Cap and I’s journey and experiences with Jessica cannot be summarized through this one review.

Cap (GSD) is a dog-reactive, human-reactive, and extremely aggressive (high-bite-risk) dog due to his rough puppyhood. Therefore, I know Cap is a special case and needs to be trained by an experienced and knowledgeable trainer. Before working with Jessica, I spent a considerable amount of money with several other dog trainers but didn’t achieve any of my goals.

Before I reached out to Jessica, I researched and contacted several places to board and train Cap because my new job requires travel. After my first over-the-phone conversation with her, I didn’t feel hesitant to schedule a consultation session because Jessica is someone who speaks based on science and has many years of experience. Jessica showed no signs of fear or hesitation after her first intensive lesson with Cap. After the first session, I didn’t feel hopeful for Cap because he was too aggressive, and I began to worry about the safety of those around me and his own safety. Jessica always wanted me to understand that changes take time, and I needed to trust Cap. Not only did Jessica help Cap a lot in a short time (less than 2 months), but she helped me become a better dog owner and handler. I can take Cap for a walk with a better mentality because Cap has improved significantly, even though our journey with Jessica has only just begun.

I am blessed and grateful for her dedication, kindness, passion, patience, and commitment to helping Cap improve his quality of life. I cannot express enough to anyone reading this review of mine. If you feel there is no hope that your aggressive dog can be trained and improved, you need to contact Jessica.

Jessica is amazing!!! My puppy is currently in the puppy to behaved training. She started with Penelope at 9 weeks old and she is now 4 mos and sits, knows down, and comes when she is called. She is almost ready to work off leash this week. Highly, highly recommend her!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Jessica has trained my dog for a few weeks now and I absolutely love the science behind her training she also makes the human interact with the dog as well so it’s not just sit back and watch she’s very hands on. She also pushes your dog more than you even think your dog can go she can see a dog’s potential from a mile away. I’m not even done training and I’ve already recommended her to about 5 of my friends.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Jessica is great, and her training and research experience really shines. She uses research on the psychology of dogs to reach goals, instead of using painful techniques like shock and prong collars, which I absolutely loved! This helped my puppy and I bond through the sessions, as it was exciting for all of us (especially my puppy) when we reached our goals.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Jessica has been absolutely awesome. I had two ten-week old puppies and was scanning a Facebook page of German Shepherd owners. I stumbled upon a post she left to an owner who was asking about how to stop their dog from jumping. It was such an insightful response I knew she was what I was searching for. I was looking for someone to answer a couple questions about training. Little did I know I was about to become a client via Facebook chats and videos. She is so knowledgeable. She has a family history of dog training. There is nothing greater I can say other than she is awesome. She truly helped me and is still helping me with my puppies. We’ve still got a ways to go because I have dropped the ball somewhat considering it is winter in Kentucky now, and too cold for this old soul to go outside. My boys are not inside dogs. That has nothing to do with Jessica. She is straight up honest which I do appreciate so much. She has always been at my beckoned call if I needed her asap. I have had a couple scares with one of my puppies going where he did not need to go. She was immediately available for me to call and seek her advice. I highly recommend her. She is the best! I even told her I was going to buy a house just down the street from her so I could be closer. If you would like to ask additional questions about her, feel free to private message me, but I can tell you there is nothing negative to be said. She knows her business and I appreciate her so much

