Our experience with Felix has been amazing. We chose Proving Grounds over other dog trainers in the area because of Felix's flexible schedule & the fact that he comes to you & trains at your own house. He even GUARANTEES RESULTS! (something other trainers we've worked with could not) Our most important deciding factor was that Felix does a full evaluation of your dog BEFORE any training begins, before you decide if you want to move forward. This was huge for us because we wanted a trainer that was going to personalize our training to focus on the issues we needed correcting, instead of sticking our dog in a generic program, learning things he already knew. Our dog Eames is a 4 year old French Bulldog/Jack Russell mix. Before training with Felix, he was very anxious & aggressive. Eames couldn't be anywhere near other dogs, group training was out of the question, crossing paths with another dog was so embarrassing because he would snap & growl & lunge at other dogs. Felix already knew some areas to focus on, just on his extensive knowledge our dog's blended breed. He was evaluating & noticing every little thing from how our dog greeted him, any time little hairs stood up on his back, when the dog finally relaxed. Felix was willing to spend however much time was necessary to fully evaluate & understand our dog's needs & issues. Within a few private sessions Eames was ready for a group class (something we never could have imagined him doing) & he was weaving in & out of dogs & staying calm while surrounded by other dogs. It was a miracle! After the learning tools & knowledge Felix has shared with us, I feel much more confident & comfortable with my dog. I know I can use the same techniques when teaching him something new & Eames seems so much happier now that he can focus his mind & get his energy out through physical & mental training. Proving Grounds is the real deal. If you're looking for trainer that understands psychological & breed-specific issues, Felix is your guy. This guy trains police dogs!! He can definitely train your dog & help you achieve your specific goals. read more

I can't say enough about how much Felix at Proving Ground Kennels has helped with my Doberman Pinscher, Enzo. Enzo is a two-and-half-year-old European Doberman and to say he is a handful is putting it mildly. I had tried several trainers before reaching out to Felix, and I'm so glad that I did. Enzo is very stubborn, high energy, and has a mind of his own. It had gotten to the point where I couldn't take him in public or on walks, and I was constantly worried about having people over to the house because Enzo was always unpredictable. On walks, Enzo would act erratic when cars, people or anything passed by. He would start biting at the leash, displaying aggressive behavior, and I wouldn't be able to control him. It became so bad that neighbors would make comments that I shouldn't own such an aggressive dog in a neighborhood with families. After the first few sessions, I knew that Felix was the right trainer for Enzo. He understands how the Doberman Pinscher thinks and why Enzo behaves in certain ways. Felix was always very patient with Enzo, never rushed him and made sure to always end the session on a positive note. Felix's training style is the perfect combination of positive and negative reinforcement, and positive and negative punishment. Felix is helping Enzo become adjusted to being around other dogs and people he doesn't know. Enzo has always been very anxious and with Felix's help, Enzo can now channel this anxiety in a positive way because of the obedience training. In Felix's group obedience class Enzo is learning how to socialize with other dogs and be in a new, different environment. Felix also offers a group fitness and agility class, and it's amazing to see Enzo learn the different obstacles on the agility course. Enzo has even be able to earn the title of AKC Community Canine which is something I never thought possible. It's been a long road but with Felix's help, I can finally see a more obedient, happier Enzo who isn't so anxious or fearful. Thank you Felix for all your hard work with Enzo, it is much appreciated! read more

Gotta brag about the progress our Irish Wolfhound pup has made with our cats. We have 3 cats and one other dog. The trouble maker, Pesado was a rescue pup we got ~7mo old in October 2011. While him and our 1st dog got along great, Pesado had a strong prey drive and would constantly hunt for and chase our cats. Though no physical damage was ever done to our cats we could definitely not trust our pup to be unattended. We tried Many different training suggestions to break the behavior but nothing was remotely successful until we were introduced to Felix Pachon, owner of Proving Ground Kennels. He is truly a dog whisperer and knows his stuff! He has spent Countless hours training, not only our pup, but my husband and I as well! He takes the time to help us, as owners, understand why dogs act and behave the way they do and how we, the owners, can act as the pack leaders to raise our dog to become the pup we want him to be and how we can encourage the dog to aspire to please us! I am still amazed daily on the progress Pesado has made and continues to make. I am now able to go to bed with our sweet, snugly pup, Pesado on the bed with me where he will cuddle and sleep for a few hours while my husband finishes work and then at that time we still crate him (hopefully in the not too distant future we will be able to trust him out all night). Pesado is now calm around the cats, instead of always being on the hunt, and the cats will actually sleep on the floor in the same room as him. Lately, I have been able to pet Pesado with one hand and one of our more brave cats with the other hand while they both remain calm and content with the attention. Pesado was a pretty 'urrr, durrr, I sneeze and hit my head on the ground' kinda pup but he is becoming such a wonderful part of our furry family and my only regret is not utilizing Felix sooner!! read more

