About Nobu

Early on, like most people, I believed working with dogs was about getting them to listen—reinforcing what you want and stopping what you don’t. And while that sometimes worked, there were moments where it didn’t sit right. A dog would hesitate, shut down, or push back, and instead of seeing disobedience or stubborness, I started noticing something else—uncertainty, confusion, stress.

Over time, that changed how I looked at behavior. What we often label as “bad behavior” began to feel less like a problem to fix and more like something to understand. The jumping, barking, the pulling, the reactivity—those are just what we see. Underneath, there’s always a reason. And once you start looking for that, it becomes harder to focus only on control.

Today, my work is simpler than it used to be. I don’t focus on making dogs behave. I focus on helping people understand them. Because when you understand what your dog is experiencing, your responses change. And when your responses change, the dog begins to change too.

I’ve been working with dogs since 1992, starting in Southern California and continuing here in Northern California. I’ve worked with a wide range of dogs and families, but the goal has remained the same: to help people see what’s actually happening so their dog starts to make sense.

At home, I share my life with my wife, dogs, Franki and Bobbi, and my cat, Diamante. They’re a daily reminder that animals aren’t problems to fix—they’re partners to understand.