Who’s Walking Who? Dog Training

We just finished our private training with James and our dog is a whole new dog! We were planning on doing the board and train because we felt that was the only way our dog was going to learn. James came to our home did a consultant and assured us we just needed some private in home training… we as in myself and my dog :)! We signed up for the 4 weeks and like I said our dog is a new dog!!! He showed me how easy it was but also how important consistency is. Our dog now comes when called, walks with me instead of pulling me, stays in the place I tell him too until released. I can finally take him to the park and other places and feel ok about letting him off the leash because he listens and returns when called!

James at Who’s Walking Who helped me immensely. I rescued a Belgium Shepard mix named Boo Radley 9 months ago. Boo developed fear aggression towards people and was acting out lunging and jumping at strangers. Taking Boo for walks was difficult, I never knew how he would act or behave. I called James and within just a few sessions Boo is a toally different dog. James worked with me and Boo and helped instill confidence in the both of us. I am proud to say that Boo is progressing wonderfully. Yesterday we went to home depot and he was able to sit and stay and walk by strangers without barking. Boo is still a puppy and by no means perfect but using James’ techniques Boo and I are so much happier. So glad I chose to train with James and Who’s Walking WHo

James is truly fantastic. I had some bad experiences with trainers in the past. He listened to my concerns and developed a program that would work for my younger dog as well as my older, special needs dog. He is kind, but forceful and really loves the dogs. What I like best about him is that he does not employ a «one size fits all» approach — he is able to adapt and make a system for you — after all if it doesn’t work for your family, you are not going to be able to train the dog. We saw a marked difference in just one session with James. Previous trainers had us going for months on end. James had 4 sessions with our dogs and they are different animals. I cannot recommend him more highly.

I called at least three separate times, left two messages a month or so apart. Still has not called me back :\

I honestly don’t know where to begin. I’ll try to make a long story short. We have two austrailian cattle dog mixes that are six years old. They had parvo when they were babies so we weren’t able to have them around other dogs for the first year. So, they have been very challenging, to say the least, when it comes to walking them and taking them to dog parks. But that’s not all — they were crazy whenever anyone would even walk by our house with a dog so we had to live in darkness with the blinds closed. We tried every contraption imaginable. Bark collars, harnesses for walking, among everything else out there. My husband and I’s main fights were about these dogs and I was literally at my breaking point but didn’t want to give them up after all these years. That’s when James and Who’s Walking Who comes into the picture. I did thorough research here on Unilocal and felt he would be our best option. He contacted me almost immediately when I first called to get new information. He gave me an idea of the cost to do this training and it was very expensive. But begged the husband to go for it and am so, so thankful we were able to do it. James came out for the consultation and made us feel at ease almost immediately. He recommended we use the e-​collars which was scary to think of but, when you have tried everything else to no avail it has to be done. He came out 4 times total and worked on various commands — come, sit, down, place all using the collar. One of our dogs was more stubborn than the other and we are still working on some commands more than others. BUT I can take them on a walk and feel totally comfortable that they won’t pull me down the street or attack another dog. We also have our front blinds open all the time and don’t worry about them attacking each other or barking non stop. Thank you James — you literally saved our marriage. :)

Big THANK YOU to James! HIs training has restored peace in our home and we and our 8 mth puppy couldn’t be happier. This was our second round of obedience and we shopped around before choosing our second company. So glad we went with Who’s Walking Who? Personal training at our home along was perfect for our schedules.

It’s hard for me to put into words how great James is. I adopted Maggie when she was two years old, and she knew the basic commands. However, she has a very sensitive stomach, so trying to train her using treats wasn’t possible. She was not a very good leash walker… lunging at other dogs, jumping, pulling, etc. I had tried a couple different trainers before, with no luck (Stay away from Bark Busters).
After reading the reviews here, I decided to give James a call. He came over and after one session Maggie was a different dog on the leash. She still needs a couple reminders every once in a while, but the change has been amazing.
Money well spent. If you want a dog trainer who knows what he is doing and truly cares about your dog and their well being than look no further. Give James a call. You won’t regret it.

James did a great job training our pit mix Roo. She was a good dog before but really struggled with distractions such as other dogs or people walking by in public. She also pulled extremely hard on the leash, but after a week of board and train with James, she walks perfectly alongside me and also does much much better around distractions. We even feel comfortable enough to walk her off leash in certain areas.
You can tell he treats all dogs as if they are his own, which is a great feeling when leaving your precious family pet with him for an extended period of time. Our pup came back well trained and spoiled from the attention he gave her — highly recommended!

