Grumpy Puppy Dog Training

We love Grumpy Puppy! My husband and I are both first time dog owners to Maggie, a very energetic and excitable Lab x Cocker Spaniel. We had done all kinds of training with her, from basic obedience to two-​week «boot camps», but nothing seemed to stick. She had no self-​control and her recall was non-​existent. And as time went on she was becoming more and more reactive. On walks she would bark and snarl at anyone who even looked at us. It was getting harder and harder to take her anywhere or do any fun activities with her. And it was even worse if someone came to our house. We were getting so discouraged because when we got her we had envisioned being able to take her everywhere with us and really incorporate her 100% into our lives. But more and more I didn’t want to take her anywhere because it was just too stressful. And I felt like such a failure because I knew that Maggie was very smart and I knew that she would probably do better with more experienced owners. Finally, in total desperation, we called Grumpy Puppy and scheduled a session with Alex in our home. One of the first things he told us is that all good behavior starts with being calm. Just that one concept has been a game-​changer for us. Alex also taught us a couple of techniques for helping her to calm down. Even if we’d never had another session after that, we still would have taken away more useful information than from all of our previous training combined!
Another thing that sets Grumpy Puppy apart from other training that we’ve had are the pack walks. So often in our past training sessions things would go well in the classroom but would not always go as well in the real world. Then you go back to your next session and try to describe the situation to the trainer… it never works. The pack walks are great because you are in a real life situation. They don’t just take you to a quiet place where nobody will bother you. No, you’re walking in areas where there are a lot of everyday distractions: kids playing, cyclists, runners, other dogs, you name it. And the best part is that Tony and Alex are there to provide on-​the-​spot feedback if your dog has any trouble.
And finally, we love the other activities that they do like the paddle boarding and the dog surfing. Last summer when we were just starting with Grumpy Puppy I was still too nervous to do that kind of stuff with Maggie. I just couldn’t see her cooperating. But this summer we’ve done the paddle boarding twice and the surfing once (and already signed up for a second surfing lesson). It’s been absolutely awesome. This is exactly what we dreamed of doing with our dog and we are just so thrilled that we’ve been able to overcome the problems we had in the past.
As others have said in their reviews, it’s not about training the dog, it’s about training the owners. We have learned so much about how to «read» Maggie’s behavior and how to get the best out of her. We cannot recommend Grumpy Puppy highly enough!

Best «trainer» I have ever worked with! I have a 5.5 year old Siberian Husky (Kya) and recently adopted another Husky (Kane, about 2.5 years) due to Kya’s intense separation anxiety. So trust me, I have had my fair share of trainers/​behaviorists with Kya over the years.
When I rescued Kane, he was unaltered and came with a very high prey drive. He thought any small animal was food (being a stray for so long, I assume he had to resort to hunting to be able to eat), so he had some behavior issues at the dog park and on walks. He wasn’t aggressive, but he had no idea how to play or how to leave a small dog alone. The more a dog Unilocaled, the happier he was.
As you can imagine, I didn’t think a PetSmart trainer would do much for him. I didn’t need my dog to know how to sit stay and roll over, I needed him to know how to behave and be calm. I don’t remember how I stumbled across Grumpy Puppy, but I am so happy I did. Oddly enough, Kane’s nickname is Grumpy Gils, so it seemed like a bit of fate :)
Tony is unlike any other. His methods truly work. When he walked in my apartment for the first time, my dogs immediately respected him (especially Kane). Let me tell you, a husky is the most stubborn dog you could ever attempt to train. They are little humans with minds of their own — they do what THEY want, not what you want. So it took quite a bit to get them to budge.
After spending 2 hours with Tony the first session, Kane had not reached the level that Tony wanted him to be at. So he promised to come back for another 2 hour session at no charge. During that session, he worked with Kane AND Kya both, as well as taught me what to do on a walk. After our second session, Kane was definitely showing improvement, but again, Tony had higher hopes for him. So he invited us to do a 30 day free trial of Pack Walks — again, at NO cost!
During our first Pack Walk, he worked exclusively with Kya, Kane, and I. Not only was he teaching my dogs how to behave, but he was teaching me how to be in control. After that pack walk, Tony invited us to the next week’s adventure — Stand Up Paddle Boarding… WITH the dogs! I thought he was joking. I laughed and said we’d come just to prove to him my dogs would never be able to do that. Boy was I wrong. They both LOVED it and did exactly what they were supposed to do! Kya has never been a fan of bodies of water, and she not only was calm and relaxed, but she had a BLAST! My sister and I are looking into purchasing our own paddle boards so we can continue to take my dogs. Not only is it a fun activity for them but it is another form of training and reiterates what Tony has taught us.
You CANNOT go wrong with Grumpy Puppy. What Tony mainly does is train the dog OWNER — it is up to YOU to see success in your dog. They will not be perfect angels simply after meeting Tony and having one consultation. You have to dedicate your time to working with them. I constantly get compliments on how well behaved my dogs are (even TWO DAYS after my first session). Every time someone says something, I smile and say «thank you, it’s a constant training process.» Because it is!
My dogs have completely changed and are so much happier and well behaved! Even Kya’s anxiety has been reduced thanks to her calmer state of mind! Thank you so much Tony! We can’t thank you enough!

