​Amazing training experience. We honestly can't say enough great things about Henree, and are so incredibly happy that we found him. We have a 6 year old pug named Wally with fear-based aggression issues (on-leash towards other dogs/bushes, at the TV, etc., which he would viciously redirect onto us), which manifested after a dog attack when he was young, and had progressively gotten worse over the last f​​our years. We were at our wits' end and were considering having to find him a new home. Going on a walk with him was a daily nightmare, and it was impossible to predict when a stimulus would cause him to lash out and ​try to ​bite ​the person on the other end of the leash. Enter Henree at Calm K9. He came to our house for an initial consultation, explaining how the training would flow and which package would be appropriate for our situation. We went with the basic boot camp, consisting of 4 training sessions (once each week for 4 weeks) which each lasted about 1.5-2 hours. The trainings were mostly focused on how to effectively use a prong and a remote e-collar. There was a good amount of homework involved (a few hours a day of training time, including about an hour of walking time), which makes sense; in order to get the results that we wanted, we needed to put in the effort and make sure we were implementing what Henree taught us. And we are so glad that we did. Wally is now able to go on long walks everyday with almost no tantrums. We can watch TV without any issues. He is significantly less stressed overall, and has a much better sense of his 'place' in the household, which we can easily tell gives him more peace. Throughout the whole process, Henree was extremely knowledgeable, willing to answer all questions, and genuinely invested in making sure Wally came out better than he was before. We even got to have Wally meet Henree's dog at the end, with the two of them coexisting in total harmony (which, before the training, would have been chaos). I would absolutely recommend Henree to anyone looking for help training their dog; the experience was worth every penny. Thank you, Henree!! read more

I had recently adopted a 3 1/2 year old dog from a local shelter, and although he did not have many behavior issues, apart from pulling me towards every dog he saw. He was terrified of any and everything loud, cars passing, loud noises; you name it he would try to run away from it. So I knew that I needed help in training him, as he was the first dog I had on my own, and not one of my parents dog. I reached out to Calm K9 because I agreed with their philosophy of teaching your dog to not worry about the vast world around them, and to keep a calm state of mind, it all made sense to me. And as soon as the consult I knew that they were the right fit for both me and my dog. David worked with us over the course of four weeks, with the responsibility of keeping a consistent environment to the things that he was teaching us each week, as well as after our sessions were done. Within the first week I noticed a huge difference in my dog, he was no longer pulling me everywhere, and barking at every dog he saw. He took to the training quite quickly and learned that the world is a much easier place to live in than he previously believed. It has been two weeks since our last session, and I have been continuing to implement the things we learned with David, and continue to see improvement with his comfortably around strange men, and his confidence in himself. He no longer cowers when something loud happens; although he still does not like it, he instead pretends it isn't there and continues walking on. I would recommend anyone looking for a dog trainer to look into Calm K9 Training as I now have a calm and confident dog who is a pleasure to take on walks, and who knows that coming back to me when I call him is always the best option because it means belly rubs, a full tummy, and a warm bed at night! read more

Our dog Samson (1.5 year old Doberman mix) was the opposite of calm. He was very high strung, always pacing around and on guard. He had a lot of bad behaviors (destroying things, counter surfing, etc.) and had a lot of anxieties with people. Having people over was a nightmare to say the least. He was terrible on the leash in every sense that you could imagine (lunging after dogs, squirrels, bunnies... barking and growling at people who were too close). Although I have always loved Samson, I didn't always want to be around him. Everything about our human/dog relationship was really hard and a true labor of love. Our home was not a restful place because we were constantly struggling with Samson's antics. We had taken him to 16 weeks of training before going to Calm K9 for the Basic Bootcamp program. I'm not exaggerating when I say that after day one, we had a new dog. Not a day goes by that I am not genuinely proud of my dog. Not a day goes by that I am not impressed by his actions and decision to make good choices. He knows how to rest, which means I get to rest (and that's a BFD). We have a calm home. Our walks are actually pleasant and I look forward to walking him every day. Our quality of life and Samson's quality of life have significantly improved and this is just the beginning. Basic Bootcamp is hard work. It takes time, patience, tough love, and the proper mind-set. I recommend if there are two dog parents in the home, that both are present for the sessions. It was very hard for me to remember everything and then go home and teach my husband AND train Samson. There aren't enough words of gratitude that I could say to thank David for all that he has given me and Samson! read more

