Alaina not only transformed my 3 yr old German Shepherd (Stelio) to be so much more calm and comfortable in her surroundings, she also showed us invaluable techniques to help our dog understand what to expect and reduce the shock value. Bunny? Squirrel? I no longer get yanked! Alaina helped us have an open communication with Stelio after just a few sessions. How incredible is that!? Today Stelio had to receive 3 vaccines and she handled it like a CHAMP thanks to all the prep work with Alaina. I was really concerned because I knew I wouldn't be allowed to go with her, but the vet said she did great! Thanks for helping Stelio and our family! Plus I really enjoy your visits! read more

Refine Your K9 - Pet Training Near Me

Alaina was amazing!!! She was very professional and stayed calm at all times even when my 14 week shepard mix was barking. I learned more from her in 1 hour than I had in hours of videos I had tried. Her technique is super simple and made complete sense to me. I highly recommend her. read more

So this review is long overdue for about 4 years. Aye the violin: I got Max (shelpherd/mastiff mix we think) from Craigslist (yeah, I know... smh). He was the 3 months old when we got him. The photo from Craigslist looked normal and when I reached out to see the puppy, the gentleman asked me to (wait for it..) meet him at the back parking lot of a Red Lobsters (I think) in Santa Clarita. Didn't think much of it and I went by myself. When I saw him, he looked so scared and he looked emaciated. Just looking at him broke my heart into little pieces and couldn't get myself to let this poor puppy go back home with this awful man. I paid him and I took him home. I asked what food he's been eating and he said, puppy-pedigree. When I got him, he smelled so badly- like he's been caged and lived in his own filth his whole life. I probably bathed him 20+ times and you couldn't get the smell off him. When we got home, he wouldn't eat and I couldn't find puppy pedigree brand. Tried everything to get this poor puppy to eat and the only thing he recognized was white bread. He was so messed up that he had a small imaginary box. He was always terrified to leave his box and won't go anywhere. He was clearly abused and needed work. He wasn't house-broken and when he saw the sliding door, he would shake, cry and just freak out. Max was clearly beyond my pet-training skills and found Alaina here on yelp. Within our first phone conversation, she got Max to like his crate and finally do his business outside. After our session, Max was going through the sliding door and eventually figured out a way to open the dang sliding door himself! Alaina works miracles and takes time to understand each dog's needs. I thought Max was beyond help and we were just gonna have to deal with his behavior until I found Alaina. Thank you for saving Max and being super awesome!! read more

Refine Your K9 - Max & Loki - Pet Training Near Me

Alaina is fantastic to work with! Yes she is great with your dog but she always works with the owners so they understand how to train your pet. she has been great with my whole family and our dogs! read more

My service dog in training has improved so drastically since we started seeing Alaina. She isn't really an obedience based trainer; she focuses on teaching your dog to be able to make good decisions without input from you. She's training my dog to be able to manage his frustrations and calm himself, even in difficult places. I need to be able to take my dog in public without me having to constantly give him commands to behave, and that is what Alaina is doing for us. She's teaching a calm mindset, which makes teaching my dog anything a lot easier for him to understand and a lot less frustrating for me to deal with. From an outside perspective, it may look like she's just hanging out with my dog on the floor, but in reality, she's teaching him how to maintain a calm, level head in every situation possible. She's teaching him how to relax his body and mind to a point where he can actively learn and engage without being distracted or frustrated. Not only is Alaina fantastic at her job, but she is also incredibly accommodating. She and my dog go on field trips 3-4x a week where she teaches him how to behave in all kinds of public places. If she isn't sure about something, she will do her own research and reach out to other trainers to try and figure out what will work with each individual dog. This is not a 'one size fits all' approach. My dog is only 8 months old, and we get compliments about his behavior often. Even at this age, he's much calmer in general than any other dog I've ever had. read more