5 out of 5 for Proving Ground Kennels--and specifically Felix--he deserves recognition! What he's done with my working dog Skaüt has been nothing short of impressive. Felix didn't just "train" him; he genuinely developed him. There's a clear difference between someone who runs dogs through reps and someone who understands how to build a solid working K9, and Felix is very much the latter. Since working with him, Skaüt has leveled up across the board: * Obedience Skaüt went from good to dialed-in. Commands are crisp, engagement is consistent, and he actually wants to work. Felix brought out a level of focus in him that I hadn't seen before. Reliable, clean, and responsive -- exactly what I need from a dog with his job. * Environmental Stress Inoculation This is where I've seen the biggest growth. Felix put Skaüt through all kinds of environmental exposures in a controlled, intentional way. Instead of shutting down or getting spun up, Skaüt now works through pressure with confidence. Loud noises, movement, slick floors, tight spaces -- he handles it all without hesitation. That's invaluable for what we do. * Scent Detection Felix fine-tuned Skaüt's drive and cleaned up his indications. His patterning is smoother, his searching is more methodical, and his clarity on odor has tightened up significantly. It's obvious Felix knows what he's doing in the detection world; the results speak for themselves. Bottom line: Felix at Proving Ground Kennels is legit. He's professional, he knows how to read dogs, and he actually cares about producing a capable, confident K9. I'd recommend him to anyone, and have! Whether you're working a dog operationally or just want real, quality training. Skaüt is a better dog because of him, and that's the highest compliment I can give! read more

Let me start by saying I'm not huge on writing reviews unless I feel very strongly one way or another about something and really want people to know about my experience. With that said, In my opinion Felix at Proving Ground Kennels has set the bar for K9 trainers in the Phoenix Metro area. If knowledge, professionalism and results are important to you then Felix is the trainer for you... Period! The work he has done with my own dogs has been incredible. When Felix started working with our Mastiff mix, Harley, I was blown away with Felix's understanding of dog behavior and abilities to not only train Harley but train me to be a better handler. The end result speaks for itself, our slightly crazy,over-sized puppy Harley is now a respectful, well behaved member if the family. If that wasn't reason enough to spread the word about Proving Ground Kennels we recently added a second dog to the family. Roxy, a spunky little white lab with a nose for trouble. With a pregnant wife I was worried that out crazy little puppy would quickly become an out of control adult that could accidentally hurt either my wife or baby. One call to Felix and we went to work. We are currently only two weeks into basic obedience and Roxy has already made incredible progress towards becoming the dog we hoped for. It's hard to measure how much if an impact the simple investment of quality, professional dog training has on your everyday life until you see a truly out of control dog. You just take it for granted when you have a well behaved, social pet that you do not have to worry about. Worth every penny! Thanks again Proving aground Kennels! read more

My family rescued a 2 year old Australian Shepard/Board Collie mix a few months ago, a very loving dog with high energy that needed channeling, morning and evening runs were not taking the edge off. I contacted Felix at Proving Ground Kennels about working with Beaux. Felix met with me and Beaux he assessed his personality, strengths, and areas that need improvement, we talked about my goals for Beaux and we developed a plan together. Since Beaux was a rescue I did not know much about his background and how he would react in certain situations, but Felix helped me understand Beaux and how to work with him. Beaux has finished the basic obedience course and obtained his Good Canine Citizens Certificate. We are working on the advanced obedience training with plans to get him certified as a therapy dog. In addition to the obedience training Beaux loves the K9 Fitness and Agility Training program Felix offers. He is very excited when it time for him to run the agility course. The training Beaux has received from Proving Ground Kennels has taken the edge off, he has high drive when it is called for but is calm and listens when it is necessary. We can take him to dog friendly stores and patios without concern that he will be disruptive. Felix is truly invested in the dogs he trains he takes time to understand both the dog and the owner and works hard to help both meet their goals. I would recommend Felix and Proving Ground Kennels to anyone who is looking to train their dog. read more