Tony takes his line of work very seriously and with a lot of passion. He’s willing to go out of his way to help you with your dog no matter how severe the issue is. His techniques treat a dog’s behavior more than teach them how to do fancy tricks, which to me is way more important. After having two dogs, one with aggression issues, and the other without, it’s safe to say that a dog’s behavior is the absolute most important thing vs. rolling over for a treat. Highly recommend this company!

We had an unfortunate incident with our terrier mix of 7 years biting someone and we were horrified. The next 24 hours (of course we spoke to the person and made sure they were okay) but it was mainly spent looking for something to avoid putting our beloved dog down. I found several companies that offered in-​home training and I spoke to a few different companies. Another company wanted $ 1200 upfront before any training. I kept looking and saw so many positive reviews on Unilocal for Grumpy Puppy Training so I wanted to give them a shot. The incident happened on a Friday evening and I was able to book an appointment for the Monday for the consultation. We knew if the consultation went well, we would book the training package to help with our dogs’ behavior.
Let me tell you, Alex has been incredible. Our dogs behave completely different. They are calmer and have responded so, so well to the training. I cannot say enough good things. Alex is always a little early, the is clear in instructions and able to answer any questions we may have. He also has been able to relate the training to our profession, which makes it so much easier to understand and implement. I really appreciate Alex’s patience, encouragement and candor to help with our «new» dogs. Walks have been a 180 degree difference. We feel much more comfortable with them and I look forward to even more changes to make us all a happier family with our dogs. It is not difficult training but it does take lots of time and patience. It is not a magic wand, you the dog parent have to do the work!
I like the flexibility of booking the appointments. It’s also nice that Grumpy Puppy uses square, so when this came up and wasn’t necessarily budgeted, so we were able to use a credit card. We have a couple more appointments and I am so glad we are using this company. I have already told several people about it and I plan on continuing my recommendations.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I wanted to thank Alex for helping me train my dog and myself into a much better leader and dog owner.
I have not owned a lot of dogs in my life but I have always wanted a German shepherd because we used them a lot in the Marines and they were always such great dogs. Me and my wife got Koa from a German shepherd rescue shelter in LA. He was a great dog but he was very fearful. He didn’t like other dogs he always wanted to bit them immediately and would not even give them a chance. Koa started to become he huge burden on us because we wanted a dog we could pretty much take any where.
I was referred to Grumpypuppy from a lady at my school and the she said she likes their training because they do not use treats! I thought it was interesting because that’s all you here is if you see your dog doing something good give him a treat! I went on their website and me and my wife were pretty much sold. At first I thought it was a little pricey because I didn’t know what dog training usually cost. After doing my research though I figured your going to get what you pay for. Alex and Tony both care and love what they do and really pour their hearts into these dogs lives.
Me and my wife signed up with Alex he was 15 minutes early very friendly and professional. Koa immediately started growling at him but it was another walk in the park for Alex. He sat down didn’t have any treats or clickers like they express in the videos. He told us he would have a perfect dog in about a month but we have to put in our work as well. We have been attending as many pack walks as we can and working with Koa everyday. If you would have seen Koa from the beginning until now he is like a brand new dog. We’re not finished fully with our training but we will soon. Koa is getting to the point where he just doesn’t care about any other dog and focuses on me and my commands because he is learning to trust me. I highly recommend Alex to anyone that is having problems with their dog. I also will say not to give up on your dog if you are having problems. I personally wanted to give up on Koa I have been embarrassed with him in public so many times. I continued to persevere and continued to tell myself it’s not his fault he’s like this because he came from a traumatizing place. Koa is finally coming around and we are not fully done but he is getting their. Thank you Alex for helping me not give up on my dog and not giving up either!

I stumbled to Grumpy Puppy’s website a couple month ago because I was searching for dog meet groups for our newly adopted Pit Mix pup. What got my attention was the pack walk and the stay activity. I was impressed how the dogs were calm with so many distractions. Our pup is doing fine for the most part, except a couple behavioal issues due to fear or lack of confidence. So we decided to give it a shot. So far we have had 3 sessions with Toni, including the consultation session. So far we are happy with the information and knowledge Toni shared and our pup has been making good progress since the initial consultation session.
I saw a recent review that said the training is not worth $ 750. What Toni tought might seem like simple concepts. But when you actually spend the time and effort to practice it those simple principle goes a long way.
We are going for our first pack walk this weekend. I’m super excited to see my pup behave like those dogs in the video.

