I didn't know the ability of communication I could have with my dog until I have worked with Nitro K9! I absolutely LOVE their methods, practices, and loyalty to the dog and me when we have lessons!! I feel that every lesson I can practice either new or routine work and that it's okay to work on the same concepts and give great reassurance to both the dog and myself. I feel confident with every trainer that they will correct me or show me the process no matter how many times I ask so I can visually understand the meaning behind each command. This program has saved me from frustration, doubt, and any concerns about being confident. I got a Rottweiler puppy who now can be off leash, listens to EVERY command, is happy to respond and had a lifestyle I've always wanted for him! I support anyone who makes the decision to work with them! It's beneficial with a dog who has trouble or doesn't because the relationship with respect you gain through this process is unbreakable. Thank you, NitroK9! I will always be humbled by what you gave to my pup, Roman and myself through your training! read more

Nitro K-9 - Roman the Rottie - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington

I wish I could give more than 5 stars - Steve is officially The Best of The Best. He really knows his stuff, and I am sure he could help just about any dog out there. No bullshit here; real training methods. I have two borzoi. One is a dominant male who was leash reactive, and the other is a very submissive and shy guy who was scared to death of other dogs on walks. Now, both borzoi-bois walk in a perfect heel even when walking by aggressive dogs. Also, they have 99.9% recall - which I'd say is an achievement given that "stubborn and without recall" is part of the breed standard. Steve not only knows what his doing and clearly loves dogs, he's also a super nice guy. So if in doubt, sign up for the intro assessment to learn more. read more

Life changing experience! I was initially impressed that Steve answered right away and informed me that I should save money by doing private lessons instead of B&T. I had been guilted by other trainers and felt like my dog was too much, so I went into the consult with caution and left crying with hope! Heather was amazing and NEVER made me or my dog feel like we were beyond help. It's been a journey, but this training has truly helped create a better bond between my dog and I. He is much more calm at home and in our time together. He's much more cuddly instead of go go go. I have learned the tools to navigate his fears and listen to what he's trying to tell me, which allows us to do a lot more together and build trust as dog and handler. Steve is definitely not going to baby you, so be aware it isn't necessarily a gentle training experience, but it is effective. I think if you can TRUST THE PROCESS and know he (and the rest of the team) truly do care about the success of your dog, you will not be disappointed! I saw results within the first training session. Side Note: throughout my process I always felt like they respected the money I put into training and never tried to upsell or pressure sell me on anything. I also feel like the tools they recommend really are worth it, I love all of them! read more

Nitro K-9 - He is much more calm on his walks! He's able to sit and watch people instead of trying to bark at them! - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington

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Amazing training and instructors. Our dog started off as an anxious eight-month-old puppy, but thanks to Steve and Heather, she's confident now and a fully trained service dog who assists our autistic son. Nitro K-9 is well worth it. read more

This was the best choice we made for training our very large yet timid rescue puppy (pit/lab mix). What I appreciated most was the patience of the owner and the trainer with my questions and my own nervousness with balanced training (which I was new to). The care taken in challenging both me and my dog to work as a team was reflective of Nitro K-9's patience and experience. It was They focused their work on building both of our confidence, although I think I got trained more than the dog - but that's what we needed! read more

I cannot thank Nitro enough for how transformative his methods are to my relationship with my boy. A few years back, after 2 years of trying other "real" and "relationship based" dog trainers and "show dog" trainers, I felt like a failure. I was all twitchy and scared because of 2.5 years of dealing with a severe dog-reactivity dog who weighs almost as much as I do. I gave Nitro a try. And despite having no self confidence at all going in, within 3 lessons I went from 0-85% with dog reactivity and my self-confidence shot through the roof. Nitro helped me rebuild the foundation of my self-confidence. And with a little work on my end, I was building it back up on my own with a very happy and relieved dog. The rest is history. I love how Nitro does 1:1 training while virtually EVERYONE else charges similarly for group lessons. The truth is, group classes exist so trainers can make more money. Been in group class and there's one or two dogs constantly losing their marbles while the trainer is lecturing? Yup, that dog's mind is spiraling out of control. There is zero advantage to you and your dog in group class. You will get plenty "interaction with other dogs" with Nitro because there are other 1:1 classes going, Steve's dogs and other board and train dogs are there, and there are other people and dogs going in and out of the school. I love how much Nitro cares. I'll sometimes get frustrated because I can't get something right, but Steve and his trainers are calm and empathetic, try and explain it again differently, will show you how it's done, and will also point out right then and there what things you need to change for better results. That kind of care is invaluable. In the past, I've had trainers repeat themselves using the same wording and then get frustrated with YOU because "it's not clicking." Even though they know you're having trouble and asking for help, the trainer will just move on without you because you're "holding up the class." I have a puppy now, and quite naturally, we immediately signed up for Nitro and my god this journey is so much fun. read more

