is. It’s been a pleasure working with you. She’s a lucky girl…a good dog, in a good home, with an owner that really loves her and gives her his best. Best to you Bob…and check out how beautiful she is on my Instagram :donwalker244

We were referred to Don to train our Puppy Maggie and boy are we Thankful!! she is a different Dog with the help of his Training & Love for Animals he really is great with Dogs and we are so pleased with his work Thank you and you are a friend for Life Maggie misses you! Mike & Tommie Alpine Calif.

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thanks you guys—- it was pleasure meeting you and working with your fine dog Maggie. She was really great, a LOT OF DOG in a small package! Lol, she was indeed a very cool dog (cool, as are you guys) I look forward to talking with you in the future.

Don was such a huge help! My puppy had major separation anxiety and Don was able to really help the situation, I saw big improvements within a week and now my puppy is okay on his own :) I highly recommend Don’s training services.

Don was an amazing at teaching us to train our dog. We wanted to do the training ourselves but did not have the techniques to do it and Don was great with this in addition to training our Great Dane as well

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thanks Fred, it was really good working with you and your family there. Maggie is amazing… and a pleasure working with you guys! There’s a great pic of her on my instagram - she looks like model for Mercedes Benz or some such thing! Thanks you guys, donwalker244 on instagram

Don's exceptional training skills truly exceeded our expectations in nurturing our black lab puppy Sailor. His patience, kindness, and expertise created a positive learning environment for our puppy. Don's dedication to ensuring Sailor's well-being and behavior is commendable. We are immensely grateful for the valuable lessons, personalized guidance, and the genuine care he provided throughout the training process. Our experience with Don has not only transformed Sailor into a well-behaved companion but has also enriched our relationship with her! We wholeheartedly appreciate Don's outstanding contribution to Sailor's growth, making the training journey a truly delightful and rewarding experience for both us and our puppy. Looking forward to continuing more advanced training with Don in a few months.
-Kate & Jack More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thanks, you guys… I really enjoyed working with you guys also. Sailor did real swell, I’m look forward to working with her in a couple of months for some advanced training. Until then, take care.

I was in tears when I called him and he came to my rescue. He is professional, kind and caring towards animals. He helped me rebond and love my puppy after 5 weeks of constant biting, not just puppy nipping but aggressive biting on the back of my legs. He came over to my house to help with basic commands and took her for a week to work with her one on one. She came back a different loving dog that is so much farther along in the training process.
He kept the training positive yet also taught her she isn’t the cat’s pajamas. He is very supportive of early socialization with humans and other dogs.
Can’t speak highly enough of Don‼️ Watching his own dogs in action is proof of his sophisticated training. More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

That little pup was really putting you through it! And everything Ended up working out just fine, she really did well with the training and made some big shifts. Thanks Julie.

Don is a kind, caring, professional dog trainer. He explains the How’s and Why’s of dog behavior. This makes training much easier💕

Don was amazing! He really helped our family communicate with our new addition, Fox, in a way that allowed her to understand our expectations and to grow her confidence. She really is reaching her fullest potential and we have Don to thank! Dons flexibility with scheduling and personal attention to our needs helped us transform our little Fox into the best family dog! Thank you Don for caring so much and for your time! We are truly grateful! More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thanks Bri. Training with you, Chris and little Fox, was a breeze. ‘Lil Fox did so well, She progressed so well, in unexpected ways. I appreciate getting to work with you guys. thank you…

Very knowledgeable and obviously loves dogs. Excellent advice about keeping the balance between training and loving your puppy.

Don was extremely professional and patient with my 2 Aussie dogs and me. I was at a point where I needed a better understanding of how to move forward with sisters at age 1-1/2. Don stepped in and Instantly gained the confidence my dogs needed to move forward, as well as me. Without his help my two girls would not have grown in to the confident adult 3year old dogs that the are. I would highly recommend Don to anyone. More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thank you Kelly, the training and your dogs turned out real well. It was a pleasure working with you, you made it easy :) Best wishes, Don

Don Walker did an excellent job assisting us in teaching our puppy essential commands that will prove valuable in the future. His enthusiasm for the task was evident, and he patiently explained every aspect. The communication was prompt and effective. I highly recommend working with Don Walker to ensure a delightful pet training experience. More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thanks Olga, I enjoyed working with you guys also— your love and dedication to your dog really came through - “Atlas” did very well. I look forward to some advanced training in the future with you guys.

