I am so very happy with the work and progress my dog and I have made with Gonzalo! I am a believer as to what consistent and good work can do with a dog. He worked with not only Arlo and I but he also helped my 6 year old niece learn to be confident and a leader to Arlo. Arlo and I are so much happier during our walks and enjoy it so much more now that we both know what we’re supposed to be doing. It was a team effort! We are appreciative of Gonzalo for agreeing to help us and teach us the ropes. Gonzalo also offers pack school and I will definitely be starting Arlo on those next month!

We recently completed 5 training sessions with Gonzalo and were absolutely blown away. Having just gotten a puppy we weren’t sure where to start. He showed us not only what the dog needed to learn to have a happy and fun future, but the training sessions were more geared to what we needed to provide our puppy to set him up for success. My wife and I learned so much from Gonzalo and will definitely be going back for more sessions. Gonzalo is extremely responsive, knowledgeable and genuinely cares about the relationship you and your family want to have with your dog. He is not pushy in any way but certainly takes strong stances on situations that could turn into unwanted scenarios in the future. Building a healthy learning environment and structure is pivotal and Gonzalo, in our opinion, is extremely well equipped to help you.

We recently adopted a 9 month old dog, named Lava, that was being fostered by Gonzalo. Since we knew we wanted a young dog, we were expecting to put in a significant amount of work into training to reach our levels of expectation from a dog. When we came across the adoption ad for Lava that was posted by Gonzalo, we figured this would be a great way to not start from scratch since we’d be adopting a dog from a dog trainer. My wife and I were absolutely blown away by how well trained Lava was when we first met her. Gonzalo did an amazing job during her earlier months and I’m convinced that we hit the jackpot as far as adopting the perfect puppy. He was and has continued to be very clear with his training techniques and how we should continue to follow with her training. The most reassuring aspect is being able to be stress free and confident in all our dog walks, training sessions and play time. The communication methods set between handler (My wife and I) and dog (Lava), work so well that we don’t even question whether we will be able to handle any situations. Having been around dogs all my life, it’s been transformative to see what a truly, well-trained dog, is like. With a consistent training schedule and crystal clear instructions to perform and continue her training, we’ve had a pleasure having Lava around. I would, without hesitation, recommend Gonzalo to anyone who is looking to have complete control of their dog in any situations and environments. He is amazing with following up and giving you any last tips and pointers to may need to allow you and your dog to have that clear communication that is key to stress-free dog-human relationship.

My husband and I are so happy we chose Gonzalo to help us with Odin. I now feel empowered to take our big guy on walks without being pulled in every direction and am able to manage his unwanted behavior around guests and so much more. We have so many tools in our pocket now. Gonzalo is so generous with his time, knowledge and talents. Amazing trainer who expanded our world and opportunities with our big boy.

Gonzalo was able to completely change my dog’s energy during walks and when around other dogs within a few short hours. I made sure to practice in between each visit on commands and expectations which allowed us to get so much covered in such a short amount of time!

Can’t thank Gonzalo enough – I was at my breaking point after my once super friendly dog changed into a not so nice pup around other dogs. Our dog now excitingly follows basic commands and has a new found confidence that has translated into fun and peaceful walks once again!!

I had the honor of coming to San Diego to watch my sons dog for 3 days. She is absolutely perfect … Kinda. I contacted Gonzalo before coming to San Diego about training her on just a couple things! He gently informed me I wouldn’t train the dog in 3 days but he would work with me to give me some tools to manage my sweet grand dog. I could go on and on with all he covered with me…but bottom line he was professional and incredibly experienced with dog training, animal training, actually reading them! When we walked to the apartment he noticed a 2nd dog that lives there as well! He basically started over with the second one; he thought I had my work cut out for me! The 3 days were a fun filled challenge of learning and bonding. My thanks and appreciation go to Gonzalo who is absolutely incredible… Now my son and his girlfriend intend to continue training. Gonzalo also followed up with me to see how it all went and sent me information to continue the training and informed me he is available if needed. Thank you for the wonderful, and affordable experience. 

