Stovalls Obedience Training

I have worked with Russ before as my sister had her dogs trained by him. He was really great and turned those dogs around and got them on the right path. as long as we continued the training with the dogs they will continue to be great dogs. I know that someone on here as said that he did not follow up. I know for a fact that isn't true, he checked up on us a few times and ALWAYS encouraged us to contact him if there were any further issue or even just to ask questions. I can see why some people might not like as he absolutely does not sugar coat anything he just isn't that way. and he isn't afraid to tell you that its your fault the dog is acting up. its just like a child your not going to let your child tear apart your home you have to teach them. same thing with a dog. I have just contacted him again as I have gotten a new puppy he is about 8 weeks old. by the time he see Russ he will probably be about 10 to 11 weeks because he hasn't had all of his shots yet. Even talking to him on the phone trying to set it up and asking him questions he encouraged us to call him back if we had any questions later. any dog that he has trained he will board if you go out of town. while you are out of town they will get more training. I would recommend him to anyone. and I would use him every time to train any of my dogs. more

I read all the reviews posted all over the web about Rus and decided to give him a try regardless of the reviews because of the good word of mouth I had. So I am now here to say that he has complelty transformed my dog. I have a huge 90lb Chessie and if you know anything about chessies it's that they are stubborn and can be aggressive. Our dog was sent to Russ for two weeks and when we got him back he was a completely different dog. He was actually listening and paying attention. I was very impressed and so very happy. Imy dog is part of my family but he is also a dog that should respect the home. Some people have a problem with Russ himself because he is opinionated however he is here to train your dog not be your friend, having an opinion is a good thing and needed. Some didn't like him because he isn't like ceaser Milan. If you want ceaser then call ceaser! Russ does correct your dog and that is needed to teach them. He also trains you and if you do what he says you will have a great dog! If you want your dog trained Russ is you guy. If you want you pet child coddled.... Find someone else! more

I scheduled a two hour consultation that ended up lasting for 4 hours. Russel took the time to explain his techniques and why they work and why the training my dogs had in the past did not work. I know that most of dog training is the owner and training the owner as well as the dog and accept my responsibility for that. He wa firm in correction but always followed with lots of praise. The collars that were recommended by a previous trainer were actually more harmful as a sliding chain collar distributes pressure evenly around the neck-not just on the sig's trachea. more

I only had Russell come out for a consultation. He is blunt and is going to tell you like it is. I'm sure that his what rubs most people the wrong way. I personally invited it. I can admit my dogs both need work and I can also admit that I don't know what I'm doing and I need help. He came out was very professional, he brought his own dog to see what we should have in a trained dog. In a matter of minutes he had both of my dogs under control, whether they liked it or not. He was thurough about explaining things and did so in a very relatable way. I plan on definitly having my dogs trained by him. I trust him over other dog trainers in the area because after meeting him I know what I'm getting and I know what I'm paying for. Another reviewer mentioned that he wasn't there to follow up with them, I don't know their situation, but I do know mine. He came out for a consulation and I've emailed him questions and he has called me back within 24 hours to discuss and offer solutions. I don't expect I would get the same other places considering I've not even paid to have my dogs trained yet. I would recommend him to anyone. more

I did not like his techniques for training my dog. He had me pull his chock chain three times for one correction. I understand that might work for some people but thats not what works for me. Like the other person said he do not use Ceasar Millan techniques. He's a nice man but will not be teaching my dog again. His prices were about the same as every other dog trainer but still felt it was a little high. more

I believe that he is a good dog trainer but he is not the right dog trainer for my dog. If your looking for someone like the dog whisper cesar millan than Stovall obedience is not who your looking for. He does not agree with cesar millan techniques. Stovall is a heavy hand trainer. I believe that he can train dogs but he will not be training my dog. I also thought he's price was a little high. more

I am sure that his tequniques work on some dogs and masters, but this is the worst thing I could have done to my dog leaving him there for 2 weeks. Russ is good at what he does, but there was no follow through after I picked up my dog and took him home. It is like he got his money and could care less what happened to us. more

I contacted Stovall Obedience to help me work with my labrador, who knew basic commands, but needed a little more work. Russell Stovall came and spent a few hours with me initially and explained his philosophy. He is VERY serious about people taking responsibility for and doing what is necessary to have a well-behaved dog because the consequences otherwise can be very costly. Russ can be opinionated regarding a variety of things, but he is really a great guy and, most of all, knows EXACTLY how to get the best out of the dogs. I learned that if I did what Russ told me to do, the way he told me to do it, it worked like clock-work. It was only when I waffled on the rules (which I admit doing pretty frequently) that I had any problems. Also, after working with him, it became very clear that he truly loves these animals and only wants what is going to be best for them. He brings his own animals out to assist in training at times, and his own animals are well-adjusted and extremely well-trained. Russ and his wife Ellen spent a lot of time working with me and my dog. They are very precise in training and it follows a very planned schedule. For one price, Russ took as long as needed to be satisfied that our dog had succeeded at each step. I had him come to the house and teach me how to work with our dog, but he will also board and train the dogs at his place. Stovall Obedience is not cheap, but the money spent was well worth the investment. After completing the training, we have a dog that we can take pretty much anywhere and know that he will be welcomed and well-behaved! more