What Clients Say

Our dog Bear started biting, and we were really concerned that nothing could be done about this; but we looked for a dog trainer and got David Crosby’s name from Next Door.  It was amazing – David was able to ascertain the amount of stress Bear was under and how that was making him more anxious and volatile.  By knowing that, he could 'train' us to use different strategies and cues with Bear,  and there’s been no biting since!  David is truly a 'dog whisperer', and we recommend him highly.

I recommend David Crosby’s wise method of dog training . . . David reframes dog training by considering it from the dog’s point of view. When he started working with me and my dog, Abby Rose, he surprised me by observing that Abby’s frenetic behavior stemmed from her fear of being in a new situation, rather than from playfulness. He takes his training at the dog’s pace so trust can be firmly established—very important if, like Abby Rose, the dog is adopted as an adult. I highly recommend working with David. He teaches the dog, but even better, he teaches owners how to have a realistic and rewarding relationship with their dog."

First, I should give some background information. A year ago my Cathy and I adopted a stray female German Shepherd mix puppy that had appeared at our friends' workshop. Lucy, estimated to be six months old, had two broken femurs, was severely underweight, and while okay with people, lacked socialization skills with other dogs. To our surprise, Minka, our five year old German Shepherd, also a female, accepted the puppy and they seemed to be on the way to becoming good friends. This all changed a few months later when Lucy's injuries had been fixed and she began to get stronger. Suddenly she and Minka began fighting.  These were serious fights that we had to break up.  Cathy and I were heart broken and desperate for a solution.

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I called Dave on the recommendation of a friend and made an appointment to evaluate Lucy first.  Dave was reassuring from the beginning.  He knew the characteristics of our breed of dogs well.  He had dealt with our type of situation before with success.  At our initial meeting, Lucy took to Dave immediately and clearly was paying attention to everything he did.  It was fascinating to watch his communication skills. I knew that I wanted to learn from Dave. At the end of the session Dave laid out our training goals for Lucy and later that night emailed us the goals in greater detail.  So now we had a clear idea of the training plan we were about to undertake. 

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Dave has a good concept of what goes on in the mind of a dog.  He uses a reward based training method that resonates well with Lucy.  As Dave says, she began the training as a blank slate, and she is highly motivated by food rewards.  Minka, on the other hand, began with more ingrained habits but has surprised us with how she has modified her behavior to win our praise.  Both dogs are now much better socialized and have a higher threshold for excitability.  In addition, Cathy and I are becoming more consistent in our ways of communicating with our dogs. They in turn are trusting us more and more to be in control of their environment.  It has taken awhile for us to come to grips with these changes in communication, but Dave has shown considerable patience with humans as well as canines.

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Lucy and Minka now ride to and from training sessions in the same car.  They train together off leash.  They both will walk by our sides on a slack leash.  These are two dogs that a few months ago could have killed each other. Thanks to Dave's training methods the changes are becoming more frequent, and we and our dogs are learning to relax together. Thanks Dave

David Crosby understands dogs. He works on a relational model where engagement and understanding of what dog's true nature and actual abilities are, are at the center. My dog and I have been trained before and she was still very anxious and I still unsure. We consulted David after she pulled me into the street rushing a UPS truck and I suffered severe fractures. David has taught us what the best kind of relationship between human and dog can be. She is learning to trust me now that we are establishing rules and relationship where she feels safe. I am learning to be more confident and so is she as she learns tasks and learns I can be counted on to be consistent. We are having so much more fun! David is a master teacher and trainer. He understands the nuances of each ear and tail flick, each movement of the dog toward, or away from meaningful engagement. Dogs and humans alike will benefit from working with him, as we have.

"I have never met anyone who understands dogs as masterfully as David does. For one thing, he is an expert on their brain chemistry. With his guidance, any dog can become its best and healthiest self, and any dog owner can become what his or her dog most needs in order to thrive and be safe and happy. If you want your dog to overcome problematic behaviors, and if you want to create a mutually strong and lasting bond, you couldn’t find a better resource than David. I am grateful for all of his expertise." -- Jude Anderson, owner of willful terrie.

We adopted our 3 year old shepherd/ pit bull mix with the awareness that we had taken on responsibility for a very powerful and potentially dangerous dog. I knew that training was essential for us and for Scooby the “Shepit”. We found Dave through our daughter and began the process of working to understand and respect one another. I can’t say enough about Dave, his training methods and patience. Dave’s ability to understand and communicate the nuances of Scooby’s behaviors have helped us to become better pet parents and Scooby to become a well mannered boy. He is a delight... thank you Dave.