Thehumandogcoach as that name doesn’t explain it already. I am happy to work with Gonzo not only does he tailor his approach to my dogs needs but he also take time to understand our life as humans how we deal with our day to day with my dog. I can guarantee that his not just in this for the money like other trainers we work with. He has the commitment to change our lives the way we communicate with our dog in the way that both human and dog can benifit in harmonious living having boundaries and giving love at the same time.

If you have the time and commitment to really apply what he teach you it will immensely change your relationship with your dog and also understand your inner self the way you treat your dog. I’m looking forward to working with him again. And will recommend it to those who really want to get down in really immerse themselves in having a good relationship with their dogs to eliminate issues that had been develop due to lack of knowledge about how to properly connect with your dogs.

Gonzalo is the best dog trainer. I am so happy with the results of his training with my Newfie puppy, Layla. He is very passionate and a wizard at training dogs. I wish I had a video of the first 5 minutes of pure magic he worked in our first training session. I was slightly teary eyed with happy tears-I knew right then and there he was going to help us better than anyone else!

Short background: My husband and I struggled with training Layla ourselves (of course, we are not dog trainers!) -The biggest problem by far was that being 85lb, she would yank us on walks when she saw another dog! She was counter surfing, destroying things from my desk, digging holes in our yard, barking at people and other dogs, whining for meals/boredom/impatience etc… She was living in her own world with her own rules and our commands and communication with Layla was simply not working.

After meeting with Gonzalo just 1 time, I saw a huge improvement in Layla. Gonzalo pointed out, Layla (and dogs in general) actually LOVES structure and wants to be given direction. She is happiest when she is doing things that result in rewards like pets, praise and some treats here and there. She doesn’t want to be told no or punished constantly… go figure! In that 1 session, Gonzalo implemented some very basic foundations that Layla needed to work on. The best thing about Gonzalo’s training is he taught us how to communicate with Layla. It seems simple but it’s incredible how much there is to learn about how to effectively communicate with your dog. His communication style is so effective and so easy for us non-dog trainers to pick up and implement.

Fast forward to training session #9 (or so) and Layla is walking calmly by other dogs on our walks, she can hold a stay for long periods, she doesn’t WHINE for attention or out of boredom. We’re so much happier with her and she’s a happier dog. She’s calmer now and not stressed/anxious. She’s not destroying things in our house and if she starts to misbehave, I have all the tools Gonzalo has given me to help get her back on track. We have a well behaved dog now, thanks to Gonzalo.

Gonzalo is incredible, I can’t recommend him enough! Do yourself and your pup a favor and hire him and enjoy life with your dog! 

It is my genuine pleasure to endorse the uncommon dog training skills of Gonzalo, the Human Dog Coach!
I adopted Joey from a pet sitter’s home where he’d been abandoned, quickly discovering he was much younger than had been guesstimated and was doing all the crazy-making things that an untrained pup will naturally do. I was dismayed, as I really wasn’t up for all that – especially as the intensity was compounded by a phone call from my landlord soon after I’d gotten him saying they were selling the house and wanted me to move!
I reached out to Gonzalo for help. I knew Joey had the temperament and intelligence to make a great companion for me so I really didn’t want to give him away. I just needed him to learn a few things to be more cooperative during the transition so that once I moved I’d be able to properly focus and he’d already have some understanding of following commands.
In just one extended session, Gonzalo demonstrated a mind-blowing level of mastery in canine behavior! A veritable treasure trove of tips and insights, we watched Joey respond instantly to his gentle instructions and transform into a happily obedient pet before our eyes. Clearly, he loves dogs and is passionate about what he does.
Gonzalo was incredibly generous with his time and knowledge. He patiently answered our every question and gave us a crash course in dog psychology that has given us so much to draw upon and practice for months! Quite honestly, had I not moved far away from him, I would be continuing to call upon him regularly.
If you are fortunate enough to cross paths with him and could use support in creating a more mutually satisfying relationship between you and your “best friend” you will be incredibly pleased and grateful, as I am! He really has a special gift.” 

