“Ryan is the absolute best “Go To Trainer”. Hands down—no question about it!!. He is knowledgeable, experienced, dedicated and passionate about what he does best!! He rehabilitates the most difficult and unbalanced dogs with amazing success. There is no one like Ryan.”

“Ryan is the best trainer I have dealt with so far! He is extremely kind and knowledgeable, a true dog lover!! Since Ryan has first started working with us, there has been a huge change in our dog! We are now the envy of the neighbourhood when they see how nicely he walks on a leash.
10/10!!”

“Really knows his stuff and is passionate about what he does!”

“Great trainer and lover of dogs. Really understands how to effectively use a variety of training techniques.”

“Ryan was so good with our Chance. We have come a long way and the continued support has been amazing. He is such an animal lover, stubborn as heck, and truly passionate about what he does. You couldn’t have your animal in better hands.”

“We can’t thank you enough for all of the hard work you have put in with our Karma! We’ll keep you posted as she goes along but you’ve set her in the right direction and we can’t believe the difference in her already!”

“Ryan’s passion for dog training shows in his work. I find myself constantly inspired by him to continuously better my relationships with my dogs and keep up on all angles of dog training. His dedication, support, and knowledge makes him one of the best dog trainers around! Keep up the good work, Ryan!”

“We sent Rocky in for a board and train and we couldn’t be happier with the results. Rocky went in a dog that couldn’t be walked, our kids were afraid of him and was totally bonkers. After coming home his loose leash walking is fantastic, he stays on place command and has integrated back into our family perfectly.

He’s still Rocky, very silly and lots of energy ...but now he’s balanced and a much happier dog. Ryan kept us in the loop every step of the way and gave us a very clear plan to keep Rocky progressing. It was the best investment I’ve ever made for any dog I’ve ever had.”

“Ryan is an awesome dog trainer. He genuinely cares about his job and the dogs he trains. I highly recommend Ryan and will definitely use him again for training, boarding and consulting. Thanks Ryan for an amazing experience! All the best to you in this new chapter!”

“He clearly loved what he does - the respect he has for the dogs he trains is apparent. Honestly I have a new found respect for what it means to be a “dog trainer” a real one! I won’t throw any specific training school under the bus, but I do my research .... and I thought I had an idea about what that meant. After a bad experience at “the best school ever”, i now understand why Ryan is so damn good at what he does..... he IS truly a balanced trainer, he IS truly in this for the dogs. Thanks for everything!!!!”

“Within the very first lesson, Cooper stopped pulling on walks. It’s amazing to talk him on walks now. Such a great pup. We completed the novice course. Highly recommended Ryan for all your training needs. Can’t wait to start more training with Cooper.”

“Ryan has an excellent understanding of what is required to correct your fur babies issues. He is compassionate, understanding and very straight forward on what is required. He works with you and your dog to develop a training plan best suited tot he needs of your dog. Thanks Ryan.”

“We just completed the basic obendince course with our bull masttiff and our American bulldog. We could not be more pleased with the outcome! Ryan gave us all the knowledge and tools on how to work with our dogs. Our dogs are now model k9 citizens while out in public and balanced/ obedient in our home. We can’t thank Ryan enough for sharing his knowledge with us and we hope to work with him again the future.”

“My Springer Spaniel of nearly 5 years old and I took Ryan’s off leash training. I cannot even express how fabulous the training was and how much it has changed our lives for the better. The residual affects of an off leash obedient walking dog have translated into an obedient companion in the home. We love our Cam but he has given us a lot of trouble over the years. We tried the pure positive training and it did not work for us or Cam. Ryan’s approach works, it is a balanced approach that focuses on outcomes. Ryan is an excellent teacher and makes training your dog make sense. In a very short period of time with Ryan’s training and the follow through at home Cam has become an easy going, fun loving, obedient dog. I want to bring Cam with us everywhere now, where I used to worry about what he would do, if he would listen to me and if he would eat everyone’s belongings and/or knock them over. I’m not worried any more. I can trust my dog and my family and Cam are reaping the rewards of spending time with our amazing dog! Thank you Ryan!! We are so happy we found you. You have literally changed our lives.”

