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March 2024 by beverly hammett
I have a smart and wilful 3 year old Corgi. Milo has been amazing both with her and me. He is patient and really enjoys working with her. She REALLY likes him too. I opted for 2 weeks board and train, with folliw up at home. We are a work in progress, but she has improved so much. And I am also getting better. K9sf has been great to work with. ??
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March 2024 by Hannah Waggoner
Beyond pleased with our experience with K9SF & trainer Milo. Our dog went for their 2 week Board & Train + 2 at home sessions and it’s made a world of a difference. Our dog was very reactive with other dogs and Milo helped her work through her triggers and give her & us peace of mind. We went from not being able to walk across the street from dogs to actually walking calmly AND she’s even made a few doggie friends. Our dog’s anxiety has decreased significantly and we’ve received tons of compliments from friends and family on her newfound peaceful nature.I cannot recommend Milo & team enough, it was worth EVERY penny. Thank you x1000.
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March 2024 by Amanda Hatling
I have a three year old 70 lbs. hound/terrier mix who is leash reactive, highly intelligent, highly energetic and very sensitive. We have utilized several Twin Cities based training programs in the last two years. One-on-one, boot camp, groups, board and train - we've done it all. I worked with Milo and the K9SF team for three months and made more progress in those three months than I had in the previous two years. My dog passed the Canine Good Citizen test before we even finished our training bundle. Milo and his team are very well informed, they understand dogs at a psychological level and they helped me to better understand my dog in a way that has literally changed our lives. I am incredibly grateful and *highly recommend* their program to anyone looking to make behavior changes or just have a better relationship with your dog. Save your money, I've done the research for you. K9SF is what you need.
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January 2024 by Alexa Kaplan
Our dog's (Brito's) fear aggression had been progressively worsening over time. There were many incidents triggering this (COVID, traumatic experiences, etc). He was very nervous when guests came over, often having to be separated because of his unpredictability (growl, lunge, bite). Sometimes, Brito would snap in a moment and my husband and I didn't know what to do.My husband and I paid for several trainers, none of whom felt that Brito would ever "get better". One even told us we'd "never have a brewery dog". We had a long discussion a month ago about our quality of life (both us and the dog's). My husband was researching serious training options for our dog to, in hopes, reset him. He found K9SF and we submitted a form immediately, realizing that this was without a doubt our last hope.We had an initial call with Ashley, which it went 45 minutes over time. Ashley did not rush us through, did not belittle us, did not judge us, and was willing to answer every single question we had about the 3 week board and train program. After lengthy discussion about our dog and his behavior, Ashley said that she thought another trainer would be better suited for our dog. We were referred by Ashley to Milo.Milo called us shortly thereafter and asked a few questions about Brito. When we told him Brito was on fluoxetine and trazadone for his anxiety, he immediately suggested taking him off the medication. I seriously thought he was crazy, but we were willing to do anything to provide our dog with a better life.We knew we were in good hands when we dropped him at the boarding facility, Downtown Dogs. The staff there assured us Brito would be taken care of in the Iowa room (for anxious dogs) and went through his feeding routine with us thoroughly (they will be getting an amazing review as well!).Milo and the staff were very communicative throughout the process, sending us daily updates about how Brito was progressing...and he was progressing quickly! They took him to public spaces (which we had never even dreamed of doing) and desensitized him to all the loud noises and quick movements. We were shocked knowing he was out in public without incident.When picking up Brito, we had a training session with Milo and Miza (whom Milo said didn't work closely with Brito and would be a "stranger" to Brito...cue blood pressure rising) who provided us with a manilla folder of print outs about next steps now that Brito was finished with the first part of this journey. When Milo brought Brito in and began to show us his progression, we were stunned. Jaws on the floor, we could not believe this was OUR dog. He didn't react to Miza at all when we were practicing resource guarding (of us) with strangers. We were overwhelmed with the amount we had to take in but were encouraged to see how much more trusting and obedient our dog had become with Milo.We had our first in home session this week (we purchased 4, 1 per week) and Milo arrived with Miza and said we'd be practicing reactivity towards the door (a huge trigger for Brito). We were honestly so freaked out, but trusted Milo's direction. We practiced for an hour and Brito did not bark, lunge, or growl once. Only whined during the peak of his discomfort, in which Milo directed us to handle. They sat with us and answered all of our questions we had written down, encouraging us with every wonderings we had.We look forward to continuing to work with Milo on providing the best life possible for Brito and ourselves. Milo's attention to detail, encouragement, lack of judgement and complete understanding has been a game changer for us. Now, we know that a brewery is possible with consistent training and trust between us and Brito.Would recommend K9SF 1000 times for anyone who has a fear aggressive dog and is feeling hopeless or lost. They will lead you in the right direction. We are forever grateful.