I have been working with Tony for about five sessions and couldn’t be happier with my dog’s progress. Tony has helped me get through to my dog and we are much more communicative with one another! I am getting excited to do the pack walks next! Tony saved my dog and me from killing one another! And made training process fun

I drove all the way from Los Feliz for this trainer and it was worth every mile! Tony gets to the point and tells stories that will make anyone understand what they dog might be thinking or going through. He trains you! Then you can train your dog, or foster dogs yourself. I feel so much more confident walking my big female pitbull foster down the street in front of other dogs now. I will be going back for more training, because their is so much to learn that I had no idea. I can’t wait for the pack walks! Highly recommended.

We have a rescue dog with some behavior issues. Tony has done wonders with our dog and with us. Owners need to realize that the trainer is really training the owners, more so than the dog. Tony does a great job holding us accountable and is very consistent with his instructions.
Watching him with our dog is nothing short of amazing. He garners immediate respect and the behavior issues stop immediately.
Highly recommend Tony and his team.

Do NOT be fooled by all the good reviews! On paper Grumpy Puppy seems like a great idea, but the fact of the matter is, they are just out to get your money. The 1 hr consultation is $ 75/​hr, which is actually a good deal. However, the «behavior specialist» (god forbid you call him a trainer — he corrected us many times) gives you some generic buzz words to write down on a piece of paper, spends 10 minutes with your dog then upsells you on the $ 750 package. There really isn’t anything in between — either pay some absurd amount of money per session (a few hundred dollars that quickly adds up anyway) or get the pack leader course for $ 750. He couldn’t tell us what he wanted to do in the second session because «it was his secret». When it comes to my dogs, and my money, I want to know what to expect.
On top of the 1 hour sales pitch, aka the consultation, Tony has horrible interpersonal skills. His stories had many sexist undertones and I literally could not wait for him to get out of home.
His behavioral psychology tactics may work, but we are not willing to pay $ 750 for a «trust me» method with a guy I cannot stand.

Just did the taco pawty 2 weeks ago with Tony Nila.
So many dogs, what a awesone walk.
Beautiful grounds to take your blanket and sit and enjoy the delicious taco’s.
Tony had a taco company and taco’s were great, watermelon juice, and waters.
What a wonderful treat.
Thanks you tony, he’s the best!

I had Tony come to the house and give me a one hour training session for my pitbull who was a little aggressive on a leash after one hour session he taught me how to behaviorally change my dogthese guys are great I recommend it to anyone

Tony is great. He is thorough in explaining the training process and how to get through to our dog. The things he taught all made perfect sense and our dog is so much better off. Tony has always been very responsive, helpful and clear with me and my pup. I would highly recommend him and his training to anyone looking to help get their dog basic to advanced obedience training. My dog was very stubborn and a rescue, but Tony was very understanding and able to work with her (and me) producing almost immediate results and tools to work with.
Pack walks are the best.
My pup has learned how to be much more relaxed, great on leash walks, and more attentive. Going with this trainer has been a great choice.

I had a consultation with Tony for my two year old Australian Shepherd and for the hour we met him and the tips he gave us, I am already seeing so much of a change in my dog. We plan on signing up for the training recommended to us but in the meantime we are working on the daily test Tony gave us! It’s as if I have a new dog! Totally recommended for any dog owner having small or large behavioral issues with their dog!

Never in a miilion years did i think my dogs could be so well behaved. We have two maltese mix dogs who are darling but they were not well behaved around others. We tried the Petco route first but to no avail. All they wanted us to do is give our dogs treats to get them to behave. I wasn’t going to carry a pocketful of treats wherever i went, and it was just teaching our dogs worse behavior for always «looking» for treats.
I looked up Grumpy Puppy and saw all the great reviews. Could this really be true? so i gave Tony a call and thought we would give him a try. Boy are we glad we did. Just after the first lesson we saw such an improvement and he gave us things to practice before our next session. It is a little pricey but worth every penny! They do not nickel and dime you to death if you need extra help or have more questions when your training is over.
Tony was so gracious because my sister wanted to watch the first lesson my husband and i had with him which he said was no problem. She was thinking about calling him for her two dogs (Labs) but the clincher was when i had a bar b que and her family of 6 came over. She has FOUR teenagers and i have one. Every time they come over our dogs would go bonkers, bark and jump and get underfoot. I put them in the «stay command» in the backyard before they came over. In they came, loud, rambunctious, and ready to party, OUR DOGS STAYED CALM, NO BARKING, and waited to be greeted. My sister and her family could not believe their good behavior. The rest of the afternoon the dogs were calm, would play when engaged, and did not bother anyone. We could not believe they were our dogs. Needless to say after that she signed up her two dogs (a 4 year old Lab and 8 month Lab puppy) and can’t wait to have Tony do the training with her dogs that he did with mine.
Tony really cares about making you comfortable and confident during the lessons. He does not make you feel dumb for doing the wrong thing, or asking the wrong questions.
One of my main goals with hiring Tony was to also be able to do the pack walks with our two dogs. Now the favorite part of my weekend is the Pack Walks! We never thought our dogs could be so calm around so many dogs. We used to have to cross the street if people or other dogs were approaching from the other directions and they PULLED on their leashes constantly. No more! They love it too and when we get home they are ready for their nap.
Look no further if you are in need of an amazing, competent, on time, amazing dog trainer. You have found it with Grumpy Puppy!