Refine Your K9 - Alaina's biggest fan - Pet Training Near Me

This is a far more big-picture approach to training than I have ever experienced and I CANNOT recommend it more. We got our dude as a puppy, and I feel like we haven't had a moment of peace since (unless he was napping). Our dog came to us absolutely wired and that wiredness turned into anxiety and stress. He could barely sit still, barked all the time and ran around nonstop. Alaina was here for an hour and a half, and within that first half hour, our dog laid down on the rug, took a deep breath, and relaxed. Our. Jaws. DROPPED. We've already booked more appointments. I highly suggest you do the same if you need help or want better calm and confidence with your pup. read more

Alaina is wonderful. We had no idea what to think because Taffi is our first dog, we just knew that our little guy would get HUGE so my wife being a small person.. we at least knew that training would be SUPER important. Our experience we've had training our dog and building a friendship has been awesome. We initially got our pup and had no idea what to do.. ONE THING I WANT TO RECOMMEND: If you're thinking about getting a dog, call her first. We called Alaina prior to getting a dog to really get some perspective from someone who has years of experience. She was totally open to answering our questions when she hadn't even met us yet. The sessions funny enough are more about training the owner how to handle the dog and make sure he/she gets used to habits. Learning to really communicate properly and providing the dog with the much needed structure is extremely important. Our little guy is waaay more obedient now and the results are unbelievable. Alaina also keeps it simple, as long as your willing to do the work I'm sure anyone can create the same results. read more

Refine Your K9 - Pet Training Near Me

My family has always had rambunctious dogs and I realize now that it's because we were clueless about how to train them. Alaina loves dogs and has them behaving well around things most dogs and owners struggle with. I'm amazed at what she can do for your dog! read more

Alaina is the best! She took my dog in one session and worked wonders. She's already learned so much and I learned to be patient with her. I couldn't have done it without alaina! I am beyond excited! She even gave me some pointers outside of the training. I'm definitely booking her again. read more

Alaina was really helpful in even just our first session together! She truly helped both me and my dog focus on the beginning steps of calm, natural behavior. Super lovely and clearly loves her job! read more

Was desperate and searching for another trainer for our 7 months old goldendoodle and after talking to a few dog trainers from yelps alaina stand out at first I'm very hesitant to do it because of my previous trainer experience but eventually decided to gave it a try I was amazed how my dog stayed so calm throughout the session her approach of teaching training to the dog owner are unique and I find it fun and not stressful to my dog can't thank her enough. read more

Refine Your K9 - Pet Training Near Me

When I first brought my puppy home to live with my two cats I started to cry. I was so overwhelmed. My cats were freaking and the dog wouldn't sleep. I was a mess. Then like a fairy godmother I met Alaina and my life changed. She taught me how to be the leader. She built up my confidence and my dog responded immediately. Additionally she calls to check in even after we finished our package and remains concerned about our well being. She is terrific. I would recommend her highly read more

I was introduced to Alaina through a mutual friend and I soon found out that not only does she train dog but walks and can board them when needed. This was great because I had just got a new puppy, Daisy, who had a nervous temperament and was very timid when it came to meeting people, especially men. I decided to have Alaina board and train Daisy while my family was on vacation. And within 2-3 days I noticed a drastic difference in Daisy's demeanor. She was originally supposed to stay with Alaina for about a week but since Daisy was making such progress, I decided to extend her stay for another week. In a short time, Alaina was able to give me and Daisy the tools we needed so that she wouldn't feel anxious. Before her time was over, I was delighted by a video sent to me of Daisy walking around the notoriously crowded Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica being pet by a man that she didn't even know! To make sure all of Alaina's hard work isn't undone; she makes sure that you understand not only what you need to do to maintain these new and improved behaviors but she also explains why my dog was acting the way she was and why these new techniques will help correct them. read more

Yes, I'd go to court a hundred times over. Alaina is quite possibly the real, dog whisperer. I believe in her 100%. I've watched her transform troubled and tough dogs into amazing animals, pets and companions. Refine your K9 and what they can do is incredible. read more

