Building Better Dogs

09/06/2026

🐾 BUILDING BETTER DOGS — CLIENT SUCCESS PROFILE
Riggs | English Springer Spaniel | Mobile, Alabama
Sometimes the best time to address a behavioral problem is before it has months or years to become established.
That was the case with Riggs, a young English Springer Spaniel owned by Taylor.
Taylor contacted Building Better Dogs on August 14, 2025, when Riggs was still a very young puppy.
RIGGS — AT A GLANCE

Owner: Taylor
Breed: English Springer Spaniel
Age when training began: Approximately 12 weeks
Previous Formal Training: None
Initial Concerns: Significant distress when left alone • Crying and panic in the crate/playpen
Training Goals: Confidence when alone • Foundational obedience • Better communication
Training Approach: One-on-one, in-home training • Positive reinforcement • Gentle guidance • Clear communication
Reported Results: Major behavior improvement • Rapid potty-training progress • Better communication between owner and dog
Owner Feedback: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

WHY TAYLOR CONTACTED ME
When Taylor first reached out, Riggs was struggling significantly when separated from his family.
Attempts to leave him in a crate or playpen resulted in crying and panic.
Taylor wanted help addressing those difficulties while also establishing a strong foundation of obedience while Riggs was still young.
That gave us an opportunity to do more than simply manage puppy behavior.
We could begin teaching Riggs how to think, communicate, develop confidence and understand what was expected of him.
BUILDING THE FOUNDATION
Because Riggs was still a puppy, our work wasn't limited to one isolated issue.
We focused on establishing communication and foundational obedience while helping Taylor understand how to guide and reinforce the behaviors she wanted.
And that owner education is an important part of the Building Better Dogs system.
I'm not interested in creating a dog who only understands the trainer.
The goal is to teach the owner and dog how to successfully communicate with each other.
THE RESULT
Taylor later shared her experience in a five-star Google review:
“Ron was very helpful in teaching both me and my 4 month old Springer Spaniel puppy how to understand one another and achieve our goals.”
That is exactly what successful dog training should accomplish.
Taylor wasn't simply watching someone else train Riggs.
She was learning how to communicate with him herself.
She also wrote:
“He truly cares about you and your dog’s success and his guidance and training philosophy is effective in not only obedience but in every other aspect.”
And the progress wasn't limited to obedience.
Taylor reported:
“I have seen a huge improvement in my puppy’s behavior and he was potty trained almost immediately after our first few sessions!”
That's a significant change for a family living with a young puppy.
WHY IN-HOME TRAINING MATTERED
Taylor specifically mentioned another important part of her experience:
“Most of all, Ron comes to you with a one on one approach all in your home and comfortable environment for your pup!”
That is one of the major reasons I provide individualized in-home training.
A dog is able to learn in the environment where he actually lives.
The owner can work on behaviors where they actually occur.
And especially with a young or uncertain dog, a familiar environment can make it easier to focus, think, learn and make successful decisions.
FROM AN ANXIOUS PUPPY TO A STRONG FOUNDATION
Riggs's story demonstrates what early intervention, individualized training and owner education can accomplish.
We didn't wait for puppy problems to become adult-dog problems.
We established communication.
We developed confidence.
We built obedience.
And most importantly, Taylor learned how to continue working successfully with Riggs herself.
Her own words summarize the outcome better than I could:
She and Riggs learned how to understand one another and achieve their goals.
That is what Building Better Dogs is all about.
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT. GENTLE GUIDANCE. CLEAR COMMUNICATION. REAL RESULTS.
🐾 Building Better Dogs
Helping dogs and their families develop better communication, better behavior and stronger relationships throughout Mobile and surrounding communities.