I found out about Felix and Proving Ground Kennels from my friend who works in law enforcement. He mentioned he had successfully worked with Felix addressing performance oriented training as well as behavior issues through training with Felix. I have an imported Dutch Shepherd that I did a lot of training with in Holland and was very concerned over finding the appropriate trainer in the U.S. to continue the training of my dog I received a variety of people nationwide recommending me to train my dog with Felix. After completely witnessing my dog's performance improve exponentially I was completely taken aback by the mastery in training Dogs that Felix possess, without knowing any better he appears to have an incredibly deep scientific understanding of what a dog is and how their history plays a crucial role in their behavior and how easily it is to misconstrue the ways animals communicate with each other than the way humans do. Felix is a true master at his craft, he started in his teens, he's easily one of the most educated dog trainers out there and he furthers his education by traveling to Europe on a regular basis. I cannot imagine a better, more dedicated dog trainer than Felix, cannot recommend him enough! read more

I contacted Felix at Proving Ground Kennels because I badly needed help training my German Shepherd mix named Luke. Luke is an extremely sweet dog but is very skittish and taking him in public was an awful experience. When I tried to take him for walks he would literally just sit down and refuse to move. The last time I had to take him to the vet I ended up having to carry him inside because he wouldn't walk. This wasn't much fun with an 80 pound dog. He also had really bad separation anxiety and would start destroying the house when he got upset. Felix has been amazing at identifying how to best address Luke's behavior issues. He is extremely knowledgeable and since he started working with us I have seen a complete turnaround in Luke's behavior. Felix also taught Luke amazing obedience skills. My previous knowledge of dog obedience was basic at best but now my dog is performing at a level far beyond anything I could have thought possible. I am extremely thankful for Felix and highly recommend Proving Ground Kennels to anyone looking for a highly skilled trainer who provides excellent results. read more

I really do not know what I would do if I had not come across Proving Ground Kennels, and Felix. I have 2 pit bulls who are my world and they had complete rain over me and my house. My blue pit Jefe is about 1 1/2 old and he has so much energy and I had no way of controlling him when people would come over he would jump all over them he knew NO boundaries. I am pregnant and due in Oct, I had to find a way tp get my dogs under control, since training with Felix i have gained control of my dogs, I have become there handler and they respect me so much more they always have loved me but they just did not know the right way to express it. Jefe does not jump anymore on company and company are no longer afraid to walk through my front door. The progress they both have made is nothing short of AMAZING, Im so happy that my dogs love and respect Felix like they do I know that makes the training process that much easier. I could not be more happy with the outcome of training Jefe and Chita, I am truly grateful for Felix and his dog whispering ability!!!!! read more

Felix is hands down the best dog trainer you can find. He is very genuine and his love for dogs is very apparent in all interactions I observed. Felix is very knowledgeable and easy to work with. I did a lot of research on pricing before contacting Felix. I can honestly say that rates are a lot higher with some other trainers that can't provide what Felix does. Felix has been training my giant schnauzer puppy Raven for about six months now. Raven has already received AKC canine Good citizen certification after successfully working with Felix on basic and advanced obedience training. We continue working with Felix in a group classes and looking forward on passing AKC canine community certification. Felix has also helped with my two year old miniature schnauzer Crusty. She has learned so much and her obedience is so much better now. If you are looking for a professional, honest, hard working dog trainer that actually loves dogs than Felix is your guy. read more

Budd is a dog that was rescued from the horrors of a dog fighting operation in Mississippi. I am fostering him for Mayday Pit Bull Rescue and Advocacy, Felix has trained several of our dogs but this is my first experience personally working with him. Budd loves people and is eager to please but he is extremely dog aggressive. Our goals are to make Budd an adoptable dog, control his aggressiveness when he is around other dogs and earn a Canine Good Citizen Certificate. We are well on our way to achieving all of this. Felix's knowledge, experience and ability to address each dogs unique needs to get the desired results are second to none. My own dog handling and insight into the canine mind has also benefited greatly from working with Felix. I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone for training or addressing a specific behavioral issue. read more

