Testimonials

Dave is a great trainer and a patient, gifted teacher who really knows what he's doing.  He relates well to both his human and his canine clients. We learned a lot from him, our dog loves him, and we recommend him highly!

Another trainer had told us that our dog Webster was, at 4-1/2 years of age, "the dog we were going to have," nothing could really be done to modify his aggressive, dominant behavior. After only two sessions with Dave, Webster was calmer...and we knew much more about how best to handle him. Now, after six session, we are pleased with the results we see in (smart and trainable!) Webster and we're encouraged and confident in our own new skills as owners.

If you're having any problems or questions with your dog, Dave is the person you should call!

Massapequa, NY

Excellent, Patient, Professional and Very Experienced Dog Trainer.
I would give 24 stars if it was an option.  Dave has helped me more times than I can count and is the reason that my dog is an absolute angel.  I am a better owner because of all he's taught me.  Dave takes the time to really explain why your dog is behaving a certain way, making sure you as the owner understands it completely, and fixes it.  
I would VERY highly recommend Dave to any dog owner that is having even the smallest issue.

Little Ferry, NJ

Our one year old cockapoo Winston developed some bad behaviors which were getting increasingly worse.  He would rip peoples socks off their feet,  jump on the dining room table during dinner  and was all around becoming increasingly disobedient.  Within a few lessons with David, he was a different dog.  He now finally responds to us when we give commands without any treats and he is much better behaved around company.  David has a profound knowledge and understanding of dog behavior and really took the time to explain to us the reason behind all Winston's bad habits.  We really enjoyed working with him and now we can enjoy our dog even more.

St. James, NY

David is a great trainer and canine behaviorist. He did great things with me and my German Shepherd dogs. I highly recommend him for any behavior or training needs.

Centerreach, NY

David Herbert is a wonderful dog trainer. He was very good with my Akita puppy and trained her to be a very well-behaved dog. She was shy to start but he was patient with her and worked hard to help her. She learned all the basic training skills that I needed and pretty quickly too. I also got a lot of great advice when I asked questions or wanted information regarding my dog. I would definitely recommend David to train any dog. He truly understands dogs and is pretty much a dog whisperer.

Huntington Station, NY

I called Dave on an issue for my 3 pit bulls in which 2 of them were not getting along.  That was 3 months ago and they could not be together at the same time.  I had baby gates everywhere, to the point where if Dave didn't do what he has done with them, one of them would have had to find a new home.  Since their dramatic progress they now get along beautifully and they are always together, especially the puppy Diesel, and Jasper, which were the 2 that definitely could not be together, are forever laying down next to each other or playing together.  He has also trained them for obedience training.  Even the 7 year old - who I was told was too old to train and had never had any previous commands - now obeys me beautifully.  Words cannot express what his ability with dogs and training has done for my 3 babies, they are sooo much better now, it's like a brand new pack of dogs.

Shirley, NY

My father had said to me that my dog Marc had to be given away.  He was fed up with his behaviors and he just had to go.  The same day I'm driving to work and saw a flyer for Canine Karma.  I desperately sent an email!  David responded within a day and we set up a consultation.  At the consultation Mark would not even let David get near him.  He would growl, hide, and show his teeth.  Within a few lessons, Marc went from trying to bite David to becoming his star student (I have 3 dogs).  Marc let David pet him, touch his mouth, and they would play together.  I was so amazed that he was able to get Marc from such a bad behavior to being so well behaved and obedient in such a short time.  I really recommend Canine Karma.  I had such a great experience and can still feel comfortable to call him for help with my dogs!!

East Northport, NY

Our 4 year old Beagle/Jack Russell mix, Penny, was giving us a lot of trouble lately. We just had a baby and it caused for a lot of stress when new people would come over to visit. Penny would get so excited (jumping on them and barking...among other things). We had tried many training techniques before and even another professional trainer, but nothing really worked. I decided to give David a call and he got back to me that same day. We set up a consultation and from the moment he walked into our house it was like the dog whisperer had arrived :) After a few sessions, Penny is a different dog thanks to his tips on how to correct her behavior and sensible training techniques. David is very professional and his rates are fair for the amount of time and extensive information he provides. He did recommend a different collar for Penny and really took time to explain how it worked and why it was better than others out there. That alone made a huge difference with our dog!  He even spent time finding out what food we were feeding Penny so we could fix another problem. You can tell he loves dogs and is passionate about what he does. We were very pleased with David and the results he brought with Penny. I highly recommend him.

