FirstBarkJosh is my go-to trainer. I have a high-drive, shy shepherd cattle dog mix that has been seeing Josh since he was 8 mos old off and on. I’ve done board and trains with Josh as well and he is one of few people I trust with my dog (now about to be five years old).
K9 Optima
Antioch, California
About K9 Optima
At K9Optima, we specialize in addressing extreme behavioral issues in dogs, including reactivity, forward aggression, resource guarding etc. Our science-based approach involves a comprehensive assessment of your dog to determine the best course of action, ensuring lasting behavior change. With nearly 4,000 cases handled, we are dedicated to meeting you and your dog to provide effective, humane solutions.
Training & services
Training goals
- Behavior consultation
- Obedience training
- Socialization
Behavior support
- Aggression training
- Reactivity training
- Resource guarding
How training happens
- Board and train
- In-home training
- Online or virtual training
- Private training
Dog age
- Puppies Customer-reported
Your dog’s background
- Rescue dogs
Additional services
- Boarding
Other listed services
View 23 additional details
- Behavior Canine
- Behavioral Challenges
- Complementary
- Comprehensive Evaluation
- Counter Conditioning
- Couples Therapy
- Customized Training
- Dog Assessments
- Dog Learn
- Dog Play
- Dog Trainer Program
- Dog Training Sessions
- Dog's Body
- Dog's Social
- Immersive Learning
- Person Sessions
- Personal Trainer
- Personalized Coaching
- Relationship Building
- Specialized Training
- Training Help
- Training Support
- Week Program
Confirm current programs and availability directly.
Customer reviews
Google listing5
164 Google reviews
Mentioned in reviews
- Reactivity issues 39
- Reactive dog training 21
- Obedience training 11
- Board and train 8
- Dog assessment 5
- Rescue dog training 5
All 10 topics
- Virtual session 4
- Behavior assessment 3
- Helper dog 3
- Trigger identification 2
Google review topics, not confirmed services.
Josh trained our standard Goldendoodle (Harley) when he was a 10 month old puppy with a one week board and train. We were so pleased with results and Josh’s inclusivity of his family and ours (via live feed) during the training, that we did a second board and train a year later f…Read full reviewClose full review
Josh trained our standard Goldendoodle (Harley) when he was a 10 month old puppy with a one week board and train. We were so pleased with results and Josh’s inclusivity of his family and ours (via live feed) during the training, that we did a second board and train a year later for reactivity to bicycles! Josh is extremely knowledgeable and compassionate and loving to our pup. We have referred all of our friends who need help with training to Josh and they have all had great experiences and results. We just got a new puppy and will be sending her to Josh soon as she’s old enough for his board and train!
I took my dog to Josh for a consultation last year and had a great experience. He was informative, explained everything clearly, and gave us plenty of helpful advice. We had a negative experience with a previous trainer, but Josh was respectful of my dog’s boundaries, which I really appreciated. We came from Livermore, and the drive to Antioch was definitely worth it!!
Highly recommend! It’s hard to find a trainer whose heart is in his work to truly help the dog and owner long term. So many fly by night trainers are out there who use fear and abusive techniques that leave a dog traumatized and often worse. I commend you for all your hard work and look forward to continuing to learn from you and apply that knowledge in my day to day work in dog rescue.
Joshua Beckler is the real deal. He knows his stuff and really specializes in working breeds like German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois, like I have. He is easy to understand and is dedicated to helping you communicate better with your dog and bring out the very best your dog can be. I cannot wait to see what he can help me do with our new Mal, Riggs.
Original customer experiences from the collected Google data. Ratings without comments follow written reviews.