James is miracle worker. He changed my relationship with my dog Tucker 10-​fold! Tucker is a 3 yr old Cattle Dog Mix that is a rescue and that I’ve had since he was 5 mos old. As he’d gotten older he’d become over protective of me and my house so much so that he started showing aggression to my male roommate (by just walking by him) and there was no way I could have anyone over without locking him up in the backyard and going ballistic the entire time. Then, he started showing aggression towards me! That’s when I (thankfully) reached out to Who’s Walking Who?. James called me and we talked about Tucker and I told him I couldn’t see how he’d be able to come to my house and do any training without Tucker biting him, but he assured me he’d worked with this type of behavior before and it’d be okay.
He came to my house for a consultation and by the end of that had Tucker walking on a leash by my side (without pulling me) all while he stood there! He even came into my house and had Tucker totally under control. That did it for me and I signed up and everyday thank myself for investing in this training!
The only thing I regret is that I didn’t do this earlier OR with my last dog. If you’re unsure about getting your dog training, call James and talk with him. Tell him about your dog and he’ll tell you if he can help and then if you want, you can meet for a consultation. He’s not pushy and really truly wants what’s best for you and your dog and he isn’t going to sell you something you don’t need. You can decide at the consultation whether or not you want to move forward. Best thing I ever did!

Well, I have known James since 2011 when my deaf rescue got out of my condo. I panicked I could not call her as she ran into traffic. Abigail and I both survived that day, but it has never happened again thanks to James. Since then, he has trained Zion and Samson as well. Samson, a boxer, is a kook by nature, but sits, places and loves like no other. Zion is just as perfect as any dog can be. He really is my golden boy thanks to James. Sometimes, I think my dogs love him more!!! A lot of «stuff» happens over 4 years. James has worked around my schedule. I drive him crazy, but I have never heard no from him. He even helped me find a house close to him when condo living was too much for my babies. What I know is that I have 3 very unique dogs with huge personalities, but also extremely well behaved and loving. That is 100% James responsibility. He scolds me sometimes because I can be a bit lax. It comes from a place of love for my pooches. We have all 3 on the raw food diet. My dogs have stunning coats, incredible teeth, and poop less! If you want the perfect dog for you, work with James.

We have a completely different puppy now after James’ guidance with Athena’s training. Amazing what 4 – 1 hour sessions will do with 15 – 20 minutes of daily homework. She’s such a joy to walk & take to the dog park.

This review is unfortunately long overdue! I adopted my very first dog right before Christmas this year. He was definitely still a puppy and, while extremely sweet and loving, it quickly became apparent that he had some issues that needed to be addressed. Taking him out for a walk was becoming a dreaded task, as he would pull full force the entire time, regardless how long and far we went. He also was extremely reactionary whenever he even saw another dog. He barked uncontrollably, pulling himself into an upright position, sometimes even choking himself until he was gagging and coughing. It was exhausting and embarrassing and I worried that he was hurting himself. He also would bark at anyone coming into our home that was not a member of our immediate family. I had tried treats but he had zero interest in them unless we were all alone. I also tried bringing him to a group training class, which quickly went out of hand because a large Husky dog jumped on him (he is about 18 pounds and a poodle/​terrier mix) and he could not settle down. In fact, we were asked to leave. At my wits end, I searched for other options and found «Who’s Walking Who». I called James and set up a meet and greet, although I have to admit, initially I felt some pangs of guilt knowing that we would be endorsing the e-​collar method («Shock collar», in layman’s terms). During our first meeting, James addressed my concerns about the safety of this training method, allowing me to feel the collar on my own skin at an even higher setting than I would ever be using for Louie, my dog. Immediately he told me a bit why Louie was behaving the way he was (fear/​insecurity, not aggression), and we tested out the collar to see its effects. Honestly, that first session sold me as I saw an incredible difference in Louie’s behavior. We met four times, with each session focusing on a specific command to work on until our next meeting. As with ANY training, this is as much for the owner as it is for the dog. It is also something that you have to do yourself, as there is no magic and instant «fix» for problems your dog is working on. Just like people! At the end of your sessions, James explains how you can gradually wean off the e-​collar. Basically, as with moth things, if you do the work, be prepared to see radical changes in your dog’s behavior. It is extremely rewarding. James is around, via email, text, or phone call, whenever you have any questions or concerns and will help you through whatever. While this method is definitely more pricey than others I have investigated, it WORKS and works quickly. I also cannot put a price on how great it feels to be able to take my dog to virtually anywhere and know I am in control. He even comes back on his own to check in with me. One of the best investments I’ve made in my life, no exaggeration. Thank you, James!

