Meet Your Trainer

Since 2014, Ruben has completed several week-long shadow programs with Blake Rodriguez of Dream Come True K9, and Ted Efthymiadis of Mango Dogs, and recently completed a 3-month internship program with the Good Dog team in LA.

Keep reading to learn more about Ruben’s journey into dog training.

Ruben's journey to dog training began when he adopted Oso, a two-year-old Boston terrier, French bulldog mix from a shelter. Oso's description mentioned that he couldn't interact with small children, cats, or other dogs. However, Ruben already had another dog named Maayawa, and he was determined for them to meet and live harmoniously. He introduced them armed with all his learned techniques, and the meeting went surprisingly well. But, despite this meeting, Ruben soon discovered that Oso had many other undesirable behaviors, such as food aggression, leash reactivity, people aggression, and dog aggression. 

Over the next few months, he worked with Oso daily to improve his behavior, and it was working! So much so that his family and friends started to ask for advice. They also started seeing results, and the request for advice kept coming! Although Oso had dramatically improved, one thing did not: his leash reactivity.

Nothing was working, but Ruben didn't;t give up hope. That's when he discovered balanced trainers Blake Rodriquez and Sean O'Shea. After deep diving into their methods, Ruben attended a week-long training for dog trainers in Santa Cruz, California. Through their training, guidance, and mentorship, I found the right tools, techniques, and strategies to help any dog with any problem (Including Oso!)