“I am so happy we found you, and I am so happy for Bear. This was therapy for him as much as it was training. It’s so wonderful seeing him be a calmer, happier dog. We feel so hopeful and glad to have a path forward to shape his relationship with our baby so it is healthy and safe. This has been an empowering and fun process. We are glad we found you and look forward to attending more group classes!”

“Stephen did an amazing job with my 4-month-old Bernedoodle puppy Freddy in just three sessions. Before training with Stephen, Freddy was reactive on a leash, lunging and biting at our clothing. After one session, Freddy walked in a heel position on a leash with no reactivity. He also learned to sit in place for long periods of time and recall on a long lead. Overall, I would highly recommend Stephen to anyone!”

“I can’t tell you how thrilled I am with the lesson! Obviously, I have to work on my own confidence and leash handling, but boy I got a boost today! Here I am a pregnant lady, who’s walking a badass house wolf like a champ!
During the worst part of recent illness, I looked at her a couple of times, as she was chewing up furniture in frustration and thought, “I’m never gonna be able to control her.” I know we have a ways to go, but today gave me hope. I’m actually looking forward to talking her out now! Thank you again!”

“We’re really happy with the results of the training classes. We`ve been taking Gaudi with the E-Collar to the dog run and this made a HUGE difference! We are acting preventively before any possible conflict. The way he responds to the e-collar is great and keeps getting better. I touch the button (at 10 max), he comes running in my direction and lays down at my side waiting for the next command, without me saying anything. Even while he is starting to strongly engage with another male. I was concerned that in this situation he could become more aggressive with the e-collar stimulus, but he stops and comes to me, stopping to engage with the other dog at the first touch. Definitely a game-changer. It’s amazing how E-collars are still not more widely used. Such a great tool and we are happy with the competency you gave us.”

“It has been a pleasure working with you for the past 5 weeks, training both Hero and myself. I’m so happy and pleased with the results, and I’m positive Hero is also. To you personally, YES, GOOD, GREAT JOB... Again THANK YOU, and Spot-K9-training for the positive reinforcement and encouragement you have taught me during our train sessions with Hero.”

“Stephen Baum of Spot-On K9 Training is a consummate dog / people training professional. I initially reached out to him after working with another trainer that ended up not being right for me and my pup. As a first time dog owner, my stubborn one year old Husky / GSD / Staffordshire Terrier mix rescue with very high energy was giving me a run for my money. Just prior to meeting Stephen, I was feeling very overwhelmed with a handful of things including leash walking, my pups rough play around other dogs, her mouthing new people, managing her general high energy level and her separation anxiety when I would leave her home alone — among other things. I had been feverishly Googling solutions to these issues for a few months to no avail and had reached critical mass anxiety and analysis paralysis. I had even considered returning her to the rescue. Enter Stephen. He is experienced, calm, attentive, responsive and focused on creating a harmonious life between you and your pup via the most direct and simple solutions available for teaching obedience and treating problem behaviors. He helped me understand my pups body language, needs and how to communicate with her in a way that she understands. He very quickly identified the roots of her problem behaviors and suggested simple and proven methods to improve them and slowly chipped away at my anxieties along the way. He also taught me how to be the “pack leader” and someone that my pup looks to for guidance. Between training sessions, I bombarded Stephen with a lot of additional questions that came up along the way. I felt like I was being annoying, but he always responded to my long neurotic e-mails promptly, thoroughly and in a calm and pragmatic manner. This helped reduce my anxiety and kept us on track with our homework between sessions, so that we could continue learning new things at each subsequent meeting. By the end of our time with Stephen, my relationship with Terra had completely changed. She is responsive and obedient, and I understand how to communicate with her and meet her needs on a daily basis. We have progressed to off leash adventures in Central Park, and I plan on bringing her out for some hikes upstate when the weather is better. I am much happier, she is much happier (and calmer), and we have Stephen to thank for that. If you have a new (or old) pup that you’re having trouble communicating with, do not continue to suffer in quiet desperation. Reach out to Stephen Baum at Spot-On K9 Training and he will show how to have a great life with your pup here in the city. Thank you, Stephen!Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”

“Stephen is an awesome dog trainer! I was having some reactivity issues with my four year old dog and had tried to train him myself and with another trainer to no avail. Stephen helped me learn how to manage, and ultimately cure, my dog’s reactivity in just five lessons. Stephen is also extremely responsive to questions and has endless resources to help understand and train your dog. If you’re having behavioral issues with your dog in NYC, this is the dog trainer for you!Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”

“Thank you Stephen for sharing your knowledge and insights with me and my furry boy Tarzan. Teaching me to be a better leader by not allowing Tarzan’s history dictate his future was an AH HAH moment for me. Additionally, providing structure and holding Tarzan accountable has made all the difference: our walks are more enjoyable, interactions with other dogs aren’t angst ridden, and separation anxiety is getting reduced as Tarzan gains more confidence. I wholeheartedly recommend your style and approach. Thank you again!”