I reached out to Gonzalo after getting my very first, very energetic Boston puppy, Gus. Gonzalo taught me the building blocks like sit, stay, come. Then later how to translate that from the home to outside, along with loose lease and heel walking. Gonzalo is so good with Gus and can point out what Gus’s body language and subtle cues mean and how to react to them. Gonzalo has helped me so much so far and I can’t wait to continue training. 

Gonzalo is fantastic. He knew I needed a quick fix. Usually that is not possible. He worked with us. He left us a ton of info. He was well worth what we paid him for the time spent. Our dog Dakota is now so much better with loose leash walking. Gonzalo gave us the tools and we are applying them. Thanks Gonzalo, Dakota, Johnna and myself are much happier now. And it happened quick. 

I contacted Gonzalo (The Human Dog Coach) in March – I had commiserated with someone over dog troubles and she spoke very highly of him and the amazing work he had done with her pup. I decided to give him a shot. I had gone to one dog trainer prior who gave me some tips but didn’t fully answer all the questions I had had about my dog. Short background – Gigi is a 7yr old bulldog with history unknown that I had adopted last May. She had a slew of behavior issues I needed addressed and mainly I wanted to work on recall. When first speaking with Gonzalo I could hear the reservation in his voice about my goals with Gigi being a bulldog, upon meeting her the work started to begin.

Gigi is motivated, but needs a cheerleading section of excitement to make her go – and I found out how little I knew about bulldogs. Gonzalo spends the time and energy – he is very energetic and passionate – he gets to know your dog. Yes, he probably has the history of the breed embedded in his brain but he gets to the core personality of your dog by their behavior and works with them to motivate, train and succeed.

He has gotten to the inner workings of Gigi, why she reacts the way she does, when she is going to react, and how to prevent her from reacting in a negative manner. He is very straightforward with how what you may be doing may be negatively impacting your dog. It is incredible how well he is able to read and predict animal behavior. Not only does he spend the time with your furry family member he truly wants to incorporate you into the lesson. He knows if you’ve done your homework – so don’t try and pretend you did something if you didn’t. But he also wants you to really understand what is happening and why and what to do to fix it.

In just under a month, my relationship with Anabelle has changed drastically ! She listens to me and trusts my judgement so much more already. Our walks are beautiful for the first time ever. I am so thankful for Gonzalo entering into our lives.

Gonzalo has my highest recommendations if you have ANY concerns about your dog. I give out his contact information at least once a week to friends and co-workers. I worked with a previous dog trainer before who taught me click training which was great in the beginning, but as Kari’s personality came out, I realized she had some worrisome behaviors (likely from being abused) that I didn’t know how to fix. He helped me turn my fearful Pit-bull who snapped at anyone coming over to my house to a well behaved little lady. Most importantly, he taught me that my dog wasn’t ‘aggressive,’ but lacking in self control, and if I could control her excitement and environment my dog would be transformed. I swear it was like a light bulb moment, and from then on my communication with my dog has improved immensely.
Most importantly, I trust this man implicitly. He is professional and honest and never late. His rates are reasonable and he always flexes his schedule around my 12hr shift work. He has helped me out so much in the past year while my husband was deployed, I can’t thank him enough. 

My pug needed to be socialized with a few cats I was fostering at the time. My pug had been attacked by my feral foster cats in the past so I needed a professional to teach me how to mediate the interaction. I listened as Gonzalo demonstrated what needed to be done and within the hour my pug was sleeping next to the cats on the bed. I was floored by his work and sought his guidance again regarding bathing one of my cats who despised water. We followed his method and my cat was clean within minutes. My family and I were shocked by the results. I cannot thank him enough!

I knew and admired Gonzalo as a dog trainer for years before he worked with me and my bull mastiff puppy Jameson. There’s a natural ease to his demeanor with dogs that takes the pressure off “training”. His patient and thoughtful Approach made it easy for me to slow down and become attuned to my puppy, the time we were spending together and what I wanted us to accomplish. He sees the unique relationship between each dog and owner and helps them to find a balance. I’ve been able to easily integrate his helpful hints, techniques and perspective in to our daily routine. I still seek Gonzalo’s counsel from across the country and will continue to do so no matter where we end up.