What our Happy Dog Owner’s Say:
Balanced Obedience has truly been a dream come true! Sabrina is absolutely amazing. Before training, I couldn't even walk our dog because she pulled so hard. It wasn't just me--even our dog sitters struggled to walk her. She also greeted everyone by barking, whether they were coming into our home or we were visiting theirs. She sounded like a fierce guard dog... which is pretty funny considering she's a full-blooded Golden Retriever! The transformation has been incredible. Not only is she so much better behaved, but we've also learned how to communicate with her in a way we never knew before. The training didn't just change our dog--it changed our relationship with her. We can't recommend Balanced Obedience enough. If you're on the fence about investing in training, take the leap. It is worth every penny, and you'll be so glad you did!
Rebekah D.
7/19/2026
Words cannot express my gratitude and appreciation for Sabrina and her team! Our 4 yr old mini aussie, Kelso completed his 2 week board and train in Waimanalo with Sabrina and her team. I thought he would never be able to hang out at a restaurant or go in an elevator with me, be with other dogs and humans because he was reactive! Everyone in my condo has said that Kelso is a different dog! While training continues especially with me Kelso now can go out on adventures with us! What I love is Balanced Obedience does not use e-collar or treats and they are so supportive!!!!Kristy K.
6/03/2026
Sabrina is awesome! We got our mini bernedoodle from her and sent him to her for the 2 week puppy training when he was 6 months old. The transformation has been incredible. We love Sabrina’s approach to dog training. She also provides videos to watch at home for additional tips and is always available for support. She is incredibly responsive, always happy to answer questions, and genuinely cares about both the puppies and their humans. Highly recommend!
Flint Huff
5/29/2026
Honestly, I haven’t felt alone in a while because of my pup Harley. She’s not only my best friend, but she’s also become a source of comfort in my life. It was important that she be near just in case I started to feel anxious in a social or day-to-day setting. Getting her trained and certified as a service dog was the logical next step. Sabrina’s program has made that a possibility for Harley and I. Our bond has grown, and I feel that our mutual trust has as well. Thank You Sabrina for your clear and concise directions with Harley’s training to be Service Dog certified. My best friend and service dog will always be my side.
Micah Chan
3/04/2026
If I could give Sabrina 1,000 stars I would. She is truly incredible. My dog, Sage, did a 2 week board and train with her. He was nervous, shy, and not the most responsive before, and came back a whole new confident dog. His basic commands were all locked in, even heel (which was so hard for me to train as he was a real puller😅).
She offers group classes to anyone who board/trains with her and that’s where the real work happens! She has a true gift at canine handling but also encouraging and teaching the humans how to work with their dog. I learned so much watching her support other dog owners, and my dog got more and more disciplined and well behaved through his own practice at these classes. She is so patient and really wants you and your dog to succeed. Sage is now so wonderful and focused in public spaces (especially the airport), and doesnt even bat an eye at other dogs when he is working.
I know the investment of dog training can seem daunting, but in the 4 months of working with Sabrina, I saw real miracles happen. All the dogs in the classes were also obsessed with her - can’t speak more highly than that!
She offers group classes to anyone who board/trains with her and that’s where the real work happens! She has a true gift at canine handling but also encouraging and teaching the humans how to work with their dog. I learned so much watching her support other dog owners, and my dog got more and more disciplined and well behaved through his own practice at these classes. She is so patient and really wants you and your dog to succeed. Sage is now so wonderful and focused in public spaces (especially the airport), and doesnt even bat an eye at other dogs when he is working.
I know the investment of dog training can seem daunting, but in the 4 months of working with Sabrina, I saw real miracles happen. All the dogs in the classes were also obsessed with her - can’t speak more highly than that!
Morgan Turner
2/19/2026
We brought our 9 month old dog Milo to Balanced Obedience because we were dealing with some behavioral issues and honestly weren’t sure what to do. We ended up doing the two week Boot Camp and followed it up with the weekly classes, and it truly changed everything.
Milo has so much more structure now and the behavioral issues are almost completely gone. We never thought he’d be able to become my service dog, but thanks to working with Sabrina, he absolutely is, and he’s amazing! She not only helped shape Milo into a well behaved dog who listens, but also taught us how to be better leaders and take charge as owners.
Now Milo goes everywhere with us, including flying with us to Tennessee when we relocated for a few months, and he did incredible on the plane. We seriously can’t thank Sabrina and her team enough. We’re so grateful for everything they’ve done!
Milo has so much more structure now and the behavioral issues are almost completely gone. We never thought he’d be able to become my service dog, but thanks to working with Sabrina, he absolutely is, and he’s amazing! She not only helped shape Milo into a well behaved dog who listens, but also taught us how to be better leaders and take charge as owners.
Now Milo goes everywhere with us, including flying with us to Tennessee when we relocated for a few months, and he did incredible on the plane. We seriously can’t thank Sabrina and her team enough. We’re so grateful for everything they’ve done!
Chelsea Iannaccio
1/21/2026
Sabrina is fantastic. She is incredibly knowledgeable, has a very helpful staff, and will provide you with all the tools and resources. We bought our puppy from her and we plan to use her for obedience training as well. You can even board your dogs here, which is so comforting to know that can be housed where they were born. So in love with our puppy!!!
Valentina Huff
1/11/2026
When my daughter told me that her two Jack Russells were coming to live with me in our apartment, I was worried. They were loud, reactive, and full of energy, and I was scared that we would get noise complaints and possibly be kicked out. I love animals, but I was not sure I could handle two dogs who barked at every sound and lunged at other dogs.
Sabrina truly changed everything. From the moment we met her, she was patient, calm, and confident. She explained that training was not just about the dogs but about teaching us, the humans, how to lead and handle them correctly. She never made me feel embarrassed or discouraged, even though I am a slow learner when it comes to handling dogs. She worked with me one step at a time until I felt comfortable.
Now both dogs are on their way to becoming service dogs. One is being trained to help me with PTSD, and the other is for my daughter’s anxiety. They are focused, well-behaved, and loving. I can finally relax in my home without worrying about barking or accidents. My daughter and I can take them anywhere, and they listen beautifully.
We also love attending the weekly group classes in Waimanalo. The drive there is so peaceful and scenic, with views of the ocean that make the experience even more special. Sabrina continues to guide us at each class and helps us keep improving.
Sabrina is an amazing trainer who truly cares about both people and dogs. She has changed our lives and given us confidence, peace, and joy. I am so grateful for her patience, kindness, and dedication.
This is the best dog trainer you can find in Hawaii.
Sabrina truly changed everything. From the moment we met her, she was patient, calm, and confident. She explained that training was not just about the dogs but about teaching us, the humans, how to lead and handle them correctly. She never made me feel embarrassed or discouraged, even though I am a slow learner when it comes to handling dogs. She worked with me one step at a time until I felt comfortable.
Now both dogs are on their way to becoming service dogs. One is being trained to help me with PTSD, and the other is for my daughter’s anxiety. They are focused, well-behaved, and loving. I can finally relax in my home without worrying about barking or accidents. My daughter and I can take them anywhere, and they listen beautifully.
We also love attending the weekly group classes in Waimanalo. The drive there is so peaceful and scenic, with views of the ocean that make the experience even more special. Sabrina continues to guide us at each class and helps us keep improving.
Sabrina is an amazing trainer who truly cares about both people and dogs. She has changed our lives and given us confidence, peace, and joy. I am so grateful for her patience, kindness, and dedication.
This is the best dog trainer you can find in Hawaii.
Jacqueline Grace
11/12/2025
I have two Jack Russells who used to be little wild beasts before attending Sabrina’s Doggy Bootcamp. The moment they saw another dog, they would bark and cause chaos in the streets. Even the smallest noise would set them off. We could not take them anywhere because it was embarrassing, stressful, and honestly irresponsible on our part as owners. When we were planning to move from a house to an apartment, we knew we needed professional help.
After researching different trainers on the island, we found that some relied on e-collars, while others told us Jack Russells were too stubborn to train. We almost gave up, but fortunately we found Sabrina.
From the start, she stood out. She patiently answered all our questions, addressed our concerns, and reassured us that she could help both our dogs and us as owners. Her method does not rely on treats but instead builds a respectful bond between handler and dog. She teaches you how to be the calm and confident leader your dog needs.
Another huge perk is that the four-week Board and Train program comes with lifetime access to her weekly group classes. These sessions help reinforce everything learned during bootcamp, allow the dogs to socialize, and give Sabrina the chance to personally guide each owner. For example, she suggested that our male dog be neutered to help calm his energy, and it made a world of difference. He is now gentle and relaxed instead of hyper and reactive.
Our one-year-old female did another ten-day Board and Train for potty training. Sabrina showed us exactly what to do to help her learn to hold her bladder and only go outside. Now she can sleep next to me without accidents, and I can finally rest easy.
Thanks to Sabrina, our dogs can now join us anywhere, from the mall to the beach, without stress or chaos. People constantly compliment their obedience, and we proudly share who trained them. Sabrina’s program even uses service dog-level training methods, which we are now continuing for PTSD and anxiety support.
Sabrina is more than a trainer. She has become a friend and an inspiration. She is intelligent, methodical, and kind, and she truly runs her business with heart and purpose. Her work has completely changed our lives and our dogs’ lives for the better.
This is the only trainer you should trust for your dog, your patience, and your peace of mind.
After researching different trainers on the island, we found that some relied on e-collars, while others told us Jack Russells were too stubborn to train. We almost gave up, but fortunately we found Sabrina.
From the start, she stood out. She patiently answered all our questions, addressed our concerns, and reassured us that she could help both our dogs and us as owners. Her method does not rely on treats but instead builds a respectful bond between handler and dog. She teaches you how to be the calm and confident leader your dog needs.
Another huge perk is that the four-week Board and Train program comes with lifetime access to her weekly group classes. These sessions help reinforce everything learned during bootcamp, allow the dogs to socialize, and give Sabrina the chance to personally guide each owner. For example, she suggested that our male dog be neutered to help calm his energy, and it made a world of difference. He is now gentle and relaxed instead of hyper and reactive.
Our one-year-old female did another ten-day Board and Train for potty training. Sabrina showed us exactly what to do to help her learn to hold her bladder and only go outside. Now she can sleep next to me without accidents, and I can finally rest easy.
Thanks to Sabrina, our dogs can now join us anywhere, from the mall to the beach, without stress or chaos. People constantly compliment their obedience, and we proudly share who trained them. Sabrina’s program even uses service dog-level training methods, which we are now continuing for PTSD and anxiety support.
Sabrina is more than a trainer. She has become a friend and an inspiration. She is intelligent, methodical, and kind, and she truly runs her business with heart and purpose. Her work has completely changed our lives and our dogs’ lives for the better.
This is the only trainer you should trust for your dog, your patience, and your peace of mind.
Nathalie Tamman
11/12/2025
We brought our very hyper, resource-guarding puppy to Balanced Obedience for a two-week boot camp. From the beginning, Sabrina was genuinely interested in understanding our goals and expectations for the training. She walked us through her game plan and asked if there were any specific behaviors we wanted her to focus on.
Throughout the boot camp, Sabrina kept us updated with photos whenever we asked — which we really appreciated. Our puppy came back a completely different dog! She’s much calmer now, and with the continued practice of the techniques Sabrina taught us, we’re seeing lasting improvements.
Throughout the boot camp, Sabrina kept us updated with photos whenever we asked — which we really appreciated. Our puppy came back a completely different dog! She’s much calmer now, and with the continued practice of the techniques Sabrina taught us, we’re seeing lasting improvements.
Christie Najita
10/29/2025
My puppy went thru the 2 week boot camp with great results!
DeeAnna Root
10/14/2025
Our puppy Milo just had his 2week Board and Train, and the outcome was truly amazing! Sabrina did a really great job! She transformed our pup to a very calm and obedient dog. She trained us fur parents as well on how to follow through with the training and I can say, its been 2 weeks since we got him back and wow, Milo has been consistently a good boy! Highly recommend!
