Vail Dog Training LLC

Lily Sullivan

2024-01

Dan did a tremendous job training our 3 year old golden retriever. He helped to refine simple commands and establish training building blocks, working towards our dog responding purely to verbal commands rather than body language. Dan documents all of his training and sends to you in thorough videos so you can easily refer back to them to stay consistent. Dan has a wonderful temperament with dogs and is passionate about working with them. Can’t wait to return back to vail for another series of sessions!

Kate Papenthien

2023-05

Some would say Dog Whisperer. I’d say, Dan has boundaries and is great at helping us all establish and maintain proper behavior boundaries with our dogs. I have a mini Aussie who can display undesirable breed specific behaviors (nipping, chasing wild game etc) so I came for E - collar training. Two sessions and we were well on our way to make big strides and adjustments. Dan trained me to be an e collar pro and to be consistent and clear with my dog, reward good behavior not poor behavior. I’m grateful for his guidance and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for some guidance too.

Christa Ghent

2023-11

Dan has worked wonders with our yellow lab! We were dealing with frustrating walks and seeing additional unwanted behavior at home. His expertise has helped transformed our dog's behavior. The leash training had a fantastic ripple effect inside our home, turning our once high-stress pup into a joy to be around. Highly recommended! Five stars, without a doubt!

Emily Kent

2023-11

As first time dog owners we couldn’t be luckier to have been referred to Dan. He has been an incredible teacher and guide as we are in the process of training a large breed rescue puppy. His training approaches are mindful, clear, caring and effective. We are very grateful!

Jon Cirome

2023-05

Amazing! So responsive to all of my communications and questions between training sessions, easy to schedule with, and omg what a beautiful property he has for training dogs! I started training with him when my labradoodle puppy Rocky was 4mo. old and I swear by 7mo. I already had the most well-behaved dog of my dreams! Dan also invited my pup to his weekly “PUPPYPALOOZA“ event where Rocky got to run around off leash leash all day with the other puppies in Dan’s training program. This early socialization and full throttle play days was a game changer for us. Rocky’s whole demeanor became so friendly and chill around other dogs once he began attending these events regularly. Can’t speak highly enough of Dan’s comprehensive training program for puppies! Thank you Dan!!

Mindy Cooper

2024-02

Fabulous experience with Dan. You can teach an old dog new things!!! She is now a joy to hike with and comes back immediately on command. Would recommend him 100 percent!!!

Hanna Scheerger

2023-05

Dan is absolutely amazing!! Our golden retriever puppy Sonny, has done great ever since we’ve done the training with Dan. Dan is patient and he blew me away by the techniques he was teaching us. We since have moved away, but we still use Dan’s training techniques he taught us everyday and it’s made a HUGE impact on Sonny and really the whole family. I would recommend Dan to anybody!

Katie Breen

2023-05

Dan is the absolute best! He has been helping us with weekly home training visits for our 14 week old chocolate lab who is full of energy. During those visits, we have learned how to help our puppy stop jumping and how to walk on a leash. Most recently he kept our puppy at his home for 4 nights of puppy training and when she came home, she was a whole new dog. Since she came home, we’ve had the best walks and she’s following all of our commands (both verbal and nonverbal!) Dan sent us training videos multiple times per day to help us carry over once she arrived home and it all worked! We are so thankful for Dan and our puppy loves him!

Kellsea Ross

2023-07

Dan was a great trainer! Quite honestly changed our lives. I took my 11 month labradoodle, Leo, to Dan and in our first session Leo was pulling me all around on the leash. After leaving that first session he was walking in a great heel and hasn’t pulled since. Dans expertise and kindness are impeccable!!!

Sadie Rehm

2021-05

Dog training done right! Dan meets you where you are and will help you progress to wherever you want to go with your dog. My partner and I got our first puppy, an energetic Australian shepherd/border collie/who-knows-what-else mix, this summer. We knew we wanted to have a super well-trained pup, and didn’t really know where to start - we’re so glad a friend recommended Dan! Not only did our dog instantly love Dan, but she really retains what we worked on when we go home. Dan trains people to be consistent communicators with their dogs. He sets high but realistic expectations for pups depending on their developmental level. After four months of working with Dan, Oakley is the envy of all of our dog-owning friends. She walks on a loose leash, sits, stays, and comes to you consistently, and is super reliable off-leash as well! Dan is extremely responsive, professional, and fun to work with.

Marion McAbee

2023-05

Dan is amazing!! He made it so easy to train my dogs. I love that he came to my house for training. The dogs loved him and responded immediately to his recommendations. I highly recommend him to anyone living in the valley.

