September 9, 2019
You are awesome! Had a blast!! - Shelby Vadnais, Owner Wilmington, NC - Dog Wizard

October 9, 2019
I have learned so much with Amber and Sparky! They are having a lot of fun and enjoying the work. Joel is patient, explains everything very clearly, spends quality time with each dog, and helps the dogs be successful and build on each level of skill. This is a great workshop to bond with your dog. - Denise Chalnick Marquez, Peaceful Paws Dog Training

March 7, 2018
Joel Silverman was an amazing teacher for the JSDT1 course. His methods for training and teaching were simplistic and logical with always an encouraging and upbeat attitude. He made learning the basics in dog training feel natural. I highly recommend anyone wanting to learn the basics of dog training to come see Joel! I look forward to seeing you again hopefully for the next course! - Alison Vanstone

March 7, 2018
Really enjoyed the JSDT1  course and would highly recommend  it to others. Learning to use training techniques that  are appropriate for each dog’s personality type was awesome. And loved the hands on work with shelter dogs! Thanks Joel! - Mary (Pixie) Norwich 

March 6, 2018
Thanks for such a great class! I really enjoyed it.  I think Jake will be using this to begin his animal trainer career. - Tamara Pope

March 5, 2018
Great  course. Would strongly recommend it. - Barbara Schoene

March 4, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed the JSDT1 course I took with you last week at the Brevard County (Fl.) Humane Society facility. My 14 month old black lab is already well trained and well behaved  and your methods have given me the tools to improve her training. She is responding to new tricks and behaviors and looks forward to "playing" everyday. I would recommend your class to anyone that is looking to improve their knowledge of dog training. I feel very confident that I can train other dogs now. Your methods work. I saw and worked with a variety of dogs during the week. They responded well and learned behaviors easily.  - Bob Greenwood

February 21, 2018

I cannot say enough GREAT things about attending the Joel Silverman JSDT1 Dog Training Course. MONEY WELL SPENT and seeing it come back to me with the increase in my pet training clients this year! HANDS ON EXPERIENCE while learning his methods are KEY to absorbing his content.  Joel presents the material in a small venue with patience and much guidance in technique. Looking forward to JSDT2. MANY THANKS! - Kelly Kolodkin

January 26, 2018
So EXCITED!!!   Today I passed my JSDT1 course ! We had a great opportunity to work several dogs during the week long course .  Our class was small in size but not ambition!  I feel I am ready to start training on my own . Thank you Joel for all your positive direction and instruction this week - Wendy James

July 24, 2017
I wanted to tell you that I had a wonderful time at your class with you, my fellow classmates, and of course, the dogs.  With your  What Color is your Dog? system, the SPCA dogs we worked with learned very quickly even with an amateur like me working with them!  You have an immense amount of patience and skill as a teacher, which was much appreciated, as I was a nervous Nellie!  I hope to use my new skills and work with local shelter dogs in order that they may have an easier time finding forever homes. - Kristine MacDonald

July 11, 2017
I took Joel's basic dog trainer certification course in July and it was a pleasure. The entire course is hands on and actually working with real dogs, something most other courses don't offer. I appreciate this because it gave me a better understanding of what I was doing right, and what I was doing wrong and correcting it right away. I love how he emphasizes on creating a relationship with the dog you are working with which gave me new skills on how to evaluate a dog based on its personality. I would never have learned as much as I did in the 5 days taking his course in any multiple week online course. I would definitely recommend anyone who wants to learn well rounded basic dog training to take his course and learn great skills, and I WILL be taking his more advanced course. Thank you Joel! - Michelle Loudenclos

May 3, 2017
"Wow! What an amazing experience! When I signed up for this course, I knew that Joel is an accomplished and renowned dog trainer, but what I learned is that he’s also an awesome teacher.  His instructions and demonstrations were clear and easy to follow, and his constructive “in the moment” feedback was invaluable.  Joel was patient and caring -   throughout the course, he was focused on one primary goal – the immediate and long term success of his students (and the dogs!)!  

A special thanks to my fellow classmates – the camaraderie we developed during our week together was fantastic; I look forward to continuing and growing our relationships.  To the wonderful shelter dogs I had the pleasure of meeting and working with (Toffee, Greta, Whiskey, Stella, and Andy (aka Lincoln), you have my undying love, respect and prayers for a wonderful life ahead in your much deserved forever home!  To Duchess, Joel’s very own amazing girl, love and hugs to you for your generosity and patience with me and my fine classmates as we honed our training skills with your superior assistance. Lol

And last but not least, a heartfelt thanks to Joel for developing this unique and highly effective hands on dog training course! From this experience, I came away with a solid foundation of dog training fundamentals on which to build and perfect my training skills, and the confidence I need to move forward as an effective and respected balanced dog trainer...after all, I learned from the best!"  - Laura Locher