Our dog went here and was very misleading. They offered a initial consultation prior to training. No notification they were going to charge $100 for this. They sent an email to the wrong email and never got a notification. They mentioned a response in a different review that we wrote down the wrong email when they took our email over the phone. The receptionist even apologized later. The trainer was there for 15 mins and just said that the puppy was trainable. Not sure thats worth $100. Why would I even go and pay to just be told the dog is trainable. Thats kinda a con. My wife kindly wanted to fix this with them but they are very rude about it. They changed their website after the event. Im not sure where the value was. Very fraudulent business. Very predatory business model. On top of that kinda lying to protect their business. I wouldnt trust them with your family pet members. read more

So if you're looking to step in a familiar place where things feel comfortable and the boss is exactly how you want him to be, then you're looking to waste your money in group sessions where you feel good about yourself when you're done just because you showed up and your dog made micro-progress. Now if you're looking for the real deal and want REAL, FAST results and want to look back and say "man, that was the best money I could possibly spend", then you're in the right place and it's worth the wait if you have to wait to get started. We had to wait two months to start. First of all, let me tell you that Steve and I are NOT the same type of people whatsoever, in case you were wondering. I'm a web designer who's into yoga, meditation and tries hard to be in touch with his feelings. Steve is a DOG trainer, NOT a barista. If you're looking for a perfect personality match, good luck. Not everything is about you. But Steve knows what he's doing and had my biggest issue fixed on DAY 1. My german shepherd puppy stopped pulling all together after one session. That night, it was gone and I'm still not sure exactly how that happened LOL. Also, I was super stressed out and things did feel uncomfortable for a few session because it's hard work and most of the work was really on ME, it turned out. After 7 sessions, I have a literal perfect dog. If you don't believe me, come to Tambark park and you'll see him there at least twice a day playing frisbee with me. He. Is. Impressive. And I give full credit to Steve. Mushu is better than a remote-controlled dog; He heels before I have to tell him too. I'm signing up for level 2 and will take this as far as I can because it's the right thing to do for this dog. I'm telling you: Whatever any of those bad reviews I'm reading there are saying, I got WAY more than what I paid for and if you care about your big, dangerous beast, do right by him/her and get it properly trained. If you're lucky, you might get to see the very nice side of Steve and realize first impressions are rarely right if you give people a chance. One last thing, as i'm typing this I'm reading that someone says they saw them hitting/hurting dogs, well I can humbly tell you this: Steve spent a few minutes testing Mushu and asked "did you hit him?", I said "yes a couple times because he was super out of line". He looked straight in my eyes and told me to never do that again. He said he could fix it, and he did (thank god), and explained WHY that was a terrible thing to do and once you understand it, you realize there's nothing to gain from it and you just don't do it EVER again. So no, they don't hurt dogs. I guarantee it. read more

Nitro K-9 - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington

Max (Giant Schnauzer) and I started working with Steve and Matt at Nitro K9 when she was a little over six months old. Within a few weeks of their training and of our practice, Max and I had basic obedience within our repertoire. Within a few months after that we were off leash. I can speak about the specifics but I think it's important to understand the foundation of their training methods. It is a foundation of trust and mutual respect. Nitro K9 is a "no food" training program where the emphasis is establishing a real bond with your dog. The other aspect that I think is important is that most of the training is for the handler. The dogs are smart and capable and it really takes training of the handler to unleash the dog's potential. Although Max is a working breed, I have seen all kinds of breeds working through all of the fundamentals with great success. I honestly couldn't be happier. I can take Max most places completely off leash with confidence and under control. Both of us are extremely happy with the outcome. I can't recommend them highly enough. read more

I have been bringing my puppy to work with the wonderful trainers at Nitro for the past 6 weeks, and I am really happy with the services they have provided so far. We have worked with Steve, Matt, and Jess - I have been happy with all of them, and would comfortably continue working with any of them. My 4 month old puppy already has better leash etiquette and skills than any other pup I know - not that those pups are "bad," but this training works for us. However, it takes time, patience, dedication by the owner (something I don't always have). What I really appreciate about this team is that they seem to genuinely care about my boy and his success. When we're in session, they all are so attentive to his cues and are quick to show him love and attention to keep his confidence up, and to make sure he enjoys going there. They don't rush his progress - I love that our sessions are about Kane, and they flex to wherever he's at that day. Outside of session, they have reached out to check in and offer support (I am struggling with hand-eye coordination of the leash corrections, and they have all been patient and tried to work with me to master it). Overall, I'm happy with the Nitro team, and I have recommended them to multiple people. My pup's success depends on me - Nitro can only provide me with the skills, and it's up to me to use them and work with my boy to make progress (unless, of course, you pay for the hands-off version). Luckily, Kane is smart and learns quickly, and we have the Nitro team to support us along the way. (First photo is from Nitro's social media - photo credit to them) read more