Alaina was our puppy matchmaker. She found the perfect puppy for my husband and I. Then she trained us how to be the puppy parents we wanted to be. My husband and I wanted to adopt a puppy for a few years. When Alaina begain to help us on our search she made sure to understand what we wanted from the relationship we were planning to build with our puppy. She searched for us and even introduced us to potential pets. We both instantly feel in love when she introduced us to Ozzy. Matching a family with a dogs individual personality, energy level and temperament is an amazing gift she has. I am forever grateful. Alaina taught us how to crate train and potty train Ozzy. She also taught sit, down and hold place. She taught him how to walk on a leash and how to behave during a pack walk. Her expectations and standards are high and he wanted to please her and us. He is such a good boy and is often complimented for his good manners which allows us to take him places naughty puppies wouldn't be welcome. The best part of her training was that she didn't just teach him, she also taught us how to teach him. She made us aware of our body language and how we communicate with him. She easily explained in a way that we could understand and make the changes that we needed in order to obtain the results we desired. She is amazing! read more

Alaina is AMAZING! I did a remote call with her for advice on my new puppies and I'm so grateful I did. She gave me some extremely valuable information that is going to save me a lot of aggravation and help my pups and family to have the best life. Thank you Alaina! read more

I would recommend Alaina to anyone looking for quite simply, a TRANSLATOR for them and their dog. After just one session, my rescue black lab Shelby has been a completely different dog, and this was over a month ago! Keep up to great work, A! read more

Alaina is incredible!! In just our first session our dogs stopped barking at the door. Second session she is teaching us and our dogs how to communicate better with each other. No joke! She uses positive reinforcement instead of correcting bad behavior which can stress dogs out even more. It's a master class in dog training and more than that... communicating with your fur babies!!! Can't wait for session three to retrain on how to walk on a leash! read more

I highly recommend Alaina for your dog training needs! We adopted a Chihuahua/Terrier mix from the shelter, and it was pretty clear we needed help; Norma was biting us, being aggressive toward our other dog, leash-shy, and the list goes on. Alaina was really tuned in to what Norma needed and helped us be much better pet owners. After a few sessions, it was clear that Norma was a different dog. She did so well, we were actually able to include our other dog in one of the sessions to help him stop pulling on his walks. Now, both dogs are doing great on their walks, getting along, and she is learning how to be a very good (and spoiled) pet! Alaina was patient and professional with our new pup (and us), and a pleasure to work with. It feels beyond incredible to take peaceful, satisfying walks with my dogs and be in total control. I'm proud of how well the dogs are doing and can't thank Alaina enough for her expertise! I know I will use everything I learned from her with any new dog I own. read more

I was extremely impressed with Alaina's skills handling my clients dog but most importantly showing and explaining to me how to do it myself. In a very short time 30-60 minutes, I think ( time went so fast ) my clients dog seemed like a different dog! Calmer, more obedient, happier and bratty dog no more!! I was thrilled beyond measure! I can't thank Alaina enough! I can't wait for our 2nd lesson! ( it was so much fun!! ) read more

Alaina has made an amazing difference in my dog's behavior in an incredibly short time! My dog, Lola, is adorable, but incredibly obstinate--and quite the busybody! Thanks to Alaina, she is much calmer, and, surprisingly, having rules to follow has made her a happier dog. I highly recommend Refine Your K9--just know that as the pet's owner, you will have to do some work to reinforce your dog's training, or it won't work! read more

I just want to start by saying that Alaina is absolutely amazing! My fiancé and I adopted a dog (Marvin) from the Van Nuys shelter and after a few weeks we could tell he definitely had some issues, he was aggressive towards other dogs, towards people riding by on bikes and skateboards and when we walked him he would always be very heavy on the pulling of the leash. Well Alaina was able to help Marvin change these bad habits he had, we began to see signs of improvement after just one session! After 4 sessions with her, Marvin had fallen out of most of his bad habits ( I say most because nobody, or dog in this case, is perfect ) but there has been so much improvement in his behavior and without the help of Alaina I don't think he would be where he is today! I would highly recommend Alaina to anyone who needs help with their troubled pup, and not to mention she is pretty great just as an individual. We will keep seeing her every so often so Marvin can have some "tune ups" and am already looking forward to it! read more

