ABOUT
MEET
BRENDAN O'NEAL
Hi, I’m Brendan O’Neal, owner and head trainer at Lead & Thrive Dog Training. I was born and raised here in Las Vegas, and while I didn’t always know I would become a dog trainer, looking back, it’s hard to imagine myself doing anything else. My path into dog training really started with one dog who completely changed the way I looked at dogs, behavior, and the relationship we have with them. What started as wanting to better understand my own dog quickly became something I was passionate about learning everything I could about. Today, I get to take what I’ve learned and use it to help other dogs and their families. For me, training isn’t just about teaching a dog to sit, stay, or walk nicely on a leash. It’s about helping owners better understand their dogs, giving them the tools and confidence to handle real life situations, and creating a relationship they can actually enjoy. Every dog and every family is different, and that’s one of the things I love most about what I do. Seeing a family go from feeling frustrated or overwhelmed to genuinely enjoying life with their dog is what makes this work so rewarding. That’s ultimately why I started Lead & Thrive, to help people build better relationships with their dogs and give them the confidence to enjoy more of life together.
MY
TRAINING PHILOSOPHY
My approach to dog training is pretty simple: clear communication, fair expectations, and a strong relationship between you and your dog.
I want training to make sense—not just to your dog, but to you as the owner. That means focusing on things that actually matter in everyday life. Whether it’s going for a walk, having guests over, taking your dog out in public, or simply being able to relax together at home, the goal is to give you the tools to confidently handle those situations.
I work best with owners who:
- Want to build a better relationship with their dog
- Are open to learning and willing to provide structure and consistency
- Understand that lasting results take time and effort
- Want to feel confident handling their dog in everyday life
Dog training works best when everyone is on the same page. I’ll teach you, guide you, and be there to help along the way, but what you do with your dog outside of our sessions matters just as much as what we do together. At the end of the day, my goal isn’t just to give you a better-trained dog. It’s to help you understand your dog better, feel confident leading them, and build a relationship that continues long after the training is over.
MY
STORY
Lead & Thrive Dog Training really started because of my own dog, Blaze. In 2020, my wife and I decided to stop by the Nevada SPCA. We weren’t planning on adopting a dog that day, but then we met Blaze. There was just something about him, and before we knew it, he was coming home with us. Growing up, I had dogs, but I had never owned a formally trained dog. At the time, I didn’t really understand why someone would need professional dog training. Blaze changed that pretty quickly. He had some struggles that I simply didn’t know how to handle. I wanted to help him, but I didn’t have the knowledge or tools to know what to do. Our veterinarian recommended that we look into professional training, so we did—and that decision completely changed our life with him. Going through the training process with Blaze showed me how much more dog training is than teaching commands. I started to understand how important communication, structure, and consistency were, but more importantly, I saw how training could completely change the relationship between a dog and their owner. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know. What started as trying to help my own dog eventually turned into a passion for helping other people who were going through the same frustrations and challenges we had experienced. That’s where Lead & Thrive Dog Training came from. Today, we’re a family-owned Las Vegas business, and our goal is to give owners the knowledge, tools, and confidence they need to enjoy life with their dogs. We want people to understand their dogs better, communicate with them more clearly, and feel confident handling them in the real world. Blaze may have been the reason this journey started, but the families and dogs we get to help every day are the reason Lead & Thrive continues to grow.
MY
MISSION
My mission with Lead & Thrive is simple: help keep dogs in their homes and out of shelters through better training, education, and support.
That mission is personal to me. When my wife and I adopted Blaze, I quickly realized there were things I didn’t know how to handle on my own. I loved my dog, but I didn’t always know how to help him. Training gave me the tools to better understand and communicate with Blaze, and it completely changed our relationship and the life we were able to enjoy together.
That experience also opened my eyes to how many good dogs end up in shelters because their owners feel frustrated, overwhelmed, or simply don’t know where to turn for help.
That’s a big part of why I do what I do today. My goal is to give owners the knowledge, tools, and confidence they need to better understand their dogs, work through challenges, and enjoy life together.
If we can help more owners feel confident with their dogs, keep families together, and keep more dogs out of shelters, then we’re doing exactly what Lead & Thrive was created to do.
PROUD MEMBER
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANINE PROFESSIONALS
I take continuing my education seriously because I believe there’s always more to learn when it comes to dogs and training. That’s one of the reasons I’m a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP). Being part of the IACP gives me the opportunity to continue learning, connect with other experienced trainers, and stay involved with what’s happening in the dog training industry. It also means holding myself to professional and ethical standards in the way I work with both dogs and their owners. I want every client who works with me to know that I’m committed to continuing my education and becoming a better trainer. At the end of the day, it’s about bringing everything I learn back to the dogs and families I work with and giving them the best training and support I can.