09/06/2026

🐾 BUILDING BETTER DOGS — CLIENT SUCCESS PROFILE
Josie | Mobile, Alabama
Real dog training is about more than teaching commands. It is about identifying what a family is struggling with, understanding the individual dog, and creating a communication system the owner can continue using long after formal training ends.
That is what happened with Jan Zerngast and her dog, Josie.
JOSIE — AT A GLANCE

Owner: Jan Zerngast
Breed: Beabull
Age when training began: 9 months
Previous Formal Training: None
Initial Concerns: Jumping • Barking • Basic manners • Refusing to get into the car
Additional Training Focus: Leash manners • Impulse control • Confidence • Appropriate chewing behavior
Training Approach: Positive reinforcement • Gentle guidance • Clear communication
Reported Results: Better impulse control • Less destructive chewing • Greater confidence • Calmer behavior at home

WHY JAN CONTACTED ME
When Jan contacted Building Better Dogs on October 2, 2025, Josie was a 9-month-old puppy with plenty of personality but very little formal training.
Jan wanted basic manners such as Sit, Down and duration, but there were also everyday behaviors creating frustration.
Josie was jumping on people, barking, and when it was time to get into the car, she would actually run in the opposite direction.
These weren't problems that required fear, intimidation or harsh corrections.
Josie needed communication she could understand.
THE TRAINING
As we worked together, the focus expanded beyond simply teaching obedience.
Josie needed help learning how to regulate herself, make better decisions and become more confident in situations she found difficult.
We worked on areas such as:
• Basic obedience and manners
• Leash manners
• Impulse control inside the home
• Confidence building
• Appropriate chewing behavior
• Better communication between Josie and Jan
And just as importantly, I wasn't only training Josie.
I was teaching Jan how to train Josie.
Jan received written instructions each week, learned how to continue the exercises between sessions, and had continued access to me when she had questions.
THE RESULT
Jan later described the experience this way:
“Working with Ron, the owner of Building Better Dogs, completely changed our life with Josie.”
As Josie began understanding what was expected of her, her confidence increased.
Her impulse control improved.
The destructive chewing decreased.
The household became calmer.
And rather than trying to overpower Josie or suppress her personality, the training helped Jan better understand the dog she had in front of her.
One of the simplest descriptions from Josie’s success story may also be one of the most important:
“Josie was understood.”
That matters.
Because when we give dogs clear information, appropriate guidance and reinforcement for making good decisions, we don't have to frighten them into behaving.
We can teach them.
And when we teach the owner at the same time, those results can continue long after our final training session.
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT. GENTLE GUIDANCE. CLEAR COMMUNICATION. REAL RESULTS.
🐾 Building Better Dogs
Helping dogs and their families develop better communication, better behavior and stronger relationships throughout Mobile and the surrounding communities.

09/06/2026

🐾 BUILDING BETTER DOGS — CLIENT SUCCESS PROFILE
Atlas | Mobile, Alabama
One of the best ways to demonstrate what Building Better Dogs does is to show the work we have already completed with real dogs and real families throughout Mobile and the surrounding area.
Atlas’s story is especially important because his family had already invested in obedience training before contacting me.
They wanted more.
They wanted training that addressed the behaviors they were actually experiencing in everyday life.

ATLAS — AT A GLANCE
Owners: Sylvana & Connor Hare
Age when training began: 1 year
Previous Training: Group/class-style obedience program
Initial Goals: Better recall • Improved leash manners • Less jumping • Better basic obedience • Calm threshold manners • Address situational marking
Social Temperament: Loves meeting new people and other pets
Training Format with Building Better Dogs: Private, individualized training
Reported Result: Better focus • Solid recall • Improved obedience • Greater reliability
Owner Feedback: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

