DC Dog Wizard

I waited 10 months to write my review to be fair. I have a well trained dog with one problem and one problem only — dog aggression in the dog park.
This is a generic training for new or rescue dogs but it does not target a specific behavior problem. They told me results are guaranteed but I did not see any! Sorry Scott, but after two weeks and $ 2000, the answer was to make Ned wear a muzzle? What was the training on then?

We took our rescue dog, who’s a little over a year old, to Scott Dancer for a few problems we were having trouble trying to resolve on our own as first-​time dog owners: mainly separation anxiety, reactivity (to dogs and some people), urine marking. We tried an 8 week positive training course and a consult with another trainer, but none of it was effectively boosting his confidence, wearing out all his energy, reliably teaching him obedience through distractions, or actually addressing the behavior issues. We did the 2 week board-​and-​train program and it was completely worth it. Up until the training program, our little pup was really beginning to stress us out on every walk and his anxiety was not improving.
When he came home, we noticed a big improvement right away in his behavior and not a single change in his silly and very loving personality. The urine marking has nearly stopped and he actually pees normally on walks instead of marking every single thing along the way. He no longer pulls on the leash and dashes around ahead of us going crazy with all the sights and smells. He actually took to his crate with no issues (we didn’t even bother crating him before since it made him super anxious – he escaped it twice in fact). His separation anxiety has improved as well – he no longer barks and howls when I leave for work and the obedience training actually tires him out. He obeys commands off-​leash and outside in distracting situations rather than just choosing to follow them when he wants. His overall confidence made tremendous strides in those two weeks – he no longer feels the need to follow us around the apartment everywhere and can actually have fun with his toys by himself. At the same time, he is calmer and more disciplined overall instead of being fearful and nervous. Friends and family have even remarked that he seemed happier, friendlier, and better behaved. Now he has the discipline to sit or pass by dogs on our walks when before he would growl and lunge at every single dog. He even lets young kids pet him – before, he would growl at the mere sight of children even if they weren’t being loud or moving around unpredictably.
We could not be more pleased with the training our dog received under Scott’s care and the training that we received as well (just as if not more important). You can tell Scott has lots of experience with all types of situations and dogs. We really liked his simple philosophy that building confidence, establishing leadership and some ground rules (versus «dominance»), and learning how to redirect a dog’s mental energy is everything – and can be the key to resolving a host of behavior issues in any dog. Do yourself and your dog a favor and take him to the DC Dog Wizard.

We have nothing but good things about Scott and the team at DC Dog Wizard. They are wonderful!
A little background on Cody — he was a rescue from a kill shelter in South Carolina where he was found in a hunting trap. He practically had no socialization with other dogs or people before we got him and had obvious fear aggression (nipping, growling, lunging, you name it). Over time, it was just getting worse. Not only did he have fear aggression around other dogs and people, he was terrified of EVERYTHING. Even the shadows on the wall. It was awful.
We reached out to Scott after Cody jumped the fence and bit the dog across the street who wasn’t on a leash. After this incident, I honestly didn’t have much hope. We knew the best program for Cody would be the home away program (that was not easy!) because he would have constant socialization with other dogs and people. We got updates on Facebook daily and progress reports regularly. Cody looked like he was having so much fun and was making such great progress, I almost felt guilty making him come home.
The minute we got Cody back, we knew he was a different dog. We were glad to see that he was more confident, but his personality didn’t change a bit. We did his first at home training in the front of the house, with no leash. He did perfectly! He didn’t pay attention to the dogs walking by up the street, and didn’t flinch at any cars that drove by. The next day, I took him running and while he normally would «stalk» other dogs, bark, and growl, he just heeled next to me the entire time. I took him to the park and he placed in the middle of the grass and just watched people play tennis. He paid no attention to the little kids running around and screaming, or the other dogs. I was so impressed!
It’s been a few months since we’ve had Cody back and we now take him to the dog park where he plays with new dogs and meets new people almost daily. We re-​introduced him to the dog he originally bit, and he doesn’t even pay attention to him anymore. They actually get together to play sometimes! We can leave the door open when we get the mail, because we know he’s going to stay when we tell him to sit, and I’m no longer terrified of what’s going to happen when I take him on runs or walks knowing we’re going to encounter another dog. We’re still working on the jumping the fence the problem, but it has been less and less of an issue, which is comforting.
Not only has Scott helped us with Cody, but he’s helped us with our other dog Jack. Jack has a disability (one of his legs is in a brace indefinitely), so training him traditionally is almost impossible. Scott taught us how to teach Jack place and help him build his confidence which will in turn help with the incessant barking. We just starting working on that, but with the outcome of Cody’s training, I have no doubt it’s going to work wonders.
After putting Cody through the program, we now get unlimited training sessions for him with Scott and can join the group training on the weekend when we want. Just the fact that we know we can call Scott and have him come work with Cody when we need it is extremely comforting. It’s not like it’s two weeks away and then you’re on your own. Scott really cares about Cody’s progress and his well being. We recommend Scott and DC Dog Wizard to anyone we meet who is having trouble with their dog (s) and we hope our experience helps you too!

