Tuff Pup Training

We worked with Tuff Pup Training for our Weimaraner puppy using their 6-​session puppy program. Matt was very professional, responding to our emails and phone calls promptly and getting us started right away. We worked with Casey, who was very knowledgable, accommodating, and great with our pup. The positive behavior techniques have worked wonderfully, and the weekly «homework» helped us to reinforce what was learned after each session. We had a great experience and highly recommend Tuff Pup!

I adopted a four year old pit-​bull mix from the SPCA three months ago. She was terrified and her fears sometimes manifested themselves as aggression. Matt is so experienced and knowledgeable. He worked with us slowly and gradually, respecting my nervousness as well as my dog’s needs. He based each session on a conversation about the prior week’s stories. I feel like I am the graduate of the training!

We adopted our sweet Molly dog (German Shepherd mix) about 6 months ago. Since then we have been diving into the world of having a dog who is reactive and thank goodness for Tuff Pup. We worked with Matt for our 6 session behavior consult and worked with Casey on the walks they have for reactive dogs. Both Matt and Casey are so knowledgeable and professional. They are both also incredibly nice human beings. We looked forward each week to our sessions and what we would learn. Not only did Molly learn how to keep her cool, but she also learned a few tricks too! Now, people stop me on the street to comment on her good behavior instead of crossing the road when they see us coming. (This is 100% true, I am such a proud dog Mom). We also learned a lot about management and ways to prevent behaviors before they happen. Our relationship with Molly has really improved and we are all less stressed. I would recommend Tuff Pup to anyone looking for some support with their dog. We are so thankful!

Matt at Tuff Pup was great! We needed help with our 8 year old beagle’s separation anxiety. Matt was very professional and did a great job of training us on what we need to be doing for her. He gave us daily goals to work on to build her up to the point of being able to leave her without the panic attacks. We are so glad we hired Matt at Tuff Pup. There’s a reason why there are so many 5 star reviews on here!

My 8 month-​old Tennessee Brindle coon hound (what can I say? a rescue!) had failed out of classes at a highly recommended Canine Training Center. He was not food-​motivated, and was much more interested in paying attention to other dogs than paying attention to me.
I am so glad I found Matt. He was simply fantastic, he made «games» out of all of the training, and that made Rupert so much more attentive and eager to please. On top of this, reading Matt’s literature, which he provided during the first class, actually changed my relationship with Rupert, from a «Rupert please do this NOW» to a «Wow let’s go have fun!».
Do not hesitate: sign Matt on to help you train your dog. It will help both you and your dog have better lives.

I chose Matt because it seemed he had more experience dealing with dogs that have aggressive tendencies. I was not disappointed! Not only did Matt curb my dog’s behavioral issues that I originally used his services for, but he’s been constantly and easily available for follow up calls and any additional support I may need. I would highly recommend his effective and personal approach.

My wife and I decided to rescue, LIbby, our 4 month old pitbull mix from PAWS. We really felt in over our heads as novice dog owners in the first few weeks. From housebreaking, to painful and bloody puppy biting, to poor doggy play manners — google, youtube and cesar milan on netflix just didn’t provide a satisfactory solution. We needed help and decided to enlist ourselves in Matt’s 6 session weekly puppy program.
Tuff Pup utilizes positive reinforcement clicker training to shape your puppy’s behaviors. With a train-​the-​trainer type of program, Matt comes to your home and teaches you proper clicker training technique. It just feels great to use positive reinforcement and not fear or dominance to raise our pup.
Matt started slowly with important basics like the «name game» and then builds off of that every week. His calm demeanor and training style sets a wonderful example of how to act as an owner, especially when your puppy is being stubborn and unruly. Now a graduate of the program, we continue to get compliments at the dog park about our puppy’s behavior. Additionally, Matt helped us implement activities that really enrich our dog’s life and keep her very well rounded and balanced. I also appreciate that Matt has made himself available during and even after the program to troubleshoot any setbacks or regressions.
Tuff Pup Training gave us all the tools we needed to develop and maintain a positive relationship with our new puppy!

I can’t say enough about how wonderful Tuff Pup Training is. My first few sessions with Matt were scheduled after my dog developed a bit of leash aggression towards other dogs last spring. More recently, I adopted an 8 week old puppy and enrolled her in the perfect puppy program. Matt responds to emails/​phone calls promptly, is extremely courteous, professional, and knows what he is doing. The idea of training a new puppy can be a little overwhelming, but Matt’s approach makes training much less daunting and was so much fun for me and for my dogs. Matt’s positive reinforcement approach is effective and so much fun for me and my dogs. By the end of the program I felt like I understood my little pup so much better and was so proud of everything she had learned. The sessions are pricey, but this program has helped to lay the foundation for a truly priceless lifelong bond with my puppy. I would absolutely recommend Tuff Pup Training without reservations.

It wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate to say that I often make impulse purchases. However, when deciding to hire someone to help train our 1 year old Dachshund mix we had just adopted, I was a bit apprehensive. Obviously, finding someone who is competent in training techniques is important but there are other considerations as well. Welcoming a stranger into your home where your family (including your beloved k9) live is a big decision. Having said all of that, I couldn’t have been happier or more satisfied with Matt. He’s the consummate professional, and his love of dogs is readily apparent from the first time you talk to him. There are very few bad dogs — but there are definitely some bad owners. Matt helps clear up misconceptions and dispenses advice without ever seeming condescending; we trusted him with to help us with our dog from the first day he stepped foot in our apartment. During our first hour long session Matt listened attentively to any questions and took care to note any areas we especially felt needed work. At the completion of each session we were provided with a handout that had everything we covered in easy to understand steps. Stubbs, our dog, would cry after each session and was excited to see Matt each following week. At the beginning of our training program Stubbs would refuse to sit still, regularly destroyed any of our belongings he could get his teeth on and was nearly impossible to take for walks. After 6 weeks, our relationship with Stubbs became much better, he was much calmer and spent far less time in his crate. 60 minutes with Matt flies by — he was always punctual but never rushes at the end of a training session. Any shortcomings experienced during our Basic Obedience Program with Stubbs was the result of US not working hard enough between training sessions to make sure Stubbs learned the behaviors we expected of him. Like anything in life — you get out what you put in, training your dog requires commitment, something Matt makes no bones about (Get it?!?) I’d recommend Matt to anyone looking for help with their puppy or adult dog.

Tuff Pup Training is fantastic. Our 2 yr old lab, Nigel, was generally a pretty good dog, but he had some terrible habits (pulling while walking, for example) that we could not correct, no matter how much we tried. Matt did a great job teaching us how to work on these behaviors and taught us methods that we could use in the future.
Nigel no longer pulls my shoulder out of its socket on walks, and in fact, his behavior has gotten some compliments from strangers on the streets! I would recommend Tuff Pup Training to anybody.

Excellent experience. Matt was professional, thorough, and patient with our dog and us, as owners. Each of the sessions was well-​planned, custom tailored, and productive. Beyond making progress with our sometimes stubborn little bulldog, Matt spent a good deal of time ensuring that we, as owners, knew how to replicate and positively reinforce the training games.
Every session started with a summary of the prior session, a chance to request particular training for the session, and an overview of what we would accomplish. Each session ended with a recap and a printed outline of each exercise, along with training tips.
All-​in-​all a great experience, which was worth every penny. Matt was a pleasure to work with and we will likely go back to him for more advanced training. Thanks Matt!

Matt is the best! Our puppy loved him, but more than that he worked with us on how to work with her. He greatly helped our relationship with our puppy and gave us the basic information to be able to continue working with our little girl after our training sessions. We have recommended Matt to everyone we meet who has a puppy. We are so so glad that we started off with him rather than trying to do our training on our own and possibly creating bad habits with our puppy. I highly recommend using Matt!

Matt did a fantastic job with our two pups. He was patient and kind throughout our sessions, training our pups and educating us. Chip & Opie responded to him and his methods of making training into a form of play. I thoroughly recommend Matt and Tuff Pup training.

Matt and Tuff Pup Training was extremely helpful for both myself and my adult dog (1 to 2 — year old Lhasa-​poodle mix) Wade, who was rescued from a shelter in NJ. The reason I asked for the 1-​on-​1 training that I got with Matt was because of my dog’s severe separation anxiety. Whenever I left, Wade would scratch and tear at the door and door jams. I was worried he would hurt himself, not to mention the damage to my home. But with Matt’s training, I was able to deter that behavior and to understand Wade’s other quirks. The «clicking» and positive reinforcement method used by Matt is incredibly effective and by following the «homework» Matt gives after every session, Wade has become a great addition to my family. Matt is able to tailor the training to the less than favorable behaviors most exhibited by your dog — and it definitely works. I highly recommend (and I hardly, if ever, give 5 stars on Unilocal)!
PS this review is long overdue but most deserved.

I have nothing but great things to say about Matt, his training techniques, and his impact on both our dog and our lives. In our house we’ve nicknamed him «The Puppy Whisperer» because he can make our dog do things (from basic to elaborate) that we could not achieve on our own
With a new puppy on the way and no knowledge about how to actually care for a puppy, we read the reviews for Matt and decided to give his initial Puppy training 6 week course a try. I was a bit wary and cautious, but signed up after talking it through with Matt.
First and foremost Matt is incredibly professional. Always on time to our house, if he is running late he will let you know in advance. He comes equipped with leashes, treats, and other items you may need at first if you are, like us clueless and don’t know what you are doing. He always has a leave behind summary of the day’s session so that you don’t have to take notes but can really listen during your sessions. He mixes up outside and inside activity.
Most important, he was incredibly bonded with our dog. He was able to teach our dog to sit, stay, lay down, walk on a loose leash, look at me, drop something, and leave something behind all in 6 hours of class. That’s amazing. He is also available by email or phone for follow-​up questions and issues.
I have been telling any dog owner that is having problems and will listen to call Matt. He’s great.
J

Lucy was a great dog to start with and Matt helped make me a great dog owner! Matt is super patient and makes dog training a lifestyle rather than a one and done. Lucy and I both are calmer and more trusting of each other. I echo all the other reviews when they comment on how professional Matt is. Never late and so easy to work with!

