“Scott saved our family!! We have a pit-mix we rescued from the pound at eight months. His genetics and his lack of experience with other dogs as a pup made it very difficult for him to get along with other dogs. After a handful of really serious and scary fights, and two highly regarded Asheville trainers who came and went and were unable to help us, we found Scott. He is one of the only trainers in this area who will stick with you and your dog through aggression problems, and he does it with extreme, really truly and seriously extreme skill. We needed nothing less than a Cesar Millan, and we so gratefully found this compassionate, patient, calm, assertive and gifted trainer. He has stuck with us through everything, and our dear loving dog, Murphy, has changed so much. Murphy now gets to have a sister (Gracie) at home, can hike at Bent Creek with other dogs and just last night, was lying down completely relaxed in obedience class. And…both of our dogs wag their tails like crazy when they see Scott coming. We are so lucky to have you, Scott. Thank you so much from all of us.”-Sarah Thomas, Katie Hornowski, Murphy and Gracie, Candler, NC
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“The trouble came to a head after I broke my back last year. I was staying with my mom. Over time we noticed some issues going on with my dog, Cooper. He was on high alert, always barking or carrying on. He wasn’t getting enough exercise. He seemed to be out of control. He had a lot of trouble going past dogs in the neighborhood. He even bit a neighbor dog through the fence and came out with a bloody nose. We knew it was time to get some help.
Through a trainer at PetSmart, we were referred to Scott. He initially helped us with learning to walk him again, the signs to spot of upcoming aggression through his body language, and helped Cooper to walk on the treadmill. We dutifully practiced and initially things seemed to be getting better.
Then we decided one holiday weekend to take Cooper to the arboretum. There were a lot of people there. People walking, riding bikes, and jogging. It seemed too much for Cooper. He bit a lady. Cooper was sent to animal control for 10 days. We then sent him to Scott’s 2 week boot camp. I missed him terribly through this time but knew things had to change.
Scott worked a lot with him. By the time I saw him again, he was a different dog. Through consistency and hard work, he has remained. He is now a happy, energetic and loving dog. He now gets plenty of exercise and walks past the neighbor’s dogs calmly. He hardly ever barks. I will be forever grateful to Scott. I have recommended him to several friends. He and Baxter are a perfect fit. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to you! Good luck on your journey.”-Laura Kaplan and Cooper, Black Mountain, NC ______________________________________________________
“As a petsitter, I first met Scott when I was taking care of a group of dogs that had severe aggression issues. They had been feral dogs. I wasn’t aware of the severe aggression until their family had left the country. When I took the dogs out to the kennel, they packed up on me and cornered me. They were growling, showing all of their teeth and approaching me extremely aggressively. It was the only time in my life that I was absolutely scared for my life. After I made many attempts to re-enter the kennel, I contacted the owners and they contacted Scott. I was very skeptical that anyone could work with this group of dogs. Scott proved me wrong. He walked right into the kennel and took control of the pack. The dog who was the most aggressive even became playful and sweet, rolling on his back and wanting to be pet. I was a true believer in Scott and his methods.
I decided to hire Scott personally to help with my dog, Furio. Furio had been dog aggressive his entire life and he was 6 at the time. He had once had a fight with a dog that ended up with a visit to the emergency room and two surgeries on my finger. After that, I was so scared to socialize Furio that he became even more aggressive. Scott brought his dog Baxter over and taught me everything I needed to know to have confidence in being a positive and calm leader for Furio. It was amazing how much my relationship with Furio changed over just a few hours. My first visit to the dog park with Furio alone, I cried when I saw him socializing with other dogs. It was something I thought I would never experience. It gave me a whole new feeling of confidence in my life and an amazing new relationship with my dog. Furio’s life was so improved because I could actually take him places where other dogs were without worrying. I had no idea that the changes would be so simple, and it was all things that I was doing that had been affecting Furio in such a negative way.
I absolutely cannot recommend Scott enough. He truly can help any person to learn how to help their dog. Don’t hesitate, if you have any concerns with your dog, he will be able to help! It’s a choice that you will never regret. Don’t wait any longer to build a better relationship with your best friend!”-Blair Meeks, Dog’s Best Friend Pet Sitting, Asheville, NC
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“Clementine has had a complete turnaround in behavior. She used to lunge, bark, and growl at every dog that walked by. This training has helped transform her into a completely new dog. Not to mention she’s my new mountain biking buddy. Thank you so much!” –Joe Watson, Asheville, NC
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“Scott- Thank you so much for finding and training our canine family member, Toby! Initially, I was worried that he would be attracted to our son’s toddler toys (they do look an awful lot like dog toys!) and would live his life on edge always startled by the screams, shrieks, and squeals that come from an 18 month old. In actuality, Toby listens when we give him permission to play with his toys and takes correction well when he becomes a little too interested in our son’s talking bear or fire engine toy. It’s harder to keep our son away from Toby’s toys than vice versa! Toby loved his time with Baxter, and picked up on Baxter’s ability to go with the flow no matter the chaos going on around him which has come in handy in this house! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” –Rebecca Whaley, Johnson City, TN
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“Thank you, Scott, for such a wonderful training session today! Amazing how fast behavior can turn around with proper instruction….and the dogs did really good, too! 😉 We will definitely recommend you to others and return to you with any future issues!” –Theresa Toney Owens, Ellenboro, NC
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“Scott is North Carolina’s dog whisperer. My husband and I adopted Rocky, who we had for about a week when he started showing some signs of territorial aggression. Rocky had been abandoned from his owner due to his low hunting performance, and had been neglected and lacked any socialization with people. Not having any experience working with this type of behavior, I learned that I was only reinforcing his aggression by feeding him treats when he was barking. Unfortunately, Rocky had a couple of negative encounters, due to my encouragement, that left him biting a couple of people. Scott was the last hope for Rocky and my family. And it was worth every penny. The amount of relief and joy we all now experience together is tremendous. Rocky went to boot camp and my husband and I got trained up from Scott. Rocky has been back home for over a month now, and has remained consistent from Scott’s training. I love my family so much, and have Scott to thank for saving it!” –Lauren Larocca, Canton, NC
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“Shout out to Asheville Dog Rehabilitation! My dog Murray was trained by Scott last year. I get compliments from other hikers every time I hike with Murray; many of them acknowledge that he’s so well trained! I just smile as my dog sits calmly by my side while theirs acts crazy. Thank you Scott!” –Shirley Dehm Tharp, Grovetown, Georgia