Tony has been working and helping me with handling/​training my highly anxious pitbull for a little over half a year before I moved to nyc. And let me tell all you doubters that are skeptical about dog trainers, he is one of the best amongst the elite I could say. He may not be a celebrity trainer but you will get their experience with a fraction of the cost through tony. I’ve been getting compliments from when I first arrived to a month later that they see my dog improving, and all because I’m sticking to his program. I can’t thank Tony more than enough because with his help, it’s helping me keep this rescued dog more realistic to give it a deserving chance at a happy life.
This is an update from my previous review, as long as you stick to his program it will work. If you don’t and it doesn’t work out, it’s not his fault but your own, commitment is a two way street.

I highly recommend Tony and Grumpy Puppy Dog training. In 2015 we adopted two rescue dogs with very different issues.
The first dog we adopted is a very energetic and highly excitable German Shepherd. Prior to Tony we put him through two obedience classes, but even after that his over-​excitability would cause him to constantly whine and occasionally bark when we took him on trails with lots of other activity. Tony’s calming techniques has already made a huge difference in his demeanor. You do have to make a commitment to practice the techniques Tony teaches you, but it is well worth it in a much calmer better behaved dog.
The second dog is a German Shepherd mix who was very insecure — most likely never socialized. When we first brought him home he was afraid to go on walks. He soon learned that walks were fun, but began barking at other people and dogs. We immediately put him in an obedience class, but the instructor was afraid to approach him. While he has improved since the obedience class through other training, he was not yet where we want him to be when we contacted Tony. Tony worked with him and was not only petting him but in two sessions he was introducing him to another dog. Tony’s personalized instruction has helped us improve our techniques and calm him further.
In addition, the pack walks are incredibly valuable at providing a good safe place for you and your dog to practice your new skills with distractions.
Tony is truly interested in helping you and your dog. Some trainers we interviewed wanted us to pay per session but didn’t want to guess on how long it might take. It seemed like they wanted us a perpetual income source. Grumpy Puppy wants to help you solve your dog’s problems quickly.
I highly recommend Grumpy Puppy!

I am so thankful my dog and I are working with Tony. I have tried several trainers over the years with no success, since they were all afraid of my dog. Tony is the only trainer that has actually helped my very re-​active and anxiety ridden dog. At the first meeting Tony took complete control and within seconds my dog was sitting next to him. By the end of the first training session Tony had my dog lying down calmly and just as important taught me how to keep calm and work with my dog. I can’t believe the immediate positive results. What a difference the correct trainer can make!

I have my parent’s dog now that my Mom and Dad have passed, and I wanted to make sure that he transitioned to his new home and new world properly. I know dogs and can train them in many ways, but the emotional issues my parent’s dog was having were over my head and I wanted to get advice and help as soon as possible. Ariel came out and had a clear understanding about what to do to for my new dog. He didn’t know that I was his new master and not just a roommate, among other things that I was concerned about. She completely helped me and I know that my parent’s dog will be able to get past his confusion, his grief of losing my Dad and will have a happy life. You never really know what you’re doing when you hire a professional, but I was very, very satisfied!!!

So I’ve been having major problems with my new pup. She is as gorgeous as she is stubborn. 10 weeks old & I need her to be clam. So I called Tony. Wasn’t sure if he’d service me in LA. Tony had no problem with it
And will be giving lessons to Delilah every Wednesday. So I guess in short he services the OC as well as Long Beach yay!

What can I say? Tony and his team are awesome! We have had our little labradoodle in his program since he was a puppy, and wow. Our dog could not be more well behaved – even off leash! Tony is seriously a dog whisperer – His program is super easy to understand, and his wealth of knowledge incredibly impressive —he is not your average «trainer”– it become immediately apparent that he has a vast knowledge of dog psychology and behavior that makes his program super rewarding and effective. We would recommend him to anyone!

If you are looking for Dog Training in Orange County… Grumpy Puppy is the BEST! I was at my wits end with my 3 dogs and their crazy, out of control behavior! Tony Nila walked in my front door and in minutes my dogs were calm, respectful and best of all comforted. No dog owner wants to see their pet anxiety ridden and out of their skin acting out. Tony’s technique quickly allows your dog to leave the big stuff up to you and lets your dog be, just that, a dog.
He has a different approach to dog training and I promise once you understand this basic concept, you too can be a dog whisperer! It doesn’t matter what the bad behavior is or how long they have been doing it… it can all be a thing of the past. It won’t take you hours of practice or take a lot of time out of your usual routine either. Trying to train 3 dogs with 3 unique personalities has been impossible with the many other trainers that I have worked with in the past. My favorite part about this whole experience is that I get to enjoy great moments with my dogs every day now. We have really bonded as a pack. We are going to join Grumpy Puppy for our first pack waThank You Tony for doing what you do best and making this relationship with my dogs possible!