WHY ATLAS’S FAMILY CONTACTED ME
When Sylvana first contacted Building Better Dogs on January 2, 2026, Atlas had already attended an obedience training program here in Mobile.
His family had put time and money into a traditional class-style training environment, but they were not seeing the level of improvement they had hoped for at home.
That is an important distinction.
A dog may be able to perform exercises in a training class and still struggle with the behaviors that matter most when he returns to his actual living environment.
Atlas’s family wanted help with several real-world issues, including:
• Recall
• Leash manners
• Jumping on people
• Basic obedience
• Calm behavior at doors and thresholds
• Situational marking outside the home
Ultimately, they wanted a dog who was well-mannered and reliable in multiple environments.
WHY IN-HOME TRAINING MADE A DIFFERENCE
One of the advantages of the Building Better Dogs training model is that I can work with the dog where the behaviors are actually happening.
If the problem occurs at the front door, we can train at the front door.
If the dog struggles to remain calm before going outside, we can work that exact threshold.
If recall is unreliable in the yard, we can build recall in the yard.
We're not trying to recreate the problem in an artificial environment.
We're working directly with it.
Private training also allowed Atlas to learn without the competing activity of an entire group class around him.
That gave us the opportunity to establish clear communication, build his confidence, strengthen his ability to concentrate and teach him to think and make good decisions instead of simply reacting to everything happening around him.
BUILDING THRESHOLD MANNERS
Threshold manners became an important part of Atlas’s training.
A doorway should not automatically mean:
“The door opened — GO!”
Instead, Atlas learned that an open door did not give him permission to cross it.
Through repetition, positive reinforcement, gentle guidance and clear communication, we began replacing impulsive behavior with something much more valuable:
Self-control.
Atlas learned to stop, think and wait for direction.
And those skills extend far beyond a doorway.
THE BIGGER GOAL
I wasn't interested in simply teaching Atlas a list of commands.
The objective was to create a dog who understood communication well enough to make better decisions in everyday situations.
That included improving his recall, strengthening obedience, developing better leash behavior and helping him understand what was expected around doors, people and other distractions.
At the same time, Sylvana and Connor needed the knowledge and confidence to continue that communication themselves.
Because ultimately, successful dog training should transfer from the trainer to the family.
THE RESULT
After four weeks of private, individualized training, Sylvana described choosing Building Better Dogs as:
“Best decision we could’ve made.”
And perhaps the strongest description of Atlas’s progress was this:
“Atlas is truly a different dog now.”
She reported that Atlas now understands his cues, listens and wants to do the right thing, with his recall becoming solid and the improvement in his obedience described as “night and day.”
That is the difference between simply putting a dog through a training program and developing a communication system that the dog and family can actually use in everyday life.
FROM GROUP TRAINING TO REAL-WORLD RESULTS
Atlas had already been through training.
What his family needed wasn't simply more training.
They needed training that was individualized to their dog, their home, their concerns and their goals.
That's what Building Better Dogs provided.
Atlas didn't lose his personality.
He didn't need to be intimidated into compliance.
He learned what was expected of him through:
Positive reinforcement.
Gentle guidance.
Clear communication.
Consistency.
And his family learned how to continue the process.
That is what I consider a successful training outcome.
🐾 Building Better Dogs
Helping dogs and their families develop better communication, better behavior and stronger relationships throughout Mobile and the surrounding communities.
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT. GENTLE GUIDANCE. CLEAR COMMUNICATION. REAL RESULTS.

09/06/2026

🐾 BUILDING BETTER DOGS — CLIENT SUCCESS PROFILE
Johnny & Sid | Mobile, Alabama
One of the best ways to explain what Building Better Dogs does is to show the work we've already completed with real dogs and real families throughout Mobile and the surrounding area.