Don Walker is amazing. We had him show us the commands for a puppy and left us with a transformation on how to train your dog. With every visit and by applying his techniques it made our dog more obedient. Absolutely recommend him as he even simplified his training for myself as it's been a while since I owned a dog. More...

My fiancé and I had just adopted a 3 month old puppy and coincidentally ran into Don at the beach. Don showed us the essentials for training a puppy. Within minutes our pup knew how to sit, lay down, stay, go to place, and most importantly for me, walk on a leash. I knew the pup was gonna get big, so I wanted to be able to easily walk him and Don showed me exactly how. By the end of our first training session he was walking right by my side. Don is so great with the puppy, he is incredibly friendly and a great coach to me and my fiancé. He gives constructive criticism in a very positive and respectful manner and I enjoyed being taught by Don. He is very flexible with schedules and very accommodating. If you are looking to train your dog into the dream dog you’ve always wanted, Don is your guy! More...

Don came to train my two year old pitbull Finn. Within a few minutes he had her calmed down and respectful. He is knowledgeable and was very informative. He truly has a passion for what he does. More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thank you Nate, You guys made it easy …. Finn was great and I’m looking forward to the more advanced sessions in the near future :)

We were so happy to work with Don, he is a very professional trainer, he is very patient and flexible, he trained my chihuahua puppy and we are so happy with his work!!

100% recomendable

Don is amazing at what he does! He is truly a "dog whisperer."

Most impressive is the way his training comes from a place of love and respect for the animals. We have a 2-year-old who came to us after both owners passed away. He was nervous about everything (even the silence).

Don took him for three-weeks and returned a dog who could have fun and no longer is scared of his own shadow.

We received daily videos of the progress (sometimes multiple videos). Our boy was out-and-about with Don and his own two dogs. While it always looked fun for the dogs, it was clearly structured and calculated to build on the day before.

Whether you chose go have Don for lessons at your home, or you send your dog to him for live-in training, you'll be extremely pleased with the results!

Definitely deserving of five-stars... More...

I went for the basic puppy package after having a conversation with Don on his services. He has been very professional, thorough and always available after his session if needed. My puppy has picked up every single command. I’m looking forward to purchasing his higher level package. Highly recommend More...

I highly recommend Don Walker to train any dog. Working with him has enhanced my ability to train my dog. He has an easy manner that makes it enjoyable to work with him. He is available for questions on the phone in between trainings. I have an Australian Cattle / Blue Heeler mix named Arrow who is extremely energetic and strong willed. Don has helped me learn the tricks to be able to control Arrow and enrich my relationship with my new doggie best friend. Thanks Don!!! More...

Don Walker is the perfect Dog Trainer. His experience is beyond most and knows exactly what’s needed from the owner of the dog that translates into what your dog becomes. My big Dog and I became family during Pandemic so we needed socialization skills because we weren’t around people or dogs for the first two years of Dogs life. After my dog got aggressive in a situation I called Don for help. In just a few at home sessions he showed me what my dog needed from me to be able to better understand what I needed from him. Small corrections, and being consistent on my own sessions turned into behavior changes that actually made my dog seem more mature, more relaxed, and very capable of living the life I needed from my Dog. Being a retired MLB baseball coach I understood how vital a coach can be, with his experience and ability to read the situation and remedy the problem was not only very impressive, he corrected it. I now have my best friend ever back at my side and capable of going anywhere and being what I need from him in every situation. Thank You Don Walker. More...

Don was great! As first-time dog owners of a rescue dog, my husband and I were excited but also a little overwhelmed with our new addition to the family. Hugo came to us fully house trained but skittish and with no leash skills, and we needed some training to help us learn how to be the best owners to him that we could be. Don helped us with basic commands, equipment, and a customized training plan tailored to our needs.

Don was knowledgeable and experienced, and passionate about his work. Throughout our training sessions, he was patient, kind, and encouraging. He never made us feel ashamed or embarrassed about any mistakes we made, and instead, helped us to learn and grow as dog owners. Don taught us how we could continue to train Hugo on our own and provided us with helpful tips for managing his behavior outside of the training sessions.

