The Human Dog Team

Nick H · 5★ · 2026-05-01

Gonzalo genuinely changed and shaped the relationship between my dog and I.\n\nThe first consultation with Gonzalo was about two months after I adopted my German Shepherd, cattle dog mix. She was reactive to dogs, was barking in my apartment when neighbors came home, and most of the time I had no idea what she would do next.\n\nI’ll fully admit: at first I wasn’t sure if Gonzalo could help us but he came so highly recommended from friends that I was willing to give it a try.\n\nMy dog and I went through a 3-month program which included 1:1 sessions, group classes and WhatsApp check-ins. We went through an accelerated timeline ahead of a cross-country move.\n\nWe quickly established the basics: how to know your dog is ready to listen, recognizing stress, and how to positively reinforce or correct.\n\n6 months into having adopted my girl, our walks have been changed from unpredictable to relaxing and routine excursions. It’s been months since she’s blown up on a walk but even more importantly I’ve learned how to recognize the signs when she isn’t comfortable.\n\nHer in-house manners have improved drastically. She now confidently goes to her “place” when she previously would have gone wild barking at noises outside.\n\nThe most surprising (and helpful) tool though is both her and I now know she likes to play! Gonzalo’s insistence that we find an outlet for her energy has given a new balance and stability.\n\n(Pictured attached - a previously unthinkable scenario of her relaxing near other dogs and her crate)

Bianca Reber · 5★ · 2026-02-06

When we first got our dog, Merlin, he was reactive and anxious. Walks felt stressful and we honestly felt a little lost trying to figure out how to help him. Gonzalo completely changed that. Through both 1-on-1 sessions and group classes, he took the time to really understand Merlin and used positive reinforcement to help us communicate with him in a way that built trust and confidence. The private sessions gave us really personalized guidance tailored to our dog’s specific behaviors, while the group classes helped with socialization, distractions, and real-world practice. Gonzalo takes the time to explain the why behind everything, which helped us feel confident continuing the training on our own.\n\nNot only did Merlin’s behavior improve so much, but our bond with him grew stronger too. Training started feeling empowering instead of overwhelming.\n\nGonzalo is incredibly patient, calm, and truly dedicated to every dog he works with - you can tell he genuinely cares. We’re so grateful for everything he’s done for our family and would recommend him to anyone looking for an amazing trainer.

Ariana Criste · 5★ · 2026-04-10

If you want to build a relationship with your dog, understand them, and make sure you are meeting their needs, my husband and I can't recommend Gonzalo enough. When we brought home our little Doberman puppy, Juni, we knew we wanted a trainer who understood working dogs. Gonzalo has helped us grow as dog owners and make sure we're meeting her physical and mental needs.\n\nFast forward to today: our girl has off-leash freedom we never thought possible, thanks to the foundation of e-collar training he helped us build. She walks well on a leash and greets house guests politely. During a board and train while we were on vacation (where Juni was happy to be Blue's most annoying house guest for a few weeks) Gonzalo used the time to clean up the details, and she came home better than ever.\n\nHe just gets dogs and is willing to explain how different approaches can get similar results, helping you find what actually fits your dog's temperament. One of the most valuable things we've learned is how critical mindset and thresholds are.\nWhen we were researching other trainers, it became clear that many focus on obedience alone (teaching sit, down, and stay in a controlled setting) without proofing those behaviors at higher levels of distraction or addressing the dog's mindset and thresholds. I'm glad Gonzalo pushed us to keep building in these areas because our girl is pretty dang reliable now.

Josie Duraso · 5★ · 2025-04-24

I cannot recommend Gonzalo’s services enough. He is an abundantly skillful and artful dog trainer and an incredible human being. He’s one of the most mindful people you’ll ever meet and a brilliant communicator with both people and dogs. Gonzalo is the definition of a balanced trainer. He embodies confidence and ease, structure and fun, discipline and joy.\nHe takes the time to get to know you and your dog’s personalities, needs, and motivation. His techniques work immediately upon implementation. He pushes you and your dog in a way that is both doable and enjoyable and supports you every step of the way. He shows you how to have not just a polite and well behaved dog, but how to cultivate a soul deep relationship with your dog built on trust, boundaries, and connection.\nWhen I came to Gonzalo my 2 dogs (1 year old Littermate rescue puppies) had severe fear and reactivity. It was pretty chaotic inside our home and on our adventures. It was difficult to have guests over. Belle was shy and lacking confidence with new people and stimuli. And Obie was growling, barking, and suspicious with new people and stimuli. I had already worked with two other trainers that just didn’t have the skill set needed to get to the root causes of my dogs’ reactivity. Gonzalo helped me gain mountains of confidence in working my dogs, and together as a team, we’ve grown all the necessary skills to move through the world with neutrality and calm. And our time at home is filled with so much more peace. I fell in love with dog training and have such an amazing bond with my dogs now because of it. I’m so grateful for all of the ways Gonzalo helped me become a better leader and caregiver for my dogs. My only regret is not finding Gonzalo’s training sooner. He’s truly the best and will bring out the best in you and your dogs!

Kelly Burns · 5★ · 2025-05-06

If you want to have the most meaningful relationship with your dog, Gonzalo is the trainer for you! Working with him has been a truly life-changing process for my fiance, me and our dog, Chef.\n\nChef, our 3 year old lab, has had issues with leash reactivity and anxiety since he was a puppy. Before enlisting Gonzalo’s help, we had seen behaviorists, vets, and multiple dog trainers to try to understand his behavior and why we were unable to even walk around the block without an anxiety episode.\n\nAfter meeting with Gonzalo, he was able to understand our situation and tailor a training program. While this did require work on our end, the instruction we received from Gonzalo was clear and provided results quickly. Between one on one sessions, Gonzalo also provided group classes, group hikes, and prompt replies to questions and videos on WhatsApp.\n\nGonzalo has proven to us time and time again that he has a deep understanding of dog behavior and emotions, as well as a passion to improve the bonds between dogs and their owners. Our experiences in the group classes has shown us that Gonzalo does not have a “one size fits all” approach, but rather tailors methods that work best for you and your dog with an emphasis on having clear communication. Whether you have a new puppy or an older dog with a particular issue, you will not be disappointed.\n\nIt’s hard to put into words the bond that we now have with Chef. Interacting with him is more than just orders and obedience, it’s clear communication and understanding. He now enjoys walks to the park, fetch, coffee shops, off leash hikes, and much much more. Not only do we feel safer with him, but he seems to be living a much happier life. We truly did not think we would be here. Thank you Gonzalo!