Nitro K-9 - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington

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German Shepherds are remarkable dogs. They were in my family as a kid, and to this day ever since (45 years). That's a lot of GSDs, and all might as well have been the same dog for these traits: Loyalty - Affection (for family) - Intelligence. Beyond that, much like people, their personalities are complex and vary wildly and with that can come some undesirable behaviors. Behaviors that humans bred them for, that we gave them, whether GSD owners like them or not. Nitro K-9 understands all of the above and our experience with them was this - they have your back, and that of your dog. They get your dog (no dogs are bad) and offer an empowering solution. Highly recommend, and know that if you give up your GSD to a pound, it will be ruined. read more

We have had both our dogs go through Board and train here. We couldn't be happier with the progress they have both made. Both have returned to us more confident and behaved. Big bonus is that they are loved on there and treated like family. Thank you so much to Jessica and staff! read more

I cannot recommend this place enough. We did 6 weeks of board and train which came with 8 follow up sessions. My pup went from constant pulling on leash, counter surfing, and jumping on people to being able to be walked off leash with reliable recall even with distractions. I had tried everything before coming here, including paying for training at other places. I can take my pup so many more places and she is happier and less anxious. Worth every penny. read more

My German shepherd mix has great heel now! Thanks Matt and Jessica! Pouya is very happy read more

Nitro K-9 - My German shepherd mix has great heel now! - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington

Steve and his team at Nitro K9 have given me the tools to train and maintain a wonderful relationship with my rescue pit bull, Miss Piggy. Initially my only focus was on getting her well trained on leash, because I knew she would become a very strong girl. But I was able to get so much more out of our classes with Steve. Her recall off leash alone is worth every penny of her training, but my favorite part has been her growing confidence and trust in me. You absolutely have to put the work in outside of class. But the tools you learn with Nitro are essential if you are serious about training your dog. read more

Nitro has totally changed my puppy Goose and my relationship with her. Make no mistake, this isn't your "affirmation only treat training program." If you want your dog to sit while you hold a treat, there are many trainers that will make that happen. To me, this is easy but it is just bribing your dog. Goose was way too clever for this strategy and besides, I don't want to carry treats around everywhere I go. The method also has it's limits, I don't think a dog will heel touching your leg in a city block after block because you are holding chicken. But with Nitro's method, that is what your dog will do. You need to work at it, it takes time and effort, but through that a true bond is developed with the dog. Goose loves training. When I pick up her prong or ecollar, she runs to suit up. Most importantly, when properly trained the dog will respond to the command not the tool which is exactly what Goose does. Goose wants to work, she wants to engage, she wants to know where the boundaries are. Matt is an excellent trainer, Jude and Heather did wonders with Goose while she was at the farm doing board & train. Nitro has not only helped me to get real results, I have developed a deep bond with Goose in the process. I highly recommend working with Nitro. read more

Last fall, soon after my 90lb rescue was dropped off the van from Texas, whatever trauma he experienced in the first 8 months of his life began to manifest. He would stand guard at windows and bark at any movement he saw... a single leaf blowing down the street turned into five minutes of anxious alarm. On walks, the sight of another dog precipitated a stage ten meltdown - lunging, whining, cyclonic contortions, etc. Embarrassing for me, painful for JJ, and obviously a huge impediment to our relationship with the outdoors. Nitro was a last ditch effort to save my sanity. And Danny has been an absolute blessing of a trainer. Because of my dog work schedule and general feelings of ineptitude when handling my dog, I elected to have JJ trained through two packages of the Hands-Off Program. We have our last lesson tomorrow, and WOW is the first word that comes to mind. My dog was by no means a breeze to train... and to this end I am so grateful for the patience and honesty Danny came to work with every day. Through the combination of a prong collar, e-collar, and repeated corrections, Danny has completely turned JJ's behavior around. He sits-stays-heels and in general tries his best to ignore the triggers that used to send him up the wall. The method is no frills... if you stick with it, it works, period. While JJ might always have his own special brand of anxiety, I finally see a clear path forward with an animal that made me feel hopeless only a month ago. It's also not just simple dog training, you as an owner are being thoroughly equipped with knowledge & power. I am confident, self-aware, and genuinely excited when I take JJ out. We owe so much to Danny; he is inspiring, professional, and doesn't take any BS. He will also be a true friend to one's pet during their time together. My pup is sure gonna miss him. Thank you to the whole Nitro team for consistent communication and moral support. JJ has a road ahead of him, certainly, but I have taken back control of my life shared with this dog and that is such a major milestone. 10000% recommend! The team at Nitro can handle anything thrown at them and they do so with real effort & grace. read more