Beverly Bautista
7/04/2025
Our dog Luna attended Sabrina‘s two week boarding training program. Sabrina is awesome. She helped with Luna‘s basic training skills. Sabrina definitely is the dog whisperer. Shortly after Luna returned from Sabrina‘s training program, she was bit by two dogs while on our neighborhood walk and Sabrina suggested rejoining the group lessons she does. Luna is doing a lot better thanks to Sabrina and her trainers guidance. I highly recommend Sabrina‘s board and train program as well as the group lessons. Luna loves staying at Sabrina‘s farm whenever we travel. 🐶❤️
Tracey Forsythe
7/04/2025
Sabrina is amazing! My puppy went thru her 2 week boot camp with fantastic results!!
We are currently doing the online Puppy Makeover course and will continue on our journey. I love that she partners with AKC & does the CGC evaluations!!
Bravo to Sabrina & her team!
Highly recommend!
We are currently doing the online Puppy Makeover course and will continue on our journey. I love that she partners with AKC & does the CGC evaluations!!
Bravo to Sabrina & her team!
Highly recommend!
DeeAnna Root
6/20/2025
I sent my puppy, Coco, to Sabrina for obedience bootcamp, and was amazed by how much she learned during her time there! Coco came back crate-trained, potty-trained, and able to follow and understand a number of commands. I really appreciate the time and dedication Balanced Obedience put into caring for and training Coco. We will be back for boarding and more classes!Hannah B.
5/21/2025
Sabrina is caring and very knowledgeable. She is a trainer, yes, but more importantly a behaviorist. She doesn't do punishment quickly fix but gets to the root of the problem. I highly recommend her. She is top notch!Popo's Attic D.
5/17/2025
Sabrina is a passionate trainer who puts her all into each class. She tries her hardest to share all of her vast knowledge and experience of/with dogs - with both the people and the dogs in her classes. She puts an incredible amount of energy into the entire class from beginning to end. It is almost tiring to just watch her! She is determined to do whatever it takes to get the best possible outcome for each team – handler and dog. It is mentally challenging because she is constantly ‘sharing’ and you are constantly trying to absorb everything and remember it! But, if you don’t remember the first time around, no worries – she will patiently (and gently) remind you (again and again if needed) until you do ‘get it’. She gives you respectful honest/constructive feedback that helps you help your dog.
In my adventures with dogs, I have worked with eight trainers. I find Sabrina to be the best for me/my dog. Her training methods are no nonsense/consistent/successful and she is determined to work with you and your dog until you have achieved your goals. In the first few days of our classes she showed me how to do something with my dog that I had not been able to figure out on my own. That one success inspired me to keep trying to do the best for my dog.
In my adventures with dogs, I have worked with eight trainers. I find Sabrina to be the best for me/my dog. Her training methods are no nonsense/consistent/successful and she is determined to work with you and your dog until you have achieved your goals. In the first few days of our classes she showed me how to do something with my dog that I had not been able to figure out on my own. That one success inspired me to keep trying to do the best for my dog.
Joyce Clarin
5/08/2025
Sabrina is a passionate instructor who puts her all into each class. She tries her hardest to share all of her vast knowledge and experience of/with dogs - with both the people and the dogs in her classes. She puts an incredible amount of energy into the entire class from beginning to end. It is almost tiring to just watch her! She is determined to do whatever it takes to get the best possible outcome for each team - handler and dog. It is mentally challenging because she is constantly 'sharing' and you are constantly trying to absorb everything and remember it! But, if you don't remember the first time around, no worries - she will patiently (and gently) remind you (again and again if needed) until you do 'get it'. She gives you respectful honest/constructive feedback that helps you help your dog. In my adventures with dogs, I have worked with eight trainers. I find Sabrina to be the best for me/my dog. Her training methods are no nonsense/consistent/successful and she is determined to work with you and your dog until you have achieved your goals. In the first few days of our classes she showed me how to do something with my dog that I had not been able to figure out on my own. That one success inspired me to keep trying to do the best for my dog. Joyce CJoyce C.
5/06/2025
Sabrina is amazing at what she does ! She is a true dog whisperer ! I have seen great improvement with these two American Akita girls in the photos 💖💖 Sabrina does not use treats or e collars. She is in the process of training all of our dogs 🐕 we are so grateful - our dogs are all well trained because of her !
Channel Tang-Ho
2/06/2025
Sabrina has been part of my journey from the very beginning—helping me find my best friend, training, and now providing top-notch boarding. Whether it’s time spent at the Waimanalo farm or Woof Top Dog, Sabrina’s knowledge, dedication, and willingness to help stands out. She goes above and beyond! If you’re on the fence, I highly recommend giving Sabrina a try—
Taylor Krantz
1/24/2025
Sabrina has been part of my journey from the very beginning—helping me find my best friend, training, and now providing top-notch boarding. Whether it’s time spent at the Waimanalo farm or Woof Top Dog, Sabrina’s knowledge, dedication, and willingness to help stands out. She goes above and beyond! If you’re on the fence, I highly recommend giving Sabrina a try—
Taylor Krantz
1/23/2025
Sabrina is amazing at what she does ! She is a true dog whisperer ! I have seen great improvement with these two American Akita girls 💖💖
Channel Tang-Ho
1/16/2025
Sabrina was so great to our dog. We’ve received so many compliments from friends and family after her 2 week boot camp. Will be sending our pup here for years to come.
Ben Krueger
11/21/2024
I've filed a complaint with Better Business Bureau. Sabrina abuses animals. We only requested boarding, not obedience training. We specifically asked Sabrina not to discipline our dog. After the stay our poor puppy linched of anyone raises a hand or tosses a toy. She was not the same dog. This was confirmed by independent observers. The address Sabrina provided on her website was not the true address -- why? Strongly recommend look elsewhere and report any negative experiences. If you must pursue this option, request to go see the facilities first. Why does she go out of her way at strange hours to come pick up your pet?? Why not let you drop it off? We came to pick up and were in Waimanalo but she still drove the pet out - so we would not observe the situation?? Feel free to call me at 808-477-2914 if you would like to discuss.
John Du Toit
11/12/2024
Sabrina worked wonders training our dog Hunny, we no longer struggle with pulling on walks, she loves working on her tricks and training. It was so helpful to not only have Hunny go through boot camp, but for Sabrina to train us to be better handlers. Bringing your dog to training will not only have your dog behaving better, but will also help with becoming a better leader so your dog can be happier and more comfortable in their daily life. Would highly recommend!!Madeline H.
7/22/2024
Sabrina has been excellent! She is very understanding and willing to work with you no matter the situation! She helped my wife and me get our dog, who already knew a lot of commands but just pulled and did not handle a loose leash walking well to being an absolute obedient perfect companion. After two weeks with Sabrina, she was highly obedient, and we get compliments all the time in our building and in town about how well-behaved our dog is. She will keep you well-informed throughout the boot camp and takes lots of pictures to make you feel at ease knowing your canine companion is being cared for.
Justin Meade
7/21/2024
Sabrina has been excellent! She is very understanding and willing to work with you no matter the situation! She helped my wife and me get our dog, who already knew a lot of commands but just pulled and did not handle a loose leash walking well to being an absolute obedient perfect companion. After two weeks with Sabrina, she was highly obedient, and we get compliments all the time in our building and in town about how well-behaved our dog is. She will keep you well-informed throughout the boot camp and takes lots of pictures to make you feel at ease knowing your canine companion is being cared for.
Justin
7/20/2024
I can’t thank Sabrina and her team enough! We were looking for help training our reactive dog and came across Sabrina’s boot camp! I highly recommend enrolling in her boot camp, Benji was able to socialize with other dogs in a safe environment and learn discipline from Sabrina! Now we never have to worry about leaving for vacation because we know Sabrina and her team will take great care of Benji! Plus, she always sends the cutest photos of him playing!
Kate Weinstock
6/24/2024
Sabrina is an incredible trainer and person. She truly cares about her clients and their long-term success. She is incredibly knowledgeable and can teach you how to build a relationship with your dog that is based on trust and respect, resulting in a well behaved and more confident dog. This is not just my personal experience, but what I have witnessed with dozens of other owners and dogs in her program. Whatever your goal is, Sabrina can help you!
Rachel Henriques
6/22/2024
I can’t say enough to recommend Sabrina. She has a gift and intuition when working with our furry family members. My dog Keava was extremely food motivated to the point she wasn’t even listening just hyper and focused on the treat. She was also so skittish in public which was a problem because she was supposed to serve as my service dog. I sent my girl to Sabrina for her boot camp and what a transformation! Keava is more responsive to my cues of body language and praise no treats needed. Sabrina set us up with a home training regimen and was there for our journey in Service Dog training. I’m so greatful to Sabrina and truly believe in the Balanced obedience method
Meghan Dailey
6/15/2024
My newest dog is a challenge so I knew I would need a professional trainer after getting kicked out of a group training class at a pet store. After trying a few others, we finally found Sabrina. She listened to all the ways that make our dog especially challenging for us and was quick to fill us with confidence that she knew how to help. She was able to accommodate us with very short notice. We left our wild and anxious dog and came back to one that we were able to communicate with. The online lessons helped us build on the foundation Sabrina had made. When unexpected roadblocks came up, I reached out for help and she was great at addressing our needs. We just boarded our dog for a few days recently and are satisfied by the responsiveness and friendly warmth she gave our dog.
Katie Y.
6/10/2024
Sabrina made it clear that our dog needed continuity, parameters, and regular training. Most importantly, as an owner, I needed the training, too! Sabrina is not only skilled and experienced, she has strong intuition and kindness that made me feel confident to leave my first time dog, Ella, in her hands. Ella is a difficult puppy who suffers from anxiety and fear. Sabrina taught me how to understand my puppy better and how to get Ella to better listen to me. The repetition of commands and giving of praise as reward instead of treats. (Treats of course on some occasions!) Sabrina is so awesome and my little Ella loves her! I recommend Balanced Obedience to anyone who needs a great trainer for their dog. Thank you Sabrina!
Lisa Solomine
5/30/2024
Sabrina is amazing! My dog was a wonderful but unruly dog. Two weeks with Sabrina and now she is just wonderful. Thanks soooo much!
Martin Berger
5/17/2024
I highly recommend Balanced Obedience! Sabrina is very knowledgeable and did an amazing job with our dog Bingo. His heel is amazing after going through boot camp with Sabrina. He is more focused and doesn’t sniff around on walks unless we give him permission to. After he finished his board and train, Bingo was a much more obedient dog and all without the use of treats! We can’t thank Sabrina enough for how much a difference she has made in Bingo and for our family
Richard Matsumoto
3/27/2024
Sabrina is the best!! Highly recommend her and the staff for your dog training needs.
Jason Reininger
3/02/2024
We are so grateful to Sabrina and the staff at Balanced Obedience for the care and hard work they put into our dog Bingo. Our goal is for Bingo to become a Psychiatric Service Dog to our son with ASD. We can’t thank Sabrina enough for helping our family with our goals. Before coming to Balanced Obedience, we were having trouble with training Bingo to become a service dog. Despite previous training efforts, Bingo still lacked the level of focus expected of a service dog. He was easily distracted, sniffed around too much when he wasn’t supposed to, and would bark at other dogs and people. We enrolled Bingo in the Service Dog program as well as the three-week board and train. There was a noticeable difference after his training with Sabrina! Bingo is now more calm, attentive, focused, and has a much better Heel. He also obeys eagerly without treats! Today we reintroduced Bingo to our children and followed Sabrina’s instructions in doing so. Instead of jumping up on them overexcitedly, Bingo was able to stay calm and display proper greeting matters. Sabrina’s training goes far beyond just teaching a dog how to do commands. Sabrina does not use treats and e-collars but reinforces using the bond and love and it really shows in Bingo’s enthusiasm to listen and please. Bingo has real manners. For example, we used to put him in a Sit-Stay command before walking through a doorway or feeding him his meals. Sabrina’s trainings taught him to wait for us to walk through doorways first or to wait for meals without us telling Bingo to hold a sit command. Sabrina emphasizes the importance of dog psychology and teaches you how to effectively communicate with your dog. She is very thorough in not only dog training but more importantly, people training. From correct posture to the way you make eye contact, to facial expressions, she really takes the time to educate you in becoming an effective handler and owner. The difference in our relationship with Bingo was astounding. It’s hard to describe but the connection between us and Bingo feels stronger now that Sabrina has taught us how to communicate and understand him. This is a commonly overlooked part of dog ownership but is crucial and we are really blessed to have someone like Sabrina here on Oahu. If you are looking to improve the quality of life for you and your pup and deepen your relationship/bond, then Sabrina and Balanced Obedience is perfect for you. Sabrina’s passion for helping others and their pups is priceless, we are fortunate to have her continued support throughout this journey together. Sabrina’s training has improved the quality of life for Bingo and our entire family. Bingo is behaved and obedient in different environments. It really means so much to our family to have a service dog and a friend for our son. We can watch our son initiate interactions with Bingo and even improve on his social skills. We are forever grateful to Sabrina for helping make all this possible.