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January 2024 by Sadie N
I have had an awesome experience with K9SF so far. I bought a 6 session package for obedience training and my dog has noticeably improved. Milo is excellent and a super nice person. Very glad he was recommended!
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December 2023 by Nathan Malone
Selecting Sarah Bostock and K9SF to work with my dog and myself has been one of the best decisions ever. I did a ton of research and had several consultations with a lot of trainers before selecting K9SF to be our trainers. Sarah and the team are extremely professional, friendly, easy to speak with and they go above and beyond. I also don't think you'll find a trainer near as qualified as Sarah is with her education and professional background. Their training facilities are also easily the cleanest I've seen as well. My pup absolutely LOVES the team at K9SF and when he catches on that we're going to see Sarah he gets so incredibly excited. The progress was evident immediately and we have purchased several packages now and don't regret it.I guarantee if you do your homework, you'll end up working with K9SF. I can't recommend Sarah and the team enough!
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November 2023 by Gabriella
We went to K9SF after we were at our wits end on our dogs sudden reactivity switch with some dogs. We had previously done trainings with trainers who teach positive reinforcement only and knew we needed a different approach with our dog, Juni. Our big problem was she started getting reactive if really excited or uptight dogs tried to approach her. People told us “oh that’s just how it goes when they get older or oh that’s a cattle mix for ya”.After the consultation, I knew we’d gone to the right place. We signed up for ten sessions and we used them up over the course of three months to give us enough time to practice at home in between sessions.She is a much calmer dog, we learned how to manage situations better in ways that help her and don’t make it worse. We also learned how to pivot and outsmart our brilliant working dog.Milo was awesome to work with and had another trainer, Ashley, join with other dogs in a few sessions to help train her out of reactivity behaviors around dogs approaching us that we found ourselves in.She is such a better dog because of it. She looks to me for guidance on walks so much more. Their suggestion was to try pack training post graduation for more desensitization training and that’s what we will do! Thank you again ♥️
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October 2023 by Laura Heinmiller
We sent our puppy Coco there for the 4 week program and we were very happy with our experience. Coco came home a much better listener. I really feel like our family has all the tools we need to be successful! We would highly recommend their academy!
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September 2023 by Tyler Mills
Did the 2 week board and train for our rescue Marvin. He came back structured. We gained the tools to keep up with his training and plan on fostering this lovely dog!
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September 2023 by Kelly Norton
Milo was absolutely wonderful working with our dachshund, Ares. He gave updates and Ares really seemed to enjoy working with him. The facility was very nice and we appreciate the continued support for us on our training journey. Thank you to the K9SF team!