Scott and the folks at DC Dog Wizard are incredible. Our Schnauzer Captain has transformed from a bit of a disaster into a confident, obedient, and well-​adjusted member of the family. In addition to working directly with Captain, the folks at DC Dog Wizard are always available for our questions or concerns. It was a truly awesome experience and I would highly recommend DC Dog Wizard to anyone with a dog.

We brought our 1.5 year old leash aggressive/​anxious dog to Scott after we had tried numerous other ways to try to train her –including several other local trainers, classes, bark collars, Thundershirts, you name it. Nothing had worked, so my husband was rightfully slightly skeptical when I suggested the in home consultation with Scott. After Scott and his dog came over for about an hour and met our pup, and we met Scott’s dog Rex, we couldn’t schedule our two week stay for our dog fast enough. We figured if Scott could get our dog to be half as well behaved as he was claiming he could, it would be worth the money.
We just got our pup back and the difference is remarkable. We have been working with her now for just a week using the commands Scott taught her and she is a different dog. She is a pleasure to walk on leash (heeling, not pulling and lunging) and is enjoying meeting other dogs, etc. We have had her off leash several times, which would have given me a panic attack before, and she now happily trots along side of us or comes diligently when called, so I feel she is much safer, as well. She seems MUCH happier and less anxious. If you’re having behavioral issues with your dog, do yourself a favor and don’t waste more time and money on things that won’t work — just call Scott.

When I adopted my dog Jackson, I was told he loved people, probably needed to be the only dog in the house, and he hadn’t had any formal training. The foster told me had been to daycare, and had loved it. I signed him up for 6 weeks of training, made an appointment at the daycare and figured I was ready to go…
After about a week, it was pretty clear that Jackson didn’t love people as we had been told. He was hard to control, and he was really unpredictable. He got kicked out of daycare before I even left to drop him off the first day as the handlers were afraid he would bite. Positive training was going ok, but we weren’t able to consistently get him to listen. Not to mention, I was terrified we went to class that he would act out and get himself kicked out. I was initially unsure about an e-​collar, but I saw a few review on Unilocal about Scott, and figured if he could help Jackson, it’d be worth it.
Jackson started out in the Freedom program, but we decided it would be best to board him because of his behavioral issues. Scott was very accommodating. When Scott came to pick up Jackson, Jackson was so excited to see him. (Remember this dog doesn’t warm up to many people.) It made me a lot more comfortable seeing him go. I also liked that he updated Jackson’s progress on facebook, and was always willing to talk when I was worried about him.
Jackson has been home for about 3 weeks, and he’s made phenomenal progress. This last week especially I have seen tremendous strides. He lets people pet him on the back now. We are able to control him jumping up and down and his overall excitement levels. Jackson is a pleasure to walk because he now heels on command. His dog walker has described him as «night and day» compared to before he left. Neighbors in the building have also commented on his improved behavior. Scott did more with Jackson in 2 weeks than most dogs learn in a lifetime. As far as the e-​collar, it doesn’t bother him. He doesn’t hate it all!
Scott really cares about the dogs he trains. It meant a lot to me that he called me up when he was in the neighborhood to have Jackson come out for additional social time. He’s also continuing to work with him meeting new people, and we’re no longer scared, we’re excited!
I highly recommend Scott for anyone who wants a well trained dog. When I get my next dog, I know I’ll be calling Scott once again. Once you have a well trained dog, I think it would be impossible to not have one!
THANK YOU SCOTT!

My little cockapoo has had ongoing troubles with aggression to other dogs and people. She had unknown triggers that I had a very hard time controlling. She’s been to multiple trainers and facilities, but nothing seemed to work for her. I decided to send her to Scott at DC Dog Wizard for a 2 week boot camp and am so glad I did! It wasn’t easy having her gone, but it was so worth it! She came back the same sweet dog I know, but so much more confident in her abilities to follow commands and behave correctly. I am so impressed! The best part is unlimited home training after the boot camp. I am in the process of moving into a new condo and Scott is helping ease her transition into this new neighborhood to assure we start on the right foot. I highly recommend!