Richard Matsumoto
2/26/2024
We are so grateful to Sabrina and the staff at Balanced Obedience for the care and hard work they put into our dog Bingo. Our goal is for Bingo to become a Psychiatric Service Dog to our son with ASD. We can't thank Sabrina enough for helping our family with our goals. Before coming to Balanced Obedience, we were having trouble with training Bingo to become a service dog. Despite previous training efforts, Bingo still lacked the level of focus expected of a service dog. He was easily distracted, sniffed around too much when he wasn't supposed to, and would bark at other dogs and people. We enrolled Bingo in the Service Dog program as well as the three-week board and train. There was a noticeable difference after his training with Sabrina! Bingo is now more calm, attentive, focused, and has a much better Heel. He also obeys eagerly without treats! Today we reintroduced Bingo to our children and followed Sabrina's instructions in doing so. Instead of jumping up on them overexcitedly, Bingo was able to stay calm and display proper greeting matters. Sabrina's training goes far beyond just teaching a dog how to do commands. Sabrina does not use treats and e-collars but reinforces using the bond and love and it really shows in Bingo's enthusiasm to listen and please. Bingo has real manners. For example, we used to put him in a Sit-Stay command before walking through a doorway or feeding him his meals. Sabrina's trainings taught him to wait for us to walk through doorways first or to wait for meals without us telling Bingo to hold a sit command. Sabrina emphasizes the importance of dog psychology and teaches you how to effectively communicate with your dog. She is very thorough in not only dog training but more importantly, people training. From correct posture to the way you make eye contact, to facial expressions, she really takes the time to educate you in becoming an effective handler and owner. The difference in our relationship with Bingo was astounding. It's hard to describe but the connection between us and Bingo feels stronger now that Sabrina has taught us how to communicate and understand him. This is a commonly overlooked part of dog ownership but is crucial and we are really blessed to have someone like Sabrina here on Oahu. If you are looking to improve the quality of life for you and your pup and deepen your relationship/bond, then Sabrina and Balanced Obedience is perfect for you. Sabrina's passion for helping others and their pups is priceless, we are fortunate to have her continued support throughout this journey together. Sabrina's training has improved the quality of life for Bingo and our entire family. Bingo is behaved and obedient in different environments. It really means so much to our family to have a service dog and a friend for our son. We can watch our son initiate interactions with Bingo and even improve on his social skills. We are forever grateful to Sabrina for helping make all this possible.
Richard M.
2/26/2024
After getting our second dog, we decided to get him boarded and trained by Sabrina and her staff. I was very pleased with the outcome and overall kindness we got. She was very informative and made sure that we got all our questions answered before we took him home. Much like our first dog that we boarded, we saw a big difference in his leash walking and obedience. I'm very happy to be a part of the balanced obedience ohana. If you are on the fence about sending your pup, here is the sign telling you that you should go for it!Jordan N.
2/13/2024
Sabrina provided me with the necessary tools and techniques to effectively communicate and work together with my dog, Reacher. By fostering a positive and supportive environment, Sabrina helped me overcome the challenges and build my confidence. As a result of our hard work and dedication, Reacher and I were able to pass the test. Our bond and mutual understanding allowed us to effectively navigate through the test's requirements and demonstrate our skills and abilities. Overall, the training program served as a transformative experience for both of us, ultimately leading to a successful outcome and a strong bond between us
Jay Rein
2/06/2024
My boyfriend and I adopted our puppy, Deebo, with the intention of having him trained. We found Balanced Obedience online and had our consultation with Sabrina over the phone. This conversation was our first indicator that Sabrina was the right choice for us. She was so welcoming and answered all of our questions with confidence. It was evident that she has an abundance of experience with dogs and their behavior. When we picked Deebo up from puppy camp, he showed great progress for his age! He was only 3 months when we boarded him which Sabrina recommended is a good time to start training. He learned all of the necessary commands such as sit, heel, stay, wait, and come. Our baby is so smart and was so attentive in Sabrina's presence. We like that she doesn't use treats in her training and uses petting for a reward instead. I think it makes the pup appreciate our affection more instead of making them greedy with treats. She is also always giving us tips and answering our questions even after boarding. It's been really helpful as I myself haven't owned a dog before. We're so grateful we found Sabrina and can't wait to keep learning with her!
Kaila U.
1/28/2024
Sabrina is absolutely amazing and I am so grateful for her time, energy, and expertise! My dog had basic obedience training, but I was looking for help in training my dog to be a service dog. I had bought her online course and started working with my dog. She was very responsive through out our time together. I would send her updated videos of our progress, meet in one on one visits, and she would come to my house when needed! My dog and I were able to go to a few public access tests to perfect our skills we had learned online. Sabrina was amazing!!! She helped fill in the gaps to get my dog to pass all requirements for the public access test and service dog training. My dog has grown immensely with her help and I am SO grateful again to have her expertise, it has completely changed my world for the better!! My dog successfully goes everywhere with me to assist me. He was able to master flying as well with her help! I highly recommend her services!
Frankie Elliott
1/27/2024
Sabrina is awesome. She's a great trainer for both basic obedience and service dog tasks, and I love that she does it without food lures. I sent my puppy Pryna to service dog "camp", and she came back home so well-behaved and ready to help me live my life, and Sabrina even gave me essential items like a service dog vest, leash, and prong collar. Sabrina is great about helping via text when I have minor behavioral questions (how to reprimand Pryna when she barks unnecessarily) and health questions (is it normal for poo to look like that), and she's incredibly welcoming and accommodating when I want to bring Pryna back for additional task training. She even sent photos when Pryna was at "camp" and gave me little updates so I knew Pryna was enjoying her time there. The only thing I wish was different is the inevitable dog smell that comes from having more than 2 dogs together, but an extra bath is a small price to pay for proof that my dog is allowed to run and play with other dogs, rather than being cooped up in a kennel. I'm so glad I found Balanced Obedience, and I recommend it to anyone who has a dog in need of training.
Soto Kagawa
1/16/2024
Sabrina is awesome. She's a great trainer for both basic obedience and service dog tasks, and I love that she does it without food lures. I sent my puppy Pryna to service dog "camp", and she came back home so well-behaved and ready to help me live my life, and Sabrina even gave me essential items like a service dog vest, leash, and prong collar. Sabrina is great about helping via text when I have minor behavioral questions (how to reprimand Pryna when she barks unnecessarily) and health questions (is it normal for poo to look like that), and she's incredibly welcoming and accommodating when I want to bring Pryna back for additional task training. She even sent photos when Pryna was at "camp" and gave me little updates so I knew Pryna was enjoying her time there. The only thing I wish was different is the inevitable dog smell that comes from having more than 2 dogs together, but an extra bath is a small price to pay for proof that my dog is allowed to run and play with other dogs, rather than being cooped up in a kennel. I'm so glad I found Balanced Obedience, and I recommend it to anyone who has a dog in need of training.
Soto K.
1/15/2024
I was so thankful to have met Sabrina and felt very comfortable with her. Sabrina answered all of my questions and concerns from the get go, that I signed up my puppy Bailey for the 2 week Board and Training program right away. Since Bailey is starting to get into her tween-age years, she was starting to test my patience and become very rascal, and so I sought out a more seasoned trainer and I felt I got so lucky in finding Sabrina of Balanced Obedience. Bailey is now a brand new goodest girl and it’s like she is so well behaved that I couldn’t be happier. Bailey heals by my side when we go for walks. She even sits when we are at a standstill. She never did that before training. If anything Bailey would take me for a walk. Ha! She is so wonderful and playful with other dogs. She is definitely well socialized with other dogs. That part was a bonus for me. She got to make puppy friends while she was at training as well. I could go on for days with all the wonderful things that Sabrina has done that made Bailey into a well behaved puppy. I highly recommend Sabrina for all your puppy training needs. You will not regret it. Sabrina will definitely correct your puppies bad habits as she has done wonders with my Bailey.
Marisa Sacks
10/19/2023
I'm happy that I got paid to be honest I had my fingers crossed when I invested a week ago with Mrs Lucia Rodney but I'm happy to say that she is just amazing and I can't thank you enough ma'am this is the little I can do. what are you waiting for reach her on Whatsapp now she'll tell you everything you need to know and do. I assure you wont regret it, Contact her via Email: luciarodney95@gmail.com WhatsApp:+19169054120
Owen Hudson
10/18/2023
First off, I can’t say enough how AWESOME Sabrina of Balanced Obedience is. I thought that I would be able to train my pup myself. However, Bailey, my pup is going on 2 years old, Bailey was getting more rascal, and constantly testing my patience. I thought it was time to establish better behavior with a more seasoned trainer before Bailey’s behavior got any worse. I signed up to have Bailey do the 2 week board and training program. Before training, Bailey would drag me and take me for a walk, Lol…Sabrina not only corrected Bailey’s bad habits, but for the first time when I got her back from training, it was such a pleasure having Bailey heal by my side when going for walks. I never had that happen before. Now, it is like Bailey is a brand new Goodest girl EVER. Not only, does she heal by my side when we walk, she sits when we stop, just wow! Before training, Bailey would grip things in her mouth tighter when I ask for it, like I had to fight her to get it back. Now, when Bailey grabs things with her mouth, she drops it when I ask her to. Before, when I would have guests over, Bailey would just run towards them and have no concept of personal space. Now, she stays until given permission to greet them. There are so many positive aspects of Bailey’s training with Sabrina, that I could go on for days. I have so much joy in this new well behaved puppy of mine, all thanks to Sabrina and her excellent ways of training with assertiveness and love. I highly recommend Sabrina for your dog’s wellness behavior and training sessions. We believe and love Sabrina so much that we got a Golden-Doodle puppy from Sabrina and enrolling her in the 2 week board and train program. Also, if you have any questions, Sabrina is so responsive and helpful with tips post training as well. I highly recommend Sabrina for your dogs training needs. Did I mention how amazing Sabrina is? Having a well trained puppy does such wonders to our mental health as well. Thank you so much Sabrina!!!
MARISA S
10/14/2023
Our family first sought out Balanced Obedience because of a friend's recommendation. Our chocolate lab puppy was typically energetic but also getting into everything - eating rocks (and his poop), yanking us on walks, crying at night. Our family was stressed so we sent him to Puppy Boot Camp with Sabrina and she was a savior. Not only did she train our dog, Mo. She trained us. She gave us the tools we all needed to manage him. He can still be a rascal which is typical of his breed, but he's great in our 4 generation household. Gentle with the 84 year grandpa and 8 month old grandbaby. Socializes well with other dogs. All thanks to Sabrina and her team. We appreciate that the dogs that board at her Waimanalo space are all trained by her so they all know what the expectations and commands are. I've recommended many other families to her because of our experience. My cousin also had her service animal trained at Balance Obedience as well. I recently had to board Mo at another place when Sabrina was out of town, and although they were ok, it was nothing like Balanced Obedience. I could see it in his behavior. He wasn't happy at the other place. When Mo just hears Sabrina's voice on a video, he perks up and starts wagging his tail. When she picks him up, she jumps in the van with no hesitation. Mahalo to Sabrina and team for taking great care of our boy and all the other dog friends! Corey, Kawehi and Anela Apo
Kawehi A.