“I can’t say enough about Ryan! I was desperate for someone to help us with our dog and he was recommended to me. Immediately, upon my first message to him, I knew this was the guy we needed. He was honest and open from the get go. He came into our home, explained everything and answered all of our questions. Although this was a serious behaviour that we were concerned about, we were still able to have fun while training and learning.

Our Luna, became very possessive/aggressive when it came to objects. Her pulling, while walking was enough that everyone dreaded walking her. We gave up the fight and let her on our furniture. The list goes on, but I think that’s enough for now.

Our biggest concern was her aggression with objects, as she bit and drew blood while we tried to take the object from her. I knew right away that this needed to be dealt with immediately! The thought of her aggression getting worse and the consequences if she was to bite someone while we were out with her was not an option.

After our first lesson with Ryan, Luna learned to “leave it” and “drop it”. Every lesson after that, we saw a new Luna. By the end of our sessions, we were amazed at the new Luna that we have.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Ryan!!! Amazing service.”

“They don’t call Ryan The Dog Philosofur nothing! It was very clear from day one that Ryan had a passion for dogs and caring for them. I took my Frenchie to The Dog Philosofur to teach my dog basic obedience + off leash recall. I wanted to take my dog to photoshoots with me so he didn’t have to be left at home. Ryan was transparent from day one about his method of training and approach. During his stay Ryan kept me updated with how he was doing and sending me pictures of him.
After my first visit( 9 days after dropping him off) my mind was blown with how much he had learned. I was convinced at that point that Ryan was going to be able to get my dog to where he needs to be. In 9 days he was already mastering his sit stay commands and responding to his name when being called.

It has been about 3 days since I brought home Füli and I couldn’t be happier! Fuli has been with me to the malls and a photoshoot with no issues. He understands all his commands and is happy to do them. The best part is being able to walk him off leash and seeing by standards reactions to how well behaved his.

Taking my dog to The Dog Philosofur was the best decision I made in 2018. Thank you so much Ryan for all your hard work and dedication to training my dog... before you I thought dogs like this only existed in movies!”

“Recommending Ryan is an understatement! We cannot say enough about Ryan. He really is the only trainer people should see if they are struggling with their pups. Ryan took on the challenge of our two Frenchies who fought like pit bulls and brought them back to us obedient and loving one another. He helps you understand the mindset of the dog and the leadership you need as an owner. what works for one pup doesn’t necessarily work for the other. He has helped make our household calm, our dogs obedient, and our life fantastic. Thanks Ryan for your continued support! We wouldn’t be where we are with our boys today if it weren’t for you and your very patient partner in crime.”

“Thank you so much Ryan! Honestly you’ve exceeded our expectations so much with your training program- you’re so knowledgeable and your training techniques and approach simply work. It was a pleasure working with you and your amazing dogs”

“Thank you so much Ryan for all your helpful training and guidance for both Cosmo and I! We are a much better team now and enjoy learning each new skill together! Cosmo is a great dog and we are so glad that we have him. We will make sure that we maintain all the rules and structures that we have established now. It has made for a much happier dog and as a result happier handlers😉. Thank you so much again!”

“Thank you! We are so happy that we found you at the time that we did. We didn’t make the decision to get a dog lightly or impulsively, but without your help we would not have had the competence or the confidence to train sweet Winnie.
We lucked out and hit the jackpot with Winnie, but also with you. Thanks for showing us the ropes and always going above and beyond to be available to us for both lessons and email questions.
We are so happy to see Winnie get so excited to see you at lessons and when she comes for a sleepover. Thank you for being a part of our family! We are so grateful and look forward to keeping in touch.
Warm regards and deep gratitude,”

“We recently had the pleasure of working with Ryan with our almost 3 year old German Shepherd, Ivy. Ivy is a wonderful dog but we had started experiencing her pulling and lunging at other dogs during walks which was making our outdoor adventures stressful. Within the first session, Ivy was a completely different dog and she took to Ryan immediately. We had a great experience with the Behaviour Modification Program and would 100% recommend Ryan for any training needs. You definitely won’t be sorry!”

“We contacted Ryan to get obedience training for our 5 month old German Shepherd. We are very glad we did because Ryan was able help us get the pulling and nipping under control and by the end of our training we have a dog that listens, is obedient and most importantly we have a dog that is enjoyable to be around and take anywhere we would like. Ryans approach for the training is very professional but easy to follow and execute effectively. He is always available to answer any question we have in between our sessions and always leaves us with lots of homework and material to be able to confidently train our dog between sessions.”