JOHNNY & SID — AT A GLANCE
Owner: Melissa Robertson
Breed: Boston Terriers
Age when training began: 2 years
Previous Training: None
Initial Concern: Friendly but highly excited; jumping on people
Owner's Goals: Obedience • Calmness • No jumping on new people
Reported Result: Calmer • Better behaved • Obedient
Google Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Melissa first contacted Building Better Dogs on April 19, 2026, Johnny and Sid were two years old and had never received formal training.
Melissa described them as:
“Friendly but very excited, jumping.”
Her goals were simple and very clear:
“Obedience, calm, no jumping on new people.”
THE CHALLENGE
Johnny and Sid weren't bad dogs.
They were friendly, energetic dogs who simply had not yet been taught how to control that excitement or what behaviors were expected of them when interacting with people.
That distinction matters.
My job wasn't to punish the excitement out of them. It was to give Johnny and Sid clearer information about what we wanted them to do instead.
Using positive reinforcement, gentle guidance, structure and clear communication, we began building the behaviors Melissa wanted while also teaching her how to continue that communication at home.
Because the objective of Building Better Dogs isn't to create dogs who behave only when the trainer is present.
The objective is to give owners the knowledge and tools to successfully communicate with their own dogs.
THE RESULT
After completing their training, Melissa publicly shared her experience in a five-star Google review:
“Ron was exactly what Johnny and Sid needed! From the very beginning, he was patient, knowledgeable, and knew how to work with their personalities.”
But the most important part of her review was the change she saw in her dogs:
“Our boys are so much calmer, better behaved, and have truly become obedient little gentlemen.”
Compare that with the goals Melissa gave me when she first contacted me:
Then:
Friendly but very excited.
Jumping.
Needed obedience.
Wanted calmer behavior around people.

After training:
Calmer.
Better behaved.
Obedient.

And Melissa identified another result that is just as important:
“Ron gave us the tools and confidence to continue their training at home, and the results speak for themselves.”

That is what successful dog training should accomplish.
Not dependence on a trainer.
Owner education. Better communication. Better decisions from the dogs. And a family that has the ability to continue moving forward after formal training ends.

Melissa concluded her review by saying:
“If you're looking for a dog trainer who genuinely cares and gets results, hire Ron. He's terrific! We couldn't recommend him more highly.”
Johnny and Sid are two more examples of the work Building Better Dogs has successfully completed right here in our community.
No fear.
No intimidation.
No need to hurt a dog to teach it.
Positive reinforcement. Gentle guidance. Clear communication. Real results.
🐾 Building Better Dogs

Helping dogs and their families develop better communication, better behavior and stronger relationships throughout Mobile and the surrounding communities.

09/04/2026

09/02/2026

Calm Food Bowl Manners teaches your dog that patience and self-control come before access to the food bowl. The goal is simple: calm behavior, clear communication, and a reliable release before eating.

09/02/2026

Recall to Sit Front builds a clear, reliable response—your dog comes all the way back, finishes in position, and stays engaged with you.
This is what real training looks like: clear communication, consistency, and results you can use in everyday life.

09/02/2026

Place with Distance is a great exercise for building reliability, impulse control, and clear communication with your dog. The goal is simple: your dog learns that “Place” still means Place—even when you move farther away.
Clear communication. Consistent expectations. Real-world results.

09/02/2026

THIS is what just TWO WEEKS of clear communication can accomplish. 🐾
Meet Atlas, a two-year-old Goldendoodle.
When Atlas’s family contacted me, one of the behaviors they were most concerned about was his habit of rushing through an open door and taking off running.
Once he got outside, he would run and run while his family chased him around trying to catch him.
That isn't simply an annoying behavior.
That's a safety issue.
One open door at the wrong time could mean a dog running into traffic, becoming lost, or putting himself in another dangerous situation.
So proper door-threshold manners became an important part of Atlas’s training program.
And what you're watching in this video is the result after ONLY TWO WEEKS of his family working with my training system.
Look at Atlas.
The door can be open.
He doesn't feel like he has to explode through it.
He can remain engaged with his owner, listen, think, and make a better choice.
And here's the part I think is most important:
That isn't me training Atlas.
That's his family.
I require my clients to send me videos of their homework because it allows me to evaluate their timing, technique, reward delivery, communication, and handling and then coach them through whatever adjustments need to be made.
I normally don't post those homework videos publicly.
But lately I've had people question my experience and question whether my training methods actually produce results.
So I thought maybe it was time to start showing you.
The system works.
I've spent approximately 30 years working with dogs, and yes, I can train a dog.
But that's not what makes Building Better Dogs different.
The real objective is for me to give you the knowledge, resources, techniques, timing, and understanding necessary to train and communicate effectively with your own dog.
Because eventually my training program ends.
I shouldn't have to be standing beside you forever for your dog to listen.
My job is to teach the family how to continue succeeding long after I'm gone.
When an owner realizes,
“I can do this myself.”
that's the game changer.
Their confidence increases.
Their consistency improves.
Their communication becomes clearer.
And their dog benefits from it every single day.
Atlas is a perfect example.
A behavior that once had his family chasing him around outside became an opportunity for him to calmly engage with them and make an appropriate choice.
And this was after just two weeks.