Nitro K-9 - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington

I don't know where to start. We are all about rescue dogs, and our favorites are Shepards and Mals. Our last rescue has been challenging to say the least. We had to stop our lives because our dogs were unmanageable. We tried treat based training and it was a disaster. I found Nitro by accident and this kind of real dog training has changed our lives. The very first session showed us this was possible. We can go for walks, camping and hiking again. Our dogs are fun to be with and we aren't afraid to take them places. HUGE thanks to Steve and Matt. You saved us and we are so grateful read more

Nitro K-9 - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington

I've taken three of my dogs through training at nitro K9 and can't say enough positive things about them. Their method admittedly takes some more work than your run-of-the-mill food-based training methods, but the results are so much more impressive. Go in with an open mind and be willing to try some things that you haven't tried before and you won't be disappointed! read more

My husband and I started taking our dogs here after reading glowing reviews on Yelp, and we're glad we did! Our Mastiff and Labrador have come so far since we started, we can even take them on walks, which we definitely could not do before! Matt has been our primary trainer and has been so wonderful, and really takes time to get to the root of our dogs' behavior. Of course, we still have a long ways to go, but seeing the difference in their behavior from when we started to now is amazing, we will continue to use Nitro K-9 for all our dog training needs! read more

Nitro K-9 - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington

I have so much to say that I am organizing it into bullet points for your convenience. In short, I have never felt so talked down to and disrespected at a dog training place. Additionally, they are incompetent yet so overconfident that I think this place is a scam. *A bit about me: My dog is 2 years old. We spent about a year in a different service dog training program. Logistically it was not working out, so I was looking into other places. My dog has already passed basic and advanced obedience. I have been training her myself with monthly coaching sessions, so I am relatively knowledgeable, I just want some guidance. *This is not a service dog training program: The trainer who evaluated sounded extremely uneducated about the subject. He also compared service dog training to protection dog training, which is a huge red flag for me since the training is dramatically different. When I asked about specific service dog tasks the question was avoided. *They didn't actually evaluate my dog: He mostly just talked about himself and explained basic obedience to me. All he asked to see what a heel, which we showed with and without hand signals and treats. His only response was to start talking about how she looked away once and the heel is a big problem we need to fix. After that he did not ask to see any other skills. Just kept insisting my dog needed basic obedience because he needed to see how she could sit, down, and stay. During this whole conversation she stayed in a down or sit position only messing up once. Every time I tried to ask a more in-depth questions, I got a long-winded tangent that didn't actually answer my question (but did involve him bragging about how many dogs he has trained). *Didn't listen to what I said: He kept getting stuck on behaviors and going on about how they are out of control without giving me a chance to explain. When I would refocus him and explain it wasn't that serious, he would come back with "Well, why are you here?" So multiple times I had to explain, "I have done a lot of training with her already. I want to see where she places in your levels and talk about what service dog training looks like." Instead of asking me about that training he would say she needed to start in Level 1 and avoid questions about the service dog training. He immediately wanted to put a pinch collar on her and work with her personally. I explained that we used a pinch collar for a while, and she graduated out of it. I would prefer he try without the collar first and only use it if she has a problem. He did not respond but spent the rest of the evaluation saying he can't assess her because I won't let him touch her. I restated my stance multiple times but by the time he agreed to try I was livid and had already decided this was not the place for me. I am completely certain you can assess a dog by asking the owner to show a series of skills with the dog. He asked for nothing but a heel (which again my dog rocked) but instead kept explaining to me that my dog needed to work on her sits and stays. *This feels like a scam: He kept insisting my dog needed to start at Level 1 because "it's the best way" without giving me any reasons specific to my dog. What is the point of an evaluation if the end result amounts to "I don't want to see what your dog can do, it just goes to Level 1." This place is obviously incredibly uneducated on how to train service dogs. I don't think I'd even recommend them for advanced obedience. Their "evaluations" are $100 and please don't waste your money read more

My wife and I have had a very positive experience with Nitro K-9. Steve and his team definitely know what they are doing when it comes to quality dog training. I'm a firefighter and love to bring my German Shepherd to the station with me. Thanks to Nitro, Ronin is a very loved and respected member of the crew as his manners are terrific. I would highly recommend using Nitro K-9, especially if you have a GSD or other working breed dog. read more