I wish I had a trainer like Tony years ago! I absolutely love dogs but was clueless as to how to handle them. As a result, my dogs ran the house and took ME for walks. Tony and his team are teaching me how to control my pets’ behavior in all kinds of situations and environments, not just the dog tricks like «roll over» and «shake» that you get from most trainers out there.
With every session and pack walk, I’m getting more and more confident in my ability to handle my guys. Looking forward to off leash and surfing lessons next!
Thanks, Tony!

Tony is the dog whisperer! He has a clear and in-​depth understanding of dogs (and humans) behaviors as well as how to correct them. Very nice and polite guy who clearly cares about our dog Cody! We saw an immediate change after just one session but I would recommend getting the 4 session package. Doing so will not only benefit your dog but will also help to hold you accountable to continuing with the information/​training that he provides to you.
Highly recommend! Thanks Tony!

Tony came by my house today to do an evaluation of my dog who has some aggression issues. After dealing with other trainers I quickly realized that Tony was much more experienced then the others I’ve dealt with, he had my dog under control in minutes. Looking forward to starting my lessons.

We have nothing but good things to say about Tony and his crew. We’ve been working with the team for about two months and the results have been impressive. Each week Tony sets the bar higher than the week before. I am skeptical at best that my girl won’t throw a tantrum and each week I am shocked (though I shouldn’t be) that she is able to control herself and walk nicely.
The principles aren’t difficult as long as you are ready to do the work. The pack walks are awesome and allow us to get more practice around other dogs but in a semi-​controlled scenario. It lets us keep up the training each week and is a nice perk that you don’t get with most other dog trainers.
Family members are amazed that our little girl is able to walk the beach trail and walk near other dogs. Knowing her past, they are shocked at how far she has come so quickly. We’ve worked with other trainers but the results were so minimal that I couldn’t tell if it had made much difference. We will be forever grateful to Tony and the team! They gave our dog her life back!

Join Tony and his Pack after going to multiple trainers around southern California. We had a 3 year old mutt that we thought was beyond fixing. Tony was great and took the time to personalize training to our needs. Our boy is now part of the family again and able to actually be taken out of the house. Would definitely use tony again.

Grumpy puppy is awesome the pack walk this last Sunday was really great a beautiful walk along the railroad tracks and the ocean.
I definitely recommend grumpy puppy, tony, alex, brian, and Jay are great. Jay was so helpful with my dog cooper, he still wants to pull a pinch. Jay showed me the proper way to stop him pulling. Thanks see you on the next pack walk.
Lynn g.

Tony was great. Our dog is aggressive around other animals. We have gone to two other dog trainers and our dog was still out of control.
In one session Tony spoke to us about the psychology of dogs and how they learn. After the session we learn more about our dog from Tony than the other two trainers combined. I would highly recommend Tony and his staff.

The training is professional and helpful. It makes my 9 months red heeler to be more calm. In addition, Tony gave lots of explanation like why do dogs do this or that. Very helpful training and it is worth to have it.

After recently adopting a new puppy, we decided to schedule a consultation with Alex from Grumpy Puppy based on their perfect Unilocal review scores. Being that we were introducing a 10 month old, 60 lb. puppy into a home that already includes a 10 year old, 9 lb. senior, we wanted to be sure that they would be able to co-​exist peacefully and that our new puppy would be able to learn and develop good behavioral habits for years to come.
The entire appointment process was simple and very prompt, from the online scheduling up to the day of our in-​home visit (which was approximately 3 weeks ago). Alex was a very friendly and kind guest, and it didn’t take long for both of our dogs to feel very much at ease with his presence in our home. He spent a good time describing himself and his techniques to us, getting to know our schedules and habits, and the «personalities» of our dogs all within the first 20 – 30 minutes of our meeting. He was thorough in explaining the reasoning behind his techniques, and was very honest and open about our training options.
The second half of our meeting consisted of putting some of those techniques to practice with our new puppy. As incredibly simple as they were, they appeared to be immediately effective on him. One concern of ours of having a larger dog is being able to control his excitedness in public settings at all times (during walks, eating at restaurants, etc.), and with the simple techniques that Alex taught us, we have noticed a positive change in both of our dogs’ demeanors and that our puppy has become particularly receptive to those techniques in daily settings.
We plan to reach out to Alex in the future with any other issues that may arise with our dogs as he has made himself available to us for advice and guidance along the way. I would recommend Alex (if you’re in the Long Beach area) and Grumpy Puppy Dog Training for a consultation at the very least if you’re looking to build good habits with your pet (s), young or old.