9/19/2023
I first started using Balanced Obedience through their online training program. I purchased the program and began working through it with my dog, Buddy. While working through the program, I noticed that Buddy and I needed some extra support and counseling, so I reached out to Sabrina for guidance. She IMMEDIATELY responded, listened to my concerns, and set up a time for Buddy and I to train in person to solidify our leadership skills together. My dog was very fearful and could be reactive to strangers. After completing the training, and having support from Sabrina, we formulated a strategy to help Buddy overcome his fearfulness. This was detrimental to his success with being placed with a foster family through Dogs on Deployment for my upcoming deployment. Buddy was able to meet a "stranger" family and trust both them, and me, enough to settle in. I can't say enough positive things about Sabrina, or Balanced Obedience!Arielle L.
7/27/2023
Sabrina is super nice and knowledgeable! If you are debating, just do a consultation. She will train you and your dog, and suggest the best course to enroll. My 3yo Chihuahua mix who was barking a lot during walk became much better after 1 lesson. I thought he had to do boot-camp to fix his behavior, but with Sabrina's suggestion we enrolled in online course. Also what you pay for consultation will be applied to the course you choose, so you won't waste money😉
m sato
7/13/2023
This is my first review ever, but Sabrina and Balanced Obedience are amazing! We have two Chocolate Lab puppies and while we all love them so much, they can be a lot of work. When we first got them it took us an hour every night to make a special place for them to sleep in our house since they weren’t able to sleep in the crates. It took another hour for us to get them to use the bathroom outside since they seemed to only want to do it on our carpets. We were enjoying the time we had with them as puppies, but we were putting in a lot of time training them and nothing seemed to make a difference. That’s when we heard about the Puppy Bootcamp, Sabrina did an amazing job and within two weeks they were potty trained, walking without pulling us and most importantly crate trained. Thanks to Sabrina and Balanced Obedience we don’t have to worry about where the next accident is, if they will freak out around other dogs or them being unable to sleep alone. She is always accommodating to any of our questions and although it is a “bootcamp”, our dogs are always so happy to see her and we can tell that she trains them with love and focuses on building a relationship with them. Every dog parent wants the best for their dog and whenever we travel it’s amazing that we have a place we can send them where we know they will be safe and cared for.
David Efhan
6/14/2023
Sabrina takes the best care of our French bulldog. He has been through puppy bootcamp, service dog training and goes for recurring training when he boards. We only trust him to Sabrina as he comes back happy, healthy and better trained every time!
Lily B.
5/24/2023
I did ower-trained service dog course. The guidance my service dog and I received from Balanced Obedience was life-changing. I did not have any prior knowledge about the service dog certification process, Sabrina and her team patiently provided step-by-step info, and detailed and accessible feedback as my dog and I progressed, regressed, and then progressed again. I highly recommend Balanced Obedience for their wide ranging expertise and trauma-informed approach!
Alexandra U
5/17/2023
I did the ower-trained service dog course and the guidance my service dog and I received from Balanced Obedience was life-changing. I did not have any prior knowledge about the service dog certification process, Sabrina and her team patiently provided step-by-step info, and detailed and accessible feedback as my dog and I progressed, regressed, and then progressed again. I highly recommend Balanced Obedience for their expertise and trauma-informed approach!
Alexandra U.
5/12/2023
Sabrina is a godsend! For a moment it looked like we might have to re-home our sweet little Max (beagle/terrier mix). For the most part, a goofy, energetic little guy that likes to love up on you, but we aren't sure how he was raised since we got him at 4 years old from the Humane Society. He showed some aggression a couple times so it was either obedience school or a new home. Sabrina taught us and Max a language to work together to keep everyone happy! He is soooo obedient now (although he still likes to test boundaries) but now we have the tools and support from Sabrina to help ensure that Max continues to stay a part of the family! No more trying to drag us along on walks, is learning more and more to display the behaviors that we want him to without prompting...it's really exciting!
Quinn Allen
5/07/2023
Sabrina is a godsend! For a moment it looked like we might have to re-home our sweet little Max (beagle/terrier mix). For the most part, a goofy, energetic little guy that likes to love up on you, but we aren't sure how he was raised since we got him at 4 years old from the Humane Society. He showed some aggression a couple times so it was either obedience school or a new home. Sabrina taught us and Max a language to work together to keep everyone happy! He is soooo obedient now (although he still likes to test boundaries) but now we have the tools and support from Sabrina to help ensure that Max continues to stay a part of the family! No more trying to drag us along on walks, is learning more and more to display the behaviors that we want him to without prompting...it's really exciting!
Quinn R. Allen
4/28/2023
Sabrina is a godsend! For a moment it looked like we might have to re-home our sweet little Max (beagle/terrier mix). For the most part, a goofy, energetic little guy that likes to love up on you, but we aren't sure how he was raised since we got him at 4 years old from the Humane Society. He showed some aggression a couple times so it was either obedience school or a new home. Sabrina taught us and Max a language to work together to keep everyone happy! He is soooo obedient now (although he still likes to test boundaries) but now we have the tools and support from Sabrina to help ensure that Max continues to stay a part of the family! No more trying to drag us along on walks, is learning more and more to display the behaviors that we want him to without prompting...it's really exciting! We're definitely keeping in touch for summer parties and boarding needs.
Vash T.
4/27/2023
We have a 6 month old Pomsky and tried out the 2 week boarding and training course for puppies. Our puppy was fairly obedient at home, but we couldn’t get him to listen in public settings even with treats. For the first time after getting his training he was significantly more responsive to our commands in public settings and will listen to direction even without treats. Sabrina is very professional and knowledgeable and we love that we continue to have her as a resource for guidance and tips even after training including opportunities to train in her group events. She offers a variety of services and canine behavior examinations and are glad we found her so we can also one day train with her service dog training program
Aivy Tran
4/18/2023
We recently adopted a doodle puppy last November. She had a hard time interacting with other dogs oftentimes by submitting and peeing. With people she would be so excited she would nip and pee. We decided to have Bailey go through a puppy bootcamp. It was the best decision we could have made! Sabrina, who trains the puppies, showed us how to help Bailey maintain control without losing her sweet personality! Sabrina was so patient with not only Bailey but us! If your puppy is a bit unruly I would highly recommend Sabrina for her expertise and kindness!
Kevin Loo
4/11/2023
I have known Sabrina for nine years, and I deeply respect her devotion to dog psychology, pack behavior, and the human/canine bond. Our family has two dogs from Sabrina; Teddy who is 9 1/2, and Blue who is 8. To see Sabrina in action with her dogs is nothing short of poetic. She embodies loving pack leadership; no need for harsh discipline or even treats to elicit good behavior. I still remember Sabrina's words when we brought Teddy into our family 9 years ago: "we reward good behavior with love, not treats". Sabrina's dogs adore her because she is a confident leader who loves her pack unconditionally. Over the years I have boarded my dogs with Sabrina. Every time we meet, she takes her time to offer advice on diet, flea prevention, and behavior modification. Most recently Blue earned his American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen award and is now well on his way to becoming a hospital therapy dog, in large part to Sabrina's excellent training. Sabrina inspires me to fulfill my lifelong dream of working with dogs. She believes in compassionate leadership. Her approach to canine health and behavior is holistic and she works tirelessly to help our community raise confident, well-adjusted dogs. I am grateful to know her, and I recommend her services to anyone looking for a dog trainer.
Claire Arcinas
4/09/2023
I’ve been sending my dog Abby to Sabrina for almost 10 years now. Both Abby and I have learned a lot from Sabrina and I’m just grateful I can trust someone with my dog. I can’t recommend Balanced Obedience enough!
Alica Panzer
4/03/2023
My pup Ender completed service training with Balanced Obedience. He came back totally dialed in. He is doing well and learning new skills every day! Thank you!!!John H.
3/13/2023
I am so happy with the results of my German Shepard ‘s 3 week boot camp training. Sabrina was very reassuring and knowledgeable. Her experience and training methods are both kind and effective! Delta is so much better and can come anywhere with us! Thank you so much Sabrina!
Stacy Swanke
2/07/2023
I am so happy with the results of my German Shepard ‘s 3 week boot camp training. Sabrina was very reassuring and knowledgeable. Her experience and training methods are both kind and effective! Delta is so much better and can come anywhere with us! Thank you so much Sabrina!
Stacy Geck
2/07/2023
I am so happy we went with Sabrina at Balanced Obedience! I always wanted to get into obedience training and welcomed into my home a working line German Shepherd-Delta. She had a lot more drive and was quite the handful compared to any other dog I have owned. Delta would "chose" when to obey commands or if it was preferable to lunge, destroy things or escape to chase my neighbors (literally). I was the only one who could handle her and couldn't leave her with family or friends. I didn't want to use a shock collar and was worried a professional trainer may be too harsh and break her fun loving personality. Sabrina was very reassuring and knowledgeable. She utilizes her experience with dog psychology and pack behaviors in her training methods. She was honest and down to earth about what I could expect from Delta at what ages. I couldn't be happier with the results of Delta's 3 week Doggie Boot Camp. She listens, is calm and I can include her in all our family activities - stress free and Delta is as fun loving as ever!Stacy S.
2/06/2023
i just wanted to write a post about how much Ive enjoyed taking my dog to Balanced Obedience for training and boarding. I have a 4 year old German Shepherd named Josie. When Josie was very young, she was a real handful: mouthy, ornery, unfocused and frankly exhausting. Josie's initial stay at the Boot Camp had a very big impact on her behavior, and ever since she has been a wonderfully easy dog to own. Sabrina's approach is effective and my dog loves going to her. The initial training was SO worth it and I continue to take Josie to Balanced Obedience for boarding and training, knowing that she is in good hands. I'm not a regular at posting things but wanted to recommend Sabrina at Balanced Obedience for training and caring for your dog
jason knoche
1/27/2023
We’re the owner of Mele, our 6 month old yellow lab. Youngest of three dogs in the household- boo boo is 12, Oreo is 14 and then there’s Mele. We’ve had Mele since she was 3 months old and wanted to get started on the right foot. She’s a very active dog and did the normal puppy stuff- jumping on us and our older dogs, pulling at the leash, nipping. Running and not calming easily. I was starting to get anxious, not knowing what to do to remedy this behavior which was starting to get out of control. We have three young grandsons and jumping and nipping and running was scary for them, and for us too. Our poor older dogs were not happy about the situation either. I did a lot of online research and word of mouth and contacted Sabrina at Balanced Obedience. Her training is based on positive reinforcement - no treats and no shock collars- which I really liked. After speaking to Sabrina we knew this was the place for Mele and for us. We took the leap and boarded her for two weeks training. It also gave us some time to regroup. In two weeks time Mele was a changed pup. When we picked her up we were trained on our behavior and our interaction with Mele (and we had also read Sabrina’s training manual beforehand cover to cover), and a follow up training two weeks later. And easy to email and text questions too. The training and follow up advice has been invaluable. I love walking with Mele and when she does misbehave we know exactly what to do to make corrections. And it works! So happy we made this decision.
Brook Gramann
12/25/2022
I took my 6 month old German Shepherd Josie to Puppy Boot Camp and was amazed at the difference: Before, she was jumping up, distracted and very mouthy with her affection but after, she was a brand-new dog! I think having her professionally trained early in her life was the best thing I ever did. Ever since the Boot Camp, she has been so obedient, focused on me and willing to learn that it makes our relationship only joyful. It has been three years since then, and never any behavioral issues or struggle. I'm still so glad with the results. Whenever i need someone to watch her, I continue to call Sabrina. I would highly recommend Balanced Obedience, especially for puppies like mine!Jason K.
10/27/2022
We absolutely love Balanced Obedience. Sabrina was great with dog training our new pup! It’s been two years and he does so well with following his commands and has been given lots of compliments by others in the community. If your thinking about training—- go to Balanced Obedience!
