The K9 Coach FL

WARNING! A LENGTHY but written-from-the-heart-review! I PROMISE you one thing - it will become a life altering experience for you and your dog to train with K9 Coach Michael Harvey. I do not say this lightly. I am an attorney and I know there are no guarantees to be given. However, I will say without reservation, that Mike Harvey is undeniably the most skilled trainer I have ever had working with any of my dogs over the years. He is exceedingly proficient at reading a dog's temperament and that of it's owner and adjusting his schooling accordingly. His patience with me has been remarkable, given the specificity that I require in the answers to my questions. He has even answered training questions that I have texted him about after 9PM and on weekends! Khaleesi and I started training last summer (2023). The several weeks of private sessions, which preceded the group sessions, allowed me to become familiar with the mechanics and expectations of the training, as well as helped establish a comfort level for Khaleesi and me prior to joining the group class. She was just a fun-loving one year old Bernadoodle puppy. I was just her fun-loving ?? year old 'mom'. She had the sweetest temperament, I was a tad more encumbered by an overloaded plate of life. BUT, I wanted to be able to make Khaleesi as much a part of my life as I could - you know - like in the movies where the dog goes EVERYWHERE with its parent. At 40+ pounds, she was strong, had the attention span of a whopping 45 seconds, loved to meet people and jump up on them OVER and OVER, bark at squirrels, and drag me around on the leash (I swear at times I thought of taking her to run the Iditarod) - well, you get the picture. But she was so dang SWEET and had a huge heart for everything and so gosh darn smart. She DESERVED to be challenged and learn things within a consistent, loving, and disciplined environment. And so we have become one of the over 1500 dog/owner pairs who has been truly blessed to find Mike. It has been 8 months since we began this journey (although she acquired and had a good command of the rudimentary skills well within the first 2 months) and this has been a remarkable and transformative experience for Khaleesi and me, as well as for anyone who has been around her. She is a hair under 70 pounds and is still the fun loving pup she was when younger. The big difference is that we have learned the skills we need to have to be around people, dogs, distractions etc. I have taken her to crowded outdoor restaurants and she "Places" next to me. We can walk downtown and she "Heels" next to me. Lately, she heels next to me without a leash as we walk to the mailbox or visit a next door neighbor. She stops barking with a "Quiet" command. We have more work to do, but I am so much more comfortable taking her with me everywhere I go. Khaleesi LOVES Mike and looks forward to our classes. He "gets" dogs and they sense that. Words of praise from him and a belly scratch make the most guarded of dogs melt. They respect him because he is consistent in his ask and his praise. This is the underlying theme he teaches us and it works with all types of dog temperaments, sizes, ages and breeds. I have witnessed it first hand. This is the MAGIC that Mike has and this is the magic he will teach you in his classes. I'll post Khaleesi photos later. Running to class now....

"I have the pleasure of working with Mike, an outstanding dog trainer who truly exceeded all my expectations. From the very first session, it was clear that he possessed a deep understanding of canine behavior, coupled with an effective training approach. He was patient, not just with my dog, but with me as well, ensuring that I understood the training process every step of the way. The techniques he used resulted in remarkable improvements in behavior in just a short period of time. I highly recommend Mike to anyone looking to enhance their relationship with their dog through positive reinforcement and effective training methods. A truly 5-star experience!"

Mike has made a big difference with "Sancho,"our Pit-Bull mix we adopted from the Sarasota Humane Society. Sancho is only 14 months old (but 50 lbs); and his puppy enthusiasm and head strong- powerful-personality were a little more than my husband & I could handle. A couple of our neighbors recommended "K9 Coach"--so we gave Mike a call. After one visit, there was noticeable improvement in Sancho's behavior. Mike's training techniques have really made a difference for Sancho AND us! In just a few weeks Sancho is like a different dog--and is becoming a wonderful addition to our family. Thank You K9 Mike 😊

Highly recommend Mike. He KNOWS animals, and we’re learning that he knows humans. . We are fostering our sons very sweet and energetic dog who has some behavior issues and PTSD. ( we also have 2 very senior labs as well) Kota wears a training collar, and we use a remote to alert her with a vibration signal. I know many dog owners are hesitant about these collars. They really shouldn’t be. The pulse signal simply gives them a reminder to listen up. IT WORKS , and eventually the behavior they exhibit is corrected, and their anxiety, whether it be by another dog , or the doorbell etc is lessened. . WE are, as pet owners, being trained to train. It takes work, of course, but it's so worth it, and actually is fun. Kota, after just a couple of private lessons is more obedient to commands, is relaxing, and less anxious. Mike really "gets" it. THANK YOU from Joe, Jody, Maggie, Mary Ann and Millie and Betsy! Mike! You're wonderful!

I truly appreciated the straightforward approach Mike used to help us get a better understanding of how to work with our dog. We were at a loss of how to get him to not jump on people when they came in our house but Mike gave us a simple approach and it worked almost overnight. Our dog is extremely smart and easy to train but Mike was exceptional at training us and teaching us how to work properly with our dog to achieve results quickly. I recommend Mike to anyone that wants to achieve results that will last with their dog.