Been using Grumpy Puppy Dog Training for my 2 pitbulls that used to run and bark at the neighbors then end up fighting each other. I started off with Alex from long beach who had a few techniques and was able to show me how to stop this unwanted behavior. I then started going to the Sunday Pack Walks with grumpy puppy trainer Tony Nila from Irvine and he showed me some great ways to stop my dog from pulling and lunging at other dogs while on leash. I’d highly recommend Grumpy Puppy dog training. Both Tony and Alex where very willing to put in extra time at no charge to make sure I understood the proper technique and get my dogs to calm dog around other dogs. thanks Grumpy Puppy

I love Grumpy Puppy Training! You need to check them out.
A little background… I adopted a bonded pair rescued from the East LA shelter. The foster family had them boarded with a trainer who promised to keep and train them together so they can be adopted together (I later found out he didn’t and we went from the dogs only leash pulling to high reactive and separation anxiety). I tried another trainer but it wasn’t effective and both trainers explained to me that I’m doomed by having two female pits. I’ve been advised numerous time to get rid of one but I refused to believe in that as they aren’t aggressive toward each other (except we’re working on food issues).
I’ve been looking for someone to help me address the home environment and anxiety with the neighborhood dogs and being out in public. After searching the internet I found Grumpy Puppy Training! I’m currently working with Alex and we have had one consultation and 2 visits now and the improvements already is AMAZING. Alex is great and down to earth, tells you like it is and teaches you the successful tools you’ll need to be a proper owner. I’m confident in Alex and he’s helping us learn to be good ambassadors! I cannot wait until we can join their pack walks. I’m now having my two dogs sunny and sky eating next to each other and I honestly thought it would never happen but we’re doing it!!! I felt so defeated with people that were negative to our situation but I kept looking and I’m so glad grumpy puppy is here to help. We’re currently working on the girls calming down and nipping their fixation and excitement out in public (they sound like banshees when we’re out in public). We’re practicing at Wilson Park! For those of you who don’t know, Wilson park is a mecca of distractions for dogs, it has baseball diamonds, all sorts of people running/​walking the 1 mile track, squirrels, feral cats, dogs being walked, kids running amuck, batting cages, roller derby, tennis, basketball, farmers market twice a week etc. I never ever thought I’d be able to visit wilson park with the girls and now we’re there practicing there!
Their methods is simple and they don’t break it up into these endless several month courses that are complicated. If you’re ready to commit, practice, and be a great owner so that your pups will listen and respect you… book with Grumpy Puppy training.

Book a training appointment now.
We have two small rescue dogs who needed some serious behavior modification. They would jump and yap and were reactive to other excited animals. After attempting training ourselves, we realized we needed a professional.
Enter Tony. He was late to our appointment, but was very communicative about it and more than made up for it with the generous discount he gave. He’s a true professional. He worked with Dusty (male dog) first. It took several hours of very patient work and training to get anywhere with Dusty. Tony was a great example to us of how we needed to work with our dogs. We ended up needing more sessions for Diablo… err… Dusty, so Tony was super flexible in scheduling a few free sessions so we could work more with Dusty and apply the same lessons to Luna (female dog).
We worked with Dusty every night, several hours each night, for a week before our next lesson. Night and day. Tony taught us how to work with the dogs on leash. We are still practicing every day with both of them.
The lesson after that was deflating their reactive attitudes toward other dogs. Again, Tony’s patience and teaching made a huge help.
We are looking forward to pack walks to continue to work with our dogs and Tony. We are far from finished but I am so proud of our dogs and love that our relationship is still loving. We’ve just learned how to speak their language. Maybe one day we will be fluent. :)
Update: Pack walks with Tony and Jay are going well. They both continue to be super helpful in coaching us to better communicate with our dogs. Also, good news for Long Beach folks: they’ve recently expanded into Long Beach. Jay does training there. So if you live in Long Beach and have a grumpy puppy, book Jay!

My wife and I called Grumpy Puppy when we realized we didn’t know how to control our two rescue dogs. While they are both little, the combination of the two often lead to us being tied up in their leashes on walks. It was frustrating.
Tony came and found our younger and slightly larger (but still small) dog, Dusty, was quite the challenge. He remained patient with him and within one lesson had him sitting and laying down. By the second lesson, Dusty was no longer pulling on his leash as he walked and Luna, our older/​smaller dog, had joined him.
All of or dealings with Tony have been accompanied by excellent communication and amazing business ethics. This isn’t just a great dog training operation, it’s also a business you can trust with your money.
I would recommend Grumpy Puppy to anyone! Come join the pack walks, too!