Tabitha N. Zamarripa
10/20/2022
Balanced Obedience, what a compassionate woman Sabrina is! We can't thank her enough for all her help and assistance through the service dog training and certification process! Amazing and compassionate work and highly recommend!
KATHERINE LEONARD
9/22/2022
Balanced Obedience, what acompassionate woman Sabrina is!We can't thank her enough for all herhelp and assistance through theservice dog training and certificationprocess! Amazing andcompassionate work and highlyrecommend!
Katie L.
8/26/2022
Balanced Obedience, what acompassionate woman Sabrina is!We can't thank her enough for all herhelp and assistance through theservice dog training and certificationprocess! Amazing andcompassionate work and highlyrecommend!
KATHERINE LEONARD
8/26/2022
My dog bear is an Akita Inu, he has been seeing Sabrina at Balanced obedience since he was 6 months old. We did the 3 week Boarding-Training and currently doing service dog training. Akitas are known to be stubborn and very independent. Right after the 3 week training Bear was listening to commands that were taught such as “sit, stay, come, leave it and heel”. Approaching the 2 year old age mark Bear became very rebellious. Sabrina told us it was normal and this was a dogs “teenage year”. When we would have to go on trips we would leave bear with Sabrina at Balanced Obedience for the boarding-training and he came back very obedient. We constantly ask Sabrina how to deal with his stubbornness and she is willing to meet up to teach us and train bear more so he can give us an easier time and pass his public access test. But you have to remember that having a well trained dog isn’t all on the dog. There is lots of practices and training that comes from the owner that the dog listens to. Staying consistent and strict with training will have a great outcome. Sabrina teaches with no treats or harmful techniques. (Which helps so much because I don’t like carrying treats everywhere and it helps save money lol) she uses positive reinforcement techniques and praise. My dog loves to see Sabrina, although he is very tired at the end of the day with her he has a good time. Bear is very stubborn and lazy but even my big stubborn lazy dog will listen and do the work. He is also very scared of escalators and with Sabrina’s help and advice he listens and improves. If you want to have your dog be trained with love and care but also have a great relationship with the trainer I highly recommend Balanced Obedience.
Paloma Puma
8/01/2022
Our highly obstinate and strong-willed European Doberman, (Cutter) has been training with Balanced Obedience since he was four months old. He began his training with Sabrina in a two- week puppy boot camp. He displayed his stubborn nature right from the start; when Sabrina asked to keep him for a third week to fine-tune his training–at no additional cost we were confident she could teach him the right way! He came home fully potty-trained, understood commands, and learned how to fit in our family of four, (two elementary school aged daughters). The techniques that Sabrina has taught our dog, and more importantly us, have grown with him. Allowing our small tween daughter to create a special bond as a handler to this 100+lb Doberman, whom she can skillfully control. We meet with Sabrina every few months to work out kinks as he continues to grow, test boundaries, and challenge the pack leaders. We get updated tools & techniques as Cutter passes through the challenging puppy years into teenage adolescence and adulthood. In addition, Sabrina has provided us with guidance on nutrition, the best time to neuter; to get the benefits of testosterone and growth, collars, leashes, and flea/tick prevention. Make sure to discuss flea prevention; Sabrina is passionate about how to best protect your pet. Our fast-growing dog (from 15 to 90lbs in six months) outgrew collars almost overnight, and she would swap them out for us regularly to keep Cutter in size-appropriate training gear. Having small kids and a Doberman, we wanted to provide the best training to ensure our kids felt confident in their ability to handle such a big dog. The Balanced Obedience technique of positive reinforcement has formed a stubborn boy into a wonderful smart dog who just wants to make us proud. You will not regret reaching out to Sabrina; she will be your dog’s trainer for life!
Adam Barton
7/22/2022
We first went to Balanced Obedience to get our dog trained and enrolled him into the 3 week bootcamp, its been years since then and our dog bear is still very obedient and easy to walk. Since then we've put him into boarding whenever we won't be at home, where he also works on other commands that he may be stubborn about, and he comes back happy and even more reinforced on other commands. Balanced Obedience is a great place for any dog to stay since the owner has worked with many dog breeds in all her experience handling dogs.
Ralph Edades
7/22/2022
I am very cautious about who I leave my dog with but I feel completely comfortable leaving my dog with Sabrina. She is a great dog trainer and worth the investment. I booked him for the two week bootcamp and it has made a big difference in his behavior. I spent a lot of time training my dog using only treats and positive reinforcement. I trained him often but as he approached one year old he began to develop behaviors that I couldn't control and he was beginning to show signs of aggression. It seemed like every new dog that he met led to a more severe reaction from him. He also loved jumping up on people and excitedly getting to them while barking and pulling me to get there.I would beg him to come back and bribe him with treats, but it got to the point where he wouldn't listen to me and I would be embarrassed. I didn't know how to handle my dog. My dog listens to Sabrina. All the work she had done during the two weeks shows. She also took the time to teach me and my husband how to better handle our dog. She even taught us how it safely introduce our dog to other dogs. He even met a dog he hadn't met before and he was so calm! He hasn't jumped up since getting home, he walks next to us, and he has been so nice to be around! On top of being better behaved, he was so content after his stay. He seems like he had a great time with all of the other dogs there and I can tell he also really likes Sabrina. I think he will be excited to go back! I feel so lucky that I met Sabrina and that she helped us as much as she has! This two week training has changed our lives for the better. I plan on using all the resources she provided us with and having our dog stay with her again in the future. I am so happy that I went through with the bootcamp, I have learned a better way to train him and I feel so confident bringing him outside, and now I know the best way to deal with behaviors that I don't want him to have. It was 100% worth the investment and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Rebecca kopec
7/22/2022
We first heard about Balanced Obedience from a friend who had their puppy attend Doggie Boot Camp. They were so impressed with the results, “night and day difference”. So we enrolled our dog, a beagle, at 11 months of age in the 2 wk Doggie Boot Camp. He came to our family only 8 wks old. He is a very playful, energetic and loving guy. He is also very stubborn. Walks were painful since he would pull until he tired himself out. He loves his crate but would bark when we left the house or had company. He would couch and table surf. He would jump on guests. And he would pick up anything left on the ground. Since having completed the camp we have noticed a huge improvement. He no longer pulls on walks. He listens to commands such as sit and down. We’ve been working on the leave it command. Before he would pick up a Kleenex from the ground and refuse to give it up but now he drops it when instructed to. We had to leave him an extra week per Sabrina’s recommendation and we were happy we did. Our puppy has been back home with us for about 4 wks now. You have to continue to put in the work and build on the foundation that Sabrina laid out. We have a very challenging beagle, it has not been easy but being able to contact Sabrina through email or text has been extremely helpful. The fact that she’s available after the camp is comforting. We went back a week later to make sure we were following the training correctly. We feel very comfortable boarding our puppy with her in the future. Thank you so much Sabrina and the staff at Balanced Obedience!!
Tracy M
7/22/2022
Our highly obstinate and strong-willed European Doberman, (Cutter) has been training with Balanced Obedience since he was four months old. He began his training with Sabrina in a two-week puppy boot camp. He displayed his stubborn nature right from the start; when Sabrina asked to keep him for a third week to fine-tune his training–at no additional cost we were confident she could teach him the right way! He came home fully potty-trained, understood commands, and learned how to fit in our family of four, (two elementary school aged daughters). The techniques that Sabrina has taught our dog, and more importantly us, have grown with him. Allowing our small tween daughter to create a special bond as a handler to this 100+lb Doberman, whom she can skillfully control. We meet with Sabrina every few months to work out kinks as he continues to grow, test boundaries, and challenge the pack leaders. We get updated tools & techniques as Cutter passes through the challenging puppy years into teenage adolescence and adulthood. In addition, Sabrina has provided us with guidance on nutrition, the best time to neuter; to get the benefits of testosterone and growth, collars, leashes, and flea/tick prevention. Make sure to discuss flea prevention; Sabrina is passionate about how to best protect your pet. Our fast-growing dog (from 15 to 90lbs in six months) outgrew collars almost overnight, and she would swap them out for us regularly to keep Cutter in size-appropriate training gear. Having small kids and a Doberman, we wanted to provide the best training to ensure our kids felt confident in their ability to handle such a big dog. The Balanced Obedience technique of positive reinforcement has formed a stubborn boy into a wonderful smart dog who just wants to make us proud. You will not regret reaching out to Sabrina; she will be your dog’s trainer for life!
Adam Barton
7/14/2022
Our highly obstinate and strong-willed European Doberman, (Cutter) has been training with Balanced Obedience since he was four months old. He began his training with Sabrina in a two-week puppy boot camp. He displayed his stubborn nature right from the start; when Sabrinaasked to keep him for a third week to fine-tune his training-at no additional cost we were confident she could teach him the right way! He came home fully potty-trained, understood commands, and learned how to fit in our family of four, (two elementary school aged daughters). The techniques that Sabrina has taught our dog, and more importantly us, have grown with him.Allowing our small tween daughter to create a special bond as a handler to this 100+lb Doberman, whom she can skillfully control. We meet with Sabrina every few months to work out kinks as he continues to grow, test boundaries, and challenge the pack leaders. We get updated tools & techniques as Cutter passes through the challenging puppy years into teenage adolescence and adulthood. In addition, Sabrina has provided us with guidance on nutrition, the best time to neuter; to get the benefits of testosterone and growth, collars, leashes, and flea/tick prevention. Make sure to discuss flea prevention; Sabrina is passionate about how to best protect your pet. Our fast-growing dog (from 15 to 90lbs in six months) outgrew collars almost overnight, and she would swap them out for us regularly to keep Cutter in size-appropriate training gear. Having small kids and a Doberman, we wanted to provide the best training to ensure our kids felt confident in their ability to handle such a big dog. The Balanced Obedience technique of positive reinforcement has formed a stubborn boy into a wonderful smart dog who just wants to make us proud. You will not regret reaching out to Sabrina; she will be your dog's trainer for life!
Adam B.
7/14/2022
Our highly obstinate and strong-willed European Doberman, (Cutter) has been training with Balanced Obedience since he was four months old. He began his training with Sabrina in a two-week puppy boot camp. He displayed his stubborn nature right from the start; when Sabrina asked to keep him for a third week to fine-tune his training–at no additional cost we were confident she could teach him the right way! He came home fully potty-trained, understood commands, and learned how to fit in our family of four, (two elementary school aged daughters).The techniques that Sabrina has taught our dog, and more importantly us, have grown with him. Allowing our small tween daughter to create a special bond as a handler to this 100+lbDoberman, whom she can skillfully control. We meet with Sabrina every few months to work out kinks as he continues to grow, test boundaries, and challenge the pack leaders. We getupdated tools & techniques as Cutter passes through the challenging puppy years into teenage adolescence and adulthood. In addition, Sabrina has provided us with guidance on nutrition, the best time to neuter; to get the benefits of testosterone and growth, collars, leashes, and flea/tickprevention. Make sure to discuss flea prevention; Sabrina is passionate about how to best protect your pet. Our fast-growing dog (from 15 to 90lbs in six months) outgrew collars almostovernight, and she would swap them out for us regularly to keep Cutter in size-appropriate training gear. Having small kids and a Doberman, we wanted to provide the best training to ensure our kids felt confident in their ability to handle such a big dog. The Balanced Obedience technique of positive reinforcement has formed a stubborn boy into a wonderful smart dog who just wants to make us proud. You will not regret reaching out to Sabrina; she will be your dog’s trainer for life!
Adam Barton
7/14/2022
My wife and I were looking for a board and train for our 1 year old border collie/husky mix. He was a great dog when it was just us in the home, but gets very excited, jumpy and barky when he sees someone that could give him pets or another dog to play with. Within the last month or two we had noticed several moments of aggression with other dogs. Hadn't led to any serious issues yet, but definitely something we wanted to get under control. We had chose Balanced Obedience for a 2 week board and train and have no regrets. The before and after of when we dropped him off and picked him up was such a stark difference. He is much more disciplined with his greetings and his walking. Sabrina had sent us several updates and photos during the training, which we appreciated. She also provided a lot of resources for us to continue his training at home. I would definitely recommend Balanced Obedience to anyone having behavior concerns with their dog or anyone who just wants some extra training.
