i took my Great Dane here for puppy class, novice, and advanced class. Pluto is doing so good and I'm so thankful for all the guidance throughout his process. Pluto is not 160lbs so I'm glad I could get a handle on things and now he gets to come everywhere with me. class was always so fun and such good energy. they truly have a passion for training read more

Top tier Dog Training center. We are lucky to have John and Kimmy Sparks in Snohomish county. Not only do class participants travel from King and Snohomish County but John is recognized nationally as dog trainer. Besides your standard puppy training, bully breed training, obedience, recall, etc.. People actually board their dogs with the K9 sparks team for full training as well. The facility is CLEAN Highly respected Easy Parking which I care about when loading in my dogs. Reasonable Pricing Attention to each dog and owner/handler. We all need different skills as an owner and individual dog. They train to your needs and not just a basic class you would find at a typical puppy class. The community of classmates is inviting and we have made friends through the community. I'm a crazy dog lover who competes with my Golden Retrievers nationally. K9 Sparks in known throughout the dog world. read more

I can not say enough good things about John and Kim at Sparks K9. They truly care about the success of you and your dog. They are well worth the wait to get in with them. If I could give them a hundred stars I would!! read more

Update: For the Yelpers: Falcon's breeder goes to Sparks because *I* brought her to Sparks; not the other way around as John's message implies. Yelpers, I tend to be loyal to people I like--loyal to a fault. I did like Sparks at first. I sent Sparks (confirmed) referrals because I care about helping small businesses. What did I receive in return? Very little help when I desperately asked for help. I was not allowed to retake novice obedience even though policy would allow me, and I needed help! John and Kim kept giving me the basic run around--and I still have the emails too! I was not making progress, and John knew it too--don't be fooled, Yelpers. I spent a couple hundred hours of training, practicing, meeting up with classmates to practice and John would just insult me and call me out without even trying to help me trouble shoot. The truth is I stopped going to polishing courses after I finished my "punch card" long before my neighbor incident. And for the Yelpers: my incident with my neighbor, Sparks didn't even call me to ask about my side of the story. They just took a complete stranger's story for her word--didn't even give their student of a year and a half a courtesy phone call to tell her side. Sparks has no idea why she even knew they were my trainer. My neighbor lied. Even the police knew her story didn't line up when they arrived. I have evidence her story doesn't line up either. Cold, hard evidence--hint it's from social media (it's evident John's stalking my social media based on his response and a completely unrelated joke on my page going over his head). But Sparks wouldn't know because they didn't even want or care to hear my side of the story. Instead they wrote me A VERY STRONGLY worded email siding with my neighbor's lies. That's it. The fact that they automatically sided with a complete stranger is quite telling in addition to other important details I'll not list here. No, Sparks did not cheer on my success, because I felt defeated, powerless and thought, "there's something wrong with me." I was just bullied and insulted and constantly told I'm doing things wrong without trying to help me other than: "You're not correcting him hard enough; you're timing is off; don't walk your dog." Since Sparks is telling the whole public about a very personal trauma, let me tell the Yelp community: it's been 4 years because I had to go to therapy after that incident with my neighbor for PTSD and for feeling betrayed by a professional whom I considered a friend. I had to walk with a GoPro camera on at all times because of that incident. To this day, I cannot walk down that street where that incident took place because of that trauma. I even obtained a copy of the 911 call I had to make and I've only listened to it once--btw there is further evidence of my neighbor's story not lining up in my 911 call. It has taken me this long to summon the courage to let others know and now I am now shaking with adrenaline because of the fear I experienced which John so kindly brought up. Sparks may treat their other students well, but not me and I know for a fact I am not the only one. As for prong collars, Sparks wanted me to go from prong to choke; then advised me to go back to prong--yes, you heard me right. People use "shock" collar as a derogatory to ecollar. Sparks taught ecollar courses and used ecollars for his dogs when I was a student. And there's a little bit of the pot calling the kettle with trying to insult prongs and e-collars when his "yank and crank" Koehler method (although he may have smartened up and stopped that method), is even more violent than the claims of a prong or ecollar. ALL professional dog trainers and educated dog parents know that ANY tool, when used improperly is bad. There are things I allowed Sparks to do to Falcon which he claimed was a "correction" (on a choke chain nonetheless) which I still cannot forgive myself for. But you see, I trusted him--my mistake. For the readers: Falcon is a sensitive dog and John's evaluation and assessment is quite inaccurate despite working with us for as long as he did. I learned a lot about my dog by changing trainers. I could go on and on. I have no doubt Sparks has evolved his methods over the few years as he's learned to train dogs. I remember going back to the homework a while ago while I was still floundering on my own, and noticed changes in his teachings. Interesting. No doubt they've revoked my "lifelong" support they offer for their students by now. Yelpers: long story short. Find a trainer who works with BOTH you AND your dog. It could be Sparks, but don't be like me and ignore your gut if it doesn't feel right. I had to un-learn a lot. read more