We have a 1.5 year old expensive Mutt (aussiedoodle) who was rather rude, and I'd finish all of our walks with a forearm full of bruises and a bad attitude. He was super mouthy, had insane energy that he couldn't control when he was overstimulated, and no amount of fetch or exercise could wear him out. We were tearing our hair out trying to get him to stop jumping, nipping, and generally being a little jerk. We signed Eddie up for the 4 week bootcamp and couldn't be happier. It was intense, and a lot of work, but so valuable. I still feel like we got our moneys worth just after the first week. After the first few days even, Eddie's walks were easy and relaxed. I haven't been bitten since! Dalia and Henree were super nice, enthusiastic teachers, extremely knowledgeable and helped us with every question we had for them. You can truly tell they have a passion for what they do! The training went very smoothly and the thoroughly explained the reason behind every bit of intensity of the program and slowly introduced different techniques behind trainig with the prong and e-collar. The training builds week by week, so you have to be disciplined with it! I will say we had to be pretty flexible with times and scheduling, as our appointments were changed or pushed a few times, but I understand that they are training a ton of dogs at once and life happens sometimes. We are still extremely happy! I have already recommended Dalia and Henree to multiple friends, and the training we learned will be applicable to any dog we have in the future. It is WELL worth the money! Eddie is happier and healthier than ever before and we're excited to keep up the work with him ! read more

We found Calm K9 Training and Sarah came to our house to work with our 8-month old German Shepherd, Zoey. Zoey is a sweet dog, but still a puppy, and she had developed leash reactivity towards other people, bikes, cars, and the worst, with dogs. She sounded like she wanted to kill them, and it scared us and others. What I loved was that Sarah came to our house to evaluate Zoey, and as soon as we walked outside, Sarah had shown us how to calm Zoey before leaving and it made a HUGE difference. We had been at our rope's end with her. Sarah also gave us a prong collar, which made a world of difference walking her. The consultation really convinced us that Zoey is a great dog, and just needed some training on expectations before, during, and after the walk. Sarah showed us how to walk Zoey in a very calm manner, and the second training session we had we passed a few dogs that Zoey normally became aggressive with. She hardly paid them any attention. I am so very happy with her and so grateful to Sarah and Calm K9 for showing us how to handle our dog. We never had a German Shepherd before, and we have been socializing her since a small puppy, but walking her had been the most challenging thing we had experienced. We feel very confident taking her on walks, and are so proud of her behavior now. Good training is so very important, and we are so very appreciative to Sarah and Calm K9. If you have a problem with your dog, don't wait until it gets out of hand. CALL CALM K9 -- the best thing we have done for both ourselves and Zoey! read more

When my wife and I adopted a 2.5 year old pit mix, we had already decided we were going to do everything we could to train her into a well behaved pup. We got books, and watched videos, and although we made some progress, nothing was really sticking. I saw Calm K9 recommended on a reddit thread, and checked them out. I'll admit, I was skeptical of Calm K9's training methods at first. I had fully bought into the idea you could get a well trained dog using only treats and praise, and I do believe you can get there, but as someone who works all day, the progress I desired seemed like it would take years. David, during our initial consultation got my dog to sit/down and not move with unbelievable rapidity. I was sold from that point on. The first official training session went so well, I was confident my dog would be off leash in a matter of days. Then we hit a wall on the second session, but David let me annoy him with text messages trying to figure out how to breakthrough, until we got something working. From then on it was smooth sailing. Just yesterday I let my dog off leash to play fetch and she did wonderfully. We are currently sitting in our house with a contractor who is using a vacuum and she is laying down calmly. These are things that seemed impossibly just a month ago. Calm K9 is amazing, bordering on miracle workers, and what's best is they are really training you and not the dog. I have confidence that whenever I decide to get a second pup, I'll know exactly what to do. Thanks again, David! read more

