American Canine Institute

Here’s what I love about John and the other ACI Trainers:
— John trained *me* on how to train my dog — he didn’t just train my dog. This is an extremely important difference. John, my primary trainer, believes in «letting your dog be the best that he can be», or I should say «teach an owner to understand how your dog can be the best he can be». After all, what are you going to do after the trainer leaves? Which brings me to my next point.
— Our first visit included an evaluation of my alpha German Shepherd dog. I paid John for 1 hour and he stayed for 2.5 hours. You could tell he loves what he does, and how excited he was about making a difference for me and my dog. I didn’t feel rushed and I certainly feel this isn’t just a business for him, it is a passion.
— The ACI Team loves dogs (especially John)! Here’s what I mean — their focus wasn’t just on making my dog listen & behave, their focus is on making my dog feel happy & secure. John brought up several times in training class and through different conversations that it is still okay to spoil your dog and it does not mean I should stop spoiling my dog. It’s about making it clear to my dog when he is doing something right vs. doing something wrong and potentially unsafe. Training is about clear communication.
— John understands large dogs and their needs. He is available to help if there are any issues of your dog getting overly assertive or simply just misbehaving because your dog wants your attention «now» outside of training classes. He is AMAZING with large dominate/​alpha dogs!
So if you are looking for help making a happier and safer home for your family and your dog — call John at ACI. Do it. I promise you won’t regret it, and your furry little or large pup will be the happier for it.

John is a great trainer and I am very fortunate to be introduced to him by the owner of Blue Moon Pet Wash at Fremont. I rescued a beagle girl, Mimi, from Taiwan 4 weeks ago and soon found out I have a big big problem a few days later. Mimi is a sweet, stubborn, not house broken adult dog; no trust in human and very skittish around dogs. John has been helping my family and Mimi from the first day we met. He understands Mimi like he speaks her language, he is also very resourceful when I encountered new issues. The most important thing John cares about Mimi, he goes all his way to help her settle in our home. Without John, the transition for Mimi will certainly take longer and I would not have enjoyed the experience the way I have now. Thank you, John and all trainers at ACI.

This is the best dog training we have ever done. John is the best. ACI is balanced, knowledgable and they care about your dog’s success. Bottom line if you need to train your dog take them here. They have our five month old boxer/​pit bull mix behaving better than most adult dogs. Don’t hesitate. Bring your dog here.

John is an excellent trainer. We sent our dog Sophie (14 mos) for 2 week on site training. She needed help with manners, listening to us, and walking on a leash without pulling. We received pictures and updates from John. He was very responsive to my emails and phone calls. She came back to us calmer, better listener, and is walking on leash without pulling. We continued our education by having John come to our house. I needed training as well! Sophie’s manners are much better, she listens much better, and is no longer pulling me on walks. We are going to continue with ACI for group training. I have learned a lot from John and would highly recommend him and ACI.

Gene and his colleague Bob have been a god send for us with our two German Shepherds. Their training and support have produced fantastic results with both of our dogs, who now get excited whenever they see their collars on a Sunday afternoon since they know they will soon be seeing Gene and Bob.
I can heartily recommend The American Canine Institute to any dog owner, not only for training but also for boarding at their kennel facilities near Davis. It may be a trek from the Bay area but our dogs come back relaxed and well cared for. It’s almost like a resort for dogs!
Gene and Bob get 10 out of 10!

Gene is a wonderful trainer. Gene helped us train our first Doberman and we are forever grateful. Our male Dobe is the best dog we have ever owned and it was Gene’s guidance and training that made it possible. We started training with ACI when our male was a puppy and from that time we became much more knowledgeable about dog ownership and even achieved CGCs on both of our Dobermans.
I HIGHLY recommend Gene of ACI.