As a Rottweiler breeder, it is extremely important that my puppies and their people go to obedience training! The 3 classes - Puppy, Beginner Novice, and Novice Obedience are literally the BEST classes to set a good and solid foundation on a pup. My pups grow very fast, are strong, and very smart - which is a great combination when paired with logical training. If not, then they create their own job descriptions. I've taken so many of my personal dogs through Sparks and highly recommend these classes to any of my local families. The classes just make SENSE. You not only get demonstrations of each of the skills, the website has homework in writing, video support, and a chance to post your own videos when practicing to get any individual help you need. It is heartwarming to see the progress with my own dogs and my classmates' dogs during training! We are all so fortunate to have such wonderful people in our community who care so much and who provide such top notch service to our canine community!! read more

Sparks K9 - My beautiful boy, Breaker, and I practicing our obedience with friends we made at class! - Pet Training Near Me - Monroe, Washington

Short story: Best trainer out there! John can work with any kind of dog and get fantastic results. He's dedicated to helping you succeed with your dog and if you stick with the program and do your homework, you will be amazed with the results! Long story: We have two dogs. One who became very reactive to most people, especially children and all dogs. Both of our dogs were uncontrollable on the leash. They were excessive pullers and would often times get loose if we ran into something unexpected (bunnies, etc). We had been through training courses with each dog in the past, yet saw little results out in the real world. I was referred to John by my veterinary office and enrolled our dogs in the Novice Obedience group classes. On the first day I knew this was the place for us! The people attended the first class without their dogs so that everyone could understand dog behavior, instinct, and the expectations for the classes. The second class, we all entered with our dogs in an orderly fashion. It was night and day from what I had experienced in other classes that have been chaos from the beginning (dogs barking off the wall at each other, pulling their people over, etc). Even though this is the Novice Obedience group class, John makes a huge effort to make sure each and every person understands what he is teaching. He does a great job of demonstrating and explaining all different scenarios and challenges that you may come across. After each class, we are given weekly homework that we are responsible for practicing at home and in different environments. He sets you up for success and has an AMAZING website that gives you detailed videos, notes, and information for the week. I cannot tell you how useful it has been to be able to go back and watch how we are suppose to be practicing. In addition, there is also a forum to ask him questions and get guidance along the way. He is very responsive and detailed in his responses. We are in week 9 of the 10 week novice obedience class. Our dogs can now heel off leash with automatic sits when we stop. They can walk by distractions (bunnies, people, skateboarders, cars, dogs) and ignore them all. They can stay for extended periods of time in all sorts of environments. And best of all, I can now walk my two dogs together and have the same results. It's more than I ever expected out of one set of classes! John teaches you how to set your dog up for success, how to communicate with them clearly and if you stick with it and practice daily in between classes, you will have the BEST and most rewarding relationship with your dog that you could ever ask for! Every dog deserves this! read more

