Testimonials

We have been so incredibly happy with Dan / Cavalletto Canine services.

We met with Dan a week before our 8 week old Golden Retriever puppy arrived!

He helped us get an understanding and prepare for our puppy just from the first visit.

We realize now how important it was to prepare for the puppy in the ways he suggested to get us off to a manageable start.

The early on meeting also helped guide us so that we didn’t reinforce undesirable behaviors right from the start!

We subsequently met with Dan almost weekly and continue to work with him. Early on each visit would

take down the level of chaos we felt with having a new puppy! From recommendations on gear, food and early obedience training he made our experience positive and gave us much needed guidance. The result of working with Dan made for a happy and manageable puppy who adapted to every environment he was placed in.

Our now 8 month old puppy is constantly complimented on his demeanor and obedience when he is out and about. It was of great importance to us that we have a behaved dog with good habits around others. We are thrilled that from the onset he has been able to go with us to our daily activities and kids sporting events, where appropriate. This would not have been possible without the knowledge we gained working with Dan.

Dan’s approach to training promotes a strong bond with your dog and positive reinforcement.

His obedience method is wonderful and every suggestion on training skill was easy to practice and work on in between sessions.

With so many options for gear and dog advice it was fantastic to follow one experts guidance and approach.

We are so thankful we are using his services. Additionally his office is extremely well run and professional.

His Admin Manager, Brooke Lyons, is incredibly responsive and organized allowing us to schedule and get answers to the many questions we have.

We highly recommend using Cavalletto Canine services.

- Suzy B

When we came to Dan, we had just bought a new puppy. We had a need for it to be well trained as we had a young family. He not only trained our dog incredibly well, but gave us the tools and nuances of training so that we could carry on after he had finished the onsite part of his coursework with our dog. He has an incredible connection with dogs and, simply put, knows how they think. This enables him to gain their respect right away, as they sense his understanding and seem much more willing to obey him than their owners. We have recommended at least 10 other families to him and will continue to do so. He is extremely professional, patient, and honest. If you have anyone else train your dog, you are truly crazy.

- Andy Z., Weston, MA

We brought our new beagle puppy, Dustin, to Dan in 2008 for assistance with general command and fence training. Dan is wonderful with Dustin. Dustin responded to him immediately and, six years later – whenever Dan arrives – Dustin is beyond excited to see him. Despite his excitement, Dustin remembers Dan’s expectations for behavior and sits patiently, waiting for Dan’s instructions. Dan also worked with our children, ages 11 and 14, on how to manage Dustin and keep him safe.

What I liked most about working with Dan was his genuine affection for Dustin. In addition, Dan’s training assured me that Dustin was safe and under control walking either off-leash on a trail or on-leash in a busy town center.

The primary benefit of working with Dan is that he is available to you for the entire life of your pet. Our family calls him “The Dog Whisperer.”  As we all have chaotic lives, our schedule is unpredictable at times, but Dan and his staff are incredibly flexible and accommodating with their clients.
We also love Mike. While Mike is responsive and accommodating to changing plans, he shows Dustin great care and genuine affection.

We continue to recommend Dan to both new puppy owners and anyone having behavioral issues with their dog. Dan’s training allows a dog owner peace of mind about their pet’s safety and behavior, which is priceless.

- Lynn B., Wellesley, MA

We contacted Dan a few days after adopting a rescue puppy. It was clear that our family harmony would not survive if the dog were not well trained early. Dan showed us very quickly how well behaved a dog could become. We learned that it was all about training the humans – and the dog would follow. Dan directed his training in a very individual fashion to our family and our home.

Our children were young at the time, and he made sure to focus on ensuring that the dog did not develop a sense of dominance over them. Everyone was included in the training. He helped us decide the best places for feeding and sleeping. He trained her to the electric fence in a very humane fashion. She hasn’t gone near it in 11 years, even when the circuit is broken or her collar battery isn’t working. Dan’s no nonsense style was very effective in getting us to understand how a dog thinks and behaves in response to its environment and interactions. He asked what was important to us and focused on tailoring the training to our needs. However, he also made additional suggestions based on his vast experience.

It is so nice that our dog sits on the foyer stairs away from the door when the doorbell rings. All we have to do is say, “stairs.” Only when we release her will she go visit with the pizza deliveryman. We would have been happy just to have her not jump on them. Dan included his dogs in the training to serve as a distraction and help socialize our dog. (They also convinced us of what was possible, which was truly amazing.)

- Steve F., Weston, MA

I had heard from a friend that Dan had been very helpful with her dog, so I arranged for Dan to meet us at our house the afternoon we brought our puppy home. I didn’t want to make any mistakes in training our new dog! Dan was very patient with our puppy, Jasper, and our family. He explained the reasons behind everything he recommended and emphasized the importance of consistency. He also made a point of working with everyone in our family – with Jasper.

He taught us that WE needed to train Jasper – he would give us the tools – but there were no shortcuts to time spent with our dog. Everything he said made good sense, and he was very helpful in answering our many questions. Maybe what I liked most though was, as much as we all like and enjoy working with Dan, no one loves him more than our dog, Jasper! He is so happy to see Dan each time he visits. I think this is a real testament to Dan’s skill with animals. As a result of our work with Dan, Jasper has grown into a well behaved dog that everyone enjoys being around. When I take him out to parks or kids’ games, he gets so many compliments on his calm demeanor and excellent behavior!