Overall, our experience with Don was excellent, and we would highly recommend him to other first-time dog owners. More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thank you Monica- I really enjoyed working with you and Chris, and Hugo was a bunch of fun… Thanks again, I’m gonna post a picture of Hugo on my Instagram - a very handsome boy :) Best wishes Donwalker244 on Instagram

Regretful, well not at all… When you rescue a dog you open your heart and home with the hope of a “happy family”. Milo, my 45 lb. standard poodle puppy arrived with energy and playfulness. The problem is he's too big and strong for me and I’m not a disciplinary person. I was hurting myself on walks and park visits. It wasn’t his fault; it was mine for not being able to control him. It was a bad situation and I brought it on myself. I regretted that I didn’t give more thought about his size and my reality.

I searched for dog trainers and I couldn’t get on schedule for a few months and that was a problem. I found this site and everything came together quickly. My initial phone visit with Don was informative. He took his time explaining the training techniques and program costs. He was flexible and available to accommodate my work schedule for an initial visit to my home. Yes, he comes to you and that makes things so much easier.

Fast forward, I opted for the program where Don took Milo to train him for a few weeks. He sent videos of the training sessions and progress they were making. It was exciting! When Don returned Milo his next challenge was to train me! It is important to be consistent using the commands; come, sit, down, and stay. Milo is now a well behaved dog and I have a comfort zone knowing I can control him.

I highly recommend hiring Don if you are seeking a wonderful dog trainer. I truly feel blessed that I found Don. He turned my difficult situation into a happy one! I know he will do the same for you. You won’t regret hiring Don! More...

I was referred to Don from Natural Instincts in Alpine and I have been very happy and impressed with Don and his ability to train my dog. We started our lessons when my pup was around 6 months. His knowledge, professionalism, sense of humor and understanding of dogs has been incredible (he truly thinks like a dog!) and Don has helped me with my large 65 Ib Goldendoodle with not only basic training but also advanced. Don has been very patient training me the owner as although I have been around dogs my whole life, I was lacking in the training department. We have been able to space out our sessions to my schedule and he is always very punctual plus he is available by phone for advice and help. Bailey and I have graduated from a martingale collar to a prong collar and lastly the "E" collar which has been invaluable to us as she is now 65 Ibs and tends to pull when she gets excited. I now have a well-mannered dog I can control in public places plus she is excellent on the re-call (comes when called).

Thank you, Don, for helping me and always being there for advice and a chat. I thoroughly recommend Don as a trainer. More...

Don was the most helpful in introducing my newly adopted Doberman to my life. The dog was suffering from separation anxiety and did bark for no reason often. He helped me so so much with basic training for complete and accurate response to commands and corrections. As a Doberman owner of over 45 years I needed this refresher course and Don truly worked with complete dedication to my requests and guided me to what I now call a perfectly trained dog. I am most appreciative of his service and at what I consider a reasonable cost also. Will use again if ever needed but 5 lessons did it! More...

When we rescued Dozer we knew he’d be some work. After all, his name is Dozer (bull as in bulldozer is implied). Don helped us get Dozer to be everything you’d want your dog to be while on the leash. He provided us with plenty of advice to continue training even after the sessions were over and continues to check in on us and Dozer. More...

Don is a Wonderful trainer! I had previously tried several trainers and did not find them very helpful so I stopped seeing them. Frankly I had lost hope until my great dane and I found Don. He really helped me understand even the smallest things that I was doing wrong such as nagging at my dog, giving him the same command repeatedly which only confused him and made him ignore me, how to handle his leash, and much much more. Don is a very good communicator with dogs and humans and helped me understand my dog better. We are very grateful to have Don as our trainer!!!! More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thank you Sheema, you know i really enjoyed working with you and Devino…it was really good :) Devino is such a cool dog, thanks again…

Glad we hired Don to help us with our little Milo!

Don Walker is fantastic! Our mini golden doodle took to
him right away as did we. We had training early when we first brought Benny home which was definitely the right time for us. I highly recommend Don!

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thanks Tracey, You in the training with your family, and little Dog Benny was a real joy. You guys did a good job, and Benny really took to the whole process. I look forward to connecting with you guys again in the future if and when needed.

Don Walker is a wonderful dog trainer. My puppy just loved him and so do we! He has an excitement about him that really gets their attention and is very knowledgeable and gave us great advice also!