Jason Berghauer

2021-05

Dan's training was great! After we adopted a large, young dog, we knew he was going to need some training and work on his manners. Dan was able to quickly help get his leash walking under control and began work on recall and e-collar training. Honestly, it was as much about human training as dog training, showing us what we needed to do to have success. Dan was able to come to our house and worked with our busy schedule. We plan to continue using Dan and his training services.

Brandi Thiele

2022-05

Working with Dan with our first puppy has been a huge blessing for our little family. He gives us all the tools we need to get the most out of dog ownership! His knowledge of dogs and his easy communication has taught us how to be consistent and the best handlers and parents for our black lab pup! If I could I would give him 100 stars. He’s able to see exactly what I’m doing wrong just in short interactions even before our session starts. I grew up with dogs but never well mannered ones or ones that could be trusted off leash or with an open door. Thanks to Dan that is exactly what we are going to be able to give Ryder.

Terrie Allon

2021-05

We got our Border Collie when she was a 1 yr old. She had never left her kennel environment, so was rather overwhelmed by the outside world, making her a shy, reactive dog that couldn’t be trusted. We quickly realized we needed professional help and after interviewing Dan we knew from the first visit he was going to be our best choice. Dan is patient, kind, and to the point in his instructions that are geared to training the owners on proper discipline using consistency and rewards. We eventually got the Ecollar to correct some behaviors around eating and rolling in stinky things. I was reticent about it’s use and Dan was very understanding and kept neutral while he explained its positive use.After working with Dan for about two months we now have a reliable companion on trail that goes off leash, comes to our side consistently when called, does not snack on undesirables, and is friendly too; no more cowering!I love that Dan came to us and worked in our environment. Dan has an exceptional gift at assessing the problem areas and putting together a personalized plan with logical progressions. Highly recommend Dan!!!

Connie Gardner

2021-05

I have always considered myself to be a good dog trainer, but my latest pup, gave me some challenges! Dan had been recommended to me by friends and he exceeded all my expectations! He is truly a supreme “dog whisperer”and my dog has been a total delight since working with Dan. Also, he not only works with the dog, but with the owners also. This is extremely important, as many problems are fixed by educating the owners in proper training and enforcing what Dan has done with the dog. He loves the dogs and they love him back! I have told so many friends about Dan and they all sing his praises!! Anyone with a dog can benefit by spending time with Dan and he also boards and trains at his beautiful property!!

Dave Mesko

2021-05

We just picked up our 4-month old Labradoodle from spending a week at Dan's for training, and we couldn't be happier! Dan is a true dog whisperer! We had done several Zoom training sessions previously that were so helpful, and the board-and-train program in wonderful. Dan is so kind and his love of dogs is evident from the moment you meet him. We felt completely at ease knowing that our puppy was being cared for and trained by Dan. We can already see a huge difference in our puppy's listening and walking skills. We are so grateful to Dan and will definitely be back for more training as our puppy grows!

Channing Johnson

2021-05

Our private training with Dan and our five month old puppy was amazing! Dan is extremely talented and was able to give us great tips and tricks for advancing our training with our puppy. He gave us knowledge and insights that we couldn’t find off any websites or videos, it was truly tailored to our lifestyle and training progress thus far. We can’t wait to book more sessions with him!

Stephanie McGuire

2022-05

My dog Lille and I have been working with Dan for about four months now and I couldn’t be happier with our results. I love his calm and holistic approach to coaching both Lille and I to have respectable boundaries. She has learned to be an independent, well mannered dog around the house, which has helped greatly being that we work from home. I think one of my favorite things Dan has helped us out with, is improving her recall command, thus helping us trust her while both hiking and hanging in the yard. I will most definitely be continuing to use Dan to help Lille reach her full potential and will be using him with all future dogs. I can’t say enough about Dan!!

Beverly Freedman

2022-05

We have used Dan many times with our two dogs. He has done such a great job with not only training our dogs, but training us! I recently was stumped with getting my 9 month old labradoodle to heal. I did every YouTube out there, and with just a few sessions with Dan, our dog is healing beautifully. (Actually - I would say “dutifully” walking behind me and healing on the left side is next time!). What a joy to have a dog that doesn’t pull.

Rachel Siltman

2020-05

I contacted Dan to assist with my five-year-old dog that was exhibiting terrible behavior while on the leash. Dan was incredibly patient and kind and has a very positive approach to dog training. He helped us work on leash skills and made significant improvements from our very first training session. Trying to train an adult dog seemed daunting and impossible but Dan provided me with small, attainable goals each time we met that made the process much easier. Dan is very knowledgeable about dog behavior and is an excellent teacher and communicator. Big changes to behavior don’t happen overnight, but after a few sessions with Dan I am already noticing positive changes to my dog’s behavior on the leash and inside my house. I am more confident as a handler and my dog is responding beautifully. Thank you, Dan!

