Twelve years ago, Chris trained our timid labrador retriever, Ivy (a 10-month old rescue). She returned only to be the best behaved and well tempered dog we've ever had. We had such a positive experience that we reached out to Chris again to train our rescued 6-month labrador retriever and pit bull mix. She is, what I would consider to be, a strong-willed wild child. Chris worked his magic and brought home the best version of her. We have reached out since her return with additional questions and he has gone above and beyond to ensure a smooth transition. Without a doubt, we will call Chris again with our next dog. Highly recommend!

We have a 2-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog, Bernie, who had been through a nightmare of a training experience in California. He spent two months at a program that ended up being one of the worst experiences of our lives. Bernie came back untrained (and worse than before), anxious, and with matted fur patches. It was so severe that we were offered a full refund.

After that traumatic experience, we were terrified to trust another trainer. But when a family friend recommended Chris, we decided—with great apprehension—to give it another try. And I can say with absolute certainty that it was the best decision we ever made.

Bernie stayed with Chris for almost two months, and the dog we got back was transformed—but in the best way possible. He is still the same sweet, loving, and gentle boy, but now he actually listens to commands the first time. He understands “no” in an absolute way, meaning we don’t have to repeat ourselves or raise our voices. He no longer jumps all over new people or pulls on the leash to get to other dogs. He’s eager to make us happy, and the difference in his behavior has already made our quality of life so much better.

What makes Chris truly stand out is his patience, professionalism, and his ability to train without force or intimidation. He works with a calm, normal tone—no yelling, no frustration—just effective, clear communication. Seeing how Bernie responded to this method has been incredible.

We drove all the way from California for this, and it was worth every single mile. If you’re struggling with your dog’s behavior and hesitant to try another trainer, trust me—Chris is the one you want. We can’t recommend him enough!

This review is well overdue, but honestly I haven't quite known how to put it into words how wonderful our experience was with Chris, and how almost 2 years later we are still reaping the benefits.
Chris spent 4 weeks with my stubborn (then) 9 year old girl, Stormy, in February of 2022. She had major issues with getting along with other dogs, and after nearly a year of her living with a new dog, Rex, she continued to fight with him. That's when I knew I had to do something, and I put my girl in Chris's hands.
He was the perfect fit for her, and got her to where she needed to be with respecting me, my partner, and Rex. She respects and understands the e-collar, she sits & waits patiently for the 'ok' at meal times, but most importantly her and Rex have become best buds. They have so much fun together now and I have had a load of stress lifted off my back.
Stormy has turned into quite the lover, and her eyes are softer, and I know this is part due to the work Chris did with her. She is happier and behaves much better.
So thank you Chris for the work you did with Stormy, and for teaching us more about dog behaviors.
We would highly recommend Chris for anyone who is needing corrective behavior training with their dogs both young or older.

My wife, daughter, and I added a wonderful Goldie Retriever puppy, Goldie, to our family during the summer of 2023. Goldie is the kindest and sweetest dog, which is exactly what we wanted, but she also gets distracted very easily because she gets so excited to see people and other things in her environment. We struggled to get Goldie to listen to our commands and respect our household, so we searched the Central Ohio area for the best rated trainers. Chris with The Dog Trainer rose to the top.

We arranged for Goldie to be placed in The Dog Trainer’s board and train program. Chris made sure that Goldie retained her cute and cuddliness qualities, while training her to respect us and our home – exactly what we wanted! Goldie now knows multiple commands to help ensure a well-behaved pup.

We would not hesitate to recommend Chris to anyone who is in the need for dog training. He’s great!

We used Chris and his company to train our nearly 10 year old Australian Shepherd, Chester, after he was bit by another dog causing all sorts of anxiety and distrust between him and I (he was on leash when it happened). I had my worries about how it would affect a much older dog but Chris was quick to settle my fears and explain to me exactly how the training worked and what it targeted with Chester. He seems to be much less anxious and rarely barks at dogs, never lunges at them, and is amazing on leash! We still work with him daily to reinforce habits and are working on getting him to not bark when people knock at the apartment door and has much improved since before his training. I would recommend Chris and his expertise with any pup. Thank you Chris!!