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Legacy Nicely has helped me and my dog Winston so much. Not only has Jessica helped with basic commands but she has taught me how to be assertive and comfortable when working with my dog. Winston is a very high strung, energetic dog. Because of that he needs to much exercise. Jessica has incorporated some great ideas how to get Winston to remain calm and work through some set backs that he experienced. Jessica is a very patient kind trainer and truly takes the time to get your dog where he needs to be as far as training goes. I have worked with Jessica for months and will continue to utilize her and her knowledge to help Winston become the best trained dog. Winston and I still have a lot to learn but I couldn’t be happier with the progress he has made so far. We owe that all to Jessica! I highly recommend working with Jessica if you are looking for the best, very knowledgeable trainer! 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Jessica is amazing! She helped me with training my Boston Terrier after he was kicked out of puppy school for being too rambunctious. Her methods worked and it was personalized to me and my dog.  She not only tells you what to do but explains why certain methods work better. 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Jessica completely surprised me with our first visit. My Ryder is reactive to other dogs and after one correction he was fine with other dogs that walked by. I was really surprised how fast she had him relaxed and not bothered. She is very passionate about what she loves and it shows in how she works with dogs. She was extremely patient with me and very knowledgeable about dog behavior and training! I am so excited to learn all I can from her and watch my dog gain confidence. 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Hello Jessica, Just writing you to thank you for helping me with princess . It’s a breath of fresh air when you have a trainer that’s more like a mentor . Princess’s fear reactivity was a lot to work through but together we got it done . I love how I was able to contact you for advise when I felt either overwhelmed or didn’t know how to start off what I was going to start training that specific day . We’ve come very far in our training, she’s no longer barking or hiding away from people due to the techniques you provided , I am now able to walk her peacefully and no longer tense because I know she will just walk pass. Both princess and I are more confident on our walks thanks to you .

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I can’t say enough good things about her techniques and her handling skills. She’s very science based which is hard to find.

Recommend 100000%

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Well firstly let me introduce myself my name is Linda Lewis from Australia and I have a gsd called Emmy who is now 18 months old, after loosing our old girl Boussa over a year ago she was 13 years old my world spun out of control, grief stricken as she was my best friend and protected us and our home. My husband thought he would surprise me with a gsd puppy, I wasn’t to happy I felt it was to soon after loosing our other girl, buckle up I was told and people were right you forget how much goes into a puppy after so long, well I decided when emmy was 2 and half months old training from a professional was needed so I got a trainer to come to our home meet Emmy and begin training, well after around 2 months and not really feeling any confidence or further knowledge on moving forward, misinformation on how to train our girl, I learnt nothing I didn’t pay for a quick fix, or to be told things about my girl which I knew not to be correct, needless to say we let him go and I tried from memory on how to train Emmy myself but I just had no confidence and doubted myself everyday and yes I even got very depressed that I was still getting nowhere with her, she would not listen. And due to ill health my skin looked like something out of a horror movie from the nipping, jumping up, not wanting her lead put on, it was just getting so hard because Emmy was growing at a very rapid pace and getting her adult teeth, and some real weight behind her, so I engaged another trainer who was good but was so busy that months in-between training sessions Emmy was getting bored and not being challenged with the same training over and over, so hence just gave up with her. Ok now this is where things changed for the better and it was purely by accident on the other side of the world, who would have thought living in Australia and your trainer lives in America. Ok so I join a Facebook group for ppl with gsd’s, I asked a few questions and posted a few posts and Jessica responded with some ideas on training with Emmy and for the first time in Emmy’s life someone who could teach her mum what to teach her correctly, I could never have come this far without Jessica’s help, knowledge and guidance and of course patience, when people say you meet a person for a reason I truly believe that Jessica was sent to me for a reason it was no accident that girl knew I was lost and had a dog that was out of control and I was desperate and trust me desperate to the point I told my husband to find another home for emmy it was all to hard for me to deal with on my own because I found myself just falling apart and crying thinking nothing is working but in just a short amount of time and alot of effort on Jessica’s behalf (because completely different time zones), we did facetime and exchanged videos on her training methods, and I can honestly say my confidence has got better, Emmy is improving everyday with Jessica’s methods of training and life isn’t so bad anymore and I am actually enjoying the training, my health trys to get in the way some days but I still try and do some training, I can’t speak higher of this trainer and now a friend accross the other side of the world, if it wasn’t for Jessica’s knowledge and guildence I don’t think we would still have Emmy, but for that one person on a gsd group who said I can help you bring your girl under control and really has with her training methods and im the winner here with emmy, im so grateful for all your knowledge and patience with me here in oz, I would recommend you to anyone who wants a person who is knowledgeable, passionate about what they do, one of the best trainers I have come accross. Thank you just doesn’t seem enough, maybe one day you could come to Australia and I could show you just how much it was all appreciated. 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the outstanding dog training services you have provided to us and our beloved puppy. Your expertise and dedication have truly made a positive impact on both our furry friend and our family.