My name is Amber and I have a 2 year old Pitbull named Nala. Nala is very energetic, loves to cuddle, snuggle and pretend she is a lap dog. We wanted to get her trained because we are expecting a baby next month and though this would be the best thing for our family. David came and did her evaluation and recommended the basic training so we went ahead with that. At first the training was intimidating and a lot of work, but after seeing an improvement in our dog after the first week, there was no doubt in our minds that this was the best decision that we could of made for her. Its not just training your dog, its essentially a boot camp for you. Teaching you the basics and helping you understand the reasoning behind his training was something David was great at. After the 4 weeks of training Nala now loves to sleep in her cage, will lay down wherever you say the word "down" and will only come to someone when called. She also walks around Richmond without a leash, paying no mind to anyone else but simply enjoying her walks. I would recommend David to anyone who simply wants their dog trained for specific reasons or just to have a companion that you can take outside without any worries. Our dog is a happy, trained dog! 5 stars isn't enough, this has changed our dogs life and ours for the better! read more

We just finished 4 weeks of Basic Bootcamp with David and I could not be happier with my dog Dustin's progress. Dustin was fearful around other dogs/people and walks had become a frustrating experience due to his stubbornness. He was also extremely high energy in the house and had started to demand bark whenever he wanted to go out or play. After just one session with David, Dustin's behavior had improved greatly. David always explained the training topics thoroughly, demonstrated proper technique himself, and then provided feedback on how I was doing. Now, after 4 weeks of sessions and daily training in between, I can honestly say I feel like I have a different dog. I never thought I would be able to walk Dustin off-leash but now I can. Dustin is much more confident and calm around new people, in public spaces, and at home. I can now take him anywhere and he can truly enjoy life! Basic bootcamp was a learning experience for both Dustin and I. You have to be willing to put in the work outside of training sessions and do the assigned homework. The results are worth the work and Calm K9 is worth every penny. I can not thank David enough for his support and guidance. He is the best at what he does and I will happily recommend him to anyone looking for dog training. read more

David's training and help really changed the game for me and Kacy. I reached a point in life where I felt lost when it came to trying to train and control my dog myself. I felt like I couldn't have visitors over as much as I wanted because of her reactions to people and just couldn't seem to get her to listen without a treat incentive. Eventually I stumbled upon Calm K9 Training while searching for training. David's methods beat everything I've tried (including another trainer previously). He seems to really know and understand the dog and the owner themselves. He's able to communicate clearly what is needed to be done and provides excellent support in getting you and your dog on track. From day 1 you'll already start to notice a change. By the end of our last session and upon reflection, I noticed that Kacy really has transformed into a well-behaved and trained dog. She listens to me, is no longer door aggressive or aggressive towards guests. She seems much more at ease. I also noticed that I feel much more confident in myself when handling my dog. You cannot beat the peace of mind and confidence that having a trained dog will bring you. It's night and day. I 100% recommend Calm K9 Training. You won't regret it. read more

Henree is our life savor!! Before we met with Henree, we had a very active, refused to listen to the rules, and had a personality of his own 1 year old mutt named Moose! Moose hated the crate and at times would throw a fit if he had to stay in the crate for more than 5 minutes alone. He also was a dog who pulled on any walks. We were referred to Calm K9 from a family friend and when we met Henree it changed our lives forever. Within 2 days after our first session with Henree, Moose was able to not only sleep in the crate without freaking out but he was able to go in the crate on his own! We were beyond impressed. He also was able to walk without pulling out my boyfriend and myself shoulder! Henree gave us more tools to help us keep Moose a well behaved dog! I was beyond impressed by what Henree was able to do in just 4 weeks of training class. We cannot thank him enough for what he did. Henree answered all questions we had, let us practice the new material each week so we were comfortable doing it on our own, and he was available to answer any questions we had throughout the week. I couldn't recommend Henree or Calm K9 enough to anyone who is in need of a dog training school for their dog! read more