East Northport, NY

We contacted David to help train our 4 month old Goldendoodle puppies.  He was fantastic with the dogs, very caring and seemed to genuinely love what he was doing.  The dogs are very well behaved and listen to our commands.  David showed us the proper way to train them and gave us pointers which really worked.  I have recommended David to others and it was definitely  a worth while investment.

Nesconset, NY

I normally do not take part in testimonials, however after all David has done for our family and our dog, it is the least I can do. I've grown up with dogs my entire life, and have attended my fair share of classes, and met several different trainers throughout the years, so to say I am a tough critic would be quite an understatement, when I say David is the exception to the rule in several aspects, I truly mean that.

When we adopted our two year old Pit bull, Kaiya in September 2014 I quickly realized that while she is by far one of the friendliest and most loving dogs I have ever met, she lacked an understanding of basic commands and manners, and was displaying some very normal (but not acceptable) puppy behaviors. Unfortunately for my family who had never owned a Pit bull before, Kaiya's lack of training could have potentially been a deal breaker, and ended in us having to re-home her. I knew she would be an exceptional dog if just given the chance, so I was desperate to find a trainer to address our concerns. I spoke with about ten different trainers on Long Island, but for one reason or another none of them seemed to be the right fit for us, I was about to give up when I came across Canine Karma Training on Instagram, and immediately knew I had to contact David. I sent him an e-mail and within an hour he replied to me, he was professional but extremely kind in his e-mail, he reassured me that the concerns we were having, were the type of issues that he was very experienced in dealing with, for the first time since being told Kaiya may have to be re-homed, I felt a huge sense of relief, which for me was priceless. When David arrived for the consultation, he had a very positive energy about him, he was professional, and immediately began bonding with Kaiya. David did the evaluation, assessed Kaiya, educated us on a type of collar that he has found to be beneficial and safe, established goals with us, and created an objective for our work with him, I truly felt confident and reassured after David left. We have been working with David now for three months and Kaiya's progress is phenomenal. Kaiya now has an understanding of basic commands, she has learned manners both on and off her leash, she is no longer displaying puppy behaviors and she thoroughly enjoys each and every time David comes over to work with her, as much as we do. David has formed a bond with Kaiya that is remarkable, and humbling to see, and he is always friendly towards us as well. I think one of the most important pieces to the puzzle when it comes to training, is educating the owners. If the owners aren't well educated then the dog is not going to be successful with his or her training. David has worked tirelessly with our family, constructively but supportively educating us on everything and anything possible so that we can provide Kaiya with the structure she needs. I can honestly say that without David's training, guidance, assistance, and support, I am not sure Kaiya would still be part of our family.

I have never met a trainer that is more compassionate, competent, and in tune with the dogs he works with, as well as their owners, than David, furthermore David is extremely professional, kind, outgoing, engaging, and patient beyond words, it is always a pleasure working with him. David has a remarkable amount of knowledge when it not only comes to training, and behavior, but several other topics such as nutrition, and health, as well. He is constantly willing to share his experiences, education, and thoughts with us all the time, in an effort to provide us with a better understanding of Kaiya and what she needs to be happy and healthy. David uses only the most positive techniques when training Kaiya, and constantly provides her with encouragement, and praise along the way. There are some trainers that train because it is their profession, but not because it is a true passion of theirs, David is not one of those trainers. Whether he is walking Kaiya, working on basic commands with her, or simply just giving her love, you can see the amount of passion and love that David has for what he does, and the special students he works with. There are very few people I trust when it comes to Kaiya, and I am proud to say David is most certainly one of them. We look forward to continue our work with David, and words cannot describe how grateful we are for coming into our lives. David goes above and beyond what his technical job description is, and I truly believe his unique approach to training is what sets him apart from others in his field. I encourage anyone who is looking for a trainer, to reach out to him, I can confidently promise you, you will not be disappointed.

