Testimonials
Yuzu
Miles & Muyi
As first-time dog owners my wife and I were somewhat unprepared for the multifaceted experience of caring for a puppy. Our 4-month-old Mini Australian Shepherd Yuzu, while good-tempered, was developing some bad habits on the leash (eating things off the ground and leash-pulling). Additionally, we felt that in order to be responsible owners we should have a watertight toolkit for training her in fundamental behaviors that every dog should have––both indoors and out. After trying and failing to teach Yuzu from a diversity of mediocre dog training YouTube videos, we decided to pull the trigger and hire Vicky to provide her expertise.
I would be understating if I said that we couldn’t be happier with Vicky’s work and the results she delivered with Yuzu. Aside from being an all-around wonderful human being who truly has a special connection with animals, Vicky did a perfect job identifying Yuzu’s needs and making sure that we, her humans, are capable of providing effective training for the rest of her life. After four sessions, Yuzu is now a well-behaved walker and listens attentively to commands such as “sit,” “lay down,” “stay,” “drop it,” “go to crate,” “come” and many more. We were amazed at how quickly Vicky was able to correct our mistakes and put Yuzu on a path toward success (and Yuzu loved every second of it).
We are confident that as long as you are willing to put in the work required to effectively train your dog, Vicky will be there every step of the way to provide everything you need to transform them into most well behaved pup in town––big, small, young old, calm, hyper. 10/10, 5 stars, 100%, A+. Whatever your needs, she will deliver. You won’t regret it, and neither will your pup.
Mr. Bean
Curtis
Vicky is absolutely AMAZING and was worth having to wait for availability! She not only got my hyper puppy to listen to commands but she also taught me, a first time dog owner, what to do and how to do it. Vicky was even willing to share certain trade secrets like where she got her treats! After seeing her level of organization with her note taking I could tell that she catered her training specifically to every dog and owner that she works with.
I cannot recommend Vicky enough and will be referring her not only to my brother for his puppy but to any and all others looking or in need of a trainer!
PS: I have a tendency to overthink many things, so when I tried to use YouTube for training, I found myself at a complete loss. My dog constantly found ways to make such ‘broad-stroke’ training impossible. Vicky was so knowledgeable that she kept seemingly complex things very simple and instilled confidence within me while my puppy and I did our allotted homework. Vicky took me, an exhausted, flustered puppy owner and made the relationship between my dog and I one full of friendship and love.
Max
Karl & Nantida
My girlfriend found Vicky Ortiz online right after adopting our dog, Max, from the shelter. Max showed signs of extreme anxiety like nothing I’d seen or heard of before. We couldn’t figure out what to do even though both my girlfriend and I had spent a lot of time around other dogs.
Vicky was able to deal with his difficult situation and over the following weeks Max learned basic commands. Beyond the commands, Vicky figured out that Max’s behavior was anxiety ans not aggresion even though what he was doing often looked like aggresion. she helped us understand what was causing this ans also gave us tools to deal with it.
One thing I especially appreciated is that Vicky is focused. She will teach your dog specific basic commands in an organized way. Once she finishes with that in five weeks the lessons end.
It’s been a few months now since Max graduated from basic training and he’s become a fairly calm dog that gets along well with other dogs and people. This probably would not have happened without Vicky.
Chicken
Roberto & Candy
I am so glad that my husband researched online & found Vicky to help train our 9 month old rescue puppy, chicken. Although Chicken was naturally smart & good with dogs as well as people, we were struggling to get her energy under control during walks (i.e. tugging her leash towards dogs or anything moving fast towards/past her) & she was fixated on barking at any noises she heard outside our apartment.
During our initial zoom consultation, she took the time to understand everything about our fur baby — breed, age, temperament, habits, commands/tricks she understood, & what we were looking to get out of training sessions. Based on our goals, she suggested how many 1-hour training sessions we would need & the format/flow of them (half the time was spent in our apt for training/reinforcing basic commands & then the remaining half was for observing our walks outside to give tips & tricks). Vicky was punctual for every class, attentive, patient & sweet — not to mention she is a dog whisperer because chicken immediately loved her & was always incredibly responsive for the sessions!! At the end of each class, we were given homework assignments to practice throughout the week leading up to the next session. &, with each passing week, we saw significant improvements in chicken. By our last session, she had progressed by leaps & bounds (walks are now smooth, relaxing & she rarely is triggered by noises coming from outside our apartment).
