DognPooch.com - San Luis Obispo, California

Irene Zupko

My pups (Scooter 2.5 yr old male purebred Shih Tzu & BB 2-3 yr old Chihuahua mix rescued off the street)were just out of my control, running away and refusing to come when called, nipping at people , pulling on the leash and barking incessantly, generally reeking havoc in my life. I had spent a lot of money on trainers, classes and tools to help but nothing really did. Then I found Mark with DognPooch online and called him. He didn't sugar coat anything and got right to the point. I dropped them both off for a week and was just astounded at the videos he sent me daily to show their progress. I enjoyed watching him work his magic and the dogs looked like they were having a good time! It amazes me the difference in our lives now. The go anywhere off leash but stay close and always come when called. The barking stops on command and our lives are changed forever. My only regret is I didn't find him sooner. This trainer and his program are well worth every dollar I spent and I am truly forever grateful. Thanks Mark!! You are simply the BEST!

Donna Lundquist

Best Investment We Ever Made!!

Our Staffy Woody is just under 2yrs old, a rescue, and has always been very difficult to handle. He barks constantly and jumps at people, birds and us! He’s very strong and pulls on the leash when walking.
We heard about Mark from a woman at Jack Creek Winery. She had seen Woody’s behavior and said she thought Mark could help us as he had helped with her own dog.
Woody spent one week with Mark and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! Mark sent videos of Woody’s progress everyday so we knew he was improving but he’s like a different dog.
After we picked Woody up today we took him with us to lunch. So many of the other patrons stopped to tell us what a wonderful, well mannered dog we have. It was such as incredible and welcome experience.
We would highly recommend Mark to work with anyone’s dog that needs a little, or a lot of, help to become a pleasure to live with.

Bob and Donna Lundquist <> –

Maggie Lepore

Mark, is AMAZING! Our sweet Sofie (1/2 Golden, 1/2 Aussie) is 4 months old and we were struggling to train her and especially had difficulty with her pulling and biting at the leash, jumping, nipping, and overall not listening to basic commands. Mark had her for 1 week and she came back a completely transformed puppy. We went from feeling overwhelmed to literally having the easiest puppy! She is now listening to basic commands, walks amazingly off leash, no jumping and no nipping! I really don’t know how he accomplished that in just one week of training but we couldn’t be happier. Mark, thank you so much. ❤️

Kristin Norwood

We rescued a 4 month old terrier mix and he was so smart! From experience I didn’t want to start teaching him “bad habits” so I reached out to mark and got cooper in right away. The ecollar training blew my mind. It’s like an invisible leash. When cooper came home the stress of him running off was no longer there. I plan to continue working with mark in the future! Thanks for a great start of our relationship with our new family member!

Emilie Y

Our girl Rui is a 3-year-old Shiba Inu. She's sweet and knows every basic obedience command, but she loves chasing any flying object or animal to the point where I could be holding a piece of steak, swamped and drooled over by other dogs, and she would still be at the far end of the park. Previously, she went through a ton of training, but nothing seemed to shape her behavior or decision-making. During our training sessions, she would follow the command, take the treat, spit out the treat, and look at me as if to say, "Can I go play now?" A small dog with a big attitude! The worst part was that she was able to fool trainers into thinking she was ready to go, leaving me feeling as though if the training didn’t stick, it was the owner’s problem.

Now it’s been about two months since we got Rui back from Mark. The reviews mentioning "a changed dog" are true. She heels much better and checks in more frequently during our walks. She even asks for permission before going after birds (no animals were harmed). The change in her mentality is reflected in her behavior. We’re really grateful to Mark because now we can walk Rui off-leash, and she gets the freedom she’s always wanted. If you baby your dog or can’t be a disciplined and consistent trainer for them, leave it to the expert.

P.S. We found Mark and signed up for board-and-train because we had to be out of town for two weeks. We had no expectations for the "train" part of the deal due to previous experiences, but Mark really delivered. He sent videos multiple times a day, which provided great reassurance that our baby was okay and showed progress. The end result was just unreal.

Bethanie Bermingham

I cannot speak highly enough about Mark and DognPooch! We have four young kids and got a puppy last year that quickly turned into a very large, energetic dog. One week with Mark and she walks perfectly on and off leash, has excellent manners inside, and no longer jumps when people walk in the door. The difference after one week is amazing and so impressive! Mark sent videos every day showing us her progress and teaching us the commands and techniques so we could continue them at home. It has made a huge difference in how my kids are able to interact with her and brought so much peace to our home.

Rachel Tarcon

Okay y’all- I’ll start by saying I NEVER write reviews, but Mark’s exceptional service warrants as many stars as I can give! 5star+. If you’re considering bringing your dog to Mark for training, do not hesitate! We brought our 6 month old puppy Duke to Mark because we were feeling overwhelmed with the training process and Dukes wild ways. Positive reinforcement clicker training only worked when Duke wanted to listen but when he didn’t, we had no way of controlling him. We were worried for his safety, our kids safety, and worried friends and family wouldn’t want to come over b/c of Duke’s rude manners. He would steal our food, growl at us, jump up on everyone, climb all over us on the couch, wander into our neighbors yard and not come to us when being called, pull his leash on walks- basically it was non-stop chaos and exhausting. One week with Mark and Duke has changed in ways I thought were far off dreams. He walks by our side, no leash, and comes when called after we let him roam at the park. He lays quietly on his bed while we eat and work and only leaves when we tell him he can. He sits at the door when we open it until we say “come” (for his safety), his jumping up on people has practically stopped. Honestly, it’s night and day and I can finally breathe again. To get the most of the training, it’s super important to learn from Mark’s ways, listen to his advice, and keep up with the training after the initial week with Mark. I’ve seen first hand how doing so continues to solidify the good behavior. It just keeps getting better. Thank you so very much, Mark, for your expertise and giving Duke such superb attention!! And hugs from your boy Duke. He’s happy to be home but misses you.

Marlene Vargas

My 3 year-old, Boston terrier named Champ is a great dog. Like all dogs he had some flaws. He would pull hard on the leash while on walks, take off if I left him off leash on my front yard and stand off while walking past dogs. Champ was left behind at home from many family outings because of his behavior. I searched for a local dog trainer and found Mark. Mark worked with him for 1 week and what a difference it has made. Mark sent daily updates of Champ while at the park, on walks or socializing with other dogs. I am happy to share we now enjoy taking Champ on daily (sometimes twice a day) walks, hikes and to the park. We plan on staying consistent with what he’s been trained to do and what we have learned so we can bring him on outings this summer and enjoy more time outdoors. Thanks for your help Mark!