Specialty Dog Training, Oceanside CA

I’ve been meaning to write this review for months, and this might be long, but I really need to give our trainer Doug a much deserved shout out.

I decided to work with Shelby Semel Dog training after I got my 4 month old rescue puppy back in late March/early april. I originally did a one time consult with Doug and immediately bought a package. My pup Millie was having some behavior issues that needed to be rectified ASAP. He provided very effective solutions and was attentive to my concerns. He focused on things I wanted to focus on while still working on things that he saw were needed, things I never even thought about (which was super helpful!). He even met me in Central Park to work on distraction training, especially around squirrels. We made tremendous progress over the 10 weeks.

Sadly after those sessions were complete, Millie and I set off on a two month road trip to relocate to west coast (otherwise I 100% would have gotten a second training package). During that road trip we hit several cities, numerous national parks, had a lot of new experiences/situations, and Millie saw a lot of new wild animals. During this time I realized how much Doug taught me about training Millie. I was able to use a lot of the tools/techniques he provided and because of that, we had a fantastic trip! Still to this day I will look back on some of his follow up emails to continue training properly. Even after the sessions stopped, Doug was there to answer questions and address any concerns.

Hiring a trainer through Shelby Semel was the best dog dad decision I’ve made to this day. Doug’s services were worth every penny and really helped build a strong bond/trust between me and my new best friend. If I ever move back to NYC I’ll be reaching out to Doug!

We have no idea about Charlie's background but we think he was a street dog before we adopted him. We had several trainers trying to help us with him but he continued to be very reactive towards people on our walks and no one could come into the house. (He loved dogs tho!). We received several recommendations for SDT and we are so happy that Charlie got to work with Cassie. He is so different, and in a very good way. Our silly dog is still there but he has calmed down significantly. There was no way we could have trained him without her. She's a lifesaver!

Thank you so much for helping bring Nyx into my life. She is a true gift. I took her home yesterday and she has been an absolute dream dog. So sweet and so forgiving of a new dog owner. Dahlton, Phil, and the entire team did an amazing job.

Dahlton was not only great at training Nyx, but also very patient in his guidance throughout the handler lessons. I appreciate how much he genuinely cares about the dogs he trains and the time he dedicates in helping forge a strong bond between an owner and their dog.

The whole experience, from first talking about getting a PPD with Graham to bringing her home has been surreal in the best possible way. Thank you for everyone's kindness and for what Specialty Dog Training does for others

Great staff! Super helpful, knowledgeable, and patiently work with clients (both two legged & four legged). Our chocolate lab is the best boy and now has a solid foundation for his hoomans to build on. Thanks SDT team <3

We decided on SDT after interviewing three other trainers/kennels and, are THRILLED with our results!

We had specific items we needed help with: bikes/eBikes, motorcycles, office etiquette and cats.

The hardest part was being away from our baby for six weeks and now that we have him home and he's a MUCH better behaved dog, we are MORE THAN HAPPY.

Nicole Powell was our primary dog trainer. We hit it off with her right away and knew Gus would be in great hands with her. We were right. Nicole kept us informed of his training via videos and text updates which made us very happy. We appreciated her time and attention of the dog-to-owner transfer also. Thank you Nicole for making Gus a better dog. We are GRATEFUL for you!

The SPD staff were also communicative and positive and never made us feel like we were too much of an overprotective or worried parent. We like their promptness on communication as well.

Gus now has minimal to zero reaction to bikes/eBikes, motorcycles and is less excited about our cats. We've only had him home three days so we are still apprehensive of Gus and the cats together BUT, the BIG difference is noticeable and they are getting closer and closer every day without altercations.

We feel our decision to pick SDT was definitely the right one. They are professional dog trainers and took great care of our Gus.

We highly recommend SDT!

So impressed. My 4 yo herding mix did 6 weeks of behavioral training and really came back a new dog. She has quite a bit of anxiety and prior to training she tugged on leash, was out of control in the car, used barking to control situations and people at home, physically resisted anything she didn't want to do, and basically had us all wrapped around her finger.
She has been home for a week now and heels and obeys on leash, sits quietly in her crate in the car, only barks when encouraged to, will stay in place until released, and comfortably stays at home (usually in her crate she has really seemed to love) when I need to get out of the house.
I was initially nervous about what would need to go into making such drastic changes to an adult dog, but when we came back for our week 1 training session she was so excited to see her trainer, Cassie, that it really confirmed what a great job these trainers do. I really cannot recommend them enough.well worth the money spent.