X Learning K9s

A few years ago I wanted to try nose work with my dog Henry,he’s a hound so I was sure he could be good.Well thing didn’t go as I hoped for I tried a local trainer,my dog and the trainer did not connect! 3 years passed and I learned about Valentina,I was skeptical about trying again but so glad I did! Her credentials did not disappoint,of course when Henry started he was a bit fearful but if you see him now he’s awesome!,his confidence level is through the roof!Valentina knowledge of dog is extensive but the most beautiful thing is watching her connect and read dog behavior, I would recommend Valentina because she’s awesome and her love for dogs specially the one forgotten by men and society is truly genuine!!

Valentina has spent many hours, along with mountains of patience, working with our adopted four-year old, 100 lb German Shepherd---and us! He came to our family as a really good dog with lots of love to give! However, he also came with a few difficult to manage behaviors such as difficulty with boundaries, poor obedience when walking (especially when he sees another dog!), and incessant barking. Valentina's way of training is through copious rewards for good behavior. We have learned not just how to deal with the behaviors, but what we humans are doing to make the issues worse. Because he was abandoned, we were leery about leaving him when we travel. However, he loves (and respects) Valentina and she has been wonderful with him while we are away. So grateful for her expertise!

My husband and I attended a fundraiser at the Animal Care Center in Bountiful where they had our puppy’s daycare, the Utah Dog Park, help sponsor. The fundraiser was for the We Care Fund that the hospital has. The We Care Fund makes it so that money does not have to be an issue when it comes to the life and health of a pet in need. We decided to participate in the silent auction and we won a certificate for a day of training and boarding with Xlearning K9 with Val. I needed to get a small operation last minute and contacted Val with very short notice and thought what a perfect time to redeem my certificate. She was quick to respond and communicated proper expectations which made me happy and feel comfortable. She expressed that although she was full for the day she would still squeeze me in knowing my circumstances. Me being a goofball like I am, made Val jump through some hoops when scheduling drop off and she was happy to accommodate. During the day she took pictures and videos of my dog working on basic training and sent them to my phone which was so fun and cute! My to do list I gave her was mainly babysit my dog while I got the surgery and maybe see if he will do basic commands and she managed to get progress with his overall puppy-ness in a really short amount of time! Fantastic! At pickup she took time to go over everything she worked on and the progress. She was patient and professional when answering my numerous questions and I felt heard and valued. I felt like she truly spoiled my dog and treated him like her own while still providing him the structure which he so desperately needs (my hubby and I are spoilers and new to this dog thing). She even offered tools and was such a sweet and relatable person. She never made me feel like I was a failure as a pet parent, like some training facilities do....I won’t put names here... She made me feel like I was doing great but that my puppy has tons of potential I didn’t know of. My puppy Colt is a Mini Aussie and has tons of energy and he is now dead asleep after his long day of training and work #YASSS! A tired puppy is the best puppy! I can’t express how grateful I am to have had this experience and I can’t even begin to explain how truly amazing this gal and her husband are. They are god sent and I would recommend her to anyone for any dog training needs of any kind. We hope to use their services again in the future! Hopefully, while we are on vacation. Who doesn’t like to leave the fur baby at a place where they are watched closely and trained??? Nothing gets better than that! Thanks again Val!!! Hope to work with you again soon!! <3