I cannot express my gratitude for nitro k-9 enough. My dog Zucchini, a pit bull mix shelter dog, developed reactivity that I was unable to handle on my own. In the short time I have been working with the trainers at Nitro, my reactive dog has gained confidence and trust for myself and others that I never thought was possible. He was constantly struggling with guarding, searching/scanning and always on high alert. He now can relax and enjoy himself, without feeling like he has to watch and guard everything. Zucchini will always be reactive, but now we both have the tools to build his confidence and I feel confident in my ability to keep us and others out of harms way. Everyone who knows my dog says how different and what an improvement in his temperament, and now we get compliments everywhere we go on how well behaved he is. Big shout out to Matt for being patient with Zucchini and working through his meltdowns. Finding a trainer who meets your dog exactly where they are and tailors the training to their needs is everything. Cannot recommend nitro k9 enough and am very thankful to have my dog back! read more

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Feel pretty bad leaving this review but just want people to know the truth. I'm sure for obedience - may not be too bad but in general unprofessional. I have scheduled with one trainer but then another took over 3-4x! They say they follow the same system, but clearly have different approaches. If another trainer happens to work with you on a session, I had a previous trainer become very cold towards me and outright ignore me when I tried to speak with him. I have one session left and they said they will call me to make up - it's been 3 weeks!! Not planning to go back to it at this point. Another trainer - I had to tell them what to do with my dog. I went to a local spot near by and got to talking to someone who told me the trainers get bit all the time. read more

Although their website says nothing about what age your dog has to be, we were turned away. They didn't even call us before we had already driven all the way there. When we arrived, all the lights were off and the woman at the front desk yelled from across the room instead of coming to greet us. Very bad experience read more

Nitro K-9 saved our relationship with our 3 year old German Shepard Lance. After spending thousands of dollars working with other dog trainers Lance was still "aggressive" and completely out of control. My wife found Steve and his team and decided we would give Lance one more try. Literally after the first phone conversation with Steve (hadn't paid the man a dime at this point) we had solutions to the constant barking at the door whenever anyone walked by. That was a big deal as our neighbors have called animal control twice out of fear of Lance. We are half way through our sessions at this point and are in love with Lance. He is doing so well and is happy and confident, he listens and surprisingly loves to do the work. We are so thankful and would recommend Nitro K-9 to every dog owner. read more

Nitro K-9 - @nitrok9 - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington

Amazing experience Ive had the pleasure of working with the owner Steve as well as ajase who has done wonders with both of my Rottweilers. I told ajase she was like my translator for me and my dogs early on as i did not pick up on all my dogs body langauge as pups. Not only that but ajase took the time to contact me after business hours after my vet basicly told me my dog needed anxiety med cause he was unsure of the vets stethoscope and the vet took that as a sign of aggression. Like go find another profession. Id like to thank K9 nitro for doing a great service not only to me but my fur babies as well. I often get told that I am a great pet owner and I always joke but really I'm actually serious and that it is because I used a great dog training business K9 Nitro! Sincerely, Josh Og and Koko read more

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Did the service dog training here and loved every minute. I learned as much as my pup and she really enjoyed the classes. The instructors were super kind and helpful! Best decision I made with her, my only regret was not starting earlier. read more

Steve and team are amazing. They recognized that my dog had potential and worked with me to get my dog serviced. Pricing is good and the facility is very friendly. Dogs are training there and having fun at the same time. I am so lucky to have worked with Nitro K9 team. read more

We had our first training with Matt a few days ago. Although this type of training is pricey, it was well worth it. In one session me and my pup learned a lot. We have 3 more sessions. I really looking forward to having a well trained dog. Thanks Matt! read more

My husband and I called Steve & Nitro K-9 when we needed help with our young GSD before the arrival of our first baby- we are so glad we did. Scout loved the training. She thrived off of guidance and responded so well to everything that was thrown at her. She left every lesson a happy pup, and we left just as happy. Steve not only trained Scout, but he (most importantly) trained us as well. My husband and I now have a much better understanding of Scouts needs- and she is the best big sister ever. :) We would 100% come back in the future to further Scouts training and see even more so what she is capable of- as well as what else Steve and Nitro K-9 could teach us. read more

