testimonials

The most amazing thing is to see the joy that a well-trained and well-balanced dog can bring a human. No matter the initial difficulties that may be present in a dog, finding the right communication method is always the answer. Learning how to communicate and balance the mutual relationship is the key to our successes. Then life with our dog feels like a walk in the park. It will be full of fun, happiness and joy.

Keith and BOdhi

"After 7 years & 3 trainers our Doberman-Ridgeback rescue was within days of being put down for fear based aggression. We were out of options. Eric took him, (and us) for a month plus ride with texts, videos, and coaching. I now have a new - different dog who is just a short step from perfect. I couldn't recommend Eric more highly as a dog trainer and dog owner coach. Eric is skilled, patient, and knows what he is doing. He saved my dogs life." - Keith T.

“I could not say better things about Eric at Follow the Leader K9. I brought my German Shepard Mix, Arlo, to work on his stranger danger, leash reactivity, socialization, and overall obedience. Eric was able to expose Arlo to so many different types of scenarios and work with him on all of his issues. His pack helped my dog build confidence, learn how to property socialize, and so much more. Eric helped implement various training tools specific to Arlo's need. I now have a dog who can be off-leash, knows basic commands, and enjoys structure and training.” - Mandy Y.

“Eric is a fantastic trainer. Confession: I have never felt the need to hire a dog trainer before and have always felt myself very capable with dogs I have raised in the past. I recently adopted a pure bred husky puppy and once my senior dog passed on she started displaying very tricky behavior, she basically wasn’t listening at all if she didn’t want to, and was extremely fearful of anyone outside our family inside our home. We were planning a trip for my son’s spring break and I was kind of panicking knowing my puppy was right at the age that if I left her for a couple weeks with someone unqualified to handle her it could really be a bad turning point and on the other hand, I thought maybe if I left her with a trainer she could make a turn for the better. I searched for trainers who do boarding in my area and Eric’s profile came up. I watched few of his YouTube videos and almost immediately felt he would be our pup’s best bet because it was clear Eric has a strong history of helping huskies with “behavioral problems” become well adjusted. All I can say is that after two weeks away Nali is a different dog. She is so much more relaxed. She is coming when called (this is huge) and understands what “no” is. She is sleeping happily in her crate. She let multiple strangers pet her at the park today with zero issue. Her leash manners are incredible. I honestly could go on and on. It almost feels unreal all he accomplished with her. She feels like a “normal” dog now with a very slight propensity toward being unsure rather than an unsure dog. He uploaded stories everyday so I could see her progress and it also struck me how caring and intuitive he was willing to be with her, to think outside the box and meet her where she was at. We’ll keep working with him as needed but all I have to say is I’m glad I followed my intuition with him as he has helped Nali tremendously and also me to understand where I wasn’t being as clear as I need to be with a dog that is more wild in nature.”- Erin B.

“I have two large Akitas and Follow the Leader K9 has really made a huge difference for my dogs in terms of social skills. It's amazing how quickly they were able to teach my dogs to stop leash-pulling, especially after years of struggling to find a solution with other methods/trainers. Their training atmosphere feels calm, relaxed and fun for owner and doggo alike. They use dog psychology, cognitive behavioral therapy and positive reinforcement to create a fun, relaxed training atmosphere that is incredibly effective. In addition the boarding resource is really awesome. It's like an adventure camp for dogs, and my Akitas have so much fun they don't even realize they are there to learn new skills.” - JT

Gregg and Lina

"I've been a dog lover and dog owner for many, many years. While I've loved my pets I always assumed their behaviors which drove me crazy were something that just came with the "dog owner" package. Since working with Eric, I've learned that with the proper training you can have a well behaved dog that brings you all of the joy of dog ownership without any of the anger and frustration. In the end, I am happier, and most importantly , Lena, my Shepherd/Rottweiler mix is happier. She understands the rules of the house, and by following them she has the satisfaction of always being a good dog.  I only wish I'd known about Eric's training program years ago. Highly recommended."

“Compassionate, humane, and 100% effective dog training! I have been a client with my akita-mix, MJ for years now and Eric was able to completely rehabilitate her dog aggression issues with his 2-week board and train program, and provided me with FREE follow-up refresher/update sessions for years since! Because of FTLK9 I'm able to take my best dog everywhere with me, and am constantly complimented on her excellent behavior! Best dog trainer ever, so caring, fully informed of updated research and humane methods and tools, and I'm forever grateful. Would highly recommend.” - Melissa W

“So grateful to Eric for all of his time donated towards the behavioral dogs he’s helped me rescue. I’m not sure how many we’re at at this point, but I know with his help, we’ve saved at least seven dogs from being euthanized by, either owners who were fed up, or shelters that had no other options for them. He really takes each dog’s individual needs into consideration and implements training based on the dog’s personality. He’s done this out of the goodness of his heart, knowing that I don’t have extra funding. He truly cares about the dogs. Would certainly recommend!” - Ryan C

“Eric is an amazing trainer and is super passionate about educating owners on how to grow a strong and respectful relationship with their dog. Our pup came from the shelter with some bad habits including leash reactivity, trouble with recall and poor social skills. After 6 sessions with Follow The Leader K9 and practicing on our own time our dog is confident, relaxed and happier than ever. She has even made strides to be able to be fully off leash with remote collar and loves to play respectfully with other dogs. I would recommend Eric to anyone with a dog whether it’s a new puppy or the most troubled rescue. He’s the best!” - Trevor M

Melissa, torah, and mj

" He has honestly been our dog trainer for our dogs' whole lives--6 years. We have two female Akita chow chow mutts that we take everywhere with us successfully thanks to Eric's training, advice and consultations.  He is especially helpful with selecting the appropriate training tools for us to succeed. Positively the most notable are electronic collars and prong collars. Thanks to Eric and these tools we are successful at managing both our girls in high distraction environments and get compliments on their behavior and our training all the time.

I cannot recommend Eric enough he is thorough in his research, honest with his feedback and assessments, and clear and to the point with his help and training exercises and tips.  Without Eric Stokell's dog training our dogs would likely be too aggressive and or out of control for us to take anywhere or let off leash. Because we were willing to really listen to him and make changes how we pet and reward our beloved animals, we enjoy off leash beaches and all kinds of amazing adventures in nature with our four legged family members. His dogs Henry and Taa are the best behaved dogs ever and have helped our dogs in showing them how to be calm and communicate. What an amazing pack to work with.Thank you Eric and follow the leader k9 training!” -Melissa, Kenny, MJ, and Tora