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Little Bella is a gem of a dog, she did real well- so smart! And a real pleasure to work with you and Ed, your dedication to Bella made the training a plesure- and made it easy for Bella. Thanks you guys…

Don was very knowledgeable and genuinely cares.
I am a new fur baby mom and I don’t think I could have found a better match to get my little guy on the right path and help us stop some undesirable behavior already forming. Don was also a pleasure to work with.. which made things fun for us and my fur baby. More...

Don is a real caring dog trainer. He knows on what you’re pet may need concerning there behavior , he helps with the owner’s on how to teach your pet with any questions you have he is honest You can definitely trust him with your pets Thanks. Don

Excellent results with our pitbull/husky mix “Billie dapitsky”

Doggie boot camp with Don was the best training for Billie. Don came to us and picked up our Billie to stay with him for the two and a half weeks of training.

Don managed to reverse our roles.
Billie would walk us instead of us walking her in the neighborhood; she would bolt at anything ie… person on a bicycle or small children that got near her, scaring people and small children with her growl.

Don transformed Billie. She now heels well and follows commands. She no longer bolts and is much more pleasurable to take on walks.

Don was great with post training follow up.
He returned to us twice to review and reinforce Billie’s training and address additional concerns and questions.

We highly recommend Don.

Cheryl and Amanda More...

We found excellent reviews for Don Walker and hired him to help with training our Xoloitzcuintli puppy. Don was awesome and knows what he’s doing!
He was able to help us immediately crate train our dog as well as control him better on the leash.
His training has also helped us potty train our pup to go outside and with simple commands.
I wouldn’t hesitate to use Don’s services. He’s very nice and understanding and our pup responded immediately to him.
Thank you! :) More...

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Reply from Don Walker - Professional Dog Trainer

Thanks you guys :) I sure enjoyed you both, and Xoxo was super cool to work with...what cool dog he is! I hope we connect again in the future. Best wishes, Don

We have two female Great Danes that were not getting along. Having to keep them separated at all times was beginning to take its toll on our family. Don took us back to the basics, teaching us simple and effective ways to get back in control. He was patient, informative, and understanding to our personal situation. With his help and dedication, we have seen such progress in our girls and now have hope in what seemed a hopeless relationship. His services have been invaluable. Thank you, Don. More...

We enjoyed working with Don. He did a great job of training us as well as our rescue dog Honey. We were having trouble with her nipping people’s heals to get their attention but with the training she became responsive to our commands, more secure and doesn’t nip any more. Don’s professionalism made it a pleasure to work with him. More...

We had two 6 month old Australian Shepherds and were looking for a trainer to work with them and us so that we could enjoy a lifelong partnership with them.
Don came highly recommended to us by the owner of a local pet health store. We made an appointment with him, and he asked what is was we were looking for, and then he
explained his program to us.
Because we had the two pets, he set up an individual schedule which
included home visits after the training. During the training period, Don kept us informed by text and phone calls on their progress. He also sent many videos so we could see them in action.
We found Don to be very personable and knowledgeable. He was patient with us and the pets, and we were very impressed by his obvious devotion to our pets. Needless to say, we would highly recommend Don to anyone who is looking for the best!
Lyle and Becky Rangel More...

Saying Don is amazing is an understatement. We live in LA and found Don through family in San Diego. He is very knowledgeable with training dogs and took the time to really address our concerns/questions. We met with Don for our initial meeting to see if he and our pup, Oliver, were a good fit. Immediately, Oliver was drawn to Don and it was great to see a bond form between them. Our primary concerns were leash walking and reactivity to other dogs/people/sounds. Don took Oliver for two full weeks (while we vacationed). He asked if we'd like updates or if we'd like to be unbothered on vacation, of course we told him we wanted updates of our little pup. Don sent pictures and videos the entire two weeks, and Oliver always looked so happy, which made us happy. Within two weeks and two follow up in-person sessions, Oliver was a new dog. He heels nicely, does not pull on leash, comes on command, stays in a down on command with distractions and so many other basics. Additionally, we could really tell Don loved Oliver and that he cared for him. We plan on doing more intense training with Don in the coming year once Oliver masters the basics. We have recommended Don to many many friends up here in LA and some have already started and say they are impressed with him. Looking forward to training more with Don. More...