Following these methods have made my life harder overall. He encouraged that I stop taking my dog around until I got control which made sense at the time but now he's even more unmanageable. He used to love the dog park and he was great at daycare and as of now not only will I not take him to the park out of fear but daycare just banned him from certain days. Which should make my life super easy when my fiancé is gone and I NEED daycare. The one star is for his great leash manners and the fact he really liked John. *In response to your reply. I'm not a dog trainer and that's why I paid for you to aid the issues not make them worse. All of which got worse after taking your methods into our routine. He was skeptical but he crossed the line into aggression after seeing you not before. So as much as I appreciate your comments about my lack of accountability I never claimed to be an expert and I didn't pay myself $500 to fix him. That was your job read more

{{Long review but much needed!!} Sparks K9 is the absolute BEST dog training facility out there. We were at our last option to keep our French Bulldog puppy, Bella, who had extreme aggression issues (and of course Frenchie stubbornness!). She was biting and attacking our children and wouldn't listen when we tried to get her to stop. Our household was very chaotic and stressful due to Bella being so out of control. My husband and I agreed that if Bella didn't stop this behavior, that we would have to bring her back to the breeder. I decided to contact John and see if he could help us with her because I didn't want to give up on our girl. We started with a consultation about what I would like to work on and within minutes, John had Bella sitting, going to place and touch. This was NOT my puppy! We decided that a board and train would be best for Bella as I wanted to tackle the issues as soon as possible. I was so scared that Bella wouldn't be trainable and would be defiant the whole time. To my surprise, Bella was with John and Kim for two weeks and in days she was already making progress. John would post updates about Bella on this page and I was shocked! I was able to email them whenever I wanted to check in on her and ask for updates. When Bella got home after the two weeks, we implemented everything that John had taught Bella as well as worked with her on her e-collar. John also sent a video of Bella and him and what he worked on with her so that I could go back and have a refresher as needed. There is also great information in their client portal on the website for help with your training. Bella has flourished so much and has done a COMPLETE 180. Instead of trying to attack my children by biting/nipping them, she just goes up to them and tries to play. She does have her little moments where she wants to try and have that playful aggression, but once redirected with her e-collar she listens very well. I cannot thank for John and Kim enough for helping us with Bella. Bella is my sweet girl and it would have broken my heart to have to re-home her. If you even have one little thought of training your dog, THIS is the place to go, hands down. You can definitely tell that John has a passion for canines and he applies that passion to training them. I cannot recommend Sparks K9 enough. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, John and Kim! Sincerely, R&M read more

Sparks K9 is the absolute best! We contacted John and Kim when dealing with a really tough situation with our dog that was reactive. We had worked with another trainer to address leash reactivity and pulling and saw some improvements but never really fully addressed. Working with Sparks K9 was literally life changing. The approach is different and if you do the homework and commit to the process you will see results. We can now walk on a loose leash and stay in a heal regardless of distractions in our environment. My dog stays in his heal, does not pull or bark even when we see rabbits and squirrels. Our entire family's relationship with our dog has changed for the better and we now have a well trained and responsible dog. Thank you Sparks K9! read more

When you've tried all others and have been met with nothing but heartbreaking failure, when you think all hope is lost and your dog is just...broken...go to Sparks K9. John is like Michael the archangel for dogs. Or something. He speaks dog. And he'll teach you to speak dog too. Going to Sparks BEFORE you're heartbroken and have given up is the best option, but some people insist on learning the hard way before they're willing to learn the easy way :) read more

To say sparks k9 is the best would be an understatement. I have been training with John for 7 years now. Took my pitbull/ chow pup through puppy class then novice obedience, he went on to get his CGC, went to work with me everyday great dog. Took my reactive disabled pitbull through conditioned relaxation best class ever, was able to teach him to settle his brain and relax finally. Took my shepherd/malinois through novice what a difference a well trained dog makes. Finally took my pomeranian/chihuahua through novice and he went on to get his CGC. John is an amazing trainer but, you have to be willing to do the work there are no short cuts and your dog will tell on you. Holding people accountable for there homework is his job, your paying for that . John is training you so you can train your dog. Do the homework get the results.. 10/10 would do it again!! read more

