ObstinateK9

I have two year old Great Dane mix named Kiara . As a puppy I didn’t socialize her as well as I should have . She started off with no issues but as she got older and after a few negative experiences in dog daycares and dog parks, I noticed a change in her behavior. She went from wanting to go up to dogs to play to just lunging and barking at dogs to keep them away . She even ran after a few little dogs, not hurting them but showing a behavior I had never seen which really worried me. It got to a point where I wasn’t sure what she would do off leash or even getting too close to another dog or person while on one. I avoided going to dog parks and any dog daycares all together. I felt very stressed, guilty, and honestly hopeless. I felt I had ruined her and that she was just going to be this aggressive, reactive, anxious dog who I would just have to not bring around anyone and just avoid dogs and people on walks all together. My family and friends suggested re homing her . This broke my heart. I had tried a trainer that used a training method with a prong collar. He would show me how to walk her with it and correct her. It seemed to work when he was around but when I was alone with her she didn’t respond to it. She would still pull and display the same behavior. I was again stressed and had little hope. I met with trainers that were incredibly expensive or wanted to take Kiara a couple times a week and then show me what they worked on at a meet up. I finally came across Dillion and read his reviews. I was very impressed and decided to contact him. I like that he meets for a free consultation and goes over everything to expect and the cost and actually gives you time to think instead of pressuring you to sign up that day like some of the other trainers did. He sounded like the best fit and the price was very reasonable. On the first day he used his own e collar and introduced it to Kiara . I was very hesitant about using it but surprisingly She responded immediately to it. I like that the collar had different options and levels so that you could control the situations in the various environments. Then he handed me the leash and the controller, and after that I walked her and was in control of her at every session. Dillion explained that Kiara should be given a chance to make a choice of how she is going to act in a situation in an environment , that would be rewarded or corrected. Dillion explained and showed me throughout our sessions that Kiara was not in fact an aggressive dog at all . She just simply didn’t know what to do in certain situations and the collar and myself helped her to understand what behavior were acceptable and what behaviors weren’t. This happened by calling her out of situations that without the collar and my direction, could and would have probably lead to fights and other negative behaviors . Dillion brought his dogs one by one to walk with Kiara . She was shown how a neutral dog reacts to her and to other dogs and people. I really loved that Dillion allowed Kiara to attempt to play and bother his dogs so that she could learn how to interact. Kiara learned so much from his dogs especially the female , who was patient and and lead Kiara through the walks, especially through the off leash dog park which I thought I would never step foot in again. I witnessed first hand Kiara express herself in situations with a few other dogs , some I had to correct her with the collar and some she got herself out with just a verbal command. Before working with Dillion I would have never allowed Kiara to make her own choices and allowed her to actually go up to dogs and people. Dillion was very calm and helpful when when I felt anxious. He reassured me that Kiara is going to be a happier dog , and he was right . I loved seeing her run off leash and not worrying about her every move . Dillion was also very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Dillion has helped me so much with my confidence which will allow me to continue to help Kiara with hers . I highly recommend him to anyone who is looking for a trainer!!