My husband and I recently rescued Calli, a 2 year old pit bull with one eye from a local rescue. Having little information about her previous life we were focused on giving this girl the best life we could possibly give her.
After giving her a few weeks to settle in and after giving us a few weeks to evaluate her situation, we thought it would be a good idea to hire a trainer. She was struggling with walking on a leash and she would jump on anyone who came into the house. She was also showing aggression towards female dogs. We owed it to Calli to get her some proper training and as responsible dog owners we knew we needed to find the perfect trainer. This would take more than a basic training course from a pet store.
After searching for Orange County dog trainers on Unilocal I quickly found Tony. After reading his amazing reviews I told my husband we had to give him a try.
I sent a very long e-​mail to Tony letting him know everything we knew about Calli and what our concerns were. He called me the next day and we talked more in detail about we were looking for and how he could help.
Our first appointment with Tony was so great! He told us we could take video of him on our cell phones in case we want to reference his technique later on since we would be learning so much information. He went well over the 2 hours and we were already seeing positive changes with Calli. Tony brought two other trainers with him and his two dogs (One calm and one hyper). He followed up about a week later to see how everything was going and we still had a few more concerns. She was still pulling on leash and was distracted by other dogs on our nightly walks.
Tony said he would come out in a few weeks at no charge and see what was going on. Tony came back and with a few leash tweaks honestly Calli is a different dog. She looks us in the eyes, she is focused on her walks, and we finally feel like we have control.
Having owned a dog for the last 28 years of my life let me tell you I thought I had things pretty well figured out. Turns out I had a lot to learn! Tony and his team at Grumpy Puppy Training are so incredible, we loved working with them and are so excited to continue our training through the weekly pack walks.
If you are thinking about training for your puppy I could not recommend Grumpy Puppy Training enough. This is not «clicker» dog training. Tony specializes in behavior modification and using love and affection as a reward.
Thank You Grumpy Puppy Training!

If you are like me then you have already hired Bobo the dog trainer that shows up with his box of toys but could only stay 20 minutes because dogs have a 30 minute attention span.
Then maybe you hired the gal with the clicker and the liver treats. Oh man before she left my dog would sit shake and roll over without even being asked.
Then when the novelty of the tricks wore off and your dog still wouldn’t sit and stay maybe you hired that dude who wanted to just be one with the dog and let that vibe lead you and the dog on your journey.
And now here you are reading a very long review on Unilocal to see if anyone other than Cesar Milan can help you with your dog. Good news — you have finally come to the right place.
Tony and his team get dogs but just as importantly they get people. They know the job is twofold: get the dog into a state of mind where it can be ‘trained’ and get the owners into a training state of mind.
First of all if you recently got a puppy and you are debating about hiring Tony or even worse thinking you won’t hire Tony because he’s expensive… STOP…CALL NOW. Getting Tony to help you with your puppy is the definition of ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’. In this case $ 300 in prevention is worth thousands in destroyed property, lost relationships, sanity and hours with Bobo. The fundamentals he teaches you will transform how you communicate, why you communicate, what you communicate and when you communicate with your dog.
I did the 3 hour session with my new Vizsla at my home. It’s been over 10 days and not a single day goes by I am not stopped by strangers to tell me how good my dog is. One lady said ‘he makes eye contact with you whenever you talk to him!’ Yes he does because he knows it is ‘good’. (A key you get from Tony for conditioning your dog.). At the vet he laid still on the table why they poked and prodded all his sensitive areas because Tony showed us how to make him relaxed and not mind being handled.
The biggest change has been with my 6 & 4 year old Frenchies. I had not walked them in 5 years because they were miserable to walk. Now that we know how to relax them and get them to accept that we are in charge — they walk on my left side, leash slack, no drama. We still had the hurdle of seeing a strange dog — they would squeal — a blood curdling stuck pig death squeal that was humiliating. Today, Tony came back with his dog Corona and both dogs met her with just a hint of anxiety that was very quickly corrected and dissipated by Tony. (See attached picture.)
Bottom line — Tony is the real deal. His team is well trained and once they teach you the fundamentals 80% of potential problems will disappear. Well worth the money and more importantly the time.
Good luck. CALL NOW! They book up fast.

After posting on Unilocal,the owner of Grumpy Puppy, Tony contacted me via email immediately to see what he can do to correct the situation. I explained that I needed help with my new puggle and he made next day arrangements available if I were around. Although I couldn’t meet on Sunday, we met on Monday in the afternoon.
He arrived early with his son Jay and was friendly, apologetic, and did not seem to harbor any anger or animosity towards me or my dog. He was very thorough in explaining the puppy curriculum and behavior strategies. As a psychologist, friends would ask why was I having trouble training my dog? I would explain that my training has a Cognitive emphasis not behavioral and that is where Tony excels. We went over several skills and Tony explained the underpinnings of their use without being professorial or pedantic. The best part was that my puppy Sox, although still hyper and stubborn, complied after many trials and corrections. After our 2 hour and 10 minute session, he emailed me PDF files to reinforce the skills I learned and theories, as well as other relevant information we talked about.
Before he left I explained that my initial Unilocal review was prompted on my assumption that I had no recourse. I wasn’t looking for my money back. Just good information and skills. I am glad that he took it upon himself to satisfy my needs and made sure I didn’t have a negative experience with his company. Although Tony has several different trainers on his team, each with a different scheduling calendar available for prospective clients to see, I now know why Tony is so busy. Thank You.

