After trying to manage some of Sage's behaviors on our own, we decided to enroll her in the board and train program at Kandid K9 Dog Training, and it was one of the best decisions we could have made. Our biggest concerns were her reactivity around other dogs and her tendency to jump on people. Josh and Ali did an incredible job working with Sage, but just as importantly, they taught us how to continue the training once she came home. They were patient, encouraging, and made sure we understood how to be consistent so Sage could keep improving. What really sets Kandid K9 apart is the ongoing support. Josh and Ali have continued to answer our questions and help us work through things after the program ended, which has been invaluable. You can tell they genuinely care about the dogs they train and want both the dogs and their owners to succeed. read more

Just take your dog there! You won't be sorry. I researched for months, met with three trainers before them and I "fired" all three. Two yelled at me, one over the phone. I felt like a terrible dog owner. Mind you, my pup has no behavioral issues, just needs extensive obedience training because she is signed up for therapy dog school next year. And also, I just wanted a well trained dog that I can take anywhere. However, I have had three special needs dogs before her, so can completely understand the training needs for these dogs and Josh and Ali would be perfect for these dogs too. When I talked to Josh over the phone, he made no assumptions about me or my dog and was so kind, positive and welcoming. I sent her to the "day camp" for two weeks, but also see the great benefit of the board and train. What sets them apart though, is the lifelong commitment to my pup. Unlike every other trainer that I researched, once you are done with the board and train or the day camp, Josh and Ali will then meet you at your home and places you often go for additional training. After that you graduate to Saturday group classes that they hold every Saturday and all is covered under the initial cost. And they get you ready for the AKC Good Citizen Test. Really... you cannot find that level of commitment from any other trainer (I looked). What I also really appreciated was that they tailored their training to me and my dog. She is super "soft" and they didn't force anything on us that we were not comfortable with, which all of the other places did without even meeting us. Also, in every Saturday class, Josh has a quick session of behaviors that she will need for therapy school. We get stopped all the time to ask if our dog had training because she is so good everywhere we go. Of course, we tell them about Kandid K9. I cannot thank them enough. read more

Josh and Ali are absolute miracle workers. Before we found them, we'd tried training our (very energetic!) golden retriever puppy ourselves, as well as working with other local trainers. While our puppy was very sweet overall, she had no manners or interest in listening to commands, nor in spending ANY time away from us--she'd bark in her crate nonstop, struggled with recall, pulled nonstop on the leash, would incessantly scratch our back door, and exhibit many other difficult behaviors. We just could not seem to get through to her; when she wanted to do something, it was already happening. We were truly at our wits's end, which was so disappointing because we had hopes of Sookie becoming a service dog one day. We were worried that if someone couldn't help us, she might need to find a new home, especially with her getting bigger and more difficult to manage. Getting Sookie enrolled in Kandid K9's board/train program was really fast and easy, even at the holidays! Ali came to our home to pick up our pup, and they sent us updates while she was training. Sookie came home about 3 weeks later and was unrecognizable! She was perfect on a leash, could place, listened to all commands, and her poor behaviors were all mitigated. Even better, Josh believed Sookie would be a good contender for being a service dog after all! He came back to our home for a training session a few days later, and after that, we met at public places on the weekends (malls, parks, etc) to prepare her for the Canine Good Citizen Test and Public Access tests. She passed both of those just a couple months later on the weekend of her first birthday, which I never would have expected to happen while she was still so young. Sookie went from being completely unmanageable to being a model Service dog in record time thanks to Josh and Ali--their dedication to Sookie's training was incredible, and they're just the kindest people, too. They gave us so many tools to keep up on Sookie's training and communicate with her effectively. Thank you guys so much for helping our puppy become her best self, she is the light of our family now!! read more

Kandid K9 training is amazing. We sent our dog for the board & train, and he came back a completely new dog. Before he was biting, pulling and would not listen. He is a large breed dog, and we needed the discipline for the kids. He came back well trained and a completely changed man. After the training we continue to reach out with questions, attend group classes when we can, and they even stepped up to board our dog during a recent medical family emergency. Highly recommend! read more