- Patti K., Brookline, MA

Dan is a terrific trainer, and we have a terrific dog. Otter is a Portuguese water dog, and I think a wonderful breed and a good dog with a lovely personality and temperament. Having said that, Dan’s training and attention (and training us to train Otter) has made Otter the best dog ever. My husband never had pets growing up and was reticent about a pet/dog in the house. Otter is an obedient and loving family member. He doesn’t jump up on people; he doesn’t beg for food; he listens, responds, and behaves appropriately. Dan gets credit for the majority of that!

- Julie C., Weston, MA

I have always wanted a dog, but never pulled the trigger. When my mom passed away in 2011, I needed a new best friend. My good friend who had the same type of dog I was interested in said, “When you go to buy your dog, take Dan with you. You will never regret it.” I brought Dan to the breeder’s home, and she was right. Since I am a first time doggie mom, I was nervous. Dan presented me with reasonable expectations as long as I was consistent with the training. Our puppy was calm, confident, and obedient. This was all due to the training that Dan gave Lucy and me. I truly love that Dan is such a great communicator. He is clear and consistent with his message, which to me translates to – make this a lifestyle, not a quick fix. I have always liked animals, but having Lucy has changed my life. I thank Dan and his protégé. I think that it is very important to recognize Mike. He is the smiling, confident and constant face that we see every day. He is a true indication of how Dan Cavalletto runs his business.

- Andrea B., Weston, MA

Dan knows dogs. He knew how to get the best out of our dog with some correction and rewards, but also a lot of praise and positive energy. At the end of each training session Dan would highlight the behaviors we might begin seeing before our next training session and any training techniques we should use to begin modifying behaviors that are undesirable.

- Leanne P., Wellesley, MA

Casey, our Australian Shepherd, came to us when he was 12-weeks-old. He was a very high-energy puppy and we were absolute novices having never had dogs of our own before. In puppy kindergarten, the instructor wouldn’t let him off leash with the other dogs because he played too hard for some of the puppies, so we left our class and discovered Dan from a friend. We knew we had a terrific dog but, if we didn’t learn to manage him, we would all suffer.

After working with Dan, we have the most awesome dog! Casey is completely dependable. We know that he will listen to us, return to us upon command when he’s off leash, play appropriately with other dogs, and always be gentle with people. Although Casey is still very energetic, he knows he has to listen to us, and we know how to direct him. We truly think he’s the best dog ever, thanks to Dan! Also, while Casey adores his family and friends, Dan is still his favorite person.

- Sue N., Needham, MA

My two dogs have very different personalities and they both turned into absolutely fantastic companion dogs because Dan and I worked with each of them to bring out the best in their personalities. I had worked with two trainers prior to Dan and they were knowledgeable but did not really care about the end result beyond earning their hourly lesson fee. He explains the reasons behind his methods, explores the personality of your dog, and works with your individual dog to get results. He also pushes you to learn the skills needed to get the same results as the trainer. He is the only trainer I have ever met that cares as much about training the owner as the dog. If you work with Dan, you will end up with a dog that will be a pleasure for years to come.

- Lise R., Weston, MA

McDuff is my 2 ½-year-old male Airedale. I have had this breed all my life and, therefore, assumed there would be no problem with training him to be a reasonably well-behaved boy. He came to me at eight weeks of age. I pursued several methods of training including boot camp during his first year, but without success. Frustrated and discouraged, I was ready to give up – mainly for his benefit. I was feeling very inadequate at being a qualified dog owner even though I loved Duffy very much.

Fortunately for me, a friend suggested that I call Dan Cavalletto for a consultation. This friend has a dog walking service and told me that several of her clients had been delighted with Dan’s training. We had our consult and I knew immediately that there was a way to accomplish proper training with Duffy.

Several things became immediately apparent after beginning our work with Dan. First, I had to unlearn my bad habits that were causing a great deal of stress. Dan has a way of explaining, while demonstrating with you and your pet, behaviors required to achieve a great relationship. It became clear to me as soon as we began our work together, that I wanted to commit totally to this man’s phenomenal expertise. I had found a trainer of extraordinary intelligence and ability to assess exactly what was needed to accomplish one’s desired goals with their pet.

One of the great things about working with Dan has been the time, thought, and consideration he gives to every question and scenario during training. It is always apparent how caring a person he is. It is very obvious how much he wants the training to work for you and your pet in the best possible way.

Other benefits of working with Dan are many, but here are a few. It is terrific that training sessions take place in many different environments. This is based on the client’s choice as well as where Dan feels it is important to be at that juncture in the pet’s training.

I cannot elaborate enough on the abilities of this man to assess the relationship between owner and pet, and then create in the owner the desire to learn how to bring out the best in the pet. As a result of our work together, I have bonded with a wonderful happy dog. For some time, I would never have dreamed this to be possible. At each session, I learn a little more about what a great relationship I have with Duffy – due 110 percent to Dan.

- Marcia W., Brookline, MA