What a great company! Very communicative, very accommodating to crazy schedules, and very very good information. We have 2 intelligent and excitable German Shepherds(2 year old male and 9 month old female) that had received positive reinforcement training which was effective but in some cases not if we didn't actually have a treat handy for them particularly when it came to recall. Walks were mildly enjoyable but often frustrating cause I got tired of being pulled around. After the 4 week basic boot camp our dogs are a pleasure to walk and have vastly improved in all areas of training from response time to recall to distinguishing commands meant for 1 dog not the other. It takes work and they're not fully trained yet but watching them understand what is being asked of them and then being equipped to reinforce good behavior and correct bad behavior has made such a difference in our lives in a relatively short amount of time. Carl was our trainer and we couldn't have asked for more from him. He gave simple and easy to understand instructions, he is patient, very knowledgeable, and well prepared to handle the training of two dogs simultaneously. I can't recommend them enough. read more

Our 1 year old and 75 lbs. rescue lab had a mind of his own, no boundaries, lot of anxiety, and more energy and strength that we knew how to handle. We needed help knowing what and how to teach our dog and how to properly/safely handle him. I am so glad that we found Calm K9. The trainer Henree was wonderful. He was professional, listened to our concerns and requests, answered all our questions and was very thorough during the training sessions. He worked with us on basic commands and he also took his time to address other issues that we needed taken care of such as leash reactivity, excessive pulling and dog socialization. He even taught us how to properly introduce our dog to another dog. His recommendations and training have helped improve our dog's behavior greatly and while we still have lots of work to do our dog is a whole new dog in the best way. He listens better, follows basic commands and found a way to channel all his energy and enjoy life. Walking him is a joy where before it was painful - literally. We cannot thank Calm K9 and Henree enough for giving us the knowledge and tools to help us accomplish what we needed to accomplish. read more

Calm K-9 is worth every penny! We have two young hounds, Stella and Maggie, with very different personalities and very different training needs. Stella would get into everything and constantly demand attention; Maggie would pull A LOT on walks and had some aggressive tendencies as a result of anxiety. We heard rave reviews for this training program from other dog owners at the dog park and decided to look into it. Before we completed this training, we knew the basics of how to teach commands (sit, stay) but we didn't know how to encourage good dog behavior (i.e., no barking, no jumping, etc.). This program taught us how to use a set of basic commands, along with corrective tools, to teach our dogs how to behave in all environments. And the difference in their overall behavior and demeanor was incredible - they are much more confident, more relaxed, and we can enjoy their companionship so much more because the negative behaviors aren't there or are easy to address. It truly made a world of difference, and we are currently working towards them being able to walk off-leash which both we and them will enjoy. read more

We contacted Calm K9 after completing a couple of other training classes with our 2-year-old golden retriever. We wanted to improve our pup's recall and impulse control skills and did not have much success with food reward-based training. Carl completed an assessment of our pup and recommended the boot camp program. He explained the training methods and equipment very thoroughly so that we understood how the e-collar works. Carl was very knowledgeable and was always willing to review and repeat, and he made training fun. He was very focused on teaching us how to work with the equipment and he tailored the program for our pup's personality and habits. He has a natural understanding of dogs and is very kind and nurturing towards our pup. He always demonstrated a great deal of patience and made sure we knew what we needed to work on and the methods to do it. We have seen results from day one, particularly in walking. We will continue to use his methods and equipment and would highly recommend Carl and Calm K9. read more