“We completed the Foundational Obedience course with Ryan and our now 6 month old puppy. We cannot say enough good things about Ryan. He is so knowledgeable when it comes to dog training and coupled with his honesty, professionalism, and friendly personality we are so happy we chose to work with him. The results have been incredible even after just 6 weeks. We’ve had many people comment on our puppy’s behaviour on our walks already. We will be working with Ryan again in March and we are very much looking forward to it. I would recommend his services to anyone.”

“We’ve done two different programs with Ryan! He is professional and does an amazing job! He has amazing techniques, is always available for questions and help along the way!! Id highly recommend Ryan to anyone for their dog needs !!”

“I cannot say enough about The Dog Philosofur & his training!!! My 1.5yr old pup was pulling a ton on walks and in LESS THAN 15min of the session start he had helped me learn how to stop this & he now walks like a dream. Very quick in responding to my inquiry, conveniently came right to my home, so friendly, great communication. Provided me with tips & tools to continue to practice going forward. HIGHLY recommend. Will be back again soon for some other areas of training!!”

“Going through the obedience training with Ryan was the best decision we could’ve made for our puppy Molly. She progressed so much over the course of the training, not just in obedience, but in her confidence as well. She has become such a well-rounded, happy pup, and we definitely owe that to Ryan’s training! He was down to earth, professional, and an absolute pleasure to work with - we can’t say enough good things about him!”

“Excellent fast results. Amazing service! I highly recommend to anyone who needs help with their dog. My dog changed from fearful and aggressive around strangers to calm in few lessons. I am amazed and grateful!”

“Dog Philosofur is a game changer! I contacted Ryan to help me learn how to integrate the Educator E-collar I had previously purchased into my training. My main concern was that my 80lb doberman pulled on leash and I wanted to solidify his recall. I purchased a 3 session custom package that came with a consultation. After the first session my dog was healing perfectly with the use of the ecollar. The second session we focused on recall. By the final session, I was more than satisfied with my dog’s on leash healing and his recall was perfect, even when distracted. We also cleaned up some unwanted behaviours around the house with the use of the ecollar. I used to dread taking the dog for a walk on leash and I always worried about his recall. After Ryan’s help, I can say that taking my boy for a walk, whether on leash or off, is completely stress free. Ryan gave me confidence in using the e collar properly and I feel that it has be very beneficial for my dog and I. I would definitely recommend the Dog Philosofur and I can say that the ecollar has been a great tool for us!”

“We started the 4-session “off lead/recall” course with a puppy who pulled like a train on her leash, jumped on people, was jumpy/too friendly around children, and obeyed commands she knew (sit, come, stay) only when she felt like it or if I offered a treat. After 4 sessions with Ryan, our dog is transformed. She’s a dream to walk, I can bring her to school pick up and feel confident she won’t try to jump on a kid running by, and **I can confidently let our dog off lead and KNOW she’ll come when I call her!** The transformation is AMAZING. Ryan answered any questions I had and taught me things that aren’t supposed to be in the course- he is passionate about training dogs. The relief and confidence I feel in having a well trained dog is worth every penny and minute I spent on training :)”

“After just one lesson with Ryan we already see a huge improvement with our 6 month old lab. Ryan patiently explains simple commands needed to walk our dog. After just a few days we are already able to take him into public outdoor settings and he is very well behaved. Ryan took an hour to explain the e-collar in detail so that we can use it effectively and safely. We highly recommend Ryan as he explains the training in a simple and straight forward manner.”

“Ryan provided us with a mini e-collar and consultation on how to properly use the training tool with our dog, who has aggressive/territorial issues when people are on our property. He is extremely attentive, knowledgeable and has an answer for absolutely anything. He has instilled the confidence we needed to properly train our fur baby. He will always reply quickly, and pack each response with documents and easy to follow tips. So happy to have found him!!”