We got an Olde bulldog about a year ago. We researched the breed and did all we could to train and take care of him. Our bulldog’s name is Zeus, he is half pure English Bulldog and half pure American Bulldog. This resulted in a powerful hybrid mix. Zeus is now about 70 pounds of brute strength!
Zeus developed a few bad habits; pulled while walking, cried around other dogs, and was easily distracted. The thing that alerted Zeus the most were skateboards.
As a puppy, we tried to teach Zeus to ride a skateboard. He wasn’t good at it but he started loving skateboards so much that he would tackle skateboarders to take the board away. Could turn out to be dangerous as Zeus is 70 pounds and could really hurt someone. He isn’t aggressive but he doesn’t know his own strength. This is when we knew we needed some professional help so we went to Grumpy Puppy.
We had taken Zeus to multiple trainers in the past. He knows sit, focus, and high five but these commands are mostly for show and wouldn’t be as handy in certain situations. No one was able to help us with his pulling and energy. Other trainers were willing to even refund us our money and quickly stated that his behavior was our fault because he wasn’t fixed. We were also told that because he wasn’t nurtured he was untrainable.
We really needed help, a custom approach that focused on Zeus’ personality.
We found Grumpy Puppy Training from one of our mutual friends on Instagram. We were impressed by the photos we saw of obedient dogs in still poses. Seeing this gave us motivation for a dog that would obey commands.
We were able to get in contact with Tony, from Grumpy Puppy Training. We felt confident of his training skills as he is able to get 30 dogs to stay in one place for 20+ minutes with distractions!
Tony came to see us at home for a consultation. He gave us real facts and really took the time to know our dog and us.
Within 30 minutes he was able to make Zeus stay in a sit command until told otherwise. (Until then no other trainer was ever able to get our dog to stay put). He explained techniques and steps and made sense of all it. Very simple teachings with good results.
We were convinced! We signed up for once a week training sessions with Tony.
We are slowly learning how to train Zeus into a well behaved obedient dog. Tony gives you the tools, and throughly demonstrates techniques to be able to correct any unwanted behaviors in your dog.
Thus far Zeus is able to walk with us without pulling, exercises self control when a skateboard is around, ignores other dogs, and can stay still in a sit command.
We are currently working on recall exercises with Tony, and it’s going amazing!!!
We take Zeus with us to everyday places. Training a dog in a backyard is way different from doing it in a public area with other dogs and people around.
Since meeting Tony, Zeus’ behavior has dramatically improved!
We cannot thank him enough for coaching us on becoming responsible pet owners and a well behaved dog! Tony took on the challenge and made it happen with ease!!!
We now understand our dog so much better and share better experiences together with Zeus.
Thank You Tony!!!

I found GrumpyPuppyDT online via surfing the web for local dog obedience training, which led me their Unilocal reviews and their website. I had been researching large dog and pitbull specific training for my rescued bully since the birth of our newborn daughter 10 ago. We have had Bane, our 4.5 year old American Bully Mix, for about 2 years now.
After being impressed with their online videos of the pack walks and large groups of dogs staying relaxed and unphased off-​leash at crowded malls like the Irvine Spectrum, I knew I had to at least give them all call.
My initial consultation was with Alex. He came to my residence and evaluated my dog in his natural environment and gave me a few directing tips. He was very low pressure on the sales and just sold me by the way he handled my heavy pitbull on leash with ease. After just 5 minutes on the slip-​lead Bane laid down and stayed in a relaxed state WITH NO VERBAL COMMANDS. After about an hour, Alex gave me some homework and information on their services and pricing. After using their instructions, I noticed huge improvements on my dogs behavior and time it takes him to return to a relaxed state. I booked them just a few weeks later, but I knew the moment Alex left I would hire them.
Once I had signed up I was fortunate enough to also work with Tony and Jay (and Loki, their Bull Terrier demo dog) on more distraction based training in my own neighborhood. 2 sessions later we able to attended our first pack walk! So great and perfect for desensitizing this excited powerful breed, with other like-​minded pet owners and plenty of dogs for controlled socialization.
I would recommend their services to any dog lover that thinks he/​she knows about dogs and dog training or just simply loves their dog. I was naïve enough to think I was pretty good with dogs before, but now I’m sure that in just a few sessions and lots of practice, my ‘big scary’ pitbull will be able to walk or stay off leash in a crowd of distractions with confidence that he will not be reactive.
Notice* — They’re giving us the knowledge, it’s our duty to be responsible dog owners to represent our breeds in the highest light. If you want results you have to work just as hard as you expect your little companion to work.