Virtual Dog Training & Online Coaching
Steve Brooks K9U offers live virtual dog training over Zoom or FaceTime to owners anywhere in the world — the same positive, reward-based coaching Steve delivers in Santa Cruz homes, brought to yours through a screen. If your dog's behavior has hit a rough patch, an online meeting is often all it takes to get you both back on track.
Why a Screen Is Enough
Here is the open secret of professional dog training: the trainer's real student is the owner. Your dog already knows how to sit, come, and walk without pulling — what he doesn't know is that those things pay. Teaching him that requires your timing, your consistency, and your hands on the leash, and all three can be coached over video. Steve watches you work with your dog in your actual kitchen or hallway, spots the half-second delay in your reward or the tension in your leash arm, and corrects it on the spot.
Video has one advantage even a house call can't match: your dog behaves normally. No interesting stranger has just walked in the door. For problems like separation anxiety — where the behavior only happens when you leave — remote coaching isn't a compromise at all; it's the natural format. Virtual sessions handle puppy training, everyday manners, and much of Steve's behavior modification work, all built on the force-free methods he has used for over 30 years.
Twenty-Five Years of Los Angeles Clients
Steve founded K9U in Los Angeles in 1999 and spent 25 years training there — a run that included a celebrity clientele and appearances as a training expert on CBS, NBC, FOX, Animal Planet, and National Geographic, plus the Marley & Me Blu-ray. He has since relocated to the Santa Cruz area, where he offers in-home training throughout the county.
But he didn't leave his LA clients behind. Steve continues to support owners in Los Angeles and the Palm Springs area through virtual sessions, and sees clients in person on periodic visits to Southern California. If you're an LA client — past or new — the fastest way to reach him is the same free phone consultation as everyone else: (323) 422-8711.
How It Works
- Free phone consultation. You describe what's going on; Steve tells you whether virtual is the right format and what a plan would look like.
- Live video sessions. Zoom or FaceTime, from wherever you and your dog are. Steve demonstrates, you practice, he coaches in real time.
- A plan between sessions. You leave each session knowing exactly what to practice and how to tell it's working, and each session builds on the last.
From LA to Palm Desert
"To LA's Best Trainer Steve, You Rock! Thanks for all the help with Oscar."
"Steve Brooks is a wonderful trainer. I have referred many friends to him. He has worked with two of my dogs and turned them into proper ladies with impeccable manners. I think Steve is the best."
"5 Stars are not a high enough rating for Steve's Professional and compassionate assistance with Roy, 'The Beagle'. … There is simply no higher praise than we can give to Steve Brooks."
Virtual Training Questions
Does virtual dog training actually work?
Yes — because most dog training is really owner training. Your dog doesn't need Steve in the room; you need Steve watching you work, catching your timing, and adjusting the plan. Over Zoom or FaceTime he sees your dog in his real environment, behaving the way he actually behaves, which is often more useful than a visit to a training facility.
What problems can be handled virtually?
Most of them: puppy foundations, manners, jumping, barking, pulling, house training, and many behavior cases. Separation anxiety is a standout — since the whole problem is what your dog does when no one is home, the work is naturally done remotely, through coaching and a plan you carry out between sessions. For some aggression cases Steve may recommend in-home work if you're in Santa Cruz County.
What do I need for a session?
A phone, tablet, or laptop with Zoom or FaceTime, a decent view of the space where you'll be working, and some treats your dog likes. That's it. Steve handles the rest.
Do you still work with Los Angeles clients?
Yes. Steve founded K9U in Los Angeles in 1999 and trained there for 25 years before relocating to the Santa Cruz area. He continues to support clients in Los Angeles and the Palm Springs area through virtual sessions, and works with clients in person on periodic visits to Southern California.
I'm not in California at all. Can we still work together?
Yes — virtual coaching is available worldwide. Time zones are the only logistics to sort out, and that happens during your free phone consultation at (323) 422-8711.
Wherever You Are, Help Is a Call Away
Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, or anywhere with a signal — start with a free phone consultation. Want the full story first? Read about Steve.