“We don’t have enough good things to say about our experience with Ryan. We started with two very sweet however, very uncontrollable American Bulldogs. Our first session with Ryan we got the dogs familiar with him and learned a basic “sit and stay” command. I can’t express how much we learned just from this one command because of how Ryan explained it and the principles that went along with it. The principles Ryan taught us in that initial command completely paved the way for the rest of our Foundational Obedience Course as well as our Working Obedience Course (which is one of the off leash courses Ryan offers). Finishing our first lesson, we were able to meet the sweetest, cutest, wiggliest pup, Ryan’s dog Chickpea. Ryan and Chickpea went on to show us all of the skills that we would be learning in both of our courses. From watching Ryan engage with Chickpea we knew that we had found the perfect trainer for us. Chickpea was rock solid in each command Ryan threw her way but above all else you could see the love, companionship and bond that they both shared, this was relationship based training at its best. While Ryan and Chickpea were going through their catalogue of commands our girls were going crazy, they were barking and lunging out of excitement. Chickpea didn’t break even one command through all of the commotion. I remember driving away from our first lesson being totally impressed and I just remember thinking to myself “I don’t know if our dogs will ever get there.” I can say confidently that through the training we underwent with Ryan it has completely transformed our dogs. We are still left with our happy, wiggly American Bulldogs but we can now bring them anywhere with out a second thought. The courses we took with Ryan have completely improved the life we have with our dogs and we could not be more grateful. My husband and I cannot recommend Ryan enough, you won’t be disappointed!”

“The BEST dog trainer around! We purchased the puppy package for our American Bully and from the first consultation Ryan has been so amazing and supportive. In between the puppy consultation and the start to our lessons, Ryan was always available to help guide us and answer any questions we had with our new pup. It’s been difficult trying to navigate a strong working dog breed and we are so grateful that Ryan has the knowledge and expertise to help our pup develop a strong foundation. Working with Ryan has been such a pleasure and we definitely look forward to taking the working obedience course later on.”

“Ryan aka “The Dog Philosofur” was a beyond amazing to work with.

Our dog had trouble with recall and, at times, had aggression towards other dogs. We were feeling helpless.

But everything changed after we started working with Ryan. He listened to our problems and experiences with out dog, shared his own similar experiences, and got to work teaching us everything we needed to know to correct this bad behaviour. Yes, it included using an e collar. Positive reinforcement simply would not work to correct the type of issues we were facing.

After walking us through the correct way to use the e collar, we got to work using his step-by-step instructions on how to improve recall.

Within a matter of days (and truly only after less than ten e collar “corrections”) we noticed a massive difference in our dog’s listening. It’s so good now that other people are commenting on how perfect her recall is. This was a game changer for us. We can now trust our dog off-leash and know that she will come back to us. Every. Single. Time.

In terms of the aggression. I was so impressed that Ryan volunteered his own dogs (who, by the way, are amazingly trained) to help us work through the problem. We’ve now been given the tools to continue to work through this issue on our own, and have seen improvements already.

We’re beyond grateful for Ryan’s professionalism, helpfulness, relatability, and eagerness to have us see the positive results we were looking for.”

“What a wonderful experience we had learning how to be a knowledgable, patient, and consistant dog owner. Ryan gave us tools, support, encouragement, and reasons behind his training to make our dog Nash a happy puppy. :)”

“Ryan was beyond amazing. I can finally call Clyde a good boy and mean it! When we first started his program we had a dog that we were scared to take anywhere. Clyde would constantly pull on walks, barking and lunging and dogs and people, even attempting to attack a more than a few. We had spent a fair amount on a previous trainer in hopes they could help but that was a flop to say the least. After a couple of weeks with Ryan I now have a dog that walks in a perfect heel and is incredibly calm around other dogs and people. He even taught Clyde off leash recall even when other dogs and distractions are just feet away. Ryan was one of the best investments we have ever made, plus he’s one of the nicest guys and it’s always nice to support a genuine trainer that actually cares about the bond you are going to have with your dog. Kudos Ryan.”

“We would have been lost without Ryan. We were blessed with a very stubborn and very nippy puppy who would never listen to us. After Ryan’s foundational obedience course the positive changes we saw in our dog were incredible. Highly recommend Ryan. He knows his stuff, is a dog lover wanting the best for the dog AND the owner. We couldn’t have asked for a better trainer. We will be doing his other courses to build on more skills in the near future and we are really looking forward to it.Thanks Ryan for your kindness and support. What a pleasure working with you.”