Vicky taught us very invaluable lessons — that the training never ends & consistency, love, patience, & commitment to putting in the work will yield positive results. We couldn’t be happier with this learning experience & strongly recommend that anyone looking to train their dogs (& have fun in the process) should look no further … Thank you so much for everything, vicky!! All your insight has helped chicken become the most paw-fect puppy girl & we are forever thankful for all your guidance!! 🙂
Yams
Sara Jane
I highly recommend working with Vicky Ortiz! My 7 month old Goldendoodle, is a curious ball of energy and too smart for her own good! Vicky was able to help us manage distractions during walks, help me understand my pups body language/barks, how to train at a comfortable pace (to build up pups confidence) and most importantly, strengthen our relationship/bond. She trained in the park, with other dogs/kids around, which I mentioned was an area that we needed guidance on and was also able to notice details about my routine to suggest ways to help with anxieties like, teaching the cue “Look” to have pup focus during difficult moments and adjusting my own tone/body language. Not only is Vicky a great trainer (for both the human and pup), but also a nice person who loves dogs and the relationships we have with them. With Vicky’s training, positive reinforcement and lots of practice, you and your pup will have the skills and deeper bond for a lifetime!
Stella
Christopher & Kristen
Vicky was an absolute delight to work with and trained our dog very well. Our sweet Stella adored Vicky and was so excited every week when she came by. We were always impressed with how Vicky could teach Stella a new command each week within minutes. We would then reinforce the command and practice with Stella ourselves. For the last half hour of the lesson we would take Stella for a walk and Vicky would observe and provide general pointers for us. This was invaluable and really showed us the benefit of using Vicky rather than relying on some YouTube training videos. She had so many tips, tricks, and recommendations for us on ways to walk with Stella and how to improve her behavior.
Then when we were all done with our lessons Vicky provided Stella with the sweetest graduation complete with diploma and cap for pictures.
We could not recommend Vicky any more highly for dog training. A+++
Moose
Laurite
We can’t stop recommending Vicky to all of our friends. Our pup Moose, is highly intelligent and high energy and Vicky helped us find a balance between, mentally stimulating him and playing. My boyfriend still to this day is in shock thinking Vicky swapped our dog out for a better trained one. But in reality he is our dog, just with a touch of Vicky’s help! Thank you so much Vicky!
Maggie
Colin & Kiera
We highly recommend Vicky! We were amazed with what she was able to teach our puppy in only 4 sessions. After just one session, we went from a puppy that didn’t know “stay” to one that would stay even when the door was opened or visitors arrived. The process was easy and her directions were very clear. We were able to take what she taught us and continue to train our dog with the “homework” throughout the week. We cannot recommend her enough!
Beau
Nicole
Vicky is amazing! My boyfriend and I were struggling with our dog, Beau. He was jumping on people, barking and pulling on the leash when walking. Vicky showed us all tips and tools we needed to help Beau. She was very understanding of our frustrations and was very patient and kind. Now, my boyfriend and I know how to communicate with our dog better and he has completely changed for the better! Thank you so much, Vicky!
Penny
Alyssa & Nick
Vicky is a wonderful dog trainer. Her personality is warm, friendly and open. From the minute we met her virtually for our consultation, she immediately provided easy, actionable tips we could start implementing. Following that, we did three in person training sessions with her and gained so much from each – from reinforcing basic commands (come, stay, etc.), to improving leash training, to “go to place” – her guidance was invaluable. Our 4.5 month old puppy, Penny, absolutely loved her and Vicky gave us the tools needed to effectively train her. Penny learned so much in only 3 sessions – we are so grateful for Vicky!
Eddie
Toni
After moving to Jersey City my dog Eddie was having a difficult time adjusting to city life. Not responding to commands and difficulty walking. Being that he is 4 years old, I wasn’t sure there was much hope for him. Vicky was honestly a God send. From day one Eddie was responsive to her training techniques. She gave us the tools we needed for success. Thanks to Vicky, my Eddie is responding to commands, we are having much more enjoyable walks, and even visit the dog park! (Something I never had done before Vicky) I’m thankful for Vicky and would absolutely recommend her to anyone!