It's hard to know where to start in expressing my enthusiasm for Steve and his crew at Nitro! I have a 1 yo female GSD (Maisie) that I took to Nitro for level 1 private lessons a few months ago. Before discovering Nitro, I struggled with this dog!! She is not very interested in food, and so she would not "work" for food rewards beyond a very short and unenthusiastic couple of minutes. She plays with toys a bit, but not enough to use toys as a training reward either. Basically every single training method I could find was "broken" by these two basic facts about her! Most more-normal and less-obsessive people would be horrified by the amount of time I spent researching and trying things, the number of books I bought, and the amount of money I spent on in-person or online trainers -- all to try make the training work. Meanwhile, poor Maisie was developing some bad news behaviors! She wouldn't come when called (no way!), she chased the cat around the house driving us nuts, she would bark like crazy, and worst of all she would freak me out with her reactivity to other dogs: she couldn't see another dog at 20 yards without losing her mind! Due to this reactivity, it was difficult to exercise her because I couldn't take her out where she would encounter other dogs. But wherever I looked, I ran into the same basic training paradigm. For whatever reason, I swear that ALL of the dog training information channels these days have been SATURATED by a narrow range of training approaches that are minor variations of the same basic philosophy, calling themselves either "force free", "purely positive", even some "balanced" trainers (though i think that camp gets the closest, and I believe Steve would even include himself in that broad category.) These methods seem (to me) to be so ascendent not because of their effectiveness, but because of their rhetorical power. They SOUND scientific, and SOUND so "woke" and compassionate about the dogs. I was sucked in! Im not saying that there weren't useful insights and some techniques that worked a bit. But in hindsight, I now think that these schools of thought, while they may work ok in a limited way for some dogs, are fundamentally flawed. In my assessment, they get it wrong in their understanding of the nature of the dog, and it affects their entire training system. It would take a while to explain why, but that's what I can now see, clear as day. Now I know that so much more is possible! How do I know this? Because of my experience with Nitro. Steve (along with a much-harder-to-find category of trainers scattered around the world) has a fundamentally different philosophy of dog training, manifesting as a strikingly different approach. No food bribes needed! No harsh corrections either! Just the leadership that the particular dog needs and wants, and some artful technique with the leash handling and handler movements. What is more, Steve is a patient, compassionate and skillful teacher -- evidenced by the fact that he teaches so many dog owners to learn and apply his method effectively. The proof is in the pudding: at this point (I'm a couple weeks into level 2 now), Maisie is a transformed dog! She snaps into obedience mode at a distance, off leash, with a couple hand gestures. She comes on command. She can do a sweet looking off leash heel (head in, eyes looking up at me) for 15+ minutes without missing a beat. She can do all kinds of maneuvers, all in a public park (not yet with crazy distractions but a couple other dogs are ok!) and off leash. And she LOVES the work! Just puffs up her chest and wants to show it off. What is most amazing is how her overall disposition has changed! She is calmer, more confident, and generally happier! She responds to me now because she trusts me, and WANTS to follow my lead! It's really, really remarkable. I have been so emboldened by my experience with Steve that I now have a second dog -- an 8 mo Doberman -- and I'm confident that I can turn this boy into a happy, well-mannered member of my family with the help of Nitro. I would be remiss if I didn't sing the praises of Steve's crew as well! Crystal made the initial contact and subsequent scheduling into a fantastic customer experience. She really goes above and beyond and it's a delight to interact with her! Matthew has assisted me during several training sessions, and he has been a huge help as I sorted out the important nuances of the training techniques. Danny helped me during one session as well, which was a blast. I'm looking forward to meeting the great Christina in Jan as I do a hands off training with my new Dobie to get him in top form quickly! Seriously -- if you have a sneaking suspicion that training your dog with food rewards and a clicker is maybe missing out on something basic...and you suspect that those challenging behavioral problems may be need something fundamentally different...call Steve, you will be so happy that you did! read more