“Ryan is amazing. My 2-year-old rescue dog had some severe barrier issues with other dogs. Ryan was able to accommodate my sporadic availability, he was super patient with my children and his communication was top notch.
Email reminders for appointments
Timely responses when I had questions
Clear instructions that gave me the knowledge to train my dog
Weekly updates after each lesson, with homework and instructions covering what we talked about amd what we covered that lesson.

He offers continual support and my dogs behaviour is proof enough that he knows what he is doing.

Problems large or small Ryan is the person I would recommend.”

“It’s never too old to teach an old(er) dog new tricks! Our 5y/o Rudy needed some help with his recall and I wanted to learn to properly use the e-collar. Together, we enrolled in Ryan’s working obedience course this summer. At first, I was a bit skeptical that Rudy would pick up on the skills that Ryan was demonstrating with Chickpea but by the end of the course, Rudy was exhibiting the same behaviours that Chickpea was modelling (albeit a bit slower). Nonetheless, I am thoroughly impressed with how far Rudy has come in the last couple months and am excited to continue to work on the skills that we learned. Ryan is an extremely well-versed, knowledgeable balanced dog trainer - Rudy and I are so happy that our paths crossed. I would 10+/10 recommend Ryan as a trainer to anyone who needs help or guidance with their dog/puppy. Thank you Ryan!!”

“Ryan was an absolute pleasure to work with. He not only helped us with our german sheppard but took the time to address the trouble maker of our 2 dogs when the sheppard was the one getting trained. His teaching methods and how he instructes you to correct your dog is fair, humane, and justify when a harder correction is needed. I have been training my sheppard for 3 years with methods i was taught from another trainer only to have a lot of frustration and issues leading to concern. Ryan has opened our eyes. Thank you Ryan the pleasure was all ours. Cheers”

“We did a consultation with Ryan and he patiently listened to us and offered great advice and feedback on how best to achieve our goals. He instilled confidence in us that we could achieve what we were attempting to do with Murphy, and only two days later we have seen a huge improvement after following his advice. My only regret is that I didn’t reach out to Ryan when we first got Murphy! Highly recommended.”

“Ryan is fantastic! Our family recently completed Ryan’s basic obedience course with our Giant Schnauzer puppy. The way in which He teaches, and communicates gave us confidence in handling our dog. Ryan is extremely knowledgeable and was professional in our our interactions. If you are looking for a dog trainer, I highly recommend Ryan!”

“Ryan does an amazing job and was awesome to work with. Our puppy Misty saw huge strides in her obedience in the time we worked with him. His knowledge and expertise was evident, and he was patient working with us and her. I would definitely recommend getting dog training with him to anyone.”

“Ryan is a strait forward trainer, with an incredible passion and undetstanding of dogs, as pack members. The instruction he gave me turned me into an effective pack leader, and my beloved cane corso Emma ,into a calm and balanced member of our family. He knows his stuff and if you commit and do the work the results will be amazing!!”

“Ryan is an amazing trainer. My dog is a rescue and did have a few issues such as pulling while walking on a leash and running out the front door. My dog no longer pulls, can be off leash and has amazing recall. A few people in my neighborhood have also hired Ryan as a trainer.”

“We started our training journey with Ryan for our rescue bully mix about 8 months ago and have loved every second of it! We have completed both the foundational obedience course and the working obedience course and now have a dog that listens consistently, is well-behaved in a multitude of environments and gets to enjoy much more freedom off-leash. When we first adopted our dog Pearl, we struggled with extreme pulling on leash, not listening to any commands outside of the house and reactivity to strangers and dogs. With Ryan’s clear and supportive guidance, we have been able to build a strong bond with Pearl where she walks in a perfect heel, is in-tune with us on walks, barely reacts to her triggers and listens to any command we throw her way. Ryan really tailored our courses to meet our needs and what we/Pearl needed in that moment - never applying a “one size fits all” approach. When we first met Ryan, I knew we’d get along well as we’re both bully breed lovers (dare I say obsessed hahaha!), but I didn’t expect for him to love Pearl as much as he does and treat her with the same love as he does Chickpea and Ollie, his own dogs! His methods are clear, kind and easy to follow — making the results of your hard work unmatched. I’ve recommend Ryan to many of my friends and fellow adopters in the rescue I manage and I will continue to recommend him time and time again. Ryan is the best!”