09/02/2026

THIS is what putting in the work looks like — and this is only WEEK TWO. ❤️🐾

I want to introduce you to two very special dogs: Frida, a Rottweiler, and Cleo, a three-legged German Shepherd — and their owner, Mary.
Mary came to Building Better Dogs after being referred to me by Spring Hill Animal Clinic.
She told me that she had reached out to multiple trainers throughout the Gulf Coast trying to find help. Frida and Cleo had experienced some serious conflict with one another, including major fights, and Mary was determined to find someone willing to help her work through the situation rather than give up on either of her dogs.
Then she contacted me.
And anyone who knows my philosophy already knows my answer:
No dog turned away.
No dog left behind. Ever.
Mary and the girls are now enrolled in a six-week training program with Building Better Dogs.
And what you are watching in this video?
This is only WEEK TWO.
Two weeks.
That’s it.
Mary has only been working with my training system for two weeks, and we are already seeing meaningful changes in engagement, communication, impulse control, duration, handler focus, confidence, and responsiveness.
I have spent approximately 30 years working hands-on with dogs in all kinds of situations. Easy dogs. Difficult dogs. Fearful dogs. Reactive dogs. Dogs struggling with confidence. Dogs whose families simply need someone willing to look at the entire situation, develop a plan, and help them move forward.
Frida and Cleo are exactly why I do this work.
But I want to make something very clear:
The progress you are seeing belongs just as much to Mary as it does to the training program.
I asked Mary to send me two homework videos.
She sent me SEVEN. 😂❤️
And I couldn't have been happier.
She is working.
She is practicing.
She is asking questions.
She is learning how to communicate more clearly with each dog.
And most importantly:
Frida and Cleo are responding to that work.
In these videos, we're building foundational obedience, engagement, impulse control, Sit, Down, Place, duration, handler focus, distance, confidence, and the understanding that Mary provides clear, predictable direction.
Cleo is learning that she can remain calmly in position even while Mary moves farther away, moves around the room, and introduces real-life distractions.
Frida is becoming increasingly engaged with Mary, responding to her direction, maintaining behaviors, and learning to work through exercises calmly and confidently.
And again, I want to emphasize:
We are only two weeks into a six-week program.
There are still things we're fine-tuning — marker timing, reward placement, clearer releases, fading prompts, increasing duration and distance, and making communication increasingly precise.
There are still four full weeks of training ahead of us.
So when I look at where Mary, Frida, and Cleo are right now, I can't help but think:
Imagine where they're going to be a month from now.
That is what makes this so exciting.
Training isn't about expecting perfection overnight.
It's about building communication, creating successful repetitions, making adjustments, celebrating progress, and then building on that progress week after week.
And Mary is absolutely putting in the work.
This is what I want Building Better Dogs to continue doing throughout our community: helping families who are committed to their dogs, including the cases that may be complicated, difficult, or that somebody else wasn't prepared to take on.
Because sometimes a family doesn't need someone to tell them their situation is too difficult.
Sometimes they need someone willing to say:
“Okay. Let's figure this out.”
That's what we're doing with Frida and Cleo.
Week Two.
Four more weeks to go.
And I cannot wait to show everyone what this family looks like at the end of Week Six.
Positive Reinforcement. Gentle Guidance. Real Results.
No dog turned away. No dog left behind.
🐾 Building Better Dogs
Serving Mobile and the surrounding Gulf Coast