Jorge DeCastro -- Best Dog Behaviorist/Trainer

Last year when we adopted a rescue dog (2-year old female Dachshund-Spaniel mix), we immediately recognized she had some major behavioral issues (e.g., aggression, anxiety, over-reactive, etc) most likely associated with some emotional trauma in her past. We tried to self-educate ourselves on techniques to combat these issues, but our attempts to "train" her ourselves were unsuccessful. It became apparent that we needed professional help if we wanted to give our dog the best chance to adapt to and thrive in her new living conditions.

Our neighbors have two dogs and we came to learn that they were using someone to help train them -- a professional dog behaviorist and trainer, Jorge DeCastro. We approached Jorge and explained the situation with our dog. After a brief introduction about his services, Jorge spent about 30 minutes with our dog walking her around our neighborhood to get an initial idea of her behavior. He then scheduled a complimentary, no-obligation 1-hour evaluation session as a basis for recommending a program for our dog. Given our dog's specific needs, Jorge recommended a 2-part program: Part 1 was six 1-hour private sessions for behavior adjustment training; Part 2 was six 1-hour private sessions for basic obedience training. Included in this program was a weekly 1-hour group socialization session at an area park. During the private sessions, Jorge worked with us in our home and in the local neighborhood on socialization and behavior modification training. He was always available for advice when we needed it, and he customized his approach based on the specific needs of our dog and our family.

Jorge is extremely knowledgeable, dedicated and passionate about his work with dogs, and he is particularly skillful on assessing each dog's unique personality and behavioral issues. He is a gifted and engaging teacher, trainer and canine behavioralist. His philosophy is about teamwork, communication and reliability between owner and dog, not just on how to "control" the dog.

Beyond his exceptional knowledge and expertise, and his instinctual gift with animals, there was also his incredible enthusiasm. In the group socialization and reliability training sessions, he was thoroughly acquainted with each dog and its owner(s), following their progress with sincere interest and insight. Jorge was always able to spot a problem and address it in such a way that it became instructive for the entire class. Everyone in the group class felt that Jorge genuinely cared for each dog as an individual - that his concern went well beyond that of a mere teacher/trainer. Jorge is truly an expert -- fully knowledgeable about all breeds, training techniques, problem solving, and he is genuinely gifted in his interactions with both people and animals.

Oct. 12, 2019