I was extremely impressed with my experience with Dillon in training our labradoodle, Piper. At 3 years old and becoming a very ‘independent adult’ I knew I needed to do something and by chance came across Dillon. I was very skeptical and judgmental about using an e-collar but after a consultation, emails challenging the use and my acceptance of using an e-collar and a discussion with a current client, I decided to try. After 3 weeks and honestly minimally using the stim of the e-collar, both Piper and I are in an extremely different, positive place. She was very prone to giving into impulses (barking at people coming to the door, at the dogs next door, not coming when called) and not responsive to the word ‘no’ and Dillon’s intuitive approach to dog behavior helped both Piper and with minimal e-collar correction. Additionally, Dillon quickly hands over the training to the owner, which conceptually is so logical, each session was flexible in what we wanted/needed to address, and his guidance was supportive, thoughtful and communicated his knowledge of working with dogs. I was most impressed with Dillon when my dog, who usually does not ‘bolt’ did so when putting her leash back on during a walk. Instead of jumping to a conclusion as to why that happened (blaming me or my dog), he talked through possibilities, considerations and wanted to get to the root of the unexpected reaction and the best way to address it, which was with gentleness, patience, follow through and rewards. She now seems to have no hesitation getting her leash put on. My pup now is responsive to me, and she still loves me (seriously, she is very affectionate and that hasn’t changed). I don’t want to be misleading as it was probably more stressful for me than for my pup; in no way did I want to hurt her. It does take committed time and follow through, but it is so worth it. She and I can now both enjoy a walk, on or off leash, and know that she can make better choices and she respects communications from me. We are continuing to try new places to continue her path to being a more confident dog and continue to reinforce better behaviors at home. I’m truly amazed at how quickly changes came about and I’m so grateful that I have the confidence in myself to help her be the best she can be out and about. And that is all because of Dillon's approach to training.

I met Dillon at the park, he was with another client of his. It was a German Shepard puppy around 6 months and I was amazing at how that puppy was so well behaved and I couldn’t get my almost 3 year old GSD to walk on a leash! First day of training my husband was completely skeptical, but by the end of day one we both saw what our “bad boy” Bear was capable of. Day two we were excited about the new life we were being shown and taught! Day three and four was it for us, CONFIDENCE! It was like we had a brand new dog! Dillon took his time for every session, communicating to us what our dog needed and how to communicate to him what we expected. If we were confused he found a way to show us or tell us. The knowledge Dillon shares about training is a gift and unmatched in my opinion. Day 5 and 6 was the proof in the pudding, we now knew what to do with our “bad boy” and that he was a confident HAPPY BOY! I was so scared to take my Bear anywhere before, now I look forward to it and showing him this world and watching him thrive in it! This experience was life changing for our home and I know it will be for anyone who treats their dog to Dillon.

I was recently given a purebred, 4 yo Siberian Husky named Loki. Loki is a bolter. He has incredible prey drive, is ridiculously fast, and is even more intelligent. I had hoped to book with a trainer at the end of October and began my research right away to interview trainers. After one terrifying incident of Loki getting out, I decided to book with Dillon almost two months before I planned. I am so grateful for my choice. My decision in picking ObstinateK9 over other trainers came down to a few things: 1) knowledge of how to speak dog, 2) knowledge on how to educate me, 3) customer service and timing. Dillon called me first thing the morning after I had put in my request with Bark. He was the only trainer to call within 24 hours before texting or emailing. He talked to me for 30 minutes and encouraged me to shop around, while also requesting I book a consult that would be 2-3 hours and free of charge. Dillon also came to my location. His customer service is unmatched. He encourages difficult conversations and answered all of my questions directly, never beating around the bush. Dillon also talked to me about learning more about my dog and discussed how his goal is to give me the tools to never have to call him again. From our first session, Dillon calmed my anxiety and Loki’s. His skill set and technique are not threatening in the least. He is a well rounded trainer with career and life experience to match the way he works with the dog AND the owner. He is hands on and passionate, both of which are impossible to miss when you work with him. I didn’t expect to write so much, but I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Dillon and ObstinateK9. He has changed both mine and Loki’s life. He has taught us how to understand each other, trust each other and build off of each of our strengths to create a beautiful bond that I could not be more proud of. Thank you, Dillon and ObstinateK9 for changing our lives for the better.

Before working with Obstinatek9, our dog was reactive and didn't understand the consequences of not listening. She was a instigator and there had been a lot of altercations. When we first started training with Dillon, he gained our dogs trust easily and was very knowledgeable in his trade. He was able to change my fiance and my perspective on a e-collar and was able to give us the foundation that we were looking for. His perspective about training is refreshing and helped make the process for us and our dog easy and a seemless transition. Would highly recommend him to anyone. Our dog is the total opposite of what she was before and the training has given her freedom back as well as ours.