Valencia K9 Academy LLC

I can’t say enough good things about my experience with Sergio at Valencia K9 Academy. From the very beginning, he was professional, approachable, and incredibly communicative. He took the time to understand both my concerns and my dog’s specific needs, and that made all the difference. My dog is a 2-year-old Great Dane/German Shepherd mix with a big personality and even bigger energy. While she’s always been sweet, she struggled with basic obedience and some behavioral issues like barking excessively , pulling on the leash, and not coming when called. I was honestly overwhelmed and unsure of how to manage her behavior on my own. Sergio designed a training plan that focused on basic obedience and behavioral correction, and he was with us every step of the way. What really stood out to me was how much he cared—not just about training my dog, but about making sure I understood how to continue reinforcing the lessons at home. He explained every step of the process, answered all my questions, and made sure I was comfortable and confident as a handler. When my dog returned home, I was genuinely amazed. She responded to all her commands, walked calmly on a leash, greeted people politely, and was much more relaxed and focused overall. The transformation was incredible. It was still my same sweet dog—but now she was listening, respecting boundaries, and thriving with structure. What I appreciate most is that Sergio didn’t just “fix” my dog—he gave us the tools to continue building a stronger relationship. I feel more connected to her now, and she seems happier and more confident too. Sergio still continues to offer advice and keeps active communication with me about my dog. If you’re on the fence about training, I can say without hesitation that working with Sergio and Valencia K9 Academy is worth every penny. The results speak for themselves, and the peace of mind it brings is priceless. I would absolutely recommend Sergio to anyone looking to make a real, lasting difference in their dog’s behavior.

We have had 2 dogs go through Sergio’s 6 week program and could not be more pleased. My parents moved in with us and brought their large dog. She was having trouble adjusting to farm life and not being a spoiled only dog since we already had 4 other dogs. Barking was also a major issue. She has made a complete 180 in behavior and now listens and does not do the constant all day long barking. We also picked up a young stray that was sweet but grew into a much larger dog than we anticipated. She just has so much energy that she drove our other dogs crazy. Again Sergio worked magic with her setting boundaries and teaching her how to channel all the excess energy. She is much more manageable now and listens instead of letting her energy get the best of her. Both dogs have extremely different personalities and needs. Sergio tailored his training specifically for each dog and they both thrived in the environment he created. He also took lots of time teaching me how to handle them correctly and provide the consistency they need. I highly recommend him to teach your fur babies and you and to help correct any issues that are causing problems. He’s our go to guy!!

Sergio, owner and trainer, is a one of kind professional K9 master! Not once did we worry about whether or not our 4 legged child (Peace) was supported, taken care of, and most of all loved during his 6 weeks training plan! From the meet and greet to the very last session we were very pleased with Sergio’s knowledge, experience and background. He knows how to evaluate your dogs performance and make the appropriate adjustments to get your dog to respond to various situation properly! He took a lot of time to educate us as the owners and gave us great suggestions going forward! Simply put, a professional trainer that will produce results.

I first met Sergio when I moved from California to Alabama. I adopted my Belgian Malinois at 9 months old from the military in Texas. She was a “washout”. They didn’t like her bite and she got distracted easily. So I took her. So they taught her to bite and then didn’t like it and stuck her in a kennel until I adopted her… with no “off switch” to the bite and no obedience. When I got her home she was a mess. Wouldn’t crate. Wouldn’t sit, stay, and tried to bite us when we tried to crate or catch her (we had 3 acres). So I sent her to a Malinois trainer in Cali. He worked with her in a board and train for 7 weeks and she came home a new dog. She still had a ways to go but she was on her way to becoming a great dog. I continued working with her for the first year after her initial training. She still needed work but at last she was obedient and very manageable. I moved to Alabama in July of 2022. We got her and it was July 4th weekend. Fireworks and thunder. She was confused and scared and misplaced and started to regress. Almost like she never had any training at all. That’s when I met Sergio. I told him her history. Instead of starting where we left off… he went back to basics with her. At first I was put out and skeptical. Simple walking her on a 20ft line at a park and rewarding her for simply looking at me. “Checking in” as he calls it. In my mind I thought this was remedial. But I came to know he knows more about the behavior of these dogs than I will ever know. I kept with it. We went back to basics on simply establishing a relationship with my dog on reward. She checks in with me, she focuses on me and what I want… she gets rewarded. And this simple simple task that I thought was so remedial… wow, it made all the difference in the world. So I established trust in Sergio. Maybe there is something to going back to square one. What I realized in all this is I was never part of her initial training. I was now involved, and my dog was learning to look at me for her next move. Not moving and then seeing if I reward or punish. Ok fast forward. I listened to Sergio, we continued training, and now she is obedient and she TRUSTS me. She is my first mal, so part of my training was for me. Me learning the mind of a mal. So fast forward again… she had learned to bite in the military but did not have an “off” switch. So now she is dialed in with her obedience, and Sergio got her to a place of peace and trust. Now it was time to work on her “skill”. So I’ve been doing bite work with Sergio for two years now. And it’s slow. Again…. I was impatient. Questioning the pace of the training. You would think I would learn. He has a method to his madness. He not only had to undo incorrect bite work, but he has had to reshape her and teach her correctly. After two years she is a confident! Obedient dog with phenomenal bite work. Her “out” is impeccable! She is trustworthy and sweet. Not aggressive at all. Just a dog with training that can handle her business if need be, but I am able to take her everywhere I got, and everyone loves her! She is a lover with a gift. A gift and talent/skill that Sergio was able to develop in a time that made sense to my dog. We had to undo bad behaviors and bad bite work. So yes…it took a while, but with his skill and expertise on the mind of these dogs, he took time to do this in a manner that made sense to the dog. Not all dogs need a cookie cutter training. He trains per the dog’s ability and mindset. That’s what is so amazing about him and what makes him special. And trust me… the minute she shows signs of regressing… we go right back to basics. Simple things. And I’m great with that now, because I trust what he’s doing with her and it has proven to work. He is safe, knows animal safely medically, and is a true professional. I would recommend him, and I HAVE recommended him to my friends and clients. I enjoy my work with Sergio and so does my dog. She loves going to train with him. My relationship with her wouldn’t be what it is without him.

Sergio is the best! If you need boarding or training in the Jacksonville/Oxford/Gadsen/Anniston, Alabama area - he is your guy! He is not just a dog lover but understands their natures and behaviors. Our 99 lb, 2 YO Doberman went through AKC puppy training when he was about 4 months old and knew basic commands, but due to the energetic nature and working breed, he was somewhat of a bully and would pull on the leash, and follow commands only if it suited him. My husband could manage him on a walk, but I could not. Sergio trained him for long stays, even off leash. He trained him to heel without pulling and the meaning of "no" and so much more! Sergio went out of his way to schedule extra time with us to help us understand how to sustain the learned behaviors. He even came to our home to be in our environment. I can walk Rayder now without having to rely on my husband as the backup rescue! We highly recommend Valencia K9 Academy for training and boarding. In fact, our giant baby is with Sergio as I am writing this for boarding and we know Sergio will take as good care of him as we do, if not better. As long as Sergio is around, we will continue to use his services and call on him.