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Let me tell you why I will enthusiastically recommend Nitro K9 to anyone in the Seattle area who wants to train a dog (which should include everyone with a dog in the Seattle area) . . . Back in 1994 when I was 14 years old, I got a golden retriever puppy. My parents expected me to take full responsibility for training him, so I read all the books on dog training I could find in the Boise Public Library. I set to work with a traditional "choke" collar, a 6 foot leash, a 40 foot leash, and lots and lots of treats. Long story short, I did okay. We just learned to tolerate the fact that his heel was sloppy, that "come" was unreliable, that "stay" lasted about a half-second, and that treats were always required to ensure obedience. After all, he was a pretty good dog and we loved him. When I decided to get a pup this year, I searched for a dog trainer in Seattle that could help me get farther than I had gotten with my old retriever. My goal was reliable and consistent off leash obedience that could be achieved without a dependency on treats. I wanted a dog that was great to live with. I wanted a dog I could confidently take anywhere. I wanted a dog that was a pleasure to walk. I wanted a dog that even dog haters would like. I wanted a dog that was well socialized with other dogs. And I knew I would have to work for all these things with some professional help. Enter Steve Walter and Nitro K9. Thanks to Nitro's expert guidance and my hard work, my relationship with my dog Rolo is beyond anything I ever imagined possible. And he's only 7 months old! I have had 8, hour-long training sessions spread out over the past 4 months and have already achieved all of my original goals. No joke, in 8 sessions we have completed all of Level 1 training and most of Level 2. It's fun to think up new goals, ones I had never allowed myself to imagine. For example, we're currently teaching him to stay in a standing position, which is useful for toweling off and grooming. I would like him to back up on command. I would like him to pick up his toys and drop them in a basket at home. I know I can train these things. Nitro K9 has helped me become a competent and confident dog handler, which, combined with my dog's focus (on me, not on treats), makes anything possible. Rolo and I are having so much fun together! At the first training session, Steve fit my dog with a Sprenger training collar (aka prong collar), and then taught me how to use it responsibly and effectively with precise leash work to encourage focus. Like some people, I came to that first session with concerns about using this kind of collar on my dog. Wouldn't that be cruel? Wouldn't he hate it and begin to fear me? After all, he was a 20 lb. Labrodoodle puppy, not a 100lb Rottweiler. Let me just say this: the results were astounding. With hardly any leash pressure at all, I could encourage my pup to focus his wandering eyes (and nose) on me and the training at hand. And with that focus, we have done amazing things! Rolo doesn't fear this collar; he wags his tail and gets excited every time I put it on him. I have come to regard a Sprenger collar as a genius communication tool that, unfortunately, has gotten a bad rap from being misused by dog handlers that don't know what they're doing. I will gladly join Steve and the Nitro K9 community to set the record straight about these training collars. If you're still concerned, come hang out with us and our dogs. You'll change your mind as I did. In my time as a Nitro K9 client, I have interacted with Steve and Matt (for training) and Crystal (for scheduling). All have been professional and extremely responsive to my needs. Steve Walter is the strongest advocate for dogs having good, long lives of anyone I have ever met. He and his team absolutely LOVE dogs, and everything they do is in the service of dogs. They literally save dogs' lives by ameliorating aggression and anxiety-related problems. They take a holistic approach to canine well-being, and are enthusiastic to discuss nutrition and other subjects related to my dog's health. It's great being part of this community of dog-lovers. My dog and I both have a better life because of Nitro K9. Blake Seattle, WA read more

This place is such a scam. The trainers and employees are unprofessional, fussy, and passive-aggressive. They do not evaluate your dog during the evaluation. All the care is money and not your dog at all. They choke and scare the dogs to make them obey. -10 out of 10 would not recommend. read more

Wow what can I say about Steve other than he went above and beyond any expectations I had for training my husky. I came to him because my dog had gotten out of control. I was altering my life to accommodate his bad behavior and the food based training programs I tried did nothing but ultimately reinforce his bad behavior. I came to Steve and within a few weeks I had a new husky. For the first time ever, my husky was focused and looking to me for guidance. I had many people tell me that huskies are impossible to train but Steve knew exactly what he was doing and gave me the techniques I needed to know to teach my pup impeccable obedience. On another note, Steve always made himself available for questions. I am sure I drove him crazy with all my text messages about training but he never showed it one bit. He was always kind and supportive with anything I asked. The other trainers are also fabulous. I would recommend anyone of them, especially Christina, who worked wonders with my pup as well. The training facility is brand new and beautiful! One of the best I've seen. You can tell a lot of love and work was put into the facility. Overall, if you're looking for dog training that works and impeccable trainers, I wouldn't waste time on food based programs and go straight to nitro K-9. If I could do it all over again, I would've gone here first. Absolutely the best investment I have ever made with my dog. read more

Stephanie is A.MAZ.ING! I am a first time dog parent. We went through level 1 and I learned SO much. Stephanie was patient with me and answered all my questions. We were happy as can be. I was skeptical of the next level but WOW! I am SUPER happy I continued on with training. It is making a huge difference and its only week 1. I love that this is non food based training. I have bonded with my puppy that I almost feel like I can read her mind and I fully believe it is partly from her training or should I say my training with Nitrok9 and Stephanie. =) I highly recommend doing this training especially with Stephanie!!! She Rocks the Casba! read more