Steven Camacho
7/07/2022
I am very cautious about who I leave my dog with but I feel completely comfortable leaving my dog with Sabrina. She is a great dog trainer and worth the investment. I booked him for the two week bootcamp and it has made a big difference in his behavior.
I spent a lot of time training my dog using only treats and positive reinforcement. I trained him often but as he approached one year old he began to develop behaviors that I couldn't control and he was beginning to show signs of aggression. It seemed like every new dog that he met led to a more severe reaction from him.
He also loved jumping up on people and excitedly getting to them while barking and pulling me to get there.I would beg him to come back and bribe him with treats, but it got to the point where he wouldn't listen to me and I would be embarrassed. I didn't know how to handle my dog.
My dog listens to Sabrina. All the work she had done during the two weeks shows. She also took the time to teach me and my husband how to better handle our dog. She even taught us how it safely introduce our dog to other dogs. He even met a dog he hadn't met before and he was so calm! He hasn't jumped up since getting home, he walks next to us, and he has been so nice to be around! On top of being better behaved, he was so content after his stay. He seems like he had a great time with all of the other dogs there and I can tell he also really likes Sabrina. I think he will be excited to go back!
I feel so lucky that I met Sabrina and that she helped us as much as she has! This two week training has changed our lives for the better. I plan on using all the resources she provided us with and having our dog stay with her again in the future. I am so happy that I went through with the bootcamp, I have learned a better way to train him and I feel so confident bringing him outside, and now I know the best way to deal with behaviors that I don't want him to have. It was 100% worth the investment and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
I spent a lot of time training my dog using only treats and positive reinforcement. I trained him often but as he approached one year old he began to develop behaviors that I couldn't control and he was beginning to show signs of aggression. It seemed like every new dog that he met led to a more severe reaction from him.
He also loved jumping up on people and excitedly getting to them while barking and pulling me to get there.I would beg him to come back and bribe him with treats, but it got to the point where he wouldn't listen to me and I would be embarrassed. I didn't know how to handle my dog.
My dog listens to Sabrina. All the work she had done during the two weeks shows. She also took the time to teach me and my husband how to better handle our dog. She even taught us how it safely introduce our dog to other dogs. He even met a dog he hadn't met before and he was so calm! He hasn't jumped up since getting home, he walks next to us, and he has been so nice to be around! On top of being better behaved, he was so content after his stay. He seems like he had a great time with all of the other dogs there and I can tell he also really likes Sabrina. I think he will be excited to go back!
I feel so lucky that I met Sabrina and that she helped us as much as she has! This two week training has changed our lives for the better. I plan on using all the resources she provided us with and having our dog stay with her again in the future. I am so happy that I went through with the bootcamp, I have learned a better way to train him and I feel so confident bringing him outside, and now I know the best way to deal with behaviors that I don't want him to have. It was 100% worth the investment and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Rebecca k
7/06/2022
Sabrina is an excellent dog trainer. I am so grateful that she has taken the time to train our dog. We signed up for the two week bootcamp and it has absolutely made a difference in our dogs behavior. I believe the relationship we have with our dog will forever be better because of the two weeks he spent with Sabrina.I have an 11 month old dog that I was determined to raise with only positive reinforcement. I watched so many youtube videos and followed that way of training as well as I could. Right when he hit adolescence he became incredibly challenging. It got to the point where I was afraid to have other people greet him because he would jump, cry, pull, and not stop until he got to them. People began to become afraid of him and I became embarrassed. His greeting other dogs was even worse. It started off with him being an overly excited greeter and recently led to him being more aggressive. It felt like his greetings were getting worse every time he met a new dog and we were on a path to him eventually biting another dog (or person.) I was bribing him with treats, pulling him away, begging him to listen and he just wasn't listening anymore. I felt helpless and defeated. I put so much effort into socializing and training him, but the way I was doing it clearly wasn't working for my dog. Sabrina was informative from the moment I dropped my dog off. My dog was on his worst behavior and she was instantly teaching me how to correct him and how to behave myself to get the best behavior out of him. At pickup it was immediately noticeable that he was better behaved and he also seemed so content and willing to listen to Sabrina! Sabrina instructed my husband an I on the proper way to have him greet us and others. She took a lot of time to teach us how to properly walk him, how to have him practice commands, and how we should deliver those commands and position ourselves to have him respect us. He now listens so well when we do commands the way she instructed us to. Also she brought out a dog he hadn't met before and instructed us on how to do a calm greeting between the two of them and it seemed like a miracle because my dog was calm!Having your dog trained by Sabrina is absolutely worth the investment. I learned so much from her and I can't wait to continue to train my dog in her style and leave the bribing and begging behind. She offers support for a lifetime so I feel like I have the resources to be able to help my dog become the best version of himself he can be. I feel so relieved and empowered and a lot less worried for my dogs future. We found Sabrina at the perfect time!Rebecca K.
7/06/2022
Simply the best! We would recommend Sabrina to anyone wanting a well trained puppy/dog. She and her staff are So patient and we couldn't be happier with the result!Mieko G.
6/11/2022
I am so, so incredibly grateful for Sabrina and the whole team at Balanced Obedience. I made a yelp account solely to sing my praises. My chocolate lab, Ozzy, went to the doggy boot camp for his last stage of training to be a service dog. When Ozzy came back to me, he was still just as happy, just as loving, but incredibly obedient. When searching for training for Ozzy, I was admittedly concerned about boarding him. I've heard one too many horror stories about animal abuse and neglect. Reading Sabrina's reviews definitely made me feel better, in addition to the comprehensive information provided immediately during the consultation. When discussing terms and the training plan, Sabrina was reassuring and confident.The facility itself was beautiful. There was plenty of room for the dogs to roam and play. Ozzy was very comfortable in the space and with Sabrina and her staff immediately. They took the time to break everything down and explain it to a very worried me (having my service animal without me for two weeks was scary!) even venturing to explain her educational background (both psychology AND zoology) which ascertained her skill and knowledge. You can tell she loves the dogs, and she loves her job.Throughout the two week period, I texted nearly every day to check in. I turned into a full-on helicopter mom, but Sabrina let me know how he was doing and sent lots of pictures and updates. When I went to pick him up, Ozzy was absolutely perfect; happy, healthy, and super obedient. At home now, he's much calmer and always listens. I missed him, but it was SO worth it. I cannot recommend Sabrina and Balanced Obedience enough. 🙂Nicole N.
6/07/2022
I did a lot of research across all sorts of training methods and options and trainers. Ultimately I selected Sabrina at Balanced Obedience and am so glad I did. Mele is our 6 month old yellow lab; we've had her with us since she was 3 months old. She had the normal puppy issues - jumping, nipping, pulling. We have three young grandchildren and I wanted to get off to the right start with Mele esp with the kids always in the house. Lots of activity, noise and she was beginning to get very excitable (jumping more, nipping etc) and I was getting anxious. Not a good combo. We also have two older dogs, 14 and 12 and she was nipping at them. This stopped and when it does happen we know how to prevent it I selected the two week boarding with Sabrina and wow it was incredible. She came back a calmer, obedient pup and the best thing is - we were also trained on what to do, not do. Mele just wants to please us and we now have the tools to have a great relationship.
Brook G.
6/01/2022
My husband and I have a 10 month old GSD who had been displaying signs of aggression at home and in public from a very early age (4mo). I was covered in bruises, cuts, bite marks all over my body. He was a bully in the household and was terrorizing our marriage. He would bite, lunge at people and other dogs, and needed to be very sedated for all vet appointments. I will be very honest I was done with him and was very much ready to rehome him. That's when my husband found Sabrina. We made a deal; if this training didn't work we would rehome him. I was very skeptical and really believed our Shepherd was truly beyond help. I almost hoped it didn't work just to be done with this dog. Jaeger, our GSD stayed with Sabrina for 3 weeks, she was very honest and open from the get go, telling us yes he can be trained however due to his history we also need to have realistic expectations that he is a male shepherd and will need strong, confident handlers for the remainder of his life and if we can't be that for him, rehoming can be an option. I really appreciated her honesty and knowledge from the beginning. Sabrina knows what she's talking about and knew the breed well. Fast forward 3 weeks, we arrive at her location to a completely new dog, remember now, this is the same dog that has bitten me, left scars on my hand and legs, and could not be seen in public due to aggression, here he is sitting calmly by her side waiting for us to step out of our car. She demonstrates all of the techniques she has taught him (sit, down, leave it, heel) over the past few weeks with us and I am blown away, our dog is no longer pulling on the leash, lunging, biting, or terrorizing our house. It's been almost 2 months since training and I will be very honest, I love this dog, he has turned from our worst nightmare to our best friend, as I am writing this he is calmly laying at my side sleeping. He had his first vet appointment yesterday with NO SEDATIVES, the technicians all noticed he is a different dog, he was giving everyone kisses at the vet and really for the first time actually seemed to enjoy being there! We go to Lowes to practice commands with distractions, we go to the park, we can eat dinner and watch tv with him at our side, it's incredible. Sabrina has given us the tools and confidence to grow with him. He really is our partner now, he really is a different animal altogether. He was never affectionate with me ever, now, he's giving me kisses, looks for me when I'm not in the same room as him, and will gladly sleep at my side as we watch tv together. Sabrina gave us our life back, this whole story may sound cheesy, but it was very real. We had a real problem and were given a solution. We can't thank Sabrina enough, we recommend her to all of our friends. Jaeger is a work in progress, we work hard every day, we have ups and downs, but the biggest takeaway for me is seeing a happy, balanced dog, I believe he really understands his role now and is truly part of our pack.
Jenny Arellano
3/22/2022
I've heard such great things about Balanced Obedience. Wonderful place for your pooch!
Vicky T.
3/20/2022
My husband and I have a 10 month old GSD who had been displaying signs of aggression at home and in public from a very early age (4mo). I was covered in bruises, cuts, bite marks all over my body. He was a bully in the household and was terrorizing our marriage. He would bite, lunge at people and other dogs, and needed to be very sedated for all vet appointments. I will be very honest I was done with him and was very much ready to rehome him. That's when my husband found Sabrina. We made a deal; if this training didn't work we would rehome him. I was very skeptical and really believed our Shepherd was truly beyond help. I almost hoped it didn't work just to be done with this dog. Jaeger, our GSD stayed with Sabrina for 3 weeks, she was very honest and open from the get go, telling us yes he can be trained however due to his history we also need to have realistic expectations that he is a male shepherd and will need strong, confident handlers for the remainder of his life and if we can't be that for him, rehoming can be an option. I really appreciated her honesty and knowledge from the beginning. Sabrina knows what she's talking about and knew the breed well. Fast forward 3 weeks, we arrive at her location to a completely new dog, remember now, this is the same dog that has bitten me, left scars on my hand and legs, and could not be seen in public due to aggression, here he is sitting calmly by her side waiting for us to step out of our car. She demonstrates all of the techniques she has taught him (sit, down, leave it, heel) over the past few weeks with us and I am blown away, our dog is no longer pulling on the leash, lunging, biting, or terrorizing our house. It's been almost 2 months since training and I will be very honest, I love this dog, he has turned from our worst nightmare to our best friend, as I am writing this he is calmly laying at my side sleeping. He had his first vet appointment yesterday with NO SEDATIVES, the technicians all noticed he is a different dog, he was giving everyone kisses at the vet and really for the first time actually seemed to enjoy being there! We go to Lowes to practice commands with distractions, we go to the park, we can eat dinner and watch tv with him at our side, it's incredible. Sabrina has given us the tools and confidence to grow with him. He really is our partner now, he really is a different animal altogether. He was never affectionate with me ever, now, he's giving me kisses, looks for me when I'm not in the same room as him, and will gladly sleep at my side as we watch tv together. Sabrina gave us our life back, this whole story may sound cheesy, but it was very real. We had a real problem and were given a solution. We can't thank Sabrina enough, we recommend her to all of our friends. Jaeger is a work in progress, we work hard every day, we have ups and downs, but the biggest takeaway for me is seeing a happy, balanced dog, I believe he really understands his role now and is truly part of our pack.