I have a very aggressive intelligent male German shepherd. I previously tried some other popular training service (barkbusters), but it just didn't work with my dog. I was pretty much hopeless after throwing away all my money trying other things -- until I met John at Sparks K9. He was recommended from a friend at Petco, and from the moment I arrived on site, I knew this training was legit. Super intimidating at first, but worth every penny. It's been a couple years since my last visit, but I've practiced what I've learned from John and my German shepherd is much more obedient than he once was. Once I'm ready for the next step of training, I'll sign up for more sessions and it will definitely be with John. If I need someone to watch over my pup while I'm out of state, it will be John. Trust me, he knows what he's doing! read more

My neighbor Julie and her husband Philip recommended Sparks K9 to me when I rescued Nikko, a Belgian Malinois. Today was graduation day and it's amazed me the difference I've seen in Nikko over the last 10 weeks of the Novice Obedience course. So much so that I realized just how untrained my 9 year old German Shepherd Elsa was. Even at that age she picked thinks up real quick and it's made so much of a difference. I highly recommend Sparks for all your dog training needs, especially for reactive/aggressive dogs or working (German Shepherd, Malinois, etc) or guardian (Mastiff, Boerboel, etc) breeds. read more

Sparks K9 - Pet Training Near Me - Monroe, Washington

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I am so happy to have found John and Sparks K9. I initially found Sparks K9 when I was looking for help with my happy, albeit out of control 85lb Pit Bull/Rottweiler mix. To my abject horror, he pulled me down and drug me across the street in front of my neighbors chasing a cat. I was mortified an decided that it was time for professional intervention. Yancy and I took the 10 week Novice Obedience Class. At first glance the $450 price tag seems high, but this is 10 1 & 1/2 hour classes (which are sometimes even longer) and you can retake the class with the same dog or even a different dog in your household. You also have the support of an online forum to ask questions and problem solve. I found John to be very responsive to questions and always willing to help with issues or unexpected things that might come up. Other people asking questions on the forum was also really helpful because sometimes those issues would come up later with Yancy and I already had the answer at my fingertips. Now, I'm not going to lie....this is NOT an easy class that you can just sail through without work. There is a lot of homework and you need to be accountable for getting it done. At first, it seemed overwhelming but as soon as you start seeing the progress your dog is making, it clicks and you realize that the baby steps are well laid out to build the foundation that you'll need to really connect with your dog. By week five I was seeing some seriously great progress with Yancy and by the time he graduated, he was a rock star. My neighbors started stopping by when I was working with Yancy in front of my house and complimenting him on his obedience. I was so impressed that I immediately signed up one of my other dogs who had been severely beaten and neglected. Due to this she was terrified of everything and the world was a big scary place. Working with a soft dog was very different and I was so thankful to be able to take the class again as I had to really change my training style. While Yancy was a happy go lucky party boy, Banana was reserved and soft and really different to work with. John gave me the tools I needed to build her confidence and, voila! Banana graduated today and is like a totally different dog. She's happy, relaxed and no longer afraid of the world. She now knows what's expected of her, and she is happy to show off all of her new skills to anyone who will watch. TLDR; if you're looking for an easy class that uses gimmicks and requires no time and effort, look somewhere else. If you're looking for quality training that gives you the support and tools you need to be a fair leader to your dog and build a real connection with some effort on your part then Sparks K9 is the place! Yancy and Banana approved! read more

