C.O.R.E. Dog Training & Boarding

We hired Anthony from C.O.R.E. to help with our little recently rescued Bichon/Poodle’s severe separation anxiety. Every time we left the house, she would wait 5 or 10 minutes then start the most ungodly barking and yipping that drove all our neighbors crazy. We were at our wits end because it never happened when we were in her presence, so it seemed impossible to correct.
Anthony was so helpful! We hired him for three hourlong sessions at our house, and by the end, the barking was over. Completely stopped. Granted, he recommended a citronella bark collar and some doggie Prozac, which we could have figured out ourselves. But beyond that, he worked with us on how to get our little girl to learn to obey us and trust us, which has helped immeasurably with the anxiety in the long term.
He really trained us more than he did Maude (our dog), but that was perfectly what we needed! He had a great demeanor, and was not a clock watcher at all. We felt his concern for our plight and his passion for helping us from the first moment. He quickly ran through a number of possible solutions, then landed on the one that worked. It was like a miracle.
Working with Anthony really saved our relationship with Maude and we will be forever grateful. Cannot recommend him highly enough.

Anthony was a godsend. Our 5-​month old pit puppy was a ball of overactive love. Over the course of 5 days, Anthony trained him to sit, stay, go to his spot, and leave it. These basic commands gave us a big head start to continue training at home. Anthony was communicative and sent videos of the training, which were so remarkable we couldn’t believe it. He finished with a lesson teaching us how to manage going forward. A++++

I brought my completely untrained 4 month old Frenchie Pup to Anthony for boarding and training for 5 days. To my complete astoinshment he did what I thought to be impossible. My Puppy who I was unable to potty train or crate train is now completely trained to do both, in just 5 days. Not only that but Anthony also trained him to sit, stay, go to your spot, and a few other commands and then gave me a lesson on how keep up the training on my own. I cant believe how much my puppy learned. I will definitely be taking my pup back for any boarding needs and maybe even to teach him more commands. Sooo Grateful!

I have reviewed Anthony in the past, but would like to comment on the reviews themselves. Those users writing negative reviews do not seem ready to give their dogs the proper care that they need. Anthony teaches us what our dogs need, not how to accommodate what we want. There is nothing in his teachings or philosophies that Cesar Milan would not back himself. Our dogs need us to be pack leaders in order for them to be happy and functional. They are not people, nor do they want to be, but it seems that those writing negative reviews either want a dog who is not a dog or do not want to do the hard work it takes to give our dogs what they need. I have and will always HIGHLY recommend Anthony and CORE.

My husband and I adopted a 5 year old rescue mix who did not know any commands other than sit. Before working with Anthony, I unsuccessfully attempted to train our pup myself. In three sessions, Anthony was able to teach our pup how to lay down, heal, stay, and go to his bed and gave us structure and motivation to make real progress. We trained on our own in-​between sessions for about 20 – 30 minutes each day and saw a huge improvement within the three weeks. All of the training was positive — our pup loved all of the extra attention and was eager to please us. We will definitely call Anthony again if we plateau with our training and we highly recommend him.

Our two puppies were incorrigible – chewing cords, digging holes in the walls, peeing and pooping wherever, eating their poop… we paid a lot of money for dog training from another trainer and it was wasted money. I contacted Anthony, who came to meet us and the pups at our house. They took to him immediately and he had some greats suggestions for us. We decided to have him help us litter train them, and he not only did that, but helped us get our female puppy’s anxiety under control. We have boarded them with him since when we have gone on short weekend vacations and they adore him and the dogs he has there. This week we were in a bind because of my husband’s brother’s dog, and at a moment’s notice Anthony agreed to help us out and that dog loved him, too. Anthony has a real gift for working with dogs; please don’t be misled by the more negative reviews. They are totally wrong – when we read them we were sure they were talking about a different trainer. Anthony is knowledgeable, kind, patient, loving, and a wonderful trainer. His colleagues at CORE are equally great. Our lives are saner and better since our pups were trained by Anthony and we can’t thank him enough.

Just the best. I called Anthony after getting worried about the fear-​based aggression my dog displayed with people and other dogs. I’d tried other trainers and gotten few results but I was desperate so I decided to try again. After three sessions with Anthony (and lots of practice in between), we had four sets of houseguests visit and my dog was calm and happy. It was amazing and I’m very grateful. He’s taught me how to respond constructively to my dog’s behavior and it’s made a huge difference.

