Every program begins with an application.
We accept a limited number of residencies each season. There is no menu here. Tell us about your dog, and after a conversation we match the program to the dog, never the dog to a program. Every program is tailored to you and your dog's individual needs and goals through one approach, dog psychology. No two stays at the ranch are identical, because no two dogs are.
The Pack Leader Residency.
The most complete program we offer. A home-style stay at the lodge of four to eight weeks, for dogs whose habits have outgrown their households. State of mind comes first, obedience second. You train weekly alongside your dog, hear from us daily, and go home with a go-home session, a two-week follow-up and support for the life of your dog.
The Puppy Residency.
A residency of two to four weeks for puppies twelve to twenty weeks old, taken early, while habits are still forming. Puppies learn beside balanced adult dogs: the leash, the crate, housebreaking, manners, calm around people. It borrows its structure from The Pack Leader Residency.
Private Sessions.
Ninety minutes, one on one, at the ranch. We read your dog and the relationship between you, then work hands-on. Choose a single session or a series of three, with two sixty-minute follow-ups. In-home follow-ups are case by case and not guaranteed.
“Any dog, any breed, any size, any age.”
In more than fifteen years of practice, we have yet to meet a dog that could not change for the better.
Virtual Sessions.
An hour, one on one, wherever in the world you are. The method travels well because so much of it belongs to the human at the other end of the leash. Sessions are booked directly with Steve, and what you practice is the same calm we teach on the great lawn.
The Canine Social Club.
A members-only day club for dogs in Ridgewood, with door-to-door pickup. Weekdays among balanced dogs, run by dog trainers, and every member approved individually. Graduates of our programs can apply directly. New dogs begin with an assessment day, subject to individual approval.
Ask yourself.
Six questions we put to every household ahead of the first consultation. Answer honestly. They tell us, and you, where the work should begin.
The walk
Do you dream of walking your dog calmly down the street on a loose leash, with no reactions? How would it feel to watch a dog who struggles with other dogs socialize happily among them?
The state of mind
Do you have an excessively excited, hyper, reactive, nervous, anxious or fearful dog, and feel unsure how to help them become happy and well behaved?
The household
Is your dog difficult to live with inside the home? Do you wish your dog would listen to you and follow your direction in every scenario under your roof?
The hours apart
How would it feel to have your dog relax at home while you are away, without the panic? Or is there a puppy in your life, or in your plans, and you are not quite sure where to start?
The verdict
Have you been told that this is simply how your dog is, or that your dog cannot be trained, by other trainers, by veterinarians, by professionals?
The plan
Would a clear understanding of your dog, and a step by step plan to overcome any unwanted behavior, completely change your life?
If you answered yes to any of these, you are in the right place. There are solutions to every one of them, and to the balanced dog and relationship you have always wanted. It is why training built on dog psychology keeps producing remarkable results, the way nature intended.
In their own words.
Rated 4.9 stars across 106 reviews on Google. Two owners who arrived the way many do, after every other door.
“We've gone through 6 trainers over the years and Steve was going to be our last resort. We signed up for 3 sessions, and within 5 mins of our first meeting, Steve was able to assess Odin and us as owners, and gave us clear and direct feedback… He made the biggest difference, and was the best investment we made in ourselves for Odin. Steve is like a dog psychologist, behavior expert, life coach, and therapist for humans all in one… and he's funny too!”
Mami WakimotoOdin · Google review
“I sincerely wish that I found Steve way sooner than when I did… I've already said that with all of our future dogs, we will be taking them to Steve for puppy enrichment. One of the best investment I've ever made.”
Ollie QueenGoogle review
Begin with your dog's name.
The application takes five minutes, and it starts the way everything here starts: with your dog. A reply within one business day.
An application opens a conversation. Nothing is booked until we have spoken.
Prefer to talk first? 201 528 3647. Whoever answers will know the ranch, the programs and the calendar.