I came to Sparks K9 with my almost two-year-old dog, Greta. Our main problems were Greta's huge anxiety, which manifested in constant whining, demanding attention, speration anxiety and even though Greta "was taught how to heel" she was constantly pulling on the leash, she was reactive with other dogs, and not obeying known commands in new places even if I tried to bribe her with treats. John showed me how to work with Greta from scratch and only then build more demanding tasks. It was amazing to me how quickly I saw a change in Greta and our relationship. Now I really have a dog that knows how to walk on a leash without pulling, who can perform any command no matter where we are and without trying to bribe her with treats. Our relationship has totally changed and everyone sees it as if Greta was a different dog! I will be forever grateful to Sparks K9 for showing me how to really work with a dog. I must admit that it required us to practice at home every day, but after all, this is what having a dog is all about - don't expect something magically to change in one lesson. Put your time and dedication into it and you will surely see the results! I recommend Sparks K9 to anyone who really cares about their dog and building a healthy relationship with him! read more

There are a few reviews here and all 5 stars, but I'm going to tell you that Sparks K9 group training, or group training in general, is not for everyone. We had our obedience training a long while back so there's no need to leave feedback based on emotions. Unless you are boarding at $120+ per day, you will need considerable time training your dog with these classes. They basically show you their method of training once per week and you do the training yourself. If it doesn't work or if you need more time, tough luck, the class is moving on and every week there are lots of new things the dog should know. The owners are tested every week based on the lessons provided. John Sparks is a knowledgeable trainer, but some of his methods are debatable. One is that he pulls on the dogs necks with a choke chain very hard, in order for the dogs to get shocked into heeling. Many of the dogs were yelping when this happened, either from pain or shock. There is no process to assist owners with training unless you pay for private classes. Would I spend the money for group training classes if I had to do it again? I would not. Most of what our dog knows, including basic commands, is from what we taught ourselves. You can get a quality training book, such as the one Sparks K9 training is based on and save yourself a lot of money with the same results. read more

More than a month later and only after reading my review, Kim reached out and apologized for the miscommunication which was appreciated. She stated that my emails ended up in their spam folder but also said that was an issue they've had in the past. Since it is a previous known issue it should be proactively checked, but to some extent I understand that people just don't check their spam. Even though this hiccup has blemished my impression of them, if I hadn't already found a different training class I probably would have signed up for the class that she offered to add me to. Not often do businesses admit to their mistakes and try to remedy the issue, so it shows they do care about what they do which does deserve some recognition. read more

Sparks K9 is the absolute best dog training resource in the Pacific Northwest. In my experience in working with our 9 month old Boerboel puppy through his puppy socialization and novice obedience classes, John Sparks is a true master of his craft. John is highly skilled in working with owners and handlers to develop the proper skill foundation for the dog as well as the necessary relationship elements between dog and owner. All too often, it seems, dog training focuses solely on the dogs when, in actuality, the way the owner conducts himself is equally important (even more important in some cases!). John's methods ensure not only does your dog learn the skills he needs to properly conduct himself in the scenarios he's likely to encounter in his life but also that you, as an owner/handler know how to ensure the relationship between you and your dog is properly formulated and maintained. In addition to normal training classes, Sparks K9 also offers board and train should you need some extra help for your dog or have a schedule that doesn't support attending the normal classes. In closing, I would highly recommend Sparks K9 to anybody in need of dog training. Regardless of your dog's breed, John and his wife Kim will work with you to understand your needs such that the best possible training protocol can be developed for both your dog AND you! I rarely give out five-star reviews on Yelp but this one is well-deserving! read more