My husband and I were referred to Scott by Lucky Dog for our 80-​lb German Shepherd/​Lab rescue, Rusty, who we adopted in June. Rusty is thought to be about a year old and had developed anxiety-​turned-​complete-​panic around other dogs. He was starting to show aggression towards all dogs and was nearly impossible to walk because of his freak outs.
In November we moved and Rusty had a very hard time. He started destroying everything in the house. He chewed a Rusty-​sized hole in a door, ate a coscto-​sized box of Fiber One bars (you can imagine the resulting damage from that…), and knocked my husband flat on his back reacting to a 10 lb Shitzsu in the neighborhood. He also started to have accidents in the house, something he’d never had an issue with before. All around he was kind of being an a-​hole.
After three weeks with Scott, Rusty is a new dog. He was originally planned for the two week training, but my Husband and I had to leave suddenly for a third week. Scott was luckily able to accommodate and began training with Rusty immediately. It was great to see the progress with Rusty via the Facebook page and kept us confident that things were going well. Scott was also very responsive, any time we asked for an update, Scott responded within minutes if not seconds.
When Rusty came home it was almost unbelievable to watch him respond to Scott. Rusty heels off leash, he happily does the place command even in uncomfortable places, and we have had no pulling, raised hackles, or freak outs when he sees other dogs. He sees them still, obviously, but he stays heeled, doesn’t pull on his leash at all, or he sits patiently. Walking him is a completely different experience and, once the weather gets warmer, running with him will be even better.
In the house Rusty is completely fine. We’ve left him for up to 8 hours on his own with no accidents and no destruction. He seems to have gained confidence and independence, something Rusty seriously lacked before. The first few times we left him home alone just for a few hours we watched him via skype and he just laid down in his bed and slept. Didn’t even get on the couch!
He still has his personality and is still our crazy Rusty — he loves to snuggle, races around like a crazy monster in our backyard, plays with us, and begs endlessly for tortilla chips (we don’t usually give in, but they seem to be his only vice!). But when he’s called he comes, when he’s told to sit, heel, or place he does, and he is handling other dogs nicely.
The nicest thing to see, after some pictures of Rusty clinging for dear life to wet logs, was how much Rusty liked Scott. The first day back, Rusty was constantly going over to Scott looking for some love and approval, and Scott gave Rusty lots and lots of praise. He clearly cares about the dogs he’s working with and is invested in making them great companions. It certainly worked for our Rusty and we are so happy we made this investment!

Like anyone else, I love my dog. She’s about a year old and I got as far as I could with treats, clicker training, and youtube videos but still had some issues:
— hyperactivity
— leash pulling
— jumping up/​licking strangers
— not reliably obeying commands if there were distractions around
These issues weren’t that big of a deal to me when she was tiny, but now she’s almost 50lbs…
One of my greatest fears would be her getting off her leash in public and running wild. One time this happened in a park: she interrupted a couple’s romantic picnic, devoured their bowl of fruit and whipped cream, licked them both in the face and got muddy paw prints all over their blanket before I could get a hold of her… Not cute.
After leaving her in the care of DC Dog Wizard for two weeks it was like I got back a matured, calmer, obedient version of my crazy puppy! Everything is much easier now! I can trust her off leash to actually listen to what I say, go jogging without her lunging at every squirrel that passes, and introduce her to people without her knocking them over in excitement. I can now go on relaxing walks, comfortably walking loose leash! Scott, the trainer, is very nice and professional, after the initial consultation I felt that I could trust him to treat my dog with the same care that she’d get at home. I 100% recommend this training program! I was also really impressed with all the Facebook page picture and video updates of my dog happily playing and learning in Scott’s care. Couldn’t be any more pleased with my new and improved dog!

I waited six months (or forgot) to place this review. My dog charlie is an unfixed boxer that is super playful and under socialized. When I brought charlie to Scott he he was semi dog aggressive, (only because he couldn’t control his energy) pulled when he walked and didn’t listen to commands. I also was very apprehensive because charlie would be gone for 2 weeks and I didn’t know how he would respond to an e collar.
Scott sent daily progress pictures and said charlie was doing well but when I got Charlie. When Charlie came back he slept for 3 days and after that he was a brand new dog. He took commands, we found he wasn’t dog aggressive and no more pulling with walking. Scott is very good at what he does and genuinely cares. Scott understands that it takes just as long if not longer to train the human. I like that we have unlimited follow up lessons for life of hour pet. The lessons are really more for the humans because we forget. My dog came back prepared to be off leash but you do have to keep up with the training. If you are looking for training for your pet check them out Scott is great.

