Magnus K9

I had a great experience working with Christine at Magnus K9 Training. One of the biggest things that stood out to me was her balanced training approach—she doesn’t just train your dog, she teaches you how to communicate effectively and use the tools correctly. Before working with Christine, I only used reward-based training. While that helped to a degree, my dogs never reached their full potential. Christine helped me understand how to properly apply a balanced method, and the difference has been huge. That said, she makes it very clear that success depends on your commitment—you have to put in the work for the program to truly pay off. Throughout the entire process, Christine stayed in constant contact, offering guidance and adjusting the training to fit my specific needs. That level of support made a big difference and kept me confident that I was on the right track. It was also incredibly reassuring that she had firsthand experience with German Shorthaired Pointers. Knowing she had owned and trained one herself gave me confidence, especially since GSPs are such high-energy and sometimes anxious dogs. I started training my GSP, Leroy, with Christine when he was 9 months old. Since then, he’s become noticeably more confident, focused, and obedient. I couldn’t be happier with the progress we’ve made. If you’re willing to put in the effort, Christine will absolutely give you the tools and support to succeed.

I signed up for four lessons with Christine for my dog Dude who is generally pretty anxious and can be reactive to other dogs when on a leash. Christine worked with me to define our goals and even explain some of the training theory to me because I found it so interesting. I really appreciated that because she’s worked with so many dogs and trained for different purposes (pets vs personal protection or field work) she’s able to customize a training program specific to the dog and owner's abilities. She was able to use her own neutral dog Onyx to aid in the training which was essential in retraining Dude’s responses to triggers. Dude made a ton of progress just in the four lessons we had, while I also learned the tools to continue building his confidence on my own. And more importantly I finally feel like I have someone in my corner who is going to provide the support I need when working with a reactive dog gets frustrating and it feels like I’m taking a step backward. Can’t recommend Christine enough!!

When I first got my dog, I did a lot of formal puppy and basic manners training. I continued working with him on my own, but over time I wasn’t as consistent, and he started to lose some of those habits. I even stopped crate training altogether. When he turned 6, I began noticing some behaviors reappear, like anxious chewing and increased attachment to me. That’s when I found Christine at Magnus K9 Training. I was pretty anxious about restarting training, especially crate training, but Christine was incredible. She took the time to explain why crate training would be beneficial for both of us and helped ease my nerves. She was patient and gentle with both me and my dog, while also giving us the right amount of encouragement when we were ready to move forward. Now I can confidently say my dog loves his crate again, and it has made a huge difference in his overall behavior. It’s also significantly reduced my own anxiety, knowing he’s safe and not getting into anything while I’m away. I’m so grateful for Christine’s support and guidance!

Six months ago my wife and I adopted an approximately three year old pit bull. From the start, he was super friendly and playful, but he lived his entire life to that point essentially fending for himself. We had previous experience with the breed, and we intended to seek professional training from the start. Our previous dog, however, had very different needs than our new guy. He’s a very confident dog who needed to learn some civilized living manners. Within the first few weeks of ownership we knew we needed help sooner than later. We found Magnus K9 and couldn’t be more pleased. Initially, our new dog pulled relentlessly on the leash, got up on countertops, playfully chomped our hands, couldn’t control his excitement over other dogs, wouldn’t go to the bathroom in our own yard, and generally didn’t acknowledge that we were in charge. He was basically a three year old puppy. After only a few sessions (with committed practice at home) all of these issues have drastically improved. Christine does a great job of listening to our current concerns and successes during each session and uses them to continue building new customized plans. Her advice and instruction on how to mentally stimulate our dog to engage him in learning and TIRE HIM OUT were invaluable. Neither us nor our dog wish to run several miles a day, so having plenty of tools to use in the home for a few minutes a day has been incredibly helpful. The most important benefit I’ve experienced is the genuine strengthening of the bond with our new dog. Gaining a better understanding of his needs has allowed us to clear the hurdles of his frustrating behaviors and appreciate the nuances of his unique personality. We were pretty stressed when we contacted Magnus K9. Since the first session with Christine, we’ve been able to enjoy having a dog again. It’s the best money we’ve spent in a long time.