Your Dog Trainer

What a horrible excuse of a dog trainer! I just left the Kaiser in Tustin/​Santa Ana when I heard a dog crying & barking, after driving around the structure I found this truck, parked with a dog locked in a crate that’s tied down to the bed of their truck, it’s super hot, there was no water & no to mention the dog inside was way to big to be in that crate! (Dog is scared & hiding that’s why he’s not in the picture) this is a horrible «dog training» facility/​employee! Shame on you!

I would give negative stars if I could… I would like to start off by saying I worked there, and yes I know some of you will ignore this now that I said that, but please listen. If you are thinking of having your dog stay there, please DO NOT DO IT. I’m not doing this to discredit the business. Unfortunately, they’ve been doing that all by themselves for years… I had only been there 2 weeks working as a receptionist when I was attacked by one of our rescue dogs. I would NEVER EVER put one of your own personal dogs in this place unless you don’t care if they get attacked.
Most of the rescue dogs are very VERY aggressive and will attack your dog when they get the chance (which happened about 2 weeks ago). The place is very beaten down with broken windows, no air conditioning and a rat problem. Almost every single week some kennel worker gets bitten by a dog. I understand accidents with animals do happen. But not only does it happen very frequently, but the 2 managers Lynn and Cathy have NO IDEA how to handle the situation. I would never trust them to know anything about their own business. I’m writing this review not because I am angry at them, but I feel sincerely sorry for anyone who has ever been hurt or has had their animals hurt or not taken care of properly.
All in all I feel bad for every worker there who is under Lynn’s management. The managers have no clue how to solve issues, are breaking health regulations, and really should not be taking care of ANY animals. Please do not bring your animals here. Find somewhere that can give your dogs the love they deserve and not the risk of possibly being mauled or set loose. Accidents happen, but they happen way too much at Your Dog Trainer.

I had driven from San Diego to look at some dogs that are boarded here for a rescue that I’ve fostered/​adopted from for about 10 years. At first everything seemed ok, but the dogs I saw didn’t seem like they’d be cat friendly. I looked through a broken window at the kennel area, and saw this sweet small German Shepherd in her corner kennel. I asked to see her. She was cowering and terrified. Most likely from the horrible life before her rescue. So we went home together. We were so exhausted that night that I didn’t notice her licking her stomach until the next day. I was horrified to see an open oozing sore. I took her to my vet ASAP. It turns out she has 4 very large breast cancer tumors and the one is open and ulcerated. When I called the volunteer at the kennel, she said no one there had noticed anything wrong. My vet said she thinks it’s impossible for them not to have seen this unless they never took her out of the kennel! I don’t blame the rescue. They are paying this kennel for boarding and depending on volunteers and employees at the kennel to care for and train the dogs. This poor girl isn’t house trained, I don’t think she’s ever even been in a house. So I would seriously reconsider leaving my dog there if I cared for him/​her at al. PS This dog may probably die now because this kennel let this go for so long!!! Seems a horrible shame to have lived such a terrible life and then die from breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month!!!

So many great things to say about this place! My dog always loves coming here for boarding. Love all gals who run this facility :-) Thank you for all n you do for our doggies!!!

Jeff, the trainer, really understands dogs and has helped me a lot. I’d recommend him to anyone.

I’d give 0 stars if I could and still write a review. I went here because my puppy was showing signs of aggression towards other dogs and I called to see if they could help. Whoever I talked to on the phone did a fantastic job of selling this place to me. She pretty much gave me an appointment to come in and check it out and bring my puppy.
When I went in I found out that it was a group class for free to see if people liked it. They put me with a group of about 10 other dogs and it was just the worst. I have a lab mix and he was already about 30 pounds, he kept baking and trying to pull at the other dogs and all they did was show me off as examples of bad dog behavior and handling. They never tried correcting me or giving me tips. The trainer took my dog and yanked on his collar which only made him cough and wheeze, made him sit and have him a fist full of treats from his pocket that he promptly vomited. I was so frustrated and tired, I wanted to leave half way through the class and I should have. I had such high hopes that I was going to get helped and not just made an example of and put to the side like I had.
The only things I got out of this place was a puppy with a sore neck, an upset stomach and FLEAS. Yep, we came home with a Ton of fleas.
My Dexter loves all people including kids and babies, but sadly he does not like dogs to this day. I feel like he was traumatized even more by going here. A Ton of negative energy around dogs at such a young age.