My wife and I were referred to Scott after our puppy was kicked out of dog day-​care for being too rough with other dogs (and not obeying the people there). We were initially a little unsure, since the use of a stimulation collar seemed potentially extreme (we didn’t want to harm or traumatize our dog) and because it wasn’t a cheap proposition. But we reasoned that if Scott could really do what he claimed he could do, it would be worth the money over the life of our dog, and would enrich our dog’s life in the long-​run.
We left our dog with Scott for two weeks for the training. Scott obviously understands what kind of dog parents we are because he posted tons of photos of our dog hanging out with his new pack while Scott trained him, and our dog looked like he was having a great time.
After the two weeks was up, we got to see the dog again. The transformation was amazing. Our dog was still the spunky little guy we knew and loved. His personality had not changed a bit (he is not a robot). But now he would obey commands really easily. Our guy had very poor impulse control before we sent him to Scott — now we can make him heel off lead while squirrels are dancing around him. We can do extended sit-​stays where we make him sit on a bench until he is called. He will heel while walking, and will listen to whatever we tell him to do, even in high-​distraction situations (e.g. the dog park).
Our dog was re-​admitted to the dog day-​care and became a favorite pup of the staff. He is SOOO good now. Our friends marvel at him, and we are CONSTANTLY being asked how we got him so well-​trained from people we meet at dog parks. He’s that good. And it really did open up his own little doggy life as well — he now can go into tons of new situations (meeting new dogs, meeting kids, hanging out at parties, you name it) and we don’t have to worry about him. Our dog seems to love the training, and it tires him out to concentrate so much. And he LOVES Scott — he thinks Scott is the coolest person alive. (I’m a little jealous!)
As for the e-​collar: the e-​collar has two main settings. One is just a vibration, a reminder that you’re talking to the dog. The other is an adjustable electrical stimulation. It goes up to 100 or so. We can get away with using it on 10 – 20 in almost every setting. We almost always just use the vibration at this point, though, because our dog is so responsive. I tried the electrical stimulation out on myself (after I had a few drinks), and it feels basically like a static electricity shock you get from a door handle — enough to get your attention (and maybe make you swear), but nothing traumatic, and it is brief and instantaneous. We aren’t big fans of negative reinforcement, but an all-​positive training régime was just not working with our dog (we could get him to do things he wanted to do, but we couldn’t get him to stop doing what we didn’t want him to do, and it just wasn’t doing a thing about his impulse control). We hope that eventually we won’t even need the collar, but in the meantime, it has really done a good job, the dog doesn’t fear or resent it (or us), and he is very responsive even to the non-​painful stimulation (the vibration). If you think your dog can get where you want him or her to be without using something like this — awesome, go for it. But before you judge about the e-​collar, you should see how it is used in the hands of an expert like Scott. It gets the results, and the dogs do not seem to be traumatized by it.
All in all — I’ve recommended tons of friends to Scott already, as well as lots of strangers who have met our dog. Having a well-​trained dog changes your life and the dog’s life, all for the better, especially if you live in a city.

I cannot say enough good things about Scott. He probably saved my dogs life in the long run and undoubtedly saved a lifetime of stress and heartache. Some people may hesitate when they see the sticker price. But it was underpriced based on the results we got. Because of the results from the DC Dog Wizard, we have been able to take our dog off anxiety meds, meaning that the training is likely to pay for itself by the end of the year. It’s really the best investment you could make to have a happy and relaxing relationship with your dog.
We have a four year old 70lb foxhound. He is a rescue, who we’ve had for 2 years. He is a very loving and personable dog, but had a history of anxiety and aggression around other dogs. It made walks stressful and the dog got depressed since it was rare for him to socialize. We tried everything: books, special collars, behavioral therapy, medication, special diets, and even aroma therapy. Then we found Scott, the DC Dog Wizard.
Scott offers different programs, but we chose the homefront plan, where we had our dog go to boarding school with Scott and his teacher’s assistant, Rex. Two weeks later, our dog returned exactly the same in all the ways we loved him. But his anxiety was gone and he was confident and easy going around other dogs. After Scott spent a hour training me, our dog was incredibly responsive and obedient even when surrounded by distractions. In fact, when I was walking him off leash through the park this morning, my dog started playing with another dog on a leash. The other dog started getting agitated and the scene was looking to get tense. So I called «come» and my dog stopped, turned, and ran over to me without a moments hesitation. The owner of the other dog was blown away and asked if i was Ceasar Milan (the dog whisperer). Nope, just a pupil of the DC Dog Wizard.