My fiancée and I rescued a dog from the SPCA a few years ago. His neglectful owners prior to being adopted left him outside to fend for himself. He was never socialized with any animals at all. We knew we needed a trainer when we brought Charlie home and he attacked a stone statue of a pig in our backyard. Thank goodness it wasn’t a real animal! We contacted Matt at Tuff Pup. In two sessions, our dog made huge progress. Matt spoke with me on the phone for a long time before our first session. He told me his aggression was very common with certain rescues. We’ve had Charlie close to 4 years now and he is the sweetest dog. A few training sessions also trained us as pet parents. We now understand how Charlie is feeling and what we need to do to help our dog. I highly recommend Tuff Pup. I’ve recommended Matt to a bunch of my clients and they’ve all used him too. Tuff Pup is a winner!

Matt is a real-​life dog whisperer, I have recommended him to every single person I meet — even strangers at the dog park. He is a terrific dog trainer, he not only trains your dog but he also teaches you how to communicate with your dog.
My husband and I wanted training for our new puppy. With my work hours, I wasn’t able to make it to any group classes I found offered on the internet, so we decided to hire an at-​home trainer. I researched and asked around, and Tuff Pup Training was so highly recommended that I reached out to Matt to get information on his classes and costing. I was incredibly happy with his communication, he’s incredibly professional, polite, and punctual. Hiring Matt was the best decision we made!
It was like getting private tutor lessons for our puppy. Matt came to our house, taught me how to read my puppy’s needs, and taught my puppy how to behave. She learned all of the basic commands, and is much happier for it. Matt has a special gift, truly, my puppy absolutely loved him and listened to every single word, motion, command he made!
You should hire Matt, you will be so glad you did!

After deciding to adopt a very energetic and loving 9 month old Terrier mix, my girlfriend and I started to realize that aside from basic commands or teaching it not to pee in the house that there was A LOT more we needed help with!!! We needed someone to help us address Tina’s issues so that we could do more than just coexist with her.
Specifically, our new pup — Tina — had issues when we had guests come over to the house and how she greeted them (jumping, barking, over excitement) as well as learning to walk on a leash while being around other dogs (barrier frustration). We called Matt and after explaining to him what we were looking for, we decided to go with a series of «Behavior Consultations» with the understanding that if we were not satisfied that we would just pay for the first one.
Within mere moments of entering our house and observing Tina’s behavior, Matt was able to explain to us what her key issues were and demonstrated techniques to address them. As we worked with Matt he was always assertive, upbeat and positive while instilling in both my girlfriend and I the confidence we needed to effectively put into practice what he was teaching us. Even better was that after each session Matt made himself available via phone or email and was more than happy to answer our many questions, provide further details as well as recommendations on toys, products, follow up reading and other resources available.
As someone who was skeptical about the decision to spend the money on a dog trainer, I have complete confidence in saying that anyone who chooses to use Tuff Pup Training will be glad they spent the money!!!
QUICK TIP: I want to make sure people know that Tuff Pup Training is NOT LIKE Cesar Millan or any type of «pack theory» or dominance training, which sometimes calls for owners to use force or fear. Instead Tuff Pup training focuses on «behaviorism.» You will learn about why your dog acts a certain way and what you can do to create an alternate, desired and positive result, in a manner that is safe and never aggressive!

Well, this one’s a little overdue.. .
We had a fantastic experience with Matt Schimsky, the owner of Tuffpup Training. Matt is a natural for this line of work and gets results to boot.
My wife got me a two year old German Shepherd for our engagement from a rescue agency in Maryland. Douglass was quite a piece of work when we got him, and frankly we were a little concerned about how to handle him and establish a trusting relationship. We already had an older shepherd in our home who is a very sweet and very obedient dog, so we figured she’d help us turn Douglass around. Turns out we needed more, so we called Tuffpup.
Matt was easy make arrangements with and clearly described the services and prices he offered. We chose a six-​session package for $ 300. Until then, I had never considered hiring someone to train an animal. It was well worth it.
Matt earned his fee, and our respect, within ten minutes of having arrived at our house. Douglass is quite animated and used to become ABSOLUTELY INSANE when visitors came to our home. Before even coming into our living room Matt said «watch this» and turned his back to Douglass and folded his arms calmly without saying a word. As if controlled by marionette strings, Douglass sat down on the floor dead silent, awaiting instruction. Astounding.
From there he taught us how to train our dog over the next few weeks. We still use the methods he taught us to refine existing behaviors and teach new ones. Our thirteen year old dog has even started to respond, not that she needed it.
Scheduling was easy and flexible. Matt is quite personable and has a natural rapport with animals. He clearly explained the techniques he used and why they’re effective. He left us homework sheets to be used for future reference. The curriculum was flexible and tailored to our specific case. The price was worth it.
I highly recommend his services to anyone wishing to train a difficult animal or just to establish a better relationship with any animal.
Douglass remains a gentleman and a great addition to our household.
Thanks Matt!
Jason McElroy