Jenny Kaneshina
3/15/2022
My husband and I have a 10 month old GSD who had been displaying signs of aggression at home and in public from a very early age (4mo). I was covered in bruises, cuts, bite marks all over my body. He was a bully in the household and was terrorizing our marriage. He would bite, lunge at people and other dogs, and needed to be very sedated for all vet appointments. I will be very honest I was done with him and was very much ready to rehome him. That's when my husband found Sabrina. We made a deal; if this training didn't work we would rehome him. I was very skeptical and really believed our Shepherd was truly beyond help. I almost hoped it didn't work just to be done with this dog. Jaeger, our GSD stayed with Sabrina for 3 weeks, she was very honest and open from the get go, telling us yes he can be trained however due to his history we also need to have realistic expectations that he is a male shepherd and will need strong, confident handlers for the remainder of his life and if we can't be that for him, rehoming can be an option. I really appreciated her honesty and knowledge from the beginning. Sabrina knows what she's talking about and knew the breed well. Fast forward 3 weeks, we arrive at her location to a completely new dog, remember now, this is the same dog that has bitten me, left scars on my hand and legs, and could not be seen in public due to aggression, here he is sitting calmly by her side waiting for us to step out of our car. She demonstrates all of the techniques she has taught him (sit, down, leave it, heel) over the past few weeks with us and I am blown away, our dog is no longer pulling on the leash, lunging, biting, or terrorizing our house. It's been almost 2 months since training and I will be very honest, I love this dog, he has turned from our worst nightmare to our best friend, as I am writing this he is calmly laying at my side sleeping. He had his first vet appointment yesterday with NO SEDATIVES, the technicians all noticed he is a different dog, he was giving everyone kisses at the vet and really for the first time actually seemed to enjoy being there! We go to Lowes to practice commands with distractions, we go to the park, we can eat dinner and watch tv with him at our side, it's incredible. Sabrina has given us the tools and confidence to grow with him. He really is our partner now, he really is a different animal altogether. He was never affectionate with me ever, now, he's giving me kisses, looks for me when I'm not in the same room as him, and will gladly sleep at my side as we watch tv together. Sabrina gave us our life back, this whole story may sound cheesy, but it was very real. We had a real problem and were given a solution. We can't thank Sabrina enough, we recommend her to all of our friends. Jaeger is a work in progress, we work hard every day, we have ups and downs, but the biggest takeaway for me is seeing a happy, balanced dog, I believe he really understands his role now and is truly part of our pack.
Jenny Arellano
3/15/2022
Sabrina is a wonderful trainer! We sent our pup to her Puppy Boot Camp and saw marked improvements in her behavior and obedience after 2 weeks. She gave us good tips and handling advice. We continue to take our dog for boarding, training and fun/safe socialization with other dogs. Highly recommend!Kira K.
3/05/2022
What an amazing experience! We have a highly intelligent and stubborn cattle dog...aka" Australian Blue Heeler". I have to say Sabrina is amazing and trained or pup and us on how to work with his energy! She is an amazing dog trainer and boarder. We recently had a last minute birthday trip planned for our daughter and Sabrina amazingly said to drop him off and she would take care of the rest. Once we dropped him off we received multiple texts on his well being and what he was up to! I highly recommend Balanced Obedience for training and Boarding. Piece of mind when you leave a family member is priceless!!Sterling R.
3/05/2022
My husband and I have a 10 month old GSD who had been displaying signs of aggression at home and in public from a very early age (4mo). I was covered in bruises, cuts, bite marks all over my body. He was a bully in the household and was terrorizing our marriage. He would bite, lunge at people and other dogs, and needed to be very sedated for all vet appointments. I will be very honest I was done with him and was very much ready to rehome him. That's when my husband found Sabrina. We made a deal; if this training didn't work we would rehome him. I was very skeptical and really believed our Shepherd was truly beyond help. I almost hoped it didn't work just to be done with this dog. Jaeger, our GSD stayed with Sabrina for 3 weeks, she was very honest and open from the get go, telling us yes he can be trained however due to his history we also need to have realistic expectations that he is a male shepherd and will need strong, confident handlers for the remainder of his life and if we can't be that for him, rehoming can be an option. I really appreciated her honesty and knowledge from the beginning. Sabrina knows what she's talking about and knew the breed well. Fast forward 3 weeks, we arrive at her location to a completely new dog, remember now, this is the same dog that has bitten me, left scars on my hand and legs, and could not be seen in public due to aggression, here he is sitting calmly by her side waiting for us to step out of our car. She demonstrates all of the techniques she has taught him (sit, down, leave it, heel) over the past few weeks with us and I am blown away, our dog is no longer pulling on the leash, lunging, biting, or terrorizing our house. It's been almost 2 months since training and I will be very honest, I love this dog, he has turned from our worst nightmare to our best friend, as I am writing this he is calmly laying at my side sleeping. He had his first vet appointment yesterday with NO SEDATIVES, the technicians all noticed he is a different dog, he was giving everyone kisses at the vet and really for the first time actually seemed to enjoy being there! We go to Lowes to practice commands with distractions, we go to the park, we can eat dinner and watch tv with him at our side, it's incredible. Sabrina has given us the tools and confidence to grow with him. He really is our partner now, he really is a different animal altogether. He was never affectionate with me ever, now, he's giving me kisses, looks for me when I'm not in the same room as him, and will gladly sleep at my side as we watch tv together. Sabrina gave us our life back, this whole story may sound cheesy, but it was very real. We had a real problem and were given a solution. We can't thank Sabrina enough, we recommend her to all of our friends. Jaeger is a work in progress, we work hard every day, we have ups and downs, but the biggest takeaway for me is seeing a happy, balanced dog, I believe he really understands his role now and is truly part of our pack.
Jennifer A.
2/24/2022
If you’re considering training- I highly recommend it. I considered bringing our dog to Sabrina a few times over the last three years. He’s stubborn, nervous and has a tough time with strangers (dogs and humans). I was hesitating because I wasn’t sure if it would be worth the investment. But in June 2021, we decided it was time. We live in the city and it is important to us that he knows how to behave in busy environments. Fenway will never be a trusting, chill dog, but Sabrina gave us all the tools we need to ensure that he can remain a member of our family. Since his 3 week training with Sabrina, we have been told several times how well behaved he is. He needed structure but he also still loves to snuggle. Words cannot express my gratitude to Sabrina for her patience and balanced approach to training our unique dog. She told us immediately that she could tell how much we loved him and she also set very clear and kind expectations that he was likely going to continue to challenge us. He does. But we love him and now we know the tools we need to make the best decision for each situation. I write this review so that if anyone, who like me, is debating the value of training for their dog, knows how much it has helped us. It’s worth the investment.
Samantha Long
11/20/2021
If you're considering training- I highly recommend it. I considered bringing our dog to Sabrina a few times over the last three years. He's stubborn, nervous and has a tough time with strangers (dogs and humans). I was hesitating because I wasn't sure if it would be worth the investment. But in June 2021, we decided it was time. We live in the city and it is important to us that he knows how to behave in busy environments. Fenway will never be a trusting, chill dog, but Sabrina gave us all the tools we need to ensure that he can remain a member of our family. Since his 3 week training with Sabrina, we have been told several times how well behaved he is. He needed structure but he also still loves to snuggle. Words cannot express my gratitude to Sabrina for her patience and balanced approach to training our unique dog. She told us immediately that she could tell how much we loved him and she also set very clear and kind expectations that he was likely going to continue to challenge us. He does. But we love him and now we know the tools we need to make the best decision for each situation. I write this review so that if anyone, who like me, is debating the value of training for their dog, knows how much it has helped us. It's worth the investment.
Sam L.
11/19/2021
We love Sabrina and Balanced Obedience! Our Black Labrador Retriever went to boot camp because she pulled on her leash during walks, chewed on things in the house that were not hers (i.e. shoes and furniture), jumped on people, and on the couch, went up on tables and counters to get human food. We had adopted her at 11 months old and she had learned some bad behaviors that she needed to unlearn. During the boot camp we texted Sabrina for updates and received pictures of our smiling dog! After the two week boot camp there was a clear difference in her demeanor. With patience, commitment and time we worked on all the foundations that Sabrina helped to put in place. Our friends have shared, "she is like a completely different dog!" and "she is doing so good!" Our lives are so much more pleasant and walking our dog is the highlight of our day! She heels really well, and follows her basic commands: sit, down, stay, come, leave it and drop it. It has been 6 months since boot camp and our next goals are for her to greet other dogs calmly and obey commands and stay close to us when off leash. What I love most is that we continue to work with Sabrina post boot camp where we have quick training sessions with other dogs around and Sabrina asks us about our specific goals moving forward. This has greatly helped to introduce more distractions in a controlled environment. The refreshers, reinforcement, support and practice is really what helps to keep our doggie (and us) balanced and create new and better habits. Sabrina also provided incredible training equipment (multiple collars and leashes to support a gradual release), and has provided advice on diet and her digestive system. It is so clear that Sabrina loves doggies, and our doggie surely loves Sabrina!Lindsey B.
11/19/2021
Sabrina is wonderful! She is extremely knowledgeable, professional, kind, generous, and dedicated to training all types of dogs. After researching a few puppy boot camps on Oahu, and then meeting with Sabrina for an initial consultation, my boyfriend and I sent Cola, our 4-month-old chocolate brown chihuahua terrier mix, to the 2-week puppy boot camp in March 2021. It was a considerable price in proportion to our limited budget but every penny has been so worth it. Other trainers on Oahu are actually priced the same or more. Sabrina was so dedicated to our puppy's success that she gave her a 3rd week of training for free (Cola's a stubborn girl)! What sold me most on choosing Sabrina was meeting with her and learning that she uses praise-based training (no treats). Cola's training did not end at the 3-week mark either because Sabrina is still regularly checking in with us via text and meeting at our home and hers to do follow-ups. The training guide she provides after boot camp is an excellent resource and Sabrina has been so helpful in guiding us with how to tailor some of the commands and training for our stubborn pup. Our experience has been nothing but positive. I highly recommend and TRUST Sabrina for dog training and I definitely plan to use her services again for training camps and boarding.
Susie Graeb
10/22/2021
We brought our 4 year old Blue Heeler, Josey Wales, to Sabrina for training and have been so impressed! Although this was a hard financial decision for us, the training has been so great that we are glad we took the leap to employ outside professional help for our misbehaved pup. Sabrina is insightful, knowledgeable and personable. She genuinely listened to our needs and helped us understand how to best communicate with our dog. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
Virginia Lea McDowell
10/22/2021
I have an old stubborn Frenchie that I was losing hope on, but loved too much to stop trying. After plenty of research I came across Balanced Obedience. I reached out to Sabrina for training. She trained my Frenchie to be obedient to a leader and showed me how to take back control of our relationship. Our Frenchie now respects me as the leader and it has made a world of difference in our household. After the training program, we boarded our Frenchie with Sabrina on short notice. She was able to accommodate him and she returned him with a bath. Throughout our dogs’ experiences with Sabrina, she has fed him quality food, kept us updated on his training and boarding, and educated us about how we can help our dog have a better lifestyle. Our family is very thankful for Sabrina Clark! She has helped my dog and I in so many ways. I know we can count on her in the future to be there for us again. She is very reliable, honest, professional, and is really passionate about what she does. Qualities that are hard to come across these days.