From the moment we started working with you, it was evident that she possess a deep understanding of canine behavior and training techniques. Your insightful and informative sessions have not only helped our puppy develop essential skills but have also empowered us as responsible pet owners.

Your patience and tailored approach to addressing our puppy’s specific needs have exceeded our expectations. The progress we’ve witnessed, thanks to your guidance, is nothing short of remarkable. Our puppy’s behavior has transformed positively, and we attribute this success to your effective training methods.

Your commitment to creating a supportive and encouraging learning environment has made each session enjoyable and productive. You have been an invaluable resource, offering practical advice and sharing your wealth of knowledge on dog behavior, reinforcing the learning experience for us.

We are truly grateful for the positive impact you have had on our puppy’s development and the harmony within our household. Your passion for what you do is evident, and it reflects in the exceptional quality of your training sessions.

In summary, working with Jessica has been an absolute pleasure, and we wholeheartedly recommend her services to anyone seeking a dedicated and knowledgeable dog trainer.

Thank you for making a significant difference in our puppy’s life and enhancing our overall experience as pet owners

Wow! Each time we meet with Jessica, I want to try happy tears. We aren’t done quite yet, but the progress with our reactive and “defiant” dog is night and day from when we started. Highly HIGHLY recommend Jessica to anyone who needs help with their dog. She is loving but very firm with our dog – and no shock collar or prong collar needed. Can’t wait for the first time we can take Gunnar out for a lunch on a patio and have him be a good citizen. That day is coming soon. We finally have hope.

Jessica was absolutely amazing with all three of my dogs. Trying to control three hyper puppies at the same time is challenging and within just a couple of minutes she had them all sitting at attention. I’ve only had one session and I can already see an improvement. I can’t wait to see how they will be after a few more sessions. Amazing!

I can’t say enough good things about Jessica. It is obvious she loves what she does and loves the animals she works with. I found Jessica a few weeks after adopting a puppy from a shelter. He was a feisty little guy that left me feeling overwhelmed and like I didn’t know how to get him to behave. I’m happy to say that after only about 3 sessions with Jessica, my Leo has improved greatly. Whenever I’d try taking him to go for a walk he’d either sit and outright refuse or throw an absolute fit. Now he walks nicely next to me. He used to be a very nippy puppy, and while he still has room to improve in this area, he now lets us pet and love on him. But not only is Jessica a phenomenal trainer she cares about the people she works with. I was at my wits end with Leo pushing boundaries and I was ready to re-home him just to get peace back in my life. Jessica gave me the best pep-talk. She empathized with me and made me feel like I wasn’t alone. The long and the short of it is, if you’re looking for a great trainer you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better one than Jessica.

I’m so grateful that Jessica, who I didn’t know who she was, took the time to respond to my message. She took the time to facetime with me and I told her about a problem I had with one of my dogs. Well, I have to said from the second we start that conversation and she ask me some question, I immediately knew she will do a positive impact in my dogs life and my family. She listened to me and advised me. I felt very confident and followed her advice. My main concern I had with my dog was jumping. I’m so happy she no longer jumps behind my back and behind my children’s backs. I also practiced the ball game from a video she sent me and my dogs are more exhausted and happier after spending 15 minutes doing a game than going for one hour walk. She is a truly exceptional person and an amazing dog trainer. No doubt. I wish I could visit you with my dogs. Your videos are greatly appreciate. You are my truly best dog trainer. I look forward to watches your videos and learning more of dog training and doing more amazing things with my dogs.

You deserve more than 5 stars. Thank You So Much!!

I met Jessica at the shelter where she was helping to train some of the more difficult dogs. I was in awe of her ability. She single handily got a few dogs adopted that in my opinion had no chance without her help. I also hired her to help with my shelter adopted dog who suffers from extreme anxiety. Although he is not perfect Jessica has helped a lot. She truly cares about dogs in general and is not im it for the money in my opinion. You will not be disappointed in hiring this wonderful woman!

