
Science-backed, force-free behavior modification for reactive, anxious, and complex dogs.
Hi, I’m Stella Vasileva, a professional Dog Behavior Consultant and R+ trainer serving San Francisco and San Mateo County.
I specialize in helping dogs with complex behavioral issues such as reactivity, fear, anxiety, aggression, and hyperactivity.
Through Pintar Dog Training, I offer private training and behavioral consultations.
Areas of Specialty:
Leash Reactivity & Hyper-Arousal
Helping dogs who bark, lunge, or pull toward other dogs, people, or other triggers—whether driven by fear, frustration, or overexcitement—learn to navigate walks calmly without reacting.
Fear & Anxiety
Transforming fearful, nervous dogs that are sensitive to loud noises, afraid of strangers, and struggling in new environments—into confident, relaxed companions who feel safe in their own skin.
Urban & Everyday Life Skills
Turning everyday chaos—jumping on guests, pulling on the leash, barking, or ignoring you outdoors—into social manners, reliable focus, and the ability to settle calmly in public settings.
I Get It—Living with a Reactive, Anxious, or Hyper-Aroused Dog is Exhausting
If handling your dog feels like a high-stress tactical mission, or if you feel isolated after trying advice that didn’t work, I am here to help. By combining practical training, modern dog behavior science, and a customized approach to each case, I will coach you to better understand your dog, navigate difficult situations, and build important skills for both you and your dog.
My approach looks beyond quick fixes or suppressing symptoms in the moment. Instead, we identify the root cause of your dog’s behavior. Together, we’ll build a customized step-by-step behavior modification plan that fits into your lifestyle and works without force, intimidation, corrections, or aversive tools.
My Mission: Not just a “well-behaved dog,” but a dog that is happy, emotionally balanced, and genuinely enjoying life alongside you.





My training philosophy
Dog training, to me, is about helping dogs become well-behaved, smart, and independent. It’s about teaching them what we expect from them and how to make good decisions. It’s about creating a strong bond and clear communication between our dogs and us.
I want our pets to be free-spirited and confident. At the same time, I want them to learn rules and boundaries, so they can fit into our busy schedules and urban lifestyle.
Your dog should be your best companion that you are able to take everywhere with you: travel, go to a coffee shop with you, visit your friends’ and family’s parties, hang out at the beach, or just have a peaceful stroll in a park.
All this can be achieved through reward-based dog training and providing your dog with plenty of mental and physical stimulation.
And if you truly want your complicated relationship with your dog to transform into stress-free companionship, you need to become a bit of a dog trainer yourself. And the best professional dog trainer is the one who doesn’t just provide quick, look-good-on-camera fixes, but who can teach pet parents how to train their own dogs.
Training methods we use at Pintar Dog Training
At Pintar Dog Training, we focus on reward-based methods and force-free methodology.
We rely on positive reinforcement techniques and custom desensitization / counter-conditioning protocols. We don’t work against your dog; we work with them and their needs.
We don’t need to use methods rooted in punishment, correction, or intimidation, because we know how to teach a needed skill or wanted behavior in a force-free way.
With a professional education in animal learning, practical and theoretical dog training, applied animal ethology, and dog biology, we use modern, efficient methods backed by science.
We have a deep understanding of how different methods work and why they work, so we can adjust and customize each training protocol to match your dog’s temperament, their background, and breed-specific needs.
Because we work with complicated behavior cases every day, we know how different training tools can affect dogs in the long term. We strictly use tools that are ethical and humane and don’t compromise your dog’s well-being or your relationship with your dog.
Some of the tools and concepts still used by the dog training industry are outdated, go against the science, are proven to be harmful or inefficient long-term, or are simply not ethical anymore in the 21st century. Instead, we offer you tools that are humane to use and still provide you with safety and control when needed.
In Pintar Dog Training, we stay away from such tools and concepts: we never recommend or use shock collars (e-collars), prong collars, or pseudoscientific theories like dominance/alpha theories.
When helping our dogs navigate a busy urban lifestyle, it is tempting to fall into one of the categories: either utilize strict military-grade discipline, where the dog is constantly micromanaged and denied their personality, or fall into an “everything is allowed” mindset. Some people mistakenly believe that serious problems should be resolved by strict methods (not true; positive reinforcement covers all behavior issues and is proven to be more efficient in the long term). Some other people see reward-based training as a free treat-dispensing tool that doesn’t teach and just rewards.
At Pintar Dog Training, we do not rely on strict obedience commands alone. By teaching dogs replacement behaviors and boosting their confidence, we build genuine behavioral change—not just compliance through fear. We offer your dog choices, gently nudging them toward acceptable ones and heavily rewarding them for that. We teach you how to communicate with your dog using positive methods and how to establish healthy boundaries.
We avoid a “one size fits all” approach, opting instead for a customized training plan that meets the specific needs of each dog and their owner. In private lessons, we consider the dog’s emotional state and learning speed, adjusting exercises and plans as needed. We prioritize the dog’s well-being, ensuring training is enjoyable and viewed as quality time with their guardians.
We also adjust our approach to our clients’ different learning styles. Just like dogs, some humans are quick to learn and prefer to take the reins in training. In this case, we focus on coaching sessions and giving pet parents plenty of exercises to work with their dogs directly. Other people can be less quick to learn or too busy to do the full amount of homework; in this case, we follow a hybrid structure by supplementing coaching sessions with day training, where we work with your dog solo.
Real behavior change doesn’t come from forcing compliance or just learning a few cues or commands. It starts with relationship and mutual trust.
At Pintar Dog Training, we put a lot of effort into building a relationship with you and your dog, and we incorporate exercises and methods that help you strengthen the bond with your dog.
We teach dog guardians how to read their dog’s subtle body language, understand why they act out, and rebuild a calm, cooperative partnership. Instead of constantly managing outbursts, you’ll learn how to help your dog and support them.



