Handle With Care Dog Training

We just completed a group training class with Lezle, and couldn't be more pleased.  First of all, we have a pit bull, and people are very negative about the breed, even trainers.  Lezle has worked with ALL kinds of dogs, mine didn't faze her a bit.  My dog is fear aggressive, afraid of everything.  The confidence he gained in class has really changed his posture - he's happy and less afraid, he understands his commands and knows what I expect of him.  What more can I ask from training?  Lezle was great, positive, fun - for dogs and their people too. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I found Handle With Care Dog Training (Lezle Stein) after I noticed her flyer at my vet's office.  I was there to request a tranquilizer for my frightened, anxious Shelty, Moxie.  I have had dogs my entire life; as an adult I have had four dogs, from approximately 8 weeks old until they passed on.  all my prior dogs had obedience training, using a choke chain for correction.  They were great, lovable, obedient dogs......I miss each of one of them.  Background.....I got Moxie nearly four years ago from a very reputable Shetland  Sheepdog breeder.  Moxie was a perfect puppy, but when she was a little over a year, things deteriorated.  She was very fearful about going for a walk, barked incessantly at home (the door, the phone, any noise inside or out), would'nt let me go downstairs, without herding me;  was ruling my house with an iron paw!  The breeder felt that I was not correcting her sufficiently.  The vet felt it was separation anxiety.......and Moxie took meds for a period of time, but she was still extremely difficult to live with........back to my vet for different meds.Then, I remembered that flyer........Enter, Lezle!  After our very first 90 minute private session of reward-based training, I could see a difference in Moxie.  She is not barking at any and everything, I am allowed to go downstairs with out fear of her nipping at my heels.  All based upon rewards, given at the correct time, and praise, for her good behaviour.  I remember Lezle saying to me to sound  sincere and upbeat, because Moxie could  tell by my tone......but after, 2 1/2 years of chronic barking and willfull behaviour, somewhat of a challenge!  Now, after just four sessions, I can readily see the light at the end of the tunnel......and rewarding and praising Moxie is very easy, not artificial or contrived.  We are walking, not Moxie's favorite endeavor, because she is sound phobic, but LEZLE'S suggestion of the correct head-collar makes it do-able.  Also, LEZLE'S suggestion of CDs for dogs is making the phobia gradually improve.  We have a session ......Moxie and I have homework....and, then Lezle critiques how we have done.  Way better than choking your dog into submission! Lezle knows her stuff!  If you follow her suggestions and are open........you will have nothing but success.  Don't use the old technique of being dominant, it does not work with every dog and can be damaging.  Before you are at your wits' end (like I was), call Lezle.......I think you will be very pleased; Moxie and I are! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Both of my dogs went thru Lezle's basic training class, learning to sit, stay, down, walk on a lease, turns, leave it, come when called, and other basics. My dog Bucky even will jump thru a hula hoop. Most people believe they can train a dog on their own - but you and your dog are going to learm much faster and with less frustration by taking classes. I remember the first time Lezle demonstrated the down command. Just one demo and the dog catches on. So when my nephew in Oakland got a dog, I sent him a check for them to go to obedience training.P.S. a friend of mine took his dog to another trainer. Maybe he is not a good teacher but my dogs seem to have learned a lot more More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We have had such a great experience with Lezle's training that I'll be signing my dog up for another round of classes when they are available. First, I want to disagree with a couple of the things that Scooter mentioned (sorry, Scooter).  If you've looked at other dog training classes in the LA area, you know that $160 is cheap.   Some of the places we looked charged 80 bucks per class.  Paying $160 for 6 weeks of classes was completely worth it.  We went to the group class at Hermon dog park , and our entire group was there from start until finish.  Some dogs did better than others but it seemed to me that all of the dogs improved and all of the owners were better at handling them afterwards.   Yes, Lezle spent some time talking about foxtails (which I'd never heard of) and ticks (we found one a dog in our class), but it's a beginner level class, and I think that assumption is that most of the owners are beginners too.  I thought it was all helpful info and didn't take away much from training time.  Also, Lezle seemed to pretty consistently cover all of the planned topics each time with our group.Now about the training.  Most of the class is around teaching you to train your dog simple things.  I had zero idea how to train my little guy, and even though he knew the word "sit", I could only get him to do it about 50% of the time before the classes.  Lezle teaches you how to work with your dog, and Wile has learned a ton of words and his favorite time of day now is "practice."  I actually get compliments on how well-behaved he is when we are out (which never happened before).  Just going to the class once a week isn't going to train your dog- you have to practice every day- but its a great motivator and Lezle can help whenever you hit any roadblocks.This class might not be right for every type of dog or every type of owner, but it was perfect for us, and I'm really glad that we found Lezle. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I loved my beginner doggy training class with Lezle Stein. Our puppy is only 5 months old and this class was so great to get some basics down. Class was fun and informative. Lezle is very knowledgeable and clearly has a lot of experience. I will continue to work with her in the future. Highly recommended More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We are completely satisfied and loved our classes with Lezle!  Not only is it training for dogs, it's was like training for us too. Lezle was very knowledgeable and hands on. She gives you the tools, it up to you as a dog owner how you use them. We saw progress in Zeke and ourselves everyday. We plan on enrolling in more of her classes when they become available. We recommend her to all our friends and doggie park acquaintances! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Last fall, I rescued a small, year-old pit bull mix, Fig, who has been hit by a car and suffered from abuse and neglect.  She had an amazing personality and temperament, but had developed EXTREME on-leash aggression.  I thought I had a pretty solid knowledge of dogs....but my struggles with Fig were beyond my scope, and not being able to find a solution that would allow her to be a more well balanced dog was becoming a real source of anxiety and worry for me.Enter: Lezle!  I was referred to 'Handle With Care' by my sister who couldn't speak highly enough of Lezle and her classes.  