Kandid K9 - Dog - Pet Training Near Me

Kandid K9 are the best dog trainers in the world! Josh and Ali worked with my extremely feral rescue dog after I adopted her and did such a wonderful job with Ember, teaching her the world is no so scary! They are extremely professional and have such great knowledge and have greatly helped with a dog that had great fear. I highly recommend them! read more

This is long overdue but we sent our boy Paul to board and train with Kandid K9 for one month and it was the best decision we have made for him. Paul had severe leash reactivity to the point we couldn't even walk him in our neighborhood. Now we are able to walk him in a heel position in crowded areas and rarely have any issues. He also sits, places, comes and does not walk out of open doors unless we release him. He also does much better in his crate for long periods of time. We missed him a lot that month but knew he was in great hands with Ali and Josh. Once his stay was over, the team came to our house for three follow ups and Kandid offers unlimited weekly group classes which are great. We highly recomend Kandid K9 and will use them again if we get another dog. read more

Kandid K9 - Paul placing at the park - Pet Training Near Me

We used Ali nearly 3 years ago when we got our puppy. I just never wrote a review. Ali is completely deserving of all her 5 star reviews! I was completely new to having a dog and Ali was phenomenal. She not only was great with our dog Daisy and getting her off to a good start as a puppy. But was great with myself and my daughters and teaching us how dogs think and how to interpret our dogs behaviors so that 'we' could be the best for her. Over the years when I've had a quick question on a behavior or how to address an issue Ali has been great getting back to us and helping us understand how to get what we want out of our dog. I cannot express enough how worth it Ali and her training was. Worth every penny and paid for itself in not having to pay for repairs of destruction or cleaning up accidents in the house. In my opinion so many of the 'behavior issues' with dogs come from dogs and their people not understanding one another. With Ali's help we have a great well behaved dog that we can enjoy and love. She walks on a leash without pulling, comes when called, and doesn't chew and destroy things, doesn't potty all over the place. I mean.... if only my kids were so well behaved!! read more

Ali and Josh have been absolutely amazing. We got an aussie collie puppy shortly before lockdown went into effect and so we had trouble socializing him while trying to be safe during quarantine. As an already nervous breed he was having extreme anxiety and reactivity issues with everything. We boarded him for 4 weeks and the turnaround was unbelievable. They've worked with us every step of the way and have been amazing resources. I could not recommend them more highly. read more

We got a 15 week old puppy right after Christmas. We really didn't know what we were doing. Or how to train a dog. Our vet recommended puppy boot camp. So I found Kandi's k9 and signed my pup up. And I'm so glad I did! Not only is she more well behaved dog but we have tools on how to keep up with her training! I highly recommend Kandid k9! read more

Kandid K9 were referred to us by the owner of our German Shepherds brothers. Good referral, as we had tried another trainer, who really didn't accomplish what we needed. Ali, Josh Kristine have all worked with us, primarily Kristine. Each of them have a slightly different spin on training, but all use the same framework and techniques. Both of our dogs have improved significantly over the past few months, with each learning and retaining what is taught. Highly recommended trainers. read more

We are so thrilled to have found Kandidk9 for our pup Scout. From our first inquiry throughout the board and train program the communication and attention to detail was fanatic. Ali, Josh and team are committed to their pups in training and it shows! As a paranoid helicopter dog mom with a spoiled princess couch potato for a dog, I felt my dog was in safe loving hands from the start. Scout does take to new people quickly but we could tell when we picked her up how much she loved Ali and Josh even tho they made her do hard things and work through her insecurities. A huge plus for us was Scout was able to sleep in her own bed with her favorite blanket vs being in a cold kennel environments like many other training programs. Scout went in being scared of walking over a tree root and didn't hold her commands. After her board and train stay she is much more confident and knows and uses her commands with ease. read more