Nelson
Arlene
Me and my boyfriend rescued a dog who ended up being extremely anxious and would not walk or leave his crate. We started working with Vicky and she taught us a lot about connecting with him and making him feel safe. She said patience was key and was 100% right! After a few sessions together, he started becoming more comfortable around us and walking around the apartment. The change was so clear that even people in the neighborhood who recognized the scared dog couldn’t believe how he much had changed. I don’t know what we would have done without Vicky and am so glad we called her for help that day!
Beau
Jessica
I’ve had dogs my entire life but my new pup was having a lot of problems adapting to moving from the suburbs to the city and I needed help. Vicky has made all the difference. My dog was scared to go outside for walks and had a lot of bad habits. Walks are no problem now and he has a lot more confidence because of how she taught me to walk him. He has also learned his basic commands and is much calmer. Vicky would also suggest an alternative way of teaching him something if it wasn’t working. I highly recommend her.
Tortellini
Alexandra
Vicky is an absolute godsend!!! She is not only a fantastic dog trainer but also a super sweet and compassionate person. My husband and I used Vicky for basic obedience training after a great review from our friends who used her for their puppy. Our dog is a 1 yr old shepherd mix who only partially knew SIT before working with Vicky. He now knows to sit, stay, come, down, look at me, and go to place. He is doing so well after only 5 sessions with Vicky…pretty amazing! Our dog absolutely adores her too! Vicky makes sure you understand the “drills” during the training sessions so you can continue practicing daily and after the formal training sessions finish. She also did a session with our dog and her two dogs to help with our dog’s reactivity to other pups to ensure he understood to look at me. Can’t recommend Vicky enough!!
Ripley
Jenn
Vicky worked wonders with me and my dog–I wish I had thought to seek her out sooner! My three year-old hated going for walks and would bark at practically every dog she didn’t know. After a few sessions with Vicky, she helped us understand the importance of walks and the ins and outs of doing them right. Now my dog does between 2 and 4 miles a day with me, and we can walk by most dogs on the street without problems. The improvements have been so significant. Thank you Vicky!
Cannoli
Alayna
Vicky is not only a great dog trainer, but also a great person. We contacted her for help with our four-month-old puppy and she got back to us right away. We had a great consultation call with her and then determined a plan.
We have a poodle mix breed who is very smart and often stubborn. We knew that we needed help to make sure we were on the same page with training in order to actually train the dog. Vicky helped us make sure we were using consistent hand signals and training methods. Our dog also had some leash waking issues and separation anxiety. Vicky was very patient with our dog and sent us several resources and gave us tips to help fix the issues. I’d highly recommend!
Mina
Sarah & Joshua
Vicky is the best! She is patient, friendly, and our pup loves her! We reached out to Vicky after seeing the great reviews here and she absolutely met our expectations. We wanted someone to help us with basic training and walking/pulling for our rescue pup and the difference week by week was incredible. Vicky also gave us great recommendations about feeding, engaging our young kids with our new dog and other random questions. It was worth every penny and we will be hiring her for more services in the future.
Ginsburg
Mark
Vicky is incredible! She was patient, caring, and fun to work with. She not only has magic dog whispering skills but she’s willing to share her secrets! Our pup and entire family learned a ton from her, and it’s truly impressive how much better behaved and how well trained he is in just 5 weeks. Highly recommend!!
Sherman
Kris & Dan
Vicky is such an amazing trainer. She worked so well with our Australian Labradoodle pup. It was so on point to train at 3 1/2-4 months. Our Sherman was responsive in every session and remains a magnificent dog. We can’t praise Vicky enough.
Levon
Brandi
Vicky was an amazing trainer and thought my husband and I great tools to consistently work with our dog after the training is over. It was clear that with Vickys help, doing our homework every day would teach our Boston, Levon, that we were all in this together. I would definitely recommend Vicky to my friends and family!
Jack
Maria
I’m so grateful for Vicky’s training expertise and I’m so happy to have found her. Her training has helped Jack become a much calmer dog and it’s been amazing to see his progress. I appreciate her thoughtful approach to dog training and feel really good knowing that we’re teaching Jack to be a better behaved dog using positive reinforcement techniques.