I was someone that thought training was only for pets with issues/aggression or for dogs needing special skills (service/hunting dogs). My dog didn't have any issues, to speak of; he was just a puppy that was going to get really big (over 160lbs) and I wanted to know that I'd be able to handle him. I am so glad I brought him to John and Kim Sparks! They clearly love what they do, and are totally invested in helping every dog/owner with which they work. John is an amazing trainer, and I really respect that all of his training works to build a trusting relationship between dog and owner, instead of trying to force, bribe, or scare the dog into obeying. Our pup started in Sparks K9's puppy socialization class and has now graduated novice obedience class. We've done a couple private lessons as well when we had trouble with a particular skill, and also use John & Kim's Board & Train whenever we go out of town. It is nothing short of amazing to me how fantastic a dog our pup has already become! It is a wonderful joy to have a reliable, predictable dog who is so attentive to his owner. We love being able to take our giant dog everywhere with us and know that he will remain calm, friendly, and under control, even in crowded places. I would recommend Sparks K9 to anyone with a dog. read more

I have a young dog that turns 14 months old tomorrow. We started with a private lesson and discussed board and train, but John Sparks explained that while he could and would train my dog, it was ME that needed to have a relationship with my dog and I would develop that in the Novice Obedience class. He was so spot on! In Feb. 2018 we started class and relationship building ensued! When your dog learns she has choices and you help her by showing her good things happen when she makes the right choice it builds your bond with your dog. In ten weeks Sparks K9 helped my fearful and often stubborn puppy become a well trained, more confident dog that constantly draws praise from neighbors and total strangers about how well mannered she is. If you are willing to do the work (and I really mean make a commitment to do the work as it is a class that requires more than just going to class once a week) you will have a better trained dog than you imagined possible!I I have used other trainers closer to home when my older dogs were younger and was happy enough but I was looking for something more -a reliability that I could trust. Sparks K9 was the perfect solution and I admire and respect their training style and commitment to the dogs. Thank you John and Kim Sparks! You two and Sparks K9 are the real deal! read more

Love K9 sparks their training works as long as you use it. My GSD was unsocial an they taught me the best methodology to use for me .

As a case manager that rapidly re-houses homeless Veterans the first thing I do upon meeting (in my head) is do an assessment of your assessment. We left our 'first assessment' with identification of a problem behavior and the information and skills to maintain our dog's desired behavior. We had more confidence as dog parents, which made our dog more confident in us. We booked private lessons before classes. Very impressed. read more

My husband and I brought our insane French Bulldog, Kona in for a private lesson. Kona has had multiple surgeries due to eating toys and just didn't listen to anything. He was a crazed beast! Taking him to this class was kinda a last resort for us as we were considering (sadly) getting rid of him due to the stress and cost of having him. We both felt like we brought home a new and improved Kona after our lesson! In my opinion, the lesson was less about Kona and more about teaching us how to handle/teach Kona to behave in the way we want. What we are seeing now is a night and day difference! If one thing is certain, John knows dogs! I would recommend Sparks services to anyone! Well worth the $ if you are willing to put in the effort and time to maintain! read more

This was the best dog training I have ever experienced. They really know dogs and people. I had a GSD that was out of control. After the basic course my dog is awesome now. I'm so glad I signed up for there basic course. read more

I would highly recommend sparks k9 to anyone! John knows his stuff and I wouldn't trust anyone else with training my dog. My boxer/lab mix is a rescue and had some leash aggression issues. John helped rehabilitate him and brought us closer with our dog. John is helpful and explains thing thoroughly. Your in good hands with sparks k9. read more

I was referred to Sparks K9 after adopting a high-energy, high-drive, working line German Shepherd puppy. My husband and I started her off in Sparks K9's Puppy Socialization Class and have continued on to take their Novice Obedience Class and E-Collar Class. She passed her Canine Good Citizen test earlier this year and is also training to be a search dog. What I love most about Sparks K9 is that their training is based on building a relationship with our dog, teaching her how to make her own choices and motivating her with various rewards such as verbal praise, food reward and lots and lots of fun play!! John is great about explaining why certain things work (or don't work) and also about helping us understand why our dog behaves the way she does. I love that their classes aren't about teaching us how to control our dog but rather how to work with our dog. I also appreciate the many pep-talks I have received from both John and Kim - it isn't always easy but it is so worth it!!! We will take every class that they offer and highly recommend them!!! read more