Ali has worked her magic on our dog Gambit, a 10-month old Doberman. We opted for the board and train and Gambit came back a new dog. Gambit wasn't terrible but definitely a puppy. I'm a cat person AND I haven't had a puppy since I was a child so it was really overwhelming. Gambit lived with Ali for about 3 weeks and we got 6 individual private in-home lessons (about to have our last one and start group classes). My boyfriend and I are beyond satisfied with the training we've gotten. Ali is patient and great about training us humans too :). It helps that Gambit LOVES Ali. I swear she gets happier to see Ali than she gets to see me lol. read more

10 stars !!!!! They did an amazing job with our pup! We had so many concerns about doing the board and train but we are soooo happy we did it. Cali is awesome on the leash, she comes on point every time now. Sooo worth it highly recommended !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

I am thrilled to know Ali and incredibly thankful for her help! She has taught us so much in the 2 years that we've known her. We initially met her when we acquired her training services for our cattle dog, Cece. We learned so much about her temperament and ultimately decided that Cece was not the right fit for our home so we have since rehomed her into a much better family situation. Since then, Ali and her team have been helping us as we go through the process to find another dog to adopt. She has taught us about the signs to look for and red flags to steer clear from. She is our hero and mentor and we are so grateful that we have her continued support to ensure that any future relationship we have with a dog is the best possible relationship! read more

We rescued a puppy and had done some training with her, but we were so frustrated and even thought about rehoming her because she is very high energy and way different from the dog we had before and we did not know how to help the situation so that we could enjoy our dog. We had heard about board and train type of training, but were hesitant. Kandid K9 training was highly recommended and we decided to have her do the board and train there. What a difference Kandid K9 has made!! Ali, Joshua, and Kristina are amazing! They are so good at what they do. They are incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and friendly. I feel like they have become a big part of our lives and our dog's life and she gets SO excited when she sees them now. This training was well worth the cost and we have learned so much and have also become better doggie parents - thanks to Kandid K9!!! read more

We are thrilled with the training we received for our German Shorthair pup Obie. We are very active mature adults who previously had a pointer; but once we realized Obie was going to be a BIG dog, it became clear that we needed more than the usual puppy classes. From the moment we started the Kandid K9 Training Program, we and Obie started operating as a unit. The staff carefully explain each step in the process, and very importantly, how dogs think. We chose the personal training option, rather than board and train, which worked perfectly for us. Ali, Josh and Kristina have been amazing. The passion and compassion they have for their clients, (both pups and parents) makes the training process an enjoyable experience. We give them the highest recommendation! read more

Training wise they are great. People skills suck I'm still missing a whole 2 lessons for my dog and they dropped off the face of the earth. You pay about 4 grand for a collar essentially. And my dog never got his toy back from board and train that he's had since he was a puppy. All and all not great would love a refund but that's not gonna happen read more

I met Ali almost 2 years ago. I watched her train several of her personal dogs. She was amazing!! I have referred many of my clients and friends to her and EVERYONE has felt the same. I have been personally in training with "my/our" dog Rowan. It has been a great journey. She is very patient with me and Rowan. We do private and group classes. I love her method of teaching. So gentle and rewarding for both the dog and the owner. Most of all FUN. Bottom line .... she is AMAZING!!! read more

We recently completed the advanced accelerated program with Kandid K9 and would recommend to anyone. Our golden retriever was out of control (yes- goldens can be wild and crazy) and so stubborn. He was a different dog after the two-week program with respect to obedience. He was almost 11 months old when he started training with Ali and her team (Kristin, Katie, and Josh) in and around our home- I didn't want to send him away to a board and train if I didn't have to. He went from pulling me around the neighborhood on walks, jumping up on people, and using my arms as chew toys to walking through a crowded soccer tournament in a perfect heel and then chilling field-side with us for 2.5h. We couldn't eat dinner with him in the same room before. Now, he hangs out on his cot in the room with us. Our two teen daughters couldn't be in the room with him without us managing him, or he would jump up on them and bite their clothes or ankles. His impulse control went from barely there to a very strong muscle in just two weeks, and we are dedicated to continuing his training to ensure he stays on track. The program we chose includes weekly follow up lessons until he is ready for their twice-weekly group classes (soon!). The ongoing support has been so helpful! I'm so happy we called Kandid K9! read more