My dog has been a therapy dog now for six years. I first brought her to Your Dog Trainer at 6 months after it was highly recommended by friends. Roger the owner and trainer in the group class, asked me what my end goals were for my dog. I frankly told him that I would just like her to listen to me and be respectful around people and other dogs and that was it. I signed up for group classes, for the year (which by the way is an amazing offer) not really knowing what to expect. Well we were BOTH trained in the process and had a ton of fun along the way. I met many great people and came to respect the the entire staff. I go on business trips and my dog birds there as well for up to 3 weeks at a time. The staff is amazing and Lynn really cares and is so knowledgeable about every size and breed of dog.
Grooming is also great and again every care is given…
At 2 years we took and passed the Therapy Dog International TDI test and were the only team to do so at that time. My dog also has the AKC Good Citizen Certificate also awarded after testing.
Thanks to Your Dog Trainer I have a happy, socialized dog and one that is able to give back to the community. I know that I received far more than I wanted or ever expected when I first came to YDT. All I can say is thank you!

I wouldn’t even get give them this star but Unilocal wouldn’t allowed to write something. .they are not friendly and its like they choose who they want to take care of. Bad business and to top it off they are very pricy. They were going to charge me almost 1100 for a month to watch my dog… looks to me that they are racist..

We LOVE Lynn and all the gang at Your Dog Trainer! They have been caring for our puggle, Mia, for he past 7 years. Mia truly feels she has a second home and this way when we go away we know that Mia is having the time of her life as well! I have referred so many people to Your Dog Trainer and everyone has been equally thrilled with the experience! Thank you for taking such good care of all of us!

I love Your Dog Trainer! Thanks for six months of taking loving care of my Girl, Sasha. She loves going there and being in the kennels next to her two boyfriends. Lynn and Kathy sent me videos and photos of Sasha playing and cuddling with the boyfriends. Sasha is day boarded for the past four months, so she is not left alone during the day to chew up more items in my house initially. Now it is so that she can spend time with friends while I have long days to plan my companies budget.
Sasha was lovingly chosen 6 months ago from the Orange pound and had many issues as a one year old puppy: separation anxiety, allergies, skin issues, eye issues (had surgery already), anger issues, non-​trained, anorexia, etc. I am so grateful for the care and assistance in each one of the issues below. They even watch her anorexia and feed her specially if she won’t eat at home or dry food there.
As for training, I have gone thru the classes for the year old dogs with Jeff. Sasha has obviously not been an easy dog to handle even though she is incredibly bright. Jeff has been very helpful to get my handling into the right way so now we know the commands and can follow them.
Today, Sasha is a very loving dog and cuddles with me. She is being trained to be a therapy dog and to help others.
Awesome job!

I’ve used YDT for two dogs, and have gotten positive results with both. One was a fearful rescue dog who growled at my toddler and other kids, one a pure bred who thinks he’s a person. End result? Through in-​home lessons, I got my rescue to stop growling at my then toddler and she became a better dog around kids and people in general. Through a combination of in-​home and at the kennel lessons, my family and I learned how to manage our over exhuberant 70 lb. poodle. And yes, in public, I always use a prong collar. If I didn’t he would pull me over. But I was taught how to use the collar correctly so I don’t hurt the dog. The training package is such a deal. For about $ 150 a year, you get access to lessons twice a week at the kennel — for a whole year… They offer lessons in sequence every 10 weeks or so, and you can repeat as often as you like. You don’t have to go twice a week, you can go once, it’s up to you. Some people bring their dogs at least once a week even after they’ve completed the basic training course, just to keep training fresh. Nice people, dedicated long time staffers. They specialize in shepherds and pits, but they’ll help you with any dog. Every dog needs training, even purse dogs. Do yourself a favor and go see the gang at Your Dog Trainer!

I dropped off my dog at Your Dog Trainer for extensive training and behavior modification. At age 6, he had become a source of worry for me. I couldn’t trust him at all around other dogs and he made me very nervous around small children.
After 11 days, he came home exhausted, depressed, and thin. But what a miraculous turnaround! Within a few days, he was well-​rested and happy to be home. With the pinch collar on, he was a perfect dog. Always responsive to verbal commands, and rarely requiring any actual use of the collar. I could walk him right past other dogs and he barely showed any interest, instead of charging them like he used to. With the collar off, he was still very, very well-​behaved, although not as attentive to commands as when the collar was on him.
Overall, I highly recommend this facility. They genuinely care for and respect the animals they work with. Their methods may be construed as harsh or even abusive by some people, but not by me. I tried «obedience training» and «gentle behavior modification» and got poor results. The methods used by Your Dog Trainer are effective and they saved my relationship with my dog. He showed no signs of emotional trauma after the first few days at home after his training. He never acted afraid and he was just tired for the most part. He is fully immersed as part of the family now, and extremely well-​behaved. I continue to reinforce his commands on a daily basis (which is recommended by the trainers) and I no longer have to worry about his behavior.

My review is not of the boarding services at YDT. I’m reviewing their training classes and methods.
YDT uses antiquated training methods that require prong collars and leash corrections. These methods are NOT supported by research and can be harmful to dogs.
Please find a trainer who is Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) certified and one who WON’T train you to resort to violence to modify your dog’s behavior.