North Star Family K-9

My dog just finished her 3 week board and train here and I can’t put to words how grateful we are for them. Our dog has a bite history and was extremely fear reactive with both dogs and humans. She had also been on anxiety medications for the past two years. We were at wits end and needed help figuring out how to give Macadamia a better life. Let me say, from the initial phone consult to the very end of her stay they were extremely knowledgeable and invested in Macadamia. The fact that they were never afraid of her, knew exactly what she needed, and helped cultivate goals alongside us to help us achieve the lifestyle with Macki that we wanted. We received daily updates with photos and videos, along with the sweetest notes from her incredible trainer. Macadamia worked mainly with Ethan, who gave us two private lessons and one go home lesson where we were able to ask questions and see her progress each week in real time. Helped us get some training as well! Ethan is an absolute gem and we would 100% recommend him as he was so loving and precious towards our girl! My only complaint… macki might love him as much as she loves us! We also received updates from other trainers that worked with her during her time there which was also so comforting to hear macki was getting along with so many of their staff! Getting her home we received an extremely comprehensive plan that gave us a reintegration set up that spans another three weeks and helps us upkeep the training they spent so much time building up for us. Because of this I feel like we can confidently move forward with the structured plan they laid out and keep up the training she had while boarded. I know many people, including myself, worry about what happens after. Is my dog just going to go back to what she was like before? The discharge plan, and the guaranteed lifetime support from their facility (phone consults, calls, pop in lesson for a refresh) insures that your pet won’t backslide. It’s not a magic fix, but our dog is definitely a different dog coming home. She has built so much confidence and is just overall so much more receptive and happy! If you’re considering, you don’t have to anymore. This is the place for you and your reactive pupper. (I attached a picture they sent me during her stay, just look at that smile!)

Cannot say enough positive things about North Star Family K-9. Our dog Cooper is a highly anxious mini Aussie mix that was hard to manage and control. We did a 6- week board and train camp and during the 6 week sessions the team was supportive and provided daily updates. We have Cooper home now and he’s a very different dog, much more calm and easier to manage. We had Maddie as our trainer and she was excellent and went far beyond my expectations on the care, education and training she provided. Thank you Maddie and North Star team !!!

I couldn't be happier with the training that my Whoodle, CiCi, received with NSFK9. The team is fantastic starting with the owner, Hank and principal dog trainer, Erica. CiCi, my 16 month old dog, is happy, outgoing and impulsive. She tended to greet people and other dogs by jumping on them. She would tend to pull on walks and had limited attention span. Erica and team created a plan to teach CiCi to greet politely, to control her impulsiveness through small rewards that redirected her attention and created a more controlled environment. The teaching and training were aided by a prong collar and E-collar. Upon graduation from her training, I was given detailed instructions to follow to keep CiCi on the right path to good behavior. I would strongly recommend the team at NSFK9.

North Star Family K9 has been an incredible partner to Underdog Rescue, and I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about them. As the liaison between Underdog Rescue and North Star Family K9, I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible progress dogs like Artie and Doug have made through their program. Their success has been so impressive that I’ve even recommended NSFK9 to both a family member and a close friend. Every member of the NSFK9 team we’ve worked with has been kind, empathetic, knowledgeable, and incredibly organized. Their facility is absolutely stunning, and somehow, despite the number of dogs they care for each day, it is always exceptionally clean and fresh. Having visited other facilities, this is something I genuinely appreciate and notice! Hank, the owner, is incredibly hands-on and always willing to take the time to talk through questions, concerns, or anything we may be worried about. Jamie, the facility manager, is an absolute pleasure to work with. She makes it a priority to know every detail about our dogs—from their personalities and preferences to their individual dietary needs—and that level of care means so much to us. We’ve also had the opportunity to work with trainers Emma, Julia, and Milo, and all three have been phenomenal. Their expertise, patience, and genuine care for the dogs really shine through. And their daily email updates? They always make us smile and give us such peace of mind knowing how our dogs are doing. As a nonprofit rescue, we are incredibly grateful to have a partnership with an organization like North Star Family K9. It is clear that they genuinely care about the welfare and well-being of every dog in their care, while also helping each dog become the very best version of themselves. Words truly cannot express how grateful we are for this partnership. Thank you to Hank, Jamie, Emma, Julia, Milo, and the entire NSFK9 team for everything you do for our dogs and for being such an amazing partner to Underdog Rescue. We are so lucky to have you in our corner!