Kathleen Kang
10/22/2021
Sabrina is a wonderful trainer. She has done such an amazing job with our Paco (a stubborn French bulldog). We notice how happy Paco is when he stays there for a few days or weeks. Totally recommended, anytime we are out of town we have the peace of mind that he is in the best place enjoying the boot camp while socializing with other dogs
diana paola rodado
10/22/2021
We can’t thank Sabrina at Balanced obidience enough, for the tremendous transformation we’ve seen in our puppy. We put our (16 week old) puppy through the 2 week doggie boot camp, and she came home a different dog. Calmer, more obedient and with a whole bunch of new tricks! We almost couldn’t believe that she was the same dog. One of the biggest challenges we faced was her pulling during walks. She now walks calmly at our feet. So calmly, even our children can walk her without effort. (See pic) thank you so much Sabrina and Balanced Obedience for turning our rambunctious pup into a loving family dog.
lara wyant
10/22/2021
Very professional,reliable and the ultimate dog whisperer.:) Our dog Paco comes home stoked everytime
jeremiah ford
10/22/2021
Being a new dog owner, I didn't know how to deal with a bundle of energy from my new Frenchie puppy. I also wasn't ready for his stubborn disposition. I asked around in my neighborhood and my tennis circles and each of the families had the same recommendation - Sabrina. I sent my pup to Sabrina for a three week camp and was just delighted with the result. But the most difficult was retraining my family to becoming good dog owners. That was three years ago. I have recommended her to for four other difficult or unruly (but loving and cute..) doggies, both older and puppies, and each one of them have become wonderful dogs! The families thank me for the referral. We travel a couple of times a year so we send our baby to Sabrina and he comes back reinforced and even a better dog each time. He loves Sabrina when she comes to pick him up. He jumps in her car even before I can say goodbye. Highly recommended.Christine C.
8/26/2021
I have an old stubborn Frenchie that I was losing hope on, but loved too much to stop trying. After plenty of research I came across Balanced Obedience. I reached out to Sabrina for training. She trained my Frenchie to be obedient to a leader and showed me how to take back control of our relationship. Our Frenchie now respects me as the leader and it has made a world of difference in our household. After the training program, we boarded our Frenchie with Sabrina on short notice. She was able to accommodate him and she returned him with a bath. Throughout our dogs experiences with Sabrina, she has fed him quality food, kept us updated on his training and boarding, and educated us about how we can help our dog have a better lifestyle. Our family is very thankful for Sabrina Clark! She has helped my dog and I in so many ways. I know we can count on her in the future to be there for us again. She is very reliable, honest, professional, and is really passionate about what she does. Qualities that are hard to come across these days.
Kathleen Kang
7/21/2021
Sabrina was so thorough and provided an abundance of information for training our dog. I will be using her services in the future!Jessica C.
7/20/2021
Very professional,reliable and the ultimate dog whisperer.:) Our dog Paco comes home stoked everytime
Thumbtack Customer
7/20/2021
“he came back better in every way.”
“I have a wonderful German Shepherd dog who was about 11/2 years old when I decided to have a total knee replacement. It had been my passion to do obedience training with him from the time he was 14 weeks old. I took him through successive classes until my knee became too painful to continue. Knowing I would not be able to continue his training or take care of his exercise requirements for at...
“Thank you Balanced Obedience for training our wild Husky.”
“Thank you Balanced Obedience for training our wild Husky. Before he stayed with you at the doggie bootcamp, he would pull on the leash non-stop, jump on company and only listen when he wanted. Now he is responsive and doesn’t pull on the leash at all. I never thought I would walk him without getting frustrated and tired from his pulling. You truly did an amazing job because huskies are not the...
“he is very well behaved”
"Sabrina, I wanted to thank you for your help with our puppy Diesel. He is now a 120 lb. American Bulldog and he is very well behaved and people constantly ask how we got him to be so good. Hopefully our good words about you and the proof they have seen have brought you some new clientele." Owner of an American Bulldog
“She is truly amazing at what she does”
“We sent our chocolate lab puppy, Charlie to Sabrina and her team for a three week boot camp a little over two months ago. We have been extremely happy since he first came home. She did a great job in every aspect in training our pup and our whole family. She gave us tip and suggestions on everything… food, toys, leashes and of course every aspect of training. You can tell she truly loves what...
“I can’t recommend Sabrina and Danny enough”
“I just got my Australian Cattle Dog Murphy back from the Doggie Boot Camp program yesterday after he was gone for three weeks. Let me just tell you – the dog I sent with Sabrina was a nervous, highly reactive nightmare that had zero manners and walked all over me. Don’t get me wrong; he’s a total sweetheart and an awesome companion but it got to the point where I didn’t even want to walk my dog...
“Balanced Obedience is the way to go.”
“When we adopted a rescue puppy, we knew we’d have our hands full as he matured. Training was an absolute must for us — an obedient dog is a happy dog and happy owners! We worked with him for a few weeks prior to the Holidays and started to notice a few areas that needed extra attention. Knowing we were leaving to the mainland for the Holidays, we decided to not only find a boarding facility,...
“If you have the chance you should work with Sabrina!”
“My husband and I adopted a 16 month old male German Shepherd and had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Our GSD, Kane (his previous owners called him Bane so we had to change that), came to us from a questionable background of malnourishment, maltreatment, and poor socialization. About a week after adopting him we took him to the vet for a wellness check and he bit the vet tech in the...
“He listens to my commands”
"Thank you so much to Sabrina and everyone else at Balanced Obedience Dog Training of Hawaii for taking such great care of my dog Koa. At 5 months old he went through the two week puppy bootcamp and I am so impressed at how much he learned in that short amount of time! He wasn’t a “bad” dog before he left for training, but he would jump up on everyone, me especially, and wouldn’t walk on a leash...
“She did amazing job.”
“Sabrina trained both my Peekpoo (Pluto) and my Rottie (Sam). She did amazing job.” Owner of Peekpoo and rottweiler
“Sabrina did a fantastic job”
“Sabrina did a fantastic job training our rescue dog Tommy. He also boards and there is no issue with him leaving with his good friend. Couldn’t have made a better decision.”
“dog went to bootcamp and came back so much more calmer”
“Sabrina has been amazing and she helped us out when we got a little puppy who had major abandonment issues and potty issues. I tried several trainers and my dog seemed not to flinch on her issues. Sabrina had a way a doing that calm obedience training, like a dog whisperer. My dog went to bootcamp and came back so much more calmer and more self assured. The dogs aren’t ever crated and are...
“I’m so pleased with the thoughtful assistance”
“I’m so pleased with the thoughtful assistance provided to my two dogs and to myself and family. I recommend Balanced Obedience fully. They will give you hope for even the craziest canines!”
“She is excellent”
“We used Balanced Obedience Dog & Puppy Training for our dogs for training and sporting when they go off-island. We use them for boarding. She is excellent. She comes, she picks them up and she takes them back. They are excited to see her. And she tweaks any training that might need to be done – like, one time our dog killed several of our neighbor’s chicken, so she took care of that. She...
“They get training and have a lot of fun.”
“Sabrina and Danny have helped to train both of our dogs from Day 1. They are awesome, and the dogs love her. Hilu, our 6-year-old yellow lab, has agility and rally obedience titles. Kila, our almost 2 year-old black lab, is entered in her first obedience and agility trial this month. Sabrina has helped us along the way with any training issues that have developed. Danny taught Hilu to run next...
“he was just much, much more obedient”
“We sent our 17 week old labrador, Koa, to Sabrina’s boot camp when we realized that he was pretty much the boss of the house, despite our best efforts at training him. When we sent him, we were dealing with these issues: – He wasn’t crate trained – He would fight walking on a leash because he was obsessed with smelling everything – He would jump constantly on people upon greeting them despite...
“Thank Sabrina for a job well done!”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to Thank Sabrina for a job well done! My dog Hoku left kuu kuu came back Akamai!! lol You got problems with your animal so see Balanced Obedience Sabrina!!” Owner of a Chocolate Labrador Retriever
“we feel happy that he will be safe”
“Bentley is spending this week at puppy camp and we feel happy that he will be safe, secure, and completely happy” Owner of a Labrador Retriever
“I highly recommend her services.”
“Sabrina has trained my pitbull when he was just 6 months old. He just turned 14 months old and he turned out to be a very obedient and friendly dog. I am convinced that this is due to a great induction in obedience under Sabrina’s care. I now have my second dog, a 12-month old rescue chihuahua. Sabrina was very understanding of issues faced by many rescues. She also gave me a discount for him,...
“I consider Sabrina a great trainer who knows what she’s doing.”
“Sabrina Clark at Balanced Obedience helped us greatly with our male German Shepherd puppy. He is an adorable dog with some naughty behaviors. We contacted another local dog trainer, but he wasn’t much help at all. In fact, I think he was baffled by German Shepherds in general. His review is in my profile. Then I contacted Sabrina, and from the first time we met, I could tell she was the trainer...
“changed our energetic chocolate lab into a calm, well-behaved puppy.”
“Sabrina and Dan changed our energetic chocolate lab into a calm, well-behaved puppy. Mario is 6 mos old, and we get compliments on his behavior on walks. No pulling on the leash, no jumping, no barking, just calmly and happily walking by our side. He has the same behavior at home including no chewing on furniture, etc. Sabrina patiently worked with us to answer all our concerns, even after the...
“She has been a blessing to us”
“I am long overdue in writing this review, but better late than never! We are so lucky we found Sabrina ! When we moved here from the mainland and away from the one doggie sitter Koa knew and loved, we were nervous about taking our first vacation, as Koa is very particular about the humans she trusts. With Sabrina we found someone who was not at all deterred by our rescue dog’s “quirks”...
“one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.”
“Enrolling our dog, Plum in Sabrina’s training program is one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. She turned our shy, spoiled girl into a full fledged service dog! She has not only changed Plum, but my life and my family’s lives significantly for the better.” Owner of a rescue dog Service Dog canididate
“Sabrina did a fantastic job with our German Shepherd.”
“Sabrina did a fantastic job with our German Shepherd. We highly recommend her for both training and boarding!!÷!” Owner of a German Shepherd
“Sabrina helped greatly with our rescue”
“Sabrina helped greatly with our rescue Tommy. When we board he’s so excited to see her. It’s a lifetime bond and I’m so glad they have that relationship.” Owner of a hound mix rescue dog
“Best investment in your pup!”
“Best investment in your pup! Sabrina and her team made our dog much more calm and obedient. I highly recommend Balanced Obedience!!” Owner of a Boston Terrier
“Sabrina is the best trainer we’ve ever encountered”
“Sabrina is the best trainer we’ve ever encountered and we tried a few before her. Our dog, Ellie, a German Shepard/border collie, did not get along with other dogs and also had severe separation anxiety. Those two problems are now gone. After Sabrina’s boot camp she was noticeably better. We also have Sabrina board her when we go on trips. She is the only boarding facility I could find that...
“You will be impressed and happy with the transformation”
“Sabrina is the dog whisperer. She adores our goofy chocolate lab, Mario. Using her training skills, Mario is a gentle, polite puppy. No worries while your dog is cared for at Balanced Obedience. You will be impressed and happy with the transformation. Magical. ✨” Owner of a Chocolate Labrador Retreiver
“Sabrina Clark is a wonderful trainer.”
“Sabrina Clark is a wonderful trainer. Her influence on me and my dog changed our lives forever! I will always be grateful for her influence on me and my dachshund, Pepper.” Owner of a Dachshund Service Dog
“We highly recommend Balanced Obedience”
“Sabrina and Danny have changed our lives! We were looking for the perfect service dog for our daughter and, although the first was not a good personality match, Sabrina and Danny persevered until we found our forever furry son, Maximus! He came to us trained and Sabrina and Danny prepared him well for a long flight from Honolulu to Seattle. Although we are far away now, we will always be...
“Thank you Sabrina for the great training”
“Thank you Sabrina for the great training you did with Kona Girl. At 4-1/2 months, Kona was a pretty rambunctious Labrador puppy. Even with the sweetest disposition, I was having a hard time getting her to heel, stay and come on command. After her three week Puppy Boot Camp, Kona came back so well mannered she is perfect on a heel, stay and come. Putting her in her kelley at night was not her...
“Her methods of training are professional as well as loving.”
“Her methods of training are professional as well as loving. She treats the pet as if it was her own and she must teach with love as well as with her experience and her extensive knowledge of animal behavior”