K9 Intuition Dog Training

Lucky enough to have grown up with animals my whole life, I didn't realize there was so much to training that i didn't know. I recently got my puppy back in February and it's been such an eye opener to what is required to raise and train a dog, successfully. Prior to Stefano I had seen about 3 trainers- all who did help in some shape or form- however, it just always felt like there was still a disconnect between me and my pup. That no matter how many times a day we trained and practiced I still found myself frustrated, annoyed, sad, and just hitting a wall. So finally I did more digging and after no luck, my little sister who had experienced his training benefits suggested I look Stefano and K9-Intuition up. With Stefano I finally learned the importance of my energy, my confidence, the way I lead. Roo's (my pup) and my relationship has changed drastically since. A pup who went from running away whenever he got off leash, to not listening to my heels, fighting with the leash, and just being a real punk has now become a trusty companion at my side, a listener and follower for place and crate time, and is slow getting more confident on the leash and learning to not react to other dogs. While he's still young and has much to learn I'm so excited to see what else we learn and gain in our relationship. There is a second part to this- aha. By situational circumstance my mom had to take me to my first consultation with Stefano and this ended up being meant to be. Her dog Winnie, fearful for years, just needed a change of pace. A new training approach and situations to be exposed to. I will say while seeing Roo grow and learn has been amazing witnessing Winnie come out of her shell has been the real treat. The extent of Winnie's fearful behaviors went from spinning, climbing, pooping, stalling, growling whenever she was out of her comfort zone. Never having had a dog like this it really just us as at a lost because what do you do with a personality like that. Well, Stefano has come in and has shown us that with patience, determined intent, and repetition Winnie has every ability to be a confident explorer. He even got her to ride a tractor - which probably doesn't sound like a big deal but was HUGE and really showed that Winnie, with the right leadership, will tackle her fears. We're so excited to continue our journey at K9 Intuition and I really do encourage you to reach out. Don't wait to feel defeated with your dog. Be proactive and find a way to have the best relationship and life with your companion.

Stefano has done behavior modification and saved 5 dogs for me now that are now living their best lives in their forever homes which would not have been possible without Stefano! Each of these dogs had severe behavioral issues that stemmed from their previous experiences in the shelter and with their owners. One of the dogs we rescued was a gate jumper and escape artist as well as very destructive to anything that moved. He chewed up our $600 lawn mower, turned push brooms into pretzels and even chewed through the side of our house and gate! Stefano turned him into such a perfect little gentleman “Jackson” and he was adopted by a local English College professor with a large beautiful property that Jackson absolutely LOVES!! All thanks to Stefano ❤️ Stefano has given me the skills to not only work with my dogs but to help others with basic behavior issues and I’m so grateful for him! You could not ask for a better trainer and money could not but what he will teach you and your dog I promise you that! 😍❤️

I just completed Stefano's dog socialization group class and it has been a fantastic experience. I have learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed the class. Stefano's teaching style is fun and relatable and he takes the time to explain the why as well as the how. I've had a number of breakthroughs in my own thinking and approach to my dogs. Well worth the drive from Bakersfield to Acton - I highly recommend!

I’ve been around animals my whole life. As a teen I grew up working on big ranches, I was a wrangler and broke and rode horses, worked with cattle, lots of dogs around. Four years ago we adopted an 8-week old German Shepard/Lab mix; great dog, super sweet and loving. The idea was that my then teenaged son was going to walk & train the dog. But then my son developed a neuromuscular condition and wasn’t physically up to it. I’m beat up myself with 40+ broken bones, 20 serious orthopedic surgeries, etc. So neither my son nor I was able to engage our dog the way he needed. On top of that, six people in the house with no formal dog training, our poor dog had six different people trying to train him six different ways. The dog ended up with no leash manners, and behavioral issues including resource guarding that weren’t corrected. Then this spring a household member got bit over a toy. The family went into turmoil. The person who was bit didn’t want the dog in our house anymore. It was decided that we would put him up for adoption. It tore me up--my wife realized that I needed this dog in my life; I wasn’t going to be alright giving him up. So we put our dog into a kennel and looked for a trainer. The kennel recommended Stefano to us. Stefano has a way with dogs that is almost spiritual. He is a very calm & centered person. Stefano says he fixes dogs one human at a time. I learned that the root of the problem wasn’t our dog; it was all the mixed messages from all of the people in the house. Dogs thrive on consistency, and they fall apart in an environment of chaos/inconsistency. We put our dog into board & train with Stefano for two weeks. He works miracles. My dog is much happier now. Stefano says that there is people psychology and dog psychology and they are very different. Most people try to apply human psychology to their dogs and it doesn’t work, I think Stefano can literally think like a dog. Our dog now has perfect leash manners, I take him for walks barely holding the leash & our dog’s head is right on my left knee. When he starts to spaz out in the house I can calm him down with the techniques Stefano taught. Stefano’s techniques are very humane and the result is a much happier, calmer dog. When your dog knows what’s expected of him & what the boundaries are they are actually much more mellow & easier to work with. There’s a newfound relationship where you respect the dog and they respect you. When I went to pick our dog up from K9 Intuition, a thunderstorm was moving in. My dog is terrified of thunder. Stefano immediately introduced our dog to the treadmill that he has in his training barn. Under Stefano’s guidance my dog took to the treadmill like a duck to water. As the thunder got louder my dog was ignoring it. Stefano explained that my dog’s mind and body were now fully engaged in mastering this new skill of walking on a treadmill, he was too engaged to care about the thunder. Afterward, I worked with my dog in Stefano’s modern barn and lo & behold my dog was ignoring the thunder. Stefano is the real deal. He not only understands dog psychology, he can translate that to humans. Regarding Stefano’s pricing, first, you really do get what you pay for. In the past we have flushed money down the drain on trainers for some other dogs we tried to adopt that had some serious issues. Dogs didn’t get better, we didn’t get better, but the trainers cashed the checks. Having been a mechanic I can tell you that 3 cheap tools won’t get the job done as quickly or as well as one high quality tool. It’s your dog; you want cheap tools that won’t work or one high quality tool that will accomplish your goals and help you & your dog achieve mutual happiness? Stefano and K9 Intuition are very special. Stefano comes from a place of love and works with your dog. It’s about calm and gentle corrections to improve your dog’s behavior. I thank Stefano, without him I would have lost my dog. You can’t go wrong with K9 Intuition and Stefano.