Hicksville, NY

Outstanding! Extremely helpful and excellent training for both us and the puppy!  I was at my wits end with my 6 month old Border Collie who had basically "taken over" my house!  Maggie was barking incessantly, not listening to commands, and running wildly all over the house.  Within the first two sessions with Dave, Maggie was a different dog.  She learned commands easily and quickly.  Dave has really changed our lives.  Maggie is happier, listens, and follows commands.  Teaching us how to walk her properly was not only good for her, but also for us!  I highly recommend Canine Karma, and Dave - he is very knowledgeable, patient and an amazing trainer!  Thank you Dave!!!  For everything!!

Hicksville, NY

After owning two female Brittanys, we rescued a year-old male which we appropriately named Boomer. He basically lived outdoors most of his young life, had no house manners and wouldn't obey commands other than "sit". He treated our home like his personal playground, and was basically out of control. We were at wits end and decided to call in a pro. After one session with Dave in which he also retrained us, Boomer was a different dog. In following sessions, we worked on the "come" command and walking all three dogs together.  All I can say is "life changing". All of my dogs walk so well on a leash now that I have no problem taking them by myself!  We had a frightening experience when Boomer bolted out of the front door. I immediately yelled out to him "Boomer come!" he stopped on a dime and ran back to me!  Being we live on a fairly busy street, it's very possible that something terrible could've happened.  Thank you Dave!

E. Northport, NY

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this recommendation letter to share with you the positive training experiences I have had and continue to have with David Herbert.  David has been training my two dogs (one being a large mix breed 11 months old – Dixie and the other a 12 week old border collie/lab mix –Bella.)   He is a dedicated professional and is truly dog’s best friend.  You can just see the love and passion he has working with them. He immediately formed a positive, trusting relationship with both our pups.  At first, David came to our house for an extensive interview.  He was able to recognize the concerns we had by talking with us at length and spending time with the dogs. 
He motivated us to work with the dogs and follow the training plan, and we always look forward to each session.  We saw great improvement almost immediately.   Dixie now sits, lays-down, stays, comes, and drops whatever is in her mouth at every command.  Bella is on her way with sit and down. He shares his enormous knowledge and understanding of dogs, making it easier for us to understand the process and work toward the ultimate goal.  David not only taught us what we needed to do to train our pups but he also explained the logic behind the actions with patience and many hands on demonstrations.
David continually emphasizes on a consistent, positive, confident approach and continual training sessions by us 2-3 times a day for 5-10 minutes.  I am exceptionally satisfied with the results. My dogs have responded amazingly and I am certain that David’s ability in teaching both us and the pups are the main reason.
I have recommended David to my friends and my family. He has always been available every time we needed him. I could go on and on but basically if your goal is a well-trained dog/pup and you are committed to the process, I would whole heartily recommend working with David.

Regarding Dixie's fear...

We adopted Dixie at 7 months old from a rescue group who obtained her from down South.  Not knowing her history, we noticed she exhibited very anxious behavior while entering any vehicle.  At 7 months and 40 plus pounds we were able to pick her up and put her in the truck….this changed rapidly as she grew in size and stature.  At this time we realized it was absolutely necessary to find a trainer to work with her for this issue and other behaviors that needed to be addressed. 
Trying to get a dog into a truck may not seem like a monumental task, however, not only did Dixie bow down in fear at the sound of a car, she would vehemently pull to try and get away from us while attempting to get her into the truck…..living on Long Island surrounded by beaches it is one of our passions to go 4-wheel driving and having our pups with us. 
We tried different avenues such as a dog ramp to coax her into the truck….nothing worked….David worked with Dixie for approximately 20 minutes while showing us techniques to get her in and out of the truck. After this short time, she mastered the skill and her fear of vehicles disappeared.  All we have to say now is “Dixie in” while pointing to the truck….and she goes effortlessly.
Because of David’s calm and loving demeanor, along with his teaching style we are now able to take Dixie everywhere.  Thanks David for all your hard work!! Our lives are so much better because of everything you do."
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Sincerely,
Donna Kirk
Ridge, NY

Ridge, NY