I have used Kandid K9 and head trainer Ali Plasil multiple times for boarding my dogs. As a professional trainer myself, I have high standards for whom I leave my dogs with if I am away on business and I cannot ask for a better person to leave them with. Kandid K9 keeps my dogs stimulated, exercised and happy. You never have to worry when you put your trust in Ali and Kandid K9! read more

Ali is amazing! My fiancé and I rescued Lily and immediately experienced aggression issues with her. Ali came in and turned things around instantly. Not only that but Ali helped us teach Lily tons of tricks, ranging from fun things like "spin" and "twirl" but also more practical ones like "place". In addition, Lily now only gets on furniture when asked and walks right with us on a leash. We cannot recommend Ali enough! read more

Ali is a blessing!! We rescued an older shepherd that was severely malnourished and required a lot of rehab. Once she got healthy I started having her out at my barn and she would bark and chase after my horses and goats. I was so worried that she wasn't going to fit in with my other animals but thanks to Ali she is doing great! I'm able to have her out with me and she is very obedient and stays at my side the entire time. She is the perfect ranch dog. Thank you Ali for helping my girl fit into our family and be in her forever home. read more

Met with Ali and laid out the fact that I am only hiring them because we didn't have time to train dogs ourselves. Paid 4500 dollars for 2 dogs to get trained. Didn't want the world. Just the basics. Potty training. Walking without a leash. The very basics. Took our dog for a month and updated us twice. Said he was the best ever but had to keep extending the time. If he was the best why extend. Then we had another dog and they offered training for that one also. Came I think 5 times. Sometimes late. Always left early. Since then have not seen or heard from them. Worst money I have ever spent. Tried to contact them multiple times and no response or nothing. Almost got into a screaming match with Josh when he got mad that we took our dogs to the park. Paid 4500 and can't even take our dogs to the park. Complete waste of time. Never dealt with so much fraud and lies in my life. Promised life long training. Another lie. Literally the last time I will ever pay money for training. My job is customer service and I have never seen such bad service in my life. Thank you guys for stealing our money. read more

We've been working with Ali with our golden retriever puppy and the results have been great so far. She's helped us teach our pup loose leash walking, recall, "place" command, meeting strangers nicely, asking permission to sit on furniture with us, being quiet in her kennel, reducing anxiety and fear of random things (skateboards, scooters, etc), dog-to-dog manners, a few tricks just for fun, and more that I can't remember right now. We're in the process of getting ready for the Canine Good Citizen certification. She's been very flexible with appointments which has been great for our family's irregular schedules,. and is very responsive when we text her for random questions. I highly recommend her for lessons! read more

I cannot believe the difference in my Malinois' behavior. Prior to Shiloh's two weeks of board and train he was basically uncontrollable. We had tried a group obedient class, he failed miserably. We tried a couple of private lessons with another trainer and he made little, if any progress. Ali was amazing! She kept him a couple of extra days (at no extra charge) to help him build confidence and understand what was expected of him. He is now nicely trained. I can get him in and out if the car easily. He walks calmly on leash and comes without hesitation when called. Ali gave practical solutions to our particular problems. I highly recommend Kandid K9! They made our dog a joy to be around. read more

Ali is one of the best dog trainers we have ever had!! We have two very high drive dogs (Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd) and she is very skilled at handling them and at teaching us how to handle them. We use her exclusively for boarding because the average doggie daycare has trouble handling them. Her new location in San Marcos is great because it has a pool and our Belgian loves to swim! read more