Maria
Karli
After rescuing our 2 year old dog, Maria we realized we needed help with basic obedience and behavior issues. We were lucky enough to find Vicky (you may have seen her walking her yellow and chocolate labs in the park). She was able to help with basic obedience training, but also went above and beyond by bringing her own dog to our house to help socialize our dog.
Vicky is currently our dog walker. She’s helped our dog make neighborhood dog friends and is always on time, reliable, and completely trustworthy. Most importantly, she really loves and cares about dogs.
Milo
Val & Jill
My wife and I reached out to Vicky to get some basic obedience training for our 1-year-old male rescue dog. Before Vicky arrived, he didn’t know basic commands like come, sit, down, stay. After just a few sessions he knows them all. She observed us with our dog–at home, on walks and interacting with other dogs. We practiced real-life scenarios like when guests arrive at the house or when your dog suddenly goes crazy over a squirrel. Having some basic control over him has eased our nerves (and his) and has brought more peace to both home life and walks.
Vicky is incredibly warm, knowledgeable, dependable and kind. She has a wealth of experience with a variety of animals, not just dogs, and more than helping us with obedience training, she’s broadened our understanding of our rescue, which has made our whole family feel more connected.
We highly recommend Vicky and her services!
Benja
Kristin & Troy
Vicky truly helped us to begin working and communicating with our dog Benja when we adopted him over the past year as a young adult with little or not training. Benja came from a shelter upstate, where we live part time, and was stressed out and had never experienced the busy pace and intensity of city life. Vicky helped us all to calm down, learn basic skills and nurtured a new confidence about working with Benja, despite his initial behavorial challenges and reactivity. She gave us perfect assignments to work on each week and with dedication we all grew from our practice together. Soon enough we were able to make great gains during daily walks, house behavior, focusing skills and even gradual introduction to other dogs, thanks to working our first time with Vicky’s dog Bono!
Vicky is professional, timely, resourceful and deeply caring. I would recommend her, with no hesitation, to anyone with a new dog, whether it be a puppy or adult with specific challenges. We are grateful!
Archie
Laura & Rob
We came across Vicky when looking for a dog trainer for our 5-month-old Boston terrier. She is very friendly and easy to schedule. Her first visit was an evaluation of our puppy and any issues we were having so she could put together a plan. The first few training sessions we worked on basic commands like sit, down, come, stay. Our dog learned them very quickly so we could also go outside and work on walking him (leash pulling/distracted walker). Her tips were very helpful, and she was very good at getting ounr dog to behave. The last visit she brought her two dogs so we could work on our dogs barking and behavior in a real-live scenario. It was great we were able to do this with her dogs and learn some techniques to help with this. Overall, we are very satisfied and would gladly recommend Vicky to anybody looking for a dog trainer.
Penny
Lauren
Vicky was a great trainer for our rescue pup, Penny, who at the time was around six months old. Penny had an unfortunately rough start in life and it takes her a very long time to warm up to new people. Vicky was super patient with her and won her over in her first visit to our home. After evaluating Penny’s needs, Vicky set up a training plan that was accommodating to our needs and our hectic schedule. After a few weeks, Penny knew all her basic commands and we got great tips for helping her come out of her shell and enjoy her new home.
Penny
James
Vicky is the best and truly helped me with all aspects of dog training. More than just training the dog, Vicky was able to show me all the tips and tricks it would take to be a successful owner of an obedient dog. I would recommend Vicky to any first time dog owner or even an experienced owner just looking to make some improvements.
Mimi & Daisy
Sasha
Vicky has been a lifesaver for me when traveling. We have two very needy cats, and Vicky is incredibly reliable and wonderful with them. One of my cats needs medication, and it’s great to know she will be well taken care of while I’m away. Vicky’s also great about sending lots of pictures so I don’t miss them too much.
Lucas, Sophia & Nikky
Cristina
I have cats and know when Vicky comes to take care of them they are getting the best care. She spends time with them and takes great photos so their Mom knows everything is ok. If you are looking for someone to take great care of your four legged family members Vicky is the person to contact.
Sophia
Daniela
Vicky Ortiz is great! She was training my mixed breed Sophia and also helped me with my pitbull Frankie. Sophia would bark at everything and pull on the leash and Vicky taught me ways to fix that. She taught me different techniques on how to walk her. I would recommend Vicky to anyone who needs some help with their pups. She truly cares and wants to help your dog become better!
