Specializing in canine behavior and functional movement
★★★★★on Google

Meet the Team Behind Venture

A certified behavior consultant, a client experience coordinator who has your back between every session, and a method built from 13 years of asking a better question: what if behavior starts in the body?

Steven Tallas, certified canine behavior consultant and fitness trainer in Austin, TX
EXCELLENT
★★★★★
Rated 5.0 from 38 reviews on
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Yessika P
★★★★★

My dog Pedro and I had a great time working with Steven and Hannah. Steven helped my reactive pup calm down. My dog couldn't even look at a toy dog without going crazy for it. Now he can walk by dogs with little to no issues and I can tell my dog is happier. Steven knows his stuff and is great at working with dogs and people as well. There is so much kindness, patience, and education there that is very cool! The knowledge I gained on how to take care of Pedro and help him was also so helpful. I would totally recommend Steven to anyone who has a reactionary doggo that needs some help! Now my dog is able to go out beyond our little neighborhood and hangout with us!

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kaitlyn warren
★★★★★

Steven has been amazing to work with over the past 7 weeks. He didn’t just train my dogs—he taught me how to better understand them and build their confidence. Darci and Trout have both made so much progress, and I’m incredibly grateful for everything we’ve learned. I highly recommend him! Please consider him for any aged pups and don’t be surprised with how fast the progress happens! Services Dog training

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Jacquelyn Llamas
★★★★★

My sweet girl has always had trouble since I got her from the shelter. She struggled with recall, being outside of the house around dogs/small animals, sometimes men, and honestly just listening to me in general. I have noticed milestones that I never would imagine my dog would be able to. I feel like Steven has been so understanding and non judgmental. I was always worried to get into training because I felt like I had no idea how to control my own dog, but he has made this process so nice. It’s been an amazing experience overall and I recommend Steven 1000%!

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Megan Gross
★★★★★

Steven at Venture Dog Training has been an incredible mentor and played a huge role in my growth as a professional dog trainer. He helped me tremendously by deepening my understanding of behavior, structure, and clear communication — not just teaching techniques, but teaching the “why” behind them. His guidance and high standards pushed me to grow in both confidence and skill, and his mentorship contributed greatly to me earning my certification. I’m truly grateful for his leadership and highly recommend him to anyone looking for knowledgeable, structured, results-driven training. Thank you, Steven!!

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Juliana Kiener
★★★★★

We are so impressed with the progress our dog has made after just 8 sessions with Steven from Venture Dog Training! She learned how to sit, stay, lay down, take a breath, and leave it—and she absolutely loves Steven (and so do we)! Steven is not only super knowledgeable and professional, but also incredibly attentive. He’s even helped answer questions outside of our scheduled sessions—which we try not to take advantage of, haha! He’s truly passionate about what he does, and it shows. We especially love that Steven comes to our house, making training so convenient and personalized. He even joined us for a session at our favorite bar to help train our pup in a real-world setting, which was exactly what we needed. Steven is kind, trustworthy, and an all-around great guy. We couldn’t recommend him more!

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Charlie Hackenbruch
★★★★★

I really loved working with Steven! He was a kind, skilled and knowledgable teacher. I'm neurodivergent and can struggle with task switching between processing verbal in person instruction and actually training the dog, but I try to take in person classes as well as online ones because there's so many benefits to training in a controlled environment like a class. In spite of me having a generally harder time with in person instruction, Steven was very patient, encouraging and a joy to work with. He also was always very flexible if I wanted to do something a different way, and was even creative enough to come up with new solutions himself if I preferred training a skill in a different way, which I did not at all expect. I would not hesitate to take a class with Steven again.

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Jennifer Kuvlesky
★★★★★

I hired Steven to help get my corgi Chihuahua mix dog with self control since we are expecting a baby in the family and my daughter moved in with her 2 cats. My dog, Oliver, had selective listening skills prior to training and would hyperventilate and bark constantly around the cats. With Steven’s guidance and consistent training approach we were able to get Oliver to listen, and now he can hang out with the cats without barking at all. At first, it didn’t seem like it was going to work, but with consistent training over a three month period were able to be successful.