“We are so grateful for Ryan! We’ve just completed both his Foundational Obedience Course, and his Off-Leash Real-Life Recall course, and we are over the moon with the results!! After struggling with other methods of training, watching alllllllll kinds of videos, and trying allllllll the things, Ryan had us sorted in just a couple sessions. His knowledge and experience is extensive. He obviously loves and cares about animals. He is friendly and super fun to work with. He always explains not only what he’s teaching, but why as well, which makes things super clear, and helps put your mind at ease. We would highly recommend Ryan to ANY new dog owner, or anyone struggling with current training methods. We’re so happy to be able to fully enjoy our sweet calm(er) puppy now, thanks to Ryan, because before him, it was hard to imagine it would ever happen. Thank you, Ryan!! 🐶”

“My dog Buddy had severe leash reactivity/agression towards other dogs and once attacked a dog when on a walk, within the first traning session with Ryan Buddys leash reactivity was practically gone. Ryan is a great trainer and person, he is very good at explaining why to use a dog training technique and how to probably do it. I highly recommend Ryan to anyone struggling with their dog.”

“We reached out to Ryan over the winter of 2021/2022 to ask about lessons for our pup, Bailey, during the summer months. We wanted to have confidence with our dog being off leash especially when at the cottage. Ryan was very helpful in pointing us in the right direction from the get-go. We opted for the 6-week off leash and obedience for the cost savings, even though we had done basic obedience courses, agility lessons and have her training at daycare as well… and we were not disappointed. We quickly learned that my husband and I were always consistent which led to some inconsistencies with how Bailey responded. Ryan was able to give us lots of tips and tricks to keep us consistent which would build Baileys consistency with responding to commands and ultimately build our trust with her. The off leash portion of the training was also incredibly helpful and informative. Within a week or two we had Baileys long-line training behind her as she went exploring in the field, and her recall was nearly perfect. We were able to recall her from new experiences within just a few weeks. We went up North to visit a few friends on a big property and we had no issues trusting her to explore the area with their 4 dogs - her recall was On. Point.!! Ryan was happy and friendly for each of our lessons. He answered all of our 5 million questions (each week) with patience and understanding. Even if we wanted to do something a little different, he would either expertly explain why that might not work, or accommodate our preference. Our lessons never felt rushed (I don’t think we ever saw him check his watch), and he always asked if we understood what he was teaching or if we needed clarification. We’re lucky our dog isn’t reactive, but if she was, I would still trust Ryan wholeheartedly to help us manage the behaviours we didn’t want. We would absolutely recommend Ryan to anyone who is looking for a dog trainer, and we will likely book one-off lessons in the future if we needed any further support.”

“Where do I start?! Ryan is hands down a phenomenal trainer!! I inquired about training when I first got my puppy in mid October last year, but he was fully booked up until Mar 2022! Unfortunately I missed the registration deadline in January and finally registered on time in March for June lessons. I’m sooo glad I waited to train with Ryan. It was worth the wait, the value, the high standards and the work ethic he has when working with us. Our initial appt showed his interest in getting to know the type of dog I have, to the type of owner I am and how to best work with us to maximize our training sessions. Ryan took his time explaining, when I was unsure about how to do a command or had questions; without judgment. He was patient and he was very clear with his instructions. I had already trained Neo most of the basic commands, however, it was not anywhere near as amazing as Chickpea’s level. Ryan taught me on how it can get there - with a lot of training, time and dedication and reviewing the homework! He’ll even notice my position vs Neo’s position and how to fix it in order for a command to work better. I can’t stress it enough, how on point Ryan was to send out the homework sheets along with the youtube video within a few hours of completing our lessons. Our training with Ryan has made a huge difference with Neo’s obedience and recall. We had a near miss when Neo almost started chasing a car thinking it was me coming home, and my husband called him to come back and he did without hesitation!!! I would definitely recommend The Dog Philosofur to anyone who needs new or additional training for their puppy/dog. I know I will be contacting Ryan again for any other training that I may need for Neo. It was a pleasure working with Ryan, Chickpea and Ollie. Great job Ryan, keep up the great work and making such a difference with all the puppies/dogs out there :)”