James is a life saver. My husband and I were at our absolute limit and something had to change or our boxer puppy was going to live in another home. She was totally out of control and we had zero control of her. Period. We did puppy training and obedience training in the past using treats as incentive but that was merely a bandaid that wore off eventually. Stella was jumping all over people, on the furniture, pulling us down the street on walks, ignoring our come command, just utter chaos. I couldn’t take her to the vet without feeling like I had just worked out for two hours she would freak out so much. James came in and we saw immediate results. He was extremely professional, giving us very clear direction on how to take back control and give our dog the structure she needed to thrive in our family. She was almost immediately a happier dog even though there were more clear rules and boundaries than before. We were beginning to understand each other. After only four weeks we can honestly say that we have a new dog. She’s still the silly boxer we had from day one but she now knows her boundaries and expectations and that makes the whole family happy. Thank you so much James!

100% Effective — night and day difference! We can enjoy our lives again :)
We have two terrier mixes we rescued at 3 months old who’ve been with us for a little over a year. We tried puppy training at Petsmart — beginning and intermediate training. The positive rewards worked if they were hungry and felt like paying attention, but most of the time they ran the show. They chewed everything –baseboards, sofa cushions, socks and underwear stolen out of the hamper. They would go nuts on walks, pulling us all over the place and barking at other dogs. We couldn’t go to public areas with them because it was too exhausting to control them on leashes and walks became totally unpleasant. Nothing was safe in the house, even the cat boxes were raided regularly by these two.
Fortunately we found James and now all is sane again. Our boys actually listen to command and we can have them outside off leash without fear that they will run into the street at passersby. They stay off the furniture and out of the cat box. We can walk them without having a scene if another dog goes by. I have even been able to manage the two of them with the baby stroller and all four of us can enjoy a pleasant walk through the neighborhood.
My husband and I enjoyed working with James. All training was done at our home. We started with a consultation — James was very professional and explained the training methods to us. He basically works with you to establish you as the pack leader using pack mentality. We went through a series of lessons through basic commands and at the end he showed us how to wean off the training equipment.
We are so pleased with the results. Highly recommend him!

After several years (almost 4 now), we are still using the techniques that James gave us with excellent results. We only use the collar when our dog is off leash in a non fenced area or if we are correcting behavior that has «slipped» from his focus. Thank you James for teaching us how to be good dog parents!

We were about to give away our 65 pound German Shepherd rescue because she was becoming increasingly more aggressive, territorial and was almost impossible for me to walk. The mailman threatened to stop delivering our mail and she would run out of the house whenever she had the opportunity to chase down dogs, trucks and motorcycles. We have a second dog who also barked a lot, pulled on the leash, and was becoming more aggressive with males who entered our house. We called James and he told us we needed to re-​establish our hierarchy in the house. After the first session, both of our dogs walked on the leash next to me without pulling! After 4 sessions both of our dogs no longer pull, bark annoyingly, jump on people, lunge at other dogs/​cats, or bolt out of the house. They are calm and we can take them out with us in public without them being a nuisance.
We really liked James’ style. He clearly loves dogs and makes the trainings very simple and straightforward. James also brought up to three other dogs to our house — and would bring them out in a controlled fashion — to cause distractions for my dogs. This was fantastic and helped to quickly train my dogs to stay and be calm even though other dogs are barking all around them. He is also just a really nice guy. I highly recommend him!