I have a 3 year old high drive, working Czech GSD and I have been training with Felix at Proving Ground Kennels for the past few months. Felix is a dedicated, committed trainer with the ability to achieve the best results for both the dog and owner. My main objective with Felix, was to work on my dog's protection training. I'm extremely pleased with her increased confidence, defense, targeting, grip, and overall clarity on what is expected of her. With such great results in the protection training, Felix has also worked on improving her obedience - love the advanced heeling, head up! Felix has "proven" to provide all I was looking for in a trainer for my dog - from protection to obedience as well as throwing in a "fit" agility class to keep my dog in great working condition. I highly recommend Felix and Proving Ground Kennels. read more

I purchased a European Dobermann from Felix at Proving Ground Kennels a few of years ago due to being a single mother living on my own. It was a serious priority for me for the dog to be social and sweet as well as a good protection dog for the family. After going over my specific needs he selected a female that fit my specific needs and trained her in a way I never thought could be done. From the moment the dog came into my home Felix has been incredibly dedicated, paying attention to every single detail in a very professional and efficient manner. My dog is fully trustworthy around children as well as very social with other dogs, and thanks to the amazing training Felix has provided the dog as well as myself I can ensure that I can go to sleep nightly knowing my home and family are completely safe. read more

My wife and I were having issues with a new German shepherd male puppy. I contacted proving ground kennels as they were recommended by a friend who loved the work the owner Felix did. We decided to put both of our two German shepherd's through training. I come from a dog training background but my wife has no experience with training. Working with Felix was amazing as he was able to break things down in a way that was easy to understand to both of us. His knowledge in working with dogs and problem solving to find a solution to every issue we had was superior to anyone else I have worked with. The training progressed significantly faster than I thought and we made huge strides in the confidence my wife and I had with both of our dogs. I would recommend Felix and proving ground kennels to anyone. read more

Proving Ground Kennels and Owner (Felix) are fantastic at what they do. I started training my Doberman pup (Bronson) on my own with OK results. Hired Felix to help with the training and results couldn't be better. Training the dog was the easy part. I was the hard part of the team. Felix was quick to point out the mistakes I was making , something you don't get from online videos. In the two months Felix has been working with Bronson and I, the obedience level is nothing that I could have done on my own with all the information available through the internet and books. This is definitely someone who understands people and canines alike. If you want a world class dog then Proving Ground Kennels is the only place you need to go for training. read more

I utilized Proving Ground for my dog who was a very high energy mutt. To the extent he was out of control, when we tried taking him to the dog park he would be aggressive with other dogs and we'd have to leave immediately. To top it off we had cats at home who were never safe around him. Felix from Proving Ground was able to help us get to a point where our dog could be socialized comfortably, be around our cats, not tear up our house, etc. The personalized care we received was so much better than the two trainers we tried before. I will always use and recommend Proving Ground for any dog training needs in the future. PS I also got a chance to watch his protective dog trainees in action, to say the least it was an awesome experience! read more

We were introduced to Proving Ground Kennels through a friend. We were in the process of adopting a rescue pit bull and wanted to ensure it was a smooth transition. He came over evaluated our new dog and came up with an amazing training program. Our pit bull had many survival habits from living on the streets and trust issues. She was very comfortable with children and women but not men. Through his training techniques we were able to correct many of her survival habits and within a year she was camping with our family that included many men. She also earned her Canine Good Citizen certification. I highly recommend Proving Ground Kennels to anyone getting a new dog or has an existing dog that needs some training. read more

The level of service provided by Felix (owner) was second to none. I've worked with Felix for over 4 months now and the change in my Redbone Coonhound is incredible. Within one session my dog had progressed more than in three previous sessions with another in home trainer. Felix was very professional and explained everything in detail before we moved forward with the training. The multiple packages offered allow you and your pup to learn at your own pace.Felix takes a tremendous amount of pride in his work and this is clearly seen in the success stories of his clients. I would not only recommend Felix, but encourage his expertise to anyone looking for results. read more

I am so grateful for Felix from Proving Ground. My German Shepherd Natasha was evaluated as unsociable and I was advised to have her euthanized. Felix evaluated her and recommended obedience training. Today Natasha (Tasha) and I have completed extensive obedience training courses earning the AKC Good Citizen Award. Currently we, Tasha and I, are training for AKC Agility Trials. All of this has been made possible through Felix's professional, loving and thoughtful training of myself and Tasha. I highly recommend Proving Ground Kennels for K9 training of any kind. Felix has been a blessing and I feel so fortunate having found Felix and Proving Ground Kennels. read more