We hired Anthony to work with our recently adopted dog who has socialization issues. We were naïve and believed him when he told us that he uses positive reinforcement techniques. Unfortunately, he told us to use a prong collar and pet corrector spray both of which are negative training tools that frequently do little to properly train a dog but create can crate fear and anxiety. He recommended a boarding facility which lacked supervision and our dog got into several fights which traumatized her and set her back significantly in her training.
After our experiences with Anthony, we consulted with a veterinarian who specializes as an animal behaviorist. She explained to us (and gave us many scientific journal articles to read) about how some of Anthony’s training techniques are out-​dated and outright dangerous for dogs and humans alike. We are now working with trainers who are certified and practice positive training (I’ve written reviews on here of excellent trainers whom we’ve had the great opportunity to work with since him). Our dog is doing much better with these truly positive trainings.

I feel so fortunate to have met Anthony and his services through C.O.R.E Dog Training. I didn’t want to put Hope through the stress of going to a large pet class where most of the other dogs would be puppies and that’s what the dog store chains offer. Anthony was our angel — he came to our home and worked with Hope personally on all her basic obedience skills that needed reinforcing — sit, stay, speak and going outside for good bathroom manners. Anthony — unlike other trainers we have used — made Hope & I feel at ease with his methods that were easy to understand, kind and gently reinforced. I have used his methods not only with Hope but with our other two rescue dogs, Shelby & Scooby. Hope is now in the process of getting her AKC certification & badge so she can come to work with me and I can truthfully say this is due to the time & effort Anthony of C.O.R.E. so pleasantly shared us.

I have recently had 4 sessions with Anthony and my 1 + year old rescue– some sort of terrier mix… and a complete brat who ruled me for weeks. I’ve had a couple of dogs before but none like her. Anthony was so open and concrete with training me how to train her. We worked inside to build a foundation but were already outside session #1 starting to address her leash aggression. By the 3^rd session we were at an unofficial off leash park. He demonstrated and allowed me to practice.
So why am I giving 5 stars? He lives in Hollywood and drove to see me on the west side every time. There was NO pressure to continue with sessions. It was all entirely my decision. He is now the lead trainer at Karma Rescue– one of the best rescues in LA that I have dealt with. He is receptive to follow up regardless of sessions continuing or not (but I choose my questions wisely). What I’ve gathered from some of the reviews is that individuals hope anthony will «cure» their dog’s behaviors. Anthony gives the tools necessary but one has to remember that 1 – 2 hours/​week is the blink of an eye compared to how much time an owner has with their dog. It is A LOT of work but SO worth it. She’s no angel but so much calmer and more obedient than when we started. She’s almost like a different dog– her entire demeanor has changed and rather than dreading coming home, I now look forward to coming home.
Can’t rave enough… prices affordable, great people skills and tailors training to needs of your dog.

Couldn’t be happier with Anthony and our dog’s new skills! We would recommend him in a heartbeat to anyone who’s looking for a trainer. My husband found him very knowledgeable and easy to get along with, and our dog loved him!
We purchased a Living Social deal for 6 hour-​long group training classes for our bulldog puppy. When my husband showed up to the first group class, it turned out that all the other dog owners had flaked and no one showed up. So Anthony offered us 3 private classes instead, and immediately began the first lesson.
Our bulldog, who we’ve always joked about being dumber than a bag of rocks, learned how to sit and walk on a leash properly the very first lesson… we were thrilled! Anthony gave my husband great training tips and lots of advice about how to relate to the dog in an authoritative manner. He also gave lots of insights about some of the conflicts we were having at home between the puppy and our older dog.
With the second and third lessons, our puppy gained even more skills… and she adored Anthony. We also started training our older dog at home using Anthony’s techniques and she’s made progress, too.
One negative comment talked about Anthony as a bully who creates a submissive dog… that’s not our experience at all. Anthony was gentle, playful and understanding with our puppy. Being firm while making commands doesn’t equate to bullying. Each lesson had our puppy wagging her tail and trying furiously to hurry out of the car to greet Anthony. She has learned to take direction, but we would never call her submissive. She’s a happy, well-​adjusted dog with some great training under her belt now. Thank you, Anthony!

I purchased a Living Social deal for dog training with Anthony and I am very Happy I did.
My dog Teddy was a puppy at the time of the training had extremely high energy and I swear I think he has a.d.d. as well.
The first thing I realized from day one is that dog training is more about training me as the owner. I had to set the rules, correct when needed and reward good behavior. after a few sessions I was so surprised and pleased with the progress Teddy had made and was planning on purchasing additional sessions.
The problem I have is that the last time I took Teddy for training I asked Anthony if he could check how many classes I had left if any and he told me his assistant would get back to me during the week to let me know, nobody ever called me back. To this day I have no idea if I used up all my classes and if I had they should have at least called me to tell me at which point I would have been more than happy to purchase additional classes.
I give Anthony’s training a 5 but his or his assistant’s follow up skills a 1.

