NexGen K9 Training

We are so incredibly grateful for NexGen K9 and the impact they’ve had on our rescue dog, Teddy. Teddy is a German Shepherd/Australian Cattle Dog mix who came to us with a lot of anxiety and insecurity, along with signs of reactivity toward other dogs and people. We knew from the start that helping him adjust would take time, patience, and the right guidance — and that’s exactly what we found at NexGen K9. We chose to do private lessons because we wanted to be hands-on in learning the tools that would best support Teddy, and Samantha was amazing from day one. She truly met us — and Teddy — where we were, with compassion, patience, and professionalism. Her approach was collaborative, thoughtful, and always focused on helping Teddy grow in a way that felt manageable and positive. Samantha went above and beyond for Teddy. Thanks to her support, Teddy is now far more confident and much less reactive. We’re still working through his anxiety in new environments, but because of the foundation NexGen K9 helped us build, I feel so much more confident in helping him continue to thrive. We’re beyond thankful that Teddy is part of our family — and that NexGen K9 played such a key role in making that possible.

I am beyond grateful to have found Rob at NexGenK9! Our first trainer tried the “toss treats everywhere” approach as a distraction, but for us, that only made things worse—Harley would get so worked up. She recommended seeing the UCD Behaviorist to put him on meds to help him with his anxiety so he could focus on learning. They put Harley, who is a 2-year-old French Bulldog, on a mix of medications: Gabapentin, Clonidine Hydrochloride, and Paroxetine Hydrochloride. But instead of helping, the meds just made him lethargic and drained his personality. And even then, he would still get overly anxious and could not focus on training. He had a deep fear of strangers, making it difficult to even have family over. Then I met Samantha and Rob at NexGen K9. He suggested we gradually wean Harley off the medications before starting training, so he could see Harley’s true personality and determine what we were really working with. We followed his advice, and once the meds were out of his system, Harley’s personality returned. We started with private lessons, but since I have two French Bulldogs, I decided to enroll Harley in a two-week board and train program. He needed extra focus and one-on-one training to break through his anxiety. And let me tell you—our home is completely different now! Harley no longer barks at visitors throughout their entire stay. Nor do we have to shut him in a room alone. His vet of two years noticed the change right away—Harley was more confident at his first appointment after returning from board and train. I won’t say it was a "two-week fix," but it set the **foundation** for me to successfully manage both Harley and his younger brother (my one-year-old French Bulldog). And if anyone tells you French Bulldogs—or any dog—are *stubborn* and can’t be trained… don’t believe it. With the right approach, **any dog can learn!**

I simply do not have enough positive words to describe the quality training from NexGen K9. I have a high energy, powerful, reactive Labrador. I started working with Rob when my Max was 8 months old, and at that time, I was convinced I could not keep such a strong and reactive puppy. It was breaking my heart. Thanks to the incredible training, guidance and coaching provided by Rob, Max and I are learning to work as a team. The transformation of my beautiful puppy and of me as his handler has been nothing short of amazing. Max is now 1, and we are still working with Rob, as I’m convinced Rob can help Max and I become a therapy team💕 THANK YOU NexGen K9!!!