“We turned to Spot-On K9 Training when our first trainer wasn’t making enough progress. Stephen was great to work with and made a world of difference in training our Boxer puppy. Our puppy would play bite a lot and had no interest in walking on a leash. The biting was just about eliminated after one training session. We also made tremendous strides on leash training, crate training, and other very helpful commands like come, place, and leave it. We now get compliments on how well-behaved our pup is. Stephen is flexible, helpful, and knowledgeable. I highly recommend him!”

“Stephen helped with Poppy’s training when I first got her at 8 weeks old. It helped tremendously with the stress as a new dog parent. He gave plenty of useful tips for potty training, leash pulling, obedience and Poppy was potty trained in a week. Highly recommended for any new puppy owners out there!”

“I did deep research looking for the right trainer, and I’m so glad that I did the right choice. I have a 7 months old Vizsla, he was self-trained and knew the basic commands. But in high distraction environments, he would basically not listen and get too excited, heavily pulling the leash. Today my dog has structure, listens to me in any environment, comes whenever I call, and is mastering the basic commands. Even when not at training his behavior improved. Besides being a great dog trainer, Stephen is also a great teacher, always making sure that I got the concepts. I would 100% recommend Spot-On Training for family and friends.”

“I was referred to Stephen through a friend, and I was very impressed by his knowledge, skill, and process. Over the course of our 3 sessions with my 12-week old dog Milo, I learned specific training techniques I doubt I would have learned in a group class setting. Milo now walks on his leash right by side and knows several commands that keep him safe and confident. Thanks, Stephen!”

“Stephen is a great trainer! He is knowledgeable, respectful, and patient. I used to get anxious walking my dog because he would growl at every other male dog in the park. I would have to hold my dog’s leash with two hands, while still feeling as if my arms were being pulled from their sockets. Now, I can hold the lead with just a pinky. My relationship with my dog has actually strengthened due to Stephen’s instruction. I just wish we had found him sooner! I look forward to continuing our education. 5 Stars! Thanks, Stephen!”

“Before training, our puppy was sweet but unstructured and a little all over the place. This was our first dog, so we really needed a good understanding of the basics from the very beginning. Now, our puppy Larry understands basic commands and even more advanced training techniques. He’s responsive, and we’ve learned proper corrections. I would refer Spot-On K9 training! Stephen is a great trainer :)”

“Stephen is a great dog trainer: very dedicated, patient, and knowledgeable. My young German Shepherd was becoming more and more confident and independent. Training with Stephen thought me how to take control and become a leader for my dog. He showed me how important it is to give dogs structure, discipline, and guidance and explained that it makes them less anxious and stressed. With every session, I saw the change in my dog and I felt that our bond became stronger. Thank you, Stephen!”

“Stephen is a phenomenal trainer who provided life-changing training to our little puppy. Critically, Stephen doesn’t just train your dog - he also teaches the parents how to maintain training and accountability and use the various tools and tricks to ensure consistent and sustainable results.”

“Stephen has been incredibly helpful with our foster pup, Chip. He’s given us great ideas and suggestions that we’ve put to the test, and they have worked! Highly recommend Stephen and Spot-On K9! ”

“Hey Stephen, we wanted to thank you again for all the tips and tricks on Saturday’s call, as well as all the links provided. Zion responds amazingly well to the prong collar so far and we are able to have Zion and Tyson’s crates about 2 feet from each other and they’ve been coexisting in their crates just fine. Tyson just went up to Zions crate to see him as he was going into his and they sniffed each other no aggression. They are both adjusting well to these small changes so far!”

“Stephen was great and very professional will definitely recommend him to family and friends! He gave us the tools necessary to train our Maltipoo male puppy. It was a pleasure having Stephen as a dog trainer! Highly recommended.”

“The FaceTime session was instrumental in helping me with my rescue foster. She was abused and has aggression toward men and strangers. She also pulls really hard on the leash when she sees other dogs. The truth is that the owner has to actually perform the fixes and train the dog. The trainer is only there for instruction and demonstration. I sent a few videos, explained the problems, and all of the different things that I had already tried. I do have experience with rehabbing dogs with behavior issues. They (BARC-CT.org) give me all the hard ones. lol) After trying 2 of his methods only a couple of times, we have made unbelievable progress.”

“Stephen was incredibly insightful, flexible, and knowledgeable. He worked with us and our specific needs to ensure our dog Bowie got acclimated to the sights and sounds of NYC (she is originally from Kentucky). Stephen not only made leaps and bounds in helping Bowie with her nervousness but also gave us the tools we needed to help her on a long-term basis. His calm nature was exactly what Bowie needed to gain the confidence to walk the city streets. We’ve already recommended him to a few of our friends and will continue to do so.”

“Chadwick is my now nearly 1-year-old Landseer New Foundland. Wick came into my life after owning three dogs (two giant breeds) in New York City. I thought I knew what I was doing, but I did not! with a three-session package, Stephen first helped me get Wick potty trained with a confidence-inspiring session at about 13 weeks. Then, after a significant reprieve, Stephen changed Wick from being an unruly 10-month-old to a dog people comment on for being so well trained given his age in just two sessions, in which we reviewed some fundamentals on leash training. Stephen is passionate about his craft, but not self-righteous and pushy, the way I have found many professionals in the canine industry to be. FIVE STARS.”

