Long story ahead, but in summation:
My German Shepherd desperately needed training and Bay Area K9 has been a blessing. They are flexible, cost effective, personable, and the training is customized to fit you and your dog.
I am a travel RN and take my German Shepherd Jackson with me. I had trained my previous dog but it became clear early on that I did not have the proper tools or knowledge to train Jackson. I needed help. Jackson constantly pulled when we walked, jumped on people, and went after dogs passing by. It wasn't fun for me or the dog! Traveling for work I knew I had to have a well behaved dog so set about looking for a trainer. I needed someone who I could get started with right away because I was only in the area for the length of my contract. I contacted a few, but Judge was the only one who could see me for an evaluation the next week, and boy am I glad he was able to.
The evaluation was about an hour and at the end Judge told me he had a spot and we worked out what length of program would be right for both mine and Jackson's needs. One of the things I really love about Bay Area K9 is that the costs are listed on the website, so you have some idea of what you will be paying. My work contract was originally ending in August so he offered to finish the last few via Zoom if I had to leave. Judge sent me the contract, I signed up, and started the next week. Thankfully my contract has been extended and I can complete my training in person (and may even sign up for extra classes).
I have not completed all my sessions, I am a little over half way through, but the difference in Jackson is AMAZING! We can go for walks, I can take him out with me, he's learning so many new things, and so am I. We are both much, much happier. In fact, during today's sessions another dog came up to us while we were training, got about 15-20 feet away and Jackson stayed in his down position. That would not have happened 2 months ago.
Judge is a great trainer and tailors the training to the dog. Instead of having a program of "First A, then B, then C, then D" he figures out what works for each dog and introduces tools when the dog is ready instead of at a specific time. Judge has also been extremely flexible with my schedule. As a nurse I don't have set days off and while we try to do the same day each week it isn't always possible. Having a trainer with that kind of flexibility is invaluable.
Look, dog training isn't cheap, and the cost may be a deterrent for some people, but the value you get with Bay Area K9 is more than worth it. Judge is not overcharging (he's likely on the lower end of the cost spectrum) and the results are worth it. I started with a 16 month old, 75 lb, nippy German Shepherd who would practically pull my arm off to get to another dog; and now I have an 19 month old 95 lb German Shepherd who I can confidently walk around other dogs with almost no issues (we still have a few but hey, we're working on them). Jackson and I are both so thankful for Bay Area K9. read more