Every quote below is copied word for word from a public Google review, with the reviewer’s first name, last initial and the date. Nothing is paraphrased.
| Dog | Breed / age | Starting problem | Program | Where it ended | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mango and Baker | Two dogs, ages 4 and 3 | Mango reactive and aggressive toward unfamiliar people; Baker skittish, did not hold basic commands | 2 Week Board & Train | Both dogs listening to commands in public with people and kids nearby; owner's first calm public outing | 2023-11 |
| Boris | American Staffordshire Terrier, 3, shelter adoptee | Aggressive toward tall men at the door, would try to bite; had to be locked in another room | 2 Week Board & Train | Goes to Place when the doorbell rings; friendlier with new people; owner says he could walk him off leash in crowds | 2022-09 |
| Bear | Australian Shepherd | Leash pulling, reactive to everything, dog aggression and resource guarding | 8-week aggressive dog program (4 basic + 4 behavior sessions) | Walks off leash beside the owner with distractions; calmer around other dogs; obeys commands around dogs | 2022-08 |
| Bentley | Shiba Inu, 11 months | Behavioral concerns the owners wanted addressed before adulthood | 2 Week Board & Train | Daily text and video updates; came home "a new dog" | 2022-09 |
| Teddy | 85 lb mix, 3 years | Bolting through doors, knocking kids over, severe leash pulling after squirrels, selective recall | Private lessons (4 sessions) | Walks calmly in the neighborhood, parks, shopping plazas and Home Depot; stays on Place when guests arrive | 2022-10 |
| Dolly | Basset Hound | Stubborn and defiant; independent breed | Private lessons | Attentive and responsive; owners equipped to reinforce at home | 2025-01 |
| Barry | Owners wanted reliable behavior in public | 2 Week Board & Train | Greeted owners off leash at a park at pickup; behaved at a busy waterfront restaurant | 2026-01 | |
| Golden Retriever | Golden Retriever, 1 year | Barking at the door, leash pulling, eating paper products, stealing shoes, remote and toys | 2 Week Board & Train | Follows all commands, more confident, "a completely different dog" | 2024-12 |
| Kenzie | Obedience, focus and confidence | Private lessons | Owners have the tools to keep reinforcing at home | 2026-02 | |
| Gaia | Rhodesian Ridgeback, 2.5 years | Ran out of the house; owner thought he could train her himself | 8 private sessions | Walks completely off leash in busy public places; reliable recall | 2023-01 |
| Doberman puppy | Doberman puppy | Owner thought the puppy already knew the commands and just needed polishing | 8 private sessions | Off leash in public parks, perfect recall, holds Place, ignores squirrels, calm at the beach | 2026-02 |
| Louie | Presa Canario, 9 months, as big as the owner | Could not interact with other dogs on walks; treat-only method from a prior trainer stopped working | Private lessons | Owner controls him through any situation on walks | 2022-09 |
| Freyja | Husky mix, about 1 year, rescue | High energy, anxiety from being in and out of a shelter | Two-week intensive (board & train) | Obeys commands; walks are enjoyable; daily video updates reassured the owners | 2022-05 |
| Diggs | Puppy | Needed basic commands and confidence | Private lessons | Holds every basic command as long as asked; trained at parks, Home Depot and a dog beach | 2023-02 |
| Charlie | Havanese, 7 months | "On his way to ruling the roost" | 2 Week Board & Train | Came home with manners; socialized with the trainer's family and animals; tested at the park, Lowes and Walmart | 2022-11 |
| Cody | Maltese / Shih Tzu | Anxiety with excessive barking, growling, pulling and jumping | 2 Week Board & Train | Calmer, quiet and well behaved | 2024-08 |
Counts of reviews mentioning each topic, from the full review text, 2026-10-28.
Dogs that lived with the trainer for two weeks and came home different.
“He always kept us informed of Bentley's progress and would either text us with an update or shared a short video. It made it very easy to follow Bentley's progress over the two weeks.”
“We were impressed when we picked him up and saw Barry greeting us off leash at a nearby park. Cristian demonstrated all that Barry had learned and provided guidance on how to continue training for a successful transition back home.”
“She would stand at the door and bark at people walking by the house, constantly pull on the leash during walks, and would frequently eat paper products (paper towels, tissues, toilet paper) around the house, steal the remote, and generally get into things like shoes, the trash, and my kids toys. After the two week board and train class with Cristian she is a completely different dog!”
“We received daily video updates so we could follow Freyja's progress and be reassured that she was not in a high anxiety state.”
The cases Sarasota owners ask about most before calling.