Toffee
Enrico & Arianna
Vicky is a professional, reliable and passionate person. She loves her job and she loves the dogs. She always helps us with Toffee and Toffee loves going to walk with her, she is always an happy dog with Vicky! I recommend her to everyone!!
I want to thank you, Vicky, for your great job!
Kiki
Laura & Harry
Vicky has looked after our tabby, Kiki over the past 2 years. She is very responsive, trustworthy and we have no doubt Kiki is in good hands when we are away from home. We appreciate Vicky’s daily check-ins and photos – she is great at keeping us updated and is an excellent photographer 🙂
We have recommended Vicky to some of our friends in the area and they love her too!
Ethel
Erin
Vicky has been such a lifesaver for us when it comes to our baby Ethel. Ethel doesn’t go to anyone, but every time Vicky visits she’s able to get a great picture and send to us to let us know she’s fine. She always shows when she is supposed to, and gives me instant feedback if anything seems off. We are so thankful we found Vicky!!
Bernie
Freddy & Adrianna
Highly recommend Vicky to help train your dog. She was a great teacher for our 5 month old puppy. She was very flexible with our schedule and traveled to Paulus Hook to train Bernie. Her technique was easy and fun, we followed her direction and he turned out to be a well behaved and friendly dog.
Lloyd and Alfie
Amar
Vicky is amazing! She looks after our cats Lloyd and Alfie like they are her own and they love her. She plays with them, takes awesome pics and communicates with us while we’re away so we always have peace of mind. She’s the best!
Mr. Mix and Pickle
Helen
Vicky has been my cat sitter for over a year. She is amazing! I know when I’m away my cats are in good hands. I love that she sends pictures at every visit. It is nice to see my kitties when I’m missing them.
Russ
Ben & Victoria
Vicky is the best! With her help, our nervous terrier is transforming into a kinder, gentler, better-behaved pup. We feel grateful and lucky that she’s in our lives! Highly, highly recommend.
Vander
Lissa
Not only is Vicky an awesome trainer, our youngest rescued pup now knows: come here, sit, down and stay, she is also a spectacular walker! She walks our pampered pooches for us when we need to stay work late or just want a well-deserved date night. We come home to smiling, fed and tired pooches! Vicky is highly recommended by us and the community. Give her a call and for all your dog training and walking needs!
Pablo
Nicky
Vicky helped us train our dog Pablo. He used to pull on the lead and was very strong, wanting to do whatever he wanted. Very quickly, Vicky who came recommended, trained Pablo to be calm and not to pull. Vicky taught me too, as well as Pablo. He is now a calm, very obedient dog, thanks to Vicky.
Kenzie
Trix
It takes a special kind of person to be a “Dog Whisperer” and Vicky Ortiz can communicate with both you and your animal friends. She understands the most compassionate and functional methods for teaching good animal behavior. She is the best!
Coconut
Teeth-ee M.
When it comes to dog training, loads of people claim to be the expert, but Vicky Ortiz is exceptional. She was always on time, never missed a session and was very lenient when it came to working around my schedule. Vicky is patient, articulate and did a good job training me as well as my dog Coconut. All the sessions were focused on building skills and making us ready to continue training on our own.
She pointed out what the problem was and showed me how to modify it. Coconut was very aggressive towards my mother ever since he was a puppy, Thanks to Vicky they now have a better relationship. I would recommend her a million times!
Rollie
Eve & Mike Sch.
Vicky is a pro! I mean…her dogs hold each other leashes in their mouths. Isn’t that enough proof?
From the moment we met Vicky, we knew that not only could we trust her, but that our pooch could trust her as well. Through our work together, Vicky has shown us what it takes to establish boundaries, be a calming influence and to have fun with our dog. A lot of it is about training the human!
Recently, we had a large group of friends over and received multiple comments on how calm our dog has gotten. We couldn’t have had such amazing results without the added bonus of her helping us maintain consistent behavior on his walks. If you’re looking for someone who will love your dog as much as you do, give Vicky a call.
Inti
Carmen Lu P.
I thank Vicky for her help teaching me how to have a better relationship with my dog Inti. There were things I couldn’t have done without her and now almost 3 years later my relationship with Inti is great and we enjoy every minute of our life together. Vicky is the best option when dog training is about.