North Star Family K-9

We would totally recommend North Star Family K-9! We recently did Boarding Training in Dec 2024 for 3 weeks with our overly friendly / hyper 2 year old Rottweiler. This was our last result as we have a baby coming but knew she just needed some basic training as well as leash training. We came to just the right trainers. They were super good at communicating and kept us updated the whole time. We loved the videos and pictures we got while she was in training! The in home sessions while Nala was in training helped us a lot and we learned a lot about her and even ourselves. When visiting her while she was in Training she showed improvement and was totally okay with us leaving her. She even gained some friends while there. We are super happy with her results and she is for sure an obedient dog & we can walk her with confidence. Nicole and Hank as well as. Their Fur babies will always be apart of our family and we are so happy we choose them to help us during this training time with our puppy Nala!

We were having multiple issues with our 18-month-old St. Bernard who was turning into a 150 lb. juvenile delinquent. I did my research, looked online, found some trainers, looked at websites, etc. I knew that North Star Family K-9 was where I wanted to go even before I talked to Hank the owner, talking to Hank confirmed that he was the one to work with our dog and we are so thankful that he took Rick....even after Rick tried to give Hank canine liposuction!! We decided the best plan was to do the board and train. In the 4 weeks that Rick was there communication was constant. Hank would send pictures and videos almost every day of the training. The biggest thing for us was that we were not only allowed but encouraged to go out there and train with Hank and Rick. They provided us with all the proper tools and guidance needed to continue his training and we are supported for the lifetime of our dog. North Star Family is worth every penny and so much more.

I wanted to share a very positive board and train experience we just had with K9SF Dog Training and our American Bully, Murphy. Murphy is a little over one year old and an absolute sweetheart, but he’s also one of the least confident and fast to overstimulate dogs I have ever met. His dog and human reactivity in our Apple Valley neighborhood where we can’t leave our cul-de-sac without meeting a dog running an invisible fence or person walking in the street had us completely overwhelmed. We were walking Murphy late at night in an attempt to avoid any encounters, and it was still exhausting. We connected with Milo at K9SF after several cancellations by another professional trainer. We discussed our desire to work with a trainer that would be sensitive to Murphy’s very meek personality while working towards a reasonable end goal: we wanted to be able to peacefully pass dogs and humans on the opposite side of the street in our neighborhood. We honestly didn’t imagine him as a dog with a possibility of much more than this. We just picked Murphy up from his three week board and train today, and I am stunned with the results. I knew we could expect improvement from him and that his updates and our conversation with Milo on his progress had been largely positive, but I thought our initial goal was a reasonable limit for what was possible for Murphy and his struggles. Milo first spent a lot of time educating us on Murphy’s particular personality and behaviors and how to help him succeed at home. He then walked us through demonstrations of his new skills. -Murphy can pass humans on a SHARED sidewalk while maintaining our eye contact and neutral posture. Previously people had made unsolicited comments of how scary he was due to “stalking” behavior and intense staring. -He is now well-controlled and engaged with us while passing closely by other dogs in varying levels of stimulation. Previously he had been kicked out of group training and an encounter with a loose dog could have been catastrophic. Now, not only will we be able to walk our neighborhood peacefully, but we’ll be able to take him in PUBLIC and not worry about further tarnishing “bully breed” perceptions 🥹 We got so many other helpful tips and recommendations from Milo, and it has been wonderful to confirm/further our understanding of Murphy’s personality and limitations with Milo’s extensive knowledge. Murphy clearly adored Milo and loved all of the engagement and “work” during his stay. He was safe, well cared for, and a more confident dog upon pickup. Facilities were incredibly clean. Handlers were kind, communicative, and professional. It’s the best money we’ve ever spent. We are elated and I look forward to working with Murphy at home now that we have the “toolkit” to succeed. Thank you Milo and K9SF. We truly feel our lives have changed for the better, and we’re so grateful.

We had a great experience with K9SF and Milo. Our dog, Sam, struggled with walking on a leash and leash reactivity, which made living in an apartment very challenging for him. We started with the 6 session one-on-one training program with Milo which helped with walking on the leash. A few years later we did the 2 week board and train program and Sam came back a changed dog! He now heals like a champion, follows commands while on leash, can walk past other dogs on the sidewalk and in the hallway, and can ride the elevator with other dogs. He is much less stressed and enjoys are daily walks so much more than he used to. Not only did Milo and his team train Sam, but he also taught us how to be better leaders for Sam and be more in control, making walks more enjoyable for both of us! We even had a couple sessions at and around our apartment building to work on a few techniques. Sam loves Milo and got so excited when he came to our apartment, which made me feel very confident in how Sam was treated while at the board and train program. Milo and his team at K9SF really set us up for success. I know I can reach out to them anytime we have questions, come upon a challenging scenario, or need a refresher session. The board and train program was the best thing we could have done for Sam! I am so grateful to the K9SF team!

We have done numerous sessions over the last few years at K9SF & it truly is one of the best things we have ever done. Milo is truly the best trainer we have ever worked with for our pup, Archie! Not only did he help our dog with basic obedience but also behavioral issues. He also taught us how to be more confident and smarter dog owners! I can confidently say that training with K9SF is one of the best investments we have ever made and will continue to make! It not only makes us humans happy to have a well trained dog, but I know our dog Archie thrives with the correct training. We are forever grateful and highly recommend K9SF & Milo anyone!