About a year ago my fiancé and I rescued a year and a half old German Shepherd named Bishop! We were unfamiliar with his social skills and his ability to interact with other dogs, so I often found myself fearful socializing him at dog parks, beaches, etc. On walks around the neighborhood he would often over react when seeing other dogs and lose control making him, being a large dog, look pretty scary. And I felt embarrassed because I was not properly correcting this problem. It got to the point where I have had enough and needed some guidance in trying to correct this problem. I did some research and found Who’s Walking Who. So I contacted James immediately after reading his reviews.
James contacted me the very next day and went over the whole process and the options available to train my dog. I agreed to sit down with him for the consultation and have to say that I am very thankful that I did. After seeing the instant change in Bishops behavior within the first half hour I was hooked and wanted to learn more!
Today was our last session and I have to say that I am extremely thankful that we had contacted James to help us with our shepherd. Not only was this a huge learning experience for our dog, but a huge learning experience for myself. James made it a point to address Bishops specific issues and really took the time to teach both myself and our dog how to fix them. It has only been four weeks and it’s like we have a new dog!
We have now been able to take him out without the fear of him over reacting. He minds and most of all listens to our commands. It is important to note that this is a learning process for both you and your dog. The whole experience was very professional from the get go! James honestly took his time at each session and truly cares about what he does. He was very informative and was always easily reached when I called. I would absolutely recommend him to anyone in need of training! Thanks again James!
–Justen

Great dog training service. James helped me turn my goofy lab puppy into a goofy well-​behaved lab puppy. Flexible at-​home appointments made it easy for me to get everything done with my busy and ever-​changing schedule. In addition to the regular material, James always made it a point to address any issues specific to my dog and take the time to make suggestions and help resolve any issues. The equipment and material you need to be successful is made available to you, all you need is a little time to work with your dog throughout the week. Overall a great service that I am more than happy with and will be sure to recommend to others.

The quick review:
Absolutely. 100%!! If you are having any behavioral issues with your adult dog or simply want a well behaved puppy. You have found yourself the team for the job.
Details:
I contacted James in May about my dog Radio. We adopted her from a shelter when she was 10 months old, a year ago in September. She was a stray picked up by border patrol, and was feral. She didn’t know how to eat from a food bowl or how to play with toys. After several months with us, when she became more comfortable, she established herself as pack leader. She would snarl and try to bite when she had a favorite toy or a bone, she was always jumping on us, and would not listen to commands. When out on walks, she would bark and lunge at other dogs, and try to get out of her harness. When we would hold her back, she would try to bite us. She jumped on our friends when they came over. We had to put her in a bedroom during BBQs because she would misbehave so badly.
When I contacted James he immediately came off as very knowledgeable. He never questioned that he could help us. He was polite, energetic, asked all the right questions, and we set up a consult.
At the consult he explained very well the methods he used for training. He took out the e-​collar and had me hold it in my hand to feel what the pulses would feel like to her. He compared it to dogs in the wild. The alpha wild dog, will nip at the necks of the other dogs to tell them they are boss, and keep them in line. I cannot stress how incredibly HUMANE this method is compared to other methods out there. I was a vet tech for 7+ years and talked to one of my favorite very knowledgeable veterinarian friends before I set up my first appointment with James. She assured me that the collars were humane, and stated that Radio would actually be much happier not being the leader of the pack anymore.
Our first session with James was nothing less than miraculous. She responded quickly to the training. She improved over every session. The key to this type of training is that you have to be a diligent owner. James gives you the tools, and the professional advice that you need to have a well behaved dog, but it is ultimately up to you in the long run to follow that advice, be diligent, and work with your dog.
I would never buy a collar and attempt this myself. It is an absolute MUST to have a professional like James show you how to work with your dog.
As of today, Radio is a different dog.
She never jumps on people, she sits and waits at the door until we go through, she sits and stays for her dinner, she walks GREAT on a leash and ignores other dogs. We are able to have her outside with us when we have people over. She is much happier not being in charge and her anxiety has decreased to almost nothing. Our friends who saw her before think her progress is amazing. We would not have been able to do this without the services offered by Who’s Walking Who.
Thank you so much to you and your team James, we are all so much happier!!! I would, and have recommend this to ANYONE who wants a happy, well behaved pup.

James is a true professional! We contacted Who’s Walking Who because we were in dire straights with our 3.5 year old miniature schnauzer Bradley. James was very quick to reply to our initial contact and within two days he was at our house for the initial consultation. We knew within minutes that James could actually make a difference and we signed up.
James has a very clear and easy to understand approach to training dogs and he made sure we were always on the same page before leaving. Not only was James professionally top notch he was extremely personable as well. You can easily see the passion he has for his job and that didn’t stop when he left the house. There were a few occasions where we called him between sessions and he was more than happy to offer his help over the phone.
After working with James, Bradley is a completely different dog and to be honest we are different owners. Everyone is happier (especially Bradley) and the stress and apprehension that we had before is gone.
If you are in need of dog training in the San Diego area I highly recommend you contact Who’s Walking Who and you will be amazed at the outcome.