Who I Work With
I help dogs that are:
- Struggling with leash and urban stress, including barking, lunging, jumping, or pulling hard on walks
- Dealing with reactivity or selective focus, acting sweet at home but losing control around triggers outside
- Overwhelmed by fear, anxiety, or nervousness, making it hard to cope with strangers, loud noises, or guests in the home
- Cautious rescue or under-socialized dogs, needing extra time to build trust, feel safe on walks, and adapt to the world
- Hyperactive and constantly “on”, struggling to switch off, relax at home, or handle busy environments
- Lacking public access manners, making outings to dog-friendly offices, cafes, patios, or stores feel stressful
I work with pet guardians who are:
- Looking for long-term solutions, rather than a quick fix that just suppresses symptoms
- Interested in teaching their dog what is expected of them, instead of relying on constant corrections
- Willing to learn how to understand their dog and build clear communication, rather than expecting them to read minds
- Prioritizing their dog’s welfare and committed to force-free, non-punitive training methods
- Understanding that real change takes time, and ready to put in the practice between sessions
My Journey into Dog Training
From Street Dog Rescue in Indonesia to SF City Life
My path into professional dog training began over a decade ago in Indonesia. While I lived there for 7 years, I adopted a street dog puppy. Being in a rural area without local training schools, I dove headfirst into learning everything I could about animal behavior, positive reinforcement, and voluntary training.
Through daily training, my shy rescue transformed into a confident, trustworthy pet companion. She rode with me on scooters, relaxed at outdoor cafes, stayed calmly on the beach while I surfed, and eventually handled the huge transition to city life in San Francisco with total ease.
That journey showed me what’s possible when training is built on trust and clear communication.
Turning Passion into Expertise
After moving to California and spending time working as a dog walker and volunteering with rescue dogs at the San Francisco SPCA, I saw firsthand how many urban dogs struggled with basic skills, leash reactivity, and fear.
Driven to provide high-level support for pet parents, I formally trained as a professional dog trainer and dog behavior consultant, gained hands-on experience, and launched Pintar Dog Training to focus specifically on 1-on-1 behavior modification.

Pintar Dog Training: WHAT’S IN A NAME?
“Pintar” (pin-tar) means “smart” or “clever” in Indonesian.
It’s a tribute to my rescue dog’s roots and my core philosophy:
The best dog training teaches your dog to make smart choices, and not be micromanaged into full obedience.



Education & Continuous Learning
I am professionally educated in animal learning, practical dog training, and applied ethology. Because modern behavioral science is constantly evolving, I am deeply committed to ongoing education. I stay up to date with the latest research and regularly participate in industry conferences and specialized behavior webinars led by world-renowned behavior experts to ensure my clients receive the most up-to-date, science-based care.
Education
- School of Applied Ethology with Dr Sofya Baskin (2-year education including Animal Learning science and Animal Behavior)
- Aggressive Dog master course by Michael Shikashio (ongoing)
- Professional dog training course by Antonina Zimareva (Pseholog.com)
- Fear Free Shelter Program
- San Francisco SPCA: Behavior & Shelter Dog Volunteer
- Nordic Dog School by Turid Rugaas
- Service dog and me
- Petco Dog Training Instructor Program
- Mentorship by renowned dog trainers
Behavior conferences:
Agression conference 2024 and 2025
MET conference 2025 and 2026
Out of Control Reactivity Summit 2024
Barking at the right tree 2024 – International festival for reactive dogs
Workshops and professional webinars:
- Multiple workshops by FDSA
- Senior Dog Fitness – Sarah Keller
- Simone Mueller’s Predation Substitute Training: Recall and Managing predatory drive
- Susan Garrett: Recall games
- Resource Guarding by Suzanne Clothier
- Hyper arousal webinar by Ksenia Trofimova (Dog Republic)
- High drive and urban sheepdogs by Emily Priestley, CTC
- Fear Free Shelter Program
- Really Real Relaxation by Suzanne Clothier
Understanding and Managing Toy Obsession, Liza Rader ( - Helping Reactive and Fearful Dogs – The Play Way! – Amy Cook, PhD
- Don’t Leave Me – Working with Separation Anxiety, Sarah Dixon
- Happy Crating, Canine Behavioral Wellness – Sarah Stremming
- Separation anxiety course by Malena DeMartini
Ready to build a calmer, happier relationship with your dog?
All new clients start with a comprehensive initial consultation where we evaluate your dog’s needs and design your customized roadmap.
