K-9 Defense

I signed my 5 month old German Short Haired Pointer puppy for a 4 week board and train puppy program. There were two things I wanted to accomplish: 1) Foundational skills that can built upon as she continues to grow 2) Environmental advice for managing her in my girlfriend's multi-dog household. I was successful in training my 3 year old pitbull during her puppy years but my schedule has gotten increasingly busy and I no longer live in a busy area where I can walk out my front door into crowds (I use to live in Old Town Scottsdale) so heavy distraction training now requires driving. Since I felt confident maintaining the work they put in given my past experience, I essentially outsourced number 1 and actually ended up learning A TON as a bonus. My last trainer taught me how to teach a dog behaviors, K9 defense taught me how to incentivize my pup to want to perform those behaviors without excessive correction or electrical stimulation (at this young age). At K9 Defense, I primarily worked with Malory. She focused a lot on engagement and connecting with your pup rather than focusing exclusively on the behavior. This has taken the skills that I learned in the past to the next level and I feel way more confident about having another pup in the future. That and, the residual puppy crying in the crate that was present before I dropped her off, was completely gone when she came back. (I could hear a pin drop when I put her away to work in my office that first day back haha). That said, where I REALLY got my money's worth was number 2. I had several trainers over the years tell me that if my girlfriend does not train all 3 of her dogs that any dog I buy is destined to fail. These were the first dog trainers to say otherwise and highlighted that some service dogs live with untrained pets and behave perfectly fine as long as the owner sets the boundaries. I struggled a LOT with this with my first dog and while my last trainer was great at teaching me how to train her on basic obedience in virtually any situation (I had her walking off leash in old town Scottsdale ignoring dogs, critters, people etc), all hell would break loose at my girlfriend's house with her other dogs. Malorie provided me with the skills to manage my new pup in that environment and it has paid off in spades. Additionally, my girlfriend's GSP (my dog's sibling) was showing signs of anxiety and aggression so on her request I set up a follow up session with Malorie and Wes at her house to assess the situation. The net result is that she is now motivated to train him and her other dog because of the simple methods recommended by Malorie and Wes. As a person who coaches humans (Registered Dietitian and Strength Coach), I can tell you that these people understand coaching. They don't just provide you with drills and theories on animal behavior, they do a great job of teaching you how to carry it forward and build it into your day to day life without neither oversimplifying or overcomplicating that process. I will continue to work with them and would love to purchase a dog from them should one become available and when I'm ready for another one. 5 stars and I'd give more if that were an option. Looking forward to continuing to work with these fine people.

K-9 Defense has been incredible to work with and I would rate more than 5 stars if I could! George, Chris, Wes, Conner, and the rest of the team are all extremely knowledgeable and talented. I was looking to add a Belgian to my life and they have all been such a huge help with any questions I’ve had as well as tailoring a training program to amplify the abilities and temperament I would like my dog to have. I observed them working dogs at different stages of training and it really gave me a tremendous amount of appreciation for the passion the whole team puts into each and every dog in the facility. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone and I’m so thankful for the knowledge they shared with me.

K9 Defensive is professional, knowledgeable and delivers results! Chris, who was our original contact, made sure he spent quality time explaining the program to us and answered all our questions. The team we worked with, especially Mallory, understands how to create the communication relationship between us and our dog. The training that Maximus had was exactly what was needed for him (and us of course too). Highly recommend the program, training is organized, thorough and safe for all!