May 2, 2017
This was a great week! Thank you so much! I can’t believe what I learned in such a short time. Applying  “what color is your dog”  to such a variety of animals helped so much in understanding their basic needs and work with them from there. The small class size, opportunity to work with a variety of dogs and emphasis on excellent hands-on instruction has made this an unforgettable experience.  There was a lot of constructive feedback provided, what made the experience very personal at each step of the process. I think also the dog’s we trained during the course, gained a lot and came out of their “shells”. I would say, too, that the course is therapeutic to the humans, by getting away from the daily stress, getting immersed and learning such a useful and fulfilling trade. - Susanne Terharn

April 18, 2017
I had to shift my mindset from previous dog training I'd attended years ago, where the word NO! , and much negativity for even small mistakes were taught. I didn't care for it, don't respond well to that style of teaching or management myself, so was thrilled that especially in the earliest learning. Joel explained that not saying anything and just having the dog begin the behavior again was your style.  My smart, sensitive 12 year old dog and I have an even closer relationship now! - Debbie O'Day

April 15, 2017
Joel Silverman's dog training class was great! The extensive hands-on work with several previously untrained dogs provided invaluable real life experiences. This class built a solid foundation for me to work from. Although I don't plan on working as a dog trainer, learning how to communicate with a wide variety of dogs based on their individual color/personality will be immensely useful in my new career as a canine rehabilitation therapist. Thank you Joel! - Angela Pace

April 9, 2017
I would like to say thank you for taking your time to teach the training class here in Reno at the SPCA. I learned so much and I had a good time learning. I enjoyed the small class size because it gave us a chance to have more hands on training and we could also see each practice. It was nice to work with different types of dogs with different personalities to help us learn all the ways we could instill training. You did a great job at teaching us in a way we could learn, with great patience. If we didn't get it right the first time, you took your time helping us understand. With every class, I became more confident and excited to progress in dog training. I'm really excited for the next course! - Jasmin Miranda-Ortiz

April 8, 2017
I was absolutely thrilled to take Joel Silverman's Training Certification Course. This class exceeded my expectations with a great balance of presentations, with hands on learning, using all types of dogs. With the class sizes being smaller, you have an opportunity to watch each classmate working the behaviors on the dogs, in between your own turns, which also helps solidify what you are learning. His presentations are streamlined, and with hands on training, working personally with each dog, it really helps for each concept to come together during the learning process. Joel is very patient, and an amazing Dog Trainer, I highly recommend this course, you will have so much fun while learning, you will never want this class to end.  - Karen Moran

April 1, 2017
I just completed Joel Silverman's Dog Training course and it was absolutely amazing.  I had a great time and learned so much from Joel.  He is very personable, patient and really understands all types of dogs and how to adjust your training style according to the personality type of the specific dog you are training.  His course had the perfect balance of presentations and hands on practical training.  We started the week by working with five completely untrained dogs and we were able to teach each dog several behaviors by the end of the week by tailoring the training style to the specific personality of each dog.  I can't wait to put all the skills that I have learned to use and start training dogs. This class is well worth it and you will have a great time learning how to train all types of dogs.  Thanks Joel for a great week.  I truly enjoyed your course and look forward to taking the second course. - Maria Charca

March 7, 2017
I had the pleasure of taking Joel Silverman's first basic obedience certification in January of 2017. This was a 5 day program and I could not believe what I learned in those 5 days. The amount of knowledge that Joel has, you cannot put a price tag on that. I currently run a pet resort and I am the head trainer there. When I returned my business doubled after I became certified with Joel. I cannot wait for Joel's advanced obedience class! Even if you have trained dogs before, you will learn a lot more through Joel. This class is well worth the cost, and you will learn so much that you can share with your future clients. Thank you so much for all that I have learned and the relationship I have created with you. - Matthew Dellaira

February 9, 2017
From start to finish, this training course has been absolutely amazing! Using the "what color is your dog"  scale really helped in determining how to work with each particular dogs personality.  The Hands On part of this training course was invaluable to learning how best to apply these methods to the personality of each dog and work with and SEE what color that dog was on that particular day.  I learned so much about all aspects of training a dog using their personality as a base as to how to bring out the best in them and make it a fun learning process for them, as well.  I am using this training and experience with my daily dog training and can not wait for the next training workshop experience!!
THANK YOU so much Joel. I am looking forward to the next one!!!! - Melanie Messenger

February 2, 2017
I highly recommend Joel Silverman’s Dog Trainer Certification Course. The small class size, opportunity to work with a variety of dogs, emphasis on hands-on instruction, and excellent instructor made for an exceptional  learning experience.  Concepts were easy to understand and to apply when addressing situations one may encounter. Joel demonstrated each concept and technique and provided  constructive feedback at each step in the process. Each student’s progress was also evident in observing the dogs’ responses to us. After completion of the course, I feel confident in my ability to apply the knowledge I gained. -  Kareen Masters