Ann McKenzie

2022-05

We have been working with Dan to train our 5 month old puppy and are very happy with the progress we’ve made in just a few weeks! We knew we needed help to make sure our puppy grows into a well behaved dog and Dan was the right choice. He is calm, his techniques are effective and Casey thinks the sessions are great fun! We highly recommend him.

Kirsten Fink

2023-05

Working with Dan has been a delight. He is the most knowledgeable with his techniques. He truly cares for the people and the dogs he is training as he makes you feel empowered and accountable for having success in the sessions. He is patient, courteous, flexible, punctual and professional. Simba and I are lucky to have crossed paths with him! Thank you Dan.

Taylor Rapke

2020-05

Lacking adequate dog training resources in Leadville, we sought out Dan and even with the drive, it has been totally worth it! Dan is an excellent communicator and flexible when necessary. I really appreciate how he explains the "why" behind dog psychology and the training progression, which really helped our buy-in with the process. He answers questions with thought and thoroughness. I feel so much better knowing that our rescue pup and I have the tools to give her freedom so we can both enjoy our time together without worry. Thanks, Dan!

Gena Dupus

2021-05

Dan is truly a dog whisperer! Our neighbor highly recommended Dan and we couldn't be happier with his service. We have a 9 month old lab that we needed a lot of help with. The training style I was using with her wasn't working and she still wasn't potty trained. Dan met with me and listened to all my issues and immediately had a plan to get things solved. We saw great results after the first lesson and after a couple of weeks Zoey has made incredible progress. She is now potty trained and I actually walked her off leash this morning during our training session. She has turned into a wonderful dog with just a few sessions of help from Dan. Dan is just awesome and I highly recommend him.

Payton Neal

2021-05

We have been to Dan with our 6 month old golden retriever (who absolutely loves to come see him!) for multiple private sessions & we are so impressed with how far our pup has come. Dan has given us a wealth of knowledge to carry into our daily routine with Jake, overall improving our relationship & how we communicate. We cannot wait to keep coming back to see what else we can accomplish. If you are living in the valley or even visiting, Dan is the guy to bring your dog to!

Frank Johnson

2023-05

Dan has had 7 sessions with Pip, my 5 month old Havanese pup (and me, of course), and we’re really getting ahead of the “crazies.” From being calm and “stay” to walking on trails off-lead, Dan has been SUPER patient with both of us, and Pip has been responsive to his calm, conversational approach. Excellent experience and fun for both of us!

Joyce Evans

2021-05

We have two young dogs that were overly rambunctious when greeting people and other dogs on walks. Dan gave us new tools and techniques to train them and manage their enthusiasm. He has a calm and confident way of working with dogs and their people. Best of all, the training greatly increased my confidence in handling and training our dogs. Puppypalooza was a great opportunity for socialization. I highly recommend Dan!

Elle Gold

2020-05

Amazing dog trainer! Before sending my Goldendoodle to training, he was a misbehaved puppy and overall just a handful. My friends told me about Vail Dog Training and how amazing it was. After sending my dog to training for a few weeks, he came back a whole new dog. He was obedient and a happy dog. Dan was flexible with his schedule and cared about the dog and the customer! I definitely recommend checking out the training. Overall, worth your time and money.

David Kochel

2020-05

Dan is an excellent trainer. He understands how to teach and motivate the dogs he trains, but more importantly, he knows how to train you, the owner, to get results from your dog. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a bad dog, only bad owners. Dan makes sure that he gives us every opportunity to be the best dog owner possible. He has a finely attuned knowledge of the relationship between people and dogs and teaches it with specificity and actionable information. Also, we love the videos he sends of the trainings, they’re incredibly instructive!

Hannah French

2021-05

I WISH I COULD GIVE DAN 10 STARS! I cannot put into words how grateful we are that Dan was recommended to us, but I will try.I grew up with dogs, but we never trained them more than your typical "tricks" - sit, down, etc. Our dogs also lived within a fence and in our home. Living in Vail changes the dynamics for having a dog. We do not have a yard, so we are frequently walking or hiking with our pup Franklin, or taking him to the dog park. Franklin is a 25 lbs Mini Aussie. He did not have an aggression, but he was starting to get rebellious. Dan gave us all the tools we needed to walk Franklin off leash. Franklin listens to every command! He loves his freedom!Dan trains each dog to their personality! I feel so much more educated on how to communicate with Franklin after our sessions. We cannot thank Dan enough!