Jessica has been amazing with our Luna! She’s been able to produce visible results even though we have busy work schedules. We highly recommend!

Jessica is THE BEST! My dog Daisy is going to be a service dog. Before we even met, Jessica was giving me helpful tips and tricks on training. I paid for personal training lessons and Jessica takes her time and explains everything about the methodology of dog training. Not only is she training my dog, but she is training me too! Jessica is hands down the most awesome person and the best dog trainer you get so much out of each training session. 10 out of 10 I HIGHLY recommend!

Jessica is absolutely outstanding. She is educated, passionate, and cares about what she does. I was very nervous when I first started out. I was expecting bad new after bad news. Or maybe expecting something like shock collars which I didn’t want as an option, but she didn’t even have that in her mind set, instead she came, with advice, plans, and solutions. I am so happy. Happier than I can possible express. I am able to walk my dog and I enjoy it, so does my dog. She doesn’t pull anymore, and she ignores the other dogs passing by and instead focuses on the nature around us without always looking anxious like she is waiting for something. My dog listens to me now, it sounds a bit weird, but she didn’t actually listen to me before. She only used to listen to my dad but now it’s like I’m closer to my dog and she listens without another doubt in mind. Jessica is such a problem solver, if a technique wasn’t appealing to Joy (My dog), she would make up something in the moment that would click for Joy and next thing we know we get the same results but just adjusting the technique to Joys importance of the activity. I also feel like I have learned so much from Jessica. Like simple but complex things that have helped me along my journey with Jessica. If you do the work (very little compared to AAC Biology) then you will have nice results along with an understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and why it is important for your dog and your lifestyle. I am so happy with the results of this training and am so happy that Jessica responded to my request of help. Thank you Very Much!

Very highly recommended. Above and beyond expectations Jessica was very patient with me and my little puppy Spot, She trained my little dog Spot to ring a bell in less than 20 minutes. Jessica has extensive experience and background in dog training over 35 years. Good communication. Was on time for our training sessions. If you are looking for a excellent dog trainer in Houston I would highly recommend Jessica at Legacy Nicely Trained Dog to help you and your dog,

Very highly recommended. Above and beyond expectations Jessica was very patient with me and my little puppy Spot, She trained my little dog Spot to ring a bell in less than 20 minutes. Jessica has extensive experience and background in dog training over 35 years. Good communication. Was on time for our training sessions. If you are looking for a excellent dog trainer in Houston I would highly recommend Jessica at Legacy Nicely Trained Dog to help you and your dog,

Jessica is amazing! We rescued our sweet Girl from a shelter. She is the sweetest dog but she was a “lunatic on a leash”! A walk around the neighborhood was out of the question…until Jessica came into the picture. After just 1 visit with Jessica, I was able to start taking our dog for a walk on the leash around the neighborhood. She continued to improve each time we went out because Jessica gave me the tools I needed to handle the situation. Now I am able to take her for a walk and let the leash drag the ground with giving her verbal commands and reminders to keep her focused and on track. Never thought I would see the day!!!

After more than 40 years working as a Ph.D. Counseling Psychologist, I can confidently say Jessica Nicely Oncken’s (of “Legacy Nicely Trained Dogs”) expertise in Behavioral Conditioning applications and knowledge surpasses that of most Ph.D. Level Behavioral Therapists and Psychologists. Using Operant or Classical Conditioning techniques, she quickly and seamlessly adapts her training techniques to the unique needs of the dog in front of her. She has helped me immensely with my Service Dog in Training, Hoss! Be it K-9 Training, Scent Training or Basic and Advanced Obedience skills or competitions, she has what it takes to work with the complete spectrum of the easiest to the most challenging dogs. If you’re looking for excellent and long-lasting results with companion, competitive, service, or protective dogs, you can’t go wrong with “Legacy Nicely Trained” Dog Training! John S. Baranchok, Ph.D., Medically Retired Psychologist