Alaina is always available to answer my questions and to help me through the tough training challenges. She understands so much about my dogs' behavior!!! Thank you, Alaina! read more

I can't believe it's taken me so long to write this review. Alaina changed our life! We adopted a new labradoodle puppy, Ziggy and we had no idea what we were getting ourselves in to! Thank goodness we found Alaina who helped us teach Ziggy to have an aligned agenda to our family and want to exhibit the behavior we needed. This is big-picture training and Alaina teaches you how to raise the dog you want versus deal with the dog you think you have. If you're looking for someone to teach your dog tricks Alaina may not be the trainer for you, however if you are looking for someone to teach you how to raise a dog that behaves in a way that works with your family she is definitely the trainer for you! She gives you all the tools in an easy to understand, digestible program and maintains communication throughout the process to pivot or teach new techniques based on your unique challenges. We would definitely recommend Alaina! read more

When my dog came home with me from the no-kill shelter, he was understandably at odds with the world. If you got too close to his face he would growl and fear would dominate him. He was very anxious around other dogs as well. I knew even though he wasn't viscous, that we would have some healing to do. Alaina has been an amazing light and gift in our lives, not just as a dog trainer but has truly taught me how to be my dogs best friend, in a way I would not have been able to do without her. Her compassionate and patient demeanor was always delightful and I actually looked forward to each of our sessions. Now, my dog is civil, even friendly with my human friends and with other animals as well. My dog actually has learned to cultivate a deep sense of trust with me and other human beings. All other goals we had came successfully as she guided us. She went the extra mile for us every single time because it's just who Alaina is. Riley and I thank you with all of our hearts!! Forever grateful to you. read more

Wow, all these great reviews are TRUE. What a wonderful company. My husband & I saw results ASAP thanks to Alaina, and we're still a bit shocked, like, this dog is OUR good girl?! So obedient and doing what her parents want her to do?? Amazing. Alaina's calm yet strong demeanor took charge of Ripley upon their first meeting. Ripley's our giant German Shepherd/Husky mix who once thought she was the boss. Our training started with focus on The Walk, and it's absolutely true that if you get that under control, other obedience issues start to mellow and fall into place - we see it daily. Ripley used to pull and march ahead, she'd get stressed out as neighborhood dogs barked, plus she'd flip out any time a squirrel or cat crossed our path. Well guess what - no more pulling. Ripley walks right by my side and remains calm as we pass critters & loud neighborhood dogs. No doubt she still wants those critters, but the important thing is she's obeying ME and not letting her natural instincts get the best of her. Next session was equally great, focusing on our dog's separation anxiety in the home and how to help ease that tension. It really works, everything Alaina teaches WORKS. We went into this knowing full well that it's up to us to carry the torch and utilize these tools daily, with every walk and every feeding - no short cuts! And our well-behaved pup is living proof that Refine Your K9 is the best. We're so grateful for Alaina's knowledge and kindness and exceptional work with our dog. We humans seriously learned just as much as Ripley continues to learn, and we will be back for more training in the future. Socialization and doggy play dates is next on our list - can't wait! read more

Refine Your K9 - Ripley's first play date went well thanks to Refine Your K9's teachings, made our big girl much more calm and manageable. - Pet Training Near Me

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It is not an exageration to say that our beloved family dog, Chloe, would not be our beloved family dog had we not met Alaina. We had just adopted Chloe when my mother died suddenly, rocking our family to the core. Chloe was a Border Collie mix rescue puppy who needed ALOT of training. Alaina understood the position we were in, swooped in , took Chloe for two weeks so we could tend to arrangements and grieve. Chloe returned to us the same sweet girl but a lot more refined. We have continued to work with Alaina because she cares about our dog but also because she understands the dynamics of our family (two working parents of three kids ages 9-14). She has made herself available to train and board Chloe and always goes the extra mile for her clients. Book this woman now, you won't be disappointed, you will be shocked how your dog turns around and how easy it is to keep her that way. read more