“Mango (4) has always been very reactive/aggressive towards unfamiliar people and situations. This resulted in me always avoiding walking her around others, and only walking her during hours that the odds of us running into another person was low.”
“I simply tell him to 'place' on his bed in our living room when someone rings the door bell. Boris will then go sit on his bed while I greet our guest and won't leave until I instruct him to do so.”
“Contrary to what I thought, the first four weeks helped tremendously with the last four where we focused more on Bears aggression issues. The more control you have of the situation and the more confidence Bear had in me to guide him, the better he reacted around other dogs.”
“I would never have supported an E-Collar in the past, but with our trainer Cristian - he gave me the confidence to use the collar. I am now able to walk with Louie and control him through any situation we encounter!”
“Cody suffered from anxiety with excessive barking, growling, pulling and jumping. Upon his return, Christian reviewed his training techniques with my husband and I and Cody. Our dog is now calmer, quiet and well behaved.”
Four to eight sessions at real Sarasota parks.
“After 4 lessons with Cristian, Teddy is like a whole new dog! We can now walk him with ease, not only in the neighborhood but in the park, shopping plazas, Home Depot etc. It's amazing, he just walks right next to us and ignores all the distractions.”
“Bassets are known for their independent streak, and Dolly was no exception. However, Cristian's techniques and approach brought out her best behavior while also building her confidence.”
“Christian doesn't just train your dog—he trains you too, which makes all the difference.”
“We are now able to go on walks completely off leash and know she will obey all commands in a busy public place. Having done the training it is such a liberating feeling for me and I can see how liberating it is for Gaia to be off-leash.”
Starting early, before habits set.
“I can have him off-leash in public parks, he has a perfect re-call, I can vacuum my house because my dog knows "place", I know he does not chase squirrels even if he wants to.”
“We spent time at different parks, Home Depot, and a dog beach to place Diggs in various environments where he was going to be distracted while training.”
“I loved that Charlie was a guest in Cristian's home for 2 weeks. Cristian has a big wonderful family so Charlie was well socialized with his kids and other animals.”
Certified Off Leash K9 Trainer
Cristian is named in more than 130 of the location’s 142 Google reviews. Cristian's passion for dog training began when he enrolled his own dog in obedience classes. He became a certified Off Leash K9 trainer and brings a strong background in customer service and team management to every lesson.
Reviews from earlier years that name trainers who no longer work at the Sarasota location are not used as case studies.
| Program | Price | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Obedience Lessons | $700 | 5 private sessions |
| Behavior Modification Lessons (Aggression/Anxiety) | $1,100 | 8 private sessions |
| 2 Week Basic Board & Train | $2,900 | 2 weeks |
| 3 Week Advanced Board & Train | $4,350 | 3 weeks |
| AKC Star Puppy | $475 | 1 one-hour consultation + 6 thirty-minute private sessions |
All ten programs and what each includes: Plans & Pricing. Guarantee details: our results, satisfaction, and lifetime support/refresher guarantees apply to select programs only, and terms vary by program. Please contact us for the full guarantee terms that apply to your dog's program.
Yes. Every quote on this page is copied word for word from a public Google review of Off Leash K9 Training Sarasota FL, with the reviewer's first name and last initial and the month it was posted. The full list of 142 reviews is on Google Maps.
Reliable off-leash control: 48 of the 139 written reviews mention off-leash work and 64 mention leash manners. Daily video updates during board & train come up in 25 reviews.
Shelter and rescue dogs, an American Staffordshire Terrier, an Australian Shepherd, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, a Presa Canario, a Basset Hound, a Husky mix, Golden Retrievers, a Doberman puppy, a Havanese and a Maltese mix, ages 7 months to adult.
Several cases here started with aggression or reactivity: biting at guests, lunging at other dogs, resource guarding. Those dogs went through Behavior Modification Lessons or a board & train, and the quotes describe where they ended up.
Cristian Pena, Certified Off Leash K9 Trainer, is the trainer named in the cases on this page. Reviews from earlier years that name trainers who no longer work here are not used as case studies.
Private obedience lessons start at $700 (5 sessions), Behavior Modification Lessons are $1,100 (8 sessions), the 2-week board & train is $2,900 and the 3-week advanced board & train is $4,350. All prices are on the Plans & Pricing page.
Start with the 142 public reviews on Google, then call (941) 357-4500 for a free phone consultation; many clients in these stories have agreed to be referenced by their dog's story.
Free phone consultation. Mon–Fri 9 AM–10 PM · Sat–Sun 12 PM–10 PM.
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