When we got our dog Elliott last April, I thought his name should have been Astro - I felt like George Jetson with my arm getting pulled out of the socket every time we went for a walk. In fact, I hated walking Elliott. But otherwise, he was a sweet dog and we didn't want to be yet another family that gave up on him - he was 2 years old and might never have been on a leash - who knows. I've never served in the military but I imagine David is the closest thing to a drill sergeant that I will ever experience. I kinda hated the training at times, not going to lie, but that was because I was weak and I had to push through the hard stuff - I even cried a little at one point. That's more about me than the training, actually, but I'm a better dog person and Elliott is more fun to be around now. We love walks in public but even better - we go off leash when we hike in the woods* and IT IS THE BEST EVER! (*only when that is allowed, we always follow the rules and stay leashed on the trail when that's the expectation.) read more

We have a 1 1/2 year labradoodle that weighs 75lbs. He has always been a sweet boy, however he would not listen to simple commands, he would jump on people when excited and he would constantly steal food from our counters. After our dog knocked down a vet tech we knew we had to do something to get him under control, so we called Calm K9 Training. David, the head trainer and Sarah is assistant were amazing. Not only do they come to your house, but you get their undivided attention and they work with you to understand your dogs behavior and how to correct it. In just 4 short weeks, my dog went from being completely out of control and not being able to take him places to having a dog that listens and we can fully enjoy. He no longer counter surfs, he listens to all commands and most importantly he stopped jumping on people. Having Calm K9 come and train our dog was the best decision we have ever made for our dog. If you need a little help with you dog, call them, I promise you won't be disappointed! read more

Woohoo! What a ride! Calm K9 Training was quite impressive! My boy Dunc and I just finished up and we are now calm, confident, dudes (more Duncan than me). My buddy and I had the pleasure of working with David. David was quite knowledgeable and was excellent at helping me understand my furry companion. After a few hard weeks of training, I started seeing impressive results. Duncan began this journey scared of the world but by adding structure, he became a well-adjusted dog. Do note that the tools used may seem intimidating, but when applied correctly, they dramatically improve communication with your dog. Even my scaredy-cat has come to enjoy the tools. Because of them (and the training), Duncan is in less trouble and he gets to enjoy more freedoms than before. No lie, the training is hard work. It's a month of dedicated work for both you and your dog. It is so worth it. I have never had more confidence in my boy. It is time to explore the world! I 100% give this program my stamp of approval! read more

I don't think I've ever been this thankful in my life. I have an adorable pitbull mix that was just crazy hyper and pretty much pulling my shoulder out of my body everytime we went on a walk. Even though he was a sweetheart anytime he would see a dog he would automatically start running towards them which would scare a lot of people including me at times and being the type of dog he is people did not take this lightly. David did me the biggest favor ever by helping me not only have a dog I can walk calmly on leash but also off leash. I feel safe having my dog around other dogs and I trust my dog to know that I am in charge. He is so happy that he can now go to the park and go to dog events. I can take him anywhere I want to! It's the greatest feeling ever and I have never been more thankful. Thank you so much for working with me and training my baby while also training and teaching me without making me feel like I was a bad owner for how my dog acts like how others had in the past! read more

We had the absolute pleasure of working with Henree for my ultra anxious, leash-reactive rescue. Before basic boot camp, Stevie would react to dogs over a block away- now we pass dogs on the other side of the street without even a look from her. It's been amazing to watch her gain confidence in herself in the outside world! We even finished out her last session with a dog introduction and it nearly brought me to tears seeing my dog laying calmly beside another dog. Training is definitely a lot of work and it doesn't end just because the sessions are over. Over the course of training, Stevie and I have really strengthened our bond. She has more confidence in herself because she trusts more that I'm not getting her into any bad situations. I have more confidence in her because I know her boundaries and I know how she'll react. Thanks to Henree, it's like I've got a brand new dog. She can even accompany me to breweries and the river like a real Richmonder! read more