Testimonials
Keri, Nick, and Raven
South Hadley, Massachusetts
We have been so, SO grateful for John’s support in these early days of welcoming our sweet Raven into our family. John has supported all three of us (Raven and her humans) in moving from a place of anxiety and high stress into a place of deep openness for connection, safety, curiosity, and fun. We feel so lucky to have been connected with John so early in our journey with Raven and know that we will continue to utilize his training/coaching and enrichment visit services in the years to come as Raven grows up and as our family’s needs continue to shift and change.
Miller and Charlotte
Barrington, Rhode Island
John has been training and helping take care of Charlotte since she was a puppy. Charlotte absolutely adores her time with him. For over 4 years now he’s been a huge part of her life!
John has taught many helpful and important lessons / tricks / and activities to help enrich Charlotte’s life and understand her needs. He’s done training in person with me and separately on walks.
I can’t recommend him enough. She is going to miss spending time with him.
Yvonni, Andrès, and Lumi
East Providence, Rhode Island
John has been taking care of Lumi, our German Shepherd, since she was a 5 month old puppy. She is now almost 4 years old and has become a lovely happy dog, largely as a result of John’s impact on us and her. John is fundamentally a dog educator and advocate, and approaches training and caring for dogs with that kind of mindset.
Lumi is a tough dog and it could have all gone terribly wrong very easily. German Shepherds are a handful and there is a lot of misinformation out there about them. Most people, including most vet people we have encountered, are afraid of her and have been unable to approach her and see her for the lovely goofball that she is. Her instinct is to see other dogs as a threat, she is very territorial and her energy needs for play are endless.
In the past 3+ years, John has helped us develop a better relationship with our dog, better understand her body language and her needs. This has resulted in us bonding with her and developing very good communication with her, which gradually meant that Lumi reacts to other dogs, other people and situations calmly and confidently. We are now able to take neighborhood walks without her barking and lunging at everything and able to have people over at our home without anyone being in danger.
How to know if John is the right person for you: If your approach is to scare or punish your dog into becoming the dog you want, then John is not the right person for you. If you think that a dog is 3 sessions away from having the personality and reactions you want, John is not the right person for you. If you think the only one who needs to change what they do is your dog, then John is not the right person for you. His priority has been to ensure Lumi is happy and fulfilled in her life, and he has helped us become more aware and knowledgeable about what that means for a dog (and specifically for her).
Joèl, Charlie, and Sparky
Warwick, Rhode Island
I’ve known John for years; from dog training academy, private home lessons, nature walks, home visits to overnight and week-long stays. My 2 dogs are comfortable with him and his wife, J.
They take time and care to learn my dogs’ habits, preferences and personalities.
When I go away, I know that my dogs have the best time at their house chasing squirrels in the yard and taking over their couch. We feel so lucky to have them!
Krissy, Jimmy, Dolly, and Bentley
Methuen, Massachusetts
I can’t say enough about how grateful I am for John, not just as my lifelong friend, but also as Bentley and Dolly’s trainer. From the very beginning, John’s patience and calm presence made such a difference.
Bentley and Dolly adore him, and it’s easy to see why—he doesn’t just train dogs, he truly connects with them. Watching Bentley gain confidence and Dolly learn to focus has been such a rewarding experience, and I know it’s all thanks to John’s dedication and natural gift with animals.
Em, Gabby, Dougie, and Delta
East Providence, Rhode Island
In January 2023 we adopted our second dog, Dougie. Dougie had a rough start in the world so he lives with a lot of anxiety that manifests as reactivity. We quickly realized we needed professional help with Dougie.
Our friends recommended John and I cannot emphasize enough how amazing it has been working with him. Dougie, a dog who couldn’t walk out of his house without foaming at the mouth with anxiety now is able to redirect from triggers and can let new people enter our home, and is able to trust and become friends with them.
Our eldest dog, Delta, has fallen in love with John. She squeals every time John enters the room. John has also turned into our go to dog sitter. We’ve had John stay in our home and have boarded our dogs at his house. It’s been such a gift to travel without having any concerns if our dogs are safe and happy! Working with John will be the best decision you make for your pup and your whole family!
Christina, Canela, and Trufflez
Cranston, Rhode Island
As someone who has worked in education for nearly two decades, it was deeply important for me to work with a trainer whose approach aligned with mine. Specifically, I wanted a trainer who didn’t subscribe to methods of punishment and control that harm animals for the comfort and convenience of human desires. John embodies and enacts an approach to training that centers the well-being and dignity of all animals.
My two rescues couldn’t be more different: Canela is terrified of men and her default trauma response is to fight. Trufflez is full of endless curiosity, joy, and wonder – and has zero sense of boundaries and space. John instantly met both exactly where they were and continues to differentiate his lessons and strategies for both the pups and for ME!
John truly taps into the needs of every dog and their humans, and helps me to better understand the root causes and reasons driving certain behaviors and habits.
If you are looking to work with a trainer who genuinely loves dogs, and celebrates the wide-ranging ways that doggies show up in our worlds, then John is 150% the trainer you’ve been looking for.
Amy and Tasha
East Providence, Rhode Island
John is a TRUE animal lover, his patience and dedication to the animals in his care are a testament to that.
When my dog Tasha is in his care it’s the only time I can truly relax. I know she’s being given attention and she’s not an afterthought.
My dog often turns right around and goes into statue mode when arriving at a place she doesn’t care for … at Johns she’s bounding up to door… she WANTS to be there. He’s been a life saver during a lot of life changes and provided support for me and my dog. We consider ourselves very lucky to be a client.
ps sometimes his wife plays the guitar for her and I just know she loves it !
Liselotte & Shadow
Netherlands
John is not only good in his work but also a great listener and human being!
Last week we had a video call with John. He made space and time for us for a different rate because with medical bills its hard to find a good trainer we can afford. We had a great session. With a lot of insight but also a lot of motivation.
He came with a lot of solutions and ideas but listens also. I would 100% recommend John, as face to face session but online too!
Alex, Mark, Charlie & Bear
East Providence, Rhode Island
John has been an incredible help with our two dogs. He is always responsive and reliable, and his flexible schedule has made coordinating care so easy. John’s “drop in visits” are so much more then simply letting them out – he always finds creative ways to engage them mentally and make positive experiences for them. Beyond drop in visits, John has also provided training sessions that have made a noticeable difference in their behavior. It gives us great peace of mind knowing our dogs are in such capable and caring hands—we couldn’t recommend him more highly!
Rebecca, Anthony, and Freya
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
My partner and I were both new dog parents, so his expertise was essential in us feeling comfortable caring for her and making her feel relaxed at home. John was able to give us a lot of tools and resources that we used to help Freya adjust in her new environment, and with her two new cat siblings. He was always so attentive to our needs and responsive whenever we had questions or concerns. He was also able to provide a number of online/easily accessible resources for extra knowledge which was extremely helpful. Additionally, he was very good at helping us as new dog parents to reshape the way we think about dogs’ behavior and how we can help them to cope with their emotions and communication with humans. What I love about this method of training is that it has made an enormous change in our comfortability training Freya moving forward and with new challenges that we may face. I cannot recommend him enough!
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