“Thank goodness for Stephen at Spot-On K9 Training! When my puppy turned a year, he started running after squirrels and moving vehicles (golf carts, trucks) in Central Park and I couldn’t let him off his leash anymore. We had about 8 close calls - he even ran out of the park and across Central Park West one night, and would not come anymore when called. It was a nightmare, and walking him was so much less fun for him and the humans than it had been. I purchased a pack of 6 lessons from Stephen, and within the first two, he was already so much better. I learned how to effectively use a prong collar and an e-collar, and for the last 2 months, we have been walking happily morning and night off-leash during off-leash hours. The other benefit has been that our pup is so much more responsive and snuggly even than he was before. Stephen gave me my dog back but better! Stephen is a super nice guy too - he can connect with dogs and humans. I can’t recommend him highly enough.”

“We had lots of aggression problems and Stephen helped us to appropriately address them. We saw an immediate result after the second session with him. My dog can place at the spot for an extended period of time until we release him. We did off leash training as well with e-collar and my dog behaves extremely well now when off leash. We see all the signs of aggression fading with consistent training. I am very happy and satisfied with Stephen’s work and methods. Highly recommend!
”

“My fiancé and I cannot recommend Spot-On K9 Training enough! When we first got our puppy, a mini golden doodle named Winter, we knew we wanted to invest the time and money to have a well-trained dog for life. On our initial search, all we could find were trainers who wanted to charge $200 plus for an hour... and then we found Stephen. Stephen is amazing because he provides reasonable and fair pricing plus has all the knowledge and experience you would expect and want your dog trainer to have. Stephen is very friendly, with people and dogs, and was especially good at training us, my fiance and I, on how to train our puppy beyond the hour-long session. After session #1 our puppy was already sitting and going down on command. After session #2 she could roll over, go to her place, paw, come, and stay. After session #3 she knew how to walk on a leash properly. And finally, during session #4 we worked on corrections such as not jumping on the counter/table. Stephen was available by text and email in between sessions as well when we had questions such as “She ate something bad, what should we do” or “what is the best way to take her into the pool for her first time”. We cant wait to use Stephen again in a few months for some off-leash training. If you have a new puppy, a young dog, or a dog that needs any sort of training, Stephen at Spot-On K9 Training is the only place you should look.”

“Thank you so much for meeting with Brandon and I. He is doing so much better on his walks now! He has his stubborn moments, but redirecting him and being patient is helping us build confidence and trust. I am amazed by how much the collar is helping us! He seems to be aware that he is doing good on his walks. He smiles and struts when he is doing good!
Lastly, I want to say how much I appreciate you and your approach to training. I often felt that I was waiting too long to give Brandon the tools he needs. I know now, that I was waiting to find the right person. He is such a big, smiley goofball, and from that one session, I can see how much this is helping him. Thank you!”

“Alfie, my 14-month-old rescue dog, took to Stephen right away. After I had Alfie for a couple of weeks he became exceedingly fearful and didn’t want to walk anywhere or go up and down stairs - kind of a problem since I live in a fifth-floor walk-up. But after one session with Stephen Alfie was transformed. He became a very eager, confident walker who bounds up the stairs. Another issue that developed was leash aggression, with Alfie barking and lunging at most dogs we passed on our walks. Needless to say this was not fun. Once again Stephen was able transform Alfie’s behavior, with a some follow-up from me. He’s much calmer now on his walks and greets (sniffs) many dogs – or ignores them - but almost never barks. We also worked on other things such as heeling and “leave it.” Throughout Stephen stressed consistency and making it fun for Alfie and building a strong relationship. Thanks to Stephen’s training, dog and owner are both now better behaved – and happier.”

“Stephen is great! Excellent attitude, very positive demeanor and a great guy to work with. He was always flexible with my schedule on training days and was always promptly on time for each appointment. I noticed immediate changes in my puppies behavior after just the first lesson. I would absolutely recommend him to anyone.”

“Stephen has an amazing way with dogs that makes him a delight to work with. After the first 5 training sessions, Maximus’s leash training was visibly improved. He started responding to commands and became easier to walk. I was so thrilled with the turnout that I just had to get another 5 sessions where Max has also started to respond to hand signals!!! Stephen goes above and beyond, in not only teaching you how to keep training your dog on your own but also goes out of his way to make many helpful suggestions that have made my home life easier and more fun with an obedient puppy! I am planning to book another 5 sessions in the fall, and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for training:)”

“I am writing to tell you how much we appreciate all you have done for Milo and our family. He has improved so dramatically. We all respected how gentle you were with him and patient and could not have accomplished this without your assistance.”

“Stephen was a great resource for us helping to progress and perfect training for our dog Myles. He took an individualized approach to both her current behavior and our goals. He was able to make progress quickly during our sessions, but more importantly taught us how to teach her so we could properly re-enforce and engrave the improved behavior. He also came incredibly prepared with the potential needed equipment (collars, leashes, treats, etc.).
Stephen was also a personal pleasure to work with - kind and gentle demeanor and very flexible in scheduling our training sessions. I would highly recommend him!”