I'm Tommy Stark — The Dog Director. For more than twenty years I've made it my life's work to understand dogs from the inside out, and then teach the people who love them. Here's how I got here, and how I work.
"Perfecting dogs by correcting people."
It started in the late '90s with a Rottweiler named Barin. His intelligence and loyalty pulled me into the world of canine behavior and breeding, and I never looked back — studying pedigrees, genetics, and decades of competition results until a passion became a profession.
In 2003 I started Canine Behavior Solutions in Atlanta, then founded iSpeakDog! in 2007. It was the "Dog Whisperer" era and everyone called me that — my answer was always, "I don't whisper, I speak." It stuck.
Alongside training, I built von der Stark Rottweilers — breeding to the German ADRK standard, importing semen and traveling to Europe for the right pairings, always chasing health, temperament, and structure in that order. Every breeding traced back to the original bloodlines. I raised 112 puppies, owned 30+ adult Rottweilers, and produced dogs now working in Canada, Costa Rica, and across the U.S. — including one of the top females in Europe, sold to Istanbul.
In 2011 I opened Paws at Play on St. Simons Island, Georgia, and by 2014 expanded it into Island Tailwaggers — a full dog resort with daycare, boarding, grooming, training, and retail. I hosted over 11,000 clients and worked 7am to 7pm managing the facility, the staff, and the packs. After a decade, I decided to focus on what I loved most: teaching owners and their dogs. I sold the resort and, in 2018, moved to California.
I started over from scratch with my companion Bhaji. In 2019 I began co-hosting monthly community pack walks — now 150+ dogs at every walk. And on Mother's Day 2023, I opened a private, members-only dog park named for my mom: Dee Dog Park.
I've also fed and balanced raw (B.A.R.F.) diets for competition dogs for years, and consulted thousands of owners on nutrition — because so many behavior problems start in the bowl. Beyond obedience I offer service-dog task training, dog sports & show handling, and help choosing a breeder or the right puppy.
Register once, tell me your availability, and I'll come to you anywhere in South Orange County.