Alaina is, without a doubt, a dog whisperer. We needed a trainer for our recently adopted dog and found her on line. She came over to meet our family and our dog (she involves the entire family in the training process, especially the kids) and we decided to do the board and train program. Our dog boarded with her for two weeks and learned how to walk on a leash, sit, down/stay, release something from her mouth on command and the list goes on. And Alaina would send us updates and photos! She has also worked with our other dog during housecalls with the same great results. Since then, we've boarded our dogs with her and if we have any new problems come up, I know I can always call her. I wouldn't trust anyone else to work with our dogs. read more

Alaina's approach is very organized wherein she first meets with the family and ascertains what the issues are. If it's something that she can address right away she helps the owners understand what they need to do. If more intensive training is necessary, she will board and train the dog and expose it to many different situations. Whether the dog is anxious, aggressive or just needs to be better socialized she works with the dog, with the help of her trusty canine Kona, to obtain the desired results. I recommend a Alaina to be kind and trustworthy with your dog. read more

My wife and I took our Golden Retriever puppy here after a referral from someone we met on a walk with our pup. Our dog had issues, including getting too excited to play with our 10 year grandchild who hid in frustration. The training was fantastic and had immediate results. Our pup then did puppy boot camp for 2 weeks and came home a changed dog. Our grandchild is in love now, plays with the dog and no longer hides. We are so pleased with Refine Your K9 and the continuing support we receive. If you are looking for an excellent dog trainer, this is the place! read more

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! That was on behalf of my dog. I'll send you my "Thank You's" in encyclopedic volumes. I rescued my 2 yr old Golden Retriever, Buddy, in July, and with the help of several trainers, I was happy with his in-home behavior. His behavior outdoors was an entirely different story. I kept receiving suggestions and round about answers every time I asked these trainers why my dog was still extremely aggressive towards other dogs. "Could be this..." "Could be that..." "Maybe do this, maybe do that." "This may be a behavior you just might have to accept." I was very sad. I got a dog so I could enjoy his company everywhere. If I took him out, I was always nervous about running into other dogs. It was an explosion waiting to happen and the 300 different leash/collar combos suggested by previous trainers were only choking him and aggravating me because I felt I was hurting him while not making any progress. At the very moment I was ready to throw in the towel and accept things as they are, I was referred to Alaina. She was responsive and attentive, and I learned more from her in our 10 minute conversation than I had the last 6 months with all these trainers. She was nice enough to show up to my house after her day was done, the day before Thanksgiving. We chatted for a little, we took Buddy out for a walk, I walked away for 5 minutes, walked back, and almost immediately did not recognize my dog. It was like they had taken a yoga class during the 5 minutes I was gone. Another meeting with Alaina, along with very clear and written instructions given to me by her, my dog was running around in the dog park, without a leash, playing with any and every dog that came his way. And his in-home behavior, which I thought was perfect, became even better with some tips from Alaina. I could not thank her enough. She was very responsive to my emails/texts/phone calls, which is more than I can say for the previous trainers who had secretaries and assistants and voicemails and a 2-3 day response rate. Even when I didn't get in touch with Alaina, she would get in touch with me to make sure I was seeing progress and provide additional suggestions, if necessary. She good. She good. She good. read more

Alaina is AMAZING!! She is so knowledgeable and great at what she does. Not only was she able to teach my dog, Rocco, how to walk nicely on her leash but she did it in about 15 minutes!!! We were able to walk around the neighborhood without Rocco jumping, barking, pulling, or crying to go play with people or dogs walking by. Alaina taught me how to guide Rocco and she instilled confidence in my abilities because she made everything so easy to learn. She took Rocco and I on a walk with her dog...by the end of the walk Rocco was able to stay in sit and down command without us holding on to the leash, I was SO impressed!!! Just yesterday Rocco would dart at birds, cats, or jump to be pet by people passing by; but today she stayed in a sit with a work truck unpacking, people walking by and a cat across the street. Alaina is GREAT!! She is definitely someone I will continue to work with to help me with all of my training needs and I HIGHLY recommend you do as well...your pet will thank you! read more