About Rover Rehab Dog Training
Relax. Your dog problem is over.

My goal is to get you on your way to a much improved, lifelong relationship with your best friend. I understand that improving dog behaviors isn’t always easy. Plus, there’s a lot of misinformation and contradiction out there regarding dog behavior. The average dog owner can become frustrated and confused. If you want a better-behaved pooch but don’t know where to turn, or have little time to invest in training your own dog, leave it to me. As a certified professional dog trainer, I’ve been perfecting training skills for 25 years. Your dog and I will do the grunt work, right in your home. You can be as involved as you like. You’ll enjoy quick results and free up time for other priorities. And you’ll learn a few simple training concepts that will continue the success. Hiring Rover Rehab to train your dog is the equivalent of pressing the easy button.
- John Lawrence, Lead Trainer, Rover Rehab of WI
Carefree Training for the Dog You Had in Mind
You choose from two pathways-We do the training for you and transfer it back, or we work together as a team to get it done.
Jumpstart Training
When your stress is high and time’s at a premium, just leave it to us. We deliver turnkey training that solves problems quickly. We’ll visit your home whenever it’s convenient—when you’re at work or doing things around the house—and do the schooling, usually several times a week. You and a trainer will work once a week to transfer the training, so the good behavior sticks.
One-on-One Training
If you’re a do-it-yourself person, our private training coaches can school you and your dog right at home. We’ll use our unique “explain it, demonstrate it, coach it” method that gives you the hands-on support you need to get your dog trained. You’ll learn how dogs learn so that once the lessons are over, you’ll be able to train your dog to do anything without our help.
Meet Our Lead Trainer
The family was in crisis over what to do with Jake. He’d started showing aggression toward family members. They were truly in fear for their own safety. The situation couldn’t go on. After arriving for an initial consult, I found out the decision had already been made to put Jake down.
This was one of many tough situations John Lawrence has faced over 25 years of working with dogs. John is both owner and lead trainer at Rover Rehab. He has improved the lives of hundreds of canines and their families since 1993 when he got his start doing doggy daycare and learning how to solve dog behavior problems. John “went pro” soon after and he’s been adding knowledge and certifications ever since. He founded Rover Rehab in 2015 to bring his innovative techniques to clients throughout the Madison, WI area.
Not every training situation is as drastic as “fix this dog’s behavior or else.” But to be successful, you’ve got to be passionate about making the lives of dogs and their humans more fulfilling. One day it’s about normalizing the world to a young pup, to prevent fears or phobias from developing. Another it’s helping a dog learn that it’s not necessary to be pushy or assertive to get what she wants. On another, it’s changing the emotions of an aggressive dog to overcome his fear, so he doesn’t feel it necessary to scare everyone away.
John loves his work and he’s passionate about helping your dog learn. He believes that learning is a lifelong endeavor — for dogs and humans alike. He’s continually reading and attending seminars to learn about new discoveries in animal behavior science. When you work with John, you can be sure best practices for dog and puppy training are part of your pet’s plan.
John is recommended by nearly a dozen local vets and is affiliated with the country’s leading dog training organizations:
Helping dogs before problems arise is always preferable, but in the dog training world it’s not always a reality. Jake’s family wanted very much to do the right thing but they couldn’t trust him anymore. Safety and quality of life always come first and foremost. Especially in aggression cases, it’s important to respect the insights and decision-making of the dog owner.
The story has a happy ending. I made the clients aware of all their options. After much discussion, the family decided to postpone their decision for one day to allow me to try a few things with Jake. One day led into the next. The process wasn’t always easy, but after a few short weeks this once untrusting dog was now learning to trust again, and eventually the aggression faded away.
Proper training can dramatically change the life of a family and dog for the better. Rover Rehab will get your dog on the path to success from the start as a young puppy. Or if you’re considering relinquishing or euthanizing your pet because you don’t see any alternative, we’ll do everything possible to turn things around.