Dog Training in Bergen County, NJ
Bergen County has 70 municipalities and, as far as we can tell, no shortage of dog trainers. What it has less of is anywhere for a dog to be quiet.
That is the gap we built the ranch to fill. Eight acres in Northern New Jersey, a 5,000 square foot lodge, a team on site day and night, and enough space that a dog can stop bracing for the next thing.
The towns we work with.
Training clients come from across the county. These are the towns we work with most closely, each with its own page.
If your town is not listed, we very likely still serve it. Bergen County is small and the ranch is close to all of it.
What Bergen County dogs have in common.
Different towns, same four problems.
Leash reactivity
The county's shared ground is linear. Saddle River County Park runs a six-mile paved path through Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Paramus, Ridgewood, Rochelle Park and Saddle Brook. A linear path means head-on greetings with nowhere to go, which is the hardest thing you can ask a leashed dog to handle.
Under-exercised working breeds
A lot of Bergen households own a dog bred to do a job, on a half-acre lot, in a town with a leash ordinance. That energy goes somewhere.
Door and threshold behavior
Deliveries, contractors, visitors. Households with a lot of traffic through the front door produce dogs that lose composure at the sound of it.
Two humans, two sets of rules
The most common thing we find in a household is not a badly behaved dog. It is two people running two different systems, and a dog trying to satisfy both.
Programs.
The Pack Leader Residency
Four to eight weeks in residence. State of mind first, obedience second. The assessment, weekly owner involvement, go-home session before your dog leaves, two-week follow-up, lifetime support.
Explore Prevention, not interventionThe Puppy Residency
Two to four weeks, taken early, before the habits set.
Explore One on onePrivate Sessions
Ninety minutes at the ranch with Steve or Dave, on its own or as a series of three. For families who want the work in their own hands.
Explore Anywhere in the worldVirtual Sessions
An hour with Steve, one on one, from anywhere.
ExploreWhere Bergen County dogs go off leash.
The county runs six dog runs. Worth knowing which is nearest to you, and worth knowing that an off-leash park is a test rather than a training tool. Take a dog there once they are ready and you will have a good time. Take them there to fix a problem and you will make the problem worse.
Psychology ahead of obedience.
Steve Del Savio is the longest-serving trainer on Cesar Millan's team and the only one in the Northeast, and has co-taught Training Cesar's Way workshops since 2013. Fifteen years of practice. Thousands of dogs.
The method puts psychology ahead of obedience. A dog that sits on command and panics at the door has not been trained, they have been drilled. We work on the state of mind that makes the obedience hold up when nobody is asking.
Questions families ask
Do you come to my house?
Training happens at the ranch, where we can control the environment. The go-home session happens there too, before your dog leaves, and the two-week follow-up and lifetime support carry the work home. In-home sessions are available for follow-ups only, case by case and not guaranteed, with a travel fee.
How far is Bergen County from the ranch?
The ranch is in Northern New Jersey, about 30 minutes from Ridgewood and an easy drive from across the county. The address is shared with accepted families.
Do you ever turn a dog down?
Sometimes. Your dog's history goes on the application and we will be straight with you about whether we can help. We have turned dogs down and we will tell you honestly rather than take your money.
What is the difference between board and train and Private Sessions?
Board and train changes the dog's habits in an environment we control, then transfers it to you. Private Sessions change your handling, and you do the rest. Board and train is faster and costs more. Which one suits depends on the dog and on how much time you have.
What does it cost?
The Pack Leader Residency, our board-and-train program for adult dogs, runs four to eight weeks and is quoted after the assessment. That figure covers the residency itself, the assessment, weekly owner involvement during the stay, a go-home session before your dog leaves, a two-week follow-up and support for the life of your dog. Read the full breakdown
How do I start?
Begin an application. It takes about five minutes, and we reply within one business day.
Begin an application.
Residencies are limited each season. The application takes five minutes, and you will hear from us within one business day.
An application opens a conversation. Nothing is booked until we have spoken.
Prefer to talk first? 201 528 3647. Whoever answers will know the ranch, the programs and the calendar.