I had an in-home session with Lezle, which was a great chance for her to learn about Fig's specific issues and for myself to pick her brain and learn from her years of experience.  I then started in Basic Obedience out in Highland Park.  Lezle warmly welcomed my crazy dog and I in to her class.  We started WAAAAAY outside of the class circle, and each week, as Fig became more sociable, gradually worked our way into the class.  We learned basic commands, dog first aid, some body language and dog psychology, and great information about how to be a better handler.  Her class really is about teaching you, not your dog, about how to be the best possible dog owner/handler you can be.  She was so patient and helpful, taking the time to work with Fig to overcome her leash-related aggression.  Lezle is always willing to hang around after class is over to lend more advice and tools, and responds quickly to emails and telephone calls when you find yourself in a dog-related conundrum outside of class.  When we finished Basic, Fig was well trained and had made vast improvement with her explosiveness on-leash...but Lezle thought it would be best for her to continue her socialization in another environment, more specifically suited to her needs.  She happily referred me to two of her other colleagues in the dog rescue/advocacy community.  I was blown away by Lezle's selflessness and her willingness to go above and beyond to help my dog and I.  Lezle's priority isn't profit (classes are really affordable, particularly considering her expertise and experience)...she truly cares about what she does, and the dogs always come first.  I can't wait to bring Fig back to take more advanced classes with Lezle.  It's hard to find the words to express my gratitude for helping me get my dog from out of control, and basically un-walkable, to where she is now.  The tools she's given me have been indispensable in creating a better life for my little Fig! Seriously...you owe it to yourself and your pet to work with Lezle at Handle With Care!!!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Lezle is incredible!  She was recommended to me by a friend after I rescued a Norfolk Terrier/Dachsund mix last year.  When we first adopted Huxley, he was so terrified of punishment/pain that he had completely shut down.  We enrolled him in Lezle's basic obedience class and he blossomed under her direction.  She covers all basic commands, as well as basic health care.  Most importantly, she teaches the people in her classes how to handle their dogs through clear, reward based training.  After basic obedience, we did Lezle's clicker training class.  It was so much fun!  Huxley now knows a ton of tricks: sit pretty, play dead, roll over, give me five & give me ten, high five, jump, crawl... and his tour de force... he can turn our floor lamps on and off by hitting a push button on the floor.  It's the cutest thing in the history of cute.  Huxley is without a doubt the best dog I have ever had.  The bond we share is so much stronger because we are a team, we can communicate clearly, and we have Lezle to thank for that.  You will not find a better trainer anywhere, especially not at such an affordable price.  Lezle will also follow up with you on the phone if you ever have any questions. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I found my marvelous dog Oscar through Lezle and her work with Downtown Dog Rescue.  We took her basic obedience class at the Eagle Rock Rec Center and had such a great time.  It was a real bonding experience for me and Oscar, and a secure environment even for a nervous rescue dog.  The class had all kinds of owners and all kinds of dogs and it really impressed me how she balanced so many different personalities.  I'm constantly getting compliments on what a gentle and well-trained dog Oscar is.  He's a gem and so is Lezle. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Lezle is an amazing dog trainer as well as animal rescue advocate.She is totally passionate about what she does and that commitment to excellence translates to great classes and great one-to-one work with a  trainer who  teaches you how to work with & train your own dog. (instead of your dog training you). She is simply the best! Also a great person to consult before you get a dog. She can evaluate you and your family and help you find a dog that fits your needs. This way you will avoid doing what I did and you won't wind up with a crazy Jack Russell Terrier (I love my dog madly but she's so much work!). Go see Lezle first! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Just finished Lezle's basic obedience class, and it was great. Lezle is great with dogs and their owners. She believes in letting dogs be dogs, and keeps her class small so she can tell you the best way to work with your dog's personality. I'd never taken a training class and was worried that the trainer would push all kinds of products and training tools and unnecessary grooming on us, but Lezle is super low key about that stuff. Overall a great experience and I highly recommend to anyone who's ready to commit to training their dog. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Lezle seems to be known universally around town as the standard by which dog training is measured.  We found her flyers at the dog park and got word of mouth recommendations, so we checked out her class.  It was well-structured, well-run, and armed us with everything we needed to teach our new rescued pup.  In addition to being good at what she does, Lezle is also friendly, funny, and always happy to give dogs (and their people) personal attention.  Strong recommend. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Lezle is the best.  We were pretty clueless with our dog, as she was our first, but Lezle whipped us into shape, and I feel that our dog now understands english fluently.  It kinda freaks me out sometimes!

Reviewed on Yelp

Lezle (the proprietor of Handle With Care) was recommended to me shortly after I adopted an adult pit bull, Maybelline,  from the LA City Pound. Maybelline was darling but it didn't seem she had ever been trained.  Lezle came to my apartment to meet the dog and make recommendations about toys, diet, and training I could do at home. Then Maybelline and I took Lezle's six-week behavior training course in Highland Park.  I learned that dog training is just as much people training as it is dog training!  Lezle really showed the class how to interpret dog behavior and how to modify our OWN behavior in order to better communicate to the dog what we wanted.  We learned everything from the basic commands of "sit" and "stay" to how to keep your dog from pulling on a leash, to special tricks. She also gave us information about dog first aid and aggressive dogs -- it never hurts to be educated on those topics.  After the class was over, Lezle was great about responding to emails and phone calls when I had additional dog-related questions.  I found her to be extremely knowledgeable, and hands-on. Additionally, her prices are very reasonable.  I was thrilled at how much Maybelline learned and I will definitely take another class with Lezle the next time I get a dog. More...

Reviewed on Yelp