We chose to use Nitro K9 as a last ditch effort for me to keep my dog. We got him from a rescue and were told he was a rude greeter and had bad leash manners. When we got him home, we learned that was true-along with he had SERIOUS dog aggression, extremely high prey drive and was very territorial. He barked at everything. We tried a reward based training class, but our dog just seemed to get full...and his manners got worst. We couldn't take him for walks-except in the early morning or late at night when no one and nothing was out. The final straw was when he jumped the fence, lunged at a runner going by our house and nipped her shorts. After much research and discussion, we chose to try training with Nitro K9. My husband was initially hesitant because their training methods involve prong and e-collars. Our prior trainer told us those tools make dogs like ours more aggressive but we were desperate. We wanted to make sure we tried everything before we made a choice of giving him back to the rescue. We explained our issues and what we needed. We brought our dog to meet Steve and Christina...and after 10 minutes they looked at him-and said he was a great dog. Not something we heard often. We scheduled our 6 week training sessions. We started the first session with my literally having to hold my dog back with both hands and my body. After the first session, we had a different dog. Other dogs walked by, people walked by, little kids ran by...and our guy made good choices and barely reacted. After 6 weeks, we have a graduate. He walks right by other dogs. Can be within feet of them. One came right up to him today with no reaction. It is amazing. Our pup is still a work in progress...but we see progress. And as for the statement about these tools making the dogs more aggressive? In our case, it is the total opposite. The only thing it has done is make our dog an aggressive snuggler. He is so much happier. He gets to be outside. He gets to go for walks in the daylight. He gets to be a dog...and we are so happy we chose Nitro K9 for our training. read more

Nitro K-9 - End of training scratches... - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington

Found Nitro K9 from google searching "no food dog training" because though treat training worked okay for the basics, I started to feel a lack of respect from our little buddy after awhile. He wouldn't obey unless he saw I was ready with a treat. He is also very very strong and his leash pulling made walking him hell. We tried literally every harness and leash system the pet store had. The gentle leader showed some promise but after two walks with that contraption, Morty ran away when he saw it. He fought it tooth and nail like it was a torture device. I looked up "no food" because I was tired of 1) buying stupid amounts of treats just to have an okay dog in public 2) finding treats in every pocket of every article of clothing I own and in the washer and 3) experiencing pure panic on the occasions I forgot the treats at home. Morty was a sweet, goofy, loving boy but wild. After the EVALUATION with Steve he never pulled on his lead again. We got 6 lessons and Morty is still sweet, goofy, and loving but with a much calmer energy and focus. Steve and his team's training recently prevented a potential dog fight. Morty was going to meet a beautiful blue pit new to our neighborhood. Everything was going well but I suddenly saw the pit's body go really rigid so I gave Morty a stop, then had him come and just focus on me while the other owner got his pup settled down. He obeyed without a second's hesitation and didn't break focus despite the growling and lunging and yelling going on 6 feet away from us. It was amazing. So glad I found Nitro K9! I cannot thank them enough for everything they do! There is no one I recommend more if you want a happy, confident, healthy, focused dog in your home. read more

I got in contact with Steve & Christina at Nitro K-9 because my dog was becoming aggressive towards certain other dogs. He would be fine with some dogs, and instantly aggressive with other dogs and there wasn't much of a warning sign. I love my dog, so I wanted to find the best dog trainers in Seattle. Then I stumbled upon the Nitro Team and it's been such a blessing. I got the intensive training package where someone would come out everyday and work with my pup. T hey showed up on time and brought my dog back mentally and physically exhausted. In a very short period of time, my dog stopped being leash aggressive and started listening to commands. I guess the saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" was wrong. They've made a significant impact on my 8 year old dog in a very short amount of time. It was well worth the investment, no matter what some of the other complainers are saying. These guys work hard and have very high integrity! If you are looking for a great dog trainer, call Nitro K-9. read more

Nitro K-9 - Steve and his team at Nitro K9 are making an amazing transformation with my Dog Cobalt! - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington

We had a great experience with Nitro K-9! We rescued our husky-German shepherd mix (Obi) at 4 months old and he was absolutely out of control with over-reactivity in social settings or around other dogs. I'm a petite woman and he definitely ripped me down the street on the leash. We tried online courses and treat training, clicker training and all of the things. He's so smart and stubborn none of them worked. We decided to try Nitro and after learning how to properly and humanely use the equipment, Obi was learning, engaging and behaving so much better! Now he's 1 year old and we can take him places off leash without having to worry about him being the loud squirrel chasing maniac he once was! We are avid hikers and outdoor people so this has been so freeing for both us and Obi. Valerie was our main trainer and she was awesome! Thanks so much for giving my husband and I the confidence and tools to train our dog! Best decision we could have made for Obi! read more

Nitro K-9 - Pet Training Near Me - Bothell, Washington