Anthony is an angel! He has helped us with our puppy since we brought him home at 8 weeks old. We even left our pup with him for a few days when we went out of town. Our dog loves him and so do we. He not only is great at training the dog, but teaches us what to do. I text him with questions too, and he always responds quickly. I would refer him to any of my friends in a heartbeat. I’m so happy we found him.

I disliked my training sessions with Anthony so much, that I decided to only do 2 out of the 3 of them. If your main goal is to have a submissive dog, than Anthony works. My goal with training, however, is to have happy, well-​adjusted dogs.
I had been looking for help with a dog I rescued and a good friend gave me Anthony’s services as a gift. I had just found a trainer, was very happy with her, but open to learning more. After working with Anthony, I am even more thankful that I found Chelsea at Karma Dog Training.
My frustration with Anthony came from his unwillingness to respect the needs of my dogs and me. Anthony is rigid and unable to adjust training to anything aside from the alpha pack leader doctrine. Anthony came armed with the idea that all behavior problems in dogs come from the failure of their owner to dominate them. I have had dogs my entire life, and have never encountered separation anxiety or a problem that I couldn’t remedy, until I rescued my pug mix, who suffered emotional trauma after being abandoned. Even though Anthony’s ideas are not in line with my values, he would offer no other approach. Training with Anthony was an irritating one-​sided conversation.
The 1^st session was OK. It was all done inside my place, so I didn’t have the chance to witness any real training. I did try some of his ideas for separation anxiety that didn’t work too well for me, so I decided to keep working with my other trainer on the pug’s separation anxiety. For the 2^nd session, we met at a park to practice recall. At the park, I told Anthony that the strictness he felt necessary-​having the dogs ask me before getting on the bed, sofa, eating, going out, etc.-did not work for my lifestyle. It was not enjoyable, and not something I could or wanted to maintain. In response, Anthony laughed. Then, told me that unless I did all of those things, I would not have any progress.
At the park, Anthony took command of the dogs, insisting that they stay at or behind his heals. To get them to comply, he jerked the leash whenever they ventured too far forward. My terrier displayed many stress signs, was confused, and tense. But, naturally, being a little 19 lb dog, yanked back by a muscular, I would guess, 180 lb (?) man, he quickly learned not to cross in front of Anthony. Was he happy? No! Did he enjoy the walk? No! My pug mix also displayed stress signals, and when he licked his lips — a sign of submission but also stress — Anthony proclaimed, «See? This is good. He is falling in line.» If I wanted a submissive dog, I guess this would have been a success, but, as I mentioned, I want happy dogs, not stressed out dogs who dislike walking on their leashes.
Anthony showed me a hide-​and-​seek game. But, even his take on it, was the reverse of everything I had been taught. Anthony wanted me to keep calling my terrier, while Anthony stood in front of him with cheese in his pack. I had learned the opposite; that if a dog is highly distracted, go and get them. Don’t keep calling them, b/​c the longer you do, the more you are teaching them that they don’t need to come to you.
After the session, I felt yucky. I needed to shake off the experience, so I returned to the park and let the boys run free with the other dogs there. I already knew in my gut that the walking session with Anthony was not right, but it became even more plain, when I got ready to go. I walked towards my terrier with his leash, he looked at it and ran in the opposite direction! This is not something he does. I make sure getting the leash clipped on is always positive, so after free play, I take them on a nice walk. Usually after the dogs have run around enough, their tails wag when I walk over and clip in their leashes, b/​c they know more fun is afoot. I never scold them, yank their leash, or practice any negative association with the leash or being with me. I have done a lot of work on this so was even more upset, when the morning after my 2^nd training, my terrier backed away from his harness! Neither dog enjoys the harnesses being put over their head, but they patiently allow it, b/​c they know an outing is happening. After the walk with Anthony, my terrier doesn’t want his harness, and would rather back out of the room than have it put on him.
Both of my dogs are rescues with specific issues that are not well addressed by domination. I took the time to write this review, b/​c I felt that Anthony’s videos and messaging do not clearly communicate his training philosophy. I didn’t know from his marketing that he was a strict adherent to alpha pack leader training, and not able to teach anything else. So, I am writing for the other people who feel the same way I do. I would not want anyone else to waste their time, money, or have an upsetting experience, like I did.