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Concelia Cappuccilli
★★★★★

Steven and his team are amazing! They are quick to get you in for a FREE telephone consult and respond to messages with speed. I went with the fitness and nutrition package shortly after my dog was diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. My dog is fearful of new people, especially men, but Steven was able to develop a plan to help with her stance, gait, and rear end muscle building, and coach us entirely virtually! I have seen a massive decrease in her pain since working with him!! His nutritionist, Amanda, was also able to develop a diet to help with her IBD. She is extremely knowledgeable on all things dog nutrition! I’d recommend Steven and team to anyone who is looking for expert coaching and a trainer who cares so deeply for the animals in their care.

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D Duncan
★★★★★

"Working with Steven at Venture Dog Training was a fantastic experience. He was so patient and gave me the tools I needed to truly communicate with Marlo. If you're looking for an excellent trainer, look no further!" Services Dog training

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Nicole Vences
★★★★★

Steven is such a great trainer! He helped me learn techniques and tools to help manage my dog's reactivity. My dog loves working with Steven and I have become better equipped to handle my dogs reactivity. Services Dog training

Professional Certifications & Memberships

Steven Tallas, CBCC-KA, Dip.CBST, CSCC — certified in canine behavior consulting, behavior science & technology, and canine sports conditioning.

Steven Tallas, CBCC-KA, Dip.CBST, CSCC

Behavior Consultant, Canine Fitness Trainer & Proud Stutterer

Steven's path into dog training started 13 years ago and never went the usual route. While most trainers stopped at obedience, he kept following the harder question: why do two dogs with the same training respond so differently? The answer kept pointing to the same place, the body, and that pursuit took him from professional behavior work into canine fitness, biomechanics and the science of how movement shapes emotion.

Today he holds the CBCC-KA from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, the credential the industry recommends for reactivity and aggression cases, a Diploma in Canine Behavior Science and Technology, certification in canine sports conditioning, a canine fitness credential from NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, Fear Free certification, and certified trainer status with AggressiveDog.com. He mentors upcoming trainers toward their own certifications, teaches workshops with fellow behavior consultants, and coaches conditioning at Austin dog sport events.

And yes, the title says Proud Stutterer. Steven teaches communication for a living, human and canine, and considers it proof that clarity has nothing to do with fluency.

Steven Tallas, canine behavior consultant, with a dog in Austin, TX

Hannah Pancho

Client Experience Coordinator & Brand Developer

Hannah came to Venture from a New York dog training company, and she is the reason working with us feels organized from the first message to the last follow-up. Scheduling, program logistics, questions between sessions, the small things that decide whether training actually fits into a busy Austin life: Hannah owns them.

She takes pride in being a pet owner's go-to throughout their entire training journey, and clients regularly name her in reviews right alongside the training itself. That is by design. Behavior change happens between sessions, and between sessions is exactly where Hannah lives.

Hannah Pancho, client experience coordinator at Venture Dog Training in Austin

Mission, Vision & Values

Mission

We exist to help dogs and their humans thrive by improving how dogs move, feel and behave, through posture-first, movement-centric training and compassionate coaching.

Vision

A world where every dog owner, regardless of background, experiences the freedom and joy of adventure with a confident, well-regulated companion.

Values

We work as a team with every client: honest guidance, clear expectations and supportive coaching that empowers owners to succeed, in Austin and beyond.

Why Austin Trusts Venture

We are Austin's only canine wellness program integrating posture, movement and behavior, and the difference shows up where it matters: 38 Google reviews, every one of them five stars, and a client list that includes professional trainers who chose Steven as their mentor.

Our promise is simple. Evidence-based methods that never trade your dog's trust for compliance. Programs scoped honestly, priced clearly and adjusted weekly against real progress. Coaching that treats you as the most important trainer your dog will ever have, because you are.

The consultation is free. Bring us the thing you have almost given up on.

Confident dog adventuring in a canoe with owner after training with Venture Dog Training Austin

Ready to Transform Your Dog?

Book a free consultation and tell us what you and your dog are struggling with. We’ll map the fastest route to calm.