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July 2023 by David Anderson
K9SF took my traumatized, distant, and scared dog and brought back her playful pre-trauma self, and we had a blast in the process. Taking Freyja to them for help was one of the best decisions I've made in my life, and not to brag or anything, but I've made a lot of good decisions. One or two, at least.I adopted Freyja, a young German Shepherd, almost 3 years ago, and she was a lovable goofball. But a little over a year ago, she was bitten by another dog and became different, no longer the playful bundle of energy she'd been. She was scared of dogs and mechanical noises and would turn back from walks just a block from home, frantically pulling and doing everything she could to avoid going further. She hid under tables and beds when she saw me with a leash. When lawnmower season started she stopped voluntarily going outside at all except after dark, and even in the house couldn't relax. I can viscerally remember doing dishes one day when a lawnmower started next door. Freyja bolted into the kitchen and wedged herself between my legs and the sink cupboard, shaking like she was having a seizure.I tried for months to help her on my own. We'd make progress for a while, but then something new would freak her out and we'd be back to where we started, or worse. Luring with toys and treats had long since stopped working, as had going on new walking routes and to new parks. After a few times at a location she'd develop a new fear and deteriorate and I'd have to find somewhere new. I ran out of tricks and locations—one of the downsides of having an intelligent dog is you have to be intelligent to outsmart them, and I, sadly, found myself the loser in a battle of wits.I eventually found K9SF and spoke with Milo about Freyja and training goals. He gave me confidence he knew his stuff and understood Freyja's specific issues and I signed up for 10 sessions.My positive impression only increased at our first session. Milo is both a dog-person and a people-person and Freyja and I took to him immediately. He catered to where I was at—if I knew a bit about something, he'd let me tell what I knew, correcting anything I had wrong and adding anything I'd missed; if I didn't know something at all, he'd explain what I needed to start with and add more as it became relevant. I'm an inquisitive person and Milo not only humored me but encouraged me to ask questions.After several sessions, another trainer, Nat, joined to walk, play with, or make bark another dog nearby while Milo worked with Freyja and me. They always had a good number of dogs to work with, so Freyja was exposed to a variety each session. Milo quickly identified the kinds Freyja had the most and least trouble with and would select the next based on how she was doing, whether she needed a break or to be challenged. We then moved outdoors with a few more distractions, then to busy parks with dogs, people, and wildlife, in addition to the half-dozen dogs they brought to each session.Progress was faster than I could have dared hope. After just a few sessions, I decided to add on 8 more. Freyja was beginning to break out of her shell and be playful again, and Milo, along with the results we were seeing and the insight he provided, motivated me to work harder and avoid frustration when we'd hit a roadblock. After 10 sessions, I was ecstatic with the progress. After 18, things were better than I could have imagined possible in such a short time. Our last session was in Loring Park with dogs all around. Freyja was on a long leash listening obediently and walking at my side, completely relaxed—herself again, but a much better trained version of herself.As summer arrived and with it lawnmowers and dogs out in yards barking as we walk by, Freyja began to show a little of her old anxiety, but with the foundation of training she developed and the skills and knowledge I learned from K9SF, we've been able to work through it on our own.I am so happy that Freyja is better and I will be forever grateful to Milo, Nat, and K
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July 2023 by Scott
Sam (Trainer) is an extremely talented dog trainer. He has worked with our German Shepherd (and us!) and the results are impressive! I’d recommend K9SF and Sam to anyone who’s looking to improve their dog handling skills. Thanks, Sam!
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April 2023 by Lisa Neary
These guys are AMAZING. We took George there because his anxiety and reactivity were getting worse and hard to manage. We’d gotten George (a neurotic pit bull) as a rescue at the age of about 5 years. His anxiety was off the charts and taking him on walks was extremely stressful. K9SF did an intake assessment over a video call and recommended 3 weeks.They handled everything. George stayed at Downtown Dogs for the duration and we got daily updates on his progress, including photos which I REALLY appreciated. Sarah was his trainer and she was A+.At first it seemed like a big investment , but honestly it was worth every penny to have a dog who doesn’t bark and growl at every passerby now. He can also finally ride in the car without losing his freaking mind. He seems way happier and less anxious. He truly feels like a different dog in many ways.I highly recommend this company. They are experts at what they do. It’s honestly some of the best money we’ve ever spent. Very grateful to Sarah and the whole team there.
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November 2022 by B.J. Alexander
Our first night at CGC group training and I couldn’t be happier. Sarah and Nat were able to solve a huge problem with my dog and how he was reacting to his collar. The class itself is terrific. We’re off to such a good start.
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August 2022 by Santina U
I originally scheduled time with another company to do private training, but when the trainer didn't show up for our appt I decided to looked at K9SF. Sam reached out and scheduled an hour long consultation to really gather info about my dog and her needs. He recommended a 2 week board and train and I also purchased 2 follow up in home training sessions. I immediately received calendar invites as well as text and email reminders prior to every appt. Sam was awesome! For the two weeks my girl Mae was in his care, I got daily in depth emails on her training and progress, along with a few photos. The follow up sessions were great too as it help to focus on things she still needed work on, as well as help me learn what I was doing wrong. Can't recommend Sam or K9SF enough!