Hi found Anthony and CORE through a living social and am so very glad I did. He was absolutely fantastic with my dog and helped us work through some of the basics in dog training and we evolved into more advanced actions at our last session. I opted for the personal sessions and Anthony was so knowledgable about dogs and behaviors and he was just awesome. He also taught me a lot about how to handle my dog better and how to teach him in a coaching way. My dog also had an itching issue which Anthony worked through and had suggestions for. Each of the sessions (3) were one hour and he arrived on time and was very professional. I thinkt he personal touch was key to my dog learning quickly and essentially graduating from CORE with flying colors. I am very impressed and have recommeded CORE to friends.

Anthony is the dog whisperer of the Los Angeles area! i have never seen my dog respond to anyone the way he does with Anthony– compliant, obedient, eager to please. just three sessions with him was all it took to modify all of my dog’s less desirable behaviors. Anthony is clearly passionate about working with dogs, and seriously knows what he’s doing. He’s an amazing dog and owner trainer! articulate and has a solution for everything. I would recommend him and his program to anyone– even if your pet is well trained and socialized. Happy dog, happy life!

C.O.R.E Dog Training is really AMAZING! I found C.O.R.E while I was driving one evening and noticed him training a dog, so I stopped and asked for a business card. I called Anthony the next day. He is so easy to talk to. I couldn’t wait to start the training sessions. I have a 5 year old Cocker Spaniel and I feel like she needed basic training asap before we bring another dog home to be a part of our family.
Our first session was better than I had expected. I was paying so close attention to everything Anthony was doing and saying. Coco responded right away and I know she loved Anthony as well because her tail would not stop wagging. After a few sessions now, Coco can do some of the basic skills I think every dog should know. After just learning how to properly walk Coco, I am beginning to enjoy my walks every evening now.
We still have a few sessions left and I can’t wait to see what else we will learn. Definitely recommend CORE!!!

Our dog is a rescue (60 lbs and 2 years old when we got him). As he settled in he started having issues with nervousness around other dogs and even leash aggression. We tried other trainers, not made much progress, and had sort of resolved ourselves to it never getting better.
Then we found CORE — we spotted Anthony training another dog and grabbed one of his cards — and it’s been like a miracle. It’s hard work (of course), but the progress is fast and we really love his philosophy. It’s very supportive and based on positive reinforcement. It’s all about keeping calm and making the walk a happy experience, instead of just yanking and yelling no all the time. We and the dog both love it.
We look forward to every lesson. Could not recommend CORE more highly.

My husband and I thought we could train our Boxer rescue, Tank, without the help of a professional. Tank’s biggest challenge is being OK around other dogs on a walk. We’d walk/​run through our neighborhood and Tank would continue to whine, cry and get over-​anxious at the sight of another dog. After trying various techniques that we read online, we decided we needed pro-​help.
We found C.O.R.E. Dog training through a Living Social deal and it was well worth the $! We have private lessons with Anthony, the dog trainer, and he not only has taught Tank the basic obedience on walks, but also gives us homework to practice with him until our next training session. We’ve been seeing Anthony for training for the past few months and we have definitely seen progress with Tank. Tank now walks next to us, listens to our commands and has actually had a few successful play dates with our friends’ pups. Although Tank is not 100% OK on walks, he is getting there and will get there someday.
Anthony is realistic and provides us with expectations. He has a great sense for understanding a dog’s anxiety level and progress. We have learned, though, that just like any parenting, it takes dedicated pet parents to continue the training as a lifestyle… we can’t expect to see progress if we don’t practice what we’ve learned at home. Anthony is absolutely AMAZING and my hubby and I recommend him to anyone looking to train or socialize their pup!

Whoohoo! As good as it gets is RIGHT!
I found C.O.R.E. Dog training through a Living Social deal. My dog, Lucy is a rescue and some days can turn into Lucyfer. During our first visit, Anthony came to my apartment for our private lessons and Lucy immediately responded to him as so did I. He is a seasoned and incredibly skilled dog trainer. As amazing as he is with dogs, he is equally as gifted with owners. I was glued to every word he spoke.
I’ve never seen a dog whisperer first hand, but Anthony simply has a gift. Like anything you have to practice it over and over, but Anthony was so good at planting the seed in my pooch’s head that reinforcement has been easy.
Lucy doesn’t dart out the door, she understands boundaries. Learning to impluse control. My dog is a little ball of energy and trying to manage it all has been challenging.
The reward for having a dog is immeasureable, however, it’s the owners responsibity to protect your dog. No better way to protect than to teach your dog proper behavior.
I feel it was a great twist of fate that